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Article
Publication date: 13 January 2021

Jay Deshmukh

The pandemic-induced global shift to remote learning calls for rethinking the foundations of design for higher education. This watershed moment in global health and human…

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Abstract

Purpose

The pandemic-induced global shift to remote learning calls for rethinking the foundations of design for higher education. This watershed moment in global health and human interaction has accelerated changes in higher education that were long emergent and amplified specific deficiencies and strengths in pedagogical models, causing institutions to reevaluate current structures and operations of learning and campus life as they question their vision and purpose. Since physical space has largely been taken out of the equation of university life, it is evident that fresh design research related to this new normal is required.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative research study speculates on new possibilities for the future of campus, based upon insights and inferences gained from one-on-one interviews with faculty and students in multiple countries about their personal experiences with the sudden shift to the virtual classroom. The longer the mode of physical distancing stretched through Spring 2020, these phone and web-enabled dialogues – first with faculty (teachers) and then with students (learners) – lead to a deeper, more nuanced understanding of how the notion of the campus for higher education was itself morphing in ways expected and unexpected.

Findings

At the heart of this study lies the question – Has COVID-19 killed the campus? This study suggests that it has not. However, campuses are now on a path of uneven evolution, and risk shedding the good with the extraneous without eyes-wide-open rethinking and responsive planning. This two-part qualitative analysis details the experiments and strategies followed by educators and students as the pandemic changed their ways of teaching and learning. It then speculates out-of-the-norm possibilities which campuses could explore as they navigate the uncertainty of future terms and address paradigm shifts questioning what defines a post-secondary education.

Research limitations/implications

This paper draws inferences from discussions limited to the first 100 days of the pandemic. This on-the-ground aspect as the pandemic continues is its strength and its limitation. As Fall 2020 progresses across global campuses, new ideas and perspectives are already reinforcing or upending some of this paper's speculations. This researcher is already engaged in new, currently-ongoing research, following up with interviewees from Spring 2020, as well as bringing in new voices to delve deeper into the possibilities discussed in this paper. This follow-up research is shaping new thinking which is not reflected in this paper.

Originality/value

Design practitioners have long-shaped campuses on the belief that the built “environment is the third teacher” and that architecture fosters learning and shapes collective experience. Educators recognize that a multiplicity of formal and informal interactions occur frequently and naturally across campus, supporting cognitive and social development, collegiality and well-being. Even today's digital-native-students perceive the inherent value of real interpersonal engagement for meaningful experiences. This research study offers new planning and design perspectives as institutional responses to the pandemic continue to evolve, to discover how design can support what lies at the core of the campus experience.

Details

Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research, vol. 15 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2631-6862

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 April 2024

Vaishali Choubey, Serlene Tomar, Surbhi Yadav, Bhavana Gupta, Ankur Khare, Pradeep Kumar Singh and Somesh Kumar Meshram

The purpose of the study was to produce a healthier, convenient and traditional ready-to-eat (RTE) snack option with increased nutritional value, using spent hen meat, dietary…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the study was to produce a healthier, convenient and traditional ready-to-eat (RTE) snack option with increased nutritional value, using spent hen meat, dietary fibre (DF) and simple technological methods. The product was designed to be stable without refrigeration and be easily adoptable by local self-help groups, rural women and youth and entrepreneurs in urban and semi-urban areas.

Design/methodology/approach

Conventional binder used for making snacks, i.e. rice flour was partially replaced by different sources of antioxidant DFs, i.e. oat flour (T1 – 10%), finger millet flour (T2 – 5%) and amaranth flour (T3 –15%) to prepare spent hen snack sticks (SHSS). The snacks were then packaged in low density polyethylene (LDPE) pouches and evaluated for their storage stability at ambient temperature for a period of 35 days. Their physico-chemical, sensory and microbiological quality was evaluated at a regular interval of 7 days. The proximate composition of developed SHSS was compared to commercially available snack products (chakli/murukku – snacks without meat).

Findings

The fibre-enriched SHSS showed significant improvement in nutritive value, as they contained more fibre (p = 0.001) and protein (p = 0.029) than control SHSS. When compared to commercially available snack product SHSS showed three-fold significant increase in protein (p = 0.000) and ash content (p = 0.001) and only 11%–12% total fat as compared to 31% fat in the market-available product. The most acceptable treatment in terms of overall sensory quality and nutritional aspects was T3; however, T2 was more shelf-stable during the storage period. The study showed that fibre-enriched snacks can be stored at ambient temperature for up to 35 days without substantial loss in physico-chemical, sensory and microbial quality. Hence, substituting rice flour with DFs can lead to the development of products with better sensory attributes and improved functionality.

Social implications

The simplicity of the product in terms of composition, machinery and low production costs makes it an easily adoptable one by small-scale entrepreneurs, especially those belonging to semi-urban areas.

Originality/value

Incorporation of spent hen meat, a relatively cheap but abundant source of protein, in RTE products can serve as an effective way to alleviate protein malnutrition, whereas addition of fibre further improves the functionality of the product. The methodology can be easily taken up by small-scale entrepreneurs and create a market for snack-based functional meat products.

Details

Nutrition & Food Science , vol. 54 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0034-6659

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 July 2009

Vanita Ahuja, Jay Yang and Ravi Shankar

Effective flow of data and communication at every stage of a construction project is essential for achieving required coordination and collaboration between the project…

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Abstract

Purpose

Effective flow of data and communication at every stage of a construction project is essential for achieving required coordination and collaboration between the project participants, leading to successful management of the projects. In present scenario, when project participants are geographically separated, adoption of information communication technology (ICT) enables such effective communication. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to focus on ICT adoption for building project management.

Design/methodology/approach

It is difficult to quantitatively evaluate the benefits of ICT adoption in the multiple enterprise scenario of building project management. It requires qualitative analysis based on the perceptions of the construction professionals. The paper utilizes interpretive structural modeling (ISM) technique to assess importance of perceived benefits and their driving power and dependence on other benefits.

Findings

The developed ISM model shows that all the categories of benefits, i.e. benefits related to projects, team management, technology, and organization are inter‐related and cannot be achieved in isolation. But, organization‐ and technology‐related benefits have high‐driving power and these are “strategic benefits” for the project team organizations. Thus, organizations are required to give more attention on strategically increasing these benefits from application of ICT.

Originality/value

This analysis provides a road map to managers or project management organizations to decide that if they are planning ICT adoption for achieving certain benefits then which are the other driving benefits that should be achieved prior to that and also which are the dependent benefits that would be achieved by default.

Details

Construction Innovation, vol. 9 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1471-4175

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 May 2007

Rajesh K. Singh, Suresh K. Garg and S.G. Deshmukh

The purpose of this study is to analyse different aspects of competitiveness relating to the Indian auto component sector, set within a globalised economy with its attendant…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to analyse different aspects of competitiveness relating to the Indian auto component sector, set within a globalised economy with its attendant pressures and constraints. It examines the strategies adopted for quality improvement, cost reduction, investment and competency development. It also aims to establish the relationship between strategies and the different dimensions of competitiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire was used to collect the research data: 75 valid responses were received. Statistical analysis of data acquired from the survey was carried out by a reliability test, t‐test and correlation analysis.

Findings

A growth‐supportive environment, raising funds from the market and a shortage of technical manpower are major constraining factors whereas cost, quality, and delivery time are the main pressures on the auto component sector. The auto component sector is flexible in developing strategies and those strategies relating to cost, quality; investment and competency development are significantly correlated with competitiveness.

Research limitations/implications

This study could be further extended by considering other aspects of strategy development, such as human resource, vendor development, organization culture, etc.

Practical implications

Organisations should make the necessary investment to develop new competencies, and should address cost reduction and quality improvement. They should also benchmark themselves against industry standards to sustain competitiveness.

Originality/value

This study will help organizations in shaping competitive strategies and in deciding dimensions of performance measurement.

Details

International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, vol. 56 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-0401

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 20 October 2015

Mohammad Shamsuddoha

Contemporary literature reveals that, to date, the poultry livestock sector has not received sufficient research attention. This particular industry suffers from unstructured…

Abstract

Contemporary literature reveals that, to date, the poultry livestock sector has not received sufficient research attention. This particular industry suffers from unstructured supply chain practices, lack of awareness of the implications of the sustainability concept and failure to recycle poultry wastes. The current research thus attempts to develop an integrated supply chain model in the context of poultry industry in Bangladesh. The study considers both sustainability and supply chain issues in order to incorporate them in the poultry supply chain. By placing the forward and reverse supply chains in a single framework, existing problems can be resolved to gain economic, social and environmental benefits, which will be more sustainable than the present practices.

The theoretical underpinning of this research is ‘sustainability’ and the ‘supply chain processes’ in order to examine possible improvements in the poultry production process along with waste management. The research adopts the positivist paradigm and ‘design science’ methods with the support of system dynamics (SD) and the case study methods. Initially, a mental model is developed followed by the causal loop diagram based on in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and observation techniques. The causal model helps to understand the linkages between the associated variables for each issue. Finally, the causal loop diagram is transformed into a stock and flow (quantitative) model, which is a prerequisite for SD-based simulation modelling. A decision support system (DSS) is then developed to analyse the complex decision-making process along the supply chains.

The findings reveal that integration of the supply chain can bring economic, social and environmental sustainability along with a structured production process. It is also observed that the poultry industry can apply the model outcomes in the real-life practices with minor adjustments. This present research has both theoretical and practical implications. The proposed model’s unique characteristics in mitigating the existing problems are supported by the sustainability and supply chain theories. As for practical implications, the poultry industry in Bangladesh can follow the proposed supply chain structure (as par the research model) and test various policies via simulation prior to its application. Positive outcomes of the simulation study may provide enough confidence to implement the desired changes within the industry and their supply chain networks.

Details

Sustaining Competitive Advantage Via Business Intelligence, Knowledge Management, and System Dynamics
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78560-707-3

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 December 2020

Srichandan Sahu and K.V.S.S. Narayana Rao

To assess the state of supply chain management (SCM) research in India and to understand the research trends and methodologies used. The present study also aims to create a…

1097

Abstract

Purpose

To assess the state of supply chain management (SCM) research in India and to understand the research trends and methodologies used. The present study also aims to create a taxonomy of the subject areas researched in India.

Design/methodology/approach

The present study employed the systematic literature review methodology. Literature from 395 peer journal papers in 67 leading journals over a 20-year period (2000–2020 Quarter-1) was comprehensively reviewed and assessed.

Findings

SCM research in India started around the year 2000. The quantum of research was low (single digit) until 2010. There has been steady growth over the last decade, and over 50% of the total papers up until now has been published in the last four years. The present study created a three-tiered taxonomy of the subject areas and classified the papers as per it. The first tier (level-1) has seven categories (SCM strategy, network design, SCM processes and integration, IT systems, skills, performance measurement and others). A perusal of the newly created taxonomy revealed that, except for a few areas under level-1 categories (such as SCM processes and SCM strategy), the other level-1 categories have not seen much research. Similarly, there is little or no research in a large number of level-2 categories (such as outsourcing strategy, channel strategy, demand management, demand fulfillment, customer relationship management, integrated supply chain planning, new product development, returns, supply chain orientation, performance monitoring, performance improvement, SCM adoption process, SCM implementation issues and quantified benefits of SCM). Methodologically, the rigor of SCM research in India needs improvement.

Originality/value

A comprehensive taxonomy of SCM subject areas researched in India at three cascading levels was created for the first time in the present study. The taxonomy will help provide researchers with a clear understanding of the structure of the subject areas and help in identifying areas where research has been carried out and the subject areas where gaps exist for future research to proceed. The present study also provides an overview of the methodological rigor of SCM research in India and points out some of the limitations that researchers should avoid in future studies.

Details

Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. 28 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-5771

Keywords

Content available
Book part
Publication date: 14 December 2023

Abstract

Details

Fashion and Tourism
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80262-976-7

Book part
Publication date: 14 December 2017

Daria Sarti

Following the current debate on the importance of external sources of knowledge as predictors of small- and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) performance, this chapter aims to open…

Abstract

Following the current debate on the importance of external sources of knowledge as predictors of small- and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) performance, this chapter aims to open the black box of the innovation process. Since it is still unclear how and what internal capabilities are involved in that process, this chapter demonstrates the relevant mediating role of knowledge integration mechanisms (KIMs) as facilitators of firms’ innovation. A sample containing 98 Italian SMEs operating in different industries is analyzed to test the proposed theoretical model through a regression analysis. The results suggest that KIMs operate as a full mediator in the relationship between the depth of external knowledge sources and opportunity exploitation. In conclusion, theoretical and managerial ­implications of this study are presented.

Details

Global Opportunities for Entrepreneurial Growth: Coopetition and Knowledge Dynamics within and across Firms
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78714-502-3

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 July 2020

Naveen Donthu, Satish Kumar, Nitesh Pandey and Gunjan Soni

This study provides a retrospect of Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics (APJML) for the 27-year period between 1993 and 2019.

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Abstract

Purpose

This study provides a retrospect of Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics (APJML) for the 27-year period between 1993 and 2019.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses the Scopus database to identify the most-cited APJML articles and most prolific authors, institutions and countries in APJML between 1993 and 2019. The study uses bibliometric indicators as well as tools such as bibliographic coupling and science mapping, to analyze the publication and citation structure of APJML. The study provides a temporal analysis of APJML publishing across different periods.

Findings

APJML's publication has grown at an average rate of 17% per year, while its citations have grown at an impressive rate of 60%. The contributors to the journal come mainly from the Asia Pacific region, which is not surprising given the journal's scope of publication. Bibliographic coupling of articles reveals that the journal has focused mostly on issues related to market orientation, advertising, marketing research, consumer behavior, customer service, marketing in the digital environment and consumer ethnocentrism. Quantitative research in marketing and consumer ethnocentrism is among the emerging themes in the journal and would benefit from more exploration from scholars.

Research limitations/implications

This study uses data from the Scopus database, whose limitations have implications for the findings. For example, data for the journal's first five issues are not available on Scopus and therefore are not included in the analysis.

Originality/value

This study provides the first overview of APJML's publication and citation trends as well as its thematic structure.

Details

Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, vol. 33 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-5855

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 April 2018

Debnirmalya Gangopadhyay, Santanu Roy and Jay Mitra

Deriving a measure of efficiency of public-funded organizations (primarily not-for-profit organizations) and ranking these efficiency measures have been major subjects of debate…

Abstract

Purpose

Deriving a measure of efficiency of public-funded organizations (primarily not-for-profit organizations) and ranking these efficiency measures have been major subjects of debate and discussion. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the relative performances of public-funded research and development (R&D) organizations functioning across multiple countries working on similar research streams. The authors use multiple measures of inputs and outputs for this purpose.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use the data envelopment analysis (DEA) as the primary methodology of analysis The keywords highlighting the major research areas in the field of non-metrology, conducted by National Physical Laboratory (NPL), India, were utilized to select the global comparators working on similar research streams. These global comparators were three R&D organizations located in the USA and one each located in Germany and Japan. The relative efficiencies of the organizations were assessed with the following output variables – external cash flow, and the numbers of technologies transferred, publications and patents; and the following input variables – amount of grants received from the parent body, and the number of scientific personnel working in these public R&D organizations. The authors follow the output-oriented measure of efficiency at constant return to scale and variable return to scale, along with scale efficiencies.

Findings

The performance of NPL, India under multiple dimensions has been evaluated relative to its global comparators – the National Institute for Materials Science, Japan; the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, USA; Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, Germany; the National Centre for Atmospheric Research, USA; and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, USA. The study indicates suggested measures and a set of targets to achieve the best possible performance for NPL and other R&D organizations. In most cases of efficient local but not so efficient global efficiency scores indicate that, on an average, the actual scale of production has diverged from the most productive scale size.

Research limitations/implications

The approach highlights the utilization of the DEA methodology for relative R&D performance assessment of global comparators. The discriminatory analysis has brought into sharp focus the dichotomy between local efficiency and global efficiency scores of these units and issues of scale size and regional disparities. The outcome of this approach is dependent upon correct selection of input and output variables and data availability.

Practical implications

The study results have profound implications for the management of public R&D institutions across nations working on similar-focused research streams, but functioning within different societal, economic, and political contexts.

Originality/value

The present work, being perhaps one of the few multinational studies of relative performance assessment of pubic-funded R&D organizations working on similar research streams, signifies the relevance of such an approach in the field of R&D/innovation management. This has opened up new avenues for further research in this area.

Details

Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. 25 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-5771

Keywords

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