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Article
Publication date: 19 January 2023

Haymanot Enawgaw

The purpose of this paper is to give compiled information on previously applied cotton fabric surface modifications. The paper covered most of the modifications done on cotton…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to give compiled information on previously applied cotton fabric surface modifications. The paper covered most of the modifications done on cotton fabric to improve its properties or to add some functional properties. The paper presented mostly studied research works that brought a significant surface improvement on cotton fabric.

Design/methodology/approach

Different previous works on surface modifications of cotton fabrics such as pilling, wrinkle and microbial resistance, hydrophobicity, cationization, flame retardancy and UV-protection characteristics were studied and their methods of modification including the main findings are well reported in this paper.

Findings

Several modification treatments on surface modification of cotton fabrics indicated an improvement in the desired properties in which the modification is needed. For instance, the pilling tendency, wrinkling, microbial degradation and UV degradation drawbacks of cotton fabric can be overcome through different modification techniques.

Originality/value

To the best of the author’s knowledge, there are no compressive documents that covered all the portions presented in this review. The author tried to cover the surface modifications done to improve the main properties of cotton fabric.

Details

Research Journal of Textile and Apparel, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1560-6074

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 June 2022

Ali Mohammadi, Jiami Yang, Yuri Borgianni and Yong Zeng

The purpose of this paper is to analyze theory of inventive problem-solving (TRIZ) in terms of knowledge, skill, workload and affect to understand its effectiveness in enabling…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze theory of inventive problem-solving (TRIZ) in terms of knowledge, skill, workload and affect to understand its effectiveness in enabling designers to achieve their optimized mental performance.

Design/methodology/approach

TASKS framework, which aims to capture the causal relations among Task workload, affect, skills, knowledge and mental stress, is adopted as our methodology. The framework supports the analysis of how a methodology influence designer’s affect, skills, knowledge and workload. TRIZ-related publications are assessed using the TASKS framework to identify the barriers and enablers in TRIZ-supported design.

Findings

TRIZ has limitations on its logic and tools. Nevertheless, it could create a beneficial impact on mental performance of designers.

Originality/value

This paper provides a theory-driven TRIZ usability analysis based on the materials in the literature following the TASKS framework. The impact of TRIZ, as an enabler or a barrier, has been analyzed in accomplishing a design task.

Details

Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology , vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1726-0531

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 November 2023

It Nguyen Van, Anna Kotaskova, Alberto Ferraris and Thanh Tiep Le

This study investigates the impact of human capital (managers' capital, employees' capital) and orientation (market orientation, entrepreneurial orientation) for accelerating the…

Abstract

Purpose

This study investigates the impact of human capital (managers' capital, employees' capital) and orientation (market orientation, entrepreneurial orientation) for accelerating the digitalization process and improving the firm performance. It also studies the role of supply chains as both direct and indirect mediators of the correlation between digitalization and business performance.

Design/methodology/approach

This article aims to develop an empirical study using a random sampling technique and survey data collected from 368 managers and owners of different food enterprises in Vietnam. The study adopted a methodological approach quantitatively. Analysis of the relationships and confirmatory factors was performed using structural equation modeling (SEM), a technique to evaluate the proposed relationships.

Findings

In line with expectations, the findings emphasize the impact of human capital (managers' capital, employees' capital) and orientation (market orientation, entrepreneurial orientation) for accelerating the digitalization process and the role of supply chains as both direct and indirect mediators of the correlation between digitalization and improving the firm performance, in the context of emerging markets.

Originality/value

This is an important investigation, according to the authors' knowledge, regarding the role of developing human capital (managers' capital, employees' capital) and orientation (market orientation, entrepreneurial orientation) as a key strategy for accelerating the digitalization process and improving the firm performance. Further, the study's novelty reinforces the role of supply chains as both direct and indirect mediators of the correlation between digitalization and business performance in the Vietnamese food companies, where a market economy is emerging.

Details

European Journal of Innovation Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1460-1060

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 March 2024

Shu Zhang, Lixun Su, Weiling Zhuang and Barry J. Babin

Given resource constraints such as time and staffing, hotels cannot respond to all negative online reviews (NORs). Therefore, this study investigates (1) what types of NORs hotels…

Abstract

Purpose

Given resource constraints such as time and staffing, hotels cannot respond to all negative online reviews (NORs). Therefore, this study investigates (1) what types of NORs hotels should prioritize responding; and (2) what response strategies are more effective in handling different types of NORs to minimize the negative ramifications.

Design/methodology/approach

Four experiments in the context of hospitability were used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

Our findings show that NORs with implicit conclusions (e.g. “I do not believe that is a good choice, you know what I mean.”) are more dissuasive than NORs with explicit ones (e.g. “Do not buy it.”) because the former NORs are perceived as more objective than the latter NORs. More importantly, our results show that firms do not need to respond to explicit NORs. When responding to implicit NORs, firms should prioritize those related to service failures caused by external (e.g. weather, technological misfunction) rather than internal (e.g. poor management, employee skills) factors.

Research limitations/implications

Our studies focus on the language styles of Chinese NORs, and future research should investigate how language styles influence dissuasion in other languages.

Practical implications

Our results show that NORs with implicit conclusions negatively impact consumer attitude and thus hurt performance more significantly than those with explicit conclusions. Therefore, firms should allocate limited staffing and resources to NORs with implicit conclusions. When responding to implicit NORs, firms should select NORs that can be attributed to external factors.

Originality/value

Our findings shed light on the importance of the language styles of NORs and provide marketers with insights into how to handle NORs. Our results reveal that consumers perceive higher objectivity of NORs when these reviews are implicit than when they are explicit. Furthermore, this study contributes to the online review literature by suggesting that firms should tailor their response strategies for NORs based on the reviewers’ language styles.

Details

Journal of Service Theory and Practice, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2055-6225

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 January 2023

Riffat Blouch and Muhammad Majid Khan

Drawing on the concept of superior resource, capability and processes of the resource-based theory of the firm, the purpose of the current study is to analyze the influence of…

Abstract

Purpose

Drawing on the concept of superior resource, capability and processes of the resource-based theory of the firm, the purpose of the current study is to analyze the influence of firms’ winner-picking strategic approach on firm performance (FP) via a direct and indirect mechanism.

Design/methodology/approach

Using survey data of 104 diversified manufacturing firms, the current study analyzed the conditional indirect effect of firms’ strategic approach on efficient resource allocation with the help of Statistical Analysis Software (SAS) process macros.

Findings

The study found that firms’ choices of winner-picking approach can undermine the resource allocation efficiency when not perfectly blended with firms’ access to the resource. Furthermore, the effect of winner-picking strategy (WPS) on resource allocation efficiency via firms’ competitive advantage (CA) can be greater when both strategic choice and resources are employed adequately.

Research limitations/implications

Despite making a unique contribution, the present study has a few limitations requiring researchers’ attention to be tackled in the forthcoming. This includes a little amount of data, a self-reporting technique and failure to include all the possible reasons that could lead to inefficient resource allocation.

Practical implications

The present research has potential applications for managers of the manufacturing industry in a period of sheer uncertainty [coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)]. First, the study alerts managers about the challenges of underinvestment and overinvestment while allocating resources. At the same time, this study provides an important implication for managing the importance of firms’ access to capital (AC).

Originality/value

The current study has made a sizeable impression in the literature on internal resource allocation and resource-based theory of the firm by recommending a model that augments the theoretical foundation of strategic management of the firms. As there are only a handful of studies on this grave issue in the context of developing economies, thus, closely considering these insights would be helping for the firms for allocating resources efficiently in the manufacturing industry.

Details

Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Administration, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-4323

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 March 2024

Tianlei Wang, Fei Ding and Zhenxing Sun

Stiffness adjusting ability is essential for soft robotic arms to perform complex tasks. A soft state enables dexterous operation and safe interaction, while a rigid state enables…

Abstract

Purpose

Stiffness adjusting ability is essential for soft robotic arms to perform complex tasks. A soft state enables dexterous operation and safe interaction, while a rigid state enables large force output or heavy weight carrying. However, making a compact integration of soft actuators with powerful stiffness adjusting mechanisms is challenging. This study aims to develop a piston-like particle jamming mechanism for enhanced stiffness adjustment of a soft robotic arm.

Design/methodology/approach

The arm has two pairs of differential tendons for spatial bending, and a jamming core consists of four jamming units with particles sealed inside braided tubes for stiffness adjustment. The jamming core is pushed and pulled smoothly along the tendons by a piston, which is then driven by a motor and a ball screw mechanism.

Findings

The tip displacement of the arm under 150 N jamming force and no more than 0.3 kg load is minimal. The maximum stiffening ratio measured in the experiment under 150 N jamming force is up to 6–25 depends on the bending direction and added load of the arm, which is superior to most of the vacuum powered jamming method.

Originality/value

The proposed robotic arm makes an innovative compact integration of tendon-driven robotic arm and motor-driven piston-like particle jamming mechanism. The jamming force is much larger compared to conventional vacuum-powered systems and results in a superior stiffening ability.

Details

Industrial Robot: the international journal of robotics research and application, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 June 2023

Shipra Pathak and Navjit Singh

The purpose of this paper is to explore future directions in E-learning research by analysing data from Scopus indexed publications in order to have a comprehensive overview of…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore future directions in E-learning research by analysing data from Scopus indexed publications in order to have a comprehensive overview of the trends and thematic focus post COVID-19 in Asian context.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses Vos viewer and Biblioshiny software packages to analyse the bibliometric data. This software helped in identifying the anatomy of E-learning and their themes which were instrumental in forecasting future trends.

Findings

The paper depicts the trends in post COVID-19 E-learning research in Asian context. It identifies key publications, authors and journals in the field, with a focus on numerous networks of collaboration between writers and nations, identifying keyword clusters and co-citation analysis clusters. This study also explored that China and the USA are having maximum number of collaborations, whereas, countries like India, the United Kingdom, Singapore and New Zealand have comparatively weaker collaboration networks. So there is lot of potential for these countries for such collaborations. India is the most cited country globally and China is having maximum number of scientific productions per year.

Research limitations/implications

The paper has been written by exclusively referring to Scopus database papers. Collecting data from different databases would significantly improve the study. Future researchers can also focus on papers from psychology, computer science and engineering fields as current work is based on open access articles on social business, business and arts and humanities.

Practical implications

This research will be useful to educational institutions that use these platforms to offer E-learning content and match future trends. This study will help researchers in understanding the new dimensions in the field of E-learning.

Originality/value

The current study uses bibliometric analysis to examine the association between E-learning, higher education and COVID-19. It aids in the identification of new difficulties within the complex and expanding study fields in the world of E-learning. Newly published studies on E-learning trends can improve understanding and bridge the knowledge gap. As a result, recommendations can be made to improve and implement newer strategies in field of education.

Details

Journal of Economic and Administrative Sciences, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1026-4116

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 February 2024

Jiao Chen, Dingqiang Sun, Funing Zhong, Yanjun Ren and Lei Li

Studies on developed economies showed that imposing taxes on animal-based foods could effectively reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions (AGHGEs), while this taxation may…

Abstract

Purpose

Studies on developed economies showed that imposing taxes on animal-based foods could effectively reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions (AGHGEs), while this taxation may not be appropriate in developing countries due to the complex nutritional status across income classes. Hence, this study aims to explore optimal tax rate levels considering both emission reduction and nutrient intake, and examine the heterogenous effects of taxation across various income classes in urban and rural China.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors estimated the Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System model to calculate the price elasticities for eight food groups, and performed three simulations to explore the relative optimal tax regions via the relationships between effective animal protein intake loss and AGHGE reduction by taxes.

Findings

The results showed that the optimal tax rate bands can be found, depending on the reference levels of animal protein intake. Designing taxes on beef, mutton and pork could be a preliminary option for reducing AGHGEs in China, but subsidy policy should be designed for low-income populations at the same time. Generally, urban residents have more potential to reduce AGHGEs than rural residents, and higher income classes reduce more AGHGEs than lower income classes.

Originality/value

This study fills the gap in the literature by developing the methods to design taxes on animal-based foods from the perspectives of both nutrient intake and emission reduction. This methodology can also be applied to analyze food taxes and GHGE issues in other developing countries.

Details

China Agricultural Economic Review, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-137X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 February 2024

Jiang Jiang, Eldon Y. Li and Li Tang

Trust plays a crucial role in overcoming uncertainty and reducing risks. Uncovering the trust mechanism in the sharing economy may enable sharing platforms to design more…

Abstract

Purpose

Trust plays a crucial role in overcoming uncertainty and reducing risks. Uncovering the trust mechanism in the sharing economy may enable sharing platforms to design more effective marketing strategies. However, existing studies have inconsistent conclusions on the trust mechanism in the sharing economy. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the antecedents and consequences of different dimensions of trust (trust in platform and trust in peers) in the sharing economy.

Design/methodology/approach

First, we conducted a meta-analysis of 57 related articles. We tested 13 antecedents of trust in platform (e.g. economic benefits, enjoyment, and information quality) and eight antecedents of trust in peers (e.g. offline service quality and providers’ reputation), as well as their consequences. Then, we conducted subgroup analyses to test the moderating effects of economic development level (Developed vs Developing), gender (Female-dominant vs Male-dominant), platform type (Accommodation vs Transportation), role type (Obtainers vs Providers), and uncertainty avoidance (Strong vs Weak).

Findings

The results confirm that all antecedents and consequences significantly affect trust in platform or peers to varying degrees. Moreover, trust in platform greatly enhances trust in peers. Besides, the results of the moderating effect analyses demonstrate the variability of antecedents and consequences of trust under different subgroups.

Originality/value

This paper provides a clear and holistic view of the trust mechanism in the sharing economy from an object-based trust perspective. The findings may offer insights into trust-building in the sharing economy.

Details

Internet Research, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1066-2243

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 May 2023

Sha Xu, Jie He, Alastair M. Morrison, Xiaohua Su and Renhong Zhu

Drawing from resource orchestration theory, this research proposed an integrative model that leverages insights into counter resource constraints and uncertainty in start-up…

Abstract

Purpose

Drawing from resource orchestration theory, this research proposed an integrative model that leverages insights into counter resource constraints and uncertainty in start-up business model innovation (BMI). It investigated the influences of entrepreneurial networks and effectuation on BMI through bricolage in uncertain environments.

Design/methodology/approach

The research surveyed 481 start-ups in China. LISREL 8.80 and SPSS 22.0 were employed to test the validity and reliability of key variables, respectively. Additionally, hypotheses were examined through multiple linear regression.

Findings

First, entrepreneurial networks and effectuation were positively related to BMI, and combining these two factors improved BMI for start-ups. Second, bricolage contributed to BMI and played mediating roles in translating entrepreneurial networks and effectuation into BMI. Third, environmental uncertainty weakened the linkage between bricolage and BMI.

Research limitations/implications

Future research should replicate the results in other countries because only start-ups in China were investigated in the study, and it is necessary to extend this research by gathering longitudinal data. This research emphasized the mediating effects of bricolage and the moderating influence of environmental uncertainty, and new potential mediating and moderating factors should be explored between resources and BMI.

Originality/value

There are three significant theoretical contributions. First, the findings enrich the literature on the complex antecedents of BMI by combining the impacts of entrepreneurial networks and effectuation. Second, an overarching framework is proposed explaining how bricolage (resource management) links entrepreneurial networks and effectuation and BMI. Third, it demonstrates the significance of environmental uncertainty in the bricolage–BMI linkage, deepening the understanding of the bricolage boundary condition.

Details

European Journal of Innovation Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1460-1060

Keywords

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