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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 31 January 2023

Karla Marie B. Paredes, Malin Olander Roese and Ulf Johansson

Incumbent retail organisations need to develop new capabilities to adapt with the increasingly competitive retail landscape. Despite the growing relevance of innovation in retail…

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Abstract

Purpose

Incumbent retail organisations need to develop new capabilities to adapt with the increasingly competitive retail landscape. Despite the growing relevance of innovation in retail practice, the strategic management of innovation in retailing is still vastly under-researched. This explorative study thus aims to investigate how incumbent retail firms can organise for innovation from an organisational ambidexterity perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

A single-case study of an established Swedish retail firm was conducted from December 2016 to July 2018 and followed up in June 2021. The authors followed the process of implementation of organisational changes aimed to increase innovation in the company, particularly the introduction of a digital marketing initiative and a corporate innovation hub. Data collection was based on nine semi-structured interviews and participant observations and unstructured interviews from 13 meetings and workshops. An abductive approach to data analysis was followed, iteratively comparing theoretical concepts and empirical data using open, axial and selective coding to distil findings into aggregated themes.

Findings

Given the inherently limited formalisation of innovation processes in most retail organisations, structural ambidexterity appears to be necessary when the aim is radical, strategic retail innovation. Structural mechanisms are able to safeguard the space and resources to focus on long-term research and projects with higher risk and uncertainty; however, integration of innovation activities to the mainstream organisation is critical. Pursuing contextual ambidexterity, wherein instead of structural solutions, employees are empowered to divide employees' time between innovation-related and efficiency-related tasks, is more likely related to retail innovations that are incremental and operational.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the emerging topic of strategic management of innovation in retailing, by explicating how incumbent retailers can organise for innovation depending on the type of innovation that is aimed for, using organisational ambidexterity as a novel perspective.

Details

International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, vol. 51 no. 13
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-0552

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 June 2023

Prince Singh, Brajkishor Prasad and Virendra Kumar

This study aims to investigate the compressive strength of concretes incorporating Linz-Donawitz slag (LD slag) as partial replacement for natural fine and coarse aggregates and…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the compressive strength of concretes incorporating Linz-Donawitz slag (LD slag) as partial replacement for natural fine and coarse aggregates and compare them with traditional concrete.

Design/methodology/approach

The natural fine and coarse aggregates were replaced by weight simultaneously up to 100% with LD slag aggregates at an incremental increase of 20%. Concrete of grades M20, M25, M30, M35 and M40 were cast, cured and tested with standard cube specimens to study the density and compressive strength of reference and LD slag aggregate concretes (LDSACs). The concrete specimens were exposed to elevated temperatures, i.e. 100 to 900 °C at an equal interval of 100 °C and tested to study the variation in density and residual compressive strength.

Findings

The results from the experiments reveal that the LDSAC yields a higher density than that of the reference concrete and also undergo less density variation when exposed to elevated temperatures. In addition, the residual compressive strength of LDSAC specimens was significantly higher than that of the reference concrete.

Research limitations/implications

LD slag is believed to be stronger and more durable than locally available limestone aggregates or blast furnace slag. Moreover, it is necessary to study its strength and other properties to determine whether it can be successfully used as an aggregate in concrete universally.

Practical implications

Use of LD slag as aggregates in concrete will convert LD slag into a value added product and as an alternative to the existing natural aggregates which will help in maintaining ecological balance and save valuable lands.

Social implications

The economically weaker section of the society may now use LDSAC as waste utilization will bring down the overall cost and hence it will benefit people on large scale.

Originality/value

Use of LD slag as aggregate in concrete can help find an alternative to the existing natural aggregates which will save the ecosystem and at the same time help in reducing the industrial waste on a large scale.

Details

Journal of Structural Fire Engineering, vol. 15 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-2317

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 February 2024

Nilesh R. Parmar, Sanjay R. Salla, Hariom P. Khungar and B. Kondraivendhan

This study aims to characterize the behavior of blended concrete, including metakaolin (MK) and quarry dust (QD), as supplementary cementing materials. The study focuses on…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to characterize the behavior of blended concrete, including metakaolin (MK) and quarry dust (QD), as supplementary cementing materials. The study focuses on evaluating the effects of these materials on the fresh and hardened properties of concrete.

Design/methodology/approach

MK, a pozzolanic material, and QD, a fine aggregate by-product, are potentially sustainable alternatives for enhancing concrete performance and reducing environmental impact. The addition of different percentages of MK enhances the pozzolanic reaction, resulting in improved strength development. Furthermore, the optimum dosage of MK, mixed with QD, and mechanical properties like compressive, flexural and split tensile strength of concrete were evaluated to investigate the synergetic effect of MK and quarry dust for M20-grade concrete.

Findings

The results reveal the influence of metakaolin and QD on the overall performance of blended concrete. Cost analysis showed that the optimum mix can reduce the 7%–8% overall cost of the materials for M20-grade concrete. Energy analysis showed that the optimum mix can reduce 7%–8% energy consumption.

Originality/value

The effective utilization is determined with the help of the analytical hierarchy process method to find an optimal solution among the selected criteria. According to the AHP analysis, the optimum content of MK and quarry dust is 12% and 16%, respectively, performing best among all other trial mixes.

Details

World Journal of Engineering, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1708-5284

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 March 2024

Aminuddin Suhaimi, Izni Syahrizal Ibrahim and Mariyana Aida Ab Kadir

This review paper seeks to enhance knowledge of how pre-loading affects reinforced concrete (RC) beams under fire. It investigates key factors like deflection and load capacity to…

Abstract

Purpose

This review paper seeks to enhance knowledge of how pre-loading affects reinforced concrete (RC) beams under fire. It investigates key factors like deflection and load capacity to understand pre-loading's role in replicating RC beams' actual responses to fire, aiming to improve fire testing protocols and structural fire engineering design.

Design/methodology/approach

This review systematically aggregates data from existing literature on the fire response of RC beams, comparing scenarios with (WP) and without pre-loading (WOP). Through statistical tools like the two-tailed t-test and Mann–Whitney U-test, it assesses deflection extremes. The study further examines structural responses, including flexural and shear behavior, ultimate load capacity, post-yield behavior, stiffness degradation and failure modes. The approach concludes with a statistical forecast of ideal pre-load levels to elevate experimental precision and enhance fire safety standards.

Findings

The review concludes that pre-loading profoundly affects the fire response of RC beams, suggesting a 35%–65% structural capacity range for realistic simulations. The review also recommended the initial crack load as an alternative metric for determining the pre-loading impact. Crucially, it highlights that pre-loading not only influences the fire response but also significantly alters the overall structural behavior of the RC beams.

Originality/value

The review advances structural fire engineering with an in-depth analysis of pre-loading's impact on RC beams during fire exposure, establishing a validated pre-load range through thorough statistical analysis and examination of previous research. It refines experimental methodologies and structural design accuracy, ultimately bolstering fire safety protocols.

Details

Journal of Structural Fire Engineering, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-2317

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 November 2023

Marzieh Ghasemi, Akram Karimi-Shahanjarini, Maryam Afshari and Leili Tapak

Understanding the factors that influence individuals’ adherence to social distancing is critical to effective policymaking in respiratory pandemics such as COVID-19. This study…

Abstract

Purpose

Understanding the factors that influence individuals’ adherence to social distancing is critical to effective policymaking in respiratory pandemics such as COVID-19. This study aims to explore the role of social factors in relation to social distancing measures.

Design/methodology/approach

Stratified convenience sampling was used in this survey research, involving 450 adults residing in both rural and urban areas of Aligodarz County, Lorestan, Iran.

Findings

The findings showed that approximately 14% of participants did not adhere to any of the assessed social distancing behaviors, while only around 30% adhered to all four assessed behaviors. On average, participants reported having 5.13 (SD = 3.60) close physical contact within the 24 h prior to completing the questionnaire. Bridging social capital and gender emerged as the most frequently observed predictors across the assessed social distancing measures. Additionally, age, employment status and residential setting were identified as influential factors for some of the evaluated measures.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the field by highlighting that the likelihood of non-adherence to social distancing measures tends to increase among male participants, those aged above 60, employed individuals, urban residents and those with a higher level of bridging social capital.

Details

Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9342

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 February 2024

Abbas Ramdani, Ridwan Raji and Mohd. Khairie Ahmad

The acceleration of globalized commerce and economic activities has meant that conventional and Shariah (Islamic law) compliant organizations transact and negotiate among…

Abstract

Purpose

The acceleration of globalized commerce and economic activities has meant that conventional and Shariah (Islamic law) compliant organizations transact and negotiate among themselves. Therefore, this study aims to explore the concept of corporate negotiation and the communicative principles that guide the negotiation process among Shariah-compliant organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a qualitative method through an inductive interpretative approach by conducting 20 in-depth interviews among four groups of experts. These consist of three muftis, ten academicians in Islamic assets, finance and asset jurisprudence; three practitioners in charge of inter-organizational negotiation and decision-making; and four shariah board members of selected Islamic banks.

Findings

The findings reported that business negotiation is used by Islamic organizations for reconciliation, consultation, resolving disagreements and as a means of achieving spiritual satisfaction. Furthermore, the key communicative principles of the negotiation process consist of the credibility of informational exchange, flexible interactions and the openness and truthful disclosure of information.

Research limitations/implications

The empirical data discussed in this study supports the claim that macro-environmental factors and social and cultural values should be considered when examining business negotiating behaviors. However, this study focuses only on the banking/service organization negotiation. Therefore, future research should focus on the Islamic negotiation process in the context of diplomatic and international relations.

Practical implications

The findings reported in this study offer insight for negotiators operating among Islamic organizations to understand the principles and process of negotiation in the purview of Shariah standards and principles.

Originality/value

In terms of theoretical implications, this study reveals a clear conceptual difference between the conventional concept and the Islamic perspective of corporate negotiation. Also, this study highlights the impact of organizational culture, specifically Islamic management strategies, on the business negotiation process and business communication principles.

Details

Journal of Islamic Marketing, vol. 15 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1759-0833

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 18 July 2023

Guido Noto, Carmelo Marisca and Gustavo Barresi

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many organisations to transform face-to-face teams into virtual ones through the adoption of remote working modes. This event has represented the…

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Abstract

Purpose

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many organisations to transform face-to-face teams into virtual ones through the adoption of remote working modes. This event has represented the starting point of a process that is changing how management control (MC) systems are designed and implemented to guide employees towards organisational objectives. The previous literature on virtual teams (VTs) has devoted scant attention to MC issues. This study aims to fill this gap by exploring how MC – and particularly cultural control – has changed to cope with the shift from face-to-face to VTs and by analysing the interrelationship between the different control mechanisms and the resulting tensions.

Design/methodology/approach

The research adopts the methodological framework based on abduction to provide a theoretical explanation and conceptualisation of MC in virtual settings. To tackle the research objective, this work undertakes a cross-sectional field study based on semi-structured interviews with managers of different service companies.

Findings

The results of the research highlight the key challenges that managers are called to deal with to design and change MC systems when implementing remote working. In particular, managers must cope with the reduced possibility to leverage cultural controls. To do this, this study’s analysis found that managers act by introducing and/or removing formal and informal controls and by orchestrating the interplays and tensions between these mechanisms.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, to date limited attention has been paid to MC in VTs. Moreover, few researchers have investigated the process of MC change from face-to-face to VTs. This work aims to contribute to this nascent stream of literature by providing interesting implications for both research and practice.

Details

Qualitative Research in Accounting & Management, vol. 20 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1176-6093

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 January 2024

Yilun Wang, Xiaofen Ji, Chen Pang and Lina Zhai

Esthetic trend changes with the development of society and cultural differences. A minimizer bra designed to make breasts appear smaller is now popular with large-breasted women…

Abstract

Purpose

Esthetic trend changes with the development of society and cultural differences. A minimizer bra designed to make breasts appear smaller is now popular with large-breasted women in China. To conform to the requirements of modern aesthetics in China, this paper aims to investigate vital features of breast appearance that influence people’s subjective evaluation of breast size and analyze how bra design parameters affect breast shape and make breasts appear smaller.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used 3D scanning technology and reverse engineering software to obtain objective breast measurements in detail. A subjective evaluation experiment was conducted to evaluate the overall performance of seven minimizer bras compared to a basic comparison bra. Around 20 design parameters of 8 sample bras were identified to make a further study about the correlation between bra design features and breast shaping effect. To gain a deeper understanding of how bras interact with breast tissue, this study presented heat maps of the breast surface to visualize the deformation of breast shape.

Findings

Nine breasts' characteristics, such as the distance between bust points, breast depth, outer breast curvature and slope, etc. have been determined to be highly correlated with the visual reduction effect of breasts. In addition, for the bras in this experiment, the high-performance bra for women with large breasts tends to have a wider side panel, a wider under band, higher gore and a stronger transverse rigidity of the bra cup. According to the observation of heat maps of the breast surface, soft full-figure bras provide a wider range of compression to the breasts and effectively flatten the breasts.

Originality/value

This paper first aimed at the need to shape the ideal breast appearance for large-breasted women and make a further study of several hot-selling minimizer bras in China. The suggestions given in this paper help lingerie manufacturers better understand how design features of bras can affect their shaping effect and improve the wearing effect of minimizer bras for large-breasted women.

Details

International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology, vol. 36 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0955-6222

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 February 2024

Xiongyong Zhou, Haiyan Lu and Sachin Kumar Mangla

Food sustainability is a world-acknowledged issue that requires urgent integrated solutions at multi-levels. This study aims to explore how food firms can improve their…

Abstract

Purpose

Food sustainability is a world-acknowledged issue that requires urgent integrated solutions at multi-levels. This study aims to explore how food firms can improve their sustainability performance through digital traceability practices, considering the mediating effect of sustainability-oriented innovation (SOI) and the moderating effect of supply chain learning (SCL) for the food supply chain therein.

Design/methodology/approach

Hierarchical regression with a moderated mediation model is used to test the proposed hypotheses with a sample of 359 food firms from four provinces in China.

Findings

Digital traceability has a significant positive impact on the three pillars of sustainability performances among food firms. SOI (product innovation, process innovation and organisational innovation) mediates the relationship between digital traceability and sustainability performance. SCL plays moderating roles in the linkage between digital traceability and both product and process innovation, respectively.

Originality/value

This paper contributes as one of the first studies to develop digital traceability practices and their sustainability-related improvements for Chinese food firms; it extends studies on supply chain traceability to a typical emerging market. This finding can support food sustainability practice in terms of where and how to invest in sustainability innovation and how to improve economic, environmental and social performance.

Details

Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1359-8546

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 January 2024

Xingong Li, Xiaokai Li and Sheng Ding

Digital transformation (DT) is among the vital factors contributing to innovation ambidexterity, especially for advanced manufacturing firms (AMFs). However, the empirical studies…

Abstract

Purpose

Digital transformation (DT) is among the vital factors contributing to innovation ambidexterity, especially for advanced manufacturing firms (AMFs). However, the empirical studies on the relationship between DT and innovation ambidexterity in AMFs from the perspective of knowledge management are inadequate. Therefore, this study aims to systematically analyze the impact of DT on innovation ambidexterity and its mechanism of action.

Design/methodology/approach

This study selects 254 listed firms within the ten key areas of “Made in China 2025,” as they occupy a key position in China’s advanced manufacturing system. Based on the knowledge-based view (KBV) and contingency theory, it constructs a model of the influence mechanism of DT on innovation ambidexterity.

Findings

The results show that the DT of AMFs positively influence innovation ambidexterity. External pressure from environmental turbulence enhances the positive relationship between DT and innovation ambidexterity, demonstrating the “resilience effect,” external knowledge search (EKS) and broadening the knowledge base mediating roles between them, highlighting the “accumulation effect.”

Originality/value

By identifying this mediation mechanism of DT and innovation ambidexterity, this study provides new ideas for path research on the KBV. Moreover, this study explores the triggering effect of market environmental turbulence on the DT of firms. It reveals the boundary conditions of DT acting on innovation ambidexterity, expands the research perspective on organizational resilience and enriches the theory of power change.

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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