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1 – 10 of 79Xiaoyan Li, MengQian Wang, Gang Wu and Jiming Yao
The purpose of this study is to improve the performance of sodium borohydride in reducing indigo at room temperature, the divalent copper ion complex was combined with…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to improve the performance of sodium borohydride in reducing indigo at room temperature, the divalent copper ion complex was combined with electrochemical technology for the reduction of indigo by sodium borohydride.
Design/methodology/approach
According to the K/S value of the dyed cloth sample, find a more suitable ligand for the copper ion in the catholyte. Response surface analysis tests were performed to evaluate the effects of sodium borohydride concentration, sodium hydroxide concentration and copper sulfate pentahydrate concentration on the reduction potential of the dye solution and the K/S value of the dyed fabric samples.
Findings
Sodium gluconate was found to be a more suitable ligand for copper ions in catholyte. The effects of NaOH concentration as well as the interaction of NaBH4 and NaOH on the reduction potential of the catholyte and the K/S value of the dyed fabric samples were extremely significant. The optimal concentrations of NaBH4, NaOH and CuSO4•5H2O were 0.5, 2.5 and 0.65 g/L. In the case of the optimized condition, the absolute value of the reduction potential was 968, and the K/S value was 11.92, which is comparable with that of the conventional reduction process with sodium dithionite.
Originality/value
The divalent copper ion complex combined with electrochemical technology was applied in the process of reducing indigo with NaBH4 at room temperature.
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This study aims to explore the association between empowering leadership and workplace proactivity.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the association between empowering leadership and workplace proactivity.
Design/methodology/approach
The data have been collected through questionnaires from both the medical and non-medical staff members working in four National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare (NABH)–accredited private hospitals in India. Confirmatory factor analysis has employed test reliability and validity and PROCESS MACRO (model 6) to test the proposed serial mediation model.
Findings
The results support the proposed hypotheses of the serial mediation model. Additionally, the authors have also found that psychological safety is a strong mediating variable than knowledge sharing between empowering leadership and workplace proactivity.
Research limitations/implications
The findings should be interpreted by considering the cross-sectional research design and self-reported measures.
Practical implications
An organization can use the findings to promote employee proactivity at the workplace.
Originality/value
The study makes an attempt to explore the underdeveloped relationship between empowering leadership and workplace proactivity in the context of Indian NABH-accredited hospitals based on the self-determination theory.
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Xiaoyan Li, Zhihui Zhang, Jiming Yao, MengQian Wang and Na Yang
To improve the problems as the heavy burden of sewage treatment and environmental pollution caused by the traditional sodium hydrosulfite reduction dyeing of indigo, this study…
Abstract
Purpose
To improve the problems as the heavy burden of sewage treatment and environmental pollution caused by the traditional sodium hydrosulfite reduction dyeing of indigo, this study aims to carry out the direct electrochemical reduction dyeing for indigo with the eco-friendly Cu(II)/sodium borohydride reduction system under normal temperature and pressure conditions.
Design/methodology/approach
The electrochemical behavior of Cu(II)/sodium borohydride reduction system was investigated by cyclic voltammetry. And, the dyeing performance of the Cu(II)/sodium borohydride reduction system was developed by optimizing the concentration of copper sulfate in the anode electrolyte, applied voltage and reduction time via single-factor and orthogonal integrated analysis.
Findings
The dyeing performance of the Cu(II)/sodium borohydride reduction system is superior to that of the traditional reduction dyeing with sodium hydrosulfite. In the case of the optimized condition, the soaping fastness and dry/wet rubbing fastness of the dyed fabric in the two reduction dyeing processes were basically comparable, the K/S value of electrocatalytic reduction of indigo by Cu(II)/NaBH4 is 11.81, which is higher than that obtained by traditional sodium hydrosulfite reduction dyeing of indigo.
Originality/value
The innovative electrocatalytic reduction system applied herein uses sodium borohydride as the hydrogen source combined with Cu(II) complex as the catalyst, which can serve as a medium for electron transfer and active the dye molecule to make it easier to be reduced. The electrochemical dyeing strategy presented here provides a new idea to improve the reduction dyeing performance of indigo by sodium borohydride.
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Abhishek Singh and Santosh Rangnekar
This research paper aims to develop and test a conceptual model which explains whether and how empowering leadership, through employee goal orientation and job conditions…
Abstract
Purpose
This research paper aims to develop and test a conceptual model which explains whether and how empowering leadership, through employee goal orientation and job conditions, influences employee proactivity. The authors suggest two simultaneous pathways from empowering leadership to employee proactivity based on path-goal theory and social exchange theory.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 253 frontline employees working in Indian NABH accredited hospitals. Regression analysis was performed to analyze the data with the help of SPSS 24. Further, SPSS process macro was used to test the parallel mediation effects with the help of bootstrapping procedures.
Findings
The important findings of this study are as follows: (1) empowering leadership has direct influence on employee proactivity; (2) empowering leadership, employees' goal orientation and job conditions are important antecedents of employee proactivity; (3) goal orientation and job conditions simultaneously partially mediate the relationship between empowering leadership and employee proactivity. In particular, employees' goal orientation is a more important mediating variable than job conditions in the studied relationship.
Practical implications
Organizations may reap the benefits of employee's proactive work behavior by hiring, training, and developing empowering leaders.
Originality/value
The study adds to the existing literature by building theory in the area of employee proactivity. In doing so, this study explains the less understood relationship between empowering leadership and employee proactivity.
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Neeraj Yadav, Pantri Heriyati, Harsh Kumar and Dewi Tamara
The perception of consumers towards the products or services that are provided by organisations that are certified to various international quality management and allied…
Abstract
Purpose
The perception of consumers towards the products or services that are provided by organisations that are certified to various international quality management and allied standards, such as the standards developed by the International Organization for Standardization, has not been extensively researched. Available research is limited to few standards. It is not comprehensively explored if consumers view certified products, services or organisations favourably in each case. This study aims to explore inclination of three consumer categories i.e. retail consumers, business consumers and subject expert consumers towards 11 international management system standards.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey is carried out among 229 consumers of different types in different countries. Total 11 quality management and allied standards are studied. Similarities and differences among different consumer groups towards these 11 standards are analysed using Chi-square test.
Findings
The study shows that although all consumer categories perceive products, services, and organisations certified to international management system standards favourably, the inclination towards certification is greater among developing economies than in developed economies. It is also proven that all standards are not equally popular among consumers. The brand name of a certification agency is found not influencing consumer’s preference towards certification.
Originality/value
The study is unique in three ways. First, it comprehensively analyses multiple quality management and allied standards from consumers’ point of view. Similarities and differences among retail consumers, business consumers and subject experts are researched, which was not attempted previously and thus it shows a novel approach. Second, no other study has analysed so many standards together. Third, differences in perception of consumers towards international standards between developing and developed nations are compared, which was not available earlier for all the 11 standards.
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Yufei Zhang, Youliang Li and Qiaoling Hu
The purpose of this paper is to fabricate colorless cotton fabrics with good antibacterial activity and durability.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to fabricate colorless cotton fabrics with good antibacterial activity and durability.
Design/methodology/approach
Chitosan (CS) based silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were formed in CS solutions as the antibacterial agent. The reducing agent was sodium borohyride. The concentrations of the CS solutions ranged from 0.1 to 1 percent (w/v). Cotton fabrics were impregnated by these CS/AgNPs solutions.
Findings
All of these fabrics exhibited superior antibacterial activities. The antibacterial activity still showed great efficiency even after 81 home launderings. Moreover, the results of color change and whiteness indicated that the cotton fabrics treated by CS/AgNPs complex with higher CS concentration had less color change compared with other samples.
Practical implications
Fabrics treated by this method could reduce the brown color brought by AgNPs. The paper also suggests that cotton fabrics treated by AgNPs formed in a relatively higher CS concentration not only had good antibacterial activity but also were colorless.
Originality/value
The influence of CS ratio in CS/AgNPs complexes on the antibacterial activity and color of cotton fabrics was studied, which has been rarely reported in previous papers. The fabrics prepared by this method are promising candidates for a wide range of general applications.
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Manimay Dev, Dinesh Kumar and Dharmendra Patel
The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors that influence hospitals’ selection by health-care insurers in India and to establish a hierarchical model representing the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors that influence hospitals’ selection by health-care insurers in India and to establish a hierarchical model representing the relationship among different factors and their influence on the entire scenario.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey with a set of questionnaires was conducted with different health-care insurer executives of reputed health insurance companies. The data has been gathered by using a five-point Likert scale. Their opinions were converted into a reachability matrix and an interpretive structural modeling was constructed. The final results obtained were verified by using fuzzy Matriced Impacts Croises-Multiplication Applique and Classement analysis.
Findings
The results suggested three key driving factors, National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers accreditation of the hospital, purchasing power of people in the region and national and international recognition of the hospital among the eleven factors selected for the study.
Research limitations/implications
The research mainly focuses on the health insurance benefits provided by privately owned insurance companies and do not comment on any government’s mass health insurance scheme.
Practical implications
With a small proportion of people under the umbrella of health insurance in India, these factors will assist and expedite insurer’s effort to penetrate deep into rural and urban areas enhancing availability and escalating affordability.
Originality/value
This paper presents key factors responsible for better coordination between health-care systems and insurance companies.
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Karthik Padamata and Rama Devi Vangapandu
The purpose of this study is to capture patients' and employees' perception of quality of care in the Indian private hospitals and to find the possible perceptual gaps between…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to capture patients' and employees' perception of quality of care in the Indian private hospitals and to find the possible perceptual gaps between both the groups.
Design/methodology/approach
Authors have referred to the Victorian patient satisfaction monitoring (VPSM) scale and studied the responses of 327 patients and 327 employees collected from six private Indian tertiary care hospitals. SPSS v26 software was used to conduct the data reliability test, descriptive analysis and Mann–Whitney U test.
Findings
Authors have found significant differences in perceptions of quality of care between the patients and employees in the Indian hospitals. Employees have high positive perceptions towards the provided medical care whereas the patients have less favourable perceptions for many quality indicators.
Practical implications
This study findings help the healthcare managers, practitioners and healthcare workers of the Indian hospitals to understand the perceptions of both the employees and the patients towards healthcare quality elements and help to reduce the existing perceptual gap in the process of providing quality healthcare services.
Originality/value
To the best of authors knowledge, this is one of the pioneering studies conducted in Indian healthcare industry to capture and compare the perceptions of both the employees' and the patients' perceptions of various quality of care elements. This study highlighted the existing perceptual gap between the employees and the patients on various healthcare quality elements and indicated the critical areas for improvement to provide high quality healthcare services.
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Geetha Jose, Nimmi P.M. and Vijay Kuriakose
The study aims to look into the mechanism by which perceived human resource management (HRM) practices impact nurses' engagement, by specifically looking into the role of…
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to look into the mechanism by which perceived human resource management (HRM) practices impact nurses' engagement, by specifically looking into the role of psychological availability and psychological safety.
Design/methodology/approach
A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among nurses (n = 465). Data were collected from nurses of National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) accredited hospitals by employing two stage sampling.
Findings
Results indicate significant positive association between HRM practices and employee engagement. Role of psychological safety and psychological availability as mediators was also confirmed. The study supported the proposition that HRM practices affected employee engagement through psychological safety and then psychological availability thus approving serial mediation.
Originality/value
This research also contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the ways to achieve employees' psychological safety, availability, and thus nurse engagement.
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Ramji Nagariya, Divesh Kumar and Ishwar Kumar
Increasing pressure from the stakeholders makes the inclusion and evaluation of sustainable practices in the service supply chain (SSC) inevitable. Therefore, this paper aims to…
Abstract
Purpose
Increasing pressure from the stakeholders makes the inclusion and evaluation of sustainable practices in the service supply chain (SSC) inevitable. Therefore, this paper aims to evaluate the sustainability status of a case organization and discover the barrier to sustainability in the SSC.
Design/methodology/approach
From the literature review, five sustainability dimensions, seventeen attributes and sixty-five subattributes of the SSC are identified. A three-level conceptual model drawn on human perception is developed. The overall sustainability status of the SSC is determined by using the multigrade fuzzy logic approach. The fuzzy concept incorporated helps in overcoming the challenges of vagueness and impreciseness in the responses. The case SSC is a WestIndia–based hospital.
Findings
The study evaluates the case hospital to be “very sustainable” but far from the “extremely sustainable” level. Six barriers are identified which are reduction in solid waste, compliance with applicable environmental laws and regulations, water usage efficiency, training and education of employees, return on investment and safety equipment for employees. These barriers hinder the hospital from achieving an “extremely sustainable” level.
Practical implications
This paper evaluates, helps the management in identifying the barriers and thus enabling them to work upon these barriers and achieve a greater level of sustainability.
Originality/value
The sustainability practices adopted in this paper for the evaluation of the sustainability status of the SSC have not been used in previous studies. In this study apart from environmental, social and economic aspects, customer management and health, safety and risk management are also incorporated for evaluating the performance of the SSC which makes this study unique. The proposed model can be taken as a benchmark for evaluating the sustainability performance of any SSC.
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