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Article
Publication date: 16 April 2020

Rahul Dev Gupta, Pardeep Gupta and Rajesh Khanna

This paper consolidates and presents the results of a work conducted to fabricate micro-channels on titanium grade-2 material by ultrasonic machining process (USM). In this…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper consolidates and presents the results of a work conducted to fabricate micro-channels on titanium grade-2 material by ultrasonic machining process (USM). In this research, the effects of important USM parameters, namely, kind of abrasives and its size, concentration of slurry, USM power rating and feed rate, have been probed on micro-channels quality for average surface roughness and process throughput in the form of material removal rate.

Design/methodology/approach

Multiple micro-channels on commercially pure titanium (i.e. Ti grade-2) have been fabricated in a single pass by employing micro-tool based USM process. Taguchi-based L18 (mixed level) OA has been selected for experimental design. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) study and regression modeling have also been done. Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (NSGA-II) has been used for process optimization to get optimum values of material removal rate (MRR) and surface roughness (SR).

Findings

The influence of important USM variables on SR and MRR have been investigated, and NSGA-II-based multi-response optimization has been done. The best surface roughness values obtained via NSGA-II solution for SiC and B4C are 0.354 µm and 1.303 µm, respectively. Scanned electron microscopic investigation proves the fabrication of micro-channels with smooth surfaces, and minimum burrs and other defects. The material removed from the surface was due to ductile fractures.

Originality/value

Miniaturization is a modern trend these days to solve many precision, scientific and industrial problems. To manufacture precise micro-products, shapes and features, advanced and micro-machining processes can play a very prominent role. Micro-channels are typical micro-features required in micro-fluidic applications like micro heat exchangers and micro-pumps. Exhaustive review of existing research work indicated that precision micromachining of various materials can be effectively performed using USM, though not much work has been undertaken to explore the feasibility of multiple micro-channels in a single run using USM. The current work fulfills the gap, where multiple micro-channels on commercially pure titanium (i.e. Ti grade-2) have been fabricated in a single pass by employing micro-tool-based USM process.

Details

Grey Systems: Theory and Application, vol. 10 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2043-9377

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 August 2021

Neeraj Sharma, Rahul Dev Gupta, Rajesh Khanna, Rakesh Chandmal Sharma and Yogesh Kumar Sharma

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the optimized setting of wire-cut electrical discharge machining (WEDM) parameters at which material removal rate (MRR) and mean…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the optimized setting of wire-cut electrical discharge machining (WEDM) parameters at which material removal rate (MRR) and mean roughness depth (Rz) set a compromise. The problem in the processing of Ti-6Al-4V by conventional processes is a high strength, high hardness, high tool wear. Due to which WEDM is adopted to machine Ti-6Al-4V biomedical alloy. Ti-6Al-4V alloy has a number of applications in the engineering and medical industries due to its high strength biocompatibility.

Design/methodology/approach

The effect of control factors (i.e. pulse on-time: Pon; pulse off-time: Poff; servo voltage: SV) on the MRR and Rz is investigated in the present research. The planning of experiments is done using a Taguchi-based L9 orthogonal array. The percentage influence of each factor on responses is also evaluated. The multi-objective optimization is done using the grey approach initially. After that, the results were also calculated using harmony search (HS). Therefore, a hybrid approach of grey and HS is used to find the optimized values of MRR and Rz.

Findings

The maximum value of grade calculated by grey-HS is 0.7879, while in the case of the experimental run the maximum value of grey grade is 0.7239. The optimized setting after improvisation at this grade value is Pon: 130 µs; Poff: 45 µs and SV: 70 V for MRR and Rz collectively. The validation of the suggested setting is completed by experimentation. The values of MRR and Rz are coming out to be 6.4 mm3/min and 13.84 µm, which represents improvised results after the implementation of the HS algorithm.

Originality/value

The integration of the grey approach with the HS principle in the manufacturing domain is yet to be explored. Therefore, in the present research hybrid approach of grey-HS is implemented in the manufacturing domain having applications in medical industries.

Details

World Journal of Engineering, vol. 20 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1708-5284

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 February 2021

Rekha Chawla, S. Sivakumar, Santosh Kumar Mishra, Harsimran Kaur and Rahul Kumar Anurag

Milk cake is a well-renowned khoa-based dairy product in India, produced either from the buffalo milk or using a specific danedar variety of khoa. Under ambient conditions…

Abstract

Purpose

Milk cake is a well-renowned khoa-based dairy product in India, produced either from the buffalo milk or using a specific danedar variety of khoa. Under ambient conditions, shelf-life of milk cake is generally up to 3–4 days, whereas under refrigeration conditions, it can last up to 12–14 days. Therefore, the present study aims to evaluate the effect of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) to enhance the shelf-life and keeping intact freshness of milk cake under refrigerated conditions (4 ± 2 °C).

Design/methodology/approach

Different gas concentrations of N2 and CO2 (70:30, 50:50 and 90:10) were used as a treatment, whereas control samples were kept under atmospheric air composition. The product was examined for sensory, physicochemical and microbiological parameters at weekly intervals.

Findings

The physicochemical and microbiological attributes displayed gradual elevation with progressive storage period in all the samples. However, the overall sensory profile of the product remained acceptable for a longer duration. Most of the quality parameters in control declined more rapidly with a shelf life of 14 days, in comparison to MAP packed samples, where gas flushing with the ratio 70:30 was found to be best suited for extending the shelf life of milk cake up to 28 days at refrigeration temperature.

Originality/value

To extend the shelf life of milk cake, modified atmosphere was provided with different gas ratios to reach a best-suited environment for sensory, storage life and proximate parameters.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 123 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 July 2020

Rahul Kumar, Kanwarpreet Singh and Sanjiv Kumar Jain

The study aims at empirically investigating and prioritizing the critical barriers for the successful implementation of agile manufacturing in the medium- and large-scale Indian…

Abstract

Purpose

The study aims at empirically investigating and prioritizing the critical barriers for the successful implementation of agile manufacturing in the medium- and large-scale Indian manufacturing industries.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature review of peer-reviewed journals and discussion with experts is used to identify 17 barriers to the implementation of agile manufacturing. An empirical survey is then conducted to collect data regarding the agile manufacturing barriers and is further analyzed using the factor analysis and vlsekriterijumska optimizacija i kompromisno resenje (VIKOR).

Findings

Based on the survey of empirical data, the investigated critical barriers were reduced in five critical categories, as follows: Managerial constraints, technological constraints, human resource–related constraints, operational constraints and organizational culture-related constraints, which are further ranked in terms of their severity using VIKOR. This research advocates the development of a strategy for addressing the most critical barriers instead of focusing on all for the successful implementation of agile manufacturing.

Originality/value

This work contributes to agile manufacturing literature by the structured presentation of the barriers to implement agile manufacturing in the Indian manufacturing industry. It also extends the integrated factor analysis and VIKOR method to investigate and rank the barriers.

Details

The TQM Journal, vol. 33 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1754-2731

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 October 2018

Harsandaldeep Kaur and Seerat Sohal

Although the concept of political party brand personality has received substantial recognition in the political marketing literature, however, no study as yet has contributed in…

Abstract

Purpose

Although the concept of political party brand personality has received substantial recognition in the political marketing literature, however, no study as yet has contributed in identifying a causal relationship between the party brand personality and voter behaviour. Therefore, this paper aims to address this gap in the academic literature by determining the relationship between the multifaceted advertising-brand personality-satisfaction-loyalty constructs in political context.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample for the study consisting of 930 responses was drawn from the major cities of Punjab state in India through multistage stratified random sampling. AMOS-based structural equation modelling was used to test the proposed model.

Findings

Results revealed that voters’ attitude towards political advertisements had a significant effect on their satisfaction and loyalty when brand personality had a mediating role in this effect. Additionally, the influence of party brand personality on satisfaction and loyalty of voters was different for the selected four political parties.

Practical implications

The study carries strong implications for the political parties and the political marketers to develop pertinent marketing and communication strategies that are consistent with their personality traits, with an endeavour to enhance the satisfaction and loyalty of voters.

Originality/value

The most imperative discovery of this study is to determine the mediating role of party brand personality on relationship between political advertisements, voter satisfaction and party loyalty. Such a study of an emerging economy contributes significantly to the marketing theory and practice owing to the diversity and fragmentation across India with respect to religion, caste, creed and race of voters.

Details

Journal of Indian Business Research, vol. 11 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1755-4195

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 March 2023

Vikas Kumar, Rahul Sindhwani, Abhishek Behl, Amanpreet Kaur and Vijay Pereira

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) significantly contribute to economic growth, development, exports and employment of the nations. To maintain competitiveness in today's market…

Abstract

Purpose

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) significantly contribute to economic growth, development, exports and employment of the nations. To maintain competitiveness in today's market, SMEs must explore and identify enablers to enhance their digital transformation process. This paper aims to shed light on some essential enablers SMEs can use to implement digital resilience successfully.

Design/methodology/approach

The quantitative assessment and validation of the enablers have been done using powerful and novel techniques, namely, the Delphi method, “fuzzy interpretive structural modelling” (F-ISM) method and “cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification (MICMAC)” analysis. The F-ISM model is developed using the information drawn from digital transformation experts and practitioners involved in the digital transformation process for SMEs. Furthermore, the F-ISM model provides four paths to complete the pathway to digital resilience.

Findings

The F-ISM and MICMAC analysis revealed four ways to enhance the digital transformation process in SMEs. These enterprises can utilise these path assessments to become digitally resilient in the present dynamic scenario. To enhance digital resilience among SMEs, the study identified ten enablers. Among these, “management competencies” was the most crucial, followed by “knowledge management” and “monitoring and controlling”.

Research limitations/implications

The present study is limited in that the data used to develop the models were collected from a small group of industry experts whose opinions may not exhibit the comprehensive views of the population.

Practical implications

The findings can help SMEs enhance the digital transformation process by taking up different pathways to integrate the various enablers of digital resilience depending on resource availability.

Originality/value

The results indicate the most critical and influential enablers for enhancing digital resilience among SMEs. This research can be valuable to academicians, industry practitioners and researchers for guiding their future work.

Details

Journal of Enterprise Information Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-0398

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 19 October 2021

Prateek Kalia, Robin Kaushal, Meenu Singla and Jai Parkash

The purpose of this paper is to determine the role of service quality (SQ), trust and commitment to customer loyalty (CL) for telecom service users. Further, the moderating role…

7198

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine the role of service quality (SQ), trust and commitment to customer loyalty (CL) for telecom service users. Further, the moderating role of gender, marital status and connection type within the model was tested.

Design/methodology/approach

A measurement model was created based on valid 615 responses from Indian TSUs for SQ, trust, commitment and loyalty with the help of partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Multi-group analysis (MGA) was conducted to understand the moderating effect of marital status, gender and connection type within the model.

Findings

The results suggest that, out of five dimensions of SQ, only responsiveness, assurance and empathy have a significant positive relationship with both commitment and trust. Tangibility has a significant positive relationship with trust only. Both commitment and trust have a significant impact on loyalty. It was noticed that both commitment and trust act as mediators between three SQ dimensions (assurance, empathy and responsiveness) and CL. MGA revealed that empathy and responsiveness positively induce trust in telecom users who are single. Whereas, assurance increases commitment toward telecom service providers in married users. Assurance and empathy significantly contribute toward commitment and trust, respectively, in male users as compared to females. Empathy was found important for postpaid users for trust-building, whereas trust was found to be more important for prepaid users to stay loyal to the service provider.

Originality/value

This article contributes toward understanding the role of SQ, trust and commitment to CL moderated by marital status, gender and connection type in an integrated model concerning telecom service.

Details

The TQM Journal, vol. 33 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1754-2731

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 March 2017

Rahul Sindhwani and Vasdev Malhotra

The purpose of this paper is to identify and analyze the interactions among different enablers of agile manufacturing system (AMS). The existing enablers available in the past…

1226

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify and analyze the interactions among different enablers of agile manufacturing system (AMS). The existing enablers available in the past literature are scattered and not able to meet specific requirements of the customers. So, it becomes a necessity to encapsulate these enablers in appropriate proportions to enable traditional organizations to AMS. To fill this gap total interpretive structural modeling (TISM) and MICMAC analysis-based framework model have been developed to understand the mutual interactions between among the enablers.

Design/methodology/approach

Identification of enablers followed by application of TISM, which is an innovative version of ISM and MICMAC analysis, is used to study and analyze the mutual interactions between identified enablers.

Findings

The result reveals that top management support, organizational structure and information technology integration have strong driving power and weak dependence power and are at the lowest level in the TISM model hierarchy, while the outcome enablers of AMS have low-driving power but have high-dependence power.

Research limitations/implications

This model is developed on the basis of inputs from few experts and may not reflect the opinion of whole industry community.

Practical implications

Top management must stress on enablers having strong driving power for efficient implementation of AMS. Managers in the area of manufacturing may drive useful insights from the empirical study presented in this paper. Managers should plan an effective strategy for proper implementation of AMS which makes organization more agile, productive, competitive and profitable.

Originality/value

TISM-based framework structural model has been proposed for industry or organization which is a new effort for implementation of AMS.

Details

Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. 24 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-5771

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 January 2023

Dharen Kumar Pandey, Rahul Kumar and Vineeta Kumari

This study examined the impact of the Glasgow Climate Pact on the abnormal returns of global clean energy stocks. Further, this study examines which country-specific and…

Abstract

Purpose

This study examined the impact of the Glasgow Climate Pact on the abnormal returns of global clean energy stocks. Further, this study examines which country-specific and firm-specific variables drive the cumulative abnormal returns (CARs) of clean energy stocks.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used the event study method and cross-sectional multivariate regression model. The clean energy stocks in this study are limited to 81 constituent firms of the S&P Global Clean Energy Index across 17 nations. The final sample includes 80 firms and the sample period ranges from January 26, 2021, to December 07, 2021.

Findings

The study finds that the Glasgow Climate Pact negatively affects the stock returns of clean energy firms. Moreover, the climate change performance index (CCPI) positively impacts cumulative abnormal returns (CARs), signifying that clean energy investors react positively to firms in nations with good CCPI scores. The environmental, social and governance (ESG) measure for the shorter window (−1, +1) exhibited a negative relationship with CARs. The firm-specific variables (BTM, stock liquidity, size and past returns) exhibit a negative relationship with CARs in different event windows.

Research limitations/implications

The authors use the CCPI as a proxy for the stringency of environmental policies in any nation. The authors extend the existing literature by employing firm-specific variables and supporting previous findings. Their findings have policy implications for clean energy investors, policymakers and other market participants.

Practical implications

Climate risks impact the global financial market, so the findings have implications for global regulatory bodies. Currently, there are bankruptcy cases due to climate risks. Because financial markets must play a critical role in shifting the economy toward a green one, regulators can use the cross-sectional drivers of this study to shape policy. It is also critical for regulators to reduce stock price volatility in the event of the implementation of environmental regulations and improve environmental disclosures by publicly traded companies. Furthermore, governments are interested in researching the effects of environmental regulations to protect stakeholders' interests. These regulations significantly impact emerging markets because they lack the same solid institutional frameworks as developed markets.

Originality/value

The authors provide evidence that firms with better ESG scores and larger firm sizes have experienced fewer abnormal returns, as these firms have stable financial and non-financial fundamentals. This timely study on the ongoing regulatory shift in environmental policy will help investors, policymakers, firms and other stakeholders make relevant decisions.

Details

International Journal of Emerging Markets, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1746-8809

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 March 2019

Rahul Vishwanath Dandage, Shankar S. Mantha and Santosh B. Rane

International projects very commonly experience failure due to various factors at the global level. Especially, large projects at the international level virtually have no chance…

5128

Abstract

Purpose

International projects very commonly experience failure due to various factors at the global level. Especially, large projects at the international level virtually have no chance of meeting scope, time, cost and quality. This fact has been underlined by most of the international surveys and published literature. Effective risk management plays a vital role in preventing projects from failure by implementing appropriate risk response strategies. The success of risk management will be based on the understanding of various risk categories which specifically affect international projects, analysis of their interdependence, prioritize them according to their importance and develop strategies for risk management based on the prioritization. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper represents typical eight risk categories frequently observed in the international projects through literature survey and feedback from project professionals. Interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and Matrice d’Impacts croises-multiplication applique´ an classment (MICMAC) analysis have been used to analyze the interactions among the risk categories and prioritize them. The strategy management tool threats, opportunities, weaknesses and strengths (TOWS) matrix has been used to develop the strategies for effective project risk management.

Findings

The analysis represents political risks, contractual and legal risks, cultural risks, and financial and economic risks as the highest priority risk categories, the mitigation of which should be paid the highest attention. The strengths-threats strategy has been applied to develop the strategies by identifying the various internal strengths of project organization to overcome the various threats caused by the eight risk categories observed in international projects.

Research limitations/implications

This paper tries to represent the prioritization of international project risk categories which are generic in nature. For any specific international project, the risk categories as well as their prioritization may be slightly varying. The tool used for prioritization; Interpretive structural modeling (ISM) is more suitable for few numbers of variables as it becomes complex as the number of variables increases. The strengths and threats considered for developing strategies using TOWS matrix are based on the feedback from project professionals and may vary according to the nature of project.

Originality/value

This paper uses ISM and MICMAC for risk prioritization in international projects and TOWS matrix for developing risk management strategies. This may trigger new opportunities for in-depth research in the risk management strategy development for international projects.

Details

International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, vol. 12 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8378

Keywords

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