Search results

The present day world is witnessing the construction of very challenging and difficult civil engineering structures. Self-compacting concrete (SCC) offers several economic and technical benefits; the use of steel fiber extends its possibilities. Steel fiber acts as a bridge to retard their cracks propagation, and improve several characteristics and properties of the concrete. Therefore, an attempt has been made in this investigation to study the Flexural Behaviour of Steel Fiber Reinforced self compacting concrete incorporating silica fume in the structural elements. The self compacting concrete mixtures have a coarse aggregate replacement of 25% and 35% by weight of silica fume. Totally eight mixers are investigated in which cement content, water content, dosage of superplasticers were all constant. Slump flow time and diameter, J-Ring, V-funnel, and L-Box were performed to assess the fresh properties of the concrete. The variable in this study was percentage of volume fraction (1.0, 1.5) of steel fiber. Finally, five beams were to be casted for study, out of which one was made with conventional concrete, one with SCC (25% silica fume) and other were with SCC (25% silica fume + 1% of steel fiber, 25% silica fume + 1.5% of steel fiber) one with SCC (35% silica fume), and other were SCC (35% Silica fume + 1% of steel fiber, 35% Silica fume + 1.5% of steel fiber). Compressive strength, flexural strength of the concrete was determined for hardened concrete for 7 and 28 days. This investigation is also done to determine the increase the compressive strength by addition of silica fume by varying the percentage.

This study aims to analyse the resilience strategy utilized by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), enabling these businesses to effectively adapt their operations in response to varying conditions by providing them with essential resources. SMEs operate in marketplaces that are both dynamic and frequently tumultuous. These markets provide SMEs with a variety of obstacles, including economic ups and downs, advances in technology, evolving customer tastes and new regulatory requirements. SMEs need to create a strategic strategy to survive and grow in such situations. This strategy ought to help strengthen their resiliency and make it possible for them to make the most of emerging opportunities while simultaneously lowering the dangers.

The questionnaires adopted and adapted from previous research served as the basis for gathering the data. The manufacturing industry was polled through the use of questionnaires. To test the hypothesis, the data were analysed using Smart PLS. Through the use of closed-ended questions directed to the proprietors, managers or senior executives of SMEs, data were collected from each and every institution in the sample. Following the examination of the data by means of descriptive analysis and the presentation of several scenarios using information relating to SMEs, the findings were presented.

The ambidextrous strategies that are used by SMEs have a propensity to offer a constructive contribution to SMEs. In this study, it was discovered that ambidexterity, which is defined as the capacity to both seek and capitalise on possibilities, has a significant bearing on the organisational effectiveness of SMEs. The results showed that ambidextrous strategies have a propensity to work as mediators in interactions involving proactive resilience tactics and performance.

The research expands our understanding of how SMEs in the manufacturing sector may improve their performance by concentrating on growing their ambidextrous strategies.

This study provides a plausible explanation of two crucial management mechanisms for enhancing the sustainability of organisational effectiveness. The relationships between ambidextrous capabilities and firm effectiveness are malleable, and this study suggests that nurturing formal and informal relationships may be the key to SMEs' long-term sustainable performance. Improving the knowledge and performance of supply chain systems for SMEs in the manufacturing sector and boosting their competitiveness in domestic and international markets are the practical contributions of this study.

Our comprehension of monitoring, cooperation and innovation within social management was deepened as a result of these facts. In addition, the study conducted in the sector uncovered four essential connections that outline how managers should actively work towards lowering social risks, developing new possibilities and increasing business performance. These capacities and links, when taken as a whole, provide the foundation upon which an integrated framework and five research propositions are built.

This research offers a convincing explanation of fundamental management processes for enhancing the sustainability of organisational effectiveness. This research implies that developing formal and informal interactions may be the key to the sustainable performance of SMEs over the long run. The relationships between ambidextrous capabilities, methods and organisational effectiveness are flexible, and this study also suggests that these relationships may be shaped. The practical contributions made by this research include boosting the understanding and performance of supply chain systems for SMEs as well as the competitive power of these businesses in both local and international markets.

The study aims to examine the relationship between organisational culture and employee efficiency and how organisational politics strengthens or weakens that relationship in the public sector of Ghana due to the perceived inefficiency of public sector employees.

The study employs cross-sectional survey design and quantitative approach to collect the data from public sector employees in Ghana. The analysis is done using descriptive statistics, correlation and hierarchical regression models.

The results show that negative organisational politics is the predominant perceived politics in the Ghanaian public sector. Further, organisational culture and employee efficiency have significant positive association and organisational politics (positive and negative) significantly moderate the association. However, negative organisational politics depicts negative interaction effect, meaning that negative organisational politics affects the positive influence of organisational culture on employee efficiency.

The findings imply that strategies such as formulation of organisational policy and strict enforcement of same to eradicate or minimise the practise of negative organisational politics, whilst positive organisational politics is encourages and awarded to induce employees to be efficient. This will enhance the overall effect of organisational culture on employee efficiency.

The study contributes significantly to extant literature by providing empirical evidence that organisational politics (positive and negative) effectively strengthens the association between organisational culture and employee efficiency from a developing country perspective.

Drawing on the competing values framework, we look at the relationship of different organizational cultures (clan, hierarchy, adhocracy and market) with organizational performance. Furthermore, we examine the mediating role of knowledge sharing (attitude and behavior) in the organizational culture and organizational performance relationship.

We draw on survey data from 241 respondents working in the aerospace and aviation manufacturing and services firms in Pakistan (85), Turkey (65) and the United Arab Emirates (91). We employ structural equation modeling for data analysis.

Results suggest that knowledge sharing partially mediates the relationship between clan culture and organizational performance, and fully mediates the market culture and organizational performance relationship. Hierarchy culture is only positively related to organizational performance, while adhocracy culture shows no relationship with knowledge sharing, let alone organizational performance.

While knowledge sharing enhances organizational performance, there is limited knowledge with regard to the specific organizational culture(s) conducive to knowledge sharing and organizational performance. The study extends existing research on the topic and contributes by showing which cultures are more conducive to knowledge sharing and organizational performance and which are less.

Waste foundry sand (WFS) is a by-product of the metal casting industries and is used for land filling purposes. Disposing of waste creates problems to environment and increases disposal values. To reduce environmental pollutions and solving disposal problems, several authors in worldwide are carried out research work by partial and complete replacing of natural sand with WFS in concrete mixtures. It is found that WFS can be used for production of structural grade concrete. The mechanical characteristics and flexural properties of RC beams has been reviewed in this paper. From this literature review, it has been noticed that there are improvements in concrete strength properties with WFS.

The results of various properties of concrete have been discussed in this review articles such as compressive strength, split tensile strength, flexural strength, modulus of elasticity, SEM micro-structures and flexural strength properties of RC beams.

From the literature review, it is found that there is gap of research on flexural behavior of reinforced concrete beam with WFS.

By using WFS effectively, the environmental pollutions and dumping of waste can be reduced. WFS can be successfully used in structural concrete members.

The purpose of this study is to empirically examine knowledge management (KM) practices as a moderator in the relationship between organizational culture and performance. The effect of four types of organizational culture on organizational performance was studied. In addition to direct effects, most importantly, KM practices as a moderator in strengthening the culture-performance relationship were empirically examined.

A carefully crafted survey instrument was distributed and data was collected from 1,255 respondents from 10 information technology companies in India. After checking the psychometric properties of the instrument, this paper performs hierarchical regression to test hypotheses.

The results reveal that: cooperative culture, innovative culture, consistent culture and effectiveness culture were all positively and significantly related to organizational performance; KM practices were positively and significantly related to organizational performance, KM practices moderate the relationship between various dimensions of organizational culture and organizational performance.

As with any survey-based research, the present study suffers from the problems associated with self-report measures. These are common method bias and social desirability bias. However, this study attempts to minimize these limitations by following appropriate statistical techniques.

This study contributes to both practicing managers and the literature on KM and organizational culture. The study suggests that managers use KM practices, which are all-pervasive and very important for improving organizational performance. The results highlight the importance of implementing KM practices in organizations.

This study provides new insights into the importance of KM practices in achieving sustained competitive advantage by achieving organizational effectiveness. To the knowledge, the importance of KM practices is underemphasized in organizational culture research.

The purpose of current study deals with the development and wear testing of jute and cotton fiber reinforced with nano fly ash-based epoxy composites. Performance of waste cotton fabric nano hybrid composites are compared with waste jute fabric nano hybrid composites.

Basic hand layup technique was used to develop composites. To optimize the parameters and design of experiments, Taguchi design was implemented to test wear rate and co-efficient of friction as per ASTM standards. Performance of waste cotton fabric nano hybrid composites is compared with waste jute fabric nano hybrid composites.

Result shows that nano fly ash lowers the wear rate and co-efficient of friction in developed composites. Findings reveals that hybrid composites of waste jute Fabric with 3 Wt.% of nano fly ash performed best amongst all composites developed. Morphology of nano composites worn out surfaces are also analyzed through SEM.

Practically, textile waste, i.e. jute, cotton and nano fly ash (thermal power plant) all wastes, is used to develop composites for multi-function application.

Wastes are reused and recycled to develop epoxy-based composites for sustainable structures in aviation.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, nano fly ash and jute, cotton combination is used for the first time to develop and test for wear application.