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1 – 7 of 7Maruti K. Rendale, S.N. Mathad and Vijaya Puri
The present communication aims to investigate the influence of cobalt substitution on the structural, mechanical and elastic properties of nickel–zinc ferrite thick films. The…
Abstract
Purpose
The present communication aims to investigate the influence of cobalt substitution on the structural, mechanical and elastic properties of nickel–zinc ferrite thick films. The changes observed in the crystallite size (D), lattice constant (a), texture coefficient [TC(hkl)] and mechanical and elastic properties of the thick films due to cobalt substitution have been reported systematically.
Design/methodology/approach
Ni–Zn ferrites with the stoichiometric formula Ni0.7−xCoxZn0.3Fe2O4 (where, x = 0, 0.04, 0.08, 0.12, 0.16 and 0.20) were synthesized via solution combustion technique using sucrose as the fuel and poly-vinyl-alcohol as the matrix material. The thick films of the ferrites were fabricated on alumina substrates by the screen printing method. The thickness of the films was 25 μm, as measured by the gravimetric method. The thick films were subjected to X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.
Findings
The detailed study of variation of lattice parameter (a), sintering density, micro-strain and elastic properties with cobalt (Co+2) substituted was carried out. The remarkable increase in lattice parameter (from 8.369 A° to 8.3825 A°), bulk density and average grain size (69-119 nm) with the cobalt content was due to larger ionic radius of Co2+ compared to Ni2+. Texture analysis [TC(hkl)] reveals all thick films have adequate grain growth in the (311) plane direction. The main absorption bands of spinel ferrite have appeared through infrared absorption spectra recorded in the range of 300-700 cm−1.
Originality/value
The variation in stiffness constants (for isotropic material, C11 = C12), longitudinal elastic wave (Vl), transverse elastic wave (Vt), mean elastic velocity (VMean), rigidity modulus (G), Poisson’s ratio(s) and Young’s modulus (E) with cobalt (Co+2) composition has been interpreted in terms of binding forces found.
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S.N. Mathad, R.N. Jadhav and Vijaya Puri
The purpose of this paper was to determine the complex permittivity of bismuth strontium manganites (Bi1−xSrxMnO3) in the 8‐12 GHz range by using perturbation of Ag thick film…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper was to determine the complex permittivity of bismuth strontium manganites (Bi1−xSrxMnO3) in the 8‐12 GHz range by using perturbation of Ag thick film microstrip ring resonator (MSRR) due to superstrate of both bulk and thick film.
Design/methodology/approach
The BSM ceramics were synthesized by simple low cost solid state reaction method and their fritless thick films were fabricated by screen printing technique on alumina substrate. A comparison has been made between the X band response of Ag thick film microstrip ring resonator due to perturbation of bulk and thick film Bi1−xSrxMnO3 ceramic.
Findings
The bulk and thick film superstrate decreases the resonance frequency of MSRR. In this technique even minor change in the properties of superstrate material changes the MSRR response. Variation of strontium content also influences microwave conductivity and penetration depth of bulk and thick films.
Originality/value
The microwave complex permittivity decreases with increase in Sr content in bismuth manganite and it is higher for bulk as compared to its thick films. The superstrate on Ag thick film microstrip ring resonator is an efficient tool capable of detecting the composition dependent changes in microwave properties of ceramic bulk and thick films.
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Mental wellbeing brings in multiple benefits to employees and their organizations like better decision-making capacity, greater productivity, resilience and so on. The purpose of…
Abstract
Purpose
Mental wellbeing brings in multiple benefits to employees and their organizations like better decision-making capacity, greater productivity, resilience and so on. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship of a few antecedents of mental wellbeing like workplace spirituality, mindfulness and self-compassion, using structural equation modeling (SEM).
Design/methodology/approach
Using the convenience sampling method, data were collected from 333 employees of various organizations in India and SEM was performed using the R Program to test the hypotheses.
Findings
Results suggest that mindfulness and self-compassion influenced the mental wellbeing of employees. It was also observed that workplace spirituality has a significant influence on both mindfulness and self-compassion.
Originality/value
An in-depth review of the literature revealed that no previous studies had examined the complex relationship between workplace spirituality, mindfulness, self-compassion and the mental wellbeing of employees. This research suggests that workplace spirituality, mindfulness and self-compassion are important factors that influence employees' mental wellbeing, and it empirically tests this in a developing country context. The present study enriches the literature studies on mental wellbeing, mindfulness, self-compassion and workplace spirituality by integrating “mindfulness to meaning theory”, “socio-emotional selectivity theory”, and “broaden and build theory”.
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Valeria Naciti, Guido Noto, Carlo Vermiglio and Gustavo Barresi
Recently, the relationship between gender representation and organizational performance has been the focus of various studies. However, some research gaps still exist. First, in…
Abstract
Purpose
Recently, the relationship between gender representation and organizational performance has been the focus of various studies. However, some research gaps still exist. First, in the healthcare sector, this relationship has been poorly explored. Moreover, in public management studies, researchers focusing on performance tend to focus exclusively on gender differences at the top and/or middle management level. This research aims at exploring the relationship between women's representation and performance in public hospitals at all organizational levels.
Design/methodology/approach
To achieve the research objective, 63 healthcare organisations were analysed through ordinary least squares regressions on panel data from 2012 to 2018.
Findings
Results show that, in the hospital setting, gender diversity and financial performance are related at every organizational level.
Originality/value
To the authors' knowledge, this is one of the first studies focusing on the link between gender and performance at every level of professional and employment category; avoiding focusing exclusively on top management, which was the case in previous studies on the topic. Moreover, it contributes to a poorly explored literature which is gender studies in public healthcare management.
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This article explores Jamaican secondary school principals' use of mindfulness meditation as a spiritual well-being strategy to manage their work-related stress and anxiety.
Abstract
Purpose
This article explores Jamaican secondary school principals' use of mindfulness meditation as a spiritual well-being strategy to manage their work-related stress and anxiety.
Design/methodology/approach
The author used qualitative semi-structured interviews to collect the data from 12 Jamaican secondary school principals working in schools supporting rural, urban and inner-city school communities. Thematic coding of the analyzed data was used to understand how principals deal with their work-related stress and anxiety.
Findings
The findings indicate that Jamaican school principals are experiencing work-related stress and anxiety as a result of work intensification, and use mindfulness meditation/prayer as a spiritual coping strategy. The data indicate that principals' primary source of support is their spiritual belief – faith in God and mindfulness meditation/prayer – when dealing with issues related to well-being.
Originality/value
This article explores the use of mindfulness meditation as a non-secular coping strategy, and focuses on an understudied area of educational administration research: Jamaican school principals' well-being. The findings can help inform future education and health policy around occupational health and well-being for professionals, and lay the foundation for greater studies on principal well-being in Jamaican and the Caribbean more generally.
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Gousia Gani, Haroon Naik, Tawheed Amin, Nusrat Jan, Syed Zameer Hussain, Omar Bashir and Abida Jabeen
Currently, there is a great demand for those food products that are easy to prepare or ready for direct consumption. Making pear fruit/juice available round the year is desirous…
Abstract
Purpose
Currently, there is a great demand for those food products that are easy to prepare or ready for direct consumption. Making pear fruit/juice available round the year is desirous owing to pears' high-nutritional value and specific pleasant taste. Pear is, however, a seasonal fruit and under ambient conditions has a limited shelf life rendering it available as fresh fruit for a specific period.
Design/methodology/approach
The study aimed to optimize the spray drying process parameters using response surface methodology for the development of pear juice powder. The process variables included the inlet air temperature of 140–210°C, maltodextrin levels of 4–25%, atomization speed of 11,400–28,000 rpm, feed flow rate of 180–630 mL/hr, and feed total soluble solids (TSS) of 13–30°Brix. The dependent responses were powder yield, solubility, antioxidant activity {% 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity}, dispersibility, hygroscopicity and particle density.
Findings
Among independent variables, inlet air temperature showed a predominant effect. The optimum processing conditions for the development of pear juice powder with optimum quality were 163.02°C inlet air temperature, 13.50% maltodextrin, 28,000 rpm atomization speed, 390.94 mL/h feed flow rate, and 25.5°Brix feed TSS. Under these optimum conditions, pear powder with desirable properties could be produced. The experimental and predicted values were found to be in agreement, indicating the suitability of the model in predicting optimizing responses of pear powder. Glass transition temperature of pear powder was found to be 36.60 ± 0.40°C, which is much higher than that of ambient temperature, suggesting better shelf stability.
Originality/value
The processing of pear fruit has resulted in the increased demand for pear juice powder in both domestic and international markets as a primer of new food products. The optimum conditions obtained in the current study could provide a new insight to the food industry in developing spray-dried pear powder of optimum quality. This can open up a new horizon in the field of food industry for the common masses of Jammu and Kashmir, India.
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Debarun Chakraborty, Vardhan Choubey, Prasad Joshi, Ganesh Dash, Mark Anthony Camilleri and Justin Zhang
This study investigates barriers to consumers’ organic food purchasing. It identifies the factors and the extent to which they influence their purchase behaviours and future…
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigates barriers to consumers’ organic food purchasing. It identifies the factors and the extent to which they influence their purchase behaviours and future purchase intentions (i.e. continuance purchase intentions).
Design/methodology/approach
It combines qualitative and quantitative methods across two phases. Longitudinal research was carried out in two phases. It involved a thematic analysis and a covariance-based structural equation modelling approach. During Phase-1 and Phase-2, responses were collected from 376 and 351 respondents, respectively.
Findings
Phase 1 found the value barrier was significantly affecting the consumers’ purchase intention, while Phase 2 identified the impacts from both image and value barriers on purchase intentions. Notably, purchase intention affected continuance intention in both phases, while ethnocentrism showed no influence.
Originality/value
Using the innovation resistance theory, this study sheds light on the factors that prevent purchase intention. It offers valuable insights for policymakers and for the marketers of organic foods. This contribution implies that value and usage barriers were affecting the consumers’ purchase intentions in the short as well as in the long term. In sum, it suggests that consumers were not purchasing organic food as they felt it was either overpriced, not available in the market or because they were sceptical about its organic labelling.
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