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Mindful consumption is a popular concept that is often associated with mindfulness and religious faith, but nonetheless, its empirical associations to these remain relatively underexplored. Clarifying the impact of mindfulness and religious faith on mindful consumption is important to delineate their effectiveness in influencing consumers to reconsider consumption decisions (e.g. the need for additional products) given the detrimental effects of mindless consumption (e.g. financial debt, environmental degradation and materialistic culture). The concern about mindfulness potentially being a religious matter can also be resolved through empirical validation. Hence, the purpose of this research is to advance the empirical understanding of how mindfulness and religious faith impact on mindful consumption and whether mindfulness and religious faith are interrelated.

The authors adopt a multistudy approach to scaffold the exploration of mindfulness and religious faith as precursors of mindful consumption.

Study 1 carries out an experiment with undergraduates and demonstrates that mindfulness encourages mindful consumption. Study 2 conducts an offline survey with undergraduates and provides evidence that mindfulness and religious faith independently (i.e. without interacting with each other) encourage mindful consumption. Study 3 uses an online survey of consumers for conceptual replication and reaffirms the findings of Studies 1 and 2 across gender, occupations and household incomes (except middle-income households).

The implications of these findings are discussed, wherein mindfulness and religious faith are earmarked as viable avenues for promoting mindful consumption.

This seminal attempt uses multiple studies to empirically validate the nature and generalizability of relationships between mindfulness, religious faith and mindful consumption.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of mindfulness meditation sessions on students of higher education in terms of their mindfulness, mindful consumption behavior and life satisfaction.

Participants of research were higher education students. The research included two studies. The first (screener) study endorsed that mindfulness was higher in students with higher mindfulness meditation frequency. The second study used difference-in-differences experimental design using a treatment and a control group. These groups participated in pre and post-treatment surveys. The treatment was given as guided short mindfulness meditation sessions as suggested by mindfulness guru – Dr Jon Kabat-Zinn. The treatment group received these sessions at the end of regular subject classes for two months.

The experiment revealed that mindfulness, mindful consumption and life satisfaction change significantly in the treatment group after treatment as compared to the control group.

Limitations of the study included sample size and attrition. In total, 149 students participated in the screener study. In total, 94 students were given pre-treatment survey as per research design and 80 participated in post-treatment survey.

This experiment demonstrated that important traits and behavior like life satisfaction and mindful consumption behavior of higher education students can be improved significantly. The effectiveness of guided short mindfulness sessions, conducted in the classroom environment, was also confirmed.

The inclusion of mindfulness in the regular curriculum by policy makers would benefit students, faculty members and overall quality of learning environment.

Though previous researches have separately investigated relationships of mindfulness with life satisfaction, there is a lack of research to show association of mindfulness, mindful consumption and life satisfaction.

This empirical study explores the intricate relationships between Industry 4.0 (I4), Lean practices and sustainable operational performance (SOP) within the dynamic context of the services sector. Rooted in the theoretical framework of Resource Orchestration Theory (ROT), the research investigates the nuanced interplay between these paradigms and their collective impact on firm performance.

The research methods included creation of a structural model, hypothesis formulation and advanced data analysis. Primary data were gathered through an online questionnaire distributed among service sector professionals. Analysis was completed using Partial Least Squares (PLS) Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using the Smart-PLS software.

The results underscore the mediating role of Lean practices between I4 and SOP, emphasizing the imperative of harmonized integration to enhance overall firm performance. In alignment with ROT principles, the study illuminates the positive influence of Lean practices on sustainable operational outcomes.

The study contributes to the scholarly discourse on I4, Lean and Services, emphasizing the strategic necessity of integrating I4 capabilities with Lean practices. Practical insights guide practitioners in orchestrating a balanced adoption of I4 and Lean practices for SOP. This research offers actionable insights for industry leaders seeking to cultivate SOP within their organizational contexts.

This study contributes to the evolving understanding of the interplay between I4, Lean practices and SOP within the services sector, offering novel insights for both academia and industry practitioners.

After completion of the case study, the participants will be able to understand the significance of quality as a pivotal domain within project management and to analyze the issues related to quality and offer logical solutions.

In this case, the Bharat Bijlee Construction Limited (BBCL) group, with a proven track record of over five decades in the transmission and distribution business in India, decided to venture into international projects, considering the prevailing stagnant domestic power sector. They secured contracts worth $85m from the “Shariket Karhaba Koudiet Eddraouch Spa,” a state-owned company responsible for power generation, transmission and distribution in Algeria. However, during the execution phase of these projects, BBCL encountered significant challenges related to product and service quality. These challenges arose due to the tight schedule constraints and cost considerations, as well as a lack of understanding of the dynamics involved in executing international projects, especially in the demanding conditions of the sub-Saharan desert. This case study addresses the complex issue of ensuring and maintaining high-quality standards in large-scale substation projects situated in the challenging environment of the sub-Saharan desert, highlighting the importance of effective project management and international project execution expertise. The case study is from quality management knowledge area and focuses on identification of root cause of quality noncompliance and for better decision-making in projects.

The teaching case is designed for undergraduate and postgraduate courses in project management, civil engineering and architecture domain. The participants will be able to understand the application of various quality tools, statistical process tools and control charts in problem identification, categorization, root cause identification and decision-making.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS2: Built environment

This study aims to address three research questions pertaining to climate neutrality within the supply chain of metal and mining industry: (1) How can an organization implement practices related to climate neutrality in the supply chain? (2) How do members of the supply chain adopt different measures and essential processes to assist an organization in responding to climate change-related concerns? (3) How can the SAP-LAP framework assist in analyzing and proposing solutions to attain climate neutrality?

To address the proposed research questions concerning climate neutrality, this study employs a case study approach utilizing the SAP-LAP (situation, actor, process–learning, action, performance) framework. Within the SAP-LAP framework, adopting a natural resource-based perspective, the study thoroughly examines the intricacies and interactions among existing situations, pertinent actors and processes that impact climate initiatives within a metal and mining company.

The study's findings suggest that organizations can achieve the objective of climate neutrality by prioritizing resources and capabilities that lead to reduced GHG emissions, lower energy consumption and optimal resource utilization. The study further proposes key elements that significantly influence the pursuit of climate neutrality within enterprises.

This study is one of the earliest contributions to the development of a holistic understanding of climate neutrality in the supply chain of the metal and mining industry.

The study will assist practitioners and policymakers in comprehending the present circumstances, actors and processes involved in enterprises' supply networks in order to attain climate neutrality in supply chains, as well as in taking the right steps to enhance performance.

This study presents a climate neutrality model and provides valuable insights into emission management, contributing to the achievement of the climate neutrality objective.

The extensive use of digital payment methods has made financial ecosystems more open and effective. As technology develops, the future of commerce is significantly shaped by digital payments and e-wallets. This study aimed to examine the influencing factors on the intention to continue use (ICU) of e-wallets.

A sample of 246 respondents was employed in the data analysis using Smart-PLS 4. Data were collected from e-wallet users using convenience sampling from India. Online survey was conducted for data collection.

This study found that consumers’ intention to continue use of e-wallets is positively influenced by perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and rewards. Also, perceived usefulness (PU) shows a significant partial mediating role between perceived ease of use (PEOU), rewards (RW) and ICU. However, it shows a fully mediating role between perceived enjoyment (PEJ) and intention to continue use (ICU).

E-wallet providers should emphasize to provide easy to use e-wallet applications but with rewards. This study added knowledge to the existing literature focusing on the influence of perceived ease of use and rewards on intention to continue use of e-wallets through perceived usefulness, which was not previously tested empirically.

This study aims to examine the perceptions of accounting practitioners and users about implementation challenges with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) at the pre-implementation stage. Under institutional pressures, India conveyed its decision to implement IFRS beginning 1 April 2016, despite initial reluctance to adopt IFRS. It specifically explores the responses of accounting professionals (preparers) and the banking industry professionals (users) in India to challenges in IFRS implementation, rather than more widely researched dimensions of IFRS implementation such as reasons for adoption, experience effects and diversity in practice.

A quantitative research approach was adopted, using a questionnaire survey that provided 192 responses from accounting practitioners and banking professionals working in India.

The findings convey IFRS implementation preparedness perceptions of participants with respect to education, training and information technology (IT) infrastructure. Respondents acknowledged the efforts and capability of the accounting body, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, but expressed reservations about training, cost, interpretation, IT infrastructure and staffing. The accounting practitioners and the users have similar perspectives on the subject of awareness and preparedness challenges of IFRS implementation.

The study heightens awareness of the challenges facing jurisdictions who express initial reluctance, although they ultimately decide to adopt IFRS on account of institutional pressures. The analysis suggests that the International Accounting Standards Board should increase focus on implementation issues, in addition to updating and making IFRSs.

The study is distinct from the studies in abundance on the creation of accounting standards, implementation benefits and their implication in a specific geography.

The case describes the performance evaluation system that has been put in place by Ravi Kumar, the MD to ensure that Oystar Hassia is able to design, deliver, service, sell its packaging machines seamlessly in all parts of the world. The performance evaluation system is periodic, regular, able to take track the progress of the people within the system. The benefits accrued from performance evaluation system are also detailed in this case.

The purpose of this paper is to carry out a reliability analysis of a mechanical system considering the degraded states to get a proper understanding of system behavior and its propagation towards complete failure.

The reliability analysis of computerized numerical control machine tools (CNCMTs) using a multi-state system (MSS) approach that considers various degraded states rather than a binary approach is carried out. The failures of the CNCMT are classified into five states: one fully operational state, three degraded states and one failed state.

The analysis of failure data collected from the field and tests conducted in the laboratory provided detailed understandings about the quality of the material and its failure behavior used in designing and the capability of the manufacturing system. The present work identified that Class II (major failure) is critical from a maintainability perspective whereas Class III (moderate failure) and Class IV (minor failure) are critical from a reliability perspective.

This research applies to reliability data analysis of systems that consider various degraded states.

MSS reliability analysis approach will help to identify various degraded states of the system that affect the performance and productivity and also to improve system reliability, availability and performance.

Industrial system designers recognized that reliability and maintainability is a critical design attribute. Reliability studies using the binary state approach are insufficient and incorrect for the systems with degraded failures states, and such analysis can give incorrect results, and increase the cost. The proposed MSS approach is more suitable for complex systems such as CNCMT rather than the binary-state system approach.

This paper presents a generalized framework MSS's failure and repair data analysis has been developed and applied to a CNCMT.

This paper aims to examine the presence of impulsive and compulsive buying among consumers. It studies the various factors that affect and moderate the impulsiveness and compulsiveness of buying.

Literature review resulted in four constructs – social media influence, social media preferences, hedonic motivation and shop in COVID-19. On conducting factor analysis in statistical package for the social sciences, the variables were divided under the influence of social media, social commerce, electronic word of mouth (EWOM) of social commerce, hedonic happiness, hedonic fun and shopping in times of COVID-19. Structural equation modeling is conducted in AMOS (statistical software) for a diagrammatic representation of the relationship between the variables. Regression analysis is used to re-affirm the above relationship. Testing of hypotheses is done with the help of the chi-square test.

All six latent variables are significantly related to impulsive and compulsive buying. However, the regression analysis shows social media influence as the strongest predictor for impulse buying and hedonic happiness for compulsive buying. Also, the presence of the pandemic COVID-19 leads to impulsive buying as well as compulsive buying in the apparel and accessory segment.

Marketers should capitalize on spontaneous buying in both forms – impulsive buying and compulsive buying. Social media influencers, as well as more consumer engagement on social media, can promote impulsive buying. However, compulsive buyers will be more attracted towards great in-store experiences or hedonically driven advertisements, as they do not just shop for buying the product; they shop for the experience of shopping.

This study uncovers the difference in factors that affect impulsive and compulsive buying. Though both behaviours seem points of the same scale, they are inherently different and can be predicted with social media influence and hedonic happiness.