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This paper aims to investigate the thermal performance of equivalent square and circular thermal systems and compare the heat transport and irreversibility of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) nanofluid flow within these systems.

The research uses a constraint-based approach to analyze the impact of geometric shapes on heat transfer and irreversibility. Two equivalent systems, a square cavity and a circular cavity, are examined, considering identical heating/cooling lengths and fluid flow volume. The analysis includes parameters such as magnetic field strength, nanoparticle concentration and accompanying irreversibility.

This study reveals that circular geometry outperforms square geometry in terms of heat flow, fluid flow and heat transfer. The equivalent circular thermal system is more efficient, with heat transfer enhancements of approximately 17.7%. The corresponding irreversibility production rate is also higher, which is up to 17.6%. The total irreversibility production increases with Ra and decreases with a rise in Ha. However, the effect of magnetic field orientation (γ) on total EG is minor.

Further research can explore additional geometric shapes, orientations and boundary conditions to expand the understanding of thermal performance in different configurations. Experimental validation can also complement the numerical analysis presented in this study.

This research introduces a constraint-based approach for evaluating heat transport and irreversibility in MHD nanofluid flow within square and circular thermal systems. The comparison of equivalent geometries and the consideration of constraint-based analysis contribute to the originality and value of this work. The findings provide insights for designing optimal thermal systems and advancing MHD nanofluid flow control mechanisms, offering potential for improved efficiency in various applications.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of enclosure shape on magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) nanofluidic flow, heat transfer and irreversibility in square, trapezoidal and triangular thermal systems under fluid volume constraints, with the aim of optimizing thermal behavior in diverse applications.

The study uses numerical simulations based on a finite element-based technique to analyze the effects of the Rayleigh number (Ra), Hartmann number (Ha), magnetic field orientation (γ) and nanoparticle concentration (ζ) on heat transfer characteristics and thermodynamic entropy production.

The key findings reveal that the geometrical design significantly influences fluid velocity, heat transfer and irreversibility. Trapezoidal thermal systems outperform square systems, while triangular systems achieve optimal enhancement. Nanoparticle concentration enhances heat transfer and flow strength at higher Rayleigh numbers. The magnetic field intensity has a significant impact on fluid flow and heat transport in natural convection, with higher Hartmann numbers resulting in reduced flow strength and heat transfer. The study also highlights the influence of various parameters on thermodynamic entropy production.

Further research can explore additional geometries, parameters and boundary conditions to expand the understanding of enclosure shape effects on MHD nanofluidic flow and heat transfer. Experimental validation can complement the numerical simulations presented in this study.

This study provides valuable insights into the impact of enclosure shape on heat transfer performance in MHD nanofluid flow systems. The findings contribute to the optimization of thermal behavior in applications such as electronics cooling and energy systems. The comparison of different enclosure shapes and the analysis of thermodynamic entropy production add novelty to the study.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the moderating influence of attitude toward offshore call centers (OCCs) and brand image of the service provider firm on the relationships among perceived service quality (SQ), customer satisfaction (CS), complaint (CI) and repeat purchase (RP) intentions.

A total of 285 adult shoppers with prior experience with OCCs were recruited using mall‐intercept approach in a large mid‐Western city in the USA. A structured questionnaire was used to record their perceptions about their service provider using OCCs. Structural equation modeling was used to test the measurement and basic structural model, along with multi‐group analysis to test the moderating effects. Multiple moderated regression analysis was also used to verify the moderating effects.

As expected, SQ was found positively associated with CS, and CS was negatively associated with CI but positively with RP. Moreover, attitude toward OCC positively moderated the link between SQ and CS; brand image negatively moderated the link between CS and CI and positively moderated the link between CS and RP. All the hypotheses were supported.

It was found that negative attitudes towards OCC result in feelings of dissatisfaction, increase in complaints and decrease in repeat purchases. However, customers are likely to complain less and continue to patronize for a more reputed service firm compared to a less reputed firm. This finding contradicts recent market reports, hence future research should investigate actual customer complaints and repeat purchases to confirm the moderating role of brand image.

Services firms using OCC should be aware that their customers have varying attitudes toward OCC. They should track these attitudes and their impact on customer complaint and repeat purchase behavior. They should also track and benchmark the service levels of their OCC with their own local call centers and those of the competitors. They could improve customer attitudes toward OCC by customer relationship management and improve the service standards through more training and empowerment of their OCC representatives.

This study is one of the first few empirical investigations of customer reactions to OCCs exploring the moderating influence of “Attitude toward OCC” and “Brand image” on the relationships among perceived service quality, customer satisfaction, complaint and repeat purchases. The findings provide useful insights to managers and researchers alike.

Traditional supply chain arrangements have failed to keep up with escalating customer demands and breakthrough innovations. The way forward is a flexible yet innovative network that leverages ecosystem partners and digital tools to unlock new agility. The paper aims at identifying and analyzing numerous critical success factors (CSFs) that may improve the efficiency of a digital supply chain.

Twelve CSFs are identified in this paper through an extensive literature survey. Expert opinion has been considered and the hierarchical structure built using total interpretative structural modeling (TISM) which highlights the interdependencies between these CSFs. Cross-impact matrix multiplication (MICMAC) is used to determine the driving and dependence power of each factor.

This study identified 12 CSFs through an extensive literature survey. The ISM model resulted in six different levels beginning from redesign organization at the bottom of the structure. The TISM model explained why redesigning the organization is pivotal to bringing about novel agility in the supply chain. MICMAC analysis confirmed that the following enhanced the success of a digital supply chain: Sales and Operation Planning Strategies, Strategic Sourcing Techniques, Smart Manufacturing Processes and Warehouse Management.

Various other components contributing to the 12 CSFs identified in this paper may be discovered and detailed in future research. Additionally, further research is required to expand the existing technology-based services structural model to a more empirical form.

This study offers a comprehensive but not exhaustive list of CSFs essential to digital supply chain growth. It will enable market experts and leaders to concentrate on key factors leading to tactical decisions and maximum value for firms.

The paper seeks to add to the body of knowledge on real digitally-led supply chain transformation, which is still in its early stages. This study is one of the first, if not the first, to examine success factors critical to the improvement of the performance of the supply chain. It lays the foundation for further research in this field.

The purpose of current analytical work is to identify the critical barriers in social isolation in India amid Coronavirus infection disease (COVID) outbreak using the fuzzy-analytical hierarchical process (AHP) method.

The conventional AHP is insufficient for tackling the vague nature of linguistic assessment. Fuzzy AHP had been developed to resolve the hierarchical fuzzy problems, avoiding its risks on performance. In AHP, all comparisons are not included; thus, to find the priority of one decision variable over other, triangular fuzzy numbers are used.

A total of eight critical barriers in social distancing in India during COVID-19 have been compared and ranked. Dense population has emerged as the most culpable barrier in social isolation in India amid COVID outbreak followed by compulsion for pecuniary earning and general incautiousness. A total of eight critical barriers in social distancing in India during COVID-19 in four categories (societal barriers, insufficient facilitation barriers, growth-related barriers and population related barriers) have been compared and ranked.

On the basis of the numeral values, “growth-related barriers” attained top position followed by “population-related barriers” and “insufficient facilitation barriers.” The current work has explored the possible factors which can become key game changers to control the pace of spread of the pandemic.

The purpose of this research is to identify the cross-functional factors and their impact after exploratory factor analysis (EFA), especially in B2B context and constructing a model to interpret and quantify the influences (sales performance score) specifically to the IT/ITES companies.

Getting answer for a corporate that where its current stand in the industry is important for the strategy making, especially for the sales team. Few academic researches charted direction toward cross-functional sales factors, but getting answer whether we can quantify that sales performance and identify what is the numeric benchmark value, is difficult. For the companies to understand the need to focus on which cross-functional factors and when, is also difficult.

After 1,079+ literature study, concluded with the 25 antecedents strongly used in previous studies and 8 more on after focused group study, pilot study and discussion with the industry leaders, 35 questions addressing 33 indicators collected in 10 months duration from 310 sales professionals, 90+ IT companies. Three samples were removed as outliers using “Mahalanobis Distance Test” for multivariate analysis, dropped two variables by “Missing value Not at Random” (MNAR). Final 15 determinants of cross-functional sales performance indicators forming four best factors with very high reliability after EFA to form a future formative model and sales performance score.

(1) In this study no moderator and mediator effect are analyzed. (2) This study is the precursor to the final model construction. (3) Business down due to recession, global pandemic, terrorism, earthquake, war etc. are not considered during this analysis and study. Only the cross-functional reasons for natural business down have been considered and analyzed. (4) Exact “Sales Performance Score (SPS)” should be calculated after model forming, adjusting and confirmatory factor analysis.

(1) The major implication of this study would be for IT/ITES companies. It will be very easy for them to quantify the sales performance and measure that scientifically. (2) There will be a way to measure, predict and take measurable actions in case sales performance of the company downfalls. (3) Also the impact will be known to the top management of the company well in advance so that they can make the proper strategy. This will be very useful in current situation when measuring business outcome and make strategy well in advance is of any company's utmost priority.

Focusing on these identified factors companies can improve its sales performance. The authors contribute in creating a statistical model and computing a sales performance score, based on the final factor loading values, would be unique and unprecedented to measure the current industry performance by quantifying its standard or benchmark value for better strategic support toward the achievement of targets.

Consumer behavior, in the context of general insurance, is worth exploring to formulate growth strategies for insurance sector in India in light of the proposed structural changes. Indian consumers attract global players due to untapped potential and favorable policy measures initiated for higher foreign direct investments. The purpose of this paper is to understand the prevailing level of service quality as perceived by insurance customers in India in the presence of certain contextual antecedents and moderators.

Perceptions about constructs like customer risk dispositions, awareness, past experiences, customer involvement, choice overload, service quality and satisfaction of 256 customers were collected using a questionnaire survey. A variance-based structural equation modeling helped to identify significant linkages among the constructs.

In order to assess service quality levels, a 15-item scale having the infrastructure, employees, agents and product dimensions was found valid and reliable. Choice overload and customer involvement were found to moderate the influence of antecedents and service quality, respectively. The influence of choice overload on quality perceptions is insignificant. The study concludes that the existing risk beliefs are insufficient, and experiences have less predictive contribution to quality perceptions.

Theoretically, this study examined the process of satisfaction development from service quality perceptions. This study offers insights for developing theories to portray future consumer behavior where more dependence of self-service technologies is expected to dominate service delivery mechanisms in insurance. The study informs that general insurance customers in India prefer more diversified products, more customer-centric employees/agents and better technical quality.

The findings of this study contribute to the understanding of the prevailing insurance consumer behavior in the general insurance sector of India and help insurance service providers in streamlining their strategies for better insurance penetration and reduced lapse rate.

This study helps in understanding the emerging trends in general insurance buying behavior in India.

This case can be used in courses on strategic management for second year masters’ level management students (with a focus on strategic analysis of internet-based business models in India) and entrepreneurship (with a focus on business growth). The primary focus of the case is how an internet-based business model in the food industry took shape.

The case enumerates how strategic analysis can be performed to analyze the firm based on topics such as the analysis of the mission and vision of Holachef based on the Ashridge mission model, examining strategy with Mintzberg’s 5Ps of strategy, performing a PESTLE analysis of HolaChef, evaluating Holachef with Porter’s industry analysis, performing Value net analysis for Holachef, examining Holachef’s business with strategy group analysis, examining the roots of core competencies of Holachef and explaining Holachef’s resource and capabilities with the valuable, rare, inimitable, non-substitutable (VRIN) Framework.

Saurabh Saxena and Anil Gelra co-founded Holachef, “a restaurant in cloud” in March 2014. In a city like Mumbai, there are many households where both partners work; this had led to difficulties for people finding time to prepare food at home. Holachef is an online delivery platform which aggregates chefs for home-like multiple cuisine preparation. Holachef’s vision is to satisfy the need for homemade healthy food. The three pillars of Holachef to provide such food are technology (orders are taken through a website, mobile application and phone calls), food (enlisted chefs on the website) and logistics. The food prepared by chefs is assembled at different distribution centres and routed to customers. The efficient logistics and storage system maintain the quality of food. These pillars help Holachef to serve customers with efficiency at affordable prices.

Performing strategic analysis from both an industrial organization theory and resource-based view (RBV) perspective with VRIN framework. This is in the context of online business models in a digitizing India. Entrepreneurial strategy concepts and challenges faced by entrepreneurs in an online business.

Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

CSS 11: Strategy.

Mutual funds in India have not been as favourable investment alternatives as in developed countries, as assets under management of mutual funds to gross domestic product in India have been 7-8 per cent compared to 37 per cent globally. Further, investor base of mutual funds has been narrow, as retail investors constitute 98 per cent of folios but contributed only 58 per cent of investments in September 2014. To broaden the investor base for mutual funds in India, it remains imperative to understand the determinants of investment behaviour of investors towards mutual funds. This study aims to achieve this objective.

Based on the theory of planned behaviour, the study examined the effect of awareness, attitude (perception for outcome) and socioeconomic conditions of an investor on his investment behaviour towards mutual funds with the logit model. The results are based on 450 valid responses from the primary survey in Delhi-NCR.

The research provided that investment behaviour could be explained with awareness, perception and socioeconomic characteristics of individual investors. Better awareness related to various aspects of mutual funds will have a positive effect on investment in mutual funds. Contrary to belief, risk perception for mutual funds had no effect on the investment decision. Further, socioeconomic characteristics such as age, gender, occupation, income and education of investors had an impact on the awareness about mutual funds.

As the study has been confined to Delhi-NCR, it should be considered a pilot study and needs to be replicated in other states of India to have more robust results.

The study has implications for mutual funds and regulators. The study highlights a lack of awareness about mutual funds among particular sections of society as a reason for non-investment in mutual funds. The mutual funds and regulators need to focus on females, older age groups and middle-income groups in their efforts to improve their awareness about mutual funds. This would improve their investor base and flow of funds in mutual funds. Furthermore, the process of investment in mutual funds needs to simplified.

In an Indian context, this study has been the first attempt to understand the systematic relation between actual investment behaviour towards mutual funds and various determinants such as socioeconomic characteristics, awareness and attitude (perception) about mutual funds.