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Article
Publication date: 13 July 2023

S.M. Taghavi, V. Ghezavati, H. Mohammadi Bidhandi and S.M.J. Mirzapour Al-e-Hashem

This paper proposes a two-level supply chain including suppliers and manufacturers. The purpose of this paper is to design a resilient fuzzy risk-averse supply portfolio selection…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper proposes a two-level supply chain including suppliers and manufacturers. The purpose of this paper is to design a resilient fuzzy risk-averse supply portfolio selection approach with lead-time sensitive manufacturers under partial and complete supply facility disruption in addition to the operational risk of imprecise demand to minimize the mean-risk costs. This problem is analyzed for a risk-averse decision maker, and the authors use the conditional value-at-risk (CVaR) as a risk measure, which has particular applications in financial engineering.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology of the current research includes two phases of conceptual model and mathematical model. In the conceptual model phase, a new supply portfolio selection problem is presented under disruption and operational risks for lead-time sensitive manufacturers and considers resilience strategies for risk-averse decision makers. In the mathematical model phase, the stages of risk-averse two-stage fuzzy-stochastic programming model are formulated according to the above conceptual model, which minimizes the mean-CVaR costs.

Findings

In this paper, several computational experiments were conducted with sensitivity analysis by GAMS (General algebraic modeling system) software to determine the efficiency and significance of the developed model. Results show that the sensitivity of manufacturers to the lead time as well as the occurrence of disruption and operational risks, significantly affect the structure of the supply portfolio selection; hence, manufacturers should be taken into account in the design of this problem.

Originality/value

The study proposes a new two-stage fuzzy-stochastic scenario-based mathematical programming model for the resilient supply portfolio selection for risk-averse decision-makers under disruption and operational risks. This model assumes that the manufacturers are sensitive to lead time, so the demand of manufacturers depends on the suppliers who provide them with services. To manage risks, this model also considers proactive (supplier fortification, pre-positioned emergency inventory) and reactive (revision of allocation decisions) resilience strategies.

Article
Publication date: 26 September 2023

Seyed Mojtaba Taghavi, Vahidreza Ghezavati, Hadi Mohammadi Bidhandi and Seyed Mohammad Javad Mirzapour Al-e-Hashem

This paper aims to minimize the mean-risk cost of sustainable and resilient supplier selection, order allocation and production scheduling (SS,OA&PS) problem under uncertainty of…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to minimize the mean-risk cost of sustainable and resilient supplier selection, order allocation and production scheduling (SS,OA&PS) problem under uncertainty of disruptions. The authors use conditional value at risk (CVaR) as a risk measure in optimizing the combined objective function of the total expected value and CVaR cost. A sustainable supply chain can create significant competitive advantages for companies through social justice, human rights and environmental progress. To control disruptions, the authors applied (proactive and reactive) resilient strategies. In this study, the authors combine resilience and social responsibility issues that lead to synergy in supply chain activities.

Design/methodology/approach

The present paper proposes a risk-averse two-stage mixed-integer stochastic programming model for sustainable and resilient SS,OA&PS problem under supply disruptions. In this decision-making process, determining the primary supplier portfolio according to the minimum sustainable-resilient score establishes the first-stage decisions. The recourse or second-stage decisions are: determining the amount of order allocation and scheduling of parts by each supplier, determining the reactive risk management strategies, determining the amount of order allocation and scheduling by each of reaction strategies and determining the number of products and scheduling of products on the planning time horizon. Uncertain parameters of this study are the start time of disruption, remaining capacity rate of suppliers and lead times associated with each reactive strategy.

Findings

In this paper, several numerical examples along with different sensitivity analyses (on risk parameters, minimum sustainable-resilience score of suppliers and shortage costs) were presented to evaluate the applicability of the proposed model. The results showed that the two-stage risk-averse stochastic mixed-integer programming model for designing the SS,OA&PS problem by considering economic and social aspects and resilience strategies is an effective and flexible tool and leads to optimal decisions with the least cost. In addition, the managerial insights obtained from this study are extracted and stated in Section 4.6.

Originality/value

This work proposes a risk-averse stochastic programming approach for a new multi-product sustainable and resilient SS,OA&PS problem. The planning horizon includes three periods before the disruption, during the disruption period and the recovery period. Other contributions of this work are: selecting the main supply portfolio based on the minimum score of sustainable-resilient criteria of suppliers, allocating and scheduling suppliers orders before and after disruptions, considering the balance constraint in receiving parts and using proactive and reactive risk management strategies simultaneously. Also, the scheduling of reactive strategies in different investment modes is applied to this problem.

Article
Publication date: 23 April 2024

HamidReza Talaie

Children’s sensory involvement refers to the degree to which children engage their senses, such as sight, touch, taste, smell and hearing, in their interactions with the…

Abstract

Purpose

Children’s sensory involvement refers to the degree to which children engage their senses, such as sight, touch, taste, smell and hearing, in their interactions with the environment. In the context of parents' purchase decisions, children’s sensory involvement pertains to how children's sensory involvement influences the purchasing decisions made by their parents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of children's sensory involvement on parents’ purchase decisions considering the mediating role of the parent’s attitude.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, a structured questionnaire survey was conducted with parents of children aged 7–12 in Isfahan, Iran. The sample consisted of 210 parents, aimed at elucidating the relationship between variables. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the relationship between variables.

Findings

Results showed a significant relationship between children’s sensory involvement and parents’ purchase decisions, children’s sensory involvement and parents’ attitudes and parents’ attitudes and purchase decisions. It was concluded that children’s sensory involvement could indirectly influence the parents’ purchase decisions considering the mediating role of parents' attitudes.

Originality/value

In today's business landscape, it is imperative for organizations to discern the multitude of factors influencing consumers' purchasing decisions. Among these, family dynamics play a substantial role, with children often exerting a strong influence on their parents' buying choices. Despite the acknowledged importance of this dynamic in existing literature, the specific impact of children's sensory involvement on parental purchasing decisions remains largely unexplored. Therefore, this paper aims to fill this gap in the literature by shedding light on the role of children's sensory involvement in shaping parental buying behaviors.

Details

Journal of Contemporary Marketing Science, vol. 7 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2516-7480

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 April 2024

Cédric Gervais Njingang Ketchate, Oluwole Daniel Makinde, Pascalin Tiam Kapen and Didier Fokwa

This paper aims to investigate the hydrodynamic instability properties of a mixed convection flow of nanofluid in a porous channel.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the hydrodynamic instability properties of a mixed convection flow of nanofluid in a porous channel.

Design/methodology/approach

The treated single-phase nanofluid is a suspension consisting of water as the working fluid and alumina as a nanoparticle. The anisotropy of the porous medium and the effects of the inclination of the magnetic field are highlighted. The effects of viscous dissipation and thermal radiation are incorporated into the energy equation. The eigenvalue equation system resulting from the stability analysis is processed numerically by the spectral collocation method.

Findings

Analysis of the results in terms of growth rate reveals that increasing the volume fraction of nanoparticles increases the critical Reynolds number. Parameters such as the mechanical anisotropy parameter and Richardson number have a destabilizing effect. The Hartmann number, permeability parameter, magnetic field inclination, Prandtl number, wave number and thermal radiation parameter showed a stabilizing effect. The Eckert number has a negligible effect on the growth rate of the disturbances.

Originality/value

Linear stability analysis of Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) mixed convection flow of a radiating nanofluid in porous channel in presence of viscous dissipation.

Details

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, vol. 34 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0961-5539

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 October 2018

Debbie Ellis and Mishaal Maikoo

Family consumption studies have been criticised for using an individualistic or dyadic approach to explore the types of influence strategies that children use to sway parental…

Abstract

Purpose

Family consumption studies have been criticised for using an individualistic or dyadic approach to explore the types of influence strategies that children use to sway parental decisions. In this study, attention is refocused on the voices of South African families within twenty-first-century familial interactions. The purpose of this paper is to explore the prevalence of pester power in South Africa, and to understand the influence strategies used by children and the different categories of products that children attempt to influence the purchasing of. Parental responses to these strategies are also explored to determine their effectiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

An exploratory research design using quantitative, but mainly, qualitative data, was used to draw insights from 135 families to understand intra-familial negotiation tactics within the context of family consumption and everyday family life. Thematic content analysis was used to extract themes from the responses.

Findings

The findings suggest that children use everyday family interactions as a resource to select successful pester and negotiation tactics. These children have a relatively deep understanding of how to influence their parents by using different tactics, such as emotional appeals, product requests, purchase justifications and bad behaviour. Children were found to have an awareness regarding the circumstances during which these tactics are more effective.

Originality/value

The contribution offered by this paper is first to build on calls for perspectives in the African context, when marketing to children and second, to add deeper understanding of the categories that children from South Africa influence, and the negotiating tactics that they use. This also contributes to an understanding of the intra-familial interaction processes leading to the eventual emergence of influence strategies and concomitant consumption behaviour.

Details

Young Consumers, vol. 19 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1747-3616

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 August 2019

Amir Bahrami and Saeed Reza Ostadzadeh

The purpose of this paper is to calculate the back scattering response from single, finite and infinite arrays of nonlinear antennas like the case where the antennas are exposed…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to calculate the back scattering response from single, finite and infinite arrays of nonlinear antennas like the case where the antennas are exposed to high-value signals such as lightning strokes.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the authors have used a recently introduced optimization technique called intelligent water drop.

Findings

The results exhibit that the method used by the authors is faster and more accurate than other conventional optimization algorithms, i.e. particle swarm optimization and genetic algorithm.

Originality/value

A new optimization algorithm is used to solve nonlinear problem accurately and sufficiently. Although the technique is not confined to the mentioned examples in the paper, it can be applied to other nonlinear circuits.

Details

COMPEL - The international journal for computation and mathematics in electrical and electronic engineering , vol. 38 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0332-1649

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 June 2021

Robert James Thomas, Gareth Reginald Terence White and Anthony Samuel

The purpose of this research is to understand what motivates 7–11-year-old children to participate in online brand communities (OBCs). Prior research has concentrated on…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to understand what motivates 7–11-year-old children to participate in online brand communities (OBCs). Prior research has concentrated on prescriptive product categories (games and gaming), predominantly adolescent groups and the social aspects of community engagement and actual behaviour within communities, rather than the motivations to participate with the OBC. This has ultimately limited what has been gleaned, both theoretically and managerially, from this important segment.

Design/methodology/approach

An interpretive, longitudinal position is adopted, using a sample of 261 children (113 male and 148 female) from across the UK, using event-based diaries over a 12-month period, generating 2,224 entries.

Findings

Data indicate that children are motivated to participate in a brand community for four reasons: to support and ameliorate pre-purchase anxieties, resolve interpersonal conflicts, exact social dominance in terms of product ownership and perceptions of product knowledge and to actively engage in digitalised pester power. The study also reveals that certain motivational aspects such as conflict resolution and exacting dominance, are gender-specific.

Research limitations/implications

Knowledge of children’s motivation to engage with OBCs is important for marketers and brand managers alike as the data reveal markedly different stimuli when compared to known adult behaviours in the field. Given the nature of the study, scope exists for significant future research.

Practical implications

The study reveals behaviours that will assist brand managers in further understanding the complex and untraditional relationships that children have with brands and OBCs.

Originality/value

This study makes a novel examination of a hitherto little-explored segment of consumers. In doing so, it uncovers the theoretical and practical characteristics of child consumers that contemporary, adult-focussed literature does not recognise. The paper makes an additional contribution to theory by positing four new behavioural categories relating to community engagement – dependers, defusers, demanders and dominators – and four new motivational factors which are fundamentally different from adult taxonomies – social hegemony, parental persuasion, dilemma solving and conflict resolution.

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 55 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 August 2020

Michaela Jackson, Lukas Parker, Linda Brennan and Jenny Robinson

After comprehensive review of discourse surrounding school-banking programmes and marketing to children, the authors develop evidence-based guidelines for such programmes…

Abstract

Purpose

After comprehensive review of discourse surrounding school-banking programmes and marketing to children, the authors develop evidence-based guidelines for such programmes. Guidance for organisations is provided to ensure they understand these products' impact on children and other vulnerable consumers.

Design/methodology/approach

A comprehensive, systematised review of literature related to school-banking programmes was undertaken during 2019, 22 Boolean searches were collated, appraised using a five-step quality appraisal framework and analysed against selection criteria. To accommodate literature across disciplines, quality appraisal combined two existing hierarchies of evidence and peer-review status.

Findings

Searches returned over 375,000 articles; 149 were relevant and met quality thresholds. Evidence supports the role of financial education in producing positive financial outcomes. However, education should involve communities and families to enhance consumer socialisation and limit negative consequences. From this, guidelines are presented accounting for students' and parents' ability to understand marketing messages and the impact of in-school marketing on students – including on longer-term perceptions, attitudes and behaviours.

Practical implications

Guidelines are to assist financial institutions, policymakers and schools balance the benefits of financial literacy and education with potentially negative consequences of school-banking programmes. Classifying programmes as marketing rather than CSR also benefits organisations contributing corporate resources and voluntarily engaging practices underpinned by commitment to community well-being.

Originality/value

Avoiding moral panic, the authors instead outline evidence-based guidelines on school-banking programmes. The quality appraisal process used in this review offers a new approach to synthesising inter-disciplinary evidence.

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 20 November 2023

Zaina Nakabuye, Jamiah Mayanja, Sarah Bimbona and Micheal Wassermann

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships between technology orientations and export performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

1842

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships between technology orientations and export performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative research design was adopted for this study. The paper formulates hypotheses from the literature review. These hypotheses are tested using structural equation modeling with data collected from 231 SMEs in Uganda. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23 and AMOS.

Findings

The findings of this study showed technology orientation has a positive and significant relationship with the performance of Ugandan SMEs and that supply chain agility moderates technology orientation and export performance.

Research limitations/implications

The study discusses the findings, advances limitations and managerial implications. It also suggests future research avenues. It proposes some recommendations to help Ugandan SMEs to form flexible supply chains, use the latest technology and create strong relationship ties with their partners in the supply chain.

Practical implications

The study suggests that managers of Ugandan SMEs should use the latest technology in production, marketing, logistics and supply chain management which will enable them to respond quickly to customer tastes and preferences leading to higher levels of export performance.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature on strategic management showing the reliability of scales used and the confirmatory of the factor structure. This study shows that in strategic management technology, orientation is critical in increasing export performance. This study has extended the resource-based view (RBV) and dynamic capabilities theories.

Details

Modern Supply Chain Research and Applications, vol. 5 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2631-3871

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 August 2021

Akbar Alidadi Shamsabadi, Mehdi Jahangiri, Tayebeh Rezaei, Rouhollah Yadollahi Farsani, Ali Seryani and Siavash Hakim

In this study, a solar water heating system along with a seasonal thermal energy storage and a heat pump is designed for a villa with an area of 192 m2 in Tehran, the capital of…

Abstract

Purpose

In this study, a solar water heating system along with a seasonal thermal energy storage and a heat pump is designed for a villa with an area of 192 m2 in Tehran, the capital of Iran.

Design/methodology/approach

According to the material and the area of the residential space, the required heating of the building was calculated manually and then the thermodynamic analysis of the system and simulation was done in MATLAB software. Finally, regarding the waste of system, an efficient solar heating system, providing all the required energy to heat the building, was obtained.

Findings

The surface area of the solar collector is equal to 46 m2, the capacity of the tank is about 2,850 m3, insulation thickness stands at 55 cm and the coefficient of performance in required heat pump is accounted to about 9.02. Also, according to the assessments, the maximum level of received energy by the collector in this system occurs at a maximum temperature of 68ºC.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, in the present work, for the first time, using mathematical modeling and analyzing of the first and second laws of thermodynamics, as well as using of computational code in MATLAB software environment, the solar-assisted ground source heat pump system is simulated in a residential unit located in Tehran.

Details

Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology , vol. 20 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1726-0531

Keywords

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