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The primary aim of this study is to detail the use of soft computing techniques in business and management research. Its objectives are as follows: to conduct a comprehensive scientometric analysis of publications in the field of soft computing, to explore the evolution of keywords, to identify key research themes and latent topics and to map the intellectual structure of soft computing in the business literature.

This research offers a comprehensive overview of the field by synthesising 43 years (1980–2022) of soft computing research from the Scopus database. It employs descriptive analysis, topic modelling (TM) and scientometric analysis.

This study's co-citation analysis identifies three primary categories of research in the field: the components, the techniques and the benefits of soft computing. Additionally, this study identifies 16 key study themes in the soft computing literature using TM, including decision-making under uncertainty, multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM), the application of deep learning in object detection and fault diagnosis, circular economy and sustainable development and a few others.

This analysis offers a valuable understanding of soft computing for researchers and industry experts and highlights potential areas for future research.

This study uses scientific mapping and performance indicators to analyse a large corpus of 4,512 articles in the field of soft computing. It makes significant contributions to the intellectual and conceptual framework of soft computing research by providing a comprehensive overview of the literature on soft computing literature covering a period of four decades and identifying significant trends and topics to direct future research.

The learning outcomes are as follows: identify the challenges and opportunities in an ecommerce start-up B; understand the issues of operational sustainability of ecommerce start-up; evaluate the sustainability of hyperlocal models to ecommerce start up; and implement innovative solutions to address the issues of e-business models.

It was the cold winter evening of December 2016 when Puja, a cofounder of freshfruggies, an e-commerce start-up company, made up her mind after meeting her cofounders of reviving the Venture “freshfruggies” as a Hyperlocal Fruits and Vegetables Delivery Company in a non-metro town of Jalandhar in Punjab province of India. She contemplated the poor performance of the company in the past which prepared her for the better planning and execution of operational sustainability of freshfruggies. Puja took the critical decision of revival as she planned to develop the right business strategy for ensuring continuity. freshfruggies had been experiencing constant losses since its inception, and the issues of its sustainability needed attention. It was a dream project for all the co-founders who started with the vision to make freshfruggies a popular ecommerce model of hyperlocal fruits and vegetables delivery in the happening city of Jalandhar. However, lack of trained manpower, weak digital marketing strategy and lack of operating efficiency emerged as major issues of operational sustainability in freshfruggies. The co-founders outlined the possible options to revive freshfruggies after deliberating upon the challenges faced. The choices were limited and time was running out along with finances. The options included either changing the business model to a hybrid retail model or to continue as an ecommerce company after sorting out demand and supply issues. There was an urgent need to take a decision in this regard.

This case focuses on undergraduate and graduate courses in entrepreneurship and operations management courses.

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 3: Entrepreneurship.

Amaranth leaves which are an excellent source of calcium, iron, β‐carotene and protein, grow as a weed during the rainy season in Haryana State. This study aims to incorporate nutrient dense dried amaranth leaves powder in products commonly consumed in Haryana State, India.

Fresh amaranth leaves were dried at 50 ± 5 ^○C. The products like biscuits, mathi, matar and sev commonly consumed in Haryana State, were prepared using 5 per cent dried amaranth leaf powder. Amaranth leaf powder was not added in the products which served as control. The nutrient composition of the prepared products was analysed. The nutrient composition of control and supplemented products was compared.

The supplemented products like biscuit, mathi, matar and sev had significantly higher protein, fat, ash and fibre contents as compared to their control. The total soluble sugar, reducing sugar and non reducing sugar content of supplemented biscuit was significantly higher than control biscuit. The phytic acid and tannin content significantly increased and in vitro protein and starch digestibility significantly decreased in all the supplemented products as compared to their respective controls. Supplemented biscuit had about one and a half times higher Ca and supplemented mathi and matar had double the amount of Ca than their respective controls. The increase in Mg, Fe and Zn content in all the supplemented products was significant.

Amaranth leaves are abundantly available during the rainy season, and can be successfully incorporated in commonly consumed food products without adding any extra cost.

Amaranth leaf powder supplemented products are a very good source of protein, fibre, calcium and iron. Consumption of such value added products may contribute in improving the nutritional status of the population especially the vulnerable section.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are forming a blueprint for attaining the prosperity and peace for the entire world as it is an accomplishing goal of the UN agenda of 2030. SDGs focus on ending poverty and creating new life in a better way. These goals give a clear vision to achieve the optimum growth in a sustainable manner. Corporates are now mandated by law in India to contribute a certain percentage of profits to the cause of social development, ultimately helping the nation develop. The main aim of business is to earn money, and all the related decisions affect the board of directors, associated stakeholders, customers, etc.; all these practices also affect the internal employees in an ethical way. In order to prevent the companies to do any unethical practices, government has mandated some laws; all the corporates need to spend and utilize their corporate social responsibility (CSR) contribution in a particular time frame. All the prescribed activities need to be accomplished in a particular time frame. Along with profit maximization, the business is shifting their attention toward the conservation of natural resources. In this study, the researcher has provided a linkage between CSR and SDGs. Through this research, the objective is to attain the mapping between schedule seven of companies act 2013, section 135 and 17 goals of SDGs.

The concept of Industry 5.0 is not just one more revolution but calls for a tectonic shift in digitization and operationalizing technology with connected value chain across sectors. It is human centric that promotes talents, diversity and empowerment coupled with resilience leading to agile and adaptable technologies with prime focus on sustainability. The COVID-19 pandemic has given impetus to digital transformation and accelerated the focus on other challenges of present time and with extended importance on people, planet and societal concepts. This study shall attempt to examine the nature of association between revolution of Industry 5.0 with perspectives to digital innovation and its implications toward bringing sustainable business model. The main objective of this chapter shall be to uncover interrelated questions in terms of sustainability perspectives of industries in framing business models. This study shall serve as a primer to significance of digital transformation with relevance to businesses that can lead to efficient use of scarce resources and optimal feasible solutions to the business models, given the institutional and organizational frameworks. Further, an attempt shall also be made to underpin the key facets of effects of Industry 5.0 on the knowledge economy. It shall delve into how digital innovations can yield benefits to industry in terms of competitiveness and sustainability with focus on Society 5.0 that attempts to balance economic development with the resolution of societal and environmental problems. It is not restricted to the manufacturing sector but addresses larger social challenges based on the integration of physical and virtual spaces.

This study attempts to understand the research clusters and thematic evolution of the topic generational diversity at workplace, over the period of 2001–2009 and 2010–2018. Furthermore, it attempts to identify the key shifts (and convergence) that have taken place in the value system across generational cohorts.

In this context, the first stage of the study involved an in-depth systematic analysis of extant literature on multigenerational workforce between 2001–2009 and 2010–2018 by applying bibliometric analysis. Following an explanatory mix-method approach, the second stage of the study comprised of 32 interviews conducted across generations, exploring the role of ethics at the workplace.

It was revealed that during the period 2001–2009, communication and identification of generational characteristics emerged as the major themes. The 2010–2018 period unraveled four themes of research – retaining and engaging millennials through leadership, generational differences in work values, impact of generational differences on organizational-level variables and generational diversity in education and nursing. The outcome from the second stage showed that work values differ across generations with an emphasis on intrinsic work values, and work values have rather deteriorated, with baby boomers possessing stronger work ethics in comparison to the millennials. Finally, an integrated model for multigenerational workforce has been proposed.

This paper provides significant inputs to the expanding research in the area of work values, as it delves into the principal mechanisms leading to differences in work values among generations.

Bibliometric analysis, which is a quantitative approach to understanding the intellectual structure of a research topic, has been applied to generational diversity at the workplace. This constitutes a novel attempt that can be bracketed as a pertinent contribution to the field.

Today, big data (BD) is considered as a crucial investment for firms to stay competitive. However, the human resource (HR) function within small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has been slow to adopt this innovation. Drawing on the organizational learning theory (OLT), this study aims to propose that BD can improve HR functions, especially of SMEs, thereby yielding them a competitive edge.

This study analyzed unstructured data from 41 journal papers, based on which, a conceptual framework was developed. Further, this framework was validated with responses collected from 148 SMEs in India.

Bibliometric analysis and results of partial least squares techniques revealed that better BD quality is needed to improve HR practices, human resource service quality (HRSQ) and innovation competency of SMEs.

This paper contributes to the extant literature by considering strategic management theories such as resource-based view and OLT to evaluate BDA’s effect on organizational functional practices such as HR and HRSQ.

In Indian SMEs, BD quality has a substantial effect on BD HR practices and HRSQ. However, these factors influence can constructively impact SMEs, if SMEs are open to organizational change, whereby they need to develop technical skills and competencies of the HR professionals.

Though BD research works have shown exponential growth in recent times, scholarly empirical research investigating BD’s impact upon human resource management (HRM) is scarce. The present study appraises extant literature on BD in HRM.

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a set of infectious diseases that primarily affect low-income countries situated near the equator. Effective diagnostic tools hold the key to stemming the spread of these infectious diseases. However, specificity is a major concern associated with current diagnostic protocols. In this regard, electrochemical deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) biosensors could play a crucial role, as highlighted by renewed interest in their research. The purpose of this study was to highlight the current scenario for the design and development of biosensors for the detection of NTDs related pathogens. This review highlights the different types of factors involved and the modifications used to enhance sensor properties.

The authors discuss the potential of electrochemical DNA biosensors as efficient, affordable diagnostic tools for the detection of pathogens associated with NTDs by reviewing available literature. This study discusses the biosensor components, mainly the probe selection and type of electrodes used, and their potential to improve the overall design of the biosensor. Further, this study analyses the different nanomaterials used in NTD-based electrochemical DNA biosensors and discusses how their incorporation could improve the overall sensitivity and specificity of the biosensor design. Finally, this study examines the impact such techniques could have in the future on mass screening of NTDs.

The findings provide an in-depth analysis of electrochemical DNA biosensors for the detection of pathogens associated with NTDs.

This review provides an update on the different types and modifications of DNA biosensors that have been designed for the diagnosis of NTD-related pathogens.

The sudden onset of COVID-19 has brought about a watershed moment in the current research across all disciplines. As it has impacted almost all aspects of human existence, academicians are aggressively trying to understand the phenomenon from multidisciplinary perspectives. In this regard, the present study attempts to provide an in-depth understanding of academia's response pattern in the field of social sciences using a grounded theory literature review and bibliometric analysis.

The present study analyzed 395 research articles on the pandemic phenomenon, yielding five main themes and 11 sub-themes.

The emergent research themes are global impact on public health, the influence of COVID-19 on workplace functioning, global governance in COVID-19, research ethics in scholarly works and the influence of COVID-19 on demography.

Drawing from these themes, the authors provide propositions, policy implications and future research directions.