Search Results (190)

Agility has a special place in the start-up Industry 4.0 era. More research is required to properly comprehend the agile implications of start-up Industry 4.0 regarding the impact of digitization on the economy, the environment, and society. Investigating the effects of start-up 4.0 agility is still in its early stages. The current study simulates the variables impacting agility in start-up activities in Industry 4.0 to tackle this problem. In addition to the pre-arranged interview, a closed-ended questionnaire was used to gather information. In the context of start-up operations 4.0, the MICMAC technique is used to evaluate and categorize the components that contribute to agility in order to comprehend their interconnections. The research identified eleven characteristics of facilitating agility in start-up operations 4.0. Industry 4.0 concepts have significantly influenced large organizations but deploying agility in start-up 4.0 has been less visible. Hence, this study presents an innovative approach to incorporating agility in modern start-up operations. The significance of artificial intelligence, cloud computing, network and connectivity, technology, and digital twin in this context is evident. The research provides important light on the elements that contribute to the successful use of agility in start-up 4.0, offering useful insights for stakeholders and academics. Full article

In recent years, the fire safety problems in self-build housing in China’s vast rural areas have become increasingly prominent. We analyzed the interaction of causative factors and logical structure of self-build housing fire accidents (SBHFAs) to find their key causes and reduce their occurrence. Using the 24Model, 30 SBHFA investigation reports were analyzed, and 44 SBHFA causative factors and 97 causal relationship codes were obtained. The causality and centrality degree of causative factors were analyzed using the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method to obtain the causal attribute and importance of causative factors. An adversarial hierarchical topology model of causative factors was conducted using the adversarial interpretive structural modeling (AISM) method, and the causal hierarchical relationships were obtained. Using the Matrices Impacts Croises-Multiplication Appliance Classement (MICMAC) analysis, the causative factors’ dependency degree and driving force were calculated. Combining and comparing the results of DEMATEL, AISM, and MICMAC analyses, we found that the adversarial hierarchical topology model of causative factors was reasonable, and key direct causative factors, key transitional causative factors, and key root causative factors were mined. Controlling the key causative factors could effectively reduce the occurrence of SBHFAs and guide the fire safety management of self-build housings in rural areas of China. Full article

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has witnessed a significant loss for farming in India due to restrictions on movement, limited social interactions and labor shortage. In this scenario, Artificial Intelligence (AI) could act as a catalyst for helping the farmers to continue with their farming. This study undertakes an analysis of the applications and benefits of AI in agri-food supply chain, while highlights the challenges facing the adoption of AI. Data were obtained from 543 farmers in Odisha (India) through a survey, and then interpreted using “Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM)”; MICMAC; and “Step-Wise-Assessment and Ratio-Analysis (SWARA)”. Response time and accuracy level; lack of standardization; availability of support for big data; big data support; implementation costs; flexibility; lack of contextual awareness; job-losses; affordability issues; shortage of infrastructure; unwillingness of farmers; and AI safety-related issues are some challenges facing the AI adoption in agri-food supply chain. Implications were drawn for farmers and policy makers. Full article

The professional practices represent a space for interorganizational and intersectoral alliances that contribute to the development of localities and regions. From this referent, the design and validation of intersectoral cooperation networks is considered pertinent for the effective management of professional practices. Therefore, this article is oriented towards the construction of the ideal scenario where a universitygovernmentcompany intersectoral cooperation network can operate on a horizon of 2030. Foresight is used as a research and planning method, in conjunction with the consultation of experts from different social sectors that lead to obtaining sixteen scenarios of probable occurrence. For this, techniques, such as the prospective workshop, Delphi method, structural analysis (MICMAC) and scenario analysis (SMIC), are used. The results show a bet scenario where the four finally selected events occur, with a probability of occurrence of 35.7%, which would allow establishing future strategies that allow the network to be operational. It is concluded that the formation of a cooperation network for the management of university professional practices represents in itself a strategy to strengthen the curriculum and guide the achievement of common objectives in the intersectoral context studied. The contribution of the article to the study of sustainability sciences stands out, since it addresses a theme that leads to the description, explanation and understanding of the sustainable development of localities and regions from an educational dimension. In this sense, the contribution is synthesized from three planes of reflection and analysis: firstly, the understanding of sustainability as a multidimensional construct, where education is a key dimension to consolidate sustainable development processes; secondly, the management of interorganizational and intersectoral networks as a cooperation strategy that promotes sustainable development; and thirdly, prospective as a planning method that leads to delineating betting scenarios for sustainability management from an educational perspective, more specifically from the university curriculum. Full article

The Saudi Vision 2030 is a program of change management on a national level driven mostly by the use of digital technology. The implementation of building information modelling (BIM) is part of this change, and there is general agreement that its use improves the productivity and quality of the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industries. Despite its extensive construction projects, Saudi Arabia has only recently planned for BIM. Several conditions must apply before it is successfully implemented. While the literature has identified the factors critical to its success and the barriers to its adoption, few studies have rated these factors in terms of their importance and their contingent impact. Furthermore, the interactional relationship between the factors has rarely been investigated. As a result, an interpretative structural model (ISM) was conducted to establish a hierarchy of variables, while accounting for the dynamic interaction between each. For factor selection, the matrix-based multiplication applied to a classification (MICMAC) method was utilized. Therefore, awareness of BIM and sustainability benefits are expected to be the most important variables in acceptance. Furthermore, the dynamic method is gradually shifting from bottom-down to a combined effect of top-down and bottom-up leadership. Full article

Taking advantage of the growing production of organic waste for its conversion to waste-to-energy (WtE) also contributes to mitigating the problems associated with its final disposal, which is a global trend of increasing application. This work presents an innovative approach for the identification and prioritization of WtE alternatives available from the use of food waste (FW) present in the municipal solid waste (MSW) of a Colombian municipality with source separation and selective collection: (i) a systematic literature review, which allows one to identify WtE alternatives; (ii) the prospective MIC-MAC method (Matrice d’Impacts Croisés Multiplication Appliqués à un Classement) allowed the selection of criteria and sub criteria; (iii) the analytical hierarchical process (AHP) and the technique of order of preference by similarity to the ideal solution (TOPSIS), allowed a ranking of selected alternatives considering the technical, environmental, and social aspects. The WtE technologies identified were anaerobic digestion, gasification, incineration, biogas recovery from landfills, and pyrolysis; this last was excluded due to its greater application potential with substrates such as plastic waste. The six sub-criteria identified and prioritized were social acceptability (36%), greenhouse gas emissions mitigated (16.17%), MSW reduction (15.83%), energy production (13.80%), technological maturity (12.95%), and electrical energy conversion efficiency (5.25%), with the decreasing order of preferences of anaerobic digestion (78.2%), gasification (47.5%), incineration (27.4%), and biogas recovery from landfills (6.6%); the latter was the least desirable alternative (lower social acceptance and CO₂ tons mitigated in relation to the other options). The innovative nature of this study is the identification and consideration of the comprehensive management of this type of waste of a large number of criteria (120 environmental, 52 social, and 59 technical) and the validation of the results through a sensitivity analysis, which allowed us to confirm for this study, that anaerobic digestion is the most favorable technology for the treatment and energy use of FW. Full article

Blogs remain a popular and reliable form of online communication. As the number of dining blogs continues to rise, competition is increasingly fierce. Thus, it is important to not only draw the attention of users but to also secure followers. To increase reader loyalty, bloggers must consider blog marketing from a blog reader’s perspective. Although previous studies have explored how blog narratives influence consumer behaviors, few studies have focused on exploring the enablers of contagious content for dining blogs from a blog reader’s perspective. Creating contagious content helps to achieve the maximum benefits from blog marketing. Therefore, this study identifies the enablers of contagious blogs and models their interrelationships to aid dining bloggers in framing a consistently popular blog. Based on Berger’s six principles—social currency (S), triggers (T), emotion (E), public (P), practical value (P), and stories (S) (STEPPS)—13 main factors were first compiled through a literature review. Qualitative content analysis was then applied to extract the 31 enablers related to the main factors within the context of dining blogs. In order to identify the hierarchical relationships among the extracted enablers, this study applied interpretive structural modeling (ISM). Based on the results of ISM, cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification (MICMAC) describes the driving and dependence behaviors of the enablers. The results of ISM and MICMAC show areas of priority on which dining bloggers should focus to create contagious content. The most important areas include emotional stimulation, storytelling, and gamification. Finally, the theoretical and managerial implications of the findings were provided. Full article

Green buildings are an important initiative to address energy and environmental issues in the construction field. The high-quality development of green buildings is affected by many factors, and it is necessary to identify the critical factors affecting the high-quality development of green buildings and analyze them systematically. The adopted literature analysis method and expert consultation method, the DIM (DEMATEL-ISM-MICMAC) model was established to explore critical factors influencing green buildings’ high-quality development and their internal hierarchical structure, interrelationships, and mechanisms. Then, targeted suggestions were put forward to promote green buildings’ high-quality development. The results showed that: (1) The critical factors influencing green buildings’ high-quality development could be divided into five levels, three groups, and four areas. The economic development level, living standard of residents, education level, incentive policies, and compulsory laws and regulations were in the deep factor group, fundamentally affecting green buildings’ high-quality development. (2) In terms of drive and centrality, the economic development level, living standard of residents, education level, and incentive policies were at the forefront, playing a vital role in the high-quality development of green buildings. Full article

The concept of a circular economy can be utilized in the process of starting a dairy cattle enterprise. A circular economy is not only a chance to lessen the amount of waste produced by dairy farms and cut down on the amount of pollution that is released into the environment, but also an attempt to maximize the number of advantages that are shared between the economy and the environment. A circular economy can be implemented at any level, from the micro-level (businesses and customers) to the meso-level (eco-industrial zones), and all the way up to the macro-level (city, province, or country). The identification of circular economy practices is possible through the use of Circular Performance Indicators (CPIs). The purpose of this research is to identify circular economy practices based on CPIs at the micro-level, with a focus on the Taruna Mukti Farmer Group in the Bandung Regency of West Java, Indonesia. Based on our research, it is found that the identified CPIs achieve an average score of 2.57, with an achievement level value of 85.5% (very good). The results of the MICMAC analysis show that the key indicator in the CPIs of livestock waste management in the Taruna Mukti Farmer Group is additional income/income from the processing of livestock waste (C1). There is a relationship between the management of livestock waste in the Taruna Mukti Farmer Group and the circular economy concept based on Circular Performance Indicators. Farmers see the aspect of economic profit (economic motive) as important in the management of livestock waste. Marketing and sales strategies will have a big influence on the system of converting livestock waste into organic fertilizer. The higher the sales volume, the higher the level of profit. Full article

Cryptocurrencies and their market capitalisation have experienced vibrant growth in the last few years. Their total market cap is more than USD 858 billion as of the date of writing and is growing, with nearly 21,984 tradeable cryptos in 530 exchanges. It is emerging as one of the biggest threats to the traditional fundraising market. The issue of the industry’s long-term viability and steady expansion is of paramount importance. Even though unsustainable and uneven growth could help boost economic activity in the short term, it would be detrimental in the long run because of the risk of extinction. This paper is one of the first attempts to identify the factors contributing to the growth of the cryptocurrency market and their effects. This paper is based on the hybrid MCDM methodology of research and uses fuzzy–ISM (interpretive structural modelling). This method is divided into three phases: identification, expert opinion, and interpretation. Sixteen factors were chosen from the previous literature and suggestions from industry professionals. Seven barriers have been framed based on the fuzzy–ISM analysis to better understand the impacts of and interrelationships among the identified barriers. The factors are further classified using fuzzy MICMAC into four major categories based on the drive power and dependence power extracted from the fuzzy matrix. This paper explains the importance of all identified factors as enablers of the acceptance of cryptocurrencies for investment and fundraising. Full article

Attention to a city’s physical development is necessary for urban development plans. In Iran, the rapid physical expansion of cities in the form of unplanned and unbalanced growth due to various reasons, including indiscriminate migration, is considered a fundamental problem. This phenomenon is known as urban sprawl, which is one of the results of this type of growth. The research aims to identify and prioritize the indicators of the realization of knowledge-based growth management (KBGM) in the city of Tabriz, using foresight methods to analyze the effective drivers. The fuzzy linguistic MICMAC method was used to analyze mutual effects by converting linguistic variables into fuzzy numbers. In addition, using the theory of fuzzy sets for experts participating in research, the relationships between the 32 research variables were investigated. This research showed that the city of Tabriz had a scattered, isolated, fast, and unplanned growth, and it has relative compatibility. Despite the possibility of development within the limits of urban growth, most of the construction activities were outside the boundaries of urban growth. Key factors affecting the management of knowledge-based growth in Tabriz city were identified. Based on our findings, the university’s reputation, government effectiveness, urban competitiveness, city branding, quality of life, and strategic planning will impact the knowledge-based development process in Tabriz. Full article

Waste-to-energy (WtE) is national policy. From this view, WtE technology has been promoted. Many WtE projects in Thailand were unsuccessful due to several problems. This research aimed to analyze the key barriers impacting the WtE project development in Thailand. The Interpretive Structural Model (ISM) and Cross-Impact Matrix Multiplication Applied to Classification (MICMAC) analysis tool have been used to evaluate the barriers that significantly in the development of WtE projects. In this study, WtE projects focused on electricity power generation in order to correspond to the Alternative Energy Development Plan (AEDP) target and power purchase agreement constrain of the government. The barriers were obtained from six sections consisting of social issues, environment, national policy, technology, economy, and project management. From six sections, there are 20 barriers that were identified. The ISM and MICMAC analysis showed that the key barriers impacting the WtE projects development were insufficient amount of waste and poor waste management planning. These two barriers correspond with many studies in Thailand and other countries. The project developers or investors must take these two barriers and other barriers with less impact mentioned in this study into account before developing the WtE projects in Thailand. Full article

In the context of Industry 4.0, the lean–green manufacturing system has brought many advantages and challenges to industrial participants. Security is one of the main challenges encountered in the new industrial environment, because smart factory applications can easily expose the vulnerability of manufacturing and threaten the operational security of the whole system. It is difficult to address the problem of the brittleness factor in manufacturing systems. Therefore, building on vulnerability theory, this study proposes a vulnerability index system for lean–green manufacturing systems in a manufacturing company in the context of Industry 4.0. The index has four dimensions: human factors, equipment factors, environmental factors, and other factors. The Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) approach was used to calculate the degree of influence, the degree of being influenced, and the centrality and causes of the factors. The causal relationships and key influences between the factors were identified. Then, the dependence and hierarchy of each of the key influencing factors were analyzed using the Matrix-Based Cross-Impact Multiplication Applied to Classification (MICMAC) and Interpretative Structural Model (ISM) methods, and a hierarchical structural model of the factors was constructed. Finally, an intelligent manufacturing system that produces a micro-acoustic material and device was used as an example to verify the accuracy of the proposed method. The results show that the method not only identifies the key brittleness factors in a lean–green manufacturing system but can also provide a guarantee for the safe operation of a manufacturing system. This study provides theoretical guidance for the effective management of intelligent manufacturing systems; moreover, it lays a foundation and provides a new methodology for assessing the vulnerability of manufacturing systems. Full article

The spike in internet users led healthcare companies to confer their agile presence on various digital platforms and engage customers online to increase their viability amid the rising competition. Online customer engagement takes place through branded content, i.e., the content provided by the brand or the company. Healthcare companies can leverage customer engagement by focusing on various crucial enablers. Therefore, this study explores the enablers of customer engagement for branded content in healthcare and devises a model depicting interrelationships among them. The enablers were ascertained using the literature review and validated by experts. Further, the interrelationship among the enablers was analyzed using TISM (Total Interpretive Structural Modeling) approach, and Fuzzy MICMAC (Cross-impact matrix multiplication) classified the enablers into different clusters. Results exhibited that informativeness is the most significant enabler, deriving other enablers. In contrast, shareability and co-creation of content are the most dependent and strategic enablers in the model hierarchy. The outcomes of this research will aid healthcare companies in knowing and prioritizing the enabler’s contribution in engaging customers towards branded content. Full article

Background: It has been suggested that Mycobacterium avium, Mycobacterium intracellulare, and M. chimaera have differential drug susceptibility patterns. We prospectively analyzed and compared the drug susceptibility patterns among these species over an 8.5-year period. Methods: A microdilution method (Slomyco^®) was performed for drug susceptibility testing of 402 M. avium, 273 M. intracellulare, and 139 M. chimaera clinical isolates. Results: M. avium showed significantly higher resistance to moxifloxacin, ciprofloxacin, rifampicin, ethambutol, streptomycin, linezolid, cotrimoxazole, and clarithromycin. M. avium also showed higher minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) than M. intracellulare and M. chimaera against all drugs except ethionamide, to which M. intracellulare and M. chimaera showed greater resistance. Conclusions: Our series demonstrated differential drug resistance patterns among the most frequent M. avium complex species. M. avium was more resistant than M. intracellulare and M. chimaera versus eight antibiotics and showed greater MIC values to most of the antibiotics studied. These data suggest that knowledge of the local distribution and susceptibility profiles of these pathogens is essential for adequate clinical management. Full article