Adoption Of Green Supply Chain Management Practices Research Articles

Green Construction Supply Chain Barriers Assessment: Evidence from Indian Construction Industry

This study aims to identify the key barriers influencing green supply chain management (GSCM) practices for the construction industry. The study is based on a survey of 20 manager-level employees from the Indian construction industry. Considering the extensive literature review and expert opinion, 15 key barriers influencing GSCM practices were identified and the interrelationship among them was established using multi-criteria-based Interpretative Structure Modelling methodology. Furthermore, by using Matrix Cross-Reference Multiplication Applied for Classification analysis, the barriers were classified as autonomous, dependent, linkage, and independent barriers to understand their relative importance. The barriers were grouped into a three-group hierarchy and it was found that the lower group of barriers, that is, green design, suppliers and green materials, certifications, and financial constraints were highly influencing GSCM practices implementation. The study can help construction practitioners develop a supply chain strategy focusing on critical barriers hindering the adoption of GSCM practices.

Implementation of Green Supply Chain Management Practices

This research investigates the barriers to effective Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) practices, focusing on the critical roles of environmental awareness, financial constraints, and regulatory compliance in organizations. It utilizes a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative data from structured questionnaires with qualitative insights from expert interviews and case studies. The study begins with a comprehensive literature review to frame the hypotheses, followed by empirical data collection to evaluate these hypotheses. The findings are analyzed using statistical methods, including hypothesis testing and regression analysis, and are further enriched with expert opinions. Cronbach’s Alpha values are used to assess the reliability of measurement instruments for various factors, including Environmental Awareness, Financial Constraints, and Regulatory Compliance. The research culminates in presenting actionable strategies and recommendations for overcoming identified barriers, thereby promoting the adoption of GSCM practices in industries, particularly in the context of organizational culture and regulatory environments. The research aims to provide actionable recommendations based on validated hypotheses and case study findings to enhance the adoption of GSCM practices in underdeveloped nations.

Application of an MCDM Model for Green Supply Chain Management Implementation Using Analytic Hierarchy Process

Green supply chain management (GSCM) has been proposed as a potential remedy for business sustainability-related issues. This study offers key green practices that may be applied at the strategic, operational and tactical levels in order to combine conventional supply networks with sustainable supply chains. When establishing the criteria, professional opinions were taken into account in order to identify pertinent components. The analytic hierarchy process has been used to assess the relative weights and relevance of the GSCM criteria. The expert opinions from academic and industrial specialists were used to make pair-wise comparisons. Green practices have been prioritised, and a framework with 4 major factors and 16 sub-factors has been proposed for making intelligent judgements. Findings point out that top leadership commitment to sustainability-related issues, legal compliance, environmentally friendly design, green purchasing, health and safety, and regulatory compliance practices are crucial for implementing sustainability across the supply chain. It might be claimed that adopting GSCM practices can boost a company’s long-term performance while also increasing its operational eco-efficiency reaping cost and efficiency benefits. The results of the study would assist GSCM practitioners in selecting appropriate strategies in consonance with the governing rules and regulations and customers’ requirements.

Why does “green” matter in supply chain management? Exploring institutional pressures, green practices, green innovation, and economic performance in the Chinese chemical sector

There is a growing concern over the depletion of natural resources caused by rapid industrialization and its impact on the environment. As a response to these concerns, many companies are now focusing on implementing green supply chain management (GSCM) practices and green innovation (GI) as part of their environmental strategies to improve their economic performance (EP). Empirical evidence regarding the actual effects of these practices on the economic performance of Chinese chemical companies is still limited, warranting further investigation. To close the gap, this study utilizes the resource-based view and Institutional Theory to explore how three types of institutional pressures influence GSCM practices in Chinese chemical companies. Additionally, it examines the role of top management support (TMS) in shaping the relationship between GSCM practices and economic performance. The PLS-SEM approach was used to analyze the data gathered from 414 samples from listed Chinese chemical companies. The findings of the study revealed four key outcomes: First, institutional pressures have a positive influence on the adoption of GSCM practices by companies. Second, both GSCM practices and GI have a positive impact on economic performance, indicating that companies can enhance their economic performance by incorporating environmentally friendly practices. Third, GI acts as a mediator between GSCM practices and economic performance, indicating that the implementation of GI plays a crucial role in improving companies' economic outcomes through GSCM practices. Lastly, the relationship between GSCM practices and economic performance is strengthened when top management provides strong support for these initiatives. Overall, these findings not only have an academic impact on the supply chain domain but also provide effective environmental management practices to the top managers in Chinese chemical sector, allowing them to make decisions that benefit organizational efficiency, innovation, and performance. By identifying the factors that drive the adoption of GSCM practices and their influence on economic performance, the study offers valuable guidance for companies to integrate sustainable practices into their operations.

Green Supply Chain Management Initiatives: A Perspective of Pakistani Automobile Industry

The rising interest in ecofriendly sustainability and green issues is obvious among investigators and professionals in the supply chain field. This study emphasis on examining and empirically evaluating the implementation of Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) practices in the Pakistani automobile industry. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted to validate these green practices and performance outcomes. The survey gathered 25 complete replies from Pakistani automobile organizations, forming the basis for practical analysis. The independent variables for this present study were: Green Product Development and Design Practices, Green Purchasing Practices, Green Production Practices and use of Cleaner Technologies, Green Management Practices, Green Logistics Practices, Green Marketing Practices; while the dependent variable was Environmental Performance Outcome. Descriptive statistics were considered to assess the current status of GSCM practices. Furthermore, multiple regression analysis was also conducted to understand the impact of existing GSCM practices on anticipated organizational performance outcomes. The study's findings indicate that environmental performance exhibit improvement with the adoption of GSCM practices.

The orchestration of green supply chain management practices to enable performance measurement and evaluation

This study aims at investigating the relationship between the implementation of green supply chain management (GSCM) practices and the implementation of environmental performance measurement and evaluation (EPME) practices. The theoretical model was empirically validated using structural equation modelling in a survey of 199 Brazilian managers working in sustainability areas. We introduce a novel framework that bridges systems theory with the practice-based perspective of firms. The framework advances the current understanding of factors influencing EPME adoption, structuring GSCM practices as system components: inputs, processes, outputs, and feedback loops. More specifically, we identify the direct effects of different GSCM practices in the implementation of EPME but also indirect effects cascading through input, process, output, and feedback loop practices. Our research addresses industry needs for guidance on how to implement GSCM practices and facilitate EPME. Managers need to orchestrate the adoption of GSCM practices in each of these system components by monitoring of inter-organisational and intra-organisational activities of their supply chains. Both EPME and feedback loop practices (e.g. customer collaboration) are key to achieving benefits concerning the environmental impact of supply chain operations.

Impact of green supply chain management practices on the triple bottom line: a study on apparel manufacturers of Sri Lanka

PurposeThis paper aims to assess the impact of green supply chain management (GSCM) practices on the triple bottom line’s economic, social and environmental performance of Sri Lankan apparel manufacturers.Design/methodology/approachThis quantitative study uses a deductive approach. The practice-based view is used to support the conceptual framework. The partial least square structural equation modelling technique empirically assessed the conceptual model using 164 responses from Sri Lankan apparel manufacturers through a structured survey questionnaire. Apart from examining the direct effects of GSCM practice on the triple bottom line, the study also investigated the moderating effects of firm size and duration.FindingsThe results show that GSCM practices positively affect the organisation’s triple bottom line while business size and duration moderate the said relationship.Research limitations/implicationsThe fact that this study is based on Sri Lankan apparel producers may impact the generalizability of the findings across different industries and countries. Furthermore, the survey only looked at export manufacturers. This raises questions about the results’ relevance to other non-export groups of the current population with distinct characteristics.Practical implicationsThe paper provides insights for both academia and practitioners on the importance of adopting GSCM practices for the business performance of apparel manufacturers in Sri Lanka. The paper includes implications for devising strategic solutions for organisational performance and sustainability by using GSCM practices in apparel manufacturers in Sri Lanka.Originality/valueThe research contributes to the body of knowledge in the GSCM field in general. This research also contributes to the limited literature on GSCM practices in Sri Lanka. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first attempt to explain how apparel manufacturers in Sri Lanka are organised.

Sustainability in Pakistan's textile industry: analyzing barriers and strategies for green supply chain management implementation.

The industries view green supply chain management (GSCM) as a viable means of achieving sustainable operations by reducing environmental impact and enhancing operational performance. Although conventional supply chains still dominate many industries, integrating eco-friendly practices through green supply chain management (GSCM) is crucial. Nonetheless, there are several barriers that hinder the successful adoption of GSCM practices. Therefore, this study proposes fuzzy-based multi-criteria decision-making approaches comprised of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (FAHP) and the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (FTOPSIS). The study evaluates and overcomes barriers to the adoption of GSCM practices in the textile manufacturing sector of Pakistan. After the comprehensive literature review, this study identifies 6 barriers, 24 sub-barriers, and 10 strategies. The FAHP method employs to analyze the barriers and sub-barriers. Then, the FTOPSIS method ranks the strategies to overcome various identified barriers. Based on the FAHP results, the most significant barriers to the adoption of GSCM practices are technological (MB4), financial (MB1), and information and knowledge (MB5). Further, the FTOPSIS indicates that increasing the research and development capacity (GS4) is the most vital strategy for implementing GSCM. The study's findings have important implications for policymakers, organizations, and other stakeholders interested in promoting sustainable development and implementing GSCM practices in Pakistan.

Applying a Hybrid MCDM Model to Evaluate Green Supply Chain Management Practices

The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted global supply chain managers to reassess their operations. Developing a green supply chain requires successfully integrating environmental responsibility principles and benchmarks into supply chain management practices. In the past, there have been few studies on the most effective strategies for reducing the environmental impact of supply chains and improving their sustainability. This study used the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method to construct a structural model evaluation system of the green supply chain management (GSCM) to evaluate the interdependent relationships among dimensions and criteria. A GSCM evaluation system was created after using the DEMATEL-based ANP (DANP) to convert the GSCM evaluation indicators and impact factors into degrees of importance. This study explores the obstacles and challenges that organizations face when implementing GSCM practices and how these challenges can be overcome. The results found that organizational changes had the most significant impact, given that they would also improve the other three dimensions. Among the 16 evaluation criteria, resource allocation and market expansion optimization were the most important. Based on these findings, the study proposed specific improvement strategies that corporations and other stakeholders could use to adopt GSCM practices.

Green Supply Chain Management Practices: An Exploratory Study of Indian Food Processing Firms

Purpose - Firms embrace green supply chain management (GSCM) practices to minimize the environmental repercussions of their operations. The food processing industry is one of the largest industries globally, engendering massive waste and emitting greenhouse gases, raising environmental concerns. GSCM has recently gained momentum in developing countries like India due to increasing environmental issues. This exploratory study examines the GSCM practices adopted by Indian food processing firms and investigates their impact on sustainable performance. Methodology/Technique - This study has employed a case study methodology to fulfill the research objectives. Two food processing firms operating in Goa were selected for this purpose. The case study involved semi-structured interviews with supply chain professionals from both firms. Findings - Various GSCM practices identified in the literature are observable within the case study. The results highlight the importance of GSCM practices for attaining sustainability. Findings reveal and reinforce that adopting GSCM practices improves the firms' sustainable performance. Novelty - This article is one of the earliest studies on GSCM in the food processing industry in the Indian context. The research outcomes provide an overview to managers of the food processing firms regarding GSCM practices, their execution, and sustainable performance. Type of Paper - Empirical Keywords: Food Processing Industry; Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM); GSCM Practices; Sustainability; Sustainable Performance. JEL Classification: M10, M11. Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Durgaprasad, A.V.S; Prasad, C.V.V.S.N.V. (2022). Green Supply Chain Management Practices: An Exploratory Study of Indian Food Processing Firms, J. Mgt. Mkt. Review, 7(4), 185 – 193. https://doi.org/10.35609/jmmr.2022.7.4(1)

Critical success factors for adopting green supply chain management and clean innovation technology in the small and medium-sized enterprises: A structural equation modeling approach.

Organizational sustainability in the form of environmental management and sustainable production is becoming more important for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) throughout the world. This research evaluates the factors affecting the understanding of the CEO's and managers' intention to adopt practices of green supply chain management (GSCM) and clean innovation technology (CIT) in the manufacturing SMEs of Pakistan. This empirical research identifies key determinants influencing the adoption of GSCM practices. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), we selected a sample size of 350 different manufacturing firms in Pakistan. The results of the study revealed that six factors, namely, environmental, government, organization, suppliers, market, and operational factors, significantly influence the intention to adopt GSCM and positively impact sustainable production. The study's findings reveal that market and operational factors are highly significant for adopting GSCM practices at a p-value of 0.05. Environmental and organizational factors are equally significant to adopt GSCM practices at a p-value of 0.10. This research also analyzed CIT as a moderator between environmental, government, organization, customer, supplier, economic, market, and operational factors in the context of Pakistan. Hypotheses H9a, H9b, H9f, and H9g were validated and support the use of CIT to boost enterprise production and consumption. The research findings would help policymakers understand how to implement GSCM practices and guide enterprises to implement GSCM and CIT practices for enhancing enterprise performance and environmental sustainability.

The Impact of Green Supply Chain Management Practices on Firm Performance: Evidence from Manufacturing Industry

Global climate change, environmental pollution and depleting natural resources have necessitated major changes in the way businesses undertake procurement, manufacturing, operations and provision of goods and services to customers. Therefore, green supply chain management (GSCM) practices have caught the attention of researchers in many different countries. However, the adoption of GSCM practices and their influence on firm performance is still in its early stages. This study examines the influence of GSC determinants on firm performance in Pakistan’s manufacturing industry. Survey data was collected from 317 respondents working at various managerial levels in supply chains from manufacturing firms of Pakistan. Green supply chain management practices were assessed using five variables; ‘eco-design, green purchasing, green information systems, cooperation with customers and green manufacturing’. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that green supply chain (GSC) initiatives had a significant impact on firm performance. Excluding green purchasing, the remaining four elements of GSC were shown to be statistically significant in predicting firm performance. This study highlights the importance of employing green strategies and practices in supply chains in order to improve overall organizational performance. In addition to practical implications for supply chain related environmental concerns, some directions for future research have also been suggested.

The fallacy of profitable green supply chains: The role of green information systems (GIS) in attenuating the sustainability trade-offs

While green supply chain management (GSCM) has been studied extensively, a lack of a clear view on performance improvements arising from the adoption of GSCM practices obstructs a full understanding of resultant consequences. Moreover, there are still limited efforts to understand the contingent nature of how performance is improved in this context. This study aims to ascertain whether the GSCM implementation yields sustainability–profitability trade-offs and examine the moderating effects of green information systems (GIS) on performance improvements. Survey data were collected from 189 firms operating in the UK automotive industry and analyzed using moderated hierarchical regression. The results suggest that pursuing GSCM can bring trade-offs into play, demonstrating a paradoxical view of enhanced sustainability versus less profitability. The authors call this phenomenon the fallacy of profitable GSCM. Interestingly, high levels of GIS were found to positively moderate the relationships between GSCM practices and economic performance. This study contributes to the knowledge bank of GSCM by elucidating the mixed views about the GSCM adoption and its economic effects and refutes the fallacy that “low-hanging fruits” of GSCM are readily available. Second, this study offers new directions to balance the trade-offs between sustainability and profitability, contributing to the development of a more robust GSCM theory. Two important managerial contributions can be drawn from this study: (1) managers need to prioritize GSCM practices on the basis of having the most significant performance improvement; (2) they are encouraged to develop more robust GIS and exploit the capabilities of information sharing, supply chain traceability, and monitoring as a new pathway to attenuate sustainability trade-offs. Future studies are recommended to explore wider sectors and employ longitudinal or quasi-experimental designs to capture the effects of GSCM practices on performance over time.

Exploring the impact of green human resource management on firm sustainable performance: roles of green supply chain management and firm size

AbstractThis study examined the impact of green human resource management (GHRM) and green supply chain management (GSCM) on the economic, social, and environmental performance of 272 (ISO-certified) textile firms in Pakistan. It investigated how a firm's size and the number of years since adopting GSCM practices influence performance. Survey data were collected from these firms through a cluster sampling approach and then analyzed through structural equation modeling. Results highlighted that GHRM positively influences a firm's environmental and social performance. Results further indicated that inbound and outbound GSCM activities mediate between GHRM and a firm's environmental and social performance. The moderation results revealed that a firm's size is crucial for improving performance. From an emerging economy perspective, this study draws the attention of policymakers and managers, concluding that implementing GHRM improves the green orientation of all the departments within a firm and helps organizations achieve sustainability goals.

IMPACT OF GREEN SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT ON FIRM PERFORMANCE

Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) has grown as a topic of interest, especially in the last few years. With growing awareness and environmental challenges, consumers around the world have started demanding more and more organizations to adopt practices which are more environmental friendly. Firms around the world have now started seeing the benefits of implementing these Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) practices and adopt them anyway. This research is based on finding out the impact of adopting Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) practices and how it impacts firm performance. Four measures of the GSCM have been taken; Green information systems, reverse logistics, green manufacturing and eco-design. 201 responses have been recorded through questionnaires sent online to individuals who are associated with supply chain department of any firm operating in Karachi. Impact of these measures was seen individually and their aggregate impact on the firm performance was calculated. With its main objective to find if the impact of the GSCM practices on firm performance is significant or not, the study aims to inspire and help more firm managers make the decision about whether or not they should adopt GSCM practices in their firm.

Adoption of green supply chain management practices in multi-tier supply chains: examining the differences between higher and lower tier firms

Customer pressure has been widely discussed as the primary driver of green supply chain management (GSCM) practices. However, relatively little is known about supplier capabilities as a key mediator for GSCM practice adoption. Drawing from the resource dependence theory (RDT), we investigate how the interplay between customer pressure and supplier capabilities affects GSCM practice adoption along multi-tier supply chains. We test our hypotheses using multiple regression analysis based on a sample of 284 manufacturing firms operating at different tiers of a supply chain. Our results indicate that the supplier capabilities mediate the direct effect of customer pressure on the adoption of GSCM practices for focal firms. Specifically, we find a full mediation effect of supplier capabilities for higher-tier (i.e. OEM and system supplier) firms and a partial mediation effect for lower-tier (i.e. component and raw material) firms. Our findings provide support for the RDT perspective regarding GSCM. The focal firm’s adoption of GSCM practices as a response to customer pressure is dependent on the level of green resources and capabilities available from their suppliers. The level of such resource dependence varies between focal firms at higher- and lower-tier positions in a multi-tier supply chain.

The Effect of Green Supply Chain Management Practices on Sustainability Performance

Sustainability performance as measured through environmental, economic, and social performance, could be a competitive advantage for organizations amid the current tight business competition. Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) practices which consist of green purchasing, green manufacturing, green marketing, green distribution and packaging, internal environmental management, environmental education, and investment recovery, could be a way for organizations to obtain their sustainability performance. This study aims to examine the impact of GSCM on sustainability performance of natural-dyed batik SME in Yogyakarta Province. The data were collected using questionnaire and later obtained 39 respondents who were selected by using area sampling technique. The data were analyzed descriptively and quantitively using Partial Least Square (PLS) with SmartPLS 3.2.8 software. The results of the analysis show that green purchasing, green manufacturing, green marketing, internal environmental management, and environmental education affect SME’s environmental, economic, and social performance positively and significantly. On the other hand, green distribution and packaging as well as investment recovery do not have positive and significant impact on SME’s environmental, economic, and social performance. The conclusion of this study is that the adoption of GSCM practices does not affect the overall SME’s sustainability performance, yet affects individually.

Emerging challenges to greening of supply chains: an empirical study

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the greening practices adopted by micro, small and medium enterprises in India and recommend an empirically tested and validated green supply chain management (GSCM) practices construct. The study also aims at measuring the influence of pressures created by external and internal stakeholders on the GSCM score.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a mixed-method approach. Qualitative methods, including literature review, expert opinion, focused group discussions and questionnaire-based surveys, were used for item generation and data collection. Quantitative methods included exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to find out the reasonable number of constructs to include in the scale of the GSCM practice, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to purify/confirm the scale, and finally, structural equation modelling (SEM) to select the best fit model and to test all causal relationships as portrayed in the base model. In the two-stage survey, convenience and purposive sampling methods were applied.FindingsThe study develops an empirically validated scale of GSCM practices, which has 6 dimensions and 16 items. This scale can measure the greening score of GSCM practices implementation. Further, findings confirm that the pressures from external and internal stakeholders are the significant forces for micro, small and medium enterprises to adopt GSCM practices. Finally, mediation function of external/internal pressures and green factors also does occur where GSCM is the mediator.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is an extension of available literature on GSCM practices utilizing the survey data from India. It contributes to the literature on micro, small and medium enterprises and GSCM practices implementation and expands the scope of theoretical applications.Practical implicationsFor the managers, it provides useful insights about innovative practices to become eco-efficient. The second-order of scale reveals that managers need to equally focus on all factors rather than on any single one. Less GSCM practices score indicates the dearth of external and internal pressures on micro, small and medium enterprises. Therefore, managers need to collaborate with local customers, overseas customers, competitors and legislative agencies. Besides, training of employees, literacy of employees and support from top management also emerge as critical measures that help the industry implement GSCM practices.Originality/valueGSCM as a topic had been extensively explored within different business areas and functions in the available literature. However, this study has some significant values. At prima facie, the study is the first that elucidates GSCM practices by incorporating the effects of pressures of different stakeholders in the context of Indian micro, small and medium enterprises which is considered as the most unorganized sector. Second, the proposed model of the study could provide useful direction for GSCM practices implementation in the unorganized sector in developing nations. Third, the study can also benefit academicians interested in the researched topic, organizations within different sectors and any other party interested in understanding more the concept of GSCM.

Green supply chain management pressures, practices and performance: a critical literature review

PurposeThe concept of green supply chain management (GSCM) is evolving rapidly due to the environmental concerns and gaining popularity in the research community. This study critically analyze the literature of GSCM pressure, practice and performance for manufacturing enterprises based on the results of bibliometric, network and frequency analyses.Design/methodology/approachScopus database is used for literature search. Bibliometric network and frequency analysis are used to critically review the evolution of identified constructs and measures of GSCM pressure, practice and performance.FindingsThis study has identified that the selected topic is in growing stage through the collaborative effort of the worldwide researchers. This study also shows the diffusion of influence in developing countries and there are enormous opportunities of research in these regions. The study finds evaluation of GSCM constructs and measures with time and shift in focus areas by the researchers. The study suggests more focus on the measurement of informative pressures, reverse logistics practices and negative impact on economic performance due to the adoption of GSCM practices. There is a need of simultaneous analysis of GSCM pressures, practices and performance to identify the cascading effect in different regions and industrial sectors and developed a conceptual framework to identify this effect. This study also observes the need of more quantitative measures-based case studies and suggests the use of life cycle assessment for the quantification of environmental performance.Originality/valueThis study for the first time has analyzed a specific topic of GSCM pressure, practice and performance through bibliometric and network analyses. This study critically reviews the constructs and measures of GSCM pressure, practice and performance and identified the future research directions.

Adoption of Green Supply Chain Management among SMEs in Malaysia

The purpose of this study is to integrate the Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory and Technology, Organization and Environment (TOE) theory to examine the factors that affect the adoption of green supply chain management (GSCM) practices among SMEs in Malaysia. Twelve hypotheses were developed based on the integrating theories in technology adoption context. In this study, data were collected through questionnaire survey on the SMEs in Klang Valley Malaysia. A total of 298 responses were analyzed. The regression analysis method was used to test the hypothetical relationships among technological, organizational and environmental factors and SMEs’ intention to adopt GSCM practices. Research findings show that perceived relative advantage, perceived cost, top management support, complexity, compatibility, firms size, customer pressure, regulatory pressure and the quality of human resources are statistically significant factors influencing GSCM adoption among SMEs in Malaysia. However, observability and governmental support do not have significant effects on GSCM adoption intention. According to research findings, some implications which are valuable to academics and practitioners are also addressed. This study can serve as a guideline for successful implementation of GSCM among the SMEs in an emerging country.