Industrial Experience Research Articles

How to boost employee morale and productivity through annual reviews

PurposeThis study aims to share with business leaders how annual reviews can assist with workplace engagement.Design/methodology/approachFindings derived from industry experience, working closely with HR leaders from 95% of Fortune 500 companies, and first-hand experience as chief executive officer/leader.FindingsKey ways that annual reviews boost employee morale are recognition and acknowledgment, constructive feedback, personalized appreciation, team recognition and continuous appreciation.Originality/valueThis study shares original thoughts on annual reviews, which is a timely topic in December, and how they can be used to increase workplace engagement. This study is from a workplace engagement perspective rather than just the organizational benefits of annual reviews.

The more diverse, the better? Exploring the moderating role of hospitality top management team diversity on CSR-FP link

While top executives make strategic decisions for corporate social responsibility (CSR), the composition of top management team (TMT) in the relationship between CSR and FP has yet to be explored in the hospitality literature. Building on the upper echelons, human capital, and stakeholder theories, this study focuses on the moderating role of four TMT diversity types, gender, age, industry experience, and tenure, in the CSR-FP relationship. This study found that diversity in TMT age and industry experience positively moderate the CSR-FP relationship, while tenure diversity negatively moderates such relationship and gender diversity is not a significant moderator. This study sheds light on the benefit of a more diverse hospitality firm TMT in terms of CSR, which extends the theoretical discussion about the effect of CSR on FP. Hospitality industry practitioners and relevant stakeholders can be illuminated by the advantages of a more diverse TMT that can efficiently utilize CSR to contribute to FP.

The Difference and Application of VC and VD base on High-tech Enterprises

As a firm increases in size, it requires more money to cover a variety of activities such as large-scale product development, extending sales and marketing operations, purchasing assets, managing cash flow, and deferring the need for more equity financing. As a result, VC and VD are becoming increasingly significant. Venture capital and venture debt are critical sources of finance for startups and high-growth enterprises, allowing them to fuel development, gain expertise, and expand operations. Understanding the distinction between venture capital and venture debt allows entrepreneurs and company owners to better plan and manage their finances. They may weigh the costs, conditions, and consequences of each financing option to choose which best fits their business objectives, development plans, and risk tolerance. Venture capitalists not only supply firms with the financial resources they require, but they also frequently provide mentorship, industry experience, and access to a network of connections. Overall, understanding the distinction between venture capital and venture debt enables entrepreneurs and business owners to make educated financing decisions, customize their fundraising tactics, manage risks, and assure the long-term financial health and success of their company.

A systematic literature review and analysis of try-on technology: Virtual fitting rooms

To enhance customer satisfaction and transform negative perceptions of online apparel shopping, fashion brands are increasingly adopting virtual fitting rooms. Despite clothing being the most frequently purchased item online, customers often struggle to find garments that fit their size and skin tone. Consequently, the clothing industry experiences a higher return rate compared to other e-commerce sectors. To address this issue, fashion brands prioritize the implementation of try-on technology, aiming to improve product visibility and provide sensory input. However, existing studies have yielded conflicting findings. This research aims to resolve this issue by organizing and categorizing the relevant literature. To collect related publications, scholarly databases such as Scopus, Emerald, Springer, Wiley, Science Direct, ProQuest, and IEEE Xplore were extensively searched. The investigation employed a systematic literature review strategy, with the search conducted from January 2005 to February 2023. Ultimately, eighty publications meeting the selection criteria were chosen for further review. The study classifies the literature into subfields based on publication year and region, thoroughly exploring various aspects of TOT, including theories, influencing factors, moderating, or mediating variables, outcomes, and notable findings. Based on the evaluation results, a conceptual model and research gap for TOT is proposed to guide future research in this domain, providing valuable insights for both the management and academic research communities.

Use of macroalgae as a nutritional supplement for sustainable production of ruminants: A systematic review and an insight on the Colombian Caribbean region

Exploring alternative feed sources that reduce rumen methane production while improving livestock productivity is of importance because of rising global temperatures. Colombia is exposed to extreme climate changes and the consequences of these periods of climate change are drought, erosion, salinization, floods, sedimentation and alteration of ecosystems. As a result, the livestock industry experiences significant losses due to damaged feed and reduction in productivity and reproductivity of agricultural animals. The objective of this work is to determine the global bioprospective potential of macroalgae as nutritional supplements for ruminants and their potential application in the Colombian Caribbean area. For this, a quantitative and longitudinal documentary research design was used. An exploratory bibliographical review was carried out to explain the interactions between the variables applying the PRISMA protocol. The analysis of the changes in production variables of the ruminants supplemented with macroalgae was carried out by comparing the data of the treatment groups with their respective control groups in cattle, goats and sheep. For cattle, data by algal phylum showed that brown and red macroalgae increased average daily weight gain. Data by phylum and family of algae associated with milk production showed a positive impact of dietary supplementation with macroalgae on milk production, particularly with green and red algae. In the present study, it has been confirmed that red macroalgae is the best option to produce feed supplements for ruminants because they increase milk and meat production and show a statistically significant reduction in enteric methane production in cattle. For the Colombian Caribbean region, the red algae families Gigartinaceae and Gracilariaceae are recommended to produce feed supplements for ruminants because of their high prevalence in the marine habitats.

How Chinese Media Addresses Esports Issues: A Text Mining Comparative Analysis of Online News and Viewers’ Comments on the Hangzhou Asian Games

As the esports industry experiences unprecedented growth, efforts to legitimize it as a recognized sport have intensified. This paper explores the transformative changes in China’s esports landscape with focus on the aftermath of its official recognition at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou. For this, this study employs a data-driven comparative approach to analyze both online news data and viewer comments on a video platform broadcasting the esports tournament during the Hangzhou Asian Games. For text data, it utilized text mining techniques of the Latent Dirichlet Allocation algorithm (LDA), and for conversion from image to text, it used through the Contrastive Language–Image Pretraining (CLIP) model. The findings reveal that the text and image data in online news emphasize the industry’s positive anticipation of esports becoming a medal sport, but the public who watched esports events showed mixed expectations, doubts, or even negative sentiments about the reevaluation of esports. As evidenced in the paper, the public’s divided stance towards esports might hinder the establishment of a solid consensus in developing the necessary infrastructure or policymaking. Thus, the transition for games to be recognized as an Olympic sport after their inclusion in the Asian Games demands a prolonged period and a comprehensive blend of economic, social, cultural, and educational policies.

Adapting to a New Reality Via Digital Innovation Consumer Opinions on the Service Economy

The impact of digital innovation on customer experiences in the service industry is examined in this qualitative paper. It discusses the forces behind and those that facilitate digital innovation, highlighting the ways in which mobile apps, artificial intelligence, and data analytics are changing how people interact. Successful implementations are showcased through case studies, and issues like privacy and change management are covered. Emerging technologies like blockchain, IoT, and VR are also covered in this chapter. Emphasis is placed on a customer-centric strategy, which highlights how crucial it is to comprehend and satisfy consumer needs. Organizations are given actionable advice on how to start their digital innovation journey, including hiring talented staff, developing an innovative culture, and strategic planning. All things considered, the chapter provides a road map for companies looking to take use of digital technology and transform consumer experiences in the current digital age.

An Industry Perspective on the use of Forced Degradation Studies to Assess Comparability of Biopharmaceuticals

Forced degradation, also known as stress testing, is used throughout pharmaceutical development for many purposes including assessing the comparability of biopharmaceutical products according to ICH Guideline Q5E. These formal comparability studies, the results of which are submitted to health authorities, investigate potential impacts of manufacturing process changes on the quality, safety, and efficacy of the drug. Despite the wide use of forced degradation in comparability assessments, detailed guidance on the design and interpretation of such studies is scarce. The BioPhorum Development Group is an industry-wide consortium enabling networking and sharing of common practices for the development of biopharmaceuticals. The BioPhorum Development Group Forced Degradation Workstream recently conducted several group discussions and a benchmarking survey to understand current industry approaches for the use of forced degradation studies to assess comparability of protein-based biopharmaceuticals. The results provide insight into the design of forced degradation studies, analytical characterization and testing strategies, data evaluation criteria, as well as some considerations and differences for non-platform modalities (e.g., non-traditional mAbs). This article presents survey responses from several global companies of various sizes and provides an industry perspective and experience regarding the practicalities of using forced degradation to assess comparability.

Rail industry knowledge, experience and perceptions on the use of nature-based solutions as climate change adaptation measures in Australia and the United Kingdom

Nature-based solutions (NbS) have been identified as sustainable adaptation measures which could be applied to rail infrastructure in response to the impacts of climate change whilst also providing highly valued co-benefits. To date, however, only a limited number of examples of their use have been found in rail, and there has been little investigation into barriers to their uptake. We use an online questionnaire to examine rail industry professionals’ knowledge, experience and thoughts in relation to perceived and/or actual obstacles to the use of NbS as climate change adaptation (CCA) measures for railways, and establish what could aid their wider implementation. This research confirms multiple examples of NbS being used in rail which are not included in the literature, and identifies a lack of awareness of NbS as the largest perceived barrier to their uptake. Education on and promotion of NbS in the industry will therefore be key to its successful widespread deployment. Policy, standards, and client specification were viewed as the best vehicles to enable greater NbS uptake; rail NbS case studies are therefore recommended as means of gathering robust evidence and examples to inform the development of these instruments. Demonstration sites could be used to inform rail stakeholders and communities to garner wider support for the concept. These may also be valuable to the work of researchers and practitioners investigating the wider development and deployment of NbS as sustainable CCA measures across wider (non-rail) sectors and scenarios.

Implementation of Green and Sustainable Practices by Hotel Managers in the Western Province of Sri Lanka

Purpose: In recent decades, there has been a substantial increase in interest and awareness regarding eco-friendly and sustainable activities. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate and understand the factors influencing the implementation of green and sustainable practices by hotel managers in the Western Province of Sri Lanka focus on the role of experience in the hotel industry, environmental concerns, regulatory requirements, and reporting frequency. Methodology: The study employs a quantitative research method and analysis tools to accomplish its objectives. Results and Conclusions: The analysis of sustainable practices showcases promising engagement, especially in areas such as water conservation, waste recycling, and eco-friendly amenities. The subsequent correlation and regression analyses uncover intriguing insights, including a perfect positive correlation between Carbon Offset and Environmental Concerns, underlining the interconnectedness of environmental consciousness and carbon offset activities. In addition, the research identifies a strong positive association between years of experience in the hotel industry and the implementation rating, highlighting the value of industry expertise in the successful adoption of sustainable practices. Research Implications: The study sheds light on the role of environmental concerns and regulatory requirements in shaping sustainable practices in the hotel industry. The Challenges Rating suggests that there are significant hurdles to overcome, which may inform future policies and strategies to support green initiatives in the tourism sector. Originality/Value: The value of this study is in providing practical insights that can guide hotel managers, regulatory bodies, and stakeholders in developing and implementing sustainable practices, contributing to the broader movement of eco-friendly tourism.

Pengaruh Inovasi Produk dan Keunggulan Bersaing terhadap Keberhasilan Usaha pada UMKM Industri Makanan dan Minuman di Kota Medan

This research aims to determine the influence of product innovation and competitive advantage on business success in Food Industry MSMEs in Medan City. The MSME Food and Beverage Industry is one of the businesses most in demand by young entrepreneurs. However, there are also risks in running this business due to extensive competition in the Food and Beverage Industry, where many MSMEs in the Food and Beverage Industry experience failure due to extensive competition and lack of innovation in the products offered. The research focuses on Medan City MSMEs because these MSMEs are one of the largest provinces producing MSMEs in the Food and Beverage Industry, with a population of 1,828 MSMEs. The sample in the research was 95 MSMEs in Medan City which were taken using the Slovin formula. The data collection technique used in this research was carried out by distributing structured questionnaires using the SPSS v.28 application. The analysis techniques used in this research are multiple linear regression, partial test (t test), simultaneous significance test (F test) and coefficient of determination R2. The research results show that there is a positive and significant influence of product innovation on business success, there is a positive and significant influence of competitive advantage on business success and there is a simultaneous positive and significant influence of product innovation and competitive advantage on the success of MSME businesses in Medan City.

Developing best environmental practice for polymetallic nodule mining - a review of scientific recommendations

Best environmental practice (BEP) is a key component of an ecosystem approach to management and is typically a product of practical experience in established industries. For an emerging activity such as deep seabed mining, no such experience will exist at the time of deciding on the permissibility of the first industrial mines. Therefore, experience from deep ocean scientific experiments and research are important to develop a preliminary understanding of BEP for deep seabed mining. This paper offers a detailed review of the scientific literature from which it identifies elements of preliminary BEP for nodule mining. The paper describes the currently envisaged mining process for manganese nodules and its expected effects on the environment and extracts specific recommendations on how to minimise environmental impacts from mining in different layers of the ocean (benthic, benthopelagic, pelagic, and surface waters) as well as from noise and light impacts. In doing so, the paper aims to inform the Mining Code being developed by the International Seabed Authority (ISA). The ISA is the intergovernmental institution mandated to organise and control seabed mining on the international seabed. The ISA is obligated to ensure effective protection of the marine environment from harm likely to arise from mining, with BEP being a core tool to achieve that. This paper provides suggestions for a future ISA Standard on BEP.

Industrial land transfer and enterprise pollution emissions: Evidence from China

This study explores how large-scale and low-price industrial land transfer by local governments affects industrial enterprises’ pollution emissions in China. While many studies have examined industrial land transfer's implications for the macroeconomic outcomes, little attention has been paid to its impacts on industrial enterprises’ pollution emissions. Using data on China's city-level industrial land and enterprises from 2007 to 2014, we find that the large-scale and low-price industrial land transfer significantly increases industrial pollutant emissions. Cities with a larger scale of industrial land transfer experience higher total and per capita industrial enterprise emissions. Moreover, this effect is mainly observed in the central and western regions because of differences in institutional quality. Further analysis suggests that land resource misallocation and land law violations are the mechanisms through which industrial land transfer exacerbates environmental pollution. The findings imply that breaking the monopoly of land transfer by local governments can help reduce environmental pollution.

Corporate Social Responsibility in Work-Based Learning: Industry Perspective

Work-Based Learning is one of the learnings requiring collaboration between educational institutions and industry. Without collaboration, the educational institution cannot place their student for training, and the industry cannot fulfill its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The collaboration will bring a win-win situation for each party. To be established in Malaysia, each industry must carry out Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and can enjoy tax exemption. This study explores the industrial experience in CSR while collaborating on Advanced Diploma and bachelor’s degree with an Honors program using WBL methods. This study was conducted using multiple case studies of qualitative approach with semi-structured interviews and guided by two sets of the protocol. This study involved eight participants from Polytechnic UA, Polytechnic SA, company A, company B, and company C. The finding shows that companies A and B agreed that their collaboration in the WBL program could fulfill the CSR and enjoy the tax exemption. It has contrasted with company C. Company C only fulfilled its CSR for three years and stopped due to financial problems. However, Company C still collaborates with Polytechnic SA in WBL program. Based on this finding, more industries will be interested in fulfilling their CSR by collaborating with educational institutions using WBL methods.

Perceptions of strategies for revitalizing industrial work experience scheme toward vocational and business education graduates’ employability in public universities, Nigeria

This paper investigated educators and students’ of vocational and business education students’ perceptions of strategies for revitalizing industrial work experience scheme in public universities in Edo State. Four research questions and one hypothesis guided the study. The study utilized the descriptive survey. A sample of 66 vocational and business educators and 178 students making a total 242. The study used stratified random sampling technique. The instrument was a 4-point scale. It was rated Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree and Strongly Disagree and assigned weights of 4, 3, 2 and 1 respectively. Two experts in Vocational Education validated the instrument. Reliability was done with test-retest method. 20 copies of the instrument were administered on 20 business education students who are in the population but not in the sample. The first and second administrations of the instrument were done in an interval of one week interval. Analyses of the data was done with PPMC (Pearson Product Moment Correlation) Coefficient and the reliability coefficient of the instrument yielded α = .78. Data for the study was analyzed with percentage, mean, standard deviation and t-test. Findings revealed that vocational educators and students agreed that all the institution based strategies such as train the institution based supervisors on the goals of ITF, identify placement opportunities for student’s attachment and plan practical contents and real life learning experience among others are necessary for effective revitalization of SIWES.

Auditor industry range and audit quality

We develop the concept of auditor industry range as the extent to which an auditor has experiences in auditing clients from different industries, and we link this construct to auditor performance, drawing on prior research in psychology and cognitive science. We find that auditors with a wide range of industry experiences are more likely to require audit adjustments than auditors with a narrow range. We conduct an extensive set of analyses to mitigate the concern that our results are driven by endogenous matching between auditors and clients. The positive relation between auditor industry range and audit adjustments exists regardless of whether the industries covered by an auditor's portfolio exhibit strong or weak economic co-movement, and the relation is stronger for more complex clients, in more uncertain environments, and for auditors with more years of audit experience. Overall, our findings suggest that an auditor's diverse experiences in different industries can enhance audit quality.

Software and Systems Engineers in ICS Security

The introduction of Industry 4.0 and IIoT has enabled the interconnection of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) and exposed industrial control systems to cyber threats. Industrial cybersecurity requires knowledge, skill, and collaboration between IT and OT. A comparison of graduate curricula of software engineering and systems engineering identifies competencies related to industrial control systems cybersecurity. Industry experts are interviewed to identify needs for cybersecurity skills and competencies. Results from the mapping are discussed in the context of software and systems engineering challenges in ICS cybersecurity and leveraged against industry experiences and needs expressed through interviews with three OT and IT industry professionals. The curricula mapping reveals variations in both how they are organised and expressed to the extent that subjective interpretation is required for evaluation and comparison. The interviews with the industry experts indicate a gap between graduate competence from the curricula and industry needs.

SHIFTING MOTIVATIONS AMONG STUDENTS WHILE INDUSTRIAL TRAINING: MAINTAINING STUDENTS' LEARNING OF MANDARIN

This study, which was covered in the paper, looked at how Diploma in Mandarin students' motivation for learning Mandarin changed before and after they were relocated to China. In the investigation, we urged the 15 participants to keep reflective journals and interviewed them twice, once before and once after their industrial training experience at PT Formosa Bag Indonesia. The research showed that the majority of participants projected to maintain their trip-induced increases in desire for learning Mandarin in the future. The results show that the participants' motivations changed during their industrial training at PT Formosa Bag Indonesia, and that this change was prompted by their new educational environment and individual learning experiences. Because the learning and sociocultural environments are always interacting with the participants' L2 self-concepts in industry, the motivational boost evolved. These results provide novel insights into the dynamic motivation for learning the Mandarin language as well as the function of formal and informal learning environments. They imply that in order to increase international students' motivation for long-term Mandarin study, educational stakeholders must offer genuine communication chances and resources.

The impact of CEO attributes on sustainability performance: evidence from an emerging economy

PurposeThis study aims to empirically examine the influence of CEO characteristics on the sustainability performance of listed banks in Bangladesh through the lens of upper echelons theory.Design/methodology/approachThe authors estimated sustainability performance score based on a hand collected data set from the annual report and sustainability reports of the Bangladeshi listed banks. Following Clarkson et al. (2008), the sustainability index developed by Ong et al. (2016) and the G4 sustainability reporting standards of the global reporting initiative (GRI), a unique scoring index was developed to gather and assess sustainability data from listed banks. A panel regression analysis model is used to investigate the impact of CEO attributes on sustainability performance.FindingsThe findings of this study reveal that higher academic qualifications, greater industry experience and a longer tenure of the CEO have a significant and positive impact on the sustainable performance of the Bangladeshi listed banks. Furthermore, this study reveals that Bangladeshi listed banks are considerably behind in implementing the sustainability recommendations of Bangladesh Bank.Originality/valueThis study provides new evidence of how CEOs’ attributes can affect the sustainability reporting of Bangladeshi listed banks. Furthermore, this study measures the real contribution towards sustainability performance compared with the general claims about sustainability made by listed banks in Bangladesh.

An industrial experience report on model-based, AI-enabled proposal development for an RFP/RFI

Large organizations respond to huge volumes of Request for Proposals (RFP)/ Request for Information (RFI) every year. The process of developing a proposal for an RFP/ RFI is completely manual and time-, effort-, and intellect-intensive. While Model Driven Engineering (MDE) approaches have been popular in downstream Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) phases to transform the design models into code, there has been a gap in leveraging model-based techniques in document-centric phases of proposal development, requirements analysis, etc. This paper presents an automated proposal development approach for a client-supplied RFP/RFI using a combination of model-based and AI-enabled techniques and describes the case study of its successful deployment to hundreds of presales users across multiple geographies. We explain the Proposal system and report on the experience of deploying the system in the industry, bring out its efficacy, and user feedback, and discuss the lessons learnt.