Main Practical Implication Research Articles

Numerical investigation on hydrothermal characteristics of microchannel heat sinks with PCM inserts for effective thermal management applications

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to develop an efficient thermal management system, which effectively dissipate the heat generated from the electronic devices. The present paper focuses at the modeling of microchannel heat sinks (MCHSs) with phase change materials (PCMs) insets to deal with the fluctuating heat generated from the electronic components.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, a novel approach is introduced to enhance the thermal performance of MCHSs through the integration of conjugate heat transfer and energy storage. Numerical investigations were conducted on six novel models of PCM-based hybrid MCHSs using ANSYS-FLUENT. The hydrothermal characteristics of six PCM-based hybrid MCHS models were analyzed and compared with an MCHS model without PCM.FindingsThe numerical model used for this study exhibited a good agreement with existing experimental and simulation results documented in the literature. The hybrid MCHS models developed in the present analysis showed superior thermal characteristics compared to MCHS without PCM. About 12% improvement in the thermal performance factor and a 7.3% reduction in thermal resistance were observed in the proposed MCHS models. A negligible influence of the PCM channel shape and aspect ratio (AR) was observed on the MCHS performance.Research limitations/implicationsAs the present work is a numerical investigation, the computational time and computational cost requirements are the main implication for the research.Practical implicationsHigh pumping power requirement and expensive manufacturing methods of the microfluidic devices are the main practical implications. Leakage problem is also a challenge for development of these heat sinks.Originality/valueThe surge in the heat generated by electronic components is a limiting factor for the conventional MCHSs. To accommodate the surge, researchers have explored energy storage methods using PCM-based passive MCHS but these are effective only during the phase change process. To address this limitation, novel PCM-based hybrid MCHSs, which combine convective heat transfer with energy storage capabilities, have been modeled in the present work. There is an ample opportunity for further exploration of hybrid MCHSs with PCM.

Corporate social responsibility and sustainable development goals in higher education: a literature review from 2014 to 2023

Purpose Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the sustainable development goals (SDGs) have multiple interactions with higher education institutions (HEIs), and CSR strategies present a remarkable importance for companies and society, being necessary for universities to provide teaching and research within this topic. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the practical implications of the implementation of sustainability concepts in HEIs and, by extension, in society. Design/methodology/approach A sample formed by papers obtained from WoS (Web of Science) and Scopus databases was used (34 papers from WoS and 30 papers from Scopus). Both bibliometric and content analysis were performed to better understand the main characteristics of the sample, such as the most prolific countries and universities, as well as the main practical implications of each of the 64 papers analyzed. Findings The findings show the state of the art of the literature about sustainability and responsible management education published between 2014 and 2023. This paper also reports results like the most prolific authors and universities, the most cited papers and authors and the yearly production of papers, among other data. Implementing CSR and sustainability courses in HEIs curricula has a plurality of practical implications for businesses, the academic institutions and for society. Research limitations/implications The sample is limited because it is formed of papers written in English only, and that affects the productivity figures of both Spanish and Latin American universities. Having used a single piece of software for bibliometric analysis also limits the scope and depth of the results. Practical implications By analyzing a sample of 64 papers with different practical implications, this paper offers important data and practical ideas for HEIs to implement sustainability and responsible management education in their curricula, as well as of University Social Responsibility (USR) practices implementation. The paper also offers some insight into practical experiences with sustainability education for both undergraduate and graduate students, as well as advice for policymakers. Originality/value The paper’s originality and value are trifold: First, it links CSR and the SDGs with HEIs. Second, it combines a bibliometric analysis with a content analysis, creating added value for the research. And third, this paper studies the effect of the impact of CSR both in HEIs and in society.

AS TEORIAS SOCIOLÓGICAS CRIMINOLÓGICAS E SEUS REFLEXOS NO DIREITO PENAL: UM ESTUDO COMPARATIVO DASTEORIAS DO CONFLITO E DO CONSENSO

This work analyzes the intersection between consensus theory and conflict theory in the context of criminal law, highlighting its main characteristics and practical implications. The justification for choosing this topic lies in the need to understand how these theories influence the formulation of criminal laws and the treatment of criminals in a society marked by social inequalities. The objectives include examining the divergences and similarities between both approaches, as well as discussing their implications for criminal justice. The methodology used was a bibliographic review of fundamental works by authors such as Quinney, Zaffaroni and Foucault, aiming for an in-depth understanding of the theories. The main results indicate that, although consensus and conflict theories present opposing views on the role of criminal law, they also share similarities that can contribute to the construction of a fairer criminal system. It is concluded that integrating elements from both approaches can provide a more comprehensive understanding of social dynamics and the effectiveness of criminal laws, favoring the protection of human rights and social inclusion.

Bifurcation Analysis and Multiobjective Nonlinear Model Predictive Control of Sustainable Ecosystems

<i>Objective: </i>All optimal control work involving ecological models involves single objective optimization. In this work, we perform multiobjective nonlinear model predictive control (MNLMPC) in conjunction with bifurcation analysis on an ecosystem model. <i>Methods: </i>Bifurcation analysis was performed using the MATLAB software MATCONT while the multi-objective nonlinear model predictive control was performed by using the optimization language PYOMO. <i>Results: </i>Rigorous proof showing the existence of bifurcation (branch) points is presented along with computational validation. It is also demonstrated (both numerically and analytically) that the presence of the branch points was instrumental in obtaining the Utopia solution when the multiobjective nonlinear model prediction calculations were performed. <i>Conclusions: </i>The main conclusions of this work are that one can attain the utopia point in MNLMPC calculations because of the branch points that occur in the ecosystem model and the presence of the branch point can be proved analytically. The use of rigorous mathematics to enhance sustainability will be a significant step in encouraging sustainable development. The main practical implication of this work is that the strategies developed here can be used by all researchers involved in maximizing sustainability The future work will involve using these mathematical strategies to other ecosystem models and food chain models which will be a huge step in developing strategies to address problems involving nutrition.

Investigating the factors affecting outward FDI of Vietnam: Does political index matter?

Considering the important role of foreign direct investment (FDI) in economic growth and integration, this paper seeks to thoroughly analyze the outward FDI pattern of Vietnam to its 15 major FDI recipients (accounting for approximately 94% of Vietnam's OFDI) using the gravity theory and a robust panel data approach for the comprehensive annual data over the period of 2007 – 2022. By determining the main destinations of Vietnam’s Outward FDI through the creation of social, economic, and political indices via the principle component analysis (PCA), the empirical results conclusively prove the positive impacts of the political index, social index, the existence of a common border, and accession to the WTO on the Vietnamese OFDI volume, while geographical distance is found to negatively impact the flow. As the main practical policy implications, issuing policies for sustainable economic growth, creating the novel strategy of FDI neighborhood policy, and fostering regionalism through FTAs (Free Trade agreements) are highly recommended.

Business strategies, bureaucratic ties, and firms’ innovation novelty: insights from the World Bank enterprise survey

We draw intuitions from the systemic perspective of innovation to develop and test a conceptual model aimed at examining the various factors capable of influencing the novelty of innovations within firms in Visegrad countries. The empirical results based on the analyses of about 2,132 firms revealed that organisational strategies, external collaborations, engaging in research and development, and the legal status of firms marginally influence innovation novelties. Contrary to our expectations, we found that intellectual property rights and bureaucratic ties do not significantly influence innovation novelties. Business cities are also positively correlated with firms’ innovation novelties whilst legal status is not. The main practical implication of the research is that firm managers in the Visegrad Group aiming to improve and sustain the novelty of innovations should consider strengthening their external collaborations as well as having business strategies that must include innovations as well as research and development (R&D). We discuss some implications for theory and policy.

Entrepreneurial intentions and the role of educational and social support: do the self-efficacy and the theory of planned behavior variables matter?

Purpose The study aims to ascertain whether educational and social support for entrepreneurs significantly affects university students’ intentions to become successful entrepreneurs. This study examines the mediating role of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) variables (e.g. entrepreneurial personal attitude, subjective norms and entrepreneurial perceived behavioral control) and entrepreneurial self-efficacy in encouraging young entrepreneurs. Design/methodology/approach An online survey with a structured questionnaire collected data from different university students in Bangladesh; subsequently, it was analyzed through the structural equation model. Findings The results suggested that educational support has a direct positive relationship with the three variables of TPB. Moreover, the findings indicated that social support positively influences the variables of TPB, entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial intentions. The variables of TPB and entrepreneurial self-efficacy were found to have a significant direct impact on entrepreneurial intentions and also exhibited favorable mediating effects of educational and social support on entrepreneurial intentions. Research limitations/implications First, the study is only generalized to some sectors of entrepreneurship activities because the researchers used samples from university students across Bangladesh. Second, the implicit limitation of survey-based research is that respondents need to know more ways of understanding the questionnaires accurately, and some participants need to be taught how to answer the question items. Practical implications The main practical implication for the relationship between entrepreneurial intentions and educational support involves different entrepreneurial educational programs, which give rise to attitude, behavior, self-efficacy and intentions and enhance the student's awareness of advancing a successful entrepreneurial career. Social implications This study demonstrated that universities and social communities should promote the improvement of innovative thoughts for entrepreneurs and offer essential information about entrepreneurship. Originality/value Because entrepreneurial educational support is a crucial factor in entrepreneurial intentions, universities need to develop a practical education system that can help improve the skills required to start new ventures. The results will improve a new route to developing students’ entrepreneurial intentions using the variables of TPB and entrepreneurial self-efficacy. Subsequently, these research findings will help to achieve governmental goals and increase the number of startups in the future.

The 2023 new European guidelines on infective endocarditis: main novelties and implications for clinical practice.

The 2023 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines for the management of infective endocarditis update the previous 2015 guidelines with main novelties in five areas: (1) antibiotic prevention for high-risk patients, and prevention measures for intermediate-risk and high-risk patients; (2) diagnosis with emphasis on multimodality imaging to assess cardiac lesions of infective endocarditis' (3) antibiotic therapy allowing an outpatient antibiotic treatment for stabilized, uncomplicated cases; (4) cardiac surgery with an emphasis on early intervention without delay for complicated cases; and (5) shared management decision by the endocarditis team. Most evidence came from observational studies and expert opinions. The guidelines strongly support a patient-centred approach with a shared decision process by a multidisciplinary team that should be implemented either in tertiary referral centres, becoming heart valve centres, and referral centres. A continuous sharing of data is warranted in the hospitals' network between heart valve centres, which are used for referrals for complicated cases of infective endocarditis, and referral centres, which should be able to manage uncomplicated cases of infective endocarditis.

The Role of Business Intelligence in Developing Tax Performance: An Applied Research in The General Taxing Authority

Objective: The present research aims at examining the role of business intelligence in developing tax performance in the General Tax Authority of a developing county. Theoretical Framework: To enlighten the main concepts of this study and underpin their theoretical foundations, the business intelligence tools and applications were presented. Their characteristics, dimensions, virtues, as well as the reasons behind their implementation were also detailed. Therefore, the role of business intelligence in improving tax performance was justified, providing a solid basis for understanding the context of our investigation carried out in the taxing authority of the Iraqi capital. Method: To conduct our investigation, a questionnaire was administrated to the target respondents, i.e. 97 employees of the General Tax Authority, located in Baghdad. Following the data collection process, descriptive, then regression analyses were undertaken. Results and Discussion: The obtained findings support that business intelligence exerts a positive influence on tax performance of the general tax authority. Research Implications: The practical and theoretical implications of this research are discussed, providing insights into the awareness of the importance of business intelligence and software applications at the workplace. Departments’ directors of the general taxing authority are invited to cooperate with the corresponding authority whose work could be better performed electronically. Decisions regarding citizens could also be taken more wisely. Originality/Value: The relevance of the present research is essentially evidenced by its main practical implications regarding the improvement of tax performance of taxing authorities of developing countries, as well as the betterment of tax services dedicated to citizens.

Rapid Nurse Training to Meet Surge Capacity: An Integrative Review.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in unprecedented health care challenges and transformation of nursing practice. A significant challenge faced by health care systems was the rapid identification and training of nurses in various specialties, including critical care, to care for a large influx of critically ill patients. To identify common themes and modalities that support best practices for the rapid training of registered nurses in team-based critical care nursing. With the Whittemore and Knafl integrative review methodology as a framework, a literature review was conducted using a priori search terms. The integrative review included 11 articles and revealed 3 common themes: communication challenges, team dynamics, and the methodological approach to implementing training. This integrative review highlighted 3 main implications for future practice and policy in the event of another pandemic. Clear and frequent communication, multidisciplinary huddles, and open communication are paramount for mitigating role confusion and enhancing team dynamics. A multimodal approach to training appears to be feasible and effective for rapidly training support registered nurses to care for critically ill patients. However, the optimal training duration remains unidentified. Rapidly training registered nurses to care for critically ill patients in a team-based dynamic is a safe and effective course of action to mitigate staff shortages if another pandemic occurs.

Establishing machining process standards in educational scenario—A study in an institutional machine tools laboratory environment

This study establishes the manufacturing capability of the machines present in a machine tools laboratory at an engineering institution in India. The capability indexes for potential capability as well as performance capability are employed to determine the machine capability of the machine tools. Statistical process control (SPC) studies are performed in a laboratory environment for relatively older and non-automated machines comprising lathes, shapers, drilling and grinding machines. The process potential capability index (Cp) and the process performance capability index (Cpk) values for the CTQ characteristics are obtained as 0.68 and 0.59, respectively, on lathe; 0.99 and 0.99, respectively, on Shaper; 1.55 and 1.55, respectively, on the Drill; and a Cpk of 0.79 on the surface grinder. The procedure adopted and findings of this study may be horizontally applied to other laboratories of any engineering institute. The main practical implication is the standardization of the lab experimental procedure for machining processes employing relatively older machines through formulation of process sheets. Because of this standardization, the upgrade of the syllabus will become an easy task. This work is an attempt to implement the industrial engineering process capability concepts in an educational machine tools laboratorial scenario. The expected applications shall go into leveraging the course-work pertaining to “Metal cutting and Machine tools” as an integrated course where theory and practice go hand-in-hand.

Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship: Uncovering Themes, Trends, and Discourse

The world is marked by persistent and recurring socio-economic and environmental changes. The domains of social innovation and social entrepreneurship have gained prominence as catalysts for positive change and societal resilience. Despite the substantial body of literature assessing social innovation and social entrepreneurship, most studies address these topics through analyses of scientific production output or through systematic literature reviews. Conversely, the main objective of this paper is to conduct a thematic analysis of the existing scientific literature on social innovation and social entrepreneurship, published across various geographical contexts, to assess themes, trends, and discourse within these fields worldwide. Therefore, it synthesizes, analyzes, and evaluates the evolving landscape of social innovation and social entrepreneurship research over time, employing a sliding windows methodology. This approach divides the analyzed period into distinct times to meticulously track changes in themes and discourse over time. To accomplish this objective, this paper examines the evolving thematic dynamics of social innovation and social entrepreneurship within the scientific literature, serving as a driver and compelling researchers and practitioners to explore new dimensions in social innovation and social entrepreneurship. Evidence from the analysis is discussed, including the main theoretical and practical implications and proposals for future research. This paper emphasizes the importance of adaptive and resilient approaches within the domains of social innovation and social entrepreneurship and contributes to a deeper understanding of how social innovation and social entrepreneurship evolve and adapt over time, shedding light on the transformative potential of social innovation and social entrepreneurship.

The relationship between perceived institutional conditions and firm-level innovations in emerging markets: Moderating effects of firm ownerships.

Country-level institutional conditions are known to play key roles in firms' innovation and operations. While it is acknowledged that an unfavourable institutional context negatively influences innovation, less is known about which firms are most affected by these institutional conditions. This research aims to examine which institutional conditions affect firms' product innovation and which firms can innovate their products despite the unfavourable institutional environment. The empirical results based on 21,056 firms from 42 African countries show that legal institutions and informal competition positively influence product innovation while perceived policy instability has a negative influence. The results proved that the interactions between perceived policy instability and favourable legal institutions negatively influence product innovation. However, the joint effects of these institutional conditions positively impact product innovation. Private domestic ownership positively moderates the relationship between a favourable legal environment and product innovations, while foreign ownership negatively moderates the relationship between a favourable legal environment and product innovations. Finally, the results showed that both domestic and foreign ownerships negatively moderate the relationship between perceived policy instability and product innovation. The main practical implication from our result is that policy practitioners in African countries should endeavour to reduce the potential negative impact of the policy instability and unfavourable legal environment for foreign-owned firms as it reduces their incentives to innovate.

Waste management behaviour in the most populated capital city of the world

PurposeA prime objective of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (SBA; Clean India Mission) is to motivate people to segregate their household waste. The purpose of this study is to assess the ground reality of waste management behaviour of Delhi residents with the help of a modified Value–Belief–Norm (VBN) model. Past researches point the need to include cost as a variable in the VBN model. This study fulfils this need and tests cost as one of the variables on the gathered data.Design/methodology/approachThe research data were gathered by interacting with the people and the civic staff in the jurisdiction of the three Delhi municipalities through a stratified sampling technique (N = 250). The structural equation modelling was used to analyse the collected data.FindingsThe modified VBN model explains the waste management behaviour, but the variables do not follow the exact causal chain. Values, awareness of consequences, ascription of responsibility and personal norms all explain the resident's waste management behaviour. However, cost limits the resident's waste management behaviour.Research limitations/implicationsThe study could only achieve a moderate model fit; its sample size was small; and data were collected through self-reported questionnaire.Practical implicationsThree main practical implications of the study are: (1) While designing waste management solutions, due importance must be given to the cost to be borne by people for adopting these solutions. (2) Design such interventions that target residents' values to convince them to make the desired behavioural change. (3) People need be educated about the ways to sort waste and made aware of the importance of waste segregation in eradicating the urban waste mess.Originality/valueThe paper is an original contribution to testing a modified VBN model in predicting waste management behaviour. The modified model includes cost as a variable missing in the previous research. This research is useful in the backdrop of the SBA and provides suggestions for policymakers and pro-environment researchers.

IMPACT OF INTEGRATED REPORTING DISCLOSURE ON ACCOUNTING-BASED PERFORMANCE OF ASIAN LISTED COMPANIES

This study aims to examine the relationship between the quality of integrated reporting (IR) disclosure and firm performance in Asia listed companies. An integrated report score based on eight content elements taken from the IIRC framework was used to assess the quality of the IR disclosures of 90 Asian companies in 2019. Firm performance is evaluated using accounting-based measures such as return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE). This study used a positivist research approach, the results show that the quality of IR disclosure of listed companies in Asia is sufficient. The study found a significant positive relationship between IR disclosure quality and ROA & ROE. It shows that the higher the quality of IR disclosure, the better the economic benefits of the company. The main practical implications of this study focus on calling for improved quality of IR issued by listed companies in Asia, as it provides evidence for a higher degree of financial performance achieved through high-quality disclosure of IR.

Does Participation Benefit Children’s Socio-Emotional Development? Positive Associations Between Children’s Participation and Self-Concept, Through Children’s Perceptions

ABSTRACT Participation, a fundamental right of all children, is described as an indicator of early childhood education (ECE) settings’ quality, and as an investment in children’s development and well-being. Teachers and children influence each other, within interactions that shape participatory processes. In this study, we examined associations between ECE teachers’ participation practices (i.e. both self-reported and observed), observed teacher-child interactions, and children’s socio-emotional outcomes (i.e. self-concept and social skills), mediated by children’s perceptions of their own participation. Participants in this study were 336 children (163 boys), aged between 42 and 76 months (M = 60.14, SD = 7.86), from 58 ECE classrooms in the Lisbon area, Portugal, and their lead teachers. Research Findings: Suggest positive associations between observed participation practices and children’s self-concept, mediated by children’s perceptions of participation. To our knowledge, this study represents the first empirical attempt to address the mechanisms by which participation practices are associated with children’s developmental outcomes, valuing children’s subjective experiences of participation, and accounting for different informants and levels of analysis. Practice or Policy: The main findings and study implications for research, practice, and policymaking are discussed.

Smart innovations for sustainable cities: Insights from a public‐private innovation ecosystem

AbstractOver‐urbanization poses important challenges—both for citizen well‐being and quality of life, and for the sustainability of our planet. Traffic, accidents and pollution are just a few of the problems facing people living in cities. The need arises, then, to foster sustainable urban planning and management using, among other elements, smart solutions. In such a context, we would do well to reflect on effective economic, social, and environmental policies aimed at achieving sustainable cities and high quality of life for urban inhabitants. This article presents the most relevant aspects of the #eCity‐Sevilla project, a successful case of a sustainable public‐private innovation ecosystem. To this end, we take the Quintuple Helix Model as our reference, with a view to identify project stakeholders and better understand their relationships and objectives. Our data derives from secondary sources as well as from a set of in‐depth interviews with key informants. In the final section, the main theoretical and practical implications of our study are discussed.

Improvement of an order-to-cash business process by deploying lean six sigma tools: a case study

PurposeThis study is focused to support an ongoing development project of the case company's current state and the challenges of the order-to-cash (O2C) process. The O2C process is the most visible process to the customer, and therefore, its punctual and fluent order management is vital. It is observed that the high degree of manual work in the O2C process causes mistakes, delays and rework in the process. The purpose of this article is therefore to analyze the case company's current state of the O2C process as well as to identify the areas of development in this process by deploying the means of Lean Six Sigma tools such as value stream mapping (VSM).Design/methodology/approach The study was conducted as a mix of quantitative and qualitative analysis. Based on both the quantitative and qualitative data, a workshop on VSM was organized to analyze the current state of the O2C process of a case company, engaged in the energy and environment sector in Finland.Findings The results found that excessive manual work was highly connected to inadequate or incorrect data in pricing and invoicing activities, which resulted in canceled invoices. Canceled invoices are visible to the customer and have a negative impact on the customer experience. This study found that by improving the performance of the O2C process activities and improving communication among the internal and external stakeholders, the whole O2C process can perform more effectively and provide better customer value.Originality/value The O2C process is the most visible process to the customer and therefore its punctual and fluent order management is vital. To ensure that the O2C process is operating as desired, suitable process performance metrics need to be aligned and followed. The results gathered from the case company's data, questionnaire interviews, and the VSM workshop are all highlighted in this study. The main practical and managerial implications were to understand the real-time O2C process performance, which is necessary to ensure strong performance and enhance continuous improvement of the O2C process that leads to operational excellence and commercial competitiveness of the studied case company.

Governance and Competitiveness of Tourism Destinations: Validation of the Structural Model in the Case of Brazil

ABSTRACT This study aims to develop, test, and validate a structural model to measure the relationship between tourism governance and the competitiveness of tourism destinations in Brazil. The research has exploratory and quantitative approaches. The study’s target population were public actors, private and civil society who work in the Brazilian tourism sector. The results revealed a reliable and valid structure for modeling tourism governance and competitiveness of tourism destinations in Brazil. The main practical implications are to identify the dimensions of the measurement of tourism governance and competitiveness of tourism destinations in Brazil; by enabling the organization of an analytical tool for measuring, evaluating, and monitoring the actions of decision-makers presenting which dimensions are most important for each construct in the Brazilian assessment.

The importance of resources in achieving the goals of energy companies

Abstract The fundamental transformation of the global energy sector challenges Polish energy companies to define new organisational goals. To a large extent, these objectives determine an energy company’s competitive position and ability to develop in the long term. However, achieving the set goals requires adequate resources. This paper mainly aims to identify and assess the resources used to achieve organisational goals in Polish energy companies. Based on a literature review and data collected from 110 Polish energy companies, the authors identified and assessed resources for achieving their organisational goals. The study confirmed that the organisational goals pursued by energy companies are interrelated. Analysis of the results of the basic organisational goals postulated by Polish energy companies showed that economic goals, such as “market share growth”, “implementation of innovative solutions”, and “quality of products/services”, are among the most important. The study showed that the resources held by energy companies are important for implementing separate organisational goals. Human resources received the highest rating and were considered of the greatest importance for the implementation of the goals of “sector development”, “uninterrupted energy supply”, and “sustainable development”. The paper assesses and discusses the characteristics of Polish energy companies’ organisational resources and organisational goals. The contribution of this study is the highlighted importance of resources in achieving the organisational goals of Polish energy companies. The main practical implication of this article is to stress the existence of links between the individual goals of companies in the energy sector and to highlight the importance of the different resource categories they possess for achieving specific objective bundles.