Total Interpretive Structural Modeling Research Articles

Modelling the Critical Success Factors for Value Creation in Social Entrepreneurship

Social entrepreneurs generate value for society by addressing social and economic issues. However, current literature lacks focus on the critical success factors that aid social entrepreneurs in creating social value. Therefore, this paper identifies eight factors (entrepreneurial intention, intrinsic motivation, social salience, social innovation, entrepreneurial capabilities, mission, resource mobilisation, and capacity building). Through modified total interpretive structural modelling (m-TISM) and MICMAC analysis, this study establishes interrelationships between these factors and classifies them based on driver-dependent relationships. The study highlights the importance of a five-level hierarchical structure for achieving dual value creation in social entrepreneurship. The study emphasises important implications for academicians and practitioners.

Low Employability of Graduate Engineers – Ascertaining Role of Industry by leveraging Industry Total Interpretive Structural Modelling.

Abstract—The objective of this study is to conceptualize a Total Interpretive Structural Model (TISM) of factors leading to low employability of graduate engineers, at entry level, in context to Indian IT Industry. The paper focuses on factors emerging due to lack or low participation of IT Industry in overall academic activities contributing to low employability. Authors have developed Total Interpretive Structural Model (TISM) to understand the interplay of industry induced factors, leading to low employability of graduate engineers. Factors considered are limited to the role of IT industry in academia. Qualitative Semi Structured interviews & survey inputs gathered from academic experts including Senior Faculties, Heads of the Departments, Principals and Training and Placement officers from 10 engineering colleges in Maharashtra (India), are considered to arrive at factors highlighting the wanting contribution of IT industry. Total interpretive structural model has been developed for the factors leading to low employability. This model provides a hierarchical structure to the identified factors at four different levels based on their driving power and dependence. The model also portrays factor’s interplay with the help of direct and transitive linkages. Based on the research authors recommend key initiatives at fundamental factors which can have a cascading impact on other dependent factors. This research has implications for IT Industry, academia and academic governing authorities. The study provides an indicative list of strategic factors and the synergistic effect created by their interplay. The relationships amongst these factors are being modeled providing an insight, in terms of cause and effect relationship, prioritizing the areas to be addressed on priority. The proposed model, examining the factors of low employability due to IT industry’s wanting role in academic context is a fresh approach & pioneering one. To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that analyzes the factors of low employability of graduate engineers using TISM approach, focusing on IT industry and not on academia, as being done historically. Keywords—Total Interpretive Structure Modeling Employability; Factors; IT Industry

Assessing the barriers of integrating technological innovations in textiles sector: Implications towards sustainable production

With the aftermath of the pervasive COVID-19, the recent war between Ukraine and Russia, and the severity of the resource crisis, the global textiles industry has become a significant concern, especially for emerging economies. Technological advancements combining traditional manufacturing processes with cutting-edge technologies may safeguard the textile industry’s supply chain. To establish stability in the value chain of the textiles sector in emerging nations, it is crucial to precisely identify the relevant barriers to combining advanced technologies with traditional textile practices. Consequently, this study aims to determine the significant barriers to merging technological advancements with conventional textile practices and assess their relationships using an integrated framework. To highlight, measure, and analyze the hierarchical interconnections of the barriers to integrating technical innovations in the textile industry in the context of an emerging economy, this study combines fuzzy theory, Pareto analysis, and total interpretive structural modeling (TISM). Following that, the Matriced’ Impacts Cruoses Multiplication Applique a Un Classement (MICMAC) analysis, clusters of barriers, depending on their levels of driving and dependence power, were developed. Based on the literature review and feedback from experts, a total of 19 barriers were discovered, and Pareto analysis was applied to analyze the major and trivial barriers. Based on that analysis, a myriad of evaluations is done for the top barriers (13- to be precise), and their interrelationships have been investigated using fuzzy TISM-fuzzy MICMAC. Lack of government support policies and insufficient incentives, heavy taxation & inadequate capital investment have been identified as the most crucial barriers. The hierarchical model and study’s findings will assist leaders in the textile industry in applying key concepts in strategic planning and decision-making to successfully combine cutting-edge tools and technologies with traditional textile industry practices and ensure a sustainable global textile supply chain.

Readiness of lean sustainability in healthcare organizations

PurposeThis paper aims to “identify,” “analyse” and “categorise” the readiness factors of lean sustainability in health-care organisation using total interpretive structural modelling (TISM).Design/methodology/approachTo obtain the data, a closed-ended questionnaire was used in addition to a scheduled interview. To identify how the factors interact, the TISM approach was used, and the matriced’ impacts croise’s multiplication applique’e a UN classement (MICMAC) analysis was used to rank and categorise the lean sustainability readiness factors.FindingsThis study identified ten lean sustainability readiness factors for health-care organisation. The identified factors are resources utilization practice (F1), management commitment and leadership (F2), operational flexibility (F3), workforce engagement and time commitment (F4), sustainability motivational factors (F5), awareness of lean and sustainable practice (F6), hospital design (F7), energy efficiency practices in hospitals (F8), responsible autonomy (F9) and new system adoptability training (F10). The key/driving factors are identified in this study are operational flexibility, sustainability motivational factors, management commitment and leadership, new system adoptability training.Research limitations/implicationsThe study focussed primarily on lean sustainability factors for the health-care sector.Practical implicationsThis research will aid key stakeholders and academics in the better understanding the readiness factors that influence lean sustainability in health-care organisation. This study emphasises the factors that must be considered when applying lean sustainable practices in health care as a real-world application in a health-care organisation. These readiness factors for lean sustainability can be used by an organization to comprehend more about the concept and the components that contribute to health-care lean sustainability.Originality/valueThis study proposes the TISM technique for health care, which is a novel attempt in the subject of lean sustainability in this sector.

Developing a Delphi assisted total interpretive structural model (D-TISM) for adopting the Industry 4.0 technologies within Lean Six Sigma framework

Lean Six Sigma continues to be used by various industries to make their processes more efficient. The Lean Six Sigma approach is re-evaluated and possibly upgraded to enhance its suitability with Industry 4.0 technologies to provide maximum benefits for any organisation. However, the integration of Industry 4.0 within the lean six sigma framework is associated with various challenges like privacy issues and the non-availability of skilled labours which was not studied extensively in the existing literature. Hence, this study identifies the challenges in adopting the Industry 4.0 technologies within the lean six sigma framework and provides a detailed overview of their interrelationships and hierarchy. A Delphi-assisted total interpretive structural modelling was designed for this study in which the Delphi method was utilised to identify the challenges and the total interpretive structural modelling method was employed to process the challenges and decide the contextual interrelationships. The categorisation of the challenges was done by the application of cross-impact matrix multiplication to the classification. This study indicates the necessity for information technology infrastructure development specifically catering to data security and its important role in enhancing the intellectual capacity of an organisation through the development of its personnel. The finding of the study and the roadmap developed will help the practitioners and managers towards successful adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies within the lean six sigma framework for their operation excellence, and enhance the performance of the business and organisational efficiency.

Mapping of the Circular Economy Implementation Challenges in the Fashion Industry: a Fuzzy-TISM Analysis

The fashion industry creates a large amount of pollution, making it one of the least environmentally friendly industries in the world with an ever-growing adoption of the linear fashion system “take-make-dispose” that continues to exploit scarce natural resources and energy. This advocate shifting to a circular economy to achieve sustainable production and consumption. However, numerous challenges are faced when introducing the principles of circular economy, obstructing the system transition. The ten challenges identified from the literature include poor material and energy efficiency, poor circular design, technological challenges, regulatory pressures, internal stakeholders’ pressures, financial pressures, insufficient human capital, poor management and leadership, lack of external collaborations, and consumer-related challenges. This research aims to identify the level of significance of the challenges identified from the literature to assist top management with formulating a strategy. Decisions will be made and prioritised based on the key challenges to ensure a successful and effective implementation of the circular economy in the fashion industry. To achieve the aim of this research, seven experts within both the circular economy and fashion context are interviewed. Fuzzy Total Interpretive Structural Modelling (Fuzzy-TISM) is used to arrange the challenges into a hierarchy-based model and to illustrate the interrelationship between these challenges. Also, Fuzzy MICMAC analysis is used to map and rank these challenges depending on their driving and dependence power. Based on the findings, regulatory pressures and poor management and leadership are the key challenges with the highest significance level. Therefore, successful and effective implementation of a circular economy requires a change in managerial strategies.

Modeling drivers and barriers of climate change mitigation strategies in Indian iron and steel industry: a TISM-based approach

PurposeThe main purpose of this paper is to investigate drivers and barriers of climate change mitigation strategies (CCMS), their linkages and impact in Indian Iron and Steel Industry (IISI) in light of ninth sustainable development goal (building resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation).Design/methodology/approachTo identify relevant drivers and barriers, a thorough literature review and opinions of industry experts were obtained. Utilizing Total Interpretive Structural Modeling (TISM), the selected drivers and barriers were modeled separately along with Cross Impact Matrix-multiplication Applied to Classification (MICMAC).FindingsPragmatic and cost-effective technology, less supply chain complexity, robust policy and legal framework were found to have the highest driving power over all the other drivers. Findings suggest political pressure as the most critical barrier in this study. The results from TISM and MICMAC analysis have been used to elucidate a framework for the understanding of policymakers and achieve top management commitment.Practical implicationsThis paper will help researchers, academicians, industry analysts and policymakers in developing a systems approach in prioritizing CCMS in energy-intensive (coal dependent) iron and steel plants. The model outcomes of this work will aid operational research to understand the working principles in other industries as well.Originality/valueTo the best of authors' knowledge, there is paucity of reported literature for the drivers and barriers of CCMS in iron and steel industry. This paper can be considered a unique, first attempt to use data from developing nations like India to develop a model and explain relationships of the existing drivers and barriers of CCMS.

Green entrepreneurship and digitalization enabling the circular economy through sustainable waste management - An exploratory study of emerging economy

In recent years, the Circular Economy (CE) has gained attention as a strategy for achieving sustainable development through cleaner production and reducing waste and pollution. At the same time, digital technologies are recognized as crucial sustainability drivers by enabling efficiency, collaboration, and innovation. This research paper explores the factors that support Green Entrepreneurship (GE) and digitalization in the context of CE and Waste Management (WM) in Indian manufacturing “Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises” (MSMEs). Further, the study prioritizes, establishes a contextual relationship, and clusters the GE factors that enable digitalization in the CE and WM of Indian manufacturing MSMEs. To meet research goals, the study uses a mixed-methods approach that includes a literature review, qualitative interviews with MSME managers, and theoretical support (stakeholder theory, resource-based view, dynamic capability theory, met expectation theory, and upper echelons theory) to find the enablers. Further, two-phase “Multi-Criteria Decision Making” (MCDM) tools are utilized. Initially, the quantitative “Best-Worst Method” (BWM) was used for ranking, and then “Total Interpretive Structural Modeling” (TISM) was used to establish a mutual relationship among the enablers. The strength of relationships among the enablers was established based on “dependence power” (DEP) and “driving power” (DRP). The findings through BWM analysis show that among the main category, technology-based enablers, and among sub-categories, top management and organizational coordination are the high-priority enablers/sub-enablers to optimize sustainable action. The findings also suggest that technology infrastructure for cleaner and sustainable manufacturing, knowledge of green entrepreneurs, training, the dynamic capacities of digitalization towards a CE, subsidies, and finance are driving enablers. The research contributes to understanding the enabling factors of GE and digitalization and their interdependencies for CE and sustainable development.

Examining the causal relationships among factors influencing SMEs' competitive advantage: a TISM-neutrosophic MICMAC approach

PurposeSmall and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are a major source of employment and revenue growth in developing nations like India, but they also face challenges from resource shortages, shifting consumer demand and heightened competition. This research aims to discover the aspects that enhance SMEs' competitiveness and performance.Design/methodology/approachBy analyzing literature and consulting experts, 10 factors that boost a firm's competitiveness were identified. The total interpretive structural modeling (TISM) method was then used to determine their interaction and structural hierarchy. Neutrosophic-MICMAC analysis was employed to assess the driving-dependence power of each factor.FindingsThe study discovered that the factor, namely “entrepreneurial orientation,” was found to be a significant one. “Manufacturing strategy” was found to be extremely dependent on the remaining competitive advantage factors.Research limitations/implicationsThis SME-focused framework can be adopted by large businesses to enhance organizational performance by focusing on critical factors. The study depends on experts' judgment, which might be biased. Findings will assist SMEs in identifying significant factors influencing competitive advantage and relationships, increasing awareness of factors contributing to competitive edge.Practical implicationsThe results of the research may encourage SME sector managers and practitioners to prioritize the factors that contribute to a firm's competitive advantage.Originality/valueThe majority of research on SME competitive advantage focuses on individual aspects. To add to the body of knowledge on the subject, this study applies the TISM technique to Indian SMEs to identify the contextual interactions among factors that increase long-term competitiveness.

Green-workforce agility in healthcare organizations

ABSTRACT This paper aims to ‘identify’, ‘analyse’, and ‘categorise’ the enablers of green-workforce agility in healthcare operations using ‘Modified Total Interpretive Structural Modelling (m-TISM) and MICMAC analysis’. The m-TISM technique was utilized to determine how the components interacted, and the green-workforce agility enablers were ranked and categorized using the MICMAC method. This study identified ten enablers of green-workforce agility in healthcare operations. In this study, green HRM, green training and workforce development, green organizational culture, employee green behaviours, green employee empowerment were the driving or key enablers. This study will help academics and key stakeholders better understand the green-workforce agility in healthcare operations. In this study, the m-TISM technique for healthcare is proposed as an innovative approach to address the green workforce agility subject.

Implementing Area Business Continuity Management for Large-Scale Disaster: A Total Interpretive Structural Modeling Approach

A large-scale disaster striking a fundamental infrastructure can disrupt the entire business area. Hence, Area Business Continuity Management (Area-BCM) is proposed to bring together stakeholders in the same area who aim to minimize economic losses and impacts due to a disaster. Its distinctive features consider public–private partnerships, critical external resources, and scalability of risk management. However, Area-BCM is still a long way from being successful as many challenges are found. This study aimed to build a model of success factors and analyze relationships among factors for Area-BCM implementation. The total interpretive structural modeling technique was utilized to construct a hierarchical model. Interviews and questionnaire surveys were performed for data collection. A process-automated tool was used to ensure accuracy and eliminate complicated calculations. The results indicate the foundation factors and critical suggestions to be grounded for success. The outstanding findings are the interpreted interrelationships in the final model. Moreover, cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification approach categorizes factors into four groups based on driving and dependence powers. The outcomes provide strong implications for Area-BCM practitioners or executors, helping them prioritize attention and prepare suitable strategies for successful implementation.

Unravelling the enablers of Industry 4.0 in Indian automobile industry amid COVID-19: an integrated TISM and fuzzy MICMAC approach

PurposeThis study aims to identify the key enablers for the adoption of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) in the automobile industry of India, which has been severely impacted by COVID-19. Adopting I4.0 will provide organizations greater flexibility and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachBased on the literature review and experts’ opinions, 21 enablers were identified. Further, contextual relationships among the identified factors and a hierarchical digraph was developed by using the total interpretive structural modelling (TISM) technique. Finally, fuzzy cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification (MICMAC) analysis was conducted to classify the enablers into different categories based on their dependence and driving power.FindingsThe results indicate that top management support, clarity on government policy, strategic vision on I4.0 and development of new industrial policy are the most influential factors, with the highest driving power placed at the bottom of the TISM hierarchical model. Furthermore, agile workforce, smart HR practices and IT standardization and security are identified as linkage enablers with the most driving and dependency power.Practical implicationsThe hierarchical TISM model and fuzzy MICMAC approach provide a comprehensive understanding of the I4.0 implementation process through a visual, logical structure to the managers. It will help the researchers and practitioners understand the contextual relationship among various enablers in fostering the I4.0 adoption process and digital reorganization in the automobile industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.Originality/valueThis study provides a holistic TISM hierarchical framework on I4.0 adoption that will elevate the next maturity level of innovation adoption and may act as a blueprint for automobile industries during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dark side of blockchain technology adoption in SMEs: an Indian perspective

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to understand the dark side of blockchain technology (BCT) adoption in small and mid-size enterprises. The focus of the authors is to decode the intricate relationship among the selected variables missing in the existing literature.Design/methodology/approachA focused group approach is initiated by the authors to identify the barriers. Total interpretive structural modeling, Matrice d'impacts croisés multiplication appliquée á un classment, that is, matrix multiplication applied to classification and decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory are used to analyze the complex relationships among identified barriers.FindingsThis study finds that implementation of BCT reduces maintenance cost by withdrawing manual effort, as BCT has better capability to quantify the internal status of the system (observability characteristic). The observability characteristic of BCT provides high compatibility to the system. This study also finds that the compatibility of BCT with the organization reduces implementation cost and facilitates project management. The findings of this study recommend analyzing maintenance cost and compatibility of BCT before implementing it. Small and mid-size enterprises can select complex BCT depending on the sophistication level of IT usage and IT project management capabilities.Research limitations/implicationsThis study comes with various limitations, where the model developed by the authors may not be conclusive, as it is based exclusively on expert opinion. The samples collected may not help in validating the model statistically. Though the model has its limitations, it can still be considered as a nascent initiative for further investigation using structural equation modeling.Originality/valueThe outcomes of the theoretical and managerial contributions of the study can be categorized into three levels. This study can be used both by the industrialists and researchers to understand the barriers and the recovery methods thereafter. Suggestions that serve as future directives are also discussed by the authors.

An integrated approach to explore the barriers to lean manufacturing in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: implications for sustainability

PurposeThe apparel industry of Bangladesh is rethinking lean manufacturing (LM) deployment because of the challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to COVID-19, LM implementation in the apparel industry has become more difficult. Thus, the purpose of this study is to explore the barriers to implementing LM practices in the apparel industry of Bangladesh in the context of COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachFor evaluating the barriers, an integrated framework that combines the Delphi method and fuzzy total interpretive structural modeling (TISM) has been designed. The application of fuzzy TISM has resulted in a structured hierarchical relationship model of the barriers with driving and driven power.FindingsThe findings reveal that “lack of synchronization of lean planning with strategic planning”, “lack of proper understanding of lean concept” and “low priority from the top management” are the three top most important barriers of LM implementation in apparel industry.Practical implicationsThese findings will help the apparel industry to formulate strategy for implementing the LM practices successfully. The proposed model is expected to contribute to the sustainable development goals (SDGs) such as Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12); Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8); Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (SDG 9) via resilient strategies.Originality/valueThis study is one of few initial efforts to investigate LM implementation barriers during the COVID-19 epidemic in a real-world setting.

Modelling the factors affecting organizational flexibility in MSMEs

Purpose In the era of multiple global disruptions, firms are finding it to continue their business. MSMEs are impacted more as they have constrained resources. Organizational flexibility has emerged as an organizational and management principle that would help firms stay competitive even in volatile markets. This study aims to present a set of guidelines and insights for MSME managers to implement organizational flexibility in their organizations. Design/methodology/approach This study uses total interpretive structural modelling to study how the various factors contributing to organizational flexibility behave together. Behavioural theory is used to explain why organizations need to incorporate flexibility, and systems theory of organization is used to explain why an organization needs to have open boundaries. Findings Organizational flexibility is a principle that may be supported by the systems theory of organization. The study has shown that it is important for MSMEs to have supply chain collaborations to be more flexible. The study also shows pressure from competitors as the key driver that would make a firm more flexible, and that adequate support from management and technological skills are required to drive flexibility in an organization. Research limitations/implications Single respondent bias may have occurred in this study. This can be eliminated by interviewing multiple people from the same organization. Further research around the reasoning for linkages can be explored with theory-driven grounded studies. Originality/value This study attempts to use a multi-criteria decision-making technique to present insights to managers to help them make their organizations flexible.

Exploring new-product selling challenges in the FMCG sector: a qualitative method approach

PurposeThe study aims to identify salespeople’s challenges while selling newly launched products in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector by examining the holistic environment in which they perform their selling tasks. Furthermore, it develops a hierarchical model mapping the interrelationships between identified challenges to explore their dependence and driving power through qualitative research techniques.Design/methodology/approachThe current study is exploratory and inductive in its research design. It used focus-group discussion (FGD), semistructured interviews and thematic content analysis (TCA) to identify new-product selling challenges in the FMCG sector. The identified factors were then worked into a hierarchical model using total interpretive structural modeling (TISM) to analyze their relationship. The factors were further classified into clusters based on their driving and dependence power, with the help of the Matrice d’Impacts Croisés Multiplication Appliquée à un Classement (MICMAC) techniqueFindingsThe TISM and MICMAC results identified salespeople’s most critical new-product selling challenges in the FMCG sector: product innovation, product differentiation, customer perception and market turbulence. An enhanced organizational focus on these factors will ensure that salespeople get adequate input to tackle the challenges they face while selling newly launched FMCG products.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was confined to identifying challenges in the FMCG sector alone but offered scope for application in other sectors.Practical implicationsThis study will help organizations to identify and close gaps in the new-product selling process, thereby improving the performance of salespeople and contributing to a new product’s success. The study findings have a bearing on various stages of product development, management and life cycle. They also highlight the need for greater synergy between an organization’s sales force and other departments.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is unique in identifying new-product selling challenges in the FMCG sector. It also delineates the complex Web of interrelationships between them and classifies the identified factors based on their driving and dependence on power. The research results can help in organizational decision-making and sales practices, empowering salespeople in their new-product selling tasks.

Prioritizing the Key Actors of an Organization for Business Excellence Using the Efficient Interpretive Ranking Process

Flexibilities are involved in the process of decision-making. They offer much freedom of choice in terms of the selection of suitable actors who interact with the dynamic environment of the organization. This paper presents a systematic and holistic approach to ranking key actors responsible for the business excellence of an organization. The study highlights the area where the actors of the organization should focus on achieving desired business excellence. It portrays the outcome in the form that top management is the most influential actor since it is responsible for the formulation of the vision/mission of the organization along with the setting of plant quality targets, cost-saving targets, manpower planning, and policy formulation for energy-saving. Top management is followed by cross-function teams (CFTs) and the government of India (GOI) in terms of interaction with the various processes. The novelty of this case study is that it utilizes qualitative and interpretive tools for the analysis, which does not require much statistical knowledge to produce outcomes, and the results are easy to understand. The reported results are in consensus with the results reported by various studies that are conducted using quantitative tools like Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), total interpretive structural modelling (TISM), etc. that require statistical excellence for the calculation, interpretation, and dissemination of results to the general public and shopfloor employees.

Modelling the enablers of work-family balance among working single mothers integrating expert-mining and TISM-MICMAC

PurposeThis study intends to recognize and prioritize the work-family balance (WFB) enablers for working sole mothers by employing total interpretive structural modelling (TISM) and “Matrice-d’impacts-croisés-multiplication-appliqués-à-un-classment” method (MICMAC).Design/methodology/approachThis paper utilizes the integrated approach in two stages. In initial stage, strategic literature review and expert mining technique have been conducted to recognize and validate WFB enablers. In subsequent stage, TISM has been applied to observe the contextual relationships among WFB enablers in the direction to construct a TISM-based structural model. Furthermore, MICMAC technique has been employed to categorize the WFB enablers based on their driver and dependence power.FindingsThis paper has identified novel 13 key enablers of WFB among working sole mothers and constructed a unique TISM-based hierarchical model. Moreover, WFB enablers have been categorized into four clusters using MICMAC analysis. In the developed TISM model, working sole mother-related WFB personal enablers are primarily at the upper level, family-related WFB enablers are in the center and work-related WFB enablers are in the lowest level.Practical implicationsThe developed framework on WFB enablers among working sole mothers can provide a resolution to difficulties faced by sole mothers in managing WFB by providing a pathway to enhance their performance by improving the organizational effectiveness through improving WFB policies.Originality/valueBased on the best of authors' awareness, this study first incorporates the TISM-MICMAC technique to recognize and prioritize the WFB enablers for working sole mothers.

Readiness for agile-sustainability in health-care organizations

PurposeThis study aims to identify the agile-sustainability readiness factors and analyze them in the context of health-care organization. In this study, agile-sustainability refers to “adapt to the changing environment and respond quickly by maximum using the resources as well as supporting the three pillars of sustainability”.Design/methodology/approachThe “total interpretive structural modelling” (TISM) is used to examine the interrelationships of the identified readiness factors, and to classify the identified readiness factors based on its power to drive and depend on other factors, “Matrice d’impacts croisés multiplication appliquée á un classment (MICMAC) analysis” was used.FindingsThis study used a “literature review and experts’ opinion” to identify ten agile-sustainability preparedness characteristics. Organizational leadership, multi-skilled and multi-knowledgeable employees and decision-making autonomy were identified as critical elements in this study.Research limitations/implicationsThe research focuses primarily on readiness for agile-sustainability in health-care sector.Practical implicationsThis research aids health-care administrators and managers in their decision-making. This study suggests that the evaluation of the readiness factors would promote in raising service standards, ensuring an agile and sustainable health-care operations. The readiness elements that support effective implementation of agile-sustainability in health care require a higher priority from health-care management.Originality/valueThis study created a structural model for health-care organizations based on the TISM-based preparedness for agile-sustainability framework, which is a novel effort for adopting agile-sustainability in health care.

Readiness of financial resilience in start-ups

Financial resilience refers to a start-up's capacity to anticipate, plan for, respond to, and adapt to gradual change and abrupt unforeseen shocks to survive and thrive by enacting appropriate economic policies to decrease budget deficits. Economic history tells us that more companies fail to emerge from a downturn than go into or during it. Many studies have been done on financial resilience in many dimensions, but no one has studied start-ups’ organizational readiness for financial resilience. This gap inspires the current research, which uses the Total Interpretive Structural Modelling (TISM) approach to identify financial resilience factors and analyze hierarchical interrelationships start-ups’ organizational readiness factors for financial resilience. This article aims to identify, assess, and categorize start-up organizational preparation elements for financial resilience. The result shows that the first importance should be given to digital financial innovation, liquidity planning, going concern consideration, financial strategy of CFOs, and cyberthreats. Managers of start-ups can utilize the findings of this study to prepare for financial resilience professionally. In a fast-paced environment, start-ups may use financial resilience to gain a competitive edge.