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Yes / Circular supply chain (CSC) emphasises surge in application of reuse, recycling, remanufacturing and thereby promotes transformation from linear to circular model of flow of products. Supply chains of manufacturing industries have become global over the years. Products manufactured in developing nations are being sent to developed nations for mass consumption. Developed nations have regulatory policies, technological knowhow and modern infrastructure to adopt CSC model. Their counterpart is trailing in these aspects. In literature, limited work has been performed on identifying challenges of implementing CSC in developing nations. Therefore, employing literature review and feedback received from experts, 16 important barriers were identified to CSC adoption in India. These barriers were analysed using integrated Interpretive Structural Modelling ? MICMAC approach. The findings will contribute in transforming supply chains thereby bringing economic prosperity, addressing global warming and generating employment opportunities. Finally, crucial policy measures and recommendations are proposed to assist managers and government bodies.

Yes / The wider use of Internet of Things (IoT) makes it possible to create smart cities. The purpose of this paper is to identify key IoT challenges and understand the relationship between these challenges to support the development of smart cities. Design/methodology/approach: Challenges were identified using literature review, and prioritised and elaborated by experts. The contextual interactions between the identified challenges and their importance were determined using Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM). To interrelate the identified challenges and promote IoT in the context of smart cities, the dynamics of interactions of these challenges were analysed using an integrated Matrice d’Impacts Croisés Multiplication Appliqués à un Classement (MICMAC)-ISM approach. MICMAC is a structured approach to categorise variables according to their driving power and dependence. Findings: Security and privacy, business models, data quality, scalability, complexity and governance were found to have strong driving power and so are key challenges to be addressed in sustainable cities projects. The main driving challenges are complexity and lack of IoT governance. IoT adoption and implementation should therefore focus on breaking down complexity in manageable parts, supported by a governance structure. Practical implications: This research can help smart city developers in addressing challenges in a phase-wise approach by first ensuring solid foundations and thereafter developing other aspects. Originality/value: A contribution originates from the integrated MICMAC-ISM approach. ISM is a technique used to identify contextual relationships among definite elements, whereas MICMAC facilitates the classification of challenges based on their driving and dependence power. The other contribution originates from creating an overview of challenges and theorising the contextual relationships and dependencies among the challenges.

Yes / The food retailers have to make their supply chains more customer-driven to sustain in modern competitive environment. It is essential for them to assimilate consumer’s perception to improve their market share. The firms usually utilise customer’s opinion in the form of structured data collected from various means such as conducting market survey, customer interviews and market research to explore the interrelationships among factors influencing consumer purchasing behaviour and associated supply chain. However, there is abundance of unstructured consumer’s opinion available on social media (Twitter). Usually, retailers struggle to employ unstructured data in above decision-making process. In this paper, firstly, by the help of literature and social media Big Data, factors influencing consumer’s beef purchasing decisions are identified. Thereafter, interrelationships between these factors are established using big data supplemented with ISM and Fuzzy MICMAC analysis. Factors are divided as per their dependence and driving power. The proposed frameworks enable to enforce decree on the intricacy of the factors. Finally, recommendations are prescribed. The proposed approach will assist retailers to design consumer centric supply chain. / Project ‘A cross country examination of supply chain barriers on market access for small and medium firms in India and UK’ (Ref no: PM130233) funded by British Academy, UK.

Yes / Due to rapid agricultural industrialization, increased global food demand, and, increasing concerns related to food quality and safety, the concepts of sustainability and supply chain transparency are becoming critically important to the agriculture and agri-food sector. The new focus on sustainability performance objectives emphasizes the effective utilization and consumption of natural resources to balance ecological, economic and societal aspects of agri-food businesses. The management of sustainability adds a new demand on business managers who often have small profits and receive stringent requirements from large powerful customers and retailers. In this paper, we recognize and analyze the key enablers in implementing sustainable initiatives for Agri-Food Supply Chains (A-FSCs). Ten important sustainability driven enablers were considered from a rigorous literature review and phase of expert consultation. The identified enablers were then analyzed using a combined Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) - fuzzy Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) based framework. The ISM approach enabled an appreciation of the contextual relationships among the enablers and to classify the enablers based on their driving and dependence potential. The fuzzy DEMATEL technique supported the determination of the influential and influenced enablers and also to categorize them into cause and effect groups. An empirical case study, drawn from a vegetable and fruit retail supply chain in India, is used to focus and test the applicability of the proposed research framework. The paper facilitates professional management practice and researchers to uncover and explore the enablers for the real execution of sustainability oriented initiatives in the agri-food business sector.

Yes / In order to grow the food the world needs, there is a pressing need to gain a more detailed understanding of how innovative solutions can be incorporated into the agricultural supply chains, particularly within production, for environmentally, economically, ethically and socially viable food production. Despite a number of innovative solutions available, many challenges in agricultural supply are still prevalent, with researchers to date largely focusing on these challenges in isolation, as opposed to exploring the relationships held between these challenges. Thus, supported by Circular Economy, Agriculture, Industry 4.0 literature and expert opinions, agricultural supply chain challenges are modelled and analysed using ISM methodology to help uncover 12 agricultural challenges which ultimately impede goods moving within the supply chain. Findings discovered that the Unproductive Workers and Pesticide Hazards are the key drivers of agricultural challenges. The ISM Hierarchical model elucidates research propositions and a parsimonious model for future research.

Yes / Many developing countries across the world are allocating a significant share of their budgets for e-government initiatives. Common service centers (CSCs) are e-government initiatives that aim to increase access to public services and promote easy and direct interaction with the government. These e-government initiatives are largely underutilised, especially in rural areas in developing countries. This study attempts to identify the key challenges facing CSCs and determine their hierarchical relationships in the context of rural India. A set of 15 challenges was identified through a rigorous literature review and by surveying experts and CSC owners. Data were collected on the identified challenges and were analysed using interpretive structural modeling (ISM)-MICMAC-fuzzy MICMAC analysis. Subsequently, we developed a hierarchical model of challenges. The findings revealed that “longer travel time and transaction cost”, “low digital literacy”, and “low awareness” of e-government services are among the key challenges CSCs face in rural India. This study suggests several recommendations to all the stakeholders involved in the management of CSCs to improve the delivery of e-government services in rural India.

Die vorliegende Ausgabe untersucht für den Eigenbetrieb Abwasserbeseitigung Bautzen die Auswirkungen des demografischen Wandels auf die Gebühren für das Jahr 2025. Aufgrund der Tatsache, dass der Schmutzwasseranfall in der Siedlungsentwässerung von vielen Faktoren abhängig ist, wird eine Methode gesucht, diese zu identifizieren und zu prognostizieren. Eine geeignete Methode stellt die Szenarioanalyse dar, welche in dieser Arbeit eingehend erörtert wird. Darüber hinaus wird ein geeignetes Vorgehen für eine Analyse in der Siedlungsentwässerung vorgeschlagen. Dieses Vorgehen wird in der Praxis auf den Eigenbetrieb Abwasserbeseitigung Bautzen angewandt. Somit dient diese Arbeit als Leitfaden und Beispielanwendung für eine Szenarioanalyse und kann auf alle Unternehmen der Abwasserentsorgung übertragen werden. Neben dem demografischen Wandel, der sich in erster Linie durch einen Bevölkerungsrückgang und eine Alterung der Bevölkerung äußert, können die Faktoren: Lebensstil/Verbrauchsgewohnheit, Art und Anzahl der Industrie- und Gewerbebetriebe, Umweltbewusstsein, Wohlstand/Bildung, Rechtsnormen, Erwerbstätigkeit und spezifischer Wasserverbrauch, mit Hilfe mathematischer Methoden identifiziert werden. Diese Größen stellen Deskriptoren dar und beeinflussen die Schmutzwassermenge langfristig am stärksten. Die Faktoren werden in dieser Arbeit speziell für Bautzen prognostiziert und ein Entwicklungsrahmen vorgegeben. Die vielen Ausprägungsmöglichkeiten dieser Größen lassen die Bildung einer Vielzahl von Szenarien zu, welche auf Konsistenz geprüft und von diesen konsistenten Szenarien wiederum vier ausgewählt werden. Die Umlegung der Szenarien auf die Gebühren erfordert eine gesonderte Betrachtung der gesetzlichen Regelungen und Auflagen, die es zu beachten gilt und ebenfalls, detailliert mit dieser Arbeit erfolgt. Darüber hinaus werden wichtige Hinweise für eine Gebührenprognose gegeben.

Die vorliegende Ausgabe untersucht für den Eigenbetrieb Abwasserbeseitigung Bautzen die Auswirkungen des demografischen Wandels auf die Gebühren für das Jahr 2025. Aufgrund der Tatsache, dass der Schmutzwasseranfall in der Siedlungsentwässerung von vielen Faktoren abhängig ist, wird eine Methode gesucht, diese zu identifizieren und zu prognostizieren. Eine geeignete Methode stellt die Szenarioanalyse dar, welche in dieser Arbeit eingehend erörtert wird. Darüber hinaus wird ein geeignetes Vorgehen für eine Analyse in der Siedlungsentwässerung vorgeschlagen. Dieses Vorgehen wird in der Praxis auf den Eigenbetrieb Abwasserbeseitigung Bautzen angewandt. Somit dient diese Arbeit als Leitfaden und Beispielanwendung für eine Szenarioanalyse und kann auf alle Unternehmen der Abwasserentsorgung übertragen werden. Neben dem demografischen Wandel, der sich in erster Linie durch einen Bevölkerungsrückgang und eine Alterung der Bevölkerung äußert, können die Faktoren: Lebensstil/Verbrauchsgewohnheit, Art und Anzahl der Industrie- und Gewerbebetriebe, Umweltbewusstsein, Wohlstand/Bildung, Rechtsnormen, Erwerbstätigkeit und spezifischer Wasserverbrauch, mit Hilfe mathematischer Methoden identifiziert werden. Diese Größen stellen Deskriptoren dar und beeinflussen die Schmutzwassermenge langfristig am stärksten. Die Faktoren werden in dieser Arbeit speziell für Bautzen prognostiziert und ein Entwicklungsrahmen vorgegeben. Die vielen Ausprägungsmöglichkeiten dieser Größen lassen die Bildung einer Vielzahl von Szenarien zu, welche auf Konsistenz geprüft und von diesen konsistenten Szenarien wiederum vier ausgewählt werden. Die Umlegung der Szenarien auf die Gebühren erfordert eine gesonderte Betrachtung der gesetzlichen Regelungen und Auflagen, die es zu beachten gilt und ebenfalls, detailliert mit dieser Arbeit erfolgt. Darüber hinaus werden wichtige Hinweise für eine Gebührenprognose gegeben.

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