Department of Management Studies

IIT Madras is a public technical and research university located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Founded in 1959, it is recognised as an Institute of National Importance.

IIT Madras has been ranked as the top engineering institute in India for four years in a row by the National Institutional Ranking Framework of the MHRD

It currently offers undergraduate, postgraduate and research degrees across 16 disciplines in Engineering, Sciences, Humanities and Management. About 596 faculty belonging to science and engineering departments and centres of the Institute are engaged in teaching, research and industrial consultancy.

IIT Madras

This paper presents a correlation analysis-based heuristic for the machine-part cell formation in the context of cellular manufacturing systems. Two new indices, viz. “mean correlation index” for forming the part families and “relevance index-modified” for identifying the appropriate machine cells are proposed. The machine-part cells formed by the proposed heuristic resulted in a higher grouping efficacy (GE) for 14.3% of the test instances gathered from the literature, and it performed equal to the best in class heuristics available in the literature for 80% of the test instances. The method presented in this paper has set a new benchmark GE for 5 of the 35 test instances used by the researchers in the context of machine-part cell formation without singletons. © 2021, Indian Academy of Sciences.

World University root node

Sadhana - Academy Proceedings in Engineering Sciences

CARIMO - A heuristic approach to machine-part cell formation

Lead-free Na0.4K0.1Bi0.5TiO3 (NKBT) and NiFe2O4 (NFO) ceramics are synthesized by solid-state reaction, and the laminated NKBT/NFO composites have been prepared by gluing the sintered discs with silver-epoxy. The measured parameters, dielectric constant (ε′) ∼1450 at 1 kHz, remanent polarization (Pr)∼39 μC/cm2, coercive electric field (Ec)∼27 kV/cm and maximum strain (Smax)∼0.3 % of NKBT along with saturation magnetization (Ms)∼49 emu/g, coercive magnetic field (Hc)∼27 Oe and magnetostriction (λ)∼-30 ppm of NFO, makes them suitable materials to evaluate as laminated magnetoelectric (ME) composites. A maximum ME response of 37, 67 and 86 mV/cm Oe at Hdc∼350−400 Oe field and 1 kHz frequency is observed for NKBT/NFO, NKBT/NFO/NKBT and NFO/NKBT/NFO layered composites, respectively. The high ME response at reasonable fields implies that NKBT/NFO laminated composite is a worthy lead-free candidate for ME sensor and energy harvesting applications. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd

Department of Applied Mechanics

Materials Today Communications

Magnetoelectric response in lead-free Na0.4K0.1Bi0.5TiO3/NiFe2O4 laminated composites

Purpose To address service failure issues, scholars have recognized several service recovery (SR) mechanisms. However, there exist many barriers that retard an effective SR process, and those often lead to negative consequences. Although this is a generic problem applicable across markets, it becomes critical in B2B markets, as they deal with high impact and corporate customers. The purpose of this paper is to identify these SR barriers in B2B markets and explore their linkages toward identifying the key driving barriers.Design/methodology/approach A four-phased methodology to address this call in the IT services industry was used. First, the identification phase led to the selection of 27 barriers based on literature. Second, in the prioritization phase, 12 salient barriers were prioritized with the help of an expert panel. Third, in the modelling phase, the total interpretive structural modelling (TISM) technique was used to examine the mutual influences among these barriers toward modelling their linkages using a digraph. Finally, in the classification phase, these barriers were graphically plotted and classified into four quadrants based on their dependence and driving powers by using Matriced Impacts Croisés Multiplication Appliquée á un Classement (MICMAC) analysis.Findings Two strategic barriers, namely, technology obsolescence and poor top management commitment, presented the strongest challenges against effective SR, as they were least dependent on other barriers and exerted strong influence over the operational barriers to executing SR.Practical implications Because the strategic level barriers, exerting strong influence against effective SR, arise from the strategic choices of board and the C-suite, this paper helps them anticipate the recovery-related after effects of their choices, thus helping them in making better decisions.Originality/value This paper contributes to research as it is first of its kind to explore and link SR barriers in B2B markets.

Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing

Barriers to service recovery in B2B markets: a TISM approach in the context of IT-based services

Knowledge hiding is an intentional attempt by an individual to withhold knowledge. Though knowledge hiding as a research area has gained popularity only in recent years, the withholding of information has been a concern for business organizations for a long time, having significant implications for knowledge management. Accordingly, knowledge hiding as a construct has received enough deliberations from the practitioners. However, academic researchers have called for more systematic research on knowledge hiding, giving us enough motivation to carry out a research study on the same. First, this article attempts to decipher the term “knowledge hiding” by defining it and differentiating it from several synonymous terms. Second, some of the existing knowledge hiding frameworks are analyzed. Finally, a morphological analysis of the selected literature, including a qualitative rating, estimating the extent of the work is undertaken, which throws light into the areas that have already been studied and underscores the pertinent 184 research gaps worthy of further investigation. In addition to the identification of these distinct research gaps, the analysis categorically establishes two outcomes. The findings suggest that around half of the total research literature on knowledge hiding evolved in the last 2 years, which makes it a salient area of research. The extent of work done in knowledge hiding, captured by an average qualitative rating score of 2.55 out of 5 underscores that this novel construct bears large research potential. Therefore, a morphological analysis, as carried out in this article, strengthens the current understanding on knowledge hiding and provides the impetus for further research in the area. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd

Knowledge and Process Management

What is not hidden about knowledge hiding: Deciphering the future research directions through a morphological analysis

The existing body of research on service failures and recoveries primarily deals with business-to-consumer markets, with relatively limited and scattered research on business-to-business (B2B) markets. The purpose of this paper is to review the existing literature on these failures and recoveries in B2B markets, conceptualize and develop a morphological analysis (MA) framework, and identify research gaps that point to future research possibilities. We present an MA framework based on a literature review of 114 papers on the ABDC/ABS/ Clarivate Analytics list. The MA framework, constructed with eight dimensions and 62 variants, reveals 418 distinct research gaps as an upper bound of opportunities for future research. The paper concludes by discussing the implications for future research. © 2020 Elsevier Inc.

Fulltext

Journal of Business Research

Service Failure and Recovery in B2B Markets – A Morphological Analysis

Effective control of a blast furnace (BF) process requires accurate estimates of key process indicators (KPIs), namely, productivity, coke rate, direct reduction per cent, adiabatic flame temperature, bosh gas volume and top gas utilization. Some of these KPIs are obtained directly from the measurements, and some are derived by carrying out material and energy balances on measurements of different feeds, their compositions and temperatures. Due to errors in the measurements, the estimates of the KPIs can be inconsistent or misleading, which may result in misinterpretation of the current state of the BF process. Hence, it is necessary to reconcile the measurement data before these are used either for interpreting the current furnace state directly or as an input to other models. In the proposed methodology, data reconciliation and gross error detection techniques are used to improve the accuracy of the estimates of process variables and parameters, by ensuring that they satisfy process constraints such as elemental balances of iron, nitrogen, carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. Since the BF is a fed-batch process, a customized version of these techniques has been developed and applied real time to an operating BF. The method is shown to be useful in deriving consistent estimates of the hot metal production rate, identifying gross errors in the online gas analyser and for estimating unmeasured parameters, such as top gas flow rate, its moisture concentration and calorific value which are useful for the purpose of stove heating in the downstream process. © 2021 Curtin University and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Department Of Chemical Engineering

Department Of Civil Engineering

Asia-Pacific Journal of Chemical Engineering

Application of data reconciliation and gross error detection techniques to enhance reliability and consistency of the blast furnace process data

This survey study examined predictors of the task performance of Korean expatriates in India, while considering their globalization status. Task performance was significantly influenced by opportunities for career development and satisfaction of global human resource management practices. However, cultural intelligence, family adjustment and willingness to accept a global assignment did not significantly influence task performance. Using an emissary model of international HR strategy that conforms to Korean companies’ current globalization status, we explain these results and also suggest valuable insights to fast-growing companies from newly industrializing or emerging economies so that they can develop a relevant strategy for improving task performance of their expatriates. © 2021 XLRI Jamshedpur, School of Business Management & Human Resources.

Management and Labour Studies

Task Performance of Expatriates Based on Emissary Model of Global Human Resource Strategy

End-of-life vehicle (ELV) recycling markets in emerging economies are characterized by the existence of plenty of informal dismantlers and a few formal dismantlers. The nature of these markets can be characterized as oligopsony markets, where few buyers (dismantlers) compete to purchase ELVs from a large number of sellers (ELV owners). High initial investment creates a barrier to entry and exit for formal dismantlers, whereas the perfectly competitive nature of the informal dismantling market enables free entry and exit of informal dismantlers. In this paper, we consider a market with one formal dismantler and few homogeneous informal dismantlers, and the dismantlers compete by offering a higher price for ELVs. We develop a system dynamics model to capture the feedback effects of competition in the ELV recycling market where the increase in the price of ELV reduces the profitability of dismantlers, which affects the future price increase of ELV and leads to the exit of informal dismantlers. This, in turn, creates fluctuations in dismantling quantities and scrap supplies leading to fluctuations in scrap prices. Using Indian data, the simulation results show that the competition leads to the higher market price for ELV, but a lower profit for dismantlers and reduced aggregate dismantling capacity due to the exit of informal dismantlers. The market price of ELV will rise by more than 200% in 10 years, whereas the existing informal dismantling capacity reduces to less than 50% during the same period. The higher capacities of the formal dismantler lead to the rapid exit of informal dismantlers thereby diminishing the effects of competition resulting in the lower market price for ELV. From our analysis, we recommend that establishing formal dismantling units with high capacities and vertical integration of vehicle manufacturers and end-of-life management systems aligned with suitable policy instruments will ensure more environmentally sound recycling. © 2020 Institution of Chemical Engineers

Sustainable Production and Consumption

Modeling oligopsony market for end-of-life vehicle recycling

Systems and their environments must be understood in an integrated manner because any changes in the systems will affect their environments and vice versa in the ubiquitous open systems. Existing studies classify systems based on the diversity of their interactions and the systems' responses to changes in their environments. However, the uses of such classifications are limited. We attempt to address this limitation by using morphological analysis (MA) to identify, represent and characterise the general system–environment complex (SEC) and its components. The latter, called ‘dimensions’, and their respective manifestations, termed ‘variants’, are integrated into the MA representation to enable a holistic understanding of SECs in terms of six dimensions and 101 variants. The resultant representation and characterisation will help researchers identify potential research opportunities, demonstrated through the construction of a variants intersection matrix, and help develop practical principles for system design and evaluation. © 2021 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Systems Research and Behavioral Science

Morphological Analysis of general system–environment complexes: Representation and application

An analysis of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Parijoyana, a Government of India scheme which aims to provide quality generic medicines at affordable prices, is performed using a stylized model. There is distrust on the quality of generic medicines provided by the government and the government is taking enough measures to counter this perception. However, this distrust ensures that adverse selection is avoided wherein the poor patients become the scheme's beneficiaries and the wealthy patients don't intend to get generic medicines from this scheme. Hence, it is rational for the government to expend limited effort in creating awareness on the high quality of generic medicines so as to screen the wealthy patients from the poor patients. However, the government should exert maximum effort possible in ensuring the availability of generic medicines so that the search cost is minimized. It is surprisingly found that the government's effort required to screen the wealthy patients from the poor patients decreases with the availability of generic medicines. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd