A hierarchiacal framework of barriers to green supply chain management in the construction sector

The research paper presents a hierarchical sustainability framework for evaluating the barriers to the adoption of green supply chain management (GSCM) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) construction sector. A total of 32 barriers to the adoption of GSCM are identified through extensive literature review and expert interviews with academics and industry professionals. The barriers are grouped on the basis of literature and expert opinion to form 12 criteria. Since the nature of the identified criteria is complex and interdependent; an Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) technique is applied to develop a structural model. Driving and dependence power analysis (DDPA) is used to classify and identify the critical barriers. The developed sustainability framework offers a strong and efficient evaluation technique in decision making for policy makers and stakeholders by means of identifying and prioritizing the critical barriers. The barriers identified are also classified as external and internal barriers to the organization and will help policy makers to focus on specific barriers which are important to the adoption of GSCM in the UAE construction sector. The framework has the potential to be applied to other countries across industries

Performance Comparison of Multi Input Capacitor Converter Circuits

This paper analyze the operation of a multi input switched capacitor (MIC) converters using a couple of switches, diodes and capacitors for several levels. With two input sources it is possible to obtain 8 output voltage levels. Here, 5 topologies of switched capacitor circuits namely summation, subtraction, inverting, double and half circuits are simulated and their performances are analyzed. Multi Input Converters have a high regard for multiple renewable energy sources used in smart grid systems, especially for distributed generators. The effects on output voltage with variation in load for different frequencies are also analyzed. Hardware implementation of summation and subtraction circuit is carried out and the results are compared with the simulated result

Exploring the role of Humor and Music in radio advertisement: A quasi-experimental study on domestic tourist attitudes and behavioral intentions in the UAE

Radio advertisements are often used by destination marketers to increase the awareness and perception of a destination. The aim of this quasi-experimental study is to investigate the effectiveness of radio advertisements a) without humor and music b) with humor only c) with music only d) with both humor and music on tourist attitudes and behavioral intention to visit a destination in the UAE. The results suggest that entertaining radio advertisements (with humor and/or music) are more effective than plain advertisements, and within that, advertisements with humor are more effective than those with music, and with humor and music. The findings provides a novel understanding on the contingent use of radio advertisement in promoting a destination

Ethical consumerism and apparel industry - towards a new factor model

Ethical issues with offshore manufacturing plants in the ready-made garment industry is a regular affair, particularly for factories located in lesser developed nations. Despite efforts by non-government agencies around the globe pressurizing both governments and multinational corporations to adopt ethical practices, disastrous accidents and loss of lives continue to haunt the industry. This paper reviews existing literature to develop an understanding of consumers as pressure groups, and proposes a factor model that may influence consumers\u27 willingness to pay for ethical garments

A Netnographic Exploration of Domestic Gastronomic Tourism in the UAE

In December 2020, the UAE Government launched the ‘UAE Strategy for Domestic Tourism’ across the seven Emirates and the country\u27s first federal tourism campaign (\u27World\u27s Coolest Winter\u27), which invited the public to explore the hidden gems of the seven emirates, rediscover the UAE’s landmarks, reconnect with nature and share their experiences on social media platforms” (UAE, 2023). This study employed an overt passive netnographic approach to explore the drivers of domestic gastronomy tourism through the content shared by a small group of UAE residents through Instagram. The researchers \u27hung out\u27 on Instagram with 23 participants over eight months from November 2020 to July 2021 observing and documenting their shared domestic travel experiences. With a focus on gastronomy tourism, these observations were analyzed and four themes were identified: Aesthetics, Popular and Cultural Food, Mobility, and Participation in Food-related Activities