Revolutionizing Operational Excellence: Advancing the Automotive Industry through Lean Principles

Lean principles and practices (LPP) are a set of manufacturing philosophies emphasizing waste reduction, continuous improvement, and value creation. The LPP prioritize customer value, employee involvement, and streamlined processes. The LPP enables a company to enhance efficiency, quality, and customer satisfaction, transforming operations into agile, cost-effective, and responsive systems. However, the Malaysian automotive industry faces a challenge in implementing LPP towards achieving operational performance. It includes resistance to change, cultural barriers, inadequate training, legacy systems, limited resources, external economic factors, and supplier issues. Overcoming these challenges requires a strategic and collaborative approach to successfully implement and sustain LPP. Hence, this study aims to investigate critical success factors affecting LPP towards achieving operational performance in the Malaysian automotive industry. This study was conducted by detailed literature reviews by i) defining research questions, ii) identifying relevant databases, iii) conducting keyword searches, iv) assessing and selecting articles, v) summarizing findings, and vi) synthesizing information. This systematic approach ensures a comprehensive and structured review of existing knowledge on LPP. Through the review and discussion, the study exhibits that; stakeholders’ commitment, waste elimination, quality focus (Jidoka), supply chain collaboration, and just-in-time manufacturing Kaizen (continuous improvement) are able to improve the Malaysian automotive industry operational performance. Furthermore, six LPP propositions are presented, and the framework established in this conceptual study highlights the LPP success factors. The conceptual nature of this study provides a preliminary understanding of LPP, where the synergy between external and internal elements must coexist in order for LPP to be successfully implemented. The developed theoretical framework serves as a foundation for future empirical LPP research. Given that this study is one of the few that studies critical success elements of LPP implementation, it should provide useful information for future LLP and automotive industry research. This study provides future scholars with easy access to data on critical success factors of implementing LPP in the automobile industry, which is in line with the SDGs agenda. The authors anticipate this study to have a significant impact on practitioners, particularly automobile manufacturers and other key stakeholders, about the potential benefits of implementing LPP across the automotive industry, particularly in emerging market economies

Sustainable Rural Development through Union Digital Center: The Citizen Empowerment Perspective

Sustainable development depends on the empowerment of the vast portion of rural people. Bangladesh Government has taken initiatives to empower the disadvantaged people (i.e., elderly, poor and minority) through digitalization programs, e.g., union digital centers (UDCs). This study aimed to investigate the influential factors on the empowerment process by adopting the individual and collective empowerment dimensions. A total of 400 rural people were selected with a judgmental sampling process and provided a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed by using SPSS for descriptive analysis and CB-SEM using AMOS for effect assessment. Individual empowerment and collective empowerment have significant impacts on sustainable development. It is argued that for sustainable development and reaching development benefits to every house, rural people must be empowered. The findings will contribute to the body of knowledge theoretically and assume policymakers insights to focus on rural people's development with the nation. Future researchers can add other social factors. Keywords: Union Digital Center, Social Inclusion, Empowerment, Sustainable Development

Necessities and ways of combating dissatisfactions at workplaces against the Job-Hopping Generation Y employees

The vital role of the private sector in the overall development of a country is crucial as proven by private tertiary industries. Despite its phenomenal success all over the world, private sectors are facing enormous challenges due to the frequent turnover of Generation Y (Gen Y). Such phenomena cause massive overt and covert losses. Gen Y workers are optimistic, practical and often have attrition tendencies at workplaces. Extensive literature indicates the turnover problem of Gen Y remains unresolved. Frustration acts as the most crucial factor contributing to frequent turnover. The employers state similar effects. Turnover studies have been performed in the Western sense, though turnover problems exist all over the world, which include a developing country like Bangladesh. Another problem is the turnover rate in the public sector is lower than in the private sector. Since each company strives to achieve the best output and lower turnover to avoid brain drain, they refrain from high turnover costs and maintaining competent staff. This quantitative study discovers that there is an urgent need to establish retention-friendly approaches to mitigate Gen Y frustration and retain them in the workplace. Gen Y retention approaches, management initiatives, soft HRM, work-life balance, and employee satisfaction are vital resources for Gen Y retention in the private sector

Corporate governance and performance of medium-sized firms in Nigeria: does sustainability initiative matter?

Purpose: The non-existence of the corporate governance (CG) concept for practices by non-financial medium-sized firms (MSFs) in Nigeria informed. This study aims to determine whether CG practices influence firms’ performance and whether sustainability initiative (SI) mediates the relationship between CG and MSFs’ performance in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 300 firms were selected on convenience sampling basis from South Western Nigeria using a structured questionnaire. The authors used Statistical Package for Social Sciences for exploratory data analysis and hypotheses were tested using covariance-based structural equation modelling. Findings: The results show that CG has a significant positive effect on performance [financial performance (FNP) and non-financial performance (NFP)] and SI. SI has a mixed impact on performance, e.g. a significant positive impact on NFP but insignificant negative impact on FNP. Similarly, SI has a combined mediating effect in the relationship between CG and performance, e.g. fully mediates CG → NFP and does not mediate CG → FNP. Firms are to invest in social and environmental initiatives substantially. CG codes will complement the International Financial Reporting Standards for MSFs. Research limitations/implications: This study supports the assumptions of theories (institutional, stakeholder and agency) as the basis for the usage of multiple approaches to determine the outcome of hypotheses, especially in developing climes. Practical implications: The study contributes to CG and performance literature by examining the mediating effects of SI. The paper also shows the necessity to emphasise NFP aspect. Policymakers should evolve CG codes to encourage stakeholders to believe more in the corporate existence of MSFs for strengthening capital-base and quality personnel engagement. Originality/value: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first empirical attempts showing the evidence on the relationship between CG and NFP in Nigeria

Applied Artificial Intelligence and user satisfaction: Smartwatch usage for healthcare in Bangladesh during COVID-19

The evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has revolutionized many aspects of human life, including healthcare. Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, AI-enabled smartwatches are being used to help users to self-monitor and selfmanage their health. Using a framework based on Stimulus-Organism-Response (S–O-R) theory, this present study aimed to explore the use of AI-enabled smartwatches for health purposes, in particular the effects of product quality, service quality, perceived convenience, and perceived ease of use on user experience, trust and user satisfaction. Based on a purposive survey sample of 486 smartphone users in Bangladesh, data collected was analyzed using SPSS software for elementary analyses and PLS-SEM for hypotheses testing. The findings showed that the predictors, namely product quality, service quality, perceived convenience, and perceived ease of use, significantly affected user experience and trust. Similarly, user experience and trust were influential on user satisfaction and played partial mediating roles between predictors and user satisfaction. Besides, gender and age moderate the relationships of experience and trust with customer satisfaction. These findings support the S–O-R theoretical framework and have practical implications for brand and marketing managers of smartwatches in developing product features and understanding users’ attitudes and behaviours

A cross-sectional study on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychological outcomes: Multiple indicators and multiple causes modeling

Although the psychological impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been evaluated in the literature, further research is needed, particularly on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and psychological outcomes, is needed. This study aims to investigate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychological outcomes (depression, anxiety, and insomnia). A cross-sectional study using an online survey was conducted using the following instruments: Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), structural equation model (SEM), multiple indicators and multiple causes (MIMIC) modeling, and differential item functioning (DIF) were performed to analyze the collected data. According to the results, participants with PTSD (n = 360) showed a higher level of depression, anxiety, and insomnia than those without PTSD (n = 639). Among the participants, 36.5% experienced moderate to severe symptoms of depression, and 32.6% had mild depressive symptoms. Moreover, 23.7% of participants experienced moderate to severe anxiety symptoms, and 33.1% had mild anxiety symptoms. In addition, 51.5% of participants experienced symptoms of insomnia. In conclusion, the PTSD caused by COVID-19 is significantly associated with depression, anxiety, and insomnia at the level of latent constructs and observed variables.Scopu

Influences of need for uniqueness, social media and social peer on consumption status in generation y and z consumers in Turkey: the mediating role of social exclusion

Consumers mostly prefer products with the same functionality to be used as an indicator of status and wealth. It is essential to determine the motivations that drive consumers to status consumption. The purpose of this study is to determine the consumption habits of customers in generations Y and Z. The perceived social exclusion, uniqueness need, social peer influence, social media intensity, and status consumption of 'consumers' are researched for this purpose. With the use of the online survey approach, 158 valid replies were acquired between the 12th and 23rd of January 2021. Data was collected using an through online survey with six part of questionnaire. This research discovered that social exclusion and the need for uniqueness have a strong significant impact on status consumption. Furthermore, social peer influence has been found to have a considerable significant effect on consumption status and social exclusion. To summarize, this study's sample consisted solely of Turkish customers. It would be beneficial to conduct a comparative research with other countries. Second, all of the participants belonged to the Y and Z generations. Their ages ranged from 19 to 39 years old. There are five variables in the structural equation model. Future studies could include a wider range of variables

Customer loyalty for retailers’ growth in Bangladesh: do retailer qualities (attributes and awareness) influence satisfaction and loyalty?

Customer loyalty is liable for persevering long-term sustenance of organisations in today’s highly competitive business milieu. The present study investigated the various factors affecting customer loyalty towards retailers. Specifically, this study took the initiative to examine the effects of retailer qualities (attribute and awareness) on customer loyalty through the mediating role of customer satisfaction in the light of stimulus-organism response theory. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires from conveniently selected 270 retail customers in Dhaka, Bangladesh and were analysed through SPSS and CB-SEM tools to test the hypotheses. The results demonstrated that retailer qualities significantly affect customer satisfaction and loyalty, and customer satisfaction was a successful mediator for these relationships. The results will aid marketers in developing marketing strategies for customer loyalty and academically, be an important addition to the literature and extension to SOR theory. The findings will help the researchers in customer loyalty and retailing studies