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The study identifies nine important research areas and critically maps the structural relationships among supply chain resilience (SCRES) dimensions, namely, vulnerabilities, capabilities, strategies and performance metrics. The analysis also revealed various influential authors, journals, institutions and trending articles, across SCRES literature.

This study performs a bibliometric analysis of 771 articles published over the 32 years from 1988 to 2020, and network analysis in combination with content analysis of 90 most cited articles published in research fronts of SCRES.

The results demonstrate the underlying research areas within the SCRES, which are clustered into nine research themes: (1) conceptual development of SCRES, (2) recent developments of designing resilient supply chain (SC) networks, (3) focus on identifying drivers of SC vulnerability and risks, (4) impact of risks on network resilience, (5) risk assessment to avoid breakdowns/disruptions, (6) measuring resilience approaches/drivers to improve SC performance, (7) building resilient capabilities by integrating other SC dimensions, (8) quantification of SC network and (9) emphasis on developing robustness in SC networks.

This research offers implications for classifying the works in literature based on bibliometric information and network analysis techniques. This can help researchers and practitioners to understand the prominent areas in SCRES and provide guidelines for future research in this area.

This study provides an overview of the evolution of SCRES over time in the domain of supply chain management and also outlines a future research agenda claimed by the trending articles to encourage further investigations in the field of SCRES.

Given the increasing volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity, egalitarian ecosystems may play an important role to establish equality among various stakeholders. With this idea, the study aimed to understand conflicts and challenges in creating an egalitarian ecosystem in the application-based cab aggregator (ABCA) market.

Narratives of various stakeholders involved in the ABCA business were collected. The study involved narrations from direct and indirect stakeholders up to saturation till common themes were found. Grounded theory methodology using constant comparison was explored to interpret the results. After the results were obtained, root cause analysis was undertaken using the why–why methodology to understand ground-level reality.

In total, 13 major issues were identified using grounded theory for narrative analysis that cab aggregator companies, driver-partners, and riders faced. The stakeholders' inability in the ecosystem to see each other's problems could be accorded to their self-interest, rational boundedness and asymmetric information. These findings collude with Banaji et al. (2004) and Chugh et al. (2005).

This study explained each stakeholder's perspectives about their counterparts that influence non-egalitarianism. The study further suggested possible areas for solving the issues and promoting cooperation.

The article aims to concern identification and development of pathways for a green recovery process post pandemic taking into account the role of digital technologies for unleashing the policies planned within the European Green Deal (EGD).

The study is based on a systematic literature review (SLR). The electronic databases Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) were surveyed. The authors followed the SLR guidelines laid down by Tranfield et al. (2003) and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) framework and 65 articles were found eligible after thorough reading and inclusion in the analysis.

The article presents an innovative framework containing the digital technologies and their roles in enabling the achievement of the EGD policies and the barriers to their adoption.

The proposed framework would guide organizations and policymakers' decisions to pursue a pathway in which a green recovery is possible, mainly after the consequences of the current pandemic, considering the pitfalls of the journey. The article is original as it provides an up-to-date guidance toward an emerging theme, which is a green recovery economy including a net-zero carbon worldwide target.

The authors originally explore the factors for blockchain technology (BCT) adoption in agricultural supply chains (ASCs) to enhance circularity and understand the dependencies, hierarchical structure and causalities between these factors.

Based on an extant literature review and expert opinion, the present study identified ten enablers for adopting BCT to leverage the circular economy (CE) practices in the ASCs. Then, using an integrated interpretive structural modeling and decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (ISM-DEMATEL) approach, hierarchical and cause–effect relationships are established.

It was observed that traceability is the most prominent enabler from the CE perspective in ASCs. However, traceability, being a net effect enabler, will be realized through the achievement of other cause enablers, such as seamless connectivity and information flow and decentralized and distributed ledger technology. The authors also propose a 12 Rs framework for enhancing circularity in ASC operations.

The paper identifies enablers to BCT adoption that will enhance circularity in ASC operations. The ISM hierarchical model is based on the driving and dependence powers of the enablers, and DEMATEL aids in identifying causal relationships among the enablers.

The study's findings and proposed 12 Rs framework may help the practitioners and policymakers devise effective BCT implementation strategies in ASCs, thereby empowering sustainability and circularity.

This study enriches the literature by identifying and modeling enablers for BCT adoption in ASCs. The study also proposes a new 12 Rs framework to help enhance ASC circularity.

The emergence the fourth industrial revolution, known as well as industry 4.0, and its applications in the manufacturing sector ushered a new era for the business entities. It not only promises enhancement in operational efficiency but also magnify sustainable operations practices. This current paper provides a thorough bibliometric and network analysis of more than 600 articles highlighting the benefits in favor of the sustainability dimension in the industry 4.0 paradigm.

The analysis begins by identifying over 1,000 published articles in Scopus, which were then refined to works of proven influence and those authored by influential researchers. Using rigorous bibliometric software, established and emergent research clusters were identified for intellectual network analysis, identification of key research topics, interrelations and collaboration patterns.

This bibliometric analysis of the field helps graphically to illustrate the publications evolution over time and identify areas of current research interests and potential directions for future research. The findings provide a robust roadmap for mapping the research territory in the field of industry 4.0 and sustainability.

As the literature on sustainability and industry 4.0 expands, reviews capable of systematizing the main trends and topics of this research field are relevant.

The purpose of this paper is to assess steady, two-dimensional natural convection flow of a viscoelastic, incompressible, electrically conducting and optically thick heat-radiating nanofluid over a linearly stretching sheet in the presence of uniform transverse magnetic field taking Dufour and Soret effects into account.

The governing boundary layer equations are transformed into a set of highly non-linear ordinary differential equations using suitable similarity transforms. Finite element method is used to solve this boundary value problem. Effects of pertinent flow parameters on the velocity, temperature, solutal concentration and nanoparticle concentration are described graphically. Also, effects of pertinent flow parameters on the shear stress, rate of heat transfer, rate of solutal concentration and rate of nanoparticle concentration at the sheet are discussed with the help of numerical values presented in graphical form. All numerical results for mono-diffusive nanofluid are compared with those of double-diffusive nanofluid.

Numerical results obtained in this paper are compared with earlier published results and are found to be in excellent agreement. Viscoelasticity, magnetic field and nanoparticle buoyancy parameter tend to enhance the wall velocity gradient, whereas thermal buoyancy force has a reverse effect on it. Radiation, Brownian and thermophoretic diffusions tend to reduce wall temperature gradient, whereas viscoelasticity has a reverse effect on it. Nanofluid Lewis number tends to enhance wall nanoparticle concentration gradient.

Study of this problem may find applications in engineering and biomedical sciences,e.g. in cooling and process industries and in cancer therapy.

Nanosized honeycomb-configured materials are used in modern technology, thermal science and chemical engineering due to their high ultra thermic relevance. This study aims to scrutinize the heat transmission features of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) honeycomb-structured graphene nanofluid flow within two squeezed parallel plates under Joule dissipation and solar thermal radiation impacts.

Mass, energy and momentum preservation laws are assumed to find the mathematical model. A set of unified ordinary differential equations with nonlinear behavior is used to express the correlated partial differential equations of the established models, adopting a reasonable similarity adjustment. An approximate convergent numerical solution to these equations is evaluated by the shooting scheme with the Runge–Kutta–Fehlberg (RKF45) technique.

The impression of pertinent evolving parameters on the temperature, fluid velocity, entropy generation, skin friction coefficients and the heat transference rate is explored. Further, the significance of the irreversibility nature of heat transfer due to evolving flow parameters are evaluated. It is noted that the heat transference rate performance is improved due to the imposition of the allied magnetic field, Joule dissipation, heat absorption, squeezing and thermal buoyancy parameters. The entropy generation upsurges due to rising magnetic field strength while its intensification is declined by enhancing the porosity parameter.

The uniqueness of this research work is the numerical evaluation of MHD honeycomb-structured graphene nanofluid flow within two squeezed parallel plates under Joule dissipation and solar thermal radiation impacts. Furthermore, regression models are devised to forecast the correlation between the rate of thermal heat transmission and persistent flow parameters.

Blockchain technology (BCT) is one of the latest disruptive innovations, brought along with-it immense scope of diverse applications contributing towards sustainable development (SD). The consistent increase in the publications reveal that the application of BCT for SD has become popular among researchers and practitioners in past few years, in turn, urged for a systematic literature review (SLR) to get an insight into the research journey travelled so far and setting directions for future research in this area. Therefore, this study aims to identify, map and synthesize the available literature on application of BCT for SD.

The automatic and manual search resulted into 1,277 studies from Scopus and Web of Science database. Further applying inclusion and exclusion criterion resulted in bringing out total of 157 studies, which were termed as primary studies. Based on the results of descriptive analysis, conducted through Bibliometric and VOSviewer software, the characteristics of BCT and its key capabilities, contributing towards shaping the recent SD literature, were critically examined. Identified research themes for clustering primary studies were aligned with United Nations Sustainability Development Goals (UNSDG). A mind-map was also prepared on the basis of thematic classification of primary studies.

The research themes “business practice and economic sustainability”, “agriculture and food security” and “business practice and environment sustainability” were found to be the focal points of scholarly attention. Synthesis and analysis of primary studies resulted into classification of research gaps under four categories – theoretical foundation, methodological limitation, research themes and technology implementation challenges. The study was concluded by sensitizing and sanitizing the concrete research questions for future research.

The research findings shall be a roadmap for research scholars, academicians and practitioners to comprehend the present state of knowledge in the domain of “BCT application for SD” and decide upon adopting the future course of action to attain the UNSDGs by the year 2030.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the current study is the first attempt in its own sense to analyse and synthesize the available literature on “attaining SD through BCT” using SLR approach.

Rural Marketing, Sales and Distribution Management, Salesperson Motivation, Channel Management.

The case can be used in sales management, channel management and rural marketing courses offered to graduate students of MBA degrees. In the sales management courses, the emphasis is on understanding the typical tasks that the rural salesperson is required to conduct. The case can be used to design a suitable motivation-mix for a rural salesperson after analysing their approach towards work. In a rural marketing course, the case can be used to understand the sales and distribution management of fast-moving consumer good products in rural India. The case can be used in channel management courses to design an appropriate channel structure in the rural market in India and utilized for managing the distributors’ salesforce for effective and improved market coverage in rural areas.

Candy Confectioneries Private Limited started its operations in 1995, and was one of the largest confectionery players in India with a market share of 20 per cent. The company had achieved sales of Rs 20bn in 2014 and had 15 confectionery brands in the market. The company was also trying hard to establish itself in the snacks category. The company had nationwide operations, and it was important for the company to expand into the rural market. It served its markets through a comprehensive urban and rural distribution setup. In the rural distribution network, the rural sales representatives (RSRs) played a key role and perhaps were one of the most critical factors in covering the rural market. The RSR system was typical to suit the requirement of product-market coverage with its limitations. The case broadly profiles eight RSRs who were engaged to cover a specific territory in the State of Bihar in India. It also describes their approaches to work and complexities emerging thereof in achieving the best results for the organization.

The case has the following learning objectives: Understanding the design of sales and distribution channel structure followed for distribution and selling of confectionery products in rural India. Examining whether the existing system is adequate to achieve the goals of the firm. Evaluating the performance of each salesperson and identifying common factors to formulate the salesforce policies. Arriving at a suitable motivation-mix for the rural salesperson.

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

CSS 8: Marketing.

Bicycle industry, emerging markets, competitor analysis, financial forecasting.

This case can be used as a teaching tool in the following courses: MBA/post-graduate programs in management in management accounting, management control systems and strategic cost management; executive training programs for middle and senior level employees; and under-graduate/post-graduate programs in entrepreneurship. It can be used to explain and test the concepts of SWOT analysis, Porter's five forces model and PEST analysis. It introduces the technique of breakeven analysis and its relationship with operating leverage. Moreover, it demonstrates the application and analyses of the Du Pont equation.

Hero Cycles Ltd was established by the four Munjal brothers in pre-independence India. It started off as a business of bicycle spare parts, but quickly expanded in post-independence India, with Ludhiana as its base. The company later joined with foreign firms like Honda Motors, Japan to become the largest manufacturers of bicycles in the world. It dominates domestic markets with a market share of around 40 percent. Ananth Munjal, a learned, ambitious and cautious individual, is the next generation, ready to take over the reins of the company. Being someone who believes in learning from past mistakes, he forms a team to critically examine the decisions made by his predecessors. This team is also directed to utilize forecasting techniques for determining the expected profitability given the existing state of affairs that prevail. Additionally, Du Pont analysis is to be performed for studying the efficiency of the company on the facets of operating performance, asset turnover and associated financial leverage. Also, Ananth's risk-averse nature compels him to study the past with regard to the relationship between operating leverage, breakeven sales and corresponding margin of safety. Furthermore, he wishes to inspect the historical cost structure of the firm, and its influence on company performance.

These include the use of: SWOT analysis to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to a company; PEST analysis to identify the political, economic, social and technological factors that affect the operations of a company; Porter's five forces model to analyse an industry. The case also helps students: by identifying fixed costs and variable costs that are a part of operating expenditure of a business; in the use of forecasting the financials of a company for the sake of predicting the future outcomes of certain business strategies; by application of Du Pont analysis to examine the efficiency of the various processes and strategies; in determining quantitative terms like contribution margin, breakeven sales, operating leverage, margin of safety, their significance, and the relationship between these terms.

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.