ABSTRACT
A thriving healthcare system perfectly reflects economic development and contentment amongst the people of any region. With increasing anxiety concering health and growing medical needs, hospitals worldwide face substantial challenge to provide patients with adequate medical facilities under one roof. With a fragile state of the health industry in a developing country like India, there is a need for the hospitals to opt for international standards and comply with other premier health centers of the country. This paper aims to select the hospitals based on incongruous and conflicting criteria involving group decision-making using the Intuitionistic Fuzzy (IF) and Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method. The criteria used are concomitant to an insured public health scheme named Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Scheme (AB-NHPS) of the Government of India. For each alternative Euclidean distance has been used to calculate the positive and negative separation measure from the ideal solution. The relative closeness to the ideal solution has been used to rank the hospitals. The result is a list of hospitals ranked from best to worst based on the laid criteria. It can aid governing bodies in decision-making under an uncertain environment with multiple complex criteria to analyze.
ABSTRACT
Purpose: This paper aims to explore the last-mile (LM) challenges faced by on-demand food delivery (ODFD) riders during the coronavirus pandemic. This study contributes to the literature on the less-explored domain of ODFD services. Design/methodology/approach: A grounded theory methodology is used. Riders working for multiple ODFD firms in various urban and semi-urban areas of India were interviewed. Open, axial and selective coding of interview transcripts was done. Findings: A grounded model is developed consisting of riders' challenges represented broadly under four core categories: Operational, Customer-related, Organisational and Technological issues. The study indicates that while some of the challenges are inherent to the ODFD supply chain, these have been visibly exposed and intensified by COVID-19, while other challenges are specific to the pandemic. Research limitations/implications: The model is a qualitative proposition representing LM delivery issues in ODFD services faced by the riders in India's urban and semi-urban areas during the COVID-19 pandemic. Other countries may face similar problems, but further studies are necessary to confirm or refute the findings. Practical implications: ODFD companies must address the riders' issues to better adapt to the current and future disruptions and improve riders' quality of work–life to achieve operational excellence. Originality/value: This study builds on the extant ODFD literature by focusing on one of its less addressed aspects: the working conditions of the riders. This work is conducted amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the context of a developing country and aims to study the challenges in ODFD operations. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.
ABSTRACT
Purpose: This study aims to examine the impact of Covid-19 on social and eco-environmental sustainability. It will also investigate the effect of advanced technologies in the post-pandemic era. Design/methodology/approach: To get the robust findings, GMM (Generalized Method of Moments) modeling is employed on the panel data of 50 countries across the globe. Findings: The outcomes indicate that gross fixed capital, logistical operations, knowledge spillover are positive, while Covid-19 is negatively associated with international trade. The results also revealed that Covid-19 spurs poverty and vulnerable employment, while the fertility rate increase creates pressure on economic growth. Also, fossil fuel and energy consumption contribute to carbon emission, while green and advanced technologies may mitigate the environment's adverse effects. Originality/value: This study is the first of its kind to provide a solution to the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic in the post-pandemic environment. Furthermore, researchers, managers and legislators can use this article's findings to formulate relevant policies for post-pandemic. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.
ABSTRACT
Goal: The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has severely affected the global economies. It has a considerable effect on the agri-food economy and the linking food supply chains. The entire agri-food sector needs more attention because the concept of ‘work from home’ does not work here, and life cannot move even a single step without food. This paper offers a future agri-food sector perspective amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Design / Methodology / Approach: This paper explores the short-term and long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on agri-food supply chains (AFSCs) based on the available information. The regulatory mechanisms taken by different government agencies, NGOs, and the food industry to manage the demand & supply disruptions are also discussed. Results: The detailed effect analysis of the COVID-19 on agri-food supply chains and remedial strategies are conducted for different interfaces of AFSC, viz. production, handling & storage, processing & packaging, distribution & marketing, consumption, etc. Limitations of the investigation: Given the research area's novelty, it may take enormous time to fully assess the current pandemic (COVID-19) effect on agri-food and its allied sectors. Practical implications: This paper would help the agri-food industry and the authorities assess the effect of COVID-19 on the agri-food sector. Originality/Value: This paper significantly contributes to new research directions and views for the AFSC and disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. © 2021, Associacao Brasileira de Engenharia de Producao. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
The coronavirus (COVID-19) has already left its footprints over vast geography worldwide and the rest of the globe is also under a big threat to this ongoing pandemic. Its effect can be felt amongst every sector of the economic ecosystem, and one of the most severely affected components is the food sector. The impact of COVID-19 on food supply chains (FSCs), especially agriculture, has created grave concerns for food security globally. This paper presents a perspective on future FSCs and the predicted outcomes which are likely to occur post COVID-19 based on the plans, reviews of critical reports, and information made available to date. The food industry needs unprecedented safety, technology & policy-measures to shine again and to manage the supply chain operations. In this highly-connected world, technological innovations and improvisations will create more resilient and sustainable food supply chains. Further, key production and distribution challenges are also highlighted. © 2020 Kharazmi University. All rights reserved.