Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, is considered a renaissance of the manufacturing industry. Its unique capability of manufacturing 3D objects with intricate geometrical configurations has been used to produce hospital equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE) in an attempt to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa. The technology has been used by different research units to produce ventilators, respirator face masks, oscillating respiratory devices, oxygen connectors, oxygen splitters, non-invasive ventilation helmets, reusable clinician PPE, visor frames for face shields, etc. Despite the efforts of the AM community in South Africa, COVID-19 infections have continued to increase in the country. It came to light that technological interventions (including AM) alone cannot prevent the spread of the virus without the corresponding adaptive behavioural changes, such as adhering to COVID-19 prevention protocols (washing of hands, social distancing, etc.). It could be postulated that the spread of COVID-19 can only be prevented by inter-marrying the technological interventions (AM) with adaptive behavioural changes.
Additively manufactured products offer extensive variety to consumers than many forms of production. Additive manufacturing (AM) production system allows consumer involvement, which has created a huge but largely untapped market. However, there is a gap between production and the market. Therefore, AM towards product production which focuses on the Commercialization of Additive Manufactured Products (CAMPs) is imperative. Despite the importance of CAMP, specific focus of research on the commercialization of additively manufactured products are scanty. There is also a lack of knowledge about the conceptual structure, intellectual structure, research trends, and the thematic structure of CAMP research. To contribute to this stream of research, this study takes an exploratory dimension by conducting a bibliometric analysis of publications on the CAMP. The R package and its associated biblioshiny were the software used. The study reveals that studies on CAMP started in 2007 with renewed interest starting from 2012. Importantly, it was found that the most cited articles focused on the economic potential of AM products in the home and specific industries. Also, there is an increasing focus on the business models that are necessary for the commercialisation of AM products. Generally, there is a shift in focus from the firm to the market. However, this is a niche area and requires more attention. Themes such as commercialization are just emerging, and researchers need to devote more time and effort to the consumer side of the commercialization of AM products.
This study examined the impact of internal and external green supply chain practices on environmental performance among construction firms. The study used the quantitative survey research design in its methodology. A total of 217 employees were sampled from fifty (50) construction firms. Structural Equation Modeling was used to analyze the data. The results showed that green design does not have a significant positive relationship with environmental performance. However, green design has a positive impact on external green practices namely green purchasing and green construction. Green purchasing and green construction have direct positive relationships with environmental performance. Green design through external green practices have a significant positive relationship with environmental performance. The study found that firm size moderates the relationship between green design, through external green supply chain practices and environmental performance among construction firms.
The purpose of the study is to examine the relationship between social awareness and relationship management as the interpersonal dimension of Goleman‘s emotional intelligence and their ability to predict effective leadership in the Ghanaian banking industry. Using a descriptive cross-sectional survey design, a sample size of 307 employees was determined for the study from six commercial banks selected from Ghana‘s Club 100 rankings. A multi-stage sampling technique was used in the selection of the banks, their branches and employees who participated in the study. Standardized questionnaires served as the instruments for data collection. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used to analyze the data. A significant positive relationship exists between social awareness and leadership effectiveness as well as relationship management and leadership effectiveness. The results also showed that demographic variables (gender, age, educational level, tenure) significantly moderated the relationship between social awareness and leadership effectiveness as well as relationship management and leadership effectiveness.
This paper explores the impact of selected factors that affect the adoption of E-commerce among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana, with emphasis on access to electricity. The data included figures for the country's population growth (PG), secondary education (SEC), individuals using the internet (IUI), broadband subscriptions both fixed and mobile (BBS), access to electricity (AE) and secure internet servers (SIS). The data was from the year 2007 up to 2017. The main objective is to identify the various factors that impact e-commerce adoption in Ghana. This study uses regression to conduct an empirical analysis on the impact these factors have on e-commerce in Ghana. The study found that access to electricity had a strong positive relationship with e-commerce adoption in the country. This can explain why e-commerce has not been broadly adopted and used in Ghana since the country has been experiencing a huge power crisis for the past decade. Broadband subscription and secure internet servers also impacted e-commerce adoption at various percentages but access to electricity was statistically significant. Based on the findings, the author suggests that the government, policymakers and other stakeholders make great efforts to solve the power crises in the country as doing such will give businesses an incentive to conduct business online. How to cite this paper: Twi-Brempong,
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