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Purpose: The study investigates the consumer’s attitude to using artificial intelligence (AI) devices in hospitality service settings considering social influence, hedonic motivation, anthropomorphism, effort expectancy, performance expectancy and emotions. Design/methodology/approach: This study employed a quantitative methodology to collect data from Bangladeshi consumers who utilized AI-enabled technologies in the hospitality sector. A total of 343 data were collected using a purposive sampling method. The SmartPLS 4.0 software was used to determine the constructs' internal consistency, reliability and validity. This study also applied the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to test the research model and hypotheses. Findings: The finding shows that consumer attitude toward AI is influenced by social influence, hedonic motivation, anthropomorphism, performance and effort expectancy and emotions. Specifically, hedonic motivation, social influence and anthropomorphism affect performance and effort expectations, affecting consumer emotion. Moreover, emotions ultimately influenced the perceptions of hotel customers' willingness to use AI devices. Practical implications: This study provides a practical understanding of issues when adopting more stringent AI-enabled devices in the hospitality sector. Managers, practitioners and decision-makers will get helpful information discussed in this article. Originality/value: This study investigates the perceptions of guests' attitudes toward the use of AI devices in hospitality services. This study emphasizes the cultural context of the hospitality industry in Bangladesh, but its findings may be reflected in other areas and regions.

The purpose of the study is to identify the factors that motivate employees in the service and manufacturing firms in Bangladesh. In this study, 321 employees were surveyed and out of these, 256 were from the service while 65 were from the manufacturing organisations. The findings of the study indicate that job security and promotion are most influential motivating factors for the service organisations while working condition and job security are the two most important motivating factors for the manufacturing employees. In addition, the research findings also reveal that there are some significant differences between the service and the manufacturing employees' motivating factors. Thus, it is crucial that all managers should have sufficient knowledge about their respective employees' motivating factors in order to improve and sustain their eminent organisational performances. By and large, the findings of this study can be adopted as guidelines when formulating motivational strategies for business firms in a fast-developing country like Bangladesh.

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the mediating role of lean management on the relationship between workforce management and value-added time in private hospitals. This study also investigates the direct influences of workforce management and lean management on the value-added time of the hospitals. Design/methodology/approach: This study applied a quantitative approach to obtain data from the private hospitals’ staff in Peninsular Malaysia. A self-administered survey questionnaire was used to collect data from 287 hospital staff using a stratified random sampling method. The partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach was used to determine the internal consistency, reliability, validity of the constructs. The PLS-SEM method was also used to test the hypothesised research model via SmartPLS 3.3.4 version. Findings: The findings of the study indicate that lean management has a direct and significant effect on the value-added time of private hospitals. The findings also revealed that lean management significantly mediates the relationship between workforce management and value-added time in private hospitals. The analysis of the results indicates that both workforce and lean management have a significant impact on the value-added time of the hospitals. Practical implications: This study provides empirical contributions to enhance the quality of workforce management, lean management and value-added time. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into how effectively managing the workforce and providing guidelines to augment the lean management practices can ensure value-added time in Malaysian hospitals and the overall health-care industry. The lean management framework provides useful insights for the policymakers to understand the significance of workforce management, lean management on ensuring value-added time through reducing waiting times, unnecessary delays, generating a higher degree of patient safety, satisfaction and loyalty. Originality/value: The research findings provide some essential indications for the health-care service providers to understand how the lean management approach can be implemented to enhance value-added time and how lean management can play a mediating role in creating a link between workforce management and value-added time in hospitals. This study also contributes to the theoretical and practical perspectives. The present study contributes to a better understanding of workforce management and lean management in health-care sectors from theoretical and practical perspectives.

Aloe verais a medical plant that has been used, traditionally, in treatment of several dermal disorders. In addition to its role as an anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, anti-diabetic, and anti-hyperlipidemic agent. Aloe veragel extract contains several compounds like minerals, enzymes, hormones and carbohydrates. Therefore, Aloe veraas well as its bioactive constituents have been studied to determine its intriguing potential roles in medicinal science. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are biologically active precursor cells that can self-renew and develop into a variety of cell types. Plant extracts have been used, in vitro, to enhance the proliferation and differentiation of MSCs. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of lyophilized Aloe veragel together with bone marrow (BM)-MSCs transplantation against radiation induced liver damage (RILD) in X-ray irradiated Sprague dawley male rats. By determining the oxidative stress, antioxidant enzymes, and pro-inflammatory cytokines in liver tissue homogenate, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of lyophilized Aloe veragel were investigated. The degree of liver damage and NF-κB expression were determined using histological and immunohistochemical staining techniques. The results showed that treatment of irradiated rats with lyophilized Aloe veragel and MSCs transplantation has led to an improvement in liver function and a decrease in fibrotic markers, oxidative stress, and pro-inflammatory cytokines; as well as, a reduction in the pathological alterations in the rats' liver and a reduced NF-κB activation. Lyophilized Aloe veragel provided two important functions; where it stimulated the differentiation of transplanted MSCs and alleviated the radiation induced damages in liver. Aloe vera's antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties have enhanced liver function, as well as, creating a favorable environment for MSCs development in the liver. MSCs, in combination with lyophilized Aloe veragel, hold promise for regenerative medicine; where, it has a considerable impact on MSCs differentiation.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of Islamic Shariah compliance on customer satisfaction through the mediating effect of service quality in Islamic banking services. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 334 completed and usable questionnaires were collected from customers of Islamic banks in Bangladesh to test the hypotheses. The data were analyzed using SmartPLS 3. Findings: The findings of this study indicate that Islamic Shariah compliance has a positive and significant influence on service quality and customer satisfaction of Islamic banking services. The research findings also indicate that service quality partially mediate the relationship between Islamic Shariah compliance and customer satisfaction of Islamic banking services. Research limitations/implications: This study only emphasized on the Islamic banking services of Bangladesh and thus findings of the present study may not be applicable to other service areas. Practical implications: The implications of the research are twofold. First, a strong standardized effect of Islamic Shariah compliance on service quality implies that customers are very sensitive to Shariah compliance related to Islamic banking services. Next, maintaining service quality is another crucial aspect to satisfy customers of Islamic banks. Quality of services will only be materialized when all the promises made by the bank function accordingly. Therefore, strategy makers of Islamic banks should assess the customer service quality and satisfaction regularly to improve the overall service experience of customers. Originality/value: Limited studies have been conducted to investigate the mediating effect of service quality on the relationship between Shariah compliance and customer satisfaction in Islamic banking services. This study provides valuable insights to Islamic bank to integrate the service quality along with Shariah compliance to enhance customer satisfaction.

Healthcare is a unique service industry and it deals with complex tasks. To overcome complex tasks, healthcare organizations need to implement DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) approach of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) to improve quality performance. Application of DMAIC in a healthcare organization provides guidelines on how to handle a quality service system toward patient satisfaction. This approach also helps healthcare service providers to reduce waste, variation and work imbalance in the service processes. This chapter discusses five phases of DMAIC approach and its integration with the theory of constraints (TOC) for continuous improvements in healthcare performance. The integration of TOC and DMAIC approach would enhance healthcare performance by reducing medical costs, medical errors, administration errors and defects. Moreover, this integration can improve performance in healthcare service processes where it is not possible to reduce bottlenecks.

Purpose: This study aims to investigate applications of Six Sigma methodology in Malaysian private hospitals. It measures Six Sigma initiatives of the private hospitals based on demographics such as gender, position and working experience. Design/methodology/approach: The present study measures Six Sigma initiatives of private hospitals and used stratified random sampling to collect data from eight selected hospitals in Peninsular Malaysia. The respondents of the study include doctors, nurses, pharmacists and medical laboratory technologists. In this study, 520 questionnaires were distributed to respondents who are working in Malaysian private hospitals. In total, 251 responses were received (48.27 per cent response rate). The descriptive analysis, independent samples t-test and one-way ANOVA were undertaken using SPSS version 23. Findings: The findings of this study indicate that male respondents have better perception on four aspects of Six Sigma applications such as process improvement tools, process improvement methods, manage quality improvement activities and formal planning process compared to female respondents. The research findings also indicate that doctors have better perception regarding process improvement tools to measure quality improvement process, leadership to continuous improvement processes, training in process improvement tools for employees’ skill improvement compared to nurses, pharmacists, medical laboratory technologists. Research limitations/implications: The present research focussed solely on the Malaysian private hospitals, and thus the results might not be applicable to other countries. This study focussed on Six Sigma initiatives of private hospitals in Malaysia, while the future research may consider investigating the difference or conformance between private and public hospitals on Six Sigma initiatives and its relationship with quality performance. In addition, present study findings are expected to provide guidelines to enhance the applications of Six Sigma methodology in private hospitals in Malaysia as well as other countries. Originality/value: This research provides theoretical and practical contributions for the Six Sigma initiatives in private hospitals. Most of the past studies of Six Sigma initiatives are centred on manufacturing sector, but few empirical studies have been conducted on the health-care organisation. Thus, findings of the present study on the health-care sector contribute to the on-going pursuit of knowledge in the area of Six Sigma by using the strength of related theories and parent disciplines.

Due to the unique nature among the service industries, the overriding objective of the healthcare sector is to provide error free, impeccable services to their patients and clientele. It is not an option rather a norm for the healthcare sector to uphold and maintain the level of service that is quintessential and benchmark in the service industries. However, service quality has different meanings to different people. In this paper, SERVQUAL has been considered as the main tool to measure service quality and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) has been applied to prioritise the five dimensions of SERVQUAL for healthcare sector. In addition to this, AHP has been applied to prioritise the various items representing each of the dimensions. The results show that Reliability and Assurance are the two most important service quality dimensions in the healthcare sector. The priorities of dimensions and their items are also determined with respect to a selected demographic factors on the part of the respondents.

Employee motivation is crucial for sustainable growth of any organisation. Highly motivated employees contribute significantly to an organisation’s bottomline and its overall productivity. It is a primary task of the managers to know the motivating factors of their employees and act accordingly so that the organisation can remain competitive in the marketplace. The main objective of the present research is to investigate the difference, if any, between the perceptions of managers and employees on a pre-determined set of motivating factors. As it has been shown, though overall, they were in agreement, but they do differ on certain fundamental issues in terms of ranking of the above-mentioned set of motivating factors. Impact of the respondents’ demography on the findings, in the Malaysian context, is also highlighted. This research underscores the importance of the knowledge of employee motivating factors before developing or dealing with any motivational programme in an organisation.

AbstractThe healthcare organization is the place where defects and mistakes cannot be tolerated. A simple mistake can cost a human life so defects or mistakes must be eliminated in healthcare service processes. A Lean Six Sigma (LSS) approach is the best option in a healthcare environment for dealing with a critical patient. The LSS methodology optimizes the average reduction of a desired process. The expected results can be reductions in several aspects of healthcare such as patient waiting time in emergency departments, lost charges for billing in patient financial services, delinquent medical records, diagnostic result turnaround times, accounts receivable days, patients’ length of stay, or medication errors. This paper mainly discusses the effects of the LSS approach in different hospitals around the world according to the literature review. This review also discusses the relationship between LSS as well as their impacts on healthcare services based on literature review.

Root traits of six different crops grown on residual soil moisture in the post–rainy season in the High Barind Tract (HBT) of Bangladesh were investigated to better understand their adaptation to this moisture-limited environment. Deep-rooting chickpea is the currently favored rainfed crop grown after rainy-season rice in the HBT, but it is necessary to identify alternative crops to chickpea in order to avoid buildup of pests and diseases. Averaged over 2 y, barley (1.72 Mg ha–1) produced significantly more grain than chickpea (1.4 Mg ha–1) which, in turn, yielded better than linseed (1.0 Mg ha–1), wheat (0.93 Mg ha–1), and mustard (0.77 Mg ha–1). Lentil did not produce any grain at all. Grain yield for all crops increased as total root length increased above a threshold value of 0.05 to 0.1 km m–2. In general, grain yield increased as the proportion of total root produced below 60 cm depth increased, although barley also had thin roots that could more effectively extract soil moisture. Expression of root traits varied considerably between seasons, which was attributable to the different rainfall patterns and bulk-density characteristics of the soil profile in the 2 years of the study. Although favorable root traits, particularly rooting ability below 60 cm, are a prerequisite for acceptable yield levels of crops grown on residual soil moisture in the HBT, it is recognized that farmers' choice of a post-rice crop will depend on its economic return or food-security value.

Recreation-based ecosystem services can bring possibilities for protection and sustainable use of coastal ecosystems. This paper analyzes how recreational services influence coastal ecosystem management by studying the south-west part of the Sundarbans mangroves in Bangladesh. The paper argues that a single ecosystem service, recreation based on natural environments, is perceived differently by two different stakeholders; tourists and local resource users. Such variations emerge due to the dynamics of recreation seeking activities of the tourists and the livelihood-based activities of the local resource users. The paper takes a qualitative research framework with a narrative approach and analyzes these relationships through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. The results reveal that perceptions of recreational services by local resource harvesters can give important and new opportunities for coastal biodiversity management and conservation.

Abstract: The mixed hybrid finite element (MHFE) method is well suited for the resolution of the Darcy’s flow on anisotropic and heterogeneous domains. However, the accuracy of the method can be altered for highly distorted meshes with non-convex quadrangles. Moreover, the standard quadrangular MHFE method can lead to non-physical oscillations for transient simulations since it does not respect the maximum principle. In this work, we derive a new realization of the MHFE method on general convex or non-convex quadrangular elements. Each element is fictitiously divided into triangles. The mass balance and flux law are then discretized over each triangle and aggregated to eliminate interior degrees of freedom at the quadrangular element level. The method is combined with the mass lumping procedure for triangles to improve the monotonicity of the discretization. The material properties as well as the pressure and the divergence of the flux are allowed to vary inside the quadrangular element to better describe heterogeneous domains. The obtained matrix is symmetric and positive definite and has the same stencil than the standard approach. The numerical experiments show the performances of this formulation compared to the standard one for heterogeneous domains and non-convex elements. An example is also provided for transient flow simulations where the unphysical oscillations are avoided with the new approach. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]