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This paper aims to demonstrate the causal relationship between the new Global Supply Chain Pressure Index (GSCPI) and the inflationary movements occurring at the global level. The primary focus of this research is to identify patterns and correlations that emerge between these two economic indicators, thereby attempting to mitigate the effects of inflation by analysing indices directly related to global merchandise traffic. Therefore, the terms and concepts used are clarified in the first section within a broader framework, to underscore their relevance within the scope of the paper, as well as to facilitate their further exploration for a more profound comprehension of subsequent scientific and specialized references. The second section provides a brief overview of scientific works on this topic, which have served as the scientific foundation and have prompted us to undertake our study to contribute to the body of scientific knowledge on this relatively underexplored subject, given that the GSCPI is a concept that emerged only in May of the year 2022. Furthermore, in the second section, we conducted a bibliometric analysis to discern trends concerning global supply chains and global inflation, as well as the correlation between them. The result is to provide a deeper understanding of the novel concepts and the prospective utilization of GSCPI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides for a systematic review of the literature related to social impacts, indicators, and metrics, associated with the circular economy. A total of 47 papers were included within the final review, which included 34 methods for the assessment of social circularity. Primarily, the paper sought to understand how social impacts are identified when circular economy ventures are assessed, as well as identifying what the key methodologies are when actors seek to evaluate these social impacts. The study identified a prevalence of social impact indicators utilized within wider methods of circular evaluation, that sought to evaluate social sustainability within minimal indices, alongside more easily quantifiable phenomena. Job creation and health and safety figures were most frequently utilized within the limited indices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the role of remanufacturing in healthcare as a key circular design strategy, particularly for medical devices, assessing its socio-technical, environmental, and economic dimensions of sustainability. Through a detailed case of ultrasound catheters, it demonstrates how remanufacturing can lead to resource conservation, cost savings, and enhanced product lifecycles in health care without compromising quality and patient safety. The study argues for systemic changes in healthcare practices to fully integrate remanufacturing, underscoring its role beyond a technical solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How are educators taking the next steps in leadership and entrepreneurship teaching concepts? In recent years the development of leadership as a concept has taken different meanings in the educational field. The following paper will explain some practical approaches on how this concept it's been addressed in the classroom and outside in a different environment, as well as the settings of these courses to better equip the students with full understanding on a particular subject. Entrepreneurship has step up its game in fields that we were not used to see before. These entrepreneurial activities are directly linked with the leadership approach of an organization, start up, or school. Hence the importance of how to dive in into full understanding and delivery of the subject, not only through previous theories and proven concepts in particular organizations, but by the students putting themselves in a position of action, so that they can put in practice the knowledge applied. The author will examine responses of the students in entrepreneurship and leadership courses, from a University in China, from different majors, where cultural variables may be applicable as well. The study will have a qualitative approach, which will shed some light in the current practices from students and academics approach to the delivery of these subjects, and how to create a better learning environment incorporating theory and action plan, considering their major program and path in their own school curriculum. This paper aims to develop some understanding of innovative forms and approaches applied in Education, through the way of delivery some of the most important courses like Leadership and Entrepreneurship, since these courses could ultimately be applied to every sector of an industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to show the relationship between environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors and the most common supply chain (SC) performance indicators within an organization. The main interest is to identify the challenges that organizations face when trying to gain a competitive advantage over other organizations by measuring supply chain efficiency and effectiveness. Therefore, the concepts and terms used are clarified in the first section, in a broader framework, to note their relevance in the context of the paper, but also the relationship between them. In the second section, scientific papers on this topic are briefly presented, which served as a scientific foundation and prompted us to undertake our study to contribute to the body of scientific knowledge on this little-addressed topic. In the third section of the research, we established a qualitative design, composed of qualitative data from secondary sources, which were obtained data through a literature review and analysed using the comparative-deductive method. The result is to propose a simplified model for measuring SC performance from an ESG perspective. In the conclusions, possible uses of this model are proposed, as well as future perspectives that could improve performance measurement by adding new indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to bridge the radical gap between practice and education, our undergraduate program has experimented with several strategic programs to model evolving architectural practice and education. Our strategy has been to develop a curriculum in international design-build that can employ traditional studio skills of research, design and cultural criteria. This paper is an extension of an exploration of options and the outcomes of the strategic inclusion of international study and practice in the form of an undergraduate design/build course sequence. In a paper presented to an international design build conference in Halifax and Santiago, a comparison was made between educational design build programs and professional design build practices. This paper further explores programmatic changes to an undergraduate design build study abroad program. It presents additional student data on expectations, collaboration, international context and pretraining tensions over a two-year period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Often consisting of stacks or boxes of disordered documents, stored in cabinets full of boxes and papers, files tend to be evaluated only as an administrative requirement. With the recognition of the importance of documentary memory, the opportunity arises for a new approach to this type of resource. Lean originated in the manufacturing industry, aiming to maximize customer value while minimizing waste. Ever since, lean tools have been increasingly used in several fields, namely in the office environment, giving rise to the so-called lean office. Their principles can be applied to any type of office, from administrative and support functions to product development and customer service. On the other hand, digitalization can be a key enabler of lean office principles since it can help to automate and streamline processes, reduce errors and waste, and improve the flow of information. For instance, in associations with several members, digitalization can provide improved member engagement, enhanced event management, increased efficiency, and also a greater reach with members. Herein, the Former Students Association of the Industrial and Commercial School of Braga members’ information was gathered and organized into a digital file. The increase in the number of members over the last few years led to the need of digitizing their data, in order to improve the alumni association management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper describes the importance of “lucky chance” in innovations and marketing of inventions. It addresses the essence and role of models for managing the innovations, using authentic examples of marketed products. The paper presents overview and analysis of factors that stimulate the processes leading to the emergence of innovations and circumstances that influence marketing success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New AI techniques are available for a variety of applications, including ChatGPT, BARD, and Perplexity. ChatGPT is a chatbot that can generate text on almost any topic or theme, while BARD is a generative AI chatbot that can take written inputs and generate human-like responses to text inputs in a conversational manner. Perplexity is a conversational search engine that enhances the user experience and management decisions. These AI tools can be used separately or combined to form an AI Swarm to assist in strategic foresight within the scenario technique. However, the reliability of large language models like ChatGPT is highly unreliable, and they can generate misinformation and falsehoods. The practical impacts of these models are investigated to evaluate AI-generated results against an existing automotive scenario project. This paper aims to demonstrate AI's capacity to enhance the scenario technique, which streamlines and expedites management decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate Innovation is a key success factor. But why is it so difficult to innovate and why do particularly large companies fail to renew themselves at a certain point? What we know is, that the perceived risk for innovation increases the more successful the company is. In this way many companies miss out new technologies, business models and service innovations. Missed external transformations can even bring the biggest players on the market into big troubles. On the other hand, we all know market leaders that dominate their competitive environments since decades and set new and innovative standards in the markets. They seem to have the appropriate prerequisites to read weak signals, to see opportunities and to use their financial power and their profound knowledge to come up with innovations. What distinguishes those two types of large companies? How do company size but also history, prior development, management standards, leadership approaches and many other factors determine the way they should innovate?. The current paper aims at investigating those success factors in theory and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper will describe and discuss the learning strategies applied in an Engineering Management Organizational Behavior course to enhance and encourage students to go beyond rote memorization and simple understanding of concepts to application, synthesis, evaluation and creation for an organization. The learning strategies to be considered are: 1) research and delivery of a real-world case study application of an organization applying the organizational behavior concepts; 2) within-class active learning exercises applying the organizational behavior concepts; 3) developing a written paper applying the concepts to an organization; 4) exploratory surveys based upon the organizational behavior concepts; and 5) traditional quizzes and a final exam including multiple choice, true/false, and short answer essay questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power Systems have recently been receiving a lot of attention for their vulnerable condition and aging nature. When a component in this system approaches its maximum age, the frequency of fault occurrence increases. Consequently, if a component fails in any power substation, the system still takes an extended period of time to return to normal which affects uninterrupted power distribution. Customer satisfaction in a power distribution system can be measured through two distinct reliability indexes called "System Average Interruption Duration Index" (SAIDI) and "System Average Interruption Frequency Index (SAIFI)" which measure power interruption duration and frequency. Every year Distribution Utilities are given a particular target to achieve a certain SAIDI and SAIFI. However, distribution utilities continuously fail to achieve those targets due to mismanagement of maintenance operations during an interruption. This paper will go deeper into finding the causes behind those problems and recommending effective ways to reduce them. To pursue the objective of this paper, a quality management-based six sigma DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analysis, Improvement, Control) approach is used to identify the root causes of that mismanagement and suggest a proper solution strategy, followed by reliability analysis. Consequently, this paper proposes a novel fault management system during the improvement phase of DMAIC. Subsequent risk analysis has been done to show that DMAIC has successfully been able to address the problem and the risk of prolonged interruption delay has been reduced to a significant margin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2017, the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid (WLCG) has been working towards enabling token-based authentication and authorization throughout its entire middleware stack. Following the initial publication of the WLCG Token Schema v1.0 in 2019, OAuth2.0 token workflows have been integrated across grid middleware. There are many complex challenges to be addressed before the WLCG can be end-to-end token-based, including not just technical hurdles but also interoperability with the wider authentication and authorization landscape. This paper presents the status of the WLCG coordination and deployment work, and how it relates to software providers and partner communities. The authors also detail how the WLCG token transition timeline has progressed, and how it has changed since its publication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, advanced and complex analysis workflows have gained increasing importance in the ATLAS experiment at CERN, one of the large scientific experiments at LHC. Support for such workflows has allowed users to exploit remote computing resources and service providers distributed worldwide, overcoming limitations on local resources and services. The spectrum of computing options keeps increasing across the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid (WLCG), volunteer computing, high-performance computing, commercial clouds, and emerging service levels like Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), Container-as-a-Service (CaaS) and Function-as-a-Service (FaaS), each one providing new advantages and constraints. Users can significantly benefit from these providers, but at the same time, it is cumbersome to deal with multiple providers, even in a single analysis workflow with fine-grained requirements coming from their applications' nature and characteristics. In this paper, we will first highlight issues in geographically-distributed heterogeneous computing, such as the insulation of users from the complexities of dealing with remote providers, smart workload routing, complex resource provisioning, seamless execution of advanced workflows, workflow description, pseudointeractive analysis, and integration of PaaS, CaaS, and FaaS providers. We will also outline solutions developed in ATLAS with the Production and Distributed Analysis (PanDA) system and future challenges for LHC Run4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Xiamen Second East Cross-Sea Bridge in China is a continuous steel box-girder bridge completed in September 2022. Innovative design and construction technologies helped to improve design, delivery and long-term performance. Building information models were extended from design and construction process simulation to systems for safety, quality management, monitoring and maintenance. This paper describes how whole life-cycle digital modelling significantly improved project management, construction quality and overall costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims at characterizing the Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) research field in the areas of management and business in its bibliometric context; identifying strategies, practices and management tools specified in the scope of the investigated publications; summarizing existing evidence, pointing to gaps within this study area. Methodologically, the research is characterized as qualitative and descriptive, drawn by a bibliometric review on the databases; ISI Web of Science, Scopus and Science Direct, followed by a systematic integrative bibliographic review. All the titles and abstracts of the identified articles were analyzed allowing for a research refinement, adopting the exclusion criteria for; a) duplicates; b) not obtained references; and c) misaligned references. The main results pointed out that, in the near future AVs will certainly be inserted in our society, however the way in which this innovation might be established is still surrounded by uncertainties, impacting directly on governments' lack of planning for such arrival (Guerra, 2016). The absence of work related to the business area can be a driving factor, considering that business models plays an extremely important role in the events that precede the AVs' advancement (Yun et al., 2016). Nevertheless, among the analyzed papers, a studies' trend is highlighted, especially in European countries (e. g. U.K. and Germany), related to AVs' business model of "car-sharing" (Zakharenko, 2016; Geldmacher, 2016); presenting such as a great substitute for traditional transportation models (cars, taxis and buses) (Enoch, 2015). In this way, it was observed a study gap related to business models and platforms, radical and responsible innovation theories, in order to minimize the risks, impacts and uncertainties of the eminent arrival of AVs and provide the necessary tools to guide governmental and organizational spheres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the paper is to study the types of challenges B2B companies face when trying to create new business through big data utilization. The paper combines literature on new business creation and big data. The study includes 19 qualitative interviews from six different case companies, representing companies at different stages in the big data utilization. As a result, challenges are categorized as data, data process, operational management and business development & strategy challenges. Our research findings highlight the importance of understanding the data utilization level of a company and customers now and in the future, forming a data strategy for creating new business through data utilization, solving data ownership and privacy issues and achieving the data-related know-how combined with business and customer understanding. The paper presents practical examples from case company interviews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In 2019 the ISO 56002 standard for managing innovation systems was published, based on the common opinion that effective management of innovation requires a systematic approach. Standardizing would enable organizations to perform innovation processes in a structured way, thus making them controllable and repeatable. ISO states that standardization can be pursued also by SMEs, although various studies underline that generally SMEs follow a non-systematic approach to innovation. Therefore, there is a need to understand if a structured approach like that proposed by ISO can be suitable to SMEs. To provide insights into the potential and drawbacks of standardizing innovation processes in SMEs, the paper discusses the findings of a study on innovation projects carried out by metalworking Italian SMEs. By contrasting the approach suggested by the ISO clauses with the real behaviour of SMEs, it provides food for thought about the applicability of such standard by SMEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of cyberattacks has been increasing not only on information systems but also on physical systems. Safety must be considered as an influence of cyberattacks. Vulnerabilities exploited in cyberattacks continue to occur day by day even if systems were developed securely. Security engineers must eliminate vulnerabilities even if the vulnerabilities occur after the developed systems are released. Vulnerabilities must be managed throughout system life cycle. But it takes time to apply its security patch. Safety engineers are required to ensure safety even when vulnerabilities exist. Therefore, collaboration between safety and security (S&S) engineers is necessary to manage corresponding S&S in operation process. S&S should be considered simultaneously in early stage of development process. Collaborative discussion is useful to mitigating risk of reworks. It is an example of reworks by inadequate S&S discussion that the braking system might be redesigned to promote the response in order to compensate for the delay caused by encryption. Therefore, this paper proposes common models effective for the collaboration throughout system life cycle. A management approach using the models is also proposed. Common model is represented by data flow diagram (DFD) because a module under cyberattacks can adversely affect other modules only through data flows. In the proposed method, the three improvements contribute to supporting management throughout system life cycle. Firstly, the models are applied to safety analysis and security analysis. Secondly, vulnerability occurrence is managed at the level of modules. System structures are designed based on modules. Module abnormalities caused by cyberattacks on the vulnerabilities are managed as causes of safety corruption. To indicate critical points for system to be considered, the points from a safety perspective must be identified. Processes and information are traced from the points in DFD. Finally, a module, which performs sets of functions, is outsourced. For each module, it must be considered who will manage vulnerabilities. The proposed method is illustrated using a development of a self-driving wheelchair as an example. In this paper, the collaborative design method for S&S engineers of products and their management based on modules are described to ensure safety even when unexpected vulnerabilities exist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supply chain resilience plays a critical role in maintaining operational readiness and effectiveness in military operations. However, the unique challenges faced by military supply chains necessitate tailored approaches to enhance resilience. This paper presents a comprehensive framework for optimizing supply chain resilience in military operations. The proposed framework incorporates key elements such as risk assessment, contingency planning, information sharing, and resource allocation. It leverages advanced analytics techniques, including simulation modeling, optimization algorithms, and real-time data integration, to support decision-making and improve resilience. Results demonstrate that the optimized supply chain resilience strategy significantly enhances the military's ability to respond to disruptions, reduce recovery time, and minimize operational downtime. Moreover, the framework identifies critical vulnerabilities and recommends proactive measures to enhance system robustness. By adopting this framework, military organizations can better prepare for and respond to a wide range of supply chain disruptions, ultimately improving operational efficiency and mission success. The findings of this study contribute to the emerging field of military logistics by providing a systematic approach to optimize supply chain resilience and offering valuable insights for military decision-makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order for financial-accounting information to be useful and timely, it must correspond to the informational needs of users. It is also necessary for the organization to be willing to provide financial-accounting information but also to request it, both from the internal and external environment. In this context, the objective of the paper is to identify the availability of providing financial-accounting information to external users, the impact that the provision of information could have on management and the organization, the frequency with which users request certain information provided through the annual financial statements, the statements of receipts, payments, stocks, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Telecom companies measure their level of success with the services they provide to subscribers and employees. Oman Telecommunication Company (OTEL) is making great efforts to develop its CPE management system to ensure business continuity and provide service to subscribers with high efficiency. The aim of this research is to study CPE management system in Oman Tel in terms of Methods, Impact, benefits and challenges. This paper presents a theoretical approach related to the CPE management system, the ideas to enhance CPE system and provide solutions that appear on different level of CPE system. This paper employed a systematic literature review methodology, which identified 43 publications. The findings of the study suggests that correct CPE management leads to more profits and efficiency. Correct CPE management includes strategies that cover all technical, logistical and financial requirements. In order to improve CPE management, systems integration can be utilized at the lowest costs without having to completely change them, as well as using modern technologies. The use of modern technology, such as big data in stock management improves the pace of work, provided that there is sufficient knowledge and skill when using these techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were developed by the United Nations in 2015 to encompass universal respect for equality and non-discrimination regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, and cultural diversity. Since 2000, Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) have aligned with SDG 4.3 by developing higher education institutions (HEIs) which aims to "By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university". This was intended to create equal opportunities and permit full realisation and prosperity of human rights and human dignity. This paper explores the effectiveness of managing racial integration in BRICS HEIs and illustrates remarkable progress in research and policy enactment. Particular attention is devoted to the period from the mid-2000s when evidence around the globe exposed the presence of many forms of violence, which inhibit management of effective racial integration. Based on case studies from selected BRICS countries (South Africa, Russia, and Brazil), this paper explores how the management of racial integration is being addressed within these contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of the session is to bring academics, researchers, policy makers and practitioners who have responsibilities and interests in health service management competency and health service management workforce development in the Asia Pacific Region together to explore the current trends, efforts and issues in the related areas. The session will provide a platform for knowledge sharing and exploring collaborations in the Asia Pacific Region. Through presentation of up to date evidence, a collaborative research agenda will be defined for training and development of the health service management workforce, strengthening the health service/system management in the Asia Pacific countries. Expected outcomes of the session: Review of the process to determine competency levels of the health services management workforce, including understanding of t he Management C ompetency Assessment (MCAP) tool. • Understanding of t he current w orkforce management competency levels and demographics across the Asia Pacific region; and • Formulation of a collaborative research agenda focusing on health management competency development and strengthening of health service/system management in t he Asia Pacific region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the role educators and members of school management teams (SMTs) play in transforming schools towards integrative learning environments. Data was collected through a survey and individual interviews that were administered to educators and members of SMTs (N = 88) in four multiracial schools. The survey included open-ended questions that focused on what was happening in schools, in racially diverse classrooms, and the interaction between racially diverse groups. SMTs and SGBs are seen as always advancing strategies that lead to racial integration at school. The results showed that racial integration was not evident in these schools but rather there was a heightened racial conflict and racial incidences were prevalent in former White, Indian and Coloured schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Telecom companies measure their level of success with the services they provide to subscribers and employees. Oman Telecommunication Company (OTEL) is making great efforts to develop its CPE management system to ensure business continuity and provide service to subscribers with high efficiency. The aim of this research is to study CPE management system in Oman Tel in terms of Methods, Impact, benefits and challenges. This paper presents a theoretical approach related to the CPE management system, the ideas to enhance CPE system and provide solutions that appear on different level of CPE system. This paper employed a systematic literature review methodology, which identified 43 publications. The findings of the study suggests that correct CPE management leads to more profits and efficiency. Correct CPE management includes strategies that cover all technical, logistical and financial requirements. In order to improve CPE management, systems integration can be utilized at the lowest costs without having to completely change them, as well as using modern technologies. The use of modern technology, such as big data in stock management improves the pace of work, provided that there is sufficient knowledge and skill when using these techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to reveal management lapses/practices that affect Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) operational sustainability in a developing country context. SMEs have been the backbone of Ghana's economic and social development for the past years, contributing significantly in terms of employment and Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Notwithstanding its significant contribution to the economy of the country, the long term operational sustainability of SMEs in Ghana is still a challenge due to some management practices. Research in this knowledge area, however, is inadequate to address this challenge, with few attempts made by researchers concerning the management of SME's operational sustainability in Ghana. The paper employed a qualitative research inquiry, with a specific document/thematic analysis. Thirty-four relevant articles were retrieved from the databases; Scopus, WoS, and Google Scholar were used via keywords search in addition to some secondary sources. From the literature reviewed, we found that; poor management competencies, wrong usage of technology, Government policies/regulations, financial misappropriation, and international market acceptability are noted to be potential research constructs that consequently affect SME's management and operational sustainability. The theoretical implication of this paper would contribute to the existing knowledge on some potential lapses affecting the management and operational sustainability of SMEs in developing countries. Also, this research would enable practitioners to know some of the management practices which inherently affect their long term operational sustainability. This paper has a limitation of being purely literature review and thus provides opportunities for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the western part of Romania, Helicoverpa armigera larvae cause significant damage to several types of agricultural and horticultural crops leading to considerable economic losses, so the purpose of this paper was the use of some ecofrendly agricultural practices, namely the use of entomopathogenic microorganisms. The field experiment was conducted at the Research farm of West Land Company SRL, Jimbolia, (Timis County). The trial was laid out during 2022 vegetation season, in randomized block design with seven treatments: control plot, Bacillus sphericus + Glomus (2%) - 5 l/ha, Metarhizium anisopliae + Glomus (2%) - 5 l/ ha, Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki - 1 kg/ ha, chlorantraniliprole - 125 ml/ ha, indoxacarb - 250 ml/ ha (withdrawn from the market in 2022) and chlorantraniliprole 50 EC - 150 ml/ ha; replicated thrice having a plot size of 3042 sqm. The larval population of H. armigera was recorded before spraying and at 48 hours, 7 and 14 days after spraying. All treatments were significantly superior to control plots in reducing larval populations. Among the chemicals, percent larval reduction over control was highest at 7 days after spraying in chlorantraniliprole - 125 ml/ha plots, with an efficiency coefficient of 87.88%. Looking into the efficacy of the bioinsecticides, it was highlighted that the treatments with Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki proved to be the most effective in minimizing the larval population of H. armigera in corn crop, showing an efficiency coefficient of 87.88% at 7 days, respectively 81.96% at 14 days after spraying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, in order to satisfy consumer's profits and the requirements of the environment, manufacturers strive for more ecological, modern and innovative solutions in the area of heat distribution. The paper presents the results of the examinations of the importance of information systems in the process of distribution of heat for final recipients. The main research problem of the paper was to determine the answer to the question of whether IT systems used in the process of heat energy distribution are important for the final customer. The related literature was used to prepare theoretical basis for author's own research. Next, the questionnaire survey was performed and a research tool was prepared (an online questionnaire). The on-line survey was completed by 232 people from Poland, among whom only 22 failed to fill in the questionnaire. The paper is composed of two parts. The first part of the paper contains a brief presentation of the theoretical fundamentals of the concept of distribution and a reference of smart district heating networks to advances in distribution in the heating sector. The results obtained during the study in the heat energy sector were also presented in numbers compared to consumer awareness. The second part of the paper presents briefly the theoretical basis of the problem of distribution and used IT solutions. The results of the study were also presented: opinions of the respondents concerning the validity of the use of IT solutions in heat energy distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, in order to satisfy consumer's profits and the requirements of the environment, manufacturers strive for more ecological, modern and innovative solutions in the area of heat distribution. The paper presents the results of the examinations of the importance of information systems in the process of distribution of heat for final recipients. The main research problem of the paper was to determine the answer to the question of whether IT systems used in the process of heat energy distribution are important for the final customer. The related literature was used to prepare theoretical basis for author's own research. Next, the questionnaire survey was performed and a research tool was prepared (an online questionnaire). The on-line survey was completed by 232 people from Poland, among whom only 22 failed to fill in the questionnaire. The paper is composed of two parts. This part of the paper presents briefly the theoretical basis of the problem of distribution and used IT solutions. The results of the study were also presented: opinions of the respondents concerning the validity of the use of IT solutions in heat energy distribution. The first part of the paper contains a brief presentation of theoretical fundamentals of the concept of distribution and a reference of smart district heating networks to advances in distribution in the heating sector. The results obtained during the study in the heat energy sector were also presented in numbers compared to consumer awareness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the numerous challenges hampering the growth and development of small business firms (SBFs) in Nigeria, this paper examines the various ways through which production subcontracting have influenced the development of SBFs in Nigeria. While the paper adopted a number of methods comprising of field observations, reference to relevant literature, and questionnaire survey of 96 SBFs, a regression analysis was used to ascertain the relationship between production subcontracting forms and SBFs development. In line with the literature, this study identified three production subcontracting forms- specialised subcontracting, supplier subcontracting and capacity subcontracting. The study evaluated the relationship between production subcontracting forms and SBFs development- cost reduction, risk reduction, access to resources and knowledge. The paper found that two production subcontracting forms-capacity subcontracting and specialised subcontracting have positive relationship with cost reduction and risk reduction while there was no relationship between these production subcontracting types and resource accessibility as well as knowledge accessibility. This paper concludes by suggesting that constraints to SBFs development in Nigeria can be improved upon by constant de-centralization of production activities by SBFs through the various productions production subcontracting forms analysed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although information systems projects are social activities which require interactions amongst those involved, literature provides little understanding of how organizational culture plays a role during the activities. This paper argues that organizational culture is one of the contributing factors which influence the outcome of IS projects. Failure and success of information systems projects is an over-studied area but notwithstanding this, how other facets affect these outcomes is still inadequately addressed in literature. To this point, this paper aims to bridge this knowledge gap by describing how organizational culture may be influencing information systems projects, especially in the context of a South African bank. The paper subsequently suggests ways to improve the outcome by giving insights into how organizational culture manifests and its influence on information systems projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People with mental disabilities (mental disorders, mild brain dysfunction) face barriers to employment, leading to higher unemployment rates and economic inactivity. Incorporating a workplace technology system may help create a disability-inclusive environment. The paper presents an ICT solution for social enterprises, focusing primarily on cafés or restaurants. It is designed to help reduce the need for supervision of employees with mental disabilities in order to increase their autonomy. The proposed system records activities and provides an employee with information on which action to perform and how. The primary goal of the proposal is the monitoring of activities and the interactive transmission of instructions. The presented system is based on the Internet of Things (IoT) and includes advanced information technologies – cloud messaging, mobile applications, web applications. The employee with a disability will be equipped with a smartphone using a specially designed application. By a notification sent to the mobile phone, the employee will be immediately informed about the task assigned. The mobile application will help an employee carry out the task visually (sequence of instructions expressed in text, pictograms). In order to confirm the completion of the task, a sensor is placed at the desk location, which, when the mobile device is attached, registers the employee's presence at the desk where the task is to be performed. The Unified Process (UP) methodology was used to design an information system. The context diagram describes the relationship between the proposed system and its environment, a data flow diagram shows the dynamics and control information. The system is designed to be universally applicable in other workplaces. It may be used to help people who cannot communicate with other employees due to a lack of knowledge of the local language at the workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Managers need to navigate the increasing complexity of their business environments due to emerging technological developments and digital disruption. Strategic threats and opportunities to their business must constantly be assessed, but organizations often lack the time and resources to develop a structured approach. With the Digital Disruption Analysis, Voß et al. (2020) published a systematic methodology to assess emerging innovations and to derive digital transformation strategies. In this paper, the Digital Disruption Analysis is tested with technology foresight experts of an established enterprise in the energy sector and improved in an iterative approach. In an initial application, opportunities for improvement are identified through participatory observation and direct feedback. Then, the Digital Disruption Analysis is revised and applied again in the same company to assess the improvements, using the same evaluation method and an additional qualitative questionnaire. The main adaptations of the Digital Disruption Analysis are the integration of a weak signal analysis based on a data and text mining approach to identify relevant emerging innovations, the integration of a multidimensional digital disruption scoring model, and a new Trajectory Mapping approach. The experts note improved applicability and overall enhanced functionality of the revised Digital Disruption Analysis. Our findings contribute to future research on applicable management tools for digital transformations and serve as a foundation for understanding the nature of digital disruptions and how they can be identified and monitored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of sustainability has been on the minds of professionals for years, as it is on the minds of everyone involved in everyday life. Numerous studies have been carried out on various aspects of organisational operation, nature conservation, environmental protection and climate change. However, little research has been done on the potential for sustainability of organisational knowledge, a factor that fundamentally affects the functioning of organisations. This concerns the steps in the knowledge management process, organisational culture, working conditions, organisational environment, and organisational leadership that provides governance. Among these factors, this paper reviews the criteria for sustainable leadership as an effective channel for strategic decision making. Sustainable management has a significant impact on the organisation and its environment, balancing operations, people, profit, market competition and planetary sustainability. It is necessary to capture, share, incorporate and store valuable organisational knowledge for organisational performance excellence. The expectations of sustainable management that govern the sustainability of knowledge is a little researched topic in both management science and knowledge management literature. This paper aims to fill this gap by highlighting the supporting role of sustainable management for knowledge sustainability. Research to date has identified sustainable management as an alternative style of management that can significantly change organisations and society through a deeper understanding of natural and economic systems and their interdependencies. Accordingly, it ensures market performance in a holistic approach, based on the concept of sustainable knowledge, in the long term, with a focus on the efficient use of the company's internal resources. The cornerstones of these interrelationships and the conditions of the relationships are presented in a theoretical approach in the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the subject of the consumer's gender and factors that affect shopping, and more specifically whether there is a relationship between gender and preferred means of payment in times of the COVID-19 pandemic. I explore the relationship between cash and other payment instruments using the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic as a natural experiment exogenously affecting both the payment industry and consumers' habits. This article sheds more light on changing the payment habits of consumers since the beginning of the pandemic. The purpose of this article is to examine the styles of payment-related decision making and to identify differences and similarities in this regard according to gender. Women are different from men in every activity they perform, and therefore also in shopping styles. Consumer behaviour is an area in which the diversity of behaviour between men and women is very clear. The author conducted an empirical study in the period of January-February 2022 among the students of the University of the Third Age. The study participants were women and men over 55 years of age. The basic research method was the PAPI (Paper and Pencil Interview) method, based on a questionnaire. In the first part of the article, it was attempted to present some theoretical aspects of payment methods by consumers in Poland and in Europe, based on the analysis of literature sources. Then, the gender-dependent differences in consumer behaviour are presented. The next section describes the procedure of empirical research, as well as the most important conclusions of the research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses trust and knowledge management in service business involving tourism organizations. The focus is on the managerial perspective of knowledge and trust. In management, inter-personal trust has become important intangible resource for collaborative activity in intra-organizational work relationships. Trust plays an important role in knowledge sharing in organizations. Service business and tourism industry universally involves a relational aspect, people orientation, and sharing signifying interaction skills that are essential in building trust. Studies of sharing of knowledge, and especially tacit knowledge in the service and tourism business context are scarce so far. The digital era make major changes in knowledge processes by technology-mediated management altering the ways, frequency and time of interaction in workplaces. The paper discusses trust and knowledge sharing presenting an empirical case vignette of trust in tacit knowledge sharing. Trust belongs to intangibles, human intellectual capital forming a foundation for collaboration in organizations that facilitates knowledge management processes. In intra-organizational context, which is the focus of the paper, trust or lack of trust may drive or hinder sharing of knowledge between individuals and within groups. The paper aims to bring the view of trust and knowledge management (sharing) into discussion in the service management context. The case vignette illustrates real life management practices of knowledge sharing in the service company representing inter-personal level of trust and a group level activity. Management of knowledge sharing process and elements affecting sharing are described. Implications are made to knowledge management, trust, and sharing practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues in favor of a deeper understanding of the importance of futures in information systems (IS) research and proposes an initial set of guidelines for the inclusion, in IS publications, of an optional section devoted to the discussion of futures. The proposal was inspired by reflections on the nature of disruptive innovations and was grounded on a cross disciplinary literature review in the areas of IS, management, and computer science. The proposal includes examples of preferable futures and a discussion of their exploration. The anticipation of sustainable futures has the potential to (1) enrich the debate in IS research, (2) contribute to the development of preferable futures, and (3) create knowledge bases of scenarios and trajectories for such development. As far as theory is concerned, the paper advances the incorporation of futures in IS research. For the practice of the discipline, the paper proposes an additional dimension for the publication of impactful research that takes into account the needs of today's managers, namely those who deal with uncertain environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the crisis is a serious incident that affects the safety, environment, products or reputation of the organization, this paper advocates quality as an object of observation, exclusively and only from the field of management system. Although it is impossible to give a complete answer to the question: whether quality is in crisis, the paper just opens up, not for the first time, a set of perceived weaknesses that point to a potential quality crisis. Quality is the concern of all, but the responsibility is on the manager and the professionals in the field of quality. Naturally, one always needs to repeat the old saying Quality looks just like the management does. More precisely, the products of each work look just like managers. Therefore, the tendency in education, that is, in the field of training, should be directed at the training of management, that is, the leaders. This change would have significant effects on the overcoming the crisis in the field of quality, because the boss should not be interested in the price of shares, but for the quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public engagement (PE) has become an important theme of research and innovation (R&I) activity in several countries. In Europe, which is the main focus of this paper, the European Commission - by setting PE as a key thematic element of its policy for responsible research and innovation (RRI) - has promoted fundamental changes in the ways that civil society and other stakeholders outside the scientific community influence, and are expected to influence research activities. Promoting PE means giving more weight to citizens and stakeholders in the definition of research needs, in the critical reflection of current and future research priorities, and in the implementation of R&I activities. In this paper we analyse the trends and characteristics of innovative PE based on a recent international study of such processes, and discuss how PE can contribute to more dynamic and responsible governance of research and innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses how individuals draw on the strategic interests and motivations of their home organisations in negotiating what activities can be undertaken as part of inter-organisational collaboration for innovation. Through presenting ethnographic snapshots of a case involving fifteen partner organisations, the paper explores how members of a coordinating team make sense of the possibilities and constraints for joint work. As they work together, they continuously re-shape the identities of their home organisations and of the meta-organisation. This challenges previous research assuming the importance of a coherent and stable collective identity for collaborative work. Instead the author suggests that innovation practitioners make space for multiple objectives within joint activities in order to keep alive inter-organisational innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For decades now, the fields of information systems (IS) and information systems management (ISM) have been plagued by a common misperception that IS is primarily about computers, and ISM is primarily about the management of computers and their applications. When looking at many (all?) books with 'information systems' in their title, it does not usually require going beyond page 3 to realize that the book is actually focussed on computers along with computer applications and uses. This paper provides a radical challenge to those 'normal' approaches to IS and ISM, by demonstrating that narrowing the studies and practices of IS and ISM to computer-centric views, is likely to exclude at least 80% of information work that should be much nearer to the 'appropriate' scope of IS and ISM if those two fields are to do their jobs properly. This paper is a conceptual paper rather than an empirical paper, but with a touch of an empirical underpinning. It aims to redefine the scope of IS and ISM to include information work and information machines that are rarely discussed in IS and ISM literature, as well as address the point that the term 'information system' may well be an oxymoron. The paper starts by outlining early work (1950s and 1960s) done for the US government to try to answer a key research question: "if we are living in an 'information age', how big is the information and knowledge economy as a proportion of GDP?" The paper draws out the implications of this for IS and ISM. This paper gives examples to illustrate what can be included in re-scoping IS and ISM. The paper also offers a qualitative empirical spin by giving examples developed over several years of asking master's students to attempt two challenging essays: 1. "Discuss information systems that use zero technology"; 2. "Analyze an example of information technology in use before 1900". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thanks to technological development as well as the widespread adoption of mobile devices, mobile applications have become an important marketing tool. Companies do business in a competitive environment full of digital technologies, strategies and methods that are aimed at increasing operational efficiency and strategic competitiveness as well as improving customer targeting. Thanks to the technologies available to the general masses, the possibilities for disseminating information and education have been expanded across various scientific disciplines and various fields of a commercial or non-commercial nature. The usual secondary effect of using mobile applications is spread of information. Knowing this, brands try to influence and educate customers about various topics and at the same time strengthen their position in the market, also through sustainability. The paper deals with the issue of mobile applications in the context of the groundswell, reviews in the field of sustainable fashion in particular. The paper provides theoretical background and, based on an analytical approach, seeks to confirm some previous research using variety of data, in particular user reviews and results of popularity evaluation of individual applications in the field of sustainable fashion (using statistical methods). The paper made use of data obtained from the Appbot application and the method of statistical regression. It has been confirmed that there is dependence between the sentiment of the reviews and the stars awarded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to identify opportunities for the development of the Latvian forest sector and to assess competition. Nowadays, the development and sustainability of natural resources is of great importance. The forest resource in Latvia is valued as the most important national natural resource. It is therefore necessary to identify and analyse the factors influencing its development. The study included an analysis of the Latvian forest sector exports. The research methodology includes theoretical concepts and a framework of factors influencing the forest sector. The aim of this paper is to analyse the export performance of the Latvian forest sector and to present data on the export of forest sector products, collected within the framework of the study, depending on the degree of processing of the product, as well as to determine the breakdown of partner countries for forest sector exports. The study involved surveys of companies in the sector and expert interviews. The data from the study show that Latvia's forest sector exports have great potential. The largest share in the forest sector's export structure is occupied by primary processing products, followed by further processing products, which overtake the position of logs and by-products. The total value of Latvia's forest sector exports, like the total value of the country's exports, has tended to increase. The analysis of the data obtained will allow an understanding of the factors influencing the development of forestry exports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multigrade classes operate in demographically and geographically disadvantaged areas, characterized by a small number of students. The biggest challenge is to implement the curriculum developed for monograde classes in multigrade classes. In the absence of appropriate training and the necessary resources, the quality of the teaching process decreases. This paper presents concrete ways to optimize this type of teaching, identified following the application of a questionnaire to170 teachers of different specializations, with experience in this field. The results indicate that the teaching experience in multigrade classes significantly influences the identification of concrete ways to optimize the didactic act carried out in this type of classes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As early as the second half of the 20th century, theoreticians and commentators in the field of business and corporate culture have started to increasingly make use of military and war metaphors when describing or analyzing business-related matters. This ongoing tendency can be explained by the fact that both military and business jargons have had similar historical trajectories and focus on similar goals and objectives. Military philosophy can furthermore offer valuable lessons and advice to any aspiring manager. To be aware of the symbiosis between military jargon and the language of business is to have a clearer overview of the impact of business practices and eventually to gain the upper hand in a domain where battle and the survival of the fittest are at the basis of all activities and endeavors. The aim of the present paper is to trace the similar trajectories in the evolution of military and business jargon and to analyze, by resorting to practical examples, the manifold similarities between the language of war and the one of business. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the conditions of the contemporary economy, the intensification of foreign trade is a fundamental requirement of economic growth, of business internationalization and, implicitly, of economic globalization. On the other hand, business development in the international environment, regardless of the size of the economic entities or their field of activity, tends to become a prerequisite of organizational existence. For this reason, the business strategies must be synchronized with the requirements and demands of the economic globalization. In this context, the authors of the present paper aimed to identify and briefly present the main effects of the globalization on the business internationalization and the management of the multinational companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Culture creates, builds, influences and develops, and, alongside education, determines actual manifestations, which are specific to the nation for the problems that concern it, to the organizations, in their specific environment, to their management with the internal and external shareholders. In this general framework, the authors of the present paper aim to highlight the main influences of culture on the management of the economic organizations, investigating a number of approaches to the concept of culture, and the relationship between culture, management, organizational culture and development, at the microeconomic level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Covid-19 pandemic had a huge impact on the way the UK population lived and worked during 2020. This paper explores the challenges faced while boring the west section of the Thames Tideway Tunnel in London, UK, with particular focus on the first national lockdown that began in March 2020. It discusses how the reduction in personnel triggered closure of the site, the technical challenge of safely stopping a tunnel boring machine for extended periods of time and the practical difficulties of creating a Covid-safe environment in a challenging space. This case study can be used to inform other underground construction projects coping with coronavirus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]