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Purpose – This study aims to examine a comparative analysis of electronic- and paper-based data collection methods. Design/methodology/approach – Survey research approach was adopted to conduct the study. A total of 500 library and information science (LIS) researcher/information professionals selected randomly from seven states in Nigeria represent the sample for the study. A self-designed questionnaire was used to gather data from the respondents. Six objectives were developed to guide the study. Findings – The findings reveal that there is preference for paper-based than the electronic-based data collection methods, and similarly, respondents indicated they cannot use any other data collection methods other than paper-based. Electronic data collection method is beneficial in terms of gathering a representative sample within a short period compared to the paper-based method. The researcher has control over access to the survey in the paper-based method compared to the electronic method, and there is opportunity to monitor the progress of the research and clarify ambiguity by the researcher. The electronic method is limited in terms of collecting data from only the respondents who are computer-literate with good Web skills, while the paper-based method is limited by higher attrition rate, money and time consumption. Research limitations/implications – The study did not consider the time needed to gather data with each method or the amount of time needed for data entry, cleaning and coding. It is possible that a time-motion study would reveal clear superiority of either one method or the other. The total sample of participants in the study is also limited, considering the total number of LIS researcher/information professionals in Nigeria. Practical implications – The study has underlined the value of electronic/Web-based collection as a cost- and time-saving instrument in modern LIS research. Regardless of method and trial, electronic data collection could fulfill in all examined parameters, its promises, realizing cost savings of up to a 50 per cent in comparison with the paper-based data collection method. Originality/value – The paper is solely the idea of the author. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study explores the everyday experiences of researchers in assessing their own and others' research, highlighting what "good" qualitative accounting research is from their perspectives. Design/methodology/approach: The analysis is based on interviews with accounting scholars from the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain and Australia, with diverse ethnic background and methodological preferences. Findings: Interviewees pointed to a plurality of practical, and to some extent tacit, ways in which they demonstrate and assess the quality of research, concerning "contribution", "consistency" and "confidence", with generalizability being seen as more controversial and difficult to attain. In general, interviewees highlighted the underlying ambiguity on what constitutes good research in the qualitative accounting community, contrasting it to the perceived stronger clarity to be found in the quantitative accounting community. This was seen as potentially strengthening the positions of "gatekeepers" in the accounting communities, and encouraging conformance and "signaling" behaviors, at the risk of hampering innovation. Originality/value: The main critical issues affecting qualitative research quality highlighted by interviewees concern the engagement with the world of practice, and with theory and literature, the importance of accounting for the analysis of qualitative data and for the messiness of the underlying process, and the implicit search for compliance with editors' and community's expectations and conventions. These findings suggest the need to continue debating how to assess the quality of qualitative research in everyday activities, and reflect on how to promote acceptance and openness to pluralism, in scientific communities, as well as in data collection, analysis, in the theorizing, and in connecting epistemology and methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to enhance understanding of the use of sourcing teams (STs) by organisations in their procurement and supply chain management. The paper achieves this by exploring, within the context of the supply chain directorate of a global aerospace manufacturing company (GAMC), both the relationship between sourcing teamwork effectiveness (TE) and sourcing task-work effectiveness (TA) and the relationship between individual team member knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) and TE. Design/methodology/approach: The authors develop a theoretical model positing positive links between both KSAs and TE and TE and TA. The model is empirically validated using partial least squares structural equation modelling in a survey of 108 ST members from a GAMC. Findings: The authors identify that, within GAMC, four of five KSAs drive TE and further discover the direct effects of TE on improved TA. Additionally, the authors observe within GAMC the indirect effects of KSAs on TA cascading through TE. Research limitations/implications: Limitations include the use of a single firm and self-report measures for data collection. In spite of this, the paper has numerous research implications. Previous research on STs has combined factors related to TE and TA. In this paper, TE and TA were disaggregated, and the relationships between them were explored. The relationships were found to be positive within GAMC, a finding that strengthens the evidence base supporting the use of STs by organisations in their procurement and supply chain management. In addition, the paper also strengthened the evidence base regarding the importance of KSAs to TE, which complements existing research highlighting the importance of team-level factors and individual technical attributes. Practical implications: The findings from GAMC suggest that executives/managers should take an individual as well as a team-level perspective when developing STs and should consider KSAs as well as technical knowledge when judging individuals' suitability for inclusion within an ST. There are established KSA tests in the literature that could be used by managers for this task. The findings also inform executives/managers that TE matters for TA and needs attention and investment, especially where sourcing tasks concern high-value areas and/or critical incidents within supply chains. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first paper to explore the relationship between TE and TA. Establishing that this relationship is a positive one provides critically important evidence regarding the efficacy of STs, which are widely used within procurement and supply chain management. It is also a rare study looking at TE from the perspective of individual team member KSAs, with further positive relationships revealed. Both findings enhance what is a very limited literature on a widely used practice within procurement and supply chain management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to disclose ontology of DSI as a novel concept in servitization community, explore the research context and themes (i.e. technological and industrial sectors) where DSI emerges, unveil methodological complexities of the research on digital servitization and DSI and provide guidelines for future research avenues regarding DSI. Design/methodology/approach: Bearing in mind the relative novelty of DSI as a concept in servitization literature, the authors adopted a systematic literature review approach to identify 111 peer-reviewed articles published in English language and available in business and management disciplines via scholar databases (Scopus). The analysis of literature discloses descriptive and thematic insights regarding digital servitization and DSI. Findings: The study provides valuable insights from the descriptive and thematic analyses where classification of articles per publication year, citations, methodology/type of the paper, geographical location of data collection, as well as industrial sector and technological contexts are discussed. Moreover, the unique value of this study is observed through its specific focus on the characteristics of DSI-related literature. Originality/value: The study is among the first of its kind to provide extensive descriptive and thematic insights on the available literature dealing with digital servitization and DSI, mapping out prior research across a wide spectrum of publication outlets and illustrating the chronological evolution of research on digital servitization and DSI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to critically review and synthesize the scale development practices in hospitality and tourism and propose updated guidelines applicable for both reflective and composite scales. Design/methodology/approach: Using a critical review of a sample of scale development papers published in six top-tier tourism and hospitality journals, the current guidelines' weaknesses and strengths and their applications are identified. Updated procedures are proposed to overcome these weaknesses. Findings: This review showed several issues in applying existing guidelines, including incomplete and unclear data collection processes, inconsistent data analysis processes including validity/reliability assessment and lack of criteria to identify and assess composite scales. As such, this paper proposes updated guidelines by incorporating the confirmatory composite analysis to assess composite scales. Originality/value: This paper offers unique theoretical and methodological contributions to scale development literature, by identifying the shortcomings of current practices of scale development and propose guidelines for both reflective and composite scales. The current scale development procedures cannot be applied for composite scales, and so the results of composite scale development using the current procedures are questionable. The updated guidelines by the current study improve new scales' accuracy, reliability and validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The rapid growth of the mobile money industry has been matched by a rise in mobile money fraud. The technology required to apprehend perpetrators of such fraud is nonexistent in most developing countries. Hence, the need for individuals to be willing to pay for insurance against such frauds is crucial. This paper aims to examine individuals' willingness to pay for insurance against mobile money fraud in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach: The paper uses nationally representative data collected from 4,266 adults (persons 18 years and above) in Ghana. Individuals' willingness to pay premiums for protection against mobile money fraud was elicited by a single-bound dichotomous choice and open-ended contingent valuation designs. Findings: On average, 24.34% of Ghanaians are willing to pay premiums for insurance against mobile money frauds, with more men (26.37%) being willing than women (22.56%). Similarly, the average monthly premium that men are willing to pay for protection against mobile money fraud is GH¢32.16 (US$8.16), while that of women is GH¢22.5 (US$5.62). Furthermore, the results show that years of schooling, income, previous fraud experience, and using the accounts for saving are all positively associated with willingness to pay. However, using other networks apart from MTN has a negative association with willingness to pay. Originality/value: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that examines willingness to pay for insurance against mobile money fraud. Thus, this is the first that estimate quantitatively how much mobile account holders will pay as premiums for insurance against mobile money fraud. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This short paper builds on and critiques work presenting potential non-disasters: disasters that did not seem to happen despite a major hazard. Previous work does not differentiate among different types of potential non-disasters. This short paper uses local information to propose three categories according to reasons for vulnerability being low or absent. These proposed categories are used to critique the construct of "potential non-disasters". Design/methodology/approach: This short paper uses a subjective approach to examples of potential non-disasters in 2022, focusing on local information that describes what happened. This information is applied and analysed for the three proposed categories using examples from Japan, Nepal, the Philippines and Vietnam. Such comparisons are useful for critiquing "potential non-disasters", by understanding better local approaches and information available for reporting on situations that could be disasters. Findings: Potential non-disasters remain relevant for exploring mechanisms, tools and actions for educating about vulnerability causes and vulnerability reduction to avert disasters. Limitations are evident by relying on media reports, even local ones with local authors. A suggestion is to implement a grant programme for collecting data immediately after a major hazard without an evident, major disaster. Additionally, an annual report and critique of each year's potential non-disasters, categorised and analysed, would help to evidence the presence and limits of the "potential non-disaster" construct. Originality/value: This short paper contributes a much deeper theoretical dive into understanding potential non-disasters, both describing them and the drawbacks of the construct. To practitioners, the construct now offers more avenues for actions while illustrating their effectiveness in reducing vulnerabilities. Thus, this paper supports multiple, linked pathways towards more non-disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Activity sampling is a technique to monitor onsite labourers' time utilisation, which can provide helpful information for the management level to implement suitable labour productivity improvement strategies continuously. However, there needs to be a review paper that compiles research on activity sampling studies to give readers a thorough grasp of the research trend. Hence, this paper aims to investigate the activity sampling techniques applied in earlier research from the angles of activity categories formation, data collection methods and data analysis. Design/methodology/approach: The method used in this paper is a systematic review guided by the PRISMA framework. The search was conducted in Scopus and Web of Science. The inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, selecting 70 articles published between 2011 and 2022 for data extraction and analysis. The analysis method involved a qualitative synthesis of the findings from the selected articles. Findings: Activity sampling is broadly divided into four stages: targeting trade, determining activity categories, data collection and data analysis. This paper divides the activity categories into three levels and classifies the data collection methods into manual observation, sensor-based activity sampling and computer vision-based activity sampling. The previous studies applied activity sampling for two construction management purposes: labour productivity monitoring and ergonomic safety monitoring. This paper also further discusses the scientific research gaps and future research directions. Originality/value: This review paper contributes to the body of knowledge in construction management by thoroughly understanding current state-of-the-art activity sampling techniques and research gaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss the issues in studying hard-to-reach or dispersed populations, with particular focus on methodologies used to collect data and to investigate dispersed migrant entrepreneurs, illustrating shortcomings, pitfalls and potentials of accessing and disseminating research to hard-to-reach populations of migrant entrepreneurs. Design/methodology/approach: A mixed methodology is proposed to access hard-to-reach or dispersed populations, and this paper explores these using a sample of Brazilian migrants settled in different countries of the world. Findings: This paper explores empirical challenges, illustrating shortcomings, pitfalls and potentials of accessing and disseminating research to hard-to-reach populations of migrant entrepreneurs. It provides insights by reporting research experiences developed over time by this group of researchers, reflecting a "mixing" of methods for accessing respondents, contrasting to a more rigid, a-priori, mixed methods approach. Originality/value: The main contribution of this paper is to showcase experiences from, and suitability of, remote data collection, especially for projects that cannot accommodate the physical participation of researchers, either because of time or cost constraints. It reports on researching migrant entrepreneurship overseas. Remote digital tools and online data collection are highly relevant due to time- and cost-efficiency, but also represent solutions for researching dispersed populations. These approaches presented allow for overcoming several barriers to data collection and present instrumental characteristics for migrant research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to examine a model that combines barriers, drivers, government responses, recovery expectations, expected future changes in performance and the extent of digitalisation as a moderator in SMEs. Design/methodology/approach: This study uses exploratory causal methodologies. The study employs a quantitative methodology based on utilising an electronic questionnaire to gather the opinions of home workers and entrepreneurs in Jordan. The cross-sectional data collection approach was conducted in a single time frame, and a total of 1,179 valid questionnaires were analysed using Smart PLS along with SPSS. Findings: The findings demonstrate that the barriers lower the expectations of recovering performance, whilst the drivers and government responses raise the expectations of both performance recovery and change in performance. Concerning digitalisation, this study discovered that firms going digital had a significant positive direct impact on expectations of performance change. This paper also found that expectations of performance change are significantly positively impacted by the interaction between drivers and digitalisation. However, the moderating influence of digitalisation on the positive impact of government responses on expectations of performance change was not verified. Practical implications: The study's conclusions led to the formulation of several policy recommendations aimed at easing the burden on SMEs. Originality/value: This study adds something new to the body of knowledge on SMEs by investigating the effects of barriers, drivers and government responses on expectations of performance recovery and the expected future change in performance moderated by digitalisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Relying on mergers and acquisition transaction-level data set and adopting a more region-specific approach with a focus on industry-region pairs, this paper aims to examine how cross-border acquisitions (CBAs) have an effect, in terms of technological spillover and collaboration, on European regional clusters. Design/methodology/approach: Adopting an industry-region pair approach, this study is based on a quantitative analysis of regional clusters belonging to 262 European regions and 25 patenting industries. Different thresholds of industrial specialization are used to identify clustering industries within a region. Invention performance at the regional cluster level is defined through two sets of different measurements to assess the impact of CBAs on invention quantity performance and internal and external technological collaboration. Findings: The results reveal that CBAs have a positive and significant impact on the number of patents as well as the number of internal and external technological collaborations and that this effect is persistent over time. Furthermore, through exploring the interindustry technological spillover effect of CBAs registered in the same region of a cluster but outside the cluster itself, the authors found that CBAs in a regional cluster are inclined to produce technological spillovers within the cluster but no significant effects in the other industries of the region. Originality/value: This paper is an attempt to empirically explore CBAs and technological spillover in European regional clusters. Therefore, it contributes to the debate, thanks to the use of an industry-region pair approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper is to review COVID-19 and Accounting research published during the pandemic up to July 2020. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopted bibliometric anlaysis and used the Scopus database to collect the data during the COVID-19 pandemic research published in the area of COVID-19 and accounting research. Findings: This paper has acknowledged the most relevant and scientific contributors in terms documents, institutions, sources and countries. Originality/value: To the best of the author's knowledge, this study is the first study to review COVID-19 and Accounting research agenda during the pandemic. Research limitations: This study used only articles published in journals indexed in Scopus database. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims at discovering the traditional techniques of Persian architecture for covering large-span spaces with a kind of ribbed vault titled "Karbandi". This structure is generated by intersecting several arches with a harmonic stellar geometry. Preliminary studies show that span factor affects the structural form of karbandi and large-span cases, despite similar architectural forms, have different structural systems and specific construction methods. The main focus of this paper is how karbandi has been designed and built on large-spans. To answer this question, the configuration and construction of a large-span karbandi in Tabriz Bazaar were recognized. Design/methodology/approach: Data collection of the research was initially done in three parallel directions through the archival study of restoration documents, direct observation of the corpus of the vaultings and interviews with the master mason of the Haj-Mohammad-Qoli Timche restoration team. Then by cross-referencing the gathered data, the construction process of the karbandi was simulated in Rhino 6 and Grasshoppers software and its BIM-M models were created in three levels of development: LOD300, LOD350 and LOD400. In the next step, the preliminary BIM-M models of the karbandi were presented to the interviewed mason and revised and completed based on his comments. Findings: Analyzing the BIM models by reverse engineering, resulted in (1) Discovering a unique self-supporting masonry construction method applied for the erection of karbandi vaulting on large-spans. (2) Finding the effect of scale factor on the architectural and structural form of the karbandi vault. (3) Discovering the connection types of the karbandi vault based on the construction details. Originality/value: Despite the wide applications of karbandi vaults throughout history, very little information of their construction techniques is available. The techniques have mostly been experientially and orally passed down from masters to apprentices and rarely been documented. The quest to design and construct a karbandi vault is therefore like solving a puzzle whose most important guide is historical cases. Due to the geometric complexity of karbandi and its ability to cover large-span spaces, solving the puzzle can lead to achieving some technical ideas for masonry cross-ribbed vaulting. A great riddle of the karbandi vaults is how to design and build them on a large span. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to understand the factors that enable and inhibit WhatsApp users' discontinuance intention (DI) following the change in WhatsApp's privacy policy. Design/methodology/approach: Using the enabler-inhibitor model as a framework, a research model consisting of discontinuation enabler distrust (DT) and the DT's antecedents [(negative electronic word of mouth (NEWOM), negative offline word of mouth (NOWOM) and privacy invasion (PI)], discontinuation inhibitor inertia (INR) and INR's antecedents (affective commitment, switching cost and use habit) and moderator structural assurance was proposed and tested with data from 624 WhatsApp users using partial least square structure equational modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings: The results show that DT created due to NEWOM and a sense of PI significantly impact DI. However, INR has no significant impact on DI. Structural assurance significantly moderates the relationship between DT and DI. Originality/value: The paper collected data when many WhatsApp users switched to other platforms due to the change in WhatsApp's terms of service. The timing of data collection allowed for collecting the real impact of the sense of PI compared to other studies where the effect is hypothetically induced. Further, the authors acknowledge social media providers' efforts to address privacy criticism and regain users' trust, an area that has received little attention in prior literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to assess user awareness of electricity consumption at a public university in Ghana based on the norm activation model (NAM). Design/methodology/approach: The study adopted a survey design, using closed-ended questionnaires as the main data collection instruments. Data was collected from 300 respondents (staff and students) of the university and analysed descriptively using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Findings: The study found that the level of user awareness (as defined by NAM) of electricity consumption among staff and students is moderate. Therefore, the more energy campaigns users are exposed to the higher their level of user awareness (awareness of consequence, ascription of responsibility and personal norm). Practical implications: The findings of this study can assist university management boards and other organisations in recognising the potential for reducing electricity use by increasing user knowledge. Ultimately, this can result in added value. Originality/value: The study makes a significant contribution to the literature on the NAM by exclusively focusing on the variables of NAM to assess the level of user awareness of electricity consumption in a university setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to explore the relationships between recognition, inclusion, and well-being at work. Inclusion involves integrating individuals within a group while recognizing their unique skills and need for belonging. Recognition and inclusion are sources of well-being at work. Design/methodology/approach: We used a qualitative methodology based on a structural approach to investigate the social representations of 1,611 employees of a public organization located in the Centre-Val de Loire region of France. Findings: Our results suggest that recognition is a central mechanism of inclusion, primarily manifested through satisfaction of the individual's need to belong. We conclude with a proposed heuristic schema of the connections between the constructs studied. Research limitations/implications: This paper proposes a new perspective to the work of Shore et al. (2018) by addressing the knowledge gap in the literature concerning the role of recognition in determining an inclusive climate and optimizing well-being at work. This is done using qualitative methodology, drawing on the Dazibao framework of data collection. Originality/value: Bringing a new perspective to the work of Shore et al. (2018) by helping to fill the knowledge gap relating to the place of recognition in determining an inclusive climate and well-being at work. It does so through a qualitative methodology based on the Dazibao framework of data collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Resilience in healthcare is fundamental for what constitutes quality in healthcare. To understand healthcare resilience, resilience research needs a multilevel perspective, diverse research designs, and taking advantage of different data sources. However, approaching resilience researchers as a data source is a new approach within this field and needs careful consideration to ensure that research is trustworthy and ethically sound. The aim of this short "backstage" general review paper is to give a snapshot of how the Resilience in Healthcare (RiH) research program identified and dealt with potential methodological and ethical challenges in researching researcher colleagues. Design/methodology/approach: The authors first provide an overview of the main challenges and benefits from the literature on researching researcher colleagues. Second, the authors demonstrate how this literature was used to guide strategies and principles adopted in the RiH research process. Findings: The paper describes established principles and a checklist for data collection and analysis to overcome potential dilemmas and challenges to ensure trustworthiness and transparency in the process. Originality/value: Mining the knowledge and experience of resilience researchers is fundamental for taking the research field to the next step, and furthermore an approach that is relevant across different research fields. This paper provides guidance on how other research projects can approach researcher colleagues in similar ways to gain new insight, build theory and advance their research field based on insider competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Under the widely used testing methods for fabric bending behavior, only one result for one direction can be obtained by using one fabric which is low efficient. To obtain fabric bending anisotropy, it is necessary to conduct a great many testing experiments. The purpose of this paper is to investigate a novel, efficient and visual method that can measure fabric bending anisotropy. Design/methodology/approach: Fabrics are first cut into special shapes with eight strips including four directions, 0°(warp direction), 90°(weft direction), 45 and 135°(true bias), then are put onto the self-designed instrument. After that a camera is used to take picture from the right above the prism. New parameters, projection area, projection length, projection length, falling height and falling index (S, L, H and I in short) are obtained. Furthermore, standard deviation of them (SDS, SDL, SDH and SDI in short) are extracted for the characterization of bending anisotropy. Findings: Results show that the new method has good feasibility and S, L and I can be used to express fabric bending property well. Of all the four new parameters, SDL has the highest correlation with SD of bending length, SDS the second and SDH the third. That is, SDL can characterize bending anisotropy best. Taken convenience of data acquisition and correlation into consideration, bending length L is the best parameter. Average L and SDL in four directions can be combined to express the comprehensive bending behavior of fabrics. Originality/value: The new method can measure and characterize both the fabric bending property and bending anisotropy. Besides its high efficiency, it can display fabric bending or bending anisotropy visually and directly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to survey how research data are governed at repositories in Japan by deductively establishing a governance typology based on the concept of openness in the context of knowledge commons and empirically assessing the conformity of repositories to each type. Design/methodology/approach: The fuzzy-set ideal type analysis (FSITA) was adopted. For data collection, a manual assessment was conducted with all Japanese research data repositories registered on re3data.org. Findings: The typology constructed in this paper consists of three dimensions: openness to resources (here equal to research data), openness to a community and openness to infrastructure provision. This paper found that there is no case where all dimensions are open, and there are several cases where the resources are closed despite research data repositories being positioned as a basis for open science in Japanese science and technology policy. Originality/value: This is likely the first construction of the typology and application of FSITA to the study of research data governance based on knowledge commons. The findings of this paper provide practitioners insight into how to govern research data at repositories. The typology serves as a first step for future research on knowledge commons, for example, as a criterion of case selection in conducting in-depth case studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze user-generated comments posted on social media while live matches were being played during the Cricket World Cup 2015.Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from Yahoo! Cricket (YC), a website that allows people to submit comments during live matches. The comments were qualitatively analyzed using the grounded theory approach.Findings The key finding of this paper is that people like to consume live sporting events in an online social setting rather than as isolated individuals. In addition, the use of the grounded theory approach helped uncover several new findings related to people’s use of social media during live matches.Research limitations/implications Since this paper studied the case of the Cricket World Cup 2015 and collected data from YC, caution is advocated in generalizing its findings.Originality/value Scholarly interest on the use of social media during live sporting events is growing. Building on such works, this paper highlights how user-generated comments posted during the Cricket World Cup 2015 – mostly by individuals within the Indian subcontinent – intersected with broader issues such as culture, identity, politics and religion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate business-to-business sales executives' navigation of challenges and changes in planning during two separate periods (prevaccine and postvaccine) of time, which were impacted by a disruptive event (the COVID-19 pandemic). Design/methodology/approach: This study uses a two-phase qualitative data collection approach. Thirteen executives, primarily from the Business-to-Business (B2B) manufacturing industry, were interviewed in phase one (2–3 months before the first COVID-19 vaccine). The second period of data collection was collected 4–5 months after vaccines became available. Findings: The prevaccine business environment focused on short-term challenges, while the vaccine created exponential changes to long-term sales practices, suggesting the need to focus on critical inflection points that occur after the initial disruptive event. Research limitations/implications: This exploratory study is a step toward developing a deeper understanding of managing disruptive events within a business-to-business sales environment by stressing the importance of both the actual disruptive event and the inflection points that follow the event. Practical implications: New business models are constantly developing and evolving. However, this study suggests the biggest changes could occur after an inflection point from the disruption. Thus, firms need to consider different planning strategies before and after certain inflection points following a disruptive event. First, firms should adapt from their predisruption strategy to focus on short-term challenges during the initial phases of a disruption, likely halting most of the long-term planning. Second, inflection points create the need to move beyond short-term challenges and changes to focus on long-term changes. Third, long-term strategies and planning postinflection point will be different, and likely more complex, than long-term strategies and planning predisruption. Originality/value: Most studies look at a disruptive event through a single data collection period. This longitudinal study compares prevaccine and postvaccine thought processes to explore the impact of an inflection point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Consumer studies drawing on interpretative approaches have tended to rely on sedentary interviews, which the authors argue are ill-equipped to capture the embodied, tacit and pre-reflexive knowledge that conditions routinized practices. This paper aims to provide practical and theoretical framing of the walking-with technique, in particular, with reference to practice theories. Specifically, this paper draws on Bourdieu's concept of the "habitus" to illustrate the "workings" of the habituated body in performing routine consumption. Design/methodology/approach: This paper used the walking-with technique to elicit "mobile stories" with senior executives in Hong Kong. This paper explored how walking to and from work/lunch/dinner can open up culturally and historically embodied narratives that reflect evolving consumption practices throughout participants' professional trajectories. Findings: This paper demonstrates the uses of the walking-with technique by illustrating how embodied narratives foreground the pre-reflexive practices of mundane consumption. This paper illustrates how walking as a "mobile mundane practice" can expand a researcher's horizon of understanding, enabling them to "fall into the routines of participants' life", "get into grips with participant's temporal (time travel portal) and cultural conditioning" and "co-experience and empathise with participants through bodily knowing". The authors argue that walking-with necessarily implies an inter-subjective sharing of intermundane space between the researchers and the participants. Such a method is therefore conducive to engendering co-created embodied understanding-in-practice, which the authors argue is accomplished when there is a fusion-of-habituses. Future applications in other consumer contexts are also discussed. Practical implications: The walking-with technique embeds data collection in the day-to-day routes taken by participants. This does not only ease the accessibility issue but also render real-life settings relevant to participants' daily life. Originality/value: Despite receiving growing attention in social science studies, the walking-with technique is under-used in consumer research. This paper calls for the need to mobilise walking-with as a method to uncover practical and theoretical consumer insights in a way that allows for embodied and performative knowledge (know-how) to emerge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Information seeking is often performed in collaborative contexts. The research into such collaborative information seeking (CIS) has been proceeding since the 1990s but lacks methodological discussions. The purpose of this paper is to analyze and discuss methodological issues in existing CIS studies.Design/methodology/approach The authors systematically review 69 empirical CIS studies.Findings The review shows that the most common methods of data collection are lab experiments (43 percent), observation (19 percent) and surveys (16 percent), that the most common methods of data analysis are description (33 percent), statistical testing (29 percent) and content analysis (19 percent) and that CIS studies involve a fairly even mix of novice, intermediate and specialist participants. However, the authors also find that CIS research is dominated by exploratory studies, leaves it largely unexplored in what ways the findings of a study may be specific to the particular study setting, appears to assign primacy to precision at the expense of generalizability, struggles with investigating how CIS activities extend over time and provides data about behavior to a larger extent than about reasons, experiences and especially outcomes.Research limitations/implications The major implication of this review is its identification of the need for a shared model to which individual CIS studies can contribute in a cumulative manner. To support the development of such a model, the authors discuss a model of the core CIS process and a model of the factors that trigger CIS.Originality/value This study assesses the current state of CIS research, provides guidance for future CIS studies and aims to inspire further methodological discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mechanisms through which ISO 14001 can contribute to the corporate sustainability. In this regard, the paper examines the underlying theoretical concepts and discusses the ISO 14001 in the context of the corporate sustainability. Additionally, the paper discusses the benefits of ISO 14001 from the perspective of the triple bottom line. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses a multiple case study approach focusing on four ISO 14001-certified Slovenian organizations and two non-ISO 14001-certified organizations. The data collection methods included semi-structured questionnaire and interviews with managers in all studied organizations. Findings – It is suggested that the motives could be perceived as explanatory variables of the benefits realized from ISO 14001 certification. Further, the findings of this study indicate that environmental management system should be seen in a wider perspective that includes elements such as quality and social responsibility. Moreover, the results also lead us to the suggestion that there could be a reciprocal causal mechanism linking the environmental performance and economic performance. Practical implications – ISO 14001 can be an effective tool for pursuing sustainable development; however, organizations should move a step beyond ISO 14001’s environmental focus and recognize a multidimensional perspective by simultaneously addressing environmental, quality and social responsibility issues. Originality/value – The paper contributes to the corporate sustainability literature by investigating the mechanisms through which organizations can shift to more sustainable patterns using the ISO 14001. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper aims to study front-line employees’ contribution to service innovation, when they contribute and how they are involved in service innovation. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on a multiple-case study on service innovation in four organizations with extensive front-line employee involvement. The main data collection methods are interviews and observations. Findings – The paper suggests that front-line employees contribute customer knowledge, product knowledge and practice knowledge during five phases of the service innovation process – project formation, idea generation, service design, testing and implementation – and that front-line employee involvement ranges from active to passive. Research limitations/implications – Statistical generalization of the results is needed. Practical implications – The paper reveals that early and active front-line employee involvement in the service innovation process creates conditions for a positive contribution to service innovation. Originality/value – The paper suggests that early and active knowledge contributions by front-line employees to the service innovation process are associated with the creation of attractive value propositions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to outline different signals that franchisors can use to communicate their value proposition to prospective franchisees. It also tests whether these signals can enable franchisors to charge a premium from their franchisees. Design/methodology/approach: This paper uses a mixed-methods approach to arrive at the findings. It uses a combination of open-ended survey and archival data to arrive at the findings. Findings: Franchisees consider franchisor's characteristics such as its "capability," "support offered" and "franchisee membership criteria" significant while buying into their franchises. The results suggest that franchisors can leverage some of their capability signals to obtain a higher franchise fee if they use the right signals as desired by franchisees. Research limitations/implications: Signals identified in this study are specific to this study. The relationship between the signals and franchise fee is applicable for high-performing franchises operating in the American context only. Future research can address this limitation by collecting more data, testing additional signals and using alternative methods to verify the findings. Practical implications: Franchisors can take cues from the evaluative criteria used by franchisees to design their signaling strategies. Franchisors can leverage some of their capabilities to extract higher fees from their franchisees. Prospective franchisees should engage in due diligence before purchasing a franchise unit and avoid franchises with higher support fees and loose franchisee recruitment criteria. Originality/value: This study contributes to research on the evaluative criteria used by franchisees. It contributes to the signaling theory by offering insights into the performance outcomes of signals in the franchising context. It also contributes to our understanding of franchising by adopting a mixed-methods approach that includes information about franchisors and franchisees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper was to study the effect of workplace loneliness on job performance. This paper also examined the mediating role of employee well-being and psychological safety and the moderating role of person–environment fit (PE fit). Design/methodology/approach: A multi-rated research design was used to collect data. Data were collected from 382 employees and their 97 supervisors of various Indian organizations. The data of job performance was collected from the supervisor of every team. The questionnaire for data collection was distributed at two different time intervals to reduce common method bias. Findings: The findings of this paper supported the role of PE fit in minimizing the negative effect of workplace loneliness–well-being relationship and workplace loneliness and psychological safety relationship. The model also tested the association between workplace loneliness and job performance when the relationship is moderated by PE fit and mediated by well-being and psychological safety. Originality/value: This paper examines the workplace loneliness from the lens of PE fit theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach: This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings: This paper found that immersive technologies can be used to not just offer entertainment to customers, but as a data collection tool that can be used to improve marketing strategies. Originality/value: The briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This article aims to analyze the way the leader acts in the development of collective competencies (CC) of fashion work teams, seeking to demonstrate ways in which the leader can collaborate for the development of the collective work. Design/methodology/approach: With a qualitative approach, this paper carried out a case study strategy having the Creation Center of a fashion group from Santa Catarina, Brazil as a research object. Data collection took place through semi-structured interviews and participant observation with 36 employees from 6 work teams from 5 clothing brands. Findings: Our findings make it clear that the leader influences the CC development of fashion work teams. The leader's role becomes essential for directing and developing his team, seeking to encourage participation and cooperation between team members to achieve the objectives and expected results. It was considered that the CC development could be associated with how much the leader represents his team and contributes with guidelines that emphasize the collective and the people and teams' development. The leader who makes the cooperative relationship feasible, encourages effort and promotes cohesion and teamwork tends to collaborate with actions that foster CC development. Originality/value: From a theoretical perspective, it is the first study to analyze empirically the relationship between leadership and CC. A model with 18 guidelines was developed, divided into six determining factors (activity dynamics, team composition, individual characteristics and dispositions, team integration, communication and physical structure) that demonstrated the way the leader collaborates for the CC development. For the fashion industry, this study demonstrates elements capable of assisting collective creativity and the development of fashion collections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The traditional means of pursuing research by having all the parameters and processes under one roof has given way to collaborative mechanisms of performing the same task. Collaborative work increases the quality of research and it is a big contributing factor to augment the growth of the scientific knowledge. This process leads to training of new and well-informed academicians and scientists. e-Research (Electronic Research) has gained significant amount of traction as technology serves as the backbone for undertaking collaborative research. The purpose of this paper is to provide a synoptic view of existing research surrounding e-Research and suggest a data lifecycle model that can improve the outcome of collaborative research.Design/methodology/approach Systematic literature review methodology has been employed to undertake this study. Using the outcome of the literature review and the analysis of the existing data lifecycle models, an improvised version of the data lifecycle model has been suggested.Findings This study has brought a conceptual model for data lifecycle for collaborative research. The literature review in the domain of e-Research has shown that the focus of these papers was on the following stages of data lifecycle model: concept and design, data collection, data processing, sharing and distribution of data and data analysis.Research limitations/implications In this paper, only journal papers have been considered and conference proceedings have not been included for literature review.Originality/value This paper suggests a conceptual model for the data lifecycle for collaborative research. This study can be useful for academic and research institutions to design their data lifecycle model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the change of institutional logics in actors' practices within crowdfunding platforms, seen as open collaborative ecosystems. Design/methodology/approach: The research follows an abductive approach, wherein data collection and analysis, and the search for complementary theories, constitute parallel iterative processes. A main case study was carried out, complemented by an expert panel. Findings: Balanced centricity (BC) as the main institutional logic in crowdfunding platforms delineates actors' practices (aims, resources and behaviors) into four issues: the development of an open and collaborative community; the overcoming of resource limitations; the changing roles of actors; and the co-creation of mutual (societal) value. Research limitations/implications: This study context limits the results. The COVID-19 crisis put all actors in the medical field into an extreme situation in which they had to maximize their potential to achieve a common aim. Once the crisis has passed, further research should address whether BC is maintained as actors' institutional logic. Originality/value: This paper offers a unique perspective on BC as an institutional logic that impacts actors in collaborative open ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore pre-purchase apparel evaluation cues and examine the effect of demographic variables empirically in the context of a developing country. The initiation for the study was driven by the absence of such prior research and supplemented by the big market opportunity for clothing products in the country under investigation. Design/methodology/approach: A self-administered online survey was used for data collection. Demographic questions, 23 apparel measurement items composed of 17 product-based and 6 sustainability-based items, and an open-ended question were included in the questionnaire. Factor analysis was used for dimension reduction and one-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) for hypotheses testing. Findings: Garment fit, design features, colour, fabric type and seasonality are the five important characteristics most Ethiopian consumers consider while buying apparel products. Factor analysis resulted in five important factors used for pre-purchase apparel evaluation amongst which the design and extrinsic cue is found to be the most important. Environmental factors in the apparel industry got higher emphasis than social factors. While age and educational background made differences in apparel evaluation, gender did not show a significant difference. Originality/value: The paper provides a founding insight in exploring apparel evaluation cues by considering product- and sustainability-based cues in a developing country context. It also examines the effect of three demographic variables which are rarely studied in such combination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of the present study was to examine the outcomes of more collaborative library information literacy instruction for international English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students.Design/methodology/approach This study used action research and employed three different data collection techniques: observations, semi-structured interviews and content analysis of classroom artifacts.Findings The paper concluded that one-shot information literacy instruction was not sufficient for international ESL students to acquire information literacy. Findings suggested that lack of secondary information literacy instruction just prior to the final papers, and lack of one-on-one mentoring opportunities hindered effective information literacy acquisition for the selected cohort of ESL students.Research limitations/implications Results derived from this study were used to design more effective, useful and holistic information literacy instruction for international ESL students beginning next semester at this private NY College.Originality/value This is a case study where the paper has used the participatory action research to present the importance of collaboration between the classroom teacher and the librarian to improve ESL students’ information literacy experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate how business excellence (BE) custodians (BECs) design, develop and modify their BE frameworks (BEFs) and to provide a general framework for reviewing BEFs. The design process is important to understand as these BEFs are used to help organisations understand the components of BE to guide them towards world-class performance. Design/methodology/approach: The first step was to identify all the BE awards (BEAs) worldwide and their BEFs by conducting a review of publicly available sources. This research was then limited to only those BEAs that were held no more than two years ago. Of these, 29 BECs (with active BEAs) in 26 countries agreed to participate in the research. Data was collected with the help of a survey and 13 BECs also undertook optional follow-up interviews. Findings: In total, 56 countries and regions have 65 active BEAs with another 17 countries having BE initiatives. The EFQM excellence model and the Baldrige excellence framework are used by 37.7% and 14.5% of BECs worldwide, respectively. In total, 58.3% of the BECs review their BEFs once every three years or sooner, 100% of the BECs are confident in their BEFs' fundamental concepts and 96.5% in their categories. There are fewer active BEAs now and the use of BE is potentially decreasing which suggests that more effort is required by the BECs in promoting BE. Originality/value: This research collects data directly from the BECs on how BECs design and develop BEFs and provides a general framework for reviewing BEFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present a review on the latest developments, approaches and methods in intellectual capital (IC) performance measurement. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 53 research papers from high-ranking journals concerning the advances in IC performance measurement were thoroughly reviewed and classified to identify the advanced approaches and methods that have been used to evaluate IC performance. Findings: It is clear that the current application of advanced or intelligent methods in IC performance measurement is still at the primary stage. The reviewed approaches mainly focus on two core applications. First is to assist the data collection or data handling process and second is to enhance the result computation process to obtain a more reliable and realistic value that represents the performance of IC. Research limitations/implications: This study offers a foundation and guideline for the researchers who wish to integrate advanced methods into IC performance measurement based on the reviewed advanced approaches in terms of their respective functions, strengths and limitations. It stimulates the creation of new IC performance measurement models that use advanced approaches to cope with real-life problems and dynamic conditions. Originality/value: This paper contributes to the literature on IC performance measurement, in light of advances in technology. In general, five advanced approaches were identified, analyzed and discussed. Future research directions were presented to provide new insights for researchers to apply advanced methods in IC performance measurement, together with theoretical and managerial implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to highlight issues relayed to appropriate design and conduct of qualitative studies in educational leadership. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is a conceptual/logical argument that centers around the notion that while scholars in the field have at times paid attention to such dynamics, it is important that issues special to the field are considered by all. Findings – The major findings indicate that researchers/analysts need to determine not only the existence and accessibility of the qualitative research design and its various data collection strategies for leadership studies but also its authenticity and usefulness, taking into account the original purpose, the context in which it is produced and the intended audience. Originality/value – Certain aspects of the paper relate to general issues of sound and generally accepted standards of research practice, but the authors also consider several issues that make educational leadership scholarship unique. The originality of the paper draws attention to certain dynamics that scholars should consider when designing and conducting qualitative research on educational leadership. In doing so, the authors not only draw on the literature but also on their own experience designing, conducting and publishing qualitative research on educational leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to highlight the competing and overlapping discourses on corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Egypt, a setting with a serious knowledge gap on CSR. Design/methodology/approach – This study is based on semi-structured in-depth interviews with key players in the field of CSR in Egypt conducted in the fall of 2013 and early 2014. Informants included in this study were CSR staff members at major multinational enterprises (MNEs) operating in Egypt, key partner non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operating in the field of CSR, media and public relations agents that are partners with MNEs in launching CSR media campaigns about CSR activities. Findings – The paper identifies three themes in the discourse on CSR among some of the key field players including CSR practitioners at MNEs, NGOs and media specialists. First, CSR is seen as a western version of a long standing philanthropic tradition, that is rooted in religion. The comparison between CSR and indigenous religious practices discredits CSR as a vulgarized form of giving that seeks to take more than give. Second, the surmount challenges of poverty and unemployment place heightened expectations on CSR to seriously address these challenges. It is in view of these challenges that CSR is accused of doing “bad” development, which is the third theme identified in the data. Research limitations/implications – There is a dearth of research on CSR in Egypt, which largely remains a setting less explored in terms of CSR. This paper problematizes the connection between CSR and development. It also highlights the importance of studying CSR in different contexts. Practical implications – The findings in this paper are relevant for the design of CSR programs in contexts of countries in the south. Social implications – CSR is a normative practice, understanding the views of its practitioners and criticisms of the field is central to its development and maturity. Originality/value – Paper builds on original data collected by the authors. It addresses a lacuna of research on CSR in the Middle East region, particularly Egypt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast research on collaborative information seeking (CIS) and expertise seeking (EXS) to identify focal themes, blind spots, and possibilities for cross-fertilization.Design/methodology/approach Existing research was reviewed. The review consisted of a content analysis of 70 (CIS) and 72 (EXS) studies with respect to the context, scope, process, and setting of CIS and EXS, supplemented with a bibliometric analysis of the references in the reviewed studies.Findings In CIS, the context is a group of actors collaborating on a shared task. In EXS, the information need is held by an individual but resolved by consulting other people. While the typical scope of EXS studies is source selection, CIS studies mostly concern the consultation of the sources and the use of the obtained information. CIS and EXS studies also attend differentially to the information-seeking process. Only 4 percent of the references in the reviewed studies are cited in both CIS and EXS research. The author concludes that, at present, CIS and EXS are different discourses about similar issues.Research limitations/implications Increased interaction between CIS and EXS will advance research in both areas and prevent duplication of effort. Topics for future research are identified. It should be noted that the findings are limited to the 142 studies reviewed.Originality/value By analyzing CIS in the context of EXS, and vice versa, this study provides a fresh look at the information-seeking research that attends to collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that influence an individual’s intention to participate in the family takaful scheme based on decomposed theory of planned behaviour (DTPB). The central hypotheses for this study are that individual’s intentions to participate in family takaful scheme are a result of attitudes towards participation in family takaful scheme, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control (PBC). Awareness and knowledge, as well as exposure and religiosity, are integrated into the model.Design/methodology/approach Using primary data collection method, 384 questionnaires were distributed to target respondents comprising of Muslims in Klang Valley, Malaysia. The data were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences and SmartPLS.Findings The DTPB model is effective in predicting individual’s intention to participate in family takaful scheme. Out of 15 hypotheses, 12 were found to be significant. Attitudes towards participation in family takaful scheme, PBC, knowledge, and exposure have significant influences on purchase intention. However, this study found the path from religiosity, awareness, and subjective norm to intention was insignificant.Practical implications The results of this study highlight the applicability of DTPB into takaful research and suggest marketing strategies for family takaful operators.Originality/value The value of this paper lies in its presentation of a model for factors that affect individual’s intention to participate in family takaful scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Upcycling is conceptualised as a digital historical research practice aimed at increasing the scientific value of historical data collections produced in print or in electronic form between the eighteenth and the late twentieth centuries. The concept of upcycling facilitates data rescue and reuse as well as the study of information creation processes deployed by previous generations of researchers. Design/methodology/approach: Based on a selection of two historical reference works and two legacy collections, an upcycling workflow consisting of three parts (input, processing and documentation and output) is developed. The workflow facilitates the study of historical information creation processes based on paradata analysis and targets the cognitive processes that precede and accompany the creation of historical data collections. Findings: The proposed upcycling workflow furthers the understanding of computational methods and their role in historical research. Through its focus on the information creation processes that precede and accompany historical research, the upcycling workflow contributes to historical data criticism and digital hermeneutics. Originality/value: Many historical data collections produced between the eighteenth and the late twentieth century do not comply with the principles of FAIR data. The paper argues that ignoring the work of previous generations of researchers is not an option, because it would make current research practices more vulnerable and would result in losing access to the experiences and knowledge accumulated by previous generations of scientists. The proposed upcycling workflow takes historical data collections seriously and makes them available for future generations of researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop an understanding of the experience of secure care from the patients' perspective. Design/methodology/approach: A systematic review of qualitative literature was conducted. The data was sourced from the electronic databases: PsychINFO, CINAHL, Medline and the Web of Science Core Collection using pre-defined search terms. A total of 17 studies, conducted in various countries worldwide and covering high, medium and low secure inpatient settings, were included for review. The analysis involved integrating findings from across the literature and was guided by thematic synthesis. Findings: A total of eight themes were generated from the data, three of which provided an understanding of the experience of forensic secure care, and the remaining five themes provided an understanding of the factors which may influence the experience of secure care. Practical implications: Developing understanding of patient experience can lead to service improvements, potentially impacting patients' motivation and engagement and thus reducing admission times, potential recalls and recidivism. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first systematic review to date to exclusively explore the broad topic of the patient experience of secure mental health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper explains the evident disproportionality in the levels of adoption of the modality of public–private partnerships (PPPs) in Uganda by tracing the peculiar preconditions and enablers of the model's relative high adoption in the electricity sector. Design/methodology/approach: Key conceptual suggestions from historical institutionalism (HI), critical juncture and path dependence are used to orient the data collection and analysis. The direct experiences and perceptions of key informants involved in policy, regulation and operations in the electricity sector are thematically analyzed. Findings: The primacy of specific policy, institutional decisions and actions sequentially undertaken at the international, national and sectorial levels in shaping the conceivability and possibility of PPP modality is foregrounded. In particular, international advisory for the changed role of the state and the government's subsequent decision to enact and reenact specific institutional frameworks at the national and sectorial levels created important disruptions to the status quo and paved a new and relatively stable institutional path conducive for private sector participation. Research limitations/implications: Theoretically, the paper demonstrates the ability and power of HI to support the exploration and framing of multilevel and path-dependent explanations of institutional development and policy adoption. Practically, suggestions in terms of policy, legal and regulatory enablers for the adoption of PPP are made to shape practitioners' decision-making Practical implications: Practically, suggestions in terms of policy, legal and regulatory enablers for the adoption of PPP are made to shape practitioners' decision-making. Originality/value: The importance of considering factor combinations and sequences in explaining the emergence, adoption and proliferation of public policy instruments and phenomena is underscored. In addition, the discourse on PPPs is moved beyond rationalization on how to even out their adoption (and subsequently the associated benefits) across sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Sourcing intermediaries, commonly known as agents or trading companies, represent a useful organisational solution for assisting companies to manage supply risks and to overcome the liability of foreignness. However, the landscape of global business is experiencing rapid and fundamental changes, which leads us to ask whether intermediaries will continue to play a role in global sourcing. This paper aims to understand how sourcing intermediaries ensure a lasting position in the changing setting of global sourcing and information sharing. Design/methodology/approach: This paper investigates the operations of both Chinese and Nordic (Finnish and Swedish) intermediaries in sourcing from China by analysing qualitative data collected over a period of four years. Findings: Through the lens of information asymmetry, this paper identifies four distinct informational roles that are used by intermediaries to reduce information asymmetry between suppliers and buyers located in different countries. The paper also examines intermediaries' signalling activities under these roles in a cross-border triad. Originality/value: The paper contributes to the scientific debate on the usefulness of intermediaries by underlining intermediaries' informational advantage, which provides a new explanation for the survival of intermediaries in a rapidly changing business context. Additionally, this study contributes to research on intermediation strategies by empirically examining both Chinese and Western intermediaries, highlighting the importance of institutional contexts in affecting intermediaries' informational roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Digital capabilities in operations and delivery through constant data acquisition and future predictions have accelerated digital servitization through reduced uncertainty. New flexibility in value-capture concepts like dynamic and value-based pricing is introduced, which was impossible before. This paper explores two things. Firstly, how embracing contractual flexibility of price-variance and contract lengths influences customer perceived value in artificial intelligence (AI) enabled digital offerings. Secondly, the role transparency plays in the perceived value of such offerings. Design/methodology/approach: The paper uses an experiment-based survey and quantitative assessment within a business-to-business setup with 137 respondents across a couple of industrial manufacturers in the Nordic region. Findings: The authors observations indicate that value-capture-related flexibilities introduced by digital offerings, namely price fluctuations and longer contract lengths, are perceived to deliver more value to customers than standard offerings with known conditions. The authors findings indicate that introduced flexibilities are perceived as opportunities rather than uncertainties leading to higher perceived value by customers. The increased value perception can be explained by the transparency of these offerings provided by data-driven digital technologies'. Originality/value: The paper is an original work to understand the value-capture implication of digital servitization. The authors discuss the possibilities of different value-capture strategies that companies can adopt within digital business models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims at developing a better understanding of the relationship between network embeddedness and incremental innovation capability and further examines the moderating effect of open innovation. Design/methodology/approach: This paper adopts hierarchical regressions to validate the theoretical model and collect the patent data of the top 54 firm patentees in the smartphone industry as empirical sample. Using patent citation network data, this paper estimates the relationship between open innovation, network embeddedness and incremental innovation capability. Findings: This paper empirically shows that structural embeddedness exerts a negative effect on incremental innovation capability, while relational embeddedness is positively related to incremental innovation capability. And open innovation strengthens the relationship between network embeddedness and incremental innovation capability. Originality/value: This paper shifts the focus of the determinants of incremental innovation capability from internal factors to the external network features by exploring the linkage between network embeddedness and incremental innovation capability. A counterintuitive conclusion is that structural embeddedness shows a negative effect on firm's incremental innovation capability. Furthermore, in contrast to most previous studies, which only focus on the direct effect of open innovation on the firm's incremental innovation capability, our study examines the moderating effect of open innovation on the relationships between network embeddedness and incremental innovation capability. At last, the results provide practical guidance for firms to occupy the beneficial network positions and adopt appropriate open innovation strategies to improve their incremental innovation capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Scholarly interest in carrying out impactful research continues to remain high. Yet, given that citations of scholarly work can never decrease with time, traditional measures of research impact (such as raw counts of citations) unwittingly discriminate against early career researchers and also make it hard to identify future high impact scholars. In the current study, the paper compares several commonly used measures of research impact to identify one that best normalizes for the effect of career stage. The measure thus applies equally across most career stages, providing a usable impact benchmark for logistics scholars irrespective of seniority level. The paper also aims to present benchmarks on that metric to help logistics scholars identify their research impact vis-à-vis their peers. Design/methodology/approach – Bibliometric data on the research of 702 logistics scholars were collected and analyzed by dividing the scholars into different cohorts based on seniority. Comparisons of different citation metrics were then made. Findings – The h-rate provides the most appropriate basis for comparing research impact across logistics scholars of various career stages. Benchmark h-rates are provided for scholars to identify their research impact. Originality/value – The authors are unaware of any other work in the logistics field that measures the research impact of logistics scholars in this manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The objective of this study is to explore the effects of financial literacy level and risk aversion on the saving behavior. The literature review showed dialectical results. Therefore, this study attempts to clarify the debatable of these results by studying the mediating effect of risk aversion on the relationships between demographics determinants and saving behavior moderated by the effect of the financial literacy level. Design/methodology/approach: The data were collected from the University of Normandy; the study sample included 516 respondents representing different segments of French households. The structural equation analysis was utilized to control the impact of financial literacy as a moderate variable and the risk aversion as a mediator variable among the link between sociodemographic factors and saving behavior. Findings: The results demonstrated that there were significant effects of demographics factors on risk aversion. Moreover, financial literacy moderates the relationships between risk aversion and saving behavior. Research limitations/implications: The major limitation of this research is the small size of the study sample. This paper is restricted to French households. Future financial education training should cover the European context. Practical implications: This study provides further evidence that financial literacy should be considered an important factor for improving household well-being. The paper encourages governments and financial institutions to create a national financial education program. Originality/value: This paper is the first attempt to employ a sample of low-income households after financial education training in the French context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: How can customer service be so bad in an era when companies collect endless data on customer interactions? The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the important challenge of elevating customer service delivery by providing guidelines for when and how to select optimal measures of customer service measurement using a new decision framework. Design/methodology/approach: The paper uses a comprehensive, multi-dimensional review of extant literature related to customer service, journey mapping and performance measurement and applied a qualitative, taxonomic approach for model development. Findings: A process model and customer journey mapping framework can facilitate the selection and application of appropriate and relevant customer service experience metrics to enhance customer service experience strategies, creation and delivery. Research limitations/implications: The taxonomy of customer service metrics is limited to current publicly and commercially available metrics. The dynamic nature of the customer service environment necessitates continuous updates of the model and framework. Practical implications: Selection of customer service performance measures should match relevant stages of the customer journey; use perception-based, operational and outcome-based metrics that track employee and customer behaviours; improve omni-channel measurement; and integrate data-sharing and benchmark measurement initiatives through collaboration with customer service communities. Originality/value: A reimagined perspective is offered to the complex challenge of measuring and improving customer service, providing a new decision-making framework for customer service experience measurement and guidance for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to use visual and inertial sensors to achieve real-time location. How to provide an accurate location has become a popular research topic in the field of indoor navigation. Although the complementarity of vision and inertia has been widely applied in indoor navigation, many problems remain, such as inertial sensor deviation calibration, unsynchronized visual and inertial data acquisition and large amount of stored data. Design/methodology/approach: First, this study demonstrates that the vanishing point (VP) evaluation function improves the precision of extraction, and the nearest ground corner point (NGCP) of the adjacent frame is estimated by pre-integrating the inertial sensor. The Sequential Similarity Detection Algorithm (SSDA) and Random Sample Consensus (RANSAC) algorithms are adopted to accurately match the adjacent NGCP in the estimated region of interest. Second, the model of visual pose is established by using the parameters of the camera itself, VP and NGCP. The model of inertial pose is established by pre-integrating. Third, location is calculated by fusing the model of vision and inertia. Findings: In this paper, a novel method is proposed to fuse visual and inertial sensor to locate indoor environment. The authors describe the building of an embedded hardware platform to the best of their knowledge and compare the result with a mature method and POSAV310. Originality/value: This paper proposes a VP evaluation function that is used to extract the most advantages in the intersection of a plurality of parallel lines. To improve the extraction speed of adjacent frame, the authors first proposed fusing the NGCP of the current frame and the calibrated pre-integration to estimate the NGCP of the next frame. The visual pose model was established using extinction VP and NGCP, calibration of inertial sensor. This theory offers the linear processing equation of gyroscope and accelerometer by the model of visual and inertial pose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine and reflect upon the value of using a camera with young people in the research process. In particular, the paper discusses the opportunities that a camera can bring when researching young people's lives, subsequently encouraging the use of photovoice with young people in ethnographic research. Design/methodology/approach: The paper examines how photovoice can be a beneficial method of data collection when researching young people's lives. By adopting a qualitative participatory approach, and employing photovoice as one of the main methods, rich and meaningful data were gathered that traditional qualitative methods alone would not have captured. Findings: Photovoice was used alongside traditional methods to explore how young people experienced and perceived policing, safety and security in a coastal resort. Using a camera, captured rich images which alongside the narratives given by the young people, provided profound and detailed accounts. Originality/value: Using innovative participatory qualitative research methods with young people and adapting to the research setting allowed for deep and meaningful explorations of young people's lives to be gathered. Carefully considering the use of appropriate methods of data collection and selecting methods that are "fun" and "interesting" empowered young people and provided the researcher with an insight into their social worlds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]