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Purpose: Hotels are dependent on information and communication technologies (ICTs) for both their internal management and their relationships with customers and the other stakeholders. Therefore, research on ICTs in the hotel sector has kept growing lately. The purpose of this paper is to offer a review of the literature dedicated to ICTs in hotel management by analyzing papers published in seven prestigious journals in the field of Hospitality Management. Design/methodology/approach: The 147 papers analyzed – published over a 27-year period – have been studied according to a variety of criteria such as their research methods, perspective, statistics used, topics covered, technologies and authors and countries. Findings: The conclusions suggest a promising future regarding both ICT applications for hotel management and research in this area. Research limitations/implications: Concerning limitations, the most important one stems from the selection of works subject to examination because our analysis dealt with papers published in only seven journals, other publication sources have not been considered. Nevertheless, the present paper can prove useful both for researchers and hotel managers because new trends are emerging in both contexts with regard to technologies themselves as well as to some of their uses. Originality/value: One of the most important contributions made with this work is the preparation of a list with the topics covered by the papers under examination. Moreover, no studies have to date specifically tried to identify the technologies used in hotel management by means of a literature review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous development of the Internet and communication technologies, network communication provides convenience but also brings security problems such as exposure of users' personal privacy information and theft, private tampering, and forgery of false information. Modern cryptography technology is an important safeguard against message eavesdropping and tampering, while the rapidly developing anonymous communication technology in this century makes it difficult for attackers to infer user's personal information and communication relationships. In response to the potential threats of traditional centralized systems such as central nodes being vulnerable to attacks and data storage being tampered with, this paper proposes a blockchain anonymous communication algorithm KDAC based on key derivation, which takes advantage of the decentralization, data immutability, consensus mechanism and anonymity of blockchain and combines the ECC cryptographic derivation algorithm and anonymous communication technology to realize the key-at-a-time, one-address-at-a-time The key derivation scheme ensures the message integrity and tamperevident while effectively hiding the identity information of both communication parties. In addition, this paper also optimizes the blockchain anonymous communication system with key derivation. Users only need the initial key of blockchain nodes to join the network for communication, and the information transmission is difficult to trace based on the blockchain network, which can effectively guarantee communication security and anonymity. The experimental results show that the efficiency of the derived key algorithm is roughly in the same order of magnitude as that of the 256-bit AES symmetric encryption algorithm, which can play a better role in practical applications. On the other hand, the derived key generated based on the algorithm has complete randomness in association verification, and it is impossible to reverse the initial parameters, which can well guarantee the anonymity of user identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the effect of the characteristics of 5G services on users' continuous intention to use, focusing on the technology acceptance model. With the start of the fourth industrial revolution in the 21st century, 5G is the best technology used in the Internet of Things, high-speed information and communication, artificial intelligence, big data, autonomous vehicles, virtual reality, augmented reality, robots, nanotechnology, and blockchain. The technical characteristics of 5G ultra-high-speed information communication are represented by ultra-high speed, ultra-high capacity, ultra-low delay, and ultra-high connectivity. 5G mobile communication technology is essential, and after the technology provided by 5G services is commercialized, it can play all its roles as a practical core new growth engine. 5G mobile communication (hereinafter referred to as 5G) is far superior to LTE, which is a 4G mobile communication, in terms of transmission speed, waiting time, and terminal capacity. 5G service is not just an axis of the process of developing mobile communication technology, but also the creation of innovative corporate value of technology. This is because higher network quality and innovation with 5G service technology will improve perceived usability, perceived ease of use, and perceived entertainment, which will ultimately have a positive impact on users' intention to use 5G services. Therefore, due to the lack of investment in information and communication bases, platforms, and applications, this paper can be used as the basis for establishing government policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of the most recent developments in human co-evolution with information and communication technologies, the increasing complexity of our digital realities, as well as the expanding capabilities of omni-present artificial intelligence, are having profound implications. This transformative shift leads to a new era in many fields, including corporate management and business. Newly co-evolved cognitive capabilities, both natural and artificial, are emerging, necessitating a paradigm shift in our understanding and approaches to corporate management and business science. This paper introduces the concept of Digital and Cognitive Corporate Reality (DCR) to establish a new broader view for higher-level conceptual discussion, adopting a holistic perspective that encompasses related scientific fields. Following this definition, the paper briefly explores how different scientific disciplines can be expected to contribute to the development of DCR. Use case examples are also provided to demonstrate the benefits of the holistic perspective adopted in DCR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online learning has significantly expanded along with the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Personalization becomes an essential component of learning systems due to students' different learning styles and abilities. Recommending materials that meet the needs and are tailored to learners' styles and abilities is necessary to ensure a personalized learning system. The study conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) of papers on recommendation systems for e-learning in the K12 setting published between 2017 and 2021 and aims to identify the most important component of a personalized recommender system for school students' e-learning. Recommendations for later studies were proposed based on the identified components, namely a personalized conceptual framework for providing materials to school students. The proposed framework comprised four stages: student profiling, material collection, material filtering, and validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to present how eye-tracking is employed in special education. While presenting the use of eye-tracking technology, the research considered some eye-tracking-related aspects, such as its potential to facilitate the education of children with special needs, investigation of disabilities through eye-tracking technology, and the relationship between learning outcomes and eye-tracking measurements in studies including children with special needs. Within specified criteria, this systematic review was carried out using famous electronic databases, such as Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct, Education Source, Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), and EBSCOhost. Accordingly, 48 papers reviewed demonstrated an increasing trend in the use of eye-tracking technology in special education research. The age range of the target group recruited in previous research was often between 6 and 11 years, and reading and word learning were the most studied learning outcomes. Moreover, dyslexia and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were commonly investigated by children's eye movements, particularly fixation duration and fixation count. This study also revealed that eye-tracking technology is helpful in exploring reading, word learning, mathematics skills, social communication, language development, motor learning, eyesight improvement, and route learning in special education. Furthermore, it is pretty suitable and effective to utilize eye-tracking technology as assistive technology (AT) to improve the learning environments of children with special needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes the BP-CM teaching model to solve the problems of lagging classroom feedback, poor learning initiative of students and students rapidly forgetting what they have learned in Internet of Things (IoT) hardware technology courses. This BP-CM(BOPPPS, PAD, cyclic memory, memory system) teaching model is based on BOPPPS(Bridge in, Objective, Pre-assessment, Participatory learning, Post-assessment, and Summary), PAD(Presentation, Assimilation, and Discussion), and the memory system model. This paper compares the BP-CM teaching model with the traditional teaching model by having research participants teach and learn separately in each teaching model. Taking the Microcontroller Unit (MCU) course as an example, this paper introduces each link of the teaching design of this model. It also explains the design method and intention of each link. Finally, the practical results indicate that the BP-CM teaching model proposed in this article positively impacts students' learning initiative and memory. In addition, teachers can obtain timely feedback using the BP-CM model, and the model significantly improves students' knowledge and ability levels. It enhances the teaching quality of IoT hardware technology courses and is conducive to cultivating students' sustainable learning abilities. This research not only promotes education and teaching reform but also provides a reference case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital platforms have proven to be efficient matchmakers in our networked economy and society. However, their tremendous potential is a double-edged sword, and concerns about their malpractices and negative impact have risen remarkably. In the light of practical relevance, research on digital platform regulation (DPR) did not contribute very much. Especially information systems (IS) which, as a discipline, seems predestined to explain the problems at the confluence of technology-economy-society, has barely grazed the issue of DPR. Particularly, a contribution is missing that at least explores the problems with digital platforms systematically and comprehensively. In response to this aim, we pursue a twostep approach: First, we apply qualitative meta-analysis of 211 cases as well as a number of regulation papers and actual regulation endeavors to identify and conceptualize the problem scope and potential regulatory approaches for platform problems. Second, we condense our findings into a conceptual model. Our findings show that digital platforms exploit both platform- and monopoly-related problems to assert themselves in different markets. Through their impactful platform governance, they even have become serious challengers to the regulator in controlling market access, key conditions, and resources. At this, they rely on the efficient use of data and digital technologies to effectively orchestrate platform agents and their transactions. The outcome of the paper is a set of two structured instruments that fill a void in interdisciplinary research and provide support to DPR practitioners for a systematic approach to regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information and communication technology plays an essential role in affecting CO2 emissions and promoting green and sustainable development. This paper empirically examines the effect of the level of urban ICT development on CO2 emissions using panel data for Chinese cities from 2010 to 2020. On this basis, a spatial Durbin model is used to analyze the spatial spillover effects of ICT development level affecting regional CO2 emissions, and its direct, indirect and overall effects are further analyzed. The conclusions of the study are as follows. (1) The CO2 emissions of Chinese cities are correlated by spatial distance and show high-high or low-low clustering characteristics. (2) ICT development can reduce CO2 emissions in the region and increase CO2 emissions in neighboring regions. This conclusion still holds after several robustness tests. And when the level of ICT development increases by 1 standard deviation, CO2 emissions are reduced by 64%. (3) The mechanism of action shows that ICT can influence regional CO2 emissions through its technological innovation effect and industrial upgrading effect. (4) The impact of ICT development on regional carbon emissions is characterized by significant heterogeneity depending on the city's geographical location and whether or not environmental information is publicly available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of any society to a large extent depends on the degree of the security of lives and property of the citizens. A secure environment encourages intellectuals who are the drivers of nationbuilding; it also ensures national development. In recent years, Nigeria has been witnessing serious security threats that seem to have overwhelmed the nation’s security network and this has slowed down development in the country. This paper in light if these present realities, examined how technological innovations such as the integration of proper Information Communication Technology (ICT) resolve the emerging security threats bedeviling the country. Integrating ICT in the humanities can help increase the rate of development in the country and also help resolve the emerging security threats bedeviling the country. Data for the paper was derived from a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) conducted via WhatsApp with fifteen selected academic staff who are in the humanities at the University of Jos. The data collected formed the basis of the discussion in the paper. The theoretical framework adopted is Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) because it explains how technology can be utilized in language learning and evidently in the humanities to resolve challenging issues. The paper discovered that the humanities have not been fully integrated with ICT and have also not been effectively utilized in the quest for advancing development in Nigeria and resolving security challenges. The paper recommended amongst others the full integration of ICT in the humanities to expand the scope of the field to be utilized in resolving security challenges in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth of information and communication technologies (ICT) has considerably altered teaching and learning processes in higher education. Although ICT has the potential to improve the educational system to a great extent, English departments in the university of Duhok seem to be incapable to achieve these benefits because of specific obstacles. This paper investigates the barriers faced by the teachers at English departments in the University of Duhok in integrating ICT tools in teaching the EFL in classrooms. This study aims at determining the reasons teachers do not use ICT in classrooms. A total of thirty-four English teachers from The College of I Basic Education and The College of Languages were involved. A closed-ended questionnaire was distributed and interviews were conducted. The results revealed that the teachers are willing to use ICT in their lessons, but they face many barriers. The main barriers are lack of access to ICT resources, lack of access to the internet inside the classroom, lack of training, insufficient technical support. Moreover, lack of institutional encouragement is another discouraging factor for the teacher to use ICT. In addition, this paper also offers a number of recommendations to reduce these barriers and maximize the beneficial use of ICT in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid advancement of information and communication technology (ICT), public administration has adopted the concept of e-government. The academic literature produced many studies in the field of E-government (E-GOV) services, however, there is limited research on such services from the perspective of bibliometric and Network analysis. Therefore, this study aims to present a bibliometric and network analysis of the E-government services literature review obtained from the Scopus database, published between 2011 to 2021. This study uses a five-step method including (1) defining keywords, (2) initializing search outcomes, (3) inclusion and exclusion of some elements of the initial result, (4) compiling initial data statistics, and (5) undertaking analysis of data. The analysis starts by identifying more than 4,880 published articles related to E-government services published between 2011 and 2021. The study findings revealed that the highest number of publications on the E-government Service was in 2019 (102 articles), the top contributing affiliation was Brunel University London, the leading influential country was the USA, and the top contributing Source was Electronic Government. Furthermore, Lu J. occupied the first rank in the list of the most influential authors in terms of citations, while Weerakkody V. occupied the list of the top authors with high publications 20 papers. Likewise, this study showed that there is a collaboration among some authors. This research identified four research clusters by which researchers could be encouraged to widen the research of E-government services in the future. The bibliometric and network analysis of E-government services helps to graphically display the publication's assessment over time and identify domains of current studies' interests and potential directions for further studies. Finally, this research draws a roadmap for future investigation into E-government services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 1950s saw the emergence of the science-driven model of engineering education. In the following decades, the model has been continuously challenged to incorporate aspects such as liberal arts, information & communication technology, design, entrepreneurship, innovation, sustainability, industry 4.0, and more recently, online-learning. This has triggered several initiatives at institutional and national levels, and manifested in approaches and practices for transforming engineering education. One approach that appears to be gaining attention is design-centric engineering, with its emphasis on learning-by-doing, product design and entrepreneurial orientation. While literature points to several variants of design-centric engineering and challenges in implementation, it also calls for more empirical studies and deeper theoretical inquiry into the contradictions and paradoxes that this approach might present to the students at the micro-level, and guidance on how they might make sense and find pathways of action jointly with internal and external stakeholders. This paper throws light on the contradictions and paradoxes experienced by undergraduate engineering students while implementing a design-centric engineering program at a young public-funded institute in India, involving approximately 1500+ students over a period of six years. The paper also discusses the theoretical and pragmatic aspects of the approach adopted to encourage students to make sense of the contradictions and paradoxes, namely: (a) leveraging the affordance offered by one of the courses in the program—"Sociology of Design—to synthesize engineering, design and sociological perspectives; (b) turning the contradictions and paradoxes into sources of learning and change, informed by the theory of complex responsive processes; and (c) application of multiple methods such as rich pictures, reflective writing, self-organized interactions and data analysis to enable sense-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technological transformations are currently reshaping the structure and strategies of public administrations and are expected to foster efficiency and policy integration. However, the literature on digital government has demonstrated that the introduction of technology is far from a smooth process, as it is often associated with conflict and negative feedback. This paper departs from James Thompson's notion of technology, understood as one of the most effective devices for organizational integration to conceptualise the context of digital innovations in the public sphere. ICTs are not all the same; they differ in their impact on intra- and inter-organizational interdependencies that are required for them to work properly in their domain. This paper introduces a typology of ICT-driven governance structures and advances hypotheses regarding the causal mechanisms underpinning successful implementation. Each type of governance structure is exemplified by an original case study of a programme of e-government reform in the Italian public sector. The empirical evidence is used to explore some implications concerning the strategies by which the programmes have been implemented and their transferability to other contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the effects of digitalization and organizational practices on innovation in Europe, between 2010 and 2016. We analyze the cross-country and industry differences in firms' investments and capabilities to adopt and use new technologies and their effects on innovation outputs. Along with traditional drivers of innovation, such as research and development (R&D) expenditure, two composite indicators are constructed. One encompasses direct measures of the adoption and use in enterprises of a set of digital technologies. The other measures the learning capacity of organizations, which captures the use of management tools and organizational practices concerned with the improvement of individual and organizational learning. Product, process, organizational, and marketing innovations are identified as well as their combinations within companies. Empirical evidence is provided by a unique dataset based on the integration at the sector within the country level of European Union (EU)-wide employers' and employees' surveys: the Community Innovation Survey (CIS), the Community Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) usage and e-commerce in enterprises survey (Eurostat), and the European Working Conditions Survey (Eurofound). The descriptive evidence shows that Digital technology adoption and use is rapidly growing across Europe, while the Learning capacity of organizations remains stagnant. By contrast, our results from the econometric analysis show that these investments can favor all forms of innovations and that, further, they may show some complementarity. Overall, a mix of product/process innovations and organizational/marketing innovations rests on joint investments in R&D, digital technology adoption and use, and learning capacity of the organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visibility across supply chains has been a key concern for organisations for many years, but the tools and information systems to achieve real-time visibility have not been available until recently. In response to uncertainty and complexity, advanced information and communication technologies have been explored for supply chain visibility (SCV). However, managerial perspectives are largely absent from the current literature. In response, this paper systematically documents managerial factors influencing SCV and information that should be collected and shared among supply chain partners for better visibility. A multi-stage Delphi analysis was conducted with 26 supply chain experts from various globally recognised enterprises with manufacturing units located worldwide. The results provide details on prioritised managerial perspectives and experiences within (1) factors affecting SCV (drivers, enablers, challenges and contingencies), (2) SCV content (supplier, internal and customer information) and (3) implications of SCV (capabilities and performance effects). One observation was that forecasting is not deemed as important due to severe disruptions in supply chains. Real-time visibility for better predictability emerged as the top priority. This study is among the few that empirically explores factors influencing supply chain visibility and generates new insights into why barriers can be difficult to overcome in complex supply chain settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researches on the Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud computing have been pervasive in both the academic and industrial world. IoT and cloud computing are seen as cornerstones to digital transformation in the industry. However, restricted by limited resources and the lack of expertise in information and communication technologies, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have difficulty in achieving digitalization of their business. In this paper, we propose a reference framework for SMEs to follow as a guideline in the journey of digital transformation. The framework features a three-stage procedure that covers business, technology, and innovation, which can be iterated to drive product and business development. A case study about digital transformation taking place in the vertical plant wall industry is detailed. Furthermore, some solution design principles that are concluded from real industrial practice are presented. This paper reviews the digital transformation practice in the vertical plant wall industry and aims to accelerate the pace of SMEs in the journey of digital transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quality academic achievement is based on the development of good reading skills. Generally, reading is important for students to cope up with the evolving world of knowledge. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have vastly influenced the reading practices of students. The younger generation of the information age spends most of their time in front of screens. Due to these drastic changes in the fabric of reading, generation Z is more likely to adopt e-reading. Therefore, an empirical investigation was carried out to explore the reading habits of generation Z students. For the study, a survey-based quantitative research design was applied. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire. The population included the students of two schools - one semi-government and one private higher secondary school of the Lahore district. The sample was selected purposively. Findings revealed that generation Z students prefer to read in paper form and in the English language. On average they read for up to four hours daily, preferably at home and mostly for academic purposes. They prefer print format, however, the advantages associated with e-reading motivate them to use electronic contents. One of the noteworthy findings is that libraries (academic/public) were their least preferred place for reading and obtaining reading material. The findings of the study would help parents, educators, and publishers to take necessary measures for promoting reading habits among students. The research findings would serve as a guideline for educationists to plan education policies according to the need and preferences of the future generation and for libraries to develop user-centered library services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: The UTOPIA Smart Video Surveillance System can be used for object recognition, tracking, and behavior analysis as well as object detection, and can also use Storm and Spark as well asMapReduce. A smart city is a future city that enables citizens to enjoy Information and Communication Technology (ICT) based smart services with any device, anytime, anywhere. It heavily utilizes Internet of Things. It includes many video cameras to provide various kinds of services for smart cities. Video cameras continuously feed big video data to the smart city system, and smart cities need to process the big video data as fast as it can. This is a very challenging task because big computational power is required to shorten processing time. This paper introduces UTOPIA Smart Video Surveillance, which analyzes the big video images using MapReduce, for smart cities. We implemented the smart video surveillance in our middleware platform. This paper explains its mechanism, implementation, and operation and presents performance evaluation results to confirm that the system worked well and is scalable, efficient, reliable, and flexible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the India KLEMS database, this paper undertakes a detailed sectoral analysis of total factor productivity (TFP). It examines the suitability of aggregation methodologies, inter-sectoral growth and their contributions to aggregate TFP growth in India from 1981-82 to 2016-17. The paper finds Information and Communications Technology (ICT) using industries like business services and financial services having emerged as drivers of productivity during the period 2008-09 to 2016-17. On the other hand, trade and construction industry remained as laggards during this period. Furthermore, this paper finds empirical evidence of convergence and spillover of TFP from the leading industries to the laggards at a faster pace during 2008-09 to 2016-17 than in earlier years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Caste is an important and unique axis of inequality in India. Caste based digital divide can exacerbate the existing socioeconomic divisions between different caste groups. • Using non-linear decomposition method, the present paper explains the digital divide between disadvantaged and other caste groups. • We find that there is a considerable first level and second level digital divide between the disadvantaged caste groups and Others in India. • The caste-based digital divide is largely explained by the differences in education and income between the caste groups. • The study foregrounds the importance of bridging the caste-based digital gap by closing the gap between the educational attainments of the disadvantaged and other caste groups. With the increasing importance of information and communication technologies in access to basic services like education and health, the question of digital divide based on caste assumes importance in India where large socioeconomic disparities persist between different caste groups. Studies on caste-based digital inequality are still scanty in India. Using nationally representative survey data, this paper analyzes the first-level digital divide (ownership of computer and access to the Internet) and the second-level digital divide (individuals skills to use computer and the Internet) between the disadvantaged caste groups and Others. Further, this paper identifies the caste-based differences in socioeconomic factors that contribute to the digital divide between these groups using a non-linear decomposition method. The results show that there exists large first-level and second-level digital divide between the disadvantaged caste groups and Others in India. The non-linear decomposition results indicate that caste-based digital divide in India is rooted in historical socioeconomic deprivation of disadvantaged caste groups. More than half of the caste-based digital gap is attributable to differences in educational attainment and income between the disadvantaged caste groups and Others. Findings of this study highlight the urgent need for addressing educational and income inequality between the different caste groups in India in order to bridge the digital divide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The data sets provided by Information and Communication Technologies have been extensively used to study the human mobility in the framework of complex systems. The possibility of detecting the behavior of individuals performing the urban mobility may offer the possibility of understanding how to realize a transition to a sustainable mobility in future smart cities. The Statistical Physics approach considers the statistical distributions of human mobility to discover universal features. Under this point of view the power laws distributions has been extensively studied to propose model of human mobility. In this paper we show that using a GPS data set containing the displacements of mobile devices in an area around the city Rimini (Italy), it is possible to reconstruct a sample of mobility paths and to study the statistical properties of urban mobility. Applying a fuzzy c-means clustering algorithm, we succeed to detect different mobility types that highlight the multilayer structure of the road network. The disaggregation into homogeneous mobility classes explains the power law distributions for the path lengths and the travel times as an overlapping of exponential distributions, that are consistent with a maximum entropy Principle. Under this point of view it is not possible to infer other dynamical properties on the individual mobility, except for the average values of the different classes. We also study the role of the mobility types, when one restricts the analysis to the an origin-destination framework, by analyzing the daily evolution of the mobility flows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SMEs face numerous challenges and opportunities due to their pivotal roles in the economic development of a country. Adopting an ERP system is believed to be the catalyst to cope with the challenges and grab the opportunities faced by SMEs. However, implementing ERP led to potential risks caused by implementation failure, even for big companies. SMEs have a unique characteristic due to being receptive to adopting new technologies but having limited resources. Most previous research related to designing frameworks for ERP implementation was focused on big companies, although the fact that SMEs have distinct characteristics compared to big companies. Therefore, this study aims to design a framework for SMEs' ERP implementation. The framework phase consists of (1) measuring the business maturity, information communication and technology (ICT) maturity, proposed business process improvement, and (2) implementing an ERP system. The author has also provided a case study of ERP adoption in an SME in this paper by compiling both steps. This research will contribute to research on ERP in SMEs and practice as guidance for ERP implementors and SMEs in adopting the ERP system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to explore the use of ICTs (Information and Communication Technology) in the development of organizational agility and to identify the attributes of an agile organization and its employees. The paper aims to provide conclusions and recommendations on the role of ICT s in creating organizational agility and the attributes of employees that are conducive to this development. The main research issue wastools determining the impact of ICTs on the development of organizational agility. The hypothesis suggested a significant impact of ICTs usage on the development of organizational agility, characterized by employees who actively use these tools and exhibit traits that aid this development. Design/methodology/approach: An empirical study was conducted, involving 930 randomly selected respondents from small, medium, and large enterprises. The questions were directed at both managers and operational employees. The survey was conducted in February/March 2022 using the CAWI (Computer Assisted Web Interviewing) technique. Findings: Organizational agility is a crucial organizational competency that is becoming key to improving organizational effectiveness, gaining a competitive edge, and navigating a turbulent environment. Organizational agility is the mechanism through which organizations can generate significant, sustainable value for their diverse stakeholders. Organizational agility is achieved through the appropriate development and utilization of human capital. Employee agility is a fundamental pillar of organizational agility, so organizations should prioritize its development. The development of organizational agility should be facilitated by ICTs. These tools aid in enhancing communication, collaborative work, remote work, decision-making, and project management. Research limitations/implications: The research was limited to the 930 respondents from various enterprise sizes, and the time frame was February/March 2022. Further research could explore different time frames and expand the pool of respondents. Practical implications: Organizations aiming for agility could focus on the development and utilization of ICTs and prioritize employee development programs that encourage traits conducive to organizational agility. Social implications: The research shows that ICTs and employee agility contribute to organizational agility. This could influence educational programs to prioritize digital literacy and adaptability, potentially affecting workforce culture and public policy. Originality/value: The study offers a fresh perspective by concurrently analyzing organizational agility from the standpoints of management science and information technology. A theoretical model for utilizing ICTs to foster organizational agility is also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the theoretical foundations and conceptual framework of the right to disconnect, taking a comprehensive and integrated approach grounded in human rights principles. It explores the impact of psychosocial risks and challenges in the digital era, particularly in relation to occupational mental health, while also acknowledging the specific relevance of the education sector where digitally related burnout is prevalent and the need to ensure the well-being of educators in order to effectively mentor and educate the upcoming cohort of young individuals venturing into the workforce. The objective is to determine whether there is a need for the introduction of new rights or the adaptation of traditional ones in response to the significant transformations brought about by information and communication technologies in the workplace. This raises the question of whether we are witnessing the emergence of a new field of digital labour law, characterised by entirely novel rights and institutions, or if it remains rooted in the same ideological and conceptual foundations, requiring only normative adjustments to address the realities of the digitised world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial revolutions are causing unprecedented changes in the country’s economy. These changes are driven by new technologies and innovations. This is primarily based on the growing importance of intangible assets. These are the main characteristics of the ongoing industrial revolution. In the absence of a precise definition and indicators quantifying Industry 4.0, intangible assets are presumed to be the common basis of determinants of Industry 4.0. This paper presents the theoretical basis for determining the Industrial Revolution. Comprehensively describes the determinants of the accumulation of intangible assets. Implementing a panel regression technique with random effects shows the results. We identify the factors unlocking the accumulation of intangible assets. This is primarily in the area of government direct and indirect support for investment in R&D and other innovation assets. Also, it is about creating the environment to encourage private investment in innovation assets, intangible ICT assets and economic competencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing allocation efficiency is vital for maintaining China’s position as a leading textile producer. The adoption of information and communication technology (ICT) can improve the efficiency of farmers’ input allocation. Nonetheless, limited evidence exists regarding the impact and extent of farmers’ access to digital agricultural extension through subscribing to agricultural WeChat public accounts (WPAs) on allocation inefficiency costs. Using a 2019 farm household survey of cotton farmers in Xinjiang, this paper employs a primal system model to calculate farmers’ allocation inefficiency costs and a two-stage residual inclusion approach model (2SRI) to estimate the effects of agricultural WPAs subscription on allocation inefficiency costs and allocation inefficiency. The empirical findings indicate that the average allocation inefficiency cost is 3.264 Yuan per kilogram, constituting 45.8% of cotton production cost. Our results demonstrate that subscribing to agricultural WPAs can significantly reduce farmers’ allocation inefficiency costs by 19.5% and decrease allocation inefficiency by 0.079. Consequently, promoting smallholder farmers’ access to digital agricultural extension serves as an effective strategy to enhance allocation efficiency and lower costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adoption of the most recent information and communication technology has led to changes in supervision methods, with online supervisory processes replacing face-to-face approaches. A systematic literature review (SLR) was used to explore the effectiveness of online supervision for postgraduate students. The PRISMA statement (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) recommendations were followed during the process to predict its systematic nature. After carefully and in-depth examining the full texts of the articles, 10 relevant papers were chosen and included in the review out of a total of 130 articles that were identified. The themes in each article were found using an inductive thematic approach. Six themes have been classified: tools for mentoring; communication, interaction or relation; the role of the supervisor; satisfaction; performance; and motivation or support. This study has a significant impact on the tools that can be used in the online supervision process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modernization of the current electric power grid into a smart grid requires the integration of advanced instrumentation, automation, and communication technologies to optimize efficiency, safety, and reliability. In traditional power grids, communication and control tasks are concentrated in substations, limiting their coverage to high-power equipment. As distributed energy resources increase in different sections of the grid, power flow becomes bi-directional. This requires monitoring and control at the Transmission and Distribution (T&D) level, which forms the largest portion of the power grid. To achieve efficient energy flow management and enable consumer participation in demand management, the integration of information and communication technologies (ICTs) is essential. Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have been identified as a suitable solution for communications within the distribution network. An ongoing challenge, however, is the definition of the best candidates to solve this problem, among the currently available wireless technologies. This paper reviews different wireless communication technologies that provide robustness, reliability, speed, scalability, and cost-effectiveness for monitoring distribution lines. An outline of the architecture for smart grid communications, the definition of sensor network requirements for power line environments, and an overview of specific studies focusing on technology comparisons are the main contributions of this paper. The purpose of this review is to delineate current technologies in order to establish potential future research directions within the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, huge technological changes have opened up possibilities and potentials for new socio-technological forms of violence, violation and abuse, themselves intersectionally gendered, that form part of and extend offline intimate partner violence (IPV). Digital IPV (DIPV)—the use of digital technologies in and for IPV—takes many forms, including: cyberstalking, internet-based abuse, non-consensual intimate imagery, and reputation abuse. IPV is thus now in part digital, and digital and non-digital violence may merge and reinforce each other. At the same time, technological and other developments have wrought significant changes in the nature of work, such as the blurring of work/life boundaries and routine use of digital technologies. Building on feminist theory and research on violence, and previous research on the ethics of digitalisation, this paper examines the ethical challenges raised for business, workplaces, employers and management by digital IPV. This includes the ethical challenges arising from the complexity and variability of DIPV across work contexts, its harmful impacts on employees, productivity, and security, and the prospects for proactive ethical responses in workplace policy and practice for victim/survivors, perpetrators, colleagues, managers, and stakeholders. The paper concludes with contributions made and key issues for the future research agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The past decade has seen a rise in the availability of modern information and communication technologies (ICTs) for developing smart societies and communities. However, the smart divide, characterized by inequalities in ICT infrastructures, software access, and individual capabilities, remains a significant barrier for rural communities. Limited empirical studies exist that explore what and how ICT infrastructures can be developed to bridge the smart divide. The paper aimed to address rural broadband access in the context of infrastructural dimensions of smart divide (i.e., smart infrastructural divide) in the United States, focusing on the wireless network infrastructure's role in narrowing the gap. It examined the broadband specifications needed for smart applications like smart education and telehealth, emphasizing the importance of wireless network capabilities. While fixed broadband offers higher speeds, wireless networks can support many smart applications with decent flexibility and ease of access. To further understand the implications of wireless broadband to rural communities, we conducted a case study in Carbondale and Cairo, two rural towns in Southern Illinois, using on-site user-inspired speed testing. An Android application was developed to measure download/upload speeds and Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) for broadband quality. Results suggest both Carbondale and Cairo experienced below-average speeds with high variability among census blocks, which highlights the need for improved wireless network infrastructure. The paper culminated in the technological and policy recommendations to narrow down the smart infrastructural divide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is vital for the operation of modern power systems, giving rise to Cyber-Physical Energy Systems (CPESs). ICT enables the grid services (GSs) needed for monitoring and controlling the physical parameters of the power system, especially for remedying the impact of disturbances. But the ICT integration makes the overall system more complex, leading to new and unforeseen disturbances. This motivates the need for a resilient system design capable of absorbing and recovering from such disturbances. The current state of the art lacks a comprehensive resilience assessment of ICT-enabled GSs in CPESs. To address this, a novel method and metrics to assess the resilience of GSs in CPESs are presented in this paper. An operational state model of a GS, with three states, i.e., normal, limited and failed, is used to capture its performance, which is essential for quantifying its resilience. Sequential Monte Carlo simulations are performed with the model to capture the behaviour of ICT components to compute the operational state trajectory of the GSs. Metrics are then derived to quantify the resilience and its constituting phases. The method is demonstrated using two ICT system designs for the CIGRE MV benchmark grid, considering the state estimation as an exemplary GS. The simulation results show that the proposed method can capture the differences between ICT system designs with regard to resilience metrics. The contribution can, therefore, be used to analyse, compare and potentially improve the resilience of ICT system designs for CPES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information and communication technology (ICT) is an increasing part of modern power systems, which are, therefore, recognised as cyber-physical energy system (CPESs). The increase of ICT affects the situational awareness in CPESs, which is traditionally solely based on information about the power system but not about the ICT system. However, CPESs are facing various challenges regarding the integrity, correctness, and availability of process data due to the interconnection with ICT. Examples are stealthy false data injection attack (FDIAs). This paper pursues a holistic approach to describe the quality of process data, which brings together aspects like integrity, correctness, and availability in multivariate trust values. The arising research question this paper deals with is, how multivariate trust in physical measurements in a CPES can be modelled, estimated, and integrated into situational awareness. A proposed framework implements a context-sensitive and multivariate trust model as well as a trust sensitive state estimation. While these two artefacts are already published, the focus of this paper is on the implementation of the framework and the fulfilment of the requirements for timeliness, interoperability, flexibility, and scalability. It is evaluated in three different scenarios with CIGRE and IEEE benchmark grids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic compelled the closure of educational institutions and forced students to complete nearly two years of schooling online, impacting their physical and emotional development tremendously. This exploratory study investigates the wide-ranging impact of online education on Indian students during the COVID-19 pandemic and discusses the challenges exacerbated by disparities in access to digital devices and reliable internet service. The paper also focuses on the physical and mental health issues that arose in student cohorts as a result of the abrupt shift to online learning, and investigates the relationship between students' socioeconomic status and the nature and frequency of health issues experienced by them. Methods: A total of 832 respondents completed a 40-item survey that was administered online and through interviews. The paper analysed the impact of access to digital resources and teachers' training in information and communication technology on the perception of the quality of education provided by the institutions. We further analysed the impact of the adoption of online educational platforms on students' mental and physical health. Results: The study found a positive relationship between the number of hours spent online, and the physical and mental health issues experienced by students. Participants reported an overall higher perception of stress and anxiety, loss of concentration, and dissatisfaction with the quality of education. Our data suggest that COVID-19 has exacerbated the digital divide. Discussion: Urgent investments are needed to provide universal access to reliable internet services, and to develop a pedagogy that supports an agile and adaptable educational system, capable of providing effective learning and evaluation, while supporting students' physical and mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this research is to focus on the use of recent technologies, such as Augmented Reality (AR). This contribution makes a synthetic point on the application of this technology which adds new frontiers in teaching and brings very concrete response elements in the learning and teaching context. All the indicators point to the potential of this New Information and Communication Technology (NICT), thanks to its qualities of adaptability, contextualization, immediacy of feedback, and learner motivation. In this paper we try to answer the following questions: Does this technology have a future in a teaching context? Can it constitute a new device for the benefit of learning? Through this research note, we propose to provide some answers, our article details research carried out on the use of AR in the context of scientific learning and teaching. Modeled objects (avatars) and their potentials offer a new range of possibilities and tools for teachers and students. Finally, considering AR as the interface between subject and machine provides students with powerful ways to learn and explore the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the evolution from 5G to 6G cellular communication technologies and their integration into the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0). It assesses 5G transmission techniques and anticipates advancements like NOMA with SC-FDE for spectral efficiency. Key 5G features include mm-wave, microwave, and m-MIMO. 5G enables IoT, V2V communication, and transformative technologies like autonomous driving and smart cities. The study offers insights into 6G, highlighting VR, AR, holography, advanced IoT, AI applications, wireless BCI, and high-speed mobility. It emphasizes 5G and 6G integration in Industry 4.0, shaping future industries and economies. The paper also examines post5G trends, indicating reliance on new MIMO techniques and terahertz bands for emerging applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When the notion of information and communication technology is discussed in terms of education, two dimensions can be seen clearly. One is administration and management, and the other involves teaching and learning. Educational institutions determine social behaviors, cultures, organizational structures, and interpersonal relationships. Learning democratic behavior, the power of independent and scientific thinking, and critical, creative, and productive thinking skills are all shaped by educational institutions. In the world of education ICTs is becoming part of educational system, thus their use in education by both academic and non-academic even students are becoming necessary. This has made it imperative that lecturers not only need to use ICTs, but they need to become comfortable with using ICTs. This is to ensure that they participate fully in the life of the contemporary institution and accomplish their everyday task. Combining new technologies with effective pedagogy has become a daunting task for both initial teacher training and in-service training instituions while teaching is becoming one of the most challenging professions in our society where knowledge is expanding rapidly and modern technologies are demanding teachers to learn how to use these technologies in their teaching. Therefore this paper look at the concept of information and communication technology, concept of educational administration and management, benefits of information and communication technology, challenges and conclusion was made. Lastly the paper recommended that information and communication technology should be well managed in school and that they are important resources to both teachers and students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]