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Purpose – We aimed to identify factors that influence student engagement in distance learning. Design/methodology/approach – The research involved a group of 671 students from economic and technical higher education institutions in Poland. We collected the data with the CAWI technique and an original survey. Next, we processed the data using principal component analysis and then used the extracted components as predictors in the induced smoothing LASSO regression model. Findings – The components of the students’ attitude toward remote classes learning conditions are: satisfaction with teachers’ approach, attitude to distance learning, the system of students’ values and motivation, IT infrastructure of the university, building a network of contacts and communication skills. The final model consisted of seven statistically significant variables, encompassing the student’s sex, level of studies and the first five extracted PCs. Student’s system of values and motivation as well as attitude toward distance learning, were those variables that had the biggest influence on student engagement. Practical implications – The research result suggests that in addition to students’ system of values and motivation and their attitude toward distance learning, the satisfaction level of teachers’ attitude is one of the three most important factors that influence student engagement during the distance learning process. Originality/value – The main value of this article is the statistical model of student engagement during distance learning. The article fills the research gap in identifying and evaluating the impact of various factors determining student engagement in the distance learning process.

Purpose – This article aims to map the expectations of manufacturing companies towards suppliers in terms of implementing improvement activities. The article poses two research questions: RQ1: What kind of improvement of activities do the surveyed producers expect from their suppliers? RQ2: Do factors such as size, capital or implemented systems influence different assessments of the analyzed requirements toward suppliers? Design/methodology/approach – The Computer Assisted Telephone Interview (CATI) technique was used to collect data. The sample consists of 150 producers (employing over 50 people) who were suppliers for enterprises from the automotive, electromechanical and chemical sectors operating in the Polish business-to-business (B2B) market. We analyzed 11 improvement activities, while their correlation structure was examined by exploratory factor analysis. Findings – We have identified three latent factors – risk reduction, product innovation and increasing efficiency – which summarize the main expectations of manufacturing companies towards suppliers. Expectations for these factors are independent of the implemented management system, although the analysis showed higher expectations for product innovation in organizations with the implementation of Kaizen. Originality/value – The article fills the research gap in the literature. The research results presented in the literature so far have focused on the expectations of enterprises towards suppliers in terms of meeting the criteria for their initial and periodic assessment. The research gap in the article is the result of empirical research presenting the expectations of manufacturers towards suppliers in terms of improving their processes. Based on the findings of the presented study, development trends and implications for managers responsible for purchasing processes and relationships with suppliers can be determined.

Purpose – The study examines whether affective organizational commitment and its drivers differ between Polish female and male employees. Design/methodology/approach – Our proprietary data are from ongoing surveys conducted by a major Polish HR consulting firm. The nationwide survey of nearly 3,000 Polish workers in 2020 constitutes the data set in this analysis. Regression analysis is applied to analyze the relationship between organizational commitment, gender and other variables. Findings – The study provides support for the job model, that is, women and men have similar levels of commitment once all other factors are controlled. Although the results show that, ceteris paribus, the organizational commitment of women is statistically significantly higher than that of men, the effect size is trivial in practical terms. The study also discloses the fact that the determinants of organizational commitment of men and women are similar, thus refuting a commonly held notion about gendered job attribute preferences. Support for gender as a moderator between organizational commitment and its antecedents is not found. COVID-19-related work adjustments do not seem to have affected the commitment of Polish male and female workers to their employers. Originality/value – The study adds to the scarce empirical literature on organizational commitment in Poland. To date, only a small number of such studies exist for Poland, and all of them use small homogeneous samples and limited questionnaires. The results are of value to researchers as well as HR managers seeking to improve long-term commitment to organizations.

Purpose – We grounded this study in the Too-Much-of-a-Good-Thing (TMGT) meta-theoretical framework to disentangle the costs and benefits associated with workplace friendship in a military setting. Design/methodology/approach – We collected data cross-sectionally through self-reports from 287 employees from the Romanian Air Force. Findings – The number of friends had an inverted U-shaped association with perceived social support. Our results show that as the number of friends increases from 9 to 10, so does the social support. However, as the number of friends further increases above 10, social support tends to decrease rather than increase. Furthermore, we found that social support and all dimensions of mental well-being (emotional, social and psychological well-being) were positively associated. Moreover, social support mediated the relationship between the number of friends and the three dimensions of mental well-being. Research limitations/implications – Our findings can help human resources policies in military organizations foster an organizational climate that cultivates friendship ties between employees, which is crucial for their social support and overall mental well-being. Originality/value – This work provides additional information about the specific mechanisms through which the effects of workplace friendships on mental well-being occur.

Purpose – The article shows partial proof for the protean paradox existing outside of the Anglo-Saxon part of the world. We pose questions about the impact of each protean career orientation (PCO) dimension on career outcomes, i.e. objective career success (OCS) and subjective career success including career satisfaction (CS) and perceived employability (PE) of studying employees. Design/methodology/approach – We collected data among postgraduate students (N=239) using a paper-and-pencil questionnaire. We estimated the model using structural equation modeling. Findings – The self-direction of PCO improves CS and PE, but only if a person achieves OCS in the organization. We found the same mediation pattern for the values-drive of PCO but in the opposite direction, i.e. greater orientation on personal rather than organizational values – values-drive of PCO was associated with lesser career outcomes. Interestingly, values-drive had a small and direct impact on PE. Originality/value – This study helps us understand how both dimensions of PCO affect career outcomes differently: objective success and subjective factors like CS and PE among employees who are studying.

Purpose – The research investigated relations between factors used to evaluate the quality of buyer-supplier relationships (BSRs): perceived performance of the supplier, satisfaction with supplier, and trust in the supplier; and to develop an instrument to evaluate BSRs (a BSRs evaluation scale). Design/methodology/approach – We applied the psychometric testing of the BSRs measurement using exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. We applied structural equation modeling (SEM) to understand the interrelations of factors underlying BSRs. Findings – The BSRs evaluation scale consists of three factors: perceived performance of the supplier, satisfaction with the supplier, and trust in the supplier. The results provide empirical evidence of the validity, reliability, and generalizability of the presented measurement. Originality/value – The study developed a novel measurement instrument that integrates BSRs’ multidimensional constructs. It explains and confirms the significant roles of satisfaction with the supplier, trust in the supplier, and perceived performance of the supplier in shaping the BSRs’ quality. Furthermore, we provide evidence that in BSRs goodwill- and competence-based trust integrate into a single factor.

Purpose – Like a well-designed procurement strategy, a well-designed rolling stock strategy promotes the development of a railroad company and contributes to its competitive advantage. Effective implementation of the rolling stock strategy enhances the likelihood of enjoying the benefits of the strategy’s design. A successful implementation relies on the strategy being known, understood, controlled and communicated to the entire organization. Design/methodology/approach – The research consists of an extensive literature review as well as a series of workshops with rolling stock suppliers, railway authorities and representatives and rail users. Findings – This paper presents a collection of solutions for passenger rail rolling stock procurement. The authors offer guidance to the strategic procurement of rolling stock in the European Union (EU) and propose key performance indicators to measure the effectiveness of a rolling stock strategy. Research limitations/implications – While this study presents a thorough evaluation of rolling stock procurement practices, it is limited by its geographic isolation. Future studies should compare the procurement practices discussed here to others in the EU, as well as in North America, South America and Asia. Additionally, this study focused on the passenger rail segment. Passenger transport is an important function of the rail network in the EU, but future research should expand the assessment of rolling stock procurement strategies to freight rail as well. Originality/value – Overall, this work provides visibility into common rolling stock procurement practices in complex EU railway markets. This work expands the literature through a review of these practices and through enabling research into best practices or a commonly accepted procurement model.

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to identify the most common characteristics that make Internet users at the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences (SKA) vulnerable to various threats. This includes password management habits, online banking, shopping and payment behaviours, time spent online, use of public Wi-Fi, gaming and watching movies online. Additionally, the study seeks to review the dangers users encounter and how cautious they are, such as which online activities they consider the most dangerous and which they perceive as safe. Design/methodology/approach – The data used in this paper is based on an overview of relevant literature, highlighting previous studies and methodologies and explaining why the human factor is considered the weakest link in cybersecurity. This research aims to help characterise the patrons of the SKA and make suggestions for future training and research. For this purpose, the students, administrative employees and academic staff of the SKA were investigated. A five-point scale questionnaire with 54 questions was used as the methodology of the study, considering the following four scales: risky behaviour, conservative behaviour, risk exposure behaviour and risk perception behaviour. The results are interpreted based on the literature, and data obtained from the completed questionnaires were analysed using Excel’s Data Analysis ToolPak. The results are presented mostly as tables and bar charts. Findings – The research results show that the cybersecurity behaviour of employees and students is generally at a good level. However, some aspects of conservative behaviour need increased attention, such as the use of USB and other external media, opening links in emails too readily, monitoring the authenticity of visited websites and deleting browsing history before logging out. Cyber training has a noticeable effect on behaviour, particularly in the context of password management. Originality/value – No previous research on cyber behaviour has been conducted in the context of Estonian higher education, despite the increasing number of cyber-attacks in this sector.

Purpose – Data breaches in the US healthcare sector have more than tripled in the last decade across all states. However, to this day, no established framework ranks all states from most to least at risk for healthcare data breaches. This gap has led to a lack of proper risk identification and understanding of cyber environments at state levels. Design/methodology/approach – Based on the security action cycle, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) cybersecurity framework, the risk-planning model, and the multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) literature, the paper offers an integrated multicriteria framework for prioritization in cybersecurity to address this lack and other prioritization issues in risk management in the field. The study used historical breach data between 2015 and 2021. Findings – The findings showed that California, Texas, New York, Florida, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Ohio, and Georgia are the states most at risk for healthcare data breaches. Practical implications – The findings highlight each US state faces a different level of healthcare risk. The findings are informative for patients, crucial for privacy officers in understanding the nuances of their risk environment, and important for policy-makers who must grasp the grave disconnect between existing issues and legislative practices. Furthermore, the study suggests an association between positioning state risk and such factors as population and wealth, both avenues for future research. Originality/value – Theoretically, the paper offers an integrated framework, whose basis in established security models in both academia and industry practice enables utilizing it in various prioritization scenarios in the field of cybersecurity. It further emphasizes the importance of risk identification and brings attention to different healthcare cybersecurity environments among the different US states.

Purpose – This study aims to explore the vulnerabilities of the dairy industry to ransomware threats, focusing particularly on the upstream supply chain and applying routine activity theory (RAT) to understand the evolving dynamics of cybercrime in critical infrastructure sectors. Design/methodology/approach – Utilizing expert interviews and network analysis, this research investigates the exploitation of complex supply chain vulnerabilities by motivated offenders. It delves into the intricate interplay between digital threats and physical supply continuity. Findings – The study uncovers that ransomware threats transcend digital boundaries, manifesting in disruptions to physical operations and presenting significant risks to food security. It underscores the threat posed by the convergence of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT), emphasizing the urgent need for heightened awareness and robust defenses against this substantial menace. Practical implications – Addressing cyber vulnerabilities in critical sectors like dairy ensures not only the security of operations but also safeguards broader societal interests such as food security. Collaboration and proactive measures are essential to mitigate potential social and economic disruptions caused by cyber incidents. Originality/value – This research fills a knowledge gap by shedding light on the nexus between cyber threats and supply chain resilience. It emphasizes the need for industries to adapt traditional defense mechanisms in the face of sophisticated digital adversaries.

The importance of youth entrepreneurship in the context of digital transformation makes it relevant to study its development. The article is a review of a new book on the promotion and support of young and aspiring entrepreneurs in the South African Republic. The book is characterized by novelty of views and considerable informative content. It is organized into three main parts comprising 9 chapters. Issues related to the conceptual vision of youth entrepreneurship and a large-scale initiative that was specifically designed and then piloted in the South African Republic to stimulate related activities have been addressed. The author of the peer-reviewed book emphasizes the importance of the university environment and the mechanisms formed in it, on the one hand, and entrepreneurs’ personal development, on the other. Recommendations on finding sources of funding and working with potential consumers of innovative products and services have been given. The book is written in lucid language, which is characteristic rather for educational literature, and is well illustrated. It is found to contain various references to digital transformation, and governance is considered in relation to both entrepreneurial firms created by entrepreneurs and youth entrepreneurship incentive schemes in general. The book contains interesting (including pedagogical) information that will also be useful to consider when establishing cooperation among the BRICS countries.

Modern multipolar world subject to economic and financial crises requires the creation of a new model of interaction and cooperation. The goals and priorities for economic systems development at the level of states and regions have recently undergone major changes. Under the leadership of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, the development plans of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation are constantly revised depending on the current situation in the regions. In the modern sphere of regional policy, the task of ensuring sustainable development of the economic systems of the territories is becoming more and more urgent. Public administration bodies and scientific and expert communities pay more attention to the issues of state regional policy and its constituent part such as regional economic policy, which should ensure the interrelation of regional priorities of the country with the concepts, long-term strategies, and medium-term programs of socio-economic development at the regional level. The formation of effective mechanisms for Russian economic policy implementation at various levels of government requires special attention. Insufficient clarity of state policy objectives in individual subjects makes it difficult to determine strategic development priorities and reduces the forecasts effectiveness. In this regard, the study of the regional socio-economic development processes in modern Russia is relevant both in theoretical and practical terms and necessitates the improvement of scientific support for the mechanisms of forming and implementing modern effective regional economic policy. It is necessary to work hard on its adaptation in order to form long-term programs of the country’s socio-economic development. The basic thesis of the study is that the regions are the center of forming effective economy in Russia at any stage of its development. The purpose of the study is to develop the theoretical foundations for forming regional economic policy of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and to develop practical recommendations to improve the effectiveness of its implementation in modern conditions.

The paper presents research and review articles published between 2014 and 2023 on the use of cloud technologies and blockchain for smart agriculture development in Russia, China and the Republic of Belarus. The main directions of modern agriculture digitalization have been listed. The comparison of technical progress of agriculture in Russia and neighboring European countries (Poland and Latvia) has been carried out. The survey results show that in Russia advanced developments consider soil-climatic and agro-technological peculiarities of the territory, cloud technology providers and own data processing centers are being developed. Some practical systems are not unified, computing resources are geographically distributed, and less than 8–10 % of farms in Russia use digital platforms. Promising research directions of modern technologies and their application in agriculture have been described. The article studies information technologies used in intelligent agriculture based on cloud computing and blockchain. Intelligent agriculture is characterized by large amounts of data. Data transmission and analysis in such information system are based on cloud technologies. Agro-production processes are linked to other parts of the value chain in complex, highly automated production, and logistics chains involving wholesalers, retailers, logistics, agricultural producers, and their suppliers. Such chains can reduce food costs and retail prices, as well as the need for production and distribution capacity. Supply and value chains digitalization and digital platforms development that connect participants in the agroecosystem are driving the use of blockchain.

The interrelationships between the integral indicator of sustainable development of an enterprise and key performance indicators reflecting the three ESG blocks have been revealed. The subject of the study is the assessment of sustainable enterprise development dependence on environmental, social, and managerial factors, which was carried out on the basis of creating and analyzing an econometric model of 18 ESG indicators of sustainable development of a large international mining and metallurgical vertically integrated company. The main research methods were correlation and regression analysis. The correlation between the value of the sustainable development indicator of an enterprise and ESG-factors has been proved. Specific key indicators affecting the sustainable development of an enterprise have been identified. The scientific contribution of the study lies in identifying the peculiarities of the environmental and social aspects influence on the performance of industrial enterprises in the mining and metallurgical industry in the context of increasing demand for sustainable development. The study results are crucial for achieving not only the strategic, commercial, and production goals of an enterprise, but also the goals of promoting the sustainable development agenda in the manufacturing sector of the country. The directions of future research in this area are seen in the development of conceptual provisions on the directions of business processes adjustment in Russian enterprises considering ESG principles.

General goal, which can be formed through a mission, represents main direction of a company’s activities, its values and purpose for national economy, industry, and society. The missions and strategic goals of three leading Russian mining and metallurgical companies, which are key copper producers, have been considered: MMC Norilsk Nickel PJSC, Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company JSC, and Russian Copper Company JSC. Theoretical review of approaches to forming a mission and strategic goals of industrial companies has been carried out. Key stakeholders and their expectations in a mission and strategic goals formulation in relation to the mining and metallurgical industry have been identified. The missions’ components have been studied and the missions of three companies analyzed on their basis. A possible decomposition of an organization’s mission has been performed and “mission-destination”, “mission-policy”, and “mission-orientation” singled out. Within the framework of the conducted research the methods of comparative analysis of missions and strategic goals of enterprises of the mining and metallurgical complex were used. Component analysis was applied for decomposition of firms’ missions. The comparative analysis of missions and strategic goals of the leading domestic copper producers allowed to identify differences in management approaches and vision to determine the priority areas of their strategic development.

In modern education sphere, which is subject to constant change under the influence of socio-cultural, environmental, and economic changes, there is an urgent task to create methods and directions in the educational process consonant with the transformations. The purpose of the study is to identify promising areas of research in the context of continuing education. The methodological tools were: analysis of interrelationships between concepts that combine philosophical, sociocultural, economic, and educational categories; critical analysis of our own pedagogical practice in the context of formal, informal, and incidental learning; organization and implementation of a survey of experts via the Internet in December 2023; qualitative analysis of detailed answers of survey participants to the questions posed. New sources for an interdisciplinary methodology creation have been identified, the development of which is envisioned at the boundary of diverse knowledge domains and in the framework of practical research on transdisciplinarity. The author’s analysis has revealed significant methodological innovations present in science and contemporary philosophy when considering lifelong learning as a vital aspect of a modern man. The potential and perspectives immanent to innovative combinations and interactions between previously autonomous spheres of knowledge have been analyzed. In the era of rapid technological and educational development, where the human aspect is merging with artificial intelligence, human values preservation becomes critical. The article gains its significance by exploring the methodological approaches most suitable for developing a progressive psychological and pedagogical concept within the phenomenon of continuing basic education.

The prospects for the development of digital marketing and its role in ensuring economic development sustainability have been considered. Modern trends and problems faced by marketers in the conditions of rapid development of digital technologies have been studied. Digitalization in all areas of national economy and any areas of human activity is gaining momentum and becoming an integral part of any activity. The sustainable development concept implies achieving a balance among socio-economic sphere development, environment preservation on the basis of technological development, and consumption rationalization, in which marketing plays an important role, and, therefore, its development should be given more attention. The role of digital marketing and opportunities to enhance it and ways to overcome problems in internal and external economic activities through digital marketing have been considered. The purpose of the study is to identify the main trends of marketing development in the conditions of digitalization, which will allow to develop and prepare new markets and goods using the latest marketing achievements in order to work for the future within the concept of sustainable development of economic, environmental, and social spheres of life. The digitalization impact on marketing strategies, changes in consumer behavior, and the analysis of new tools and platforms that are used to promote products and services have been studied. Each sphere of activity has its own peculiarities of digitalization implementation, and marketing activity is no exception, so its development in terms of digitalization implementation is relevant.

Abstract With the advent of the digital economy era, digital management has become a hot topic of concern in both the industry and academia. Focusing on digital management in enterprises, this article consists of 750 CSSCI source journals indexed in the CNKI database from 2000 to 2022, 1303 articles in the literature and Web of Science core database were used as research objects, using CiteSpace and VOSviewer Perform bibliometric analysis using visual tools. Firstly, conduct data statistics on the overall collection and apply the author literature coupling method. Analyze representative literature. Secondly, by means of thematic temporal evolution and keyword emergence, we will sort out the development of domestic and foreign research. Expand the context. Next, we use keyword clustering method to explore recent hot topics in domestic and international research. Based on citation analysis and word cluster analysis, with the comprehensive results of "basic elements—management process—management effectiveness", a digital management theory for enterprises has been constructed on the IPO Panoramic Research Framework Model. Finally, future research directions are proposed. Firstly, the issue of digital technology abuse must be addressed through standardized management protocols. Secondly, the mechanisms by which digital technology impacts organizational performance warrant thorough investigation. Thirdly, the paradigm of collaboratively applying multiple digital technologies should be explored. Lastly, the design of an innovative digital ecosystem strategy based on a platform approach needs to be developed.

Abstract This paper establishes a symmetric matrix based on the coopetition relationships among global automobile enterprises, and uses Ucinet software to obtain the visualization chart of the coopetition network of global automobile enterprises. Then, the multiple moderating effect method and two-stage least squares method are adopt to reveal the interaction between structural hole and centrality on enterprise market performance, and how the ego-network characteristics affect this interaction. The results show that structural hole and centrality have a positive interaction on market performance. Compared with high ego-network stability, the positive interaction between structural hole and centrality on enterprise market performance is stronger under the condition of low ego-network stability. And compared with low ego-network density, the positive interaction between structural hole and centrality on market performance is stronger under the condition of high ego-network density. These new findings further strengthen the connection between the overall network and ego-network.

Public libraries have become one of the biggest powerhouses for the production of knowledge and information by having various sources and references that their effective and efficient management can have a significant impact on the development of users' information literacy. The aim of the current research was to investigate the role of knowledge management in improving the information literacy of public library users and providing a suitable model. The research method was a combined method using the metacomposite technique, content analysis and Delphi to identify and categorize the components of management-knowledge and information literacy, and then the survey method. The statistical population included 284 librarians and 45582 users, 181 librarians and 497 users were selected by multi-stage cluster sampling. The data collection tool included two researcher-made questionnaires for knowledge management and information literacy, derived from the theoretical and experimental background of the research, which was approved by the expert team. The method of data analysis was structural equation modeling. The findings of the research showed that the level of establishment of four components of knowledge management in public libraries of Khuzestan province is higher than average. Also, the level of users' enjoyment of the eight components of information literacy is also higher than average. As a result, a proposed model, while confirming the main and sub-hypotheses of the research, showed that the implementation and establishment of knowledge management has been effective in improving the information literacy of public library users in Khuzestan province.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of senior managers 'brand-centered leadership on brand commitment among employees in the presence of mediating variables of employees' knowledge of brand, psychological contract and brand-to-staff fit between Karaj Capital Bank employees. The research method is descriptive and correlational. The statistical population of this study is 60 employees of Karaj Capital Bank. Because of the limited population of the population, a census or integer was used to select the sample. The research was conducted through the design and distribution of a questionnaire in the form of a face-to-face researcher. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by content validity and its reliability was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha method. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. The data were analyzed by SPSS and PLS software. The results of data analysis showed that brand-centered leadership of senior executives through staff knowledge of brand has a positive and significant effect on brand commitment. Brand-based leadership by senior executives through psychological contracting has a positive and significant effect on brand commitment. Brand-based leadership by senior executives has a positive and significant effect on brand commitment through employee-brand fit.

The purpose of the study is the effect of information technology capabilities on the relationship between individual, group and organizational factors with knowledge retention in Khuzestan Steel Company. The study was practical in terms of purpose and descriptive-survey in terms of data collection. The research population was 15,000 employees of Khuzestan Steel Company, of which 555 were selected using simple random sampling. The data were collected using a questionnaire based on previous studies in the five-point Likert scale using the field distribution method. The face validity of the tool and its reliability were confirmed using Cronbach's alpha (α=0.737). the data were analyzed by SEM in Amus software. Based on the results of the bootstrapping analysis, the full effect of individual factors on knowledge retention and maintenance (β=0.331) and the indirect effect with the mediating role of information technology capabilities (β=0.156); The full effect of group factors on the retention and maintenance of knowledge (β=0.342) and the indirect effect with the mediating role of information technology capabilities (β=0.080); and the full effect of organizational factors on knowledge retention and maintenance (β=0.631) and the indirect effect with the mediating role of information technology capabilities (β=0.118) are significant at the level (P

The purpose of this paper was to analyze the functionality of the GILS standard in the development of the smart government. This research was conducted using documentary and observation methods. The statistical population of this research was the metadata elements of the GILS as well as the components of the smart government. A survey tool was used to collect the required data for the research. The findings of this research showed that the main components of the smart government are grouped into 18 axes with 75 partial components. To create a smart government, components like information technology, cyber security, transparency and access, digital identity, privacy and data security, interoperability, ethical and legal considerations, and digital empowerment have been proposed. The elements used in the GILS standard are placed in eight general categories, which are: simple description elements, subject description elements, URIs, resource formats and technical features, administrative details, administrative metadata, source/reference and access/copyright conditions. Each of these categories consists of several main and sub-elements. the findings of the research revealed that the GILS can be used in the development of a smart government in various dimensions. One of the strengths of this standard, which increases its functionality in the smart government, is the use of appropriate descriptive and management metadata to access government data. Determining and describing the required metadata. using metadata, storing metadata, managing and maintaining metadata, determining access and permissions are among the most important applications of the Government Information Locator Service in the smart government.

Inter-organizational knowledge sharing is crucial for the scientific, social, and economic development of societies. Knowledge sharing processes and systems are challenged not only by individual and organizational factors but also by social, technical, and political inter-organizational contributors. The majority of existing researches have focused on situations such as interactive supply chains, virtual organizations, and multinational organizations, so that it can be said that Inter-organizational knowledge sharing is neglected in collaborative processes. This paper examines inter-organizational knowledge sharing in a collaborative project in which independent public organizations work together for providing social care for students. This research aims to investigate the impact of the variables of knowledge worker, peers, inter-organizational knowledge-sharing system, organization, and coalition on sharing knowledge in multiple inter-organizational relationships. This quantitative correlational study employed a 44-item questionnaire, which was distributed among the system users in Alborz province. The sample size was calculated using Cochran’s formula, and for sampling, proportional stratified sampling method was used. The SmartPLS3 software was used to develop a confirmatory factor analysis model and structural equations, while SPSS software was employed for descriptive statistical tests. In this study, the impact of the knowledge worker, peers, sharing system, organization, and coalition on knowledge sharing via interorganizational knowledge sharing systems was confirmed, among which the variables of the knowledge worker and peers exerted the greatest impact on knowledge sharing which shows the main priorities of managers to improve knowledge transfer functions in this system.

The purpose of this research was to design the business ontology of Ehya Sepahan company based on semantic web data models. This research was conducted using qualitative analysis and design method The population of this research was all the entities of Ehya Sepahan company, i.e. data resources, human resources, organizational posts, the desired processes of the organization and various departments of the mentioned organization, as well as the classes and attributes in the organizational ontology. Observation and documentary methods and checklist are utilized for gathering required data.The findings of this research showed that the entities of Ehya Sepahan company are devided to internal and external entities. On the other hand, the findings revealed that most of the attributes considered for company entities are presented in the schema.org standard. So, all the mentioned attributes for Organization, Person, Website, Product entities in the schema.org are consistent with the attributes needed to describe the company entities. On the other hand, the investigation of organizational ontology showed that this ontology has 9 entities and all these entities were used to design the ontology of Ehya Sepahan company. As a result, a suitable ontology was implemented for participating in the Knowledge discovery and Representation (KDR) software. In general, it can be stated that organizational ontologies are one of the efficient tools for accurate description and knowledge discovery of data entities of organizations that can be used to facilitate and speed up processes and decisions in the organization.

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to identify the key components of knowledge technology mastery from the point of view of experts.Methodology: In order to collect information, library and field methods have been considered. First, the performance evaluation components of knowledge technologies were obtained by Delphi method. Then, to compare these components, a questionnaire was distributed among faculty members and doctoral students of information science and epistemology in Tehran state universities, and AHP method was used to analyze the data. Spss 25 and Expert Choice 11 software were used for data analysis.Findings: In the Delphi phase, 10 main financial indicators, system quality, system infrastructure, knowledge technology service quality, knowledge technology architecture, user interface, user satisfaction about the system, the value of work results, perceived benefits and benefits of the system , being up-to-date was detected. the financial component is in the first degree, system quality in the second degree, system infrastructure in the third degree, user interface in the fourth degree, knowledge technology architecture in the fifth degree, knowledge technology service quality in the sixth degree, user satisfaction about the system. In the seventh grade, the value of the results obtained from the eighth grade card, and the perceived advantages and benefits of the system and being up-to-date were ranked in the ninth grade.Value: The results of this research can be used to evaluate the performance of knowledge technologies.Conclusion: through evaluation, it is possible to help advance and improve the performance of the organization.

Purpose – Cyberattacks have become a major threat to small and medium-sized enterprises. Their prevention efforts often prioritize technical solutions over human factors, despite humans posing the greatest risk. This article highlights the importance of developing tailored behavioral interventions. Through qualitative interviews, we identified three persona types with different psychological biases that increase the risk of cyberattacks. These psychological biases are a basis for creating behavioral interventions to strengthen the human factor and, thus, prevent cyberattacks. Design/methodology/approach – We conducted structured, in-depth interviews with 44 employees, decision makers and IT service providers from small and medium-sized Swiss enterprises to understand insecure cyber behavior. Findings – A thematic analysis revealed that, while knowledge about cyber risks is available, no one assumes responsibility for employees’ and decision makers’ behavior. The interview results suggest three personas for employees and decision makers: experts, deportees and repressors. We have derived corresponding biases from these three persona types that help explain the interviewees’ insecure cyber behavior. Research limitations/implications – This study provides evidence that employees differ in their cognitive biases. This implies that tailored interventions are more effective than one-size-fits7-all interventions. It is inherent in the idea of tailored interventions that they depend on multiple factors, such as cultural, organizational or individual factors. However, even if the segments change somewhat, it is still very likely that there are subgroups of employees that differ in terms of their misleading cognitive biases and risk behavior. Practical implications – This article discusses behavior directed recommendations for tailored interventions in small and medium-sized enterprises to minimize cyber risks. Originality/value – The contribution of this study is that it is the first to use personas and cognitive biases to understand insecure cyber behavior, and to explain why small and medium-sized enterprises do not implement behavior-based cybersecurity best practices. The personas and biases provide starting points for future research and interventions in practice.

Purpose – Recent years have witnessed an unexpected and astonishing rise of AI-generated (AIGC), thanks to the rapid advancement of technology and the omnipresence of social media. AIGCs created to mislead are more commonly known as DeepFakes, which erode our trust in online information and have already caused real damage. Thus, countermeasures must be developed to limit the negative impacts of AIGC. This position paper aims to provide a conceptual analysis of the impact of DeepFakes considering the production cost and overview counter technologies to fight DeepFakes. We will also discuss future perspectives of AIGC and their counter technology. Design/methodology/approach – We summarize recent developments in generative AI and AIGC, as well as technical developments to mitigate the harmful impacts of DeepFakes. We also provide an analysis of the cost-effect tradeoff of DeepFakes. Research limitations/implications – The mitigation of DeepFakes call for multi-disciplinary research across the traditional disciplinary boundaries. Practical implications – Government and business sectors need to work together to provide sustainable solutions to the DeepFake problem. Social implications – The research and development in counter-technologies and other mitigation measures of DeepFakes are important components for the health of future information ecosystem and democracy. Originality/value – Unlike existing reviews in this topic, our position paper focuses on the insights and perspective of this vexing sociotechnical problem of our time, providing a more global picture of the solutions landscape.

Purpose – I adapt the Integrated Model of Workplace Safety (Christian et al., 2009) to information security and highlight the need to understand additional factors that influence security compliance and additional security outcomes that need to be studied (i.e. security participation). Research limitations/implications – This model argues that distal factors in four major categories (employee characteristics, job characteristics, workgroup characteristics and organizational characteristics) influence two proximal factors (security motivation and security knowledge) and the security event itself, which together influence two important outcomes (security compliance and security participation). Practical implications – Safety is a systems design issue, not an employee compliance issue. When employees make poor safety decisions, it is not the employee who is at fault; instead, the system is at fault because it induced the employee to make a poor decision and enabled the decision to have negative consequences. Social implications – Security compliance is as much a workgroup issue as an individual issue. Originality/value – I believe that by reframing information security from a compliance issue to a systems design issue, we can dramatically improve security.

Abstract Taking bus and subway into account, an asymmetric polycentric urban system equilibrium model is constructed to explore the impacts of rail transit on the distribution of residents and labor force in a linear polycentric urban system. By comparing the urban system equilibria before and after the introduction of rail transit, the influence of rail transit on urban performance is analyzed. The results show that the introduction of rail transit makes the advantaged center more attractive for the labor force, and further widens the economic level gap between the two business centers. Specifically, larger distance between the two commercial centers and the higher subway travel cost would strengthen the polarization effect caused by rail transit investment. Since the improvement of transportation makes it easier for residents to accept long-distance commuting and they are more willing to choose the jobs in the advanced center.

Abstract This research aims to develop a new conceptual framework that investigates the effect of buy-online-pickup-in-store (BOPS) shopping on customer engagement and related outcomes from the touchpoint perspective. Based on the customer engagement theory and touchpoint literature, we define the concept of contact interactivity to explore the multiple touchpoints in the BOPS shopping experience and develop a conceptual framework and an associated set of propositions related to contact interactivity. To better understand contact interactivity, we propose the three dimensions of the customer–product interaction, customer–employee interaction, and customer–customer interaction, and further investigate the advantages of BOPS by comparing it with online shopping. This study has research implications for the BOPS literature by identifying specific touchpoints in multiple phases of the BOPS shopping journey and explaining the effect of BOPS shopping on customer engagement. We conclude by discussing important theoretical and practical implications that arises from our analyses.

The paper discusses the concept of Kaizen, a Japanese philosophy of continuous improvement, and highlights its historical significance and widespread adoption in various industries worldwide. This paper is based on literature review of 98 research articles published related kaizen's evolution, industry application, and limitations during 2000-2022. The study employed a comprehensive search strategy across multiple databases like Scopus, Google Scholar, and others to gather relevant systematic reviews on kaizen. It references established guidelines like PRISMA and it mentions the planned thematic analysis using NVivo software, highlighting its applicability in identifying patterns and themes across diverse data sources. The review showed that Kaizen adoption is a useful tool for organizations looking to achieve continuous performance improvement and sustainability over time.

The semiconductor industry faces the dual challenge of risk assessment and process improvement. This paper introduces a framework that integrates Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle to address these challenges effectively. FMEA serves as the initial step to identify potential risks within the system, followed by applying the PDCA cycle to systematically address and enhance the identified risks. The comparison between the initial Risk Priority Number (RPN) value, determined through FMEA, and the post-RPN in PDCA value gauges the success of the framework. Implementing the system in a semiconductor assembly line yielded a significant 51% improvement in RPN, with additional Lean tools incorporated into PDCA, such as SMART goals, 6M, and multi-voting. This integrated framework amplifies risk management, fosters continuous improvement, optimizes resource utilization, and empowers data-driven decisions, ultimately bolstering organizational growth. However, the study acknowledges limitations such as its single-case focus and potential RPN calculation subjectivity.

This research investigates the synergistic relationship between Lean Manufacturing and Industry 4.0, crucial paradigms in modern industry, through a literature review of 60 scientific articles published from January 2013 to November 2023. The study reveals a tripartite relationship: Industry 4.0 technologies amplify Lean Manufacturing’s efficiency; Lean Manufacturing principles facilitate Industry 4.0 adoption; and their interaction fosters mutual enhancement, indicating a dynamic interplay. The results show three main trends: combining Industry 4.0 technologies, especially the Internet of Things, with Lean Manufacturing principles to make things more efficient and productive; highlighting the important role of Lean Manufacturing and Industry 4.0 in tackling sustainability issues and encouraging eco-friendly practices; and combining Lean principles with Industry 4.0 as a step toward Industry 5.0. Challenges include the need for a cultural transformation to align Lean’s simplicity with Industry 4.0’s complexity, resolve compatibility issues between legacy systems and new technologies, enhance data management and cybersecurity, address skill deficiencies through staff training, and ensure supplier and partner alignment. This research enriches academic and industrial discourse by presenting a novel outlook on the convergence of lean manufacturing and Industry 4.0, highlighting its significance for future works.

The Dynamic lot sizing (DLS) model is widely used in production planning, to minimize inventory levels, which basically will minimize production costs. The DLS model tries to eliminate the assumption of a fixed demand level throughout the period used in the Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) model. The characteristics of business processes in online retailers are the basis of this research to develop DLS models. This research develops a DLS model for retailers with multi-supplier cases, quantity discounts, and capacity constraints that consider Advanced Demand Information (ADI). Based on the numerical test results, it appears that ADI has an effect on reducing total production costs in the DLS model. The results of the numerical tests also showed that the model was able to solve the problems of the production planning process for SMEs and retailers who considered ADI.

Applying the principles of open government and administrative transparency in the Member States of the European Union is of significant importance, as they are fundamental to ensuring democratic and inclusive decision-making process. Government transparency is essential for fighting corruption, strengthening the rule of law and promoting accountability and integrity in public administration.

This study presents a simulation-based investigation into the application of a Cascade Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) combined with Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) control scheme for managing the complexities of a Nonlinear Flexible Inverted Pendulum System (NFIPS). The NFIPS, characterized by nonlinear dynamics and structural flexibility, demands a sophisticated control strategy to achieve stable and precise performance. The proposed Cascade PID-LQR scheme integrates the advantages of PID for addressing nonlinearities and LQR for optimizing linearized dynamics. Through comprehensive simulations, the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme is evaluated, emphasizing its potential in enhancing stability, response speed, and robustness. The study contributes valuable insights into the application of advanced control methodologies in handling nonlinear and flexible systems, paving the way for further exploration and practical implementations in related domains such as robotics and mechatronics.

A ball-on-wheel system is a recently developed model in the field of automatic control. It serves as a simple model, meeting the learning and algorithmic research needs of students. With this model, there are various algorithms available for system control, such as PID controllers, fuzzy PID controllers, and sliding mode controllers, among others. In this paper, we construct a mechanical model for the system. We choose the Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) algorithm to design for this system. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate the effective operation of the LQR controller for the inverted pendulum on a cart system. Additionally, tuning experiments indicate that the parameters have been verified and confirmed to be consistent with the theoretical tuning principles of the LQR controller.

In this paper, we propose a solution of designing and building a three-order 4D magician robot arm to palletize goods. Inverse kinematic of system is calculated. Thence, we design a suitable robot arm which can utilizing camera to palletizing goods. PID controller is used to move operating point. Simulation and experimental results are shown to prove the well operation of this robot arm.

In this paper, we present a single input-single output (SISO) model – 1-DOF drone. This model is simple but difficult to be controlled due to its nonlinear characteristic. We also present a self-made hardware platform for this model in laboratory. Thence, classical PID control is examined on both simulation and experiment. This algorithm is proved to work well. Thence, this model is a nonlinear SISO solution for classical training model for laboratory.

In this paper, we will survey two controllers, a linear control (LQR) and sliding mode control (SMC) on a central axis ball and beam (B&B) – a single input-multiple output (SIMO) system through simulation and experiment. In experiment, we present a hardware platform using STM32F407 for this model. Beside simulation results, the results in experiment prove the effectiveness of both methods in different cases. Thence, through this research, the advantages and disadvantages of the two controllers are demonstrated for designers to select in suitable cases.

Pendubot is a popular single input-multi output (SIMO) in laboratories to test control algorithms. In this paper, we focus on a developed model of pendubot – linear triple-linked pendubot (LTLP) and propose LQR to control this model. Through simulation, link 1 is kept balanced, kept following trajectories when link 2, 3 is kept upward under LQR control. Thence, besides balancing well this model at TOP position, our algorithm also makes system tracking sine and pulse trajectories well.

System parameter identification is the process of finding system parameters to convert physical control signals (usually torque) from theoretical controllers into signals that the hardware can generate for communication connected to model’s executive structure. Simple SIMO systems, like balanced vehicles, often employ PID controllers due to their straightforward design and effectiveness. The algorithm’s simplicity is extensively elucidated in document [1]. Linear controllers and their parameters are typically determined through experimentation and expert knowledge. However, for advanced controllers such as LQR, H Infinity, and SMC, a trial-and-error approach is not viable due to their complexity and the need for precise tuning.

Mobile robots are a subject that researchers have been developing a lot. Most of the research mainly on two-wheeled balanced robots use PID, LQR controllers, …. Currently, products such as bicycle unicycles, one wheel scooter are becoming more and more popular in many countries. In this article, our research group covers the construction of kinematic and dynamic mathematical equations, design of PID and LQR controllers using MATLAB/ Simulink.

This paper presents the scientific and research methodology together with the interpretation and analysis of data and information obtained through the research applied in 2023, regarding the perception of the employees of some organizations in the Caras-Severin County, Romania, regarding the characteristics of their managers. Based on the reality that a good manager must possess many qualities, knowledge, skills, techniques and methods, in order to identify the elements that define the characteristics of managers, we applied a research based on a questionnaire shared online, consisting of 24 questions, out of which 8 were identification questions and 16 questions were designed to highlight the extent to which organization manager demonstrate the possession of qualities, knowledge, skills, techniques and methods, as well as to highlight the employees’ importance in the development of organizational performance, the importance of communication and trust between employees and managers, the importance of performing managerial functions and more. Analysing the information obtained through the respondents’ answers, we found all proposed objectives were fulfilled, which were mostly positive, even though some less favourable answers were given.

Management accounting holds a position of utmost significance within the public sector due to its important role in enhancing decision-making processes by providing tailored financial information that meets the specific needs of public entities. This financial data serves a valuable purpose in predicting future outcomes, logically structuring resources, conducting in-depth analyses, making prompt decisions, and ensuring consistent monitoring, all aimed at attaining the highest levels of production efficiency.

The complexity of economic life is the essential cause of the need to know the mechanism of consumer behaviour. Communication with customers is a vital aspect for the success of a company, regardless of the market in which it operates. Customer Relationship Management and relationship marketing are interconnected concepts and refer to the management of an organization’s “partnership” with its customers, but they are also different concepts. This paper aims to present the importance of customer relationship management in the automotive market.

Studying public administration offers students a diverse range of opportunities to create a significant influence in different sectors of society. Public administration, being an interdisciplinary and applied area, plays a crucial role in advancing and embodying of extracurricular activities, offering a valuable array of practical instruments. This article focuses on a narrative approch of the role of extracurricular activities in training human resources from public administration.

For the intelligent reflecting surface (IRS)-assisted multiple input single output (MISO) simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT) system, the beam forming vector at the base station and the reflected beam forming vector of the IRS were jointly optimized, by considering the maximum transmit power of the base station, the unit modulus constraint of the IRS reflection phase shift matrix, and the minimum energy constraint of the energy receiver. The object was to maximize the spectrum efficiency. To solve the non-convex optimization problem, a deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG) algorithm based on deep reinforcement learning was proposed. Simulation results show that the average reward of the DDPG algorithm is related to the learning rate. Under the condition of selecting the appropriate learning rate, the DDPG algorithm can obtain an average mutual information similar to that of the traditional optimization algorithm, but the running time is significantly lower than that of the traditional non-convex optimization algorithm. Even if the number of antennas and the number of reflective units are increased, the DDPG algorithm can still converge in a short period of time. This indicates that the DDPG algorithm can effectively improve the computational efficiency and is suitable for communication services with high real-time requirements.

Device-to-device (D2D) communication is a short-range communication technology that can effectively improve the spectral efficiency of cellular networks. A two-stage subchannel and power joint allocation scheme was proposed to address the complex scenario of "many-to-many" communication in cellular networks (one subchannel could be assigned to multiple pairs of D2D user equipment (DUE), and one pair of DUE could also use multiple subchannels at the same time), considering the full frequency domain resource reuse in both uplink and downlink subchannels. In the first stage, a weighted bipartite graph matching-based resource allocation (WBGM-RA) algorithm was introduced. This algorithm allocated all subchannels to all cellular user equipment (CUE) to maximize CUE sum rate. In the second stage, an interference clustering-based resource allocation (IC-RA) algorithm was proposed, and the interference matrix was constructed according to the interference relations among UE sharing the same subchannel. Resources allocated to CUE were reallocated to DUE. Moreover, the transmit power of DUE was optimized to maximize the system sum rate while ensured that DUE did not cause serious interference to CUE. This study established a novel joint resource allocation for uplink and downlink subchannels, coupled with a mechanism for "many-to-many" channel reuse. This led to a substantial increase in spectrum access opportunities for DUE and overall spectrum efficiency in the network. Simulation results show that compared with the existing typical algorithm, this algorithm can effectively improve the system sum rate, increase the number of communication links in the system and increase the DUE access rate.