Ioana Cîmpan and Emil Lucian Crișan
The purpose of this paper is to provide a condensed perspective of blockchain-related concepts for business researchers and practitioners, amid the growing popularity of the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a condensed perspective of blockchain-related concepts for business researchers and practitioners, amid the growing popularity of the subject.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is a literature review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis Extension for Scoping Reviews methodology. We have revised 42 papers that have detailed concepts such as blockchain, Web 3.0, blockchain types, affordances, and limitations.
Findings
The paper creates a comprehensive overview of blockchain-related concepts. It starts by looking at the blockchain's various definitions and explains the technology's novelty. The components and the process of making a transaction in the blockchain are explained from a combined paradigm, including both business and technological concepts. Further on, the paper discusses the existing types of blockchain, together with the affordances provided by the usage of the technology. The last part includes the limitations of blockchain.
Originality/value
The present study reveals the existence of three paradigms while studying the subject: business-centric, technological-centric, and combined. While the primary aim of this research is to explain concepts for business researchers and practitioners, it includes technological aspects as well, therefore, aligning with the combined paradigm.
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Clemens Boy, Femke L. Truijens, Anneke Louwerse, Kirsten Visser, Dennis Bastiaansen, Wietske A. Ester, Elisabeth H.M. Van Rijen, Ruth Van der Hallen and Linda P. Dekker
The lasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on autistic children and adolescents remains uncertain. Disruptions to routines, social communication and support systems presented…
Abstract
Purpose
The lasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on autistic children and adolescents remains uncertain. Disruptions to routines, social communication and support systems presented unique challenges. The existing body of research has produced inconclusive results, necessitating further investigation to elucidate this ambiguity. This study aims to provide clarity regarding the emotional and behavioral functioning of autistic youth in response to COVID-19 related lockdowns. We further explore distinct subgroups of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), investigating the socially inflexible and demand avoidant profile.
Design/methodology/approach
To surpass short-term outcomes, this study examined emotional and behavioral problems (EBPs) by means of the Brief Problem Monitor in 69 autistic youth before, during and after a national lockdown in the Netherlands. Using individualized measurement (Reliable Change Indices), group-level changes were discerned. An exploratory analysis compared individuals from the socially inflexible and demand avoidant profile.
Findings
Both on a group and individual level, this findings suggest stability of EBPs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its corresponding measures. However, while the demand avoidant profile showed significantly more EBPs compared to the socially inflexible profile prior to the pandemic, the two profiles showed similar EBPs levels during and post-pandemic. Taken together, autistic youth and their families may have exhibited unique adaption strategies toward challenges caused by the pandemic and managed them better than initially expected.
Originality/value
The findings urge to look beyond group level functioning, and rather into nuances in ASD profiles to tailor interventions and support to the needs of autistic youth and families. A novelty of the study consists in having identified two different autism profiles to explain differences among subgroups of ASD.
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Marzenna Cichosz, Maria Aluchna, Ewa Sońta-Drączkowska and A. Michael Knemeyer
Organizational pursuit of sustainability in multi-tier supply chain systems operating in unpredictable environments is often associated with the emergence of paradoxical tensions…
Abstract
Purpose
Organizational pursuit of sustainability in multi-tier supply chain systems operating in unpredictable environments is often associated with the emergence of paradoxical tensions. This study aims to summarize and synthesize existing literature on managing various paradoxical tensions in supply chains (i.e. sourcing, making, delivering and reverse logistics) as organizations pursue sustainability transformation. It also strives to motivate new academic research inquiry into developing responses to sustainability paradoxes.
Design/methodology/approach
The study draws on a systematic literature review of 73 papers from the Web of Science database selected at the intersection of paradox, sustainability and logistics/ supply chain management (SCM). Applying paradox theory as a guiding lens, we investigate organizational strategies, practices and capabilities described in the literature to navigate sustainability paradoxes in supply chains.
Findings
The results assert that the success of sustainability transformation will depend on an organizational ability to recognize, accept and navigate paradoxical tensions in one's supply chain. This requires developing the dynamic capabilities of paradoxical leadership, strategic agility, innovativeness, collaboration with contextualization and governance. Successful sustainability transformation is not reliant on finding an optimal, final design but rather the continuous balancing of tensions inherent within or across the organizations that make up one's supply chain.
Practical implications
The research offers an integrative conceptual framework to guide organizations in navigating sustainability paradoxes in supply chains, embracing strategic, practice and capability levels. It also outlines opportunities for future research inquiries connected to this framework that are needed to build additional insight for addressing paradoxical tensions related to the pursuit of sustainable supply chain management.
Originality/value
This study takes a dynamic capabilities approach to navigating paradoxical tensions in pursuit of sustainable supply chain management.
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Mona Mohamed Elsayed and Hanan Nazier
Following a task-based framework, this paper investigates the impact of technology on occupational employment in Egypt (1998–2018) by examining the employment implications of the…
Abstract
Purpose
Following a task-based framework, this paper investigates the impact of technology on occupational employment in Egypt (1998–2018) by examining the employment implications of the Routine-biased Technological Change (RBTC) hypothesis.
Design/methodology/approach
The study estimates quadratic ordinary least squares and kernel-smoothing regressions to explore changes in occupational employment. Decomposition analysis and logistic regression are then applied to assess the role of occupational task content against other occupation-specific factors in accounting for these changes. Additionally, a transition probability matrix is calculated to validate the presumption that routine workers are more likely to switch their occupational task category, predominantly to manual occupations.
Findings
The RBTC hypothesis is partially supported. First, employment evolution is closer to a downgrading pattern than a polarizing one. Second, routine employment experiences an overall decline and is dominated by middle-skilled workers. However, the low routinization exposure makes it not dominant in the middle-skill distribution. Third, task content significantly explains the decline in routine employment relative to abstract rather than manual employment. Finally, routine workers have the highest transition probability, moving mostly to abstract occupations.
Originality/value
This study is the first in Egypt to address the technology-employment nexus by directly applying a task-based framework. It fills the gap in the existing literature by addressing the relationship over a relatively longer period and employing direct measures of task content of detailed occupations, classified based on the most recent occupational classification (ISCO-08).
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Enrico Testi, Fadi Kattan, Rabeh Morrar and Vittoria Vineis
The purpose of this paper is to propose a methodology to create a localised participatory research agenda (LPRA) for social enterprises (SEs) to bridge the gap between the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose a methodology to create a localised participatory research agenda (LPRA) for social enterprises (SEs) to bridge the gap between the information needs of stakeholders in SE ecosystems (SEEs) and academics.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology incorporates a literature review, semi-structured key informant interviews and a questionnaire. A participatory approach was used engaging stakeholders of the SE sector in Palestine to elaborate the research agenda.
Findings
The proposed LPRA methodology, centred on localised and participatory engagement, has shown effectiveness in bridging the gap between stakeholders and academics in SEs research. Piloted in Palestine, it provided relevant insights and enabled the grassroots identification of policy directions to improve the local SEE. Being tested in the specific context of Palestine, the methodology demonstrates considerable adaptability to different maturity levels of SEEs and varied socio-economic environments. Nonetheless, further research is necessary to refine the LPRA methodology and determine its suitability in diverse SE contexts.
Practical implications
The present methodology offers the advantage of involving local stakeholders, enabling their participation in the construction of knowledge and serving as a possible tool for researchers to fulfil the Third Mission of the university. The methodology could be particularly useful in contexts that have uncommon political, economic or social features and need a tailored approach when building research questions and answers for local stakeholders; in contexts where non-local researchers could use the methodology to mitigate biases stemming from the application of non-local perspectives; and when the research is aimed at the creation of useful knowledge for the development of the ecosystem.
Originality/value
Conventional research agendas are typically developed by academics based on literature reviews. Such agendas, even if valuable for furthering research, often do not have a geographical focus and neglect the needs of diverse stakeholders in the SEE. The LPRA for SEs addresses this gap by providing a methodology able to include local SE stakeholders in building a research agenda tailored to address their specific information needs.
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Eduardo Starling do Rego Monteiro, Erick Cardoso da Silva Figueira and Sandra Regina da Rocha-Pinto
This study aimed to understand how administrative employees of an oil company perceive the role of software solutions in their routines.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed to understand how administrative employees of an oil company perceive the role of software solutions in their routines.
Design/methodology/approach
Starting from an interpretive perspective, we used the phenomenographic method to analyze software solutions based on users’ experience, by means of 20 interviews carried out between November 2020 and May 2021.
Findings
Interviewees ranked the function of software solutions in their routines in three categories: (1) information repository; (2) orchestration mechanism and (3) guidelines for action. Four explanatory dimensions were identified: (1) artifact performance; (2) configuration between actors; (3) degree of automation and (4) accountability aspects.
Research limitations/implications
The results expand knowledge on the role of software solutions in organizations. As players consider software essential to their routines, human agency in actions tends to decrease. Furthermore, the incorporation of digital elements in routines varies, based on how actors perceive their integration, from external tools to dominant elements that shape actions.
Practical implications
Respecting the autonomy of the actors involved in automated routines; ideally, automating routine steps that add value to the process.
Originality/value
The study explores the function of software solutions in organizational routines through the phenomenographic approach, presenting different concepts of that event.
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Kiia Aurora Einola and Ken Dooley
This study aims to examine how active occupancy, passive occupancy and clean desk policy impact the optimal size of a desk-sharing office. Passive occupancy refers to a situation…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine how active occupancy, passive occupancy and clean desk policy impact the optimal size of a desk-sharing office. Passive occupancy refers to a situation where a desk remains occupied because workers have left personal items on it, even though they are not present. This occupancy state makes it unavailable for others, but presence sensors do not detect it as occupied. Clean desk policy defines how long these workers may be absent without cleaning their desks.
Design/methodology/approach
Desk-level occupancy data from 10 sites in the Nordics was collected and used to calculate office utilisation with different clean desk policy time delays. The data was gathered over 6 months from 7,522 sensors.
Findings
Clean desk policy time delay had a significant impact on the office utilisation. Considering passive occupancy with a 120-min clean desk policy time delay added, on average, 86.4% on the calculated utilisation, almost doubling it.
Research limitations/implications
Data was focused on three Nordic countries. The implications should be tested in other regions as well.
Practical implications
If organisations neglect passive occupancy, they may consider their office less occupied than it is. Accurate data can help organisations to confidently right-size their office space.
Originality/value
Passive occupancy has not been considered in terms of office sizing, despite its significant impact on desk availability. Clean desk policy has been discussed in previous literature, but its impact on office sizing remains unknown.
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Arne Walter, Kamrul Ahsan and Shams Rahman
Demand planning (DP) is a key element of supply chain management (SCM) and is widely regarded as an important catalyst for improving supply chain performance. Regarding the…
Abstract
Purpose
Demand planning (DP) is a key element of supply chain management (SCM) and is widely regarded as an important catalyst for improving supply chain performance. Regarding the availability of technology to process large amounts of data, artificial intelligence (AI) has received increasing attention in the DP literature in recent years, but there are no reviews of studies on the application of AI in supply chain DP. Given the importance and value of this research area, we aimed to review the current body of knowledge on the application of AI in DP to improve SCM performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a systematic literature review approach, we identified 141 peer-reviewed articles and conducted content analysis to examine the body of knowledge on AI in DP in the academic literature published from 2012 to 2023.
Findings
We found that AI in DP is still in its early stages of development. The literature is dominated by modelling studies. We identified three knowledge clusters for AI in DP: AI tools and techniques, AI applications for supply chain functions and the impact of AI on digital SCM. The three knowledge domains are conceptualised in a framework to demonstrate how AI can be deployed in DP to improve SCM performance. However, challenges remain. We identify gaps in the literature that make suggestions for further research in this area.
Originality/value
This study makes a theoretical contribution by identifying the key elements in applying AI in DP for SCM. The proposed conceptual framework can be used to help guide further empirical research and can help companies to implement AI in DP.
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Thabo Khafiso, Samuel Adeniyi Adekunle and Clinton Aigbavboa
The increasing energy consumption in residential buildings poses significant challenges to sustainability, economic efficiency, and environmental health. Despite the availability…
Abstract
Purpose
The increasing energy consumption in residential buildings poses significant challenges to sustainability, economic efficiency, and environmental health. Despite the availability of numerous energy-saving strategies, their adoption remains inconsistent due to various barriers such as cost, awareness and technical limitations. This paper aims to assess energy-saving strategies mitigating high energy consumption in residential buildings.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopted a quantitative research methodology. A carefully developed study questionnaire was distributed to a group of 20 Delphi experts to collect quantitative data. These experts possess extensive experience in the areas of energy use, energy management and energy savings. The questionnaire was also issued to the end users to gather quantitative data. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive analysis.
Findings
The study results indicate a strong preference for certain energy-saving measures, with energy-efficient appliances, occupant behavior adjustments and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system upgrades emerging as the most frequently adopted strategies. Measures such as installing smart thermostats and energy-efficient windows also ranked highly, reflecting their perceived effectiveness in reducing energy consumption. However, strategies like weatherizing buildings and using smart power strips were less frequently implemented, suggesting lower prioritization or barriers to adoption. The findings further emphasize the importance of HVAC-related maintenance and upgrades, highlighted by their top rankings and frequent use, while simpler actions, such as insulation and turning off lights, were ranked lower despite their potential for energy savings.
Research limitations/implications
The study’s limitations include reliance on self-reported data, potential bias in participant responses and a lack of consideration for contextual factors such as regional climate, socioeconomic conditions and technological access that may influence the adoption of energy-saving measures.
Originality/value
This research is distinctive in its integration of the Delphi method with questionnaires to holistically evaluate and assess energy-saving measures for reducing excessive energy use in residential structures. By integrating expert consensus with empirical data from diverse residential contexts, it provides a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of effective energy management practices.
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Pooja Sharma, Sonali Bhattacharya and Sanjay Bhattacharya
This research paper explores the adoption and impact of Human Resource (HR) Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Information Technology (IT) sector. The study…
Abstract
Purpose
This research paper explores the adoption and impact of Human Resource (HR) Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Information Technology (IT) sector. The study involves interviews with HR experts in the IT industry to understand their perceptions and experiences with these technologies.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, in which fifteen HR managers were interviewed.
Findings
The findings reveal that HR Analytics and AI significantly impact HR functions, capabilities, and decision-making in the IT sector. To successfully adopt HR analytics and AI, HR professionals must possess technical skills such as data analysis, coding, analytical thinking, design thinking, and domain knowledge. The interviewees also highlighted the importance of connecting HR initiatives with financial outcomes, creating strategies, contributing to decision-making processes, and aligning activities with organizational objectives.
Originality/value
This paper incorporates insights on challenges in adopting analytics and AI in the HR domain along with strategies to overcome.