bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The amazonisation of second hand technical equipment: Topotrade case
Authors: Khoury Aliaa , Menhem Nayla , Youakim Liliane Elias , Salame Yara
Published: May 2020

Learning outcomes

This case reflects a classic approach to entrepreneurship based on entrepreneurial resources and opportunities. It also provides a vehicle for discussing the key features of a business model. It also addresses key strategic choices such as whether to replicate a business model or not.

Case overview/synopsis

This case study sets out the story of an entrepreneur: Zein Rachidi. It describes his history and the key milestones in his professional development until the creation and development of his own startup “Topotrade” the first online market place for used topography equipment. It also exposes his development plan, his will to scale up his business by replicating the same business model of Topotrade in a new market, that of used biomedical equipment.

Complexity academic level

This case is written mainly with a view to its use in the context of entrepreneurship courses for undergraduate students in management, as well as for entrepreneurs who can compare Zein’s trajectory to their own. This case is designed for students also suitable for courses in basic strategy, strategy and change and disruptive business models.

Supplementary materials

Teaching Notes are available for educators only.

Subject code

CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.
Abrau-Durso: reviving the 140-year-old Russian wine brand
Authors: Shapenko Andrey , Martynov Sergey
Published: May 2020

Learning outcomes

The learning outcomes of this study are as follows: investigate a story of growth in a volatile emerging market environment; and discuss strategy development in a stagnating, highly competitive market.

Case overview/synopsis

In October 2017, Pavel Titov, the owner and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Abrau-Durso Group, assigned a large international consulting firm to assist him in the development of a new corporate strategy. It was 11 years since the Titov family had taken over the then-struggling iconic sparkling wine manufacturer. The Titovs invested heavily into the enterprise with the dream of reviving the century-old brand, and turned the company around: in 2017, Abrau-Durso was the No. 1 sparkling wine brand in the Russian market. However, the shareholders wanted the company to grow further and believed that it was possible to generate more value. How could the company continue growing and increase its value at a time when the wine market was stagnating and the Russian economy was going through a rough period?

Complexity academic level

Masters level (MBA, Executive MBA).

Supplementary materials

Teaching Notes are available for educators only.

Subject code

CSS: 11: Strategy.
Factors affecting consumer engagement on online social networks: self-congruity, brand attachment, and self-extension tendency
Authors: Rabbanee Fazlul K. , Roy Rajat , Spence Mark T.
Published: May 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to examine a chain of relationships running from self-congruity with a brand – that can stem from the actual, ideal or social self – to brand attachment and from there to consumer engagement on social networking sites (SNS), specifically liking, sharing and commenting. It further advances self-extension tendency (SET) as a moderator affecting the self-congruity -> brand attachment link.

Design/methodology/approach

Two studies were conducted to test four hypotheses. Study 1 (n = 282) engaged a self-administered survey with students at a large Australian university. Study 2 (n = 342) was conducted amongst the members of an Australian online panel and thus, enhances generalizability.

Findings

Activated self-congruity orientations are brand-specific. Both studies reveal that two of the three self-congruity orientations affect brand attachment, which, in turn, influences consumers’ proclivity to like, share and comment on Facebook. Moreover, the self-congruity -> brand attachment relationship is moderated by SET. When SET is high, it strengthens the relationship between a self-congruity orientation and brand attachment.

Research limitations/implications

Accepted methodological approaches were used to improve the veracity of the findings. Nevertheless, further research should consider a wider area of focal brands (e.g. store brands, mundane brands, luxury brands) and other SNS.

Practical implications

SNS are widely acknowledged as a key marketing channel affecting both pre- and post-purchasing behaviours. Discussed here are means to trigger pro-brand advocacy behaviours.

Originality/value

These findings extend existing theory in three ways as follows: they show social self-congruity affects brand attachment in online contexts, brand attachment is a mediating variable affecting pro-brand social networking behaviours and SET moderates the self-congruity -> brand attachment relationship. SNS are widely acknowledged as a key marketing channel affecting both pre- and post-purchase behaviours; hence, these insights have theoretical and practical relevance.
Performance analysis of ant-lion optimization based routing algorithm for wireless sensor networks
Authors: Swapna Sasi B. , Santhosh R.
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The miniscule wireless sensor nodes, engaged in the wide range of applications for its capability of monitoring the physical changes around, requires an improved routing strategy with the befitting sensor node arrangement that plays a vital part in ensuring a completeness of the network coverage.

Design/methodology/approach

This paves way for the reduced energy consumption, the enhanced network connections and network longevity. The conventional methods and the evolutionary algorithms developed for arranging of the node ended with the less effectiveness and early convergence with the local optimum respectively.

Findings

The paper puts forward the befitting arrangement of the sensor nodes, cluster-head selection and the delayless routing using the ant lion (A-L) optimizer to achieve the substantial coverage, connection, the network-longevity and minimized energy consumption.

Originality/value

The further performance analysis of the proposed system is carried out with the simulation using the network simulator-2 and compared with the genetic algorithm and the particle swarm optimization algorithm to substantiate the competence of the proposed routing method using the ant lion optimization.
Assessment of readiness level for implementing lean six sigma in healthcare organization using fuzzy logic approach
Authors: Vaishnavi V. , Suresh M.
Published: May 2020

Purpose

Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is a widely accepted business improvement methodology in healthcare, which aims to improve operations and quality and reduce cost, medical errors and waiting time by combing the principles of lean thinking with Six Sigma methodologies. To implement LSS successfully in healthcare organizations it is necessary to know the readiness level before starting the change process. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to assess the readiness level for the implementation of LSS in healthcare using a fuzzy logic approach.

Design/methodology/approach

The current study uses a fuzzy logic approach to develop an assessment model for readiness to implement LSS. The conceptual model for readiness is developed with 5 enablers, 16 criteria and 48 attributes identified from the literature review. The current study does the study in a medium-size hospital from India.

Findings

The fuzzy readiness for implementation of LSS index (FRLSSI) and fuzzy performance importance index (FPII) are calculated to identify the readiness level for the implementation of LSS in the case hospital. The FRLSSI is computed as average ready with (3.30, 5.06 and 6.83) and the FPII computed helps to identify 15 weaker attributes from 48 attributes.

Research limitations/implications

The current study uses only one hospital for study. In the future, the model can be tested in many hospitals.

Practical implications

The current study would be used by the managers of a healthcare organization to identify the readiness level of their organization to implement LSS. The proposed model is based on the identification of enablers, criteria and attributes to assess the readiness level of a healthcare organization and it helps to improve the readiness level to implement LSS effectively.

Originality/value

The present study contributes to the knowledge of readiness for the implementation of LSS in a healthcare organization. The conceptual model is developed for assessing the readiness level of a healthcare organization and it helps to improve the readiness level for successful implementation of LSS. Weaker attributes are identified and necessary corrective actions should be taken by the management to improve the readiness. The continuation of the assessment readiness model over a period of time would help to improve the readiness level of healthcare for the implementation of LSS.
Mentoring.ca: types of mentoring programs featured on Canadian postsecondary education websites
Authors: Hobson Kelly , Taylor Z.W.
Published: May 2020

Purpose

No research to date has explored mentoring programs on Canadian postsecondary institution websites or the kinds of mentoring programs, if any, that are present online. This study examined 96 unique Canadian postsecondary institutional websites and the online presence of 420 unique postsecondary mentoring programs.

Design/methodology/approach

The researchers employed content analysis and emergent coding strategies to evaluate mentoring program information published on Canadian postsecondary websites.

Findings

The findings suggest that most mentoring programs with an online presence were peer (student-to-student or faculty-to-faculty) programs, followed by community member-to-student programs. Further, few programs (16) were student-to-faculty oriented, indicating that students could struggle to seek faculty mentorship if they desired it. However, of the 420 programs with an online presence, dozens of programs lacked enough information for the researchers to determine the stakeholders or purpose of the programs.

Originality/value

As the first study of its kind to evaluate mentoring program communication on Canadian postsecondary websites, this work informs mentoring program administrators on how to better communicate what their programs offer. Certain Canadian postsecondary institutions had an online presence for many more programs than did other institutions; for example, the University of Waterloo shared information on their website about 21 unique mentoring programs on its campus, whereas MacEwan University shared information about just two unique programs. This chasm represents a great deal of future research into the practice of how professionals communicate mentoring programs on postsecondary websites.
Rethinking lean supplier development as a learning system
Authors: Powell Daryl John , Coughlan Paul
Published: May 2020

Purpose

This paper investigates developing a learning-to-learn capability as a critical success factor for sustainable lean transformation.

Design/methodology/approach

This research design is guided by our research question: how can suppliers learn to learn as part of a buyer-led collaborative lean transformation? The authors adopt action learning research to generate actionable knowledge from a lean supplier development initiative over a three-year period.

Findings

Drawing on emergent insights from the initiative, the authors find that developing a learning-to-learn capability is a core and critical success factor for lean transformation. The authors also find that network action learning has a significant enabling role in buyer-led collaborative lean transformations.

Originality/value

The authors contribute to lean theory and practice by making the distinction between learning about and implementing lean best practices and adopting a learning-to-learn perspective to build organisational capabilities, consistent with lean thinking and practice. Further, the authors contribute to methodology, adopting action learning research to explore learning-to-learn as a critical success factor for sustainable lean transformation.
Research on stress state level evaluation method of complex steel welded structures
Authors: Niu Chunliang , Xie Suming , Li Xiangwei , Wang Wen
Published: May 2020

Purpose

In order to use the BS EN 15058-3 principle more scientifically to design the welding structure of rail vehicles, a method of stress state assessment of welding joints meeting the requirements of BS EN 15058-3 is proposed by using IIW-2008 and ASME-BPVC-VIII-2:2015 standard.

Design/methodology/approach

The stress state evaluation process of two standards is studied, and the stress state evaluation method of two standards is programmed by computer language. Among them, ASME standard can evaluate the stress state of welding structures without defects and with defects. In order to verify the feasibility of the method, under the fatigue load of en13749 standard, the method is applied to the welding structure design of the rail car frame.

Findings

The results show that the evaluation based on IIW-2008 standard is stricter, and the stress factor of the weld between the crossbeam and the traction pull rod seat is the largest, the value is 0.881, and the stress state grade is medium. With the increase of the number of defects, the stress level of the welded joint increases and the fatigue life decreases.

Originality/value

This study can provide a reference for the welding design of rail vehicles and other complex structures and has a certain engineering guiding significance.
A survey of energy-efficient motion planning for wheeled mobile robots
Authors: Zhang Haojie , Zhang Yudong , Yang Tiantian
Published: May 2020

Purpose

As wheeled mobile robots find increasing use in outdoor applications, it becomes more important to reduce energy consumption to perform more missions efficiently with limit energy supply. The purpose of this paper is to survey the current state-of-the-art on energy-efficient motion planning (EEMP) for wheeled mobile robots.

Design/methodology/approach

The use of wheeled mobile robots has been increased to replace humans in performing risky missions in outdoor applications, and the requirement of motion planning with efficient energy consumption is necessary. This study analyses a lot of motion planning technologies in terms of energy efficiency for wheeled mobile robots from 2000 to present. The dynamic constraints play a key role in EEMP problem, which derive the power model related to energy consumption. The surveyed approaches differ in the used steering mechanisms for wheeled mobile robots, in assumptions on the structure of the environment and in computational requirements. The comparison among different EEMP methods is proposed in optimal, computation time and completeness.

Findings

According to lots of literature in EEMP problem, the research results can be roughly divided into online real-time optimization and offline optimization. The energy consumption is considered during online real-time optimization, which is computationally expensive and time-consuming. The energy consumption model is used to evaluate the candidate motions offline and to obtain the optimal energy consumption motion. Sometimes, this optimization method may cause local minimal problem and even fail to track. Therefore, integrating the energy consumption model into the online motion planning will be the research trend of EEMP problem, and more comprehensive approach to EEMP problem is presented.

Research limitations/implications

EEMP is closely related to robot’s dynamic constraints. This paper mainly surveyed in EEMP problem for differential steered, Ackermann-steered, skid-steered and omni-directional steered robots. Other steering mechanisms of wheeled mobile robots are not discussed in this study.

Practical implications

The survey of performance of various EEMP serves as a reference for robots with different steering mechanisms using in special scenarios.

Originality/value

This paper analyses a lot of motion planning technologies in terms of energy efficiency for wheeled mobile robots from 2000 to present.
Intensity of commercialization and the dimensions of food security: the case of smallholder farmers in rural Tanzania
Authors: Kissoly Luitfred , Fasse Anja , Grote Ulrike
Published: May 2020

Purpose

Transformation of smallholder agriculture from subsistence to more commercially-oriented production is one of the strategies advocated for improving rural households' food security and general welfare. The purpose of this paper is to assess potential differential effects of smallholder commercialization intensity on the different dimensions of food security.

Design/methodology/approach

Using household data from rural Tanzania, the study employed Tobit regression and Generalized Propensity Score (GPS) approaches to analyze smallholder commercialization intensity and associated food security effects.

Findings

Results show that smallholder commercialization has heterogeneous effects on the different dimensions of food security. Specifically, lower levels of commercialization are associated with lower food availability, access, utilization and stability. At higher intensities of commercialization, smallholders have higher food availability and access but modest improvements in food utilization and stability. Findings suggests that heterogeneous effects of commercialization on food security and the multi-dimensional nature of food security are important aspects to consider in the design of strategies to improve smallholder agriculture for enhanced food security and welfare.

Research limitations/implications

It is important to point out that while food security is still a complex phenomenon, one that cannot be analyzed easily, so is commercialization. This study has used only one of the many definitions of commercialization.

Originality/value

Most existing literature on smallholder commercialization groups farmers into commercial and subsistence-oriented households. However, smallholders commercialize at various levels of intensity. This paper, conversely, analyzes the potential effects of different levels of commercialization on the various aspects of food security. Further, unlike extensive literature that focus on a narrow definition of food security, this paper expands the evidence of the implications of smallholder commercialization on the different dimensions of food security namely, food availability, access, utilization and stability.
SEC enforcement targets: a Christian virtue ethics perspective
Authors: Demaline Christopher J.
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a summary and synthesis of US Securities and Exchange Commission accounting and auditing enforcement release (AAER)-based research on financial misreporting firms and the firms’ management. Christian virtue ethics (CVE) is used as a framework for this review. Suggestions for future research are presented.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a review of the academic literature covering AAERs. The findings are viewed through the lens of CVE.

Findings

Several financial misconduct studies use samples developed from AAER targets. These studies commonly focus on specific characteristics of AAER targets. This paper presents and analyzes characteristics of AAER targets and considers how CVE may mitigate fraudulent reporting.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitation of the research is that the literature review is confined to studies of financial fraud that use an AAER-based sample. Nevertheless, the sample is sufficient to provide insight into the common characteristics of AAER target firms and related entities. The benefits of CVE are considered. This study has relevant implications for investors, regulators and researchers concerned with financial reporting quality, fraud, regulatory oversight and business ethics.

Originality/value

This paper provides a set of AAER target features and considers how CVE may mitigate financial fraud. Financial regulators, accounting standards setters and researchers may be interested in the findings presented in this study.
An exploratory investigation into the relationship between energy performance certificates and sales price: a polytomous universal model approach
Authors: McCord Michael , Davis Peadar , McCord John , Haran Martin , Davison Karen
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The role of energy efficiency and particularly energy performance certificates (EPCs) has emerged as a topical and important aspect of real estate markets. Various studies have been carried out investigating the perceived capitalisation effects of energy efficiency on property prices. There, however, remains divergence of opinion whether the capitalisation effect is truly in existence with extant research showing differing magnitudes of effects, if any. To date, no study (that the authors are aware of) has investigated the nature of the transition between EPC bands and price effects. The purpose of this study is to add to the research of the energy efficiency of housing to examine the nature of the likelihood of property characteristics being associated with higher EPC scores and value.

Design/methodology/approach

This research undertakes a suite of methodological tests to investigate the more latent relationships between EPC bands and pricing behaviour using 3,797 achieved sales prices within the Belfast housing market. Binary logit regression models are specified in conjunction with a Polytomous Universal Model to examine the likelihood of EPC bands falling within a particular property type and the likelihood of any pricing effects.

Findings

The findings show the differing property types to comprise very distinct and complex relationships in terms of price and EPC banding. The binary logit model estimations for both terrace properties and apartments reveal an increased likelihood to obtain higher EPC scores, with the semi-detached sector displaying a “mixed effect” with detached property revealing decreased probability of having superior energy performance and decreased likelihood of having poorer energy performance. The ordinal model estimations indicate that sales price comprises no relationship with energy performance, inferring that there is no increased probability of an increase in sales price with higher EPC rating.

Originality/value

This research offers new insights and focus on achieving a better understanding of the nexus between energy performance and property characteristics using alternative modelling approaches. This provides more exploratory insights into the complex relationships and offers awareness for policy discourse in terms of targeting properties which will tend to be poorer in energy efficiency.
The application of the theory of reasoned action on services of Islamic rural banks in Indonesia
Authors: Effendi Ihsan , Murad Miftahuddin , Rafiki Ahmad , Lubis Mitra Musika
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The Islamic rural banks have the potential to grow in Indonesia. It is important to learn and study the consumer behaviors toward the Islamic rural banks’ services to plan for future strategies. The purpose of this paper is to test the applicability of the theory of reasoned action in predicting the customers’ decision to use the Islamic rural banks’ services.

Design/methodology/approach

The descriptive and structural equation model analyses were used to analyze the data. A random sampling technique is adopted with a sample size of 180 consumers of the Islamic rural banks. There are variables to be tested such as Sharia system compliance, product knowledge on Sharia, promotion, services, attitude, subjective norms, intention and customer decisions to use the Islamic rural banks’ services.

Findings

The results found that the Sharia system compliance, promotion, services, attitude, subjective norms and intention variables have a significant effect on the use of services at Islamic rural banks. Only product knowledge on Sharia variable has been found to be insignificant.

Originality/value

The model can be used to prepare better strategies to attract more customers as well as increase public awareness toward Islamic rural banks’ products and services. The results are useful as a benchmark for policymakers to improve the establishment of Islamic rural banks particularly in Indonesia.
Effect of message orientation/vividness on consumer engagement for travel brands on social networking sites
Authors: Yousaf Anish , Amin Insha , Jaziri Dhouha , Mishra Abhishek
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine how consumer-brand engagement on social networking sites (SNS) is an outcome of the message orientation/vividness.

Design/methodology/approach

Message design is proposed to include two components, namely, orientation and vividness. The message orientation is classified as either task/instrumental or socioemotional. The message vividness is measured through content type. The consumer-brand engagement is conceptualized at three levels, namely, cognitive (comment), affective (shares) and conative (likes). A total of 1,000 posts were collected from the official Facebook pages of the 10 most popular travel brands, five each from India and the USA. These two countries were chosen as they are culturally different, with the former representing a largely collectivist culture and greater social connectivity and the latter representing primarily an individualistic culture.

Findings

The study reveals that greater message vividness, with more interactive/audio-visual content, leads to higher engagement. The task/instrumental message orientation leads to low-/medium-level engagement. Overall, a combination of high-vividness and socioemotional orientation generates maximum engagement. India and the USA depict unique effects of message orientations/vividness on the consumer-brand engagement levels, indicating cultural implications for the brand SNS messages – effectiveness.

Research limitations/implications

The study’s conceptualization of consumer-brand engagement reflected through the consumers – responses to brands – SNS messages, represents new knowledge. The unique effects of message vividness and orientation on consumer-brand engagement and the variations across cultures is also a novel contribution to the extant branding literature.

Practical implications

The brand marketers should not only design their SNS messages with appropriate vividness/orientation but also tweak them across cultures, for maximum consumer engagement.

Originality/value

The study is a novel attempt to deploy the interaction process analysis framework in an SNS setting.
Managers' disruptive innovation activities: the construct, measurement and validity
Authors: Sadiq Fawad , Hussain Tasweer , Naseem Afshan
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present results of a study that operationalizes the construct of disruptive innovation activities (DIA) at managerial level and to examine its validity.

Design/methodology/approach

A sequential mixed method approach is adopted in this study where a Likert-type scale to measure DIA is developed basing on the interviews of thirteen managers and conceptualization of disruptive innovation at manager level. Later, the scale validity and reliability are examined through quantitative data from 390 managers. The data are analyzed using IBM SPSS 23 and AMOS 21.

Findings

The findings of the study indicate that managers' DIA are spread across four phases of the disruptive innovation process, i.e. initiation, introduction, evolution and convergence. Furthermore, the reliability measures, exploratory factor analyses, confirmatory factor analysis and subsequent convergent and discriminant validity tests support the DIA scale. Nomological validity of DIA is also presented which demonstrates its predictive validity.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations include research methods used in this study, such as cross-sectional design and nonprobabilistic sampling technique. Implications for future research are also provided.

Originality/value

Despite highlighting the importance of managers regarding disruptive innovation outcomes, prior research lacked to provide empirical foundations to understand the phenomenon from managerial perspective. This study fills this gap in the literature by providing a measure of DIA at manager level and distinguishing it from similar constructs. The construct validity of DIA can help measure an organization's disruptive potential in terms of its key human resource. Moreover, the DIA scale can be used to substantiate the alignment of the managerial activities with the innovation roles in organizational settings and to develop more relevant incentive plans.
Do sentimental investors price rational information? Evidence from the Boston Celtics
Authors: Carter Kelly
Published: May 2020

Purpose

Much evidence exists that rational investors factor rational information into their valuation of shares. This paper aims to examine whether sentimental investors do the same.

Design/methodology/approach

To investigate this issue, the author measures sentimental investors’ reaction to the surprise player transactions of the Boston Celtics, which traded on the New York Stock Exchange for 18 years. The team’s shares were bought mainly as souvenirs by sports fans, whose largely unwavering support makes them perhaps the least likely investors to be influenced by rational information. Thus, if the team’s share price changes because of the arrival of rational information, evidence that sentimental traders price rational information into their valuation of a stock will exist.

Findings

An acquired player’s salary, education and firm-specific experience with the Boston Celtics cause higher returns. This result provides evidence that sentimental traders factor rational information into their valuations of shares. On a broader scale, the findings underscore the importance of rational information to the valuation process, as even sentimental investors price rational information into a stock that is held for sentimental reasons. Moreover, the results are consistent with the nudge theory, in that the arrival of rational information encourages (i.e. nudges) sentimental investors to price the rational information as a rational investor world.

Originality/value

This study is the first to show that sentimental traders also factor rational information into the valuation process – an idea that was likely assumed prior to this study, but was never substantiated.
HE-Co-HOG and k-SVM classifier for finger knuckle and palm print-based multimodal biometric recognition
Authors: Veluchamy S. , Karlmarx L.R.
Published: May 2020

Purpose

Biometric identification system has become emerging research field because of its wide applications in the fields of security. This study (multimodal system) aims to find more applications than the unimodal system because of their high user acceptance value, better recognition accuracy and low-cost sensors. The biometric identification using the finger knuckle and the palmprint finds more application than other features because of its unique features.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed model performs the user authentication through the extracted features from both the palmprint and the finger knuckle images. The two major processes in the proposed system are feature extraction and classification. The proposed model extracts the features from the palmprint and the finger knuckle with the proposed HE-Co-HOG model after the pre-processing. The proposed HE-Co-HOG model finds the Palmprint HE-Co-HOG vector and the finger knuckle HE-Co-HOG vector. These features from both the palmprint and the finger knuckle are combined with the optimal weight score from the fractional firefly (FFF) algorithm. The layered k-SVM classifier classifies each person's identity from the fused vector.

Findings

Two standard data sets with the palmprint and the finger knuckle images were used for the simulation. The simulation results were analyzed in two ways. In the first method, the bin sizes of the HE-Co-HOG vector were varied for the various training of the data set. In the second method, the performance of the proposed model was compared with the existing models for the different training size of the data set. From the simulation results, the proposed model has achieved a maximum accuracy of 0.95 and the lowest false acceptance rate and false rejection rate with a value of 0.1.

Originality/value

In this paper, the multimodal biometric recognition system based on the proposed HE-Co-HOG with the k-SVM and the FFF is developed. The proposed model uses the palmprint and the finger knuckle images as the biometrics. The development of the proposed HE-Co-HOG vector is done by modifying the Co-HOG with the holoentropy weights.
The impact of knowledge management practice on digital financial innovation: the role of bank managers
Authors: Al-Dmour Ahmed , Al-Dmour Rand , Rababeh Nafissa
Published: May 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the impact of knowledge management functions (acquisition, integration and utilization) on digital financial innovation through the moderating role of managers’ demographic characteristics (age, sex, education, experience and position) in commercial banks operating in Lebanon.

Design/methodology/approach

To accomplish this aim, a conceptual framework based on knowledge-based theory and literature review was developed the data for this research was collected through a self-administered questionnaire with 181 respondents. The target respondents were managers of commercial banks in Lebanon.

Findings

The empirical findings of the study suggest that the practice of knowledge management functions practice has a positive and significant relationship with digital financial innovation. The findings also provide support for the moderating effect of only two demographic characteristics of bank managers; experience and position on the relationship between knowledge management and digital financial innovation in commercial banks in Lebanon.

Practical implications

The managers of commercial banks in Lebanon and similar countries could use the study findings to better understand the practices of knowledge management in the banks and also the skills acquired or existing in the individuals working in their organizations and is also helpful to enhance their level of digital financial innovations.

Originality/value

This study has investigated the unexplored impact of knowledge management on digital financial innovation via moderating role of managers' demographic characteristics among commercial banks operating in Lebanon as a developing country.
Modeling the enablers of supply chain strategies and information technology: improving performance through TISM approach
Authors: Irfan Muhammad , Wang Mingzheng , Zafar Abaid Ullah , Shahzad Mohsin , Islam Tahir
Published: May 2020

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the hierarchical relationship between industry-specific attributes of supply chain (SC) strategies and information technology (IT) to improve the performance of firms in textile industry in Pakistan.

Design/methodology/approach

This study presents a mix of enablers through literature review and experts’ opinions. Next, the driving and dependence powers of enablers were identified, using the interpretive structural modeling (ISM) approach.

Findings

The ISM model suggests eight levels, with customer satisfaction at the top of the model. Process automation and TQM are placed at second and third level, respectively, whereas flexible sourcing and flexible capacity are positioned at fourth level. The key enablers of IT have high driving power, hence positioned at the bottom of ISM model.

Originality/value

This study has value for firms in garment manufacturing and exporting industry to invest into IT and sustainable SC design for competitive performance. The theoretical and managerial implications are provided.
Building smart communities for sustainable development:
Authors: McNaughton Maurice , Rao Lila , Verma Sameer
Published: May 2020

Purpose

Tourism is an important economic activity, and a significant contributor to employment, growth and sustainable development for most of the predominantly small island developing states of the Caribbean. Community-based tourism, given its intuitively natural alignment with the interests and greater inclusiveness of local actors and communities, is considered to be an important contributor to sustainable tourism. This study aims to evaluate the potential for digital technologies to amplify the distinctiveness, enhance service delivery and ultimately contribute to the sustainability of community tourism contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

The research uses a form of participatory action research that involves active collaboration between researchers and practitioners. The authors propose a framework approach for implementing smart community initiatives within a community tourism context.

Findings

The human-centered, participatory framework approach described in this research can help to empower community tourism by providing increased visibility and enhanced service delivery for small operators. These outcomes can become important contributions to enhancing inclusive and sustainable development and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable local communities – a key outcome for sustainable development goal 11 – sustainable cities and communities.

Research limitations/implications

The research is ongoing with the value outcomes still emerging. The empirical domain is confined to a single geographical context, so the findings and insights may not be generalizable.

Practical implications

Beyond the emerging research insights, the project produced specific digital artifacts such as geospatial data and technology platforms; and process outcomes such as training, capacity-building and empowerment of community members. In particular, youth trained to create and maintain the digital infrastructure (community mapping) provide an important local capability that can be re-purposed for other types of field-based data collection activities, thus providing alternative economic opportunities.

Originality/value

The map-based information and digital content are localized to a specific geographical context, using data mapped by local actors, who possess the best local knowledge about what the community has to offer. The approach and supporting technologies can be readily replicated into other communities.
Food web properties vary with climate and land use in South African streams
Authors: Jackson Michelle C. , Fourie Hermina E. , Dalu Tatenda , Woodford Darragh J. , Wasserman Ryan J. , Zengeya Tsungai A. , Ellender Bruce R. , Kimberg Peter K. , Jordaan Martine S. , Chimimba Christian T. , Weyl Olaf L. F.
Published: May 2020

Land use intensification and climate change are two prominent drivers of variation in biological communities. However, we know very little about how these two potential environmental stressors interact. Here we use a stable isotope approach to quantify how animal communities respond to urban and agriculture land use, and to latitudinal variation in climate (rainfall and temperature), in 29 streams across South Africa.

Community structure was shaped by both land use and climatic factors. The taxonomic diversity of invertebrates was best explained by an independent negative effect of urbanization, while abundance declined in summer. However, we could not use our variables to predict fish diversity (suggesting that other factors may be more important).

Both trophic functional diversity (quantifed using isotopic richness) and food chain length declined with increasing temperature. Functional redundancy (quantifed using isotopic uniqueness) in the invertebrate community was high in wet areas, and a synergistic interaction with urbanization caused the lowest values in dry urban regions. There was an additive effect of agriculture and rainfall on abundance‐weighted vertebrate functional diversity (quantified using isotopic dispersion), with the former causing a decline in dispersion, with this partially compensated for by high rainfall.

In most cases, we found that a single dominant driver (either climate or land use) explained variation between streams. We only found two incidences of combined effects improving the model, one of which was amplified (i.e. the drivers combined to cause an effect larger than the sum of their independent effects), indicating that management should first focus on mitigating the dominant stressor in stream ecosystems for successful restoration efforts.

Overall, our study indicates subtle food web responses to multiple drivers of change, only identified by using functional isotope metrics—these are a useful tool for a whole‐systems biology understanding of global change.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Post‐stack impedance blocky inversion based on analytic solution of viscous acoustic wave equation
Authors: Li Yuanqiang , Li Jingye , Chen Xiaohong , Zhang Jian , Bo Xin
Published: May 2020

The conventional impedance inversion method ignores the attenuation effect, transmission loss and inter‐layer multiple waves; the smooth‐like regularization approach makes the corresponding impedance solution excessively smooth. Both fundamentally limit the resolution of impedance result and lead to the inadequate ability of boundary characterization. Therefore, a post‐stack impedance blocky inversion method based on the analytic solution of viscous acoustic equation is proposed. Based on the derived recursive formula of reflections, the 1D viscous acoustic wave equation is solved analytically to obtain zero‐offset full‐wave field response. Applying chain rule, the analytical expression of the Fréchet derivative is derived for gradient‐descent non‐linear inversion. Combined with smooth constraints, the blocky constraints can be introduced into the Bayesian inference framework to obtain stable and well‐defined inversion results. According to the above theory, we firstly use model data to analyse the influence of incompleteness of forward method on seismic response, and further verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. Then the Q‐value sensitivity analysis of seismic trace is carried out to reduce the difficulty of Q‐value estimation. Finally, the real data from Lower Congo Basin in West Africa indicate that the proposed approach provide the high‐resolution and well‐defined impedance result. As a supplement and development of linear impedance inversion method, the non‐linear viscous inversion could recover more realistic and reliable impedance profiles.
Plant dispersal strategies of high tropical alpine communities across the Andes
Authors: Tovar Carolina , Melcher Inga , Kusumoto Buntarou , Cuesta Francisco , Cleef Antoine , Meneses Rosa Isela , Halloy Stephan , Llambí Luis Daniel , Beck Stephan , Muriel Priscilla , Jaramillo Ricardo , Jácome Jorge , Carilla Julieta
Published: May 2020

Dispersal is a key ecological process that influences plant community assembly. Therefore, understanding whether dispersal strategies are associated with climate is of utmost importance, particularly in areas greatly exposed to climate change. We examined alpine plant communities located in the mountain summits of the tropical Andes across a 4,000‐km latitudinal gradient. We investigated species dispersal strategies and tested their association with climatic conditions and their evolutionary history.

We used dispersal‐related traits (dispersal mode and growth form) to characterize dispersal strategies for 486 species recorded on 49 mountain summits. Then we analysed the phylogenetic signal of traits and investigated the association between dispersal traits, phylogeny, climate and space using structural equation modelling and fourth‐corner analysis together with RLQ ordination.

A median of 36% species in the communities was anemochorous (wind‐dispersed) and herbaceous. This dispersal strategy was followed by the barochory‐herb combination (herbaceous with unspecialized seeds, dispersed by gravity) with a median of 26.3% species in the communities. The latter strategy was common among species with distributions restricted to alpine environments.

While trait states were phylogenetically conserved, they were significantly associated with a temperature gradient. Low minimum air temperatures, found at higher latitudes/elevations, were correlated with the prevalence of barochory and the herb growth form, traits that are common among Caryophyllales, Brassicaceae and Poaceae. Milder temperatures, found at lower latitudes/elevations, were associated with endozoochorous, shrub species mostly from the Ericaceae family. Anemochorous species were found all along the temperature gradient, possibly due to the success of anemochorous Compositae species in alpine regions. We also found that trait state dominance was more associated with the climatic conditions of the summit than with community phylogenetic structure. Although the evolutionary history of the tropical Andean flora has also shaped dispersal strategies, our results suggest that the environment had a more predominant role.

Synthesis. We showed that dispersal‐related traits are strongly associated with a gradient of minimum air temperatures in the Andes. Global warming may weaken this key filter at tropical alpine summits, potentially altering community dispersal strategies in this region and thus, plant community structure and composition.
Effects of grass competition on tree seedlings growth under different light and nutrient availability conditions in tropical dry forests in India
Authors: Bhadouria Rahul , Srivastava Pratap , Singh Rishikesh , Tripathi Sachchidanand , Verma Pramit , Raghubanshi Akhilesh Singh
Published: May 2020

The interactive effects of light, nutrient availability and grass competition on seedlings of four tropical dry forest tree species, namely, Indian jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana), arjun (Terminalia arjuna), gum arabic (Acacia nilotica) and catechu (Acacia catechu), were evaluated in an experimental study at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. Full‐ and reduced‐ (20% of the full) sunlight, no‐nutrient and nutrient supplementation, and presence of grass and no‐grass conditions were taken in a split‐plot design to observe the effects on the plant growth and leaf nutrient parameters. We observed a significant interaction between light and nutrient availability on total dry weight and relative growth rate for the tree seedlings of all the species. Seedling growth was lower in presence of grass under full sunlight condition with/without nutrient addition, and also under reduced sunlight condition with nutrient addition. However, leaf‐N and ‐P concentration showed slight increase following nutrient addition across the species and light conditions. All the species responded positively to nutrient addition irrespective of light and grass conditions. Our study further indicates that nutrient addition under reduced light condition in tropical dry forests may be a possible strategy to ameliorate the negative impact of grasses on tree seedling growth. Overall, a better understanding of tree seedling establishment in the presence of grasses is of utmost importance for the development of management plans that may improve the diversity of tree species in tropical dry forests.
Trustee affiliation and servicer oversight: Evidence from CMBS markets
Authors: D'Lima Walter , Lopez Luis Arturo
Published: May 2020

We study the effect of a change in trustees' incentives to monitor servicers in CMBS markets. Our identification strategy rests on variation in servicer–trustee affiliation that arises from mergers. We present evidence that affiliation is associated with excessive principal and interest advances on delinquent loans that are not in the interest of bondholders. We observe that a servicer–trustee affiliation affects the waterfall cash flows of senior, mezzanine, and junior bond‐tranches. Additionally, we find that affiliation increases the loss rate by $0.05 or $0.07 per dollar of outstanding debt and estimate an economic impact of $5.5 billion in market‐wide liquidation losses.