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The purpose of this paper is to examine how the practices, processes and expertise embedded within Social Impact Bonds (SIBs) distinctively mediate the tensions between outcome payers’ competing and contradictory programmatic discourses.

We use qualitative research methods and employ concepts drawn from the governmentality literature to analyse interviews with SIB outcome payers.

SIBs are shown to challenge the degree of negative influence of biopolitics, neoliberalism and financialization by highlighting a broader and more holistic set of influences. SIB operations pre-empt and counteract perceived risks and are refined through a “learning by doing” effect. In contrast to other approaches to funding social interventions, the SIB structure attributes and independently validates outcomes. Payments to investors are based on the achievement of outcomes and are funded by the outcome payers. SIBs’ operational processes allow the responsibilities of the various parties to be explicitly assigned and contracted. The interests are aligned, yet the cultural differences harnessed.

This paper is one of the first to apply governmentality concepts to SIBs. By focusing on outcome payers, the paper provides new perspectives on the practices, processes and expertise of governing and the programmatic discourses of governing, as well as their relationship. The insights offered are supported by one of the largest and most diverse empirical SIB samples including 34 interviews where 43 individuals reflect on their experiences across 32 unique outcome payer organisations.

This work concerns William Norman Illingworth [1902–1980]. Disillusioned with teaching in conventional schools and inspired by Rudolf Steiner [1861–1925] he founded Sangreal School, in 1947, and operated this until the early 1970s. Sangreal was what I describe as a “conservative alternative school”, employing methods and pursuing goals not found in most British schools of the period but, unlike avowedly progressive establishments, guided by socially conservative principles. The purposes of the work are both to rescue his/Sangreal’s story from obscurity and to encourage research to establish if other such schools have existed and, if so, to describe and analyse them in an effort to give the category conservative alternative school the recognition it properly deserves.

The method is a combination of life history/biography and case study of a specific school.

The story is interesting in its own terms and points to the existence of a hitherto unnoticed category in history of education.

This work may lead to the proper recognition of a neglected category.

This work deals with a school hitherto unknown to most people and may lead to the recognition of a new category.

This study aims to measure scientific literature on the emerging research area of “big data” in the field of “library and information science” (LIS).

This study used the “bibliometric method” for data curation. Web of Science and altmetric.com were used. Data analysis and visualisation were done using three widely used powerful data analytics software, R-bibliometrix, VOSviewer and Statistical Package for Social Sciences.

This study revealed the most preferred venues for publication. Furthermore, this study highlighted an association between the Mendeley readers of publications and citations. Furthermore, it was evident that the overall altimetric attention score (AAS) does not influence the citation score of publications. Other fascinating findings were moderate collaboration patterns overall. Furthermore, the study highlighted that big data (BD) research output and scientific influence in the LIS sector are continually increasing.

Findings related to BD analytics in LIS techniques can serve as helpful information for researchers, practitioners and policymakers.

This study contributes to the current knowledge accumulation by its unique manner of blending the two approaches, bibliometrics and altmetrics.

We examined the attitudes of millennial-aged business students toward economic, social and environmental corporate responsibility (CR). Currently, these individuals are of an age that they have entered the workforce and are now ascending or have ascended into roles of leadership in which they have decision-making power that influences their company’s CR agenda and implementation. Thus, following the ecological systems perspective, we tested both the macro influence of cultural values (survival/self-expression and traditional/secular-rational values) and structural forces (income inequality, welfare socialism and environmental vulnerability) on these individuals’ attitudes toward CR.

This is a multilevel study of 3,572 millennial-aged students from 28 Asian, American, Australasian and European societies. We analyzed the data collected in 2003–2009 using hierarchical linear modeling.

In our multilevel analyses, we found that survival/self-expression values were negatively related to economic CR and positively related to social CR while traditional/secular-rational values was negatively related to social CR. We also found that welfare socialism was positively related to environmental CR but negatively related to economic CR while environmental vulnerability was not related to any CR. Lastly, income equality was positively related to social CR but not economic or environment responsibilities. In sum, we found that both culture-based and structure-based macro factors, to varying extents, shape the attitudes of millennial-aged students on CR in our sample.

Our study is grounded in the ecological systems theory framework, combined with research on culture, politico-economics and environmental studies. This provides a multidisciplinary perspective for evaluating and investigating the impact that societal (macro-level) factors have on shaping attitudes toward businesses’ engagement in economic, social and environmental responsibility activities. Additionally, our multilevel research design allows for more precise findings compared to a single-level, country-by-country assessment.

To cope successfully with the pressures imposed by a devastating pandemic and other challenges, companies and policymakers need to look at how they conceptualize, define, measure and operationalize “value”. This paper aims to support this conversation.

This study presents a historical review of how the value construct has been conceptualized over time, demonstrating that its history is one of tension and debate with conceptualizations swinging between objective (i.e. the value of something exists independent of the observers) and subjective (i.e. the value of something depends on the personal response of the observer to what is being considered) views over time.

This paper outlines the implications to researchers of value’s low construct clarity, offering suggestions designed to exploit rather than ignore the duality of the value construct. Instead of thinking of the value construct as being subjective or objective, this study recommends that scholars consider value’s objectivity and subjectivity as being interrelated and complementary. The paper recommends that researchers use both quantitative and qualitative methodologies in studying this construct.

A major limitation of this paper is the word count limitation restricting the extent to which this paper could explore a more comprehensive list of the conceptualizations of value throughout history.

This paper presents practitioners with a nuanced understanding of value that should assist those interested in examining the worth of investments with observable expenses but less quantifiable outputs.

The authors have not found a similar analysis of the various conceptualizations of value.

In a globalized world where environmental sustainability is a critical success factor, effective environmental communication takes precedence. The purpose of the present study is to analyse the evolution of climate change research, primarily in communication focussed journals, over the last decade.

Employing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol, a comprehensive analysis was conducted using research protocol on 374 studies in top ten high-ranking communication journals.

The results suggest that though effective communication strategies are crucial for generating climate awareness, contributions in communication-focussed journals remain limited. Most publications on this theme originate from the USA, Europe and Australia, with a notable lack of contributions from Asian publications. Five major themes, emerged representing the types of discussions taking place: “Green Advocacy in Corporate Communication”, “Green and sustainable IT infrastructure”, “Climate Narratives”, “Scientific discourses” and “Framing climate change”.

The research is original in the way it provides valuable insights for researchers, policymakers and practitioners aiming to enhance the impact of environmental communication.

This study aims to identify the effects of artificial intelligence (AI) on university libraries and to reveal challenges associated with the adoption of AI-powered applications in libraries.

A systematic literature review (SLR) was applied to address the study’s objectives. The 25 most relevant seminal studies published in Scopus- and Web of Science-indexed journals were selected to conduct the study.

Findings revealed that AI has strong positive effects on university libraries. These effects included efficiency and promotion of library products, innovative library services, alignment of library services with the fourth industrial revolution (4IR), collection management and user services and transformation of library systems. Results also manifested that skills and knowledge barriers, financial and resource constraints and resistance to change created challenges to adopt AI-based services in university libraries.

This study has added valuable literature to the existing body of knowledge by conducting SLR on the basis of 25 most relevant research articles published in cite score and impact factor journals. It has provided practical implications by offering recommendations to adopt AI in university libraries. The study is a benchmark for policymakers, AI applications developers, higher education bodies, government representatives, university administration and library leadership to devise effective strategies and methods for the efficient adoption of AI in libraries. The study has also provided a framework to adopt AI applications in library settings.

This study proposes a novel method utilising a speech-word pair bipartite network to examine the correlation structure between members of parliament (MPs) in the context of the UK- China relationship.

We construct MP-word pair bipartite networks based on the co-occurrence relationship between MPs and words in their speech content. These networks are then mapped into monopartite MPs correlation networks. Additionally, the study calculates correlation network indicators and identifies MP communities and factions to determine the characteristics of MPs and their interrelation in the UK-China relationship. This includes insights into the distribution of key MPs, their correlation structure and the evolution and development trends of MP factions.

Analysis of the parliamentary speeches on China-related affairs in the British Parliament from 2011 to 2020 reveals that the distribution and interrelationship of MPs engaged in UK-China affairs are centralised and discrete, with a few core MPs playing an integral role in the UK-China relationship. Among them, MPs such as Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, David Cameron, Lord Hunt of Chesterton and Lord Howell of Guildford formed factions with significant differences; however, the continuity of their evolution exhibits unstableness. The core MP factions, such as those led by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon and David Cameron, have achieved a level of maturity and exert significant influence.

The research has several limitations that warrant acknowledgement. First, we mapped the MP-word pair bipartite network into the MP correlation network for analysis without directly analysing the structure of MPs based on the bipartite network. In future studies, we aim to explore various types of analysis based on the proposed bipartite networks to provide more comprehensive and accurate references for studying UK-China relations. In addition, we seek to incorporate semantic-level analyses, such as sentiment analysis of MPs, into the MP-word -pair bipartite networks for in-depth analysis. Second, the interpretations of MP structures in the UK-China relationship in this study are limited. Consequently, expertise in UK-China relations should be incorporated to enhance the study and provide more practical recommendations.

Firstly, the findings can contribute to an objective understanding of the characteristics and connotations of UK-China relations, thereby informing adjustments of focus accordingly. The identification of the main factions in the UK-China relationship emphasises the imperative for governments to pay greater attention to these MPs’ speeches and social relationships. Secondly, examining the evolution and development of MP factions aids in identifying a country’s diplomatic focus during different periods. This can assist governments in responding promptly to relevant issues and contribute to the formulation of effective foreign policies.

First, this study expands the research methodology of parliamentary debates analysis in previous studies. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to study the UK-China relationship through the MP-word-pair bipartite network. This outcome inspires future researchers to apply various knowledge networks in the LIS field to elucidate deeper characteristics and connotations of UK-China relations. Second, this study provides a novel perspective for UK-China relationship analysis, which deepens the research object from keywords to MPs. This finding may offer important implications for researchers to further study the role of MPs in the UK-China relationship.

This study proposes a novel scheme for analysing the correlation structure between MPs based on bipartite networks. This approach offers insights into the development and evolving dynamics of MPs.

The study aims to embrace the lingering call for more empirical studies that can theorize the role of digital platforms in digital entrepreneurship. Hence, this study seeks to reveal the liminal space entrepreneurial experience of third-party application developers, by investigating how the platform boundary resources promote third-party entrepreneurial actions, as they transition through the disoriented, uncertain and ambiguous processes of digital entrepreneurship development.

To conduct this investigation, an expert interview qualitative method was used. This approach is a well-established technique in the field of social sciences, which allowed a detailed exploration of the theory of liminality. Liminality refers to the transitional phase that individuals or groups experience when moving from one social or cultural context to another. The expert interview method is appropriate for this study because it involves engaging with knowledgeable individuals who have extensive experience and expertise in the subject area being investigated. Through in-depth and unstructured interviews, the experts were able to provide valuable insights and perspectives about the phenomenon investigated.

The research findings demonstrate that digital platform boundary resources play a significant role in the behaviour of third-party developers’ who engage in the development of digital entrepreneurship in today’s market. The study highlights three ways that show how these resources (software development kit (SDK), API, integrated development environment (IDE), libraries, frameworks) enable third-party developers to create new applications that are used to pursue entrepreneurship in a digital platform, leading to increased user engagement and revenue generation.

The research addresses the critical roles of digital platform boundary resources in digital entrepreneurship development processes. Also, using liminality theory, the research explicated the core experiences of third-party developers as they navigated the challenges and ambiguities experienced in the pursuit of entrepreneurship. Thus, contributing to the existing body of knowledge in literature and practice.

Recently, mHealth apps for COVID-19 have emerged as a new research area due to the diverse efforts to control the COVID-19 epidemic. Although there are many bibliometric studies on mHealth and its applications, no bibliometric study sheds light on mHealth apps for COVID-19 as a new research area. To address the above-mentioned research gap, the current study conducts a bibliometric analysis of research in mHealth apps for COVID-19. It aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the new area and its directions.

The study uses a bibliometric approach to provide an analysis of the overall status of research in mHealth apps for COVID-19. The Scopus database provided by Elsevier was used to extract the analyzed data in this study. SciVal was used to perform the analyses, while VOSviewer was used for scientific mapping.

A total of 457 publications were published between 2020 and 2021 (until Tuesday, June 1) and cited 3,559 times. Publications were written by 2,375 authors, with an average of 5.20 authors per publication. Articles play a pivotal role in the literature on mHealth apps for COVID-19 in terms of production and impact. The research area of mHealth apps for COVID-19 is multidisciplinary. The United States made the largest contribution to this area, while the UK was the most influential. This study reveals the most productive and influential sources, institutions and authors. It also reveals the research hotspots and major thematic clusters in mHealth apps for COVID-19, highly cited publications and the international collaboration network.

mHealth apps for COVID-19 are gaining more and more importance due to their influential role in controlling the COVID-19 epidemic. Using bibliometric analysis, the study contributes to defining the knowledge structure of global research in mHealth apps for COVID-19 as a new, interdisciplinary area of research that has not previously been studied. Therefore, the study results and the comprehensive picture obtained about research in mHealth apps for COVID-19, especially at the level of Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence applications, make it an effective supplement to the expert evaluation in the field.