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The purpose of this study is to examine emotional states preceding and during sexual crimes in a Dutch sample of adult male patients who were admitted to mandated clinical care.

Emotional states preceding child sexual abuse (CSA) (n = 63) and rape against adults (n = 60) were compared using the Mode Observation Scale.

CSA and rape were equally preceded by feelings of vulnerability, undifferentiated anger and loneliness and characterised by callous unemotionality. Emotional manipulation was more dominant in the events leading up to CSA, whereas an exaggerated sense of self-worth was more dominant in the event preceding rape. Substance-related detachment was more common preceding rape but was equally common during both types of crimes. Controlled anger was more common in rape.

CSA and rape crimes are predominantly characterised by similar emotional states of persons who were admitted to mandated clinical care. This informs the development of more effective therapeutic interventions and support services tailored to the emotional profiles of patients, potentially improving rehabilitation or treatment outcomes. Scientifically, the results of this study provide a compelling foundation for further research into the psychological mechanisms underpinning sexual violence.

While previous research has often focused on these crimes in isolation, this study bridges a critical gap by examining the emotional commonalities between them. This study challenges the conventional understanding that treats these forms of sexual violence as entirely distinct, proposing instead that they may share underlying emotional dynamics.

Only recently have historic concrete buildings received attention and the need for their protection has been understood. Their listing as architectural heritage in most countries is ruled by legislations. The research carried out within the framework of the CONSECH20 JPI project on the conservation of historic concrete buildings in the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Italy and the Netherlands has allowed to study the legislations in the four aforementioned countries and how these are brought to practice. This paper aims at the evaluation of these legislations and of their function in practice.

The legislations have been examined focussing on the protection of historic buildings and the guidelines to achieve a correct technical conservation. These were assessed in practical situations. The situations of the four countries were studied and the parameters used allowed comparisons.

Concrete buildings are at risk and the guidelines should be further developed to meet actual conservation needs, including historical and aesthetical compatibility. The re-use of listed concrete buildings often means transforming and adapting these to a variety of modern needs and norms: the complexity of this assignment asks for a multidisciplinary teamwork. The bottom-up Dutch programme for quality in conservation, striving to bring ethical and technological principles to practice, could be a sound basis for developing respectful conservation strategies of heritage concrete buildings.

The research concerns the four countries involved in the CONSECH30 project and could be extended to include more countries.

More stakeholders have to be involved in the process of conservation and transformation of heritage concrete buildings. This should be directed by the legislation.

No direct social implications are foreseen from the outcome of the research. However, the suggestion is made that social involvement is essential in planning concrete building transformations.

The study focussed on the application of theory (the legislation) to practice (thus showing the limits of the legislation), which is an innovative way of contributing to the conservation of historic concrete buildings.

This study aims to examine the effects of payment methods used in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) conducted by UK companies spanning the period from 2007 to 2019.

The study used the estimated expected returns method to identify abnormal returns during the deal announcement period, applying event study analysis with both univariate and multivariate regression models to detect cumulative abnormal returns around the announcement timeframe.

The results show a short-term positive return increase for acquiring firms, controlling for deal-specific characteristics like target firm location and payment methods. The authors observed a preference for cash financing across domestic and cross-border transactions. Multivariate analysis revealed insignificance between payment methods and deal characteristics like cross-border acquisitions and diversification.

The study’s focus on publicly traded firms in the UK and the absence of a comparative analysis across different regions and markets limits the sample size and may impact the generalizability of findings.

The study proposes three practical implications. Firstly, firms should tailor payment methods to each transaction, aligning with strategic goals to optimize value and mitigate risks. Secondly, decision-makers must prioritize comprehensive due diligence and strategic alignment throughout M&A processes to enhance success and maximize synergies. Finally, analysing broader strategic contexts and regulatory landscapes when structuring transactions enables goal attainment, such as market expansion or value creation.

The study’s findings can promote transparency and accountability among corporate decision-makers in M&A transactions. Stakeholders can advocate for transparent decision-making processes, enhancing trust in corporate governance.

This study provides valuable insights into the impact of payment methods on shareholder value in M&A transactions involving UK companies, informing strategic decision-making and contributing to the understanding of corporate finance dynamics.

Worldwide challenges impose public organizations to rethink their processes and satisfactorily meet citizens’ needs. Process mining (PM) techniques enable organizations to objectively analyse and improve their processes, by providing higher process transparency and efficiency. However, extant literature on PM applications in the public sector reveals there is still limited evidence on the opportunities and challenges perceived from PM introduction in the public sector, and on PM potential to enhance public sector digital transformation: this study aims to fill these gaps.

Based on Business Process Management and digital innovation fields of research, we administered a questionnaire to a sample of Italian civil servants working in different public organizations to investigate their perceptions of PM opportunities and challenges and the extent to which it can support public sector digital transformation. A three-level analysis was conducted to inspect findings with different levels of granularity, and results were analysed both descriptively and quantitatively.

We found a positive attitude towards PM introduction in the public sector, and perceived opportunities and challenges related to both the technical and the social systems. The triangulation between close-ended and open-ended questions suggests that PM could be the missing link between public sector digitalization and digital transformation. These findings can be used by policymakers to develop the best strategies to introduce PM into public organizations and support its adoption, and by researchers to further explore PM role in public sector digital transformation.

Despite PM claiming to push digital transformation, it is not clear if it is also true for public sector organizations. This paper addresses this gap and it is among the first attempts to explore PM from civil servants’ viewpoint to investigate their perceptions of PM opportunities and challenges, as well as the variables that influence these perceptions.

This study aims to investigate the dynamic nature of local economies through the lens of cluster life cycle (CLC) theory. The authors offer an original perspective on the comparison of the mature Old World wine industry and the growing New World one, viewed through the lens of the CLC aiming to understand the specific stage of cluster development for these regions. The authors aim to define the CLC dynamics of two world-renowned wine clusters, symbolizing these old and new world wine industries: Napa and Bordeaux.

The research adopts a case study approach, specifically analyzing the Bordeaux and Napa Valley wine clusters, using a CLC identification framework. This study integrates recent conceptual advances from evolutionary and institutional economic geography, incorporating a dynamic “path” approach to cluster development stages.

In examining Bordeaux, despite indications of maturity in the wine industry, the cluster displays signs of transformation, marked by reorganization, diversification and adaptation to new conditions, such as enotourism and technological clusters. In contrast, Napa Valley, while well established, exhibits characteristics of sustainment with stabilized business dynamics.

This study acknowledges its exploratory nature and the need for future empirical studies on various clusters to fully validate and refine the CLC identification framework.

The proposed CLC identification framework serves as a valuable tool for policymakers and companies by facilitating precise identification of cluster development stages. This tool enables stakeholders to better understand and address the specific needs and characteristics of clusters at different stages, enhancing the effectiveness of targeted interventions and support measures.

This research advances CLC theory by introducing the development trajectories of the Napa and Bordeaux clusters, analyzed independently of their dominant industries, using the CLC path identification model. This approach provides a fresh perspective on cluster evolution, enriching the theoretical framework with insights that transcend traditional industry-specific analysis. By enhancing the precision and relevance of cluster stage identification, this research offers a valuable guide for policymakers and cluster stakeholders, enabling them to better understand the dynamics of cluster development and intervene effectively at critical stages.

Companies rely on supply chain robustness and resilience to maintain their competitive advantage despite disruptions. The study examines how organizations can orchestrate employee empowerment, digital transformation technologies, and trust to develop supply chain robustness and resilience capabilities.

A cross-sectional survey design is used to test the study hypotheses. Data are collected from international and domestic organizations operating in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxemburg using an online survey, and analyzed using Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM).

Digital transformation tools contribute to supply chain robustness and resilience in different ways. Digital transformation tools and employee empowerment contribute to the development of a data-driven culture and thereby to supply chain robustness. Digital transformation tools also contribute to increased supply chain visibility. This in turns strengthens trust relationships with suppliers, contributing to supply chain resilience.

The study extends dynamic capability theory and organization information processing theory by demonstrating how investments in assets such as digital technologies can contribute to increasing an organization’s information processing capability directly, by building vertical information systems, but also indirectly, by contributing to the development of lateral relations.

This paper delves into the discourse surrounding central bank digital currencies (CBDC) from the perspective of citizens’ views expressed on Twitter, on the potential implementation of a digital euro. The paper sheds light on citizens’ sentiments regarding CBDCs in relation to the euro and the euro area.

Using “TextBlob” sentiment analysis, this paper analyzes 4,462 Tweets containing the keywords “cbdc” and “euro” posted between September 14, 2018, and June 19, 2023. It explores citizens’ perceptions and concerns, as well as the general sentiment conveyed by the Tweets, through sentiment analysis and word-cloud generation. Text analysis and the “KMeans algorithm” are used to identify similar groups of Tweets. Statistical analysis of Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency (TF-IDF) keyword values in each cluster provides information about the relative distribution of words within clusters. In a further step, sentiment analysis is performed on each cluster by rating it positively, neutrally or negatively to identify the relevant dominant themes.

This paper reveals the evolving nature of CBDC-related discourse on Twitter over a four-year period, demonstrating a slight overall trend of positive sentiments. The distribution includes Tweets with a pronounced negative and positive sentiment, highlighting the need for clear and citizen-friendly communication through social media channels (such as Twitter or LinkedIn) in addition to the traditional channels used by official institutions.

The extraction of Tweets was limited to English; bilingual Tweets containing English words were also considered. Future research could be expanded to include Tweets in additional languages and compare them to English Tweets. Geographical data on the origin of the Tweets were not considered due to potential inaccuracies resulting from the use of VPNs.

The findings highlight citizens’ views, expectations and perceptions on the digital euro as a type of CBDC, suggesting ways in which the European Central Bank (ECB) can ensure customer satisfaction with its successful implementation.

The originality of the article revolves around the focus on the digital euro and on analyzing European citizens’ opinions regarding its implementation. In contrast to previous literature, this research discusses critically the pros and cons and possible design aspects of the new digital euro, by taking a citizen-centric approach and focusing solely on one type of currency. Technological advances and the digital era have left their mark on how society communicates and behaves. The implementation of CBDCs will affect the digital society. Therefore, the paper sparks a debate about European citizens’ sentiments toward adopting the digital euro, as a new digital currency, which will impact their lifestyle and financial decisions.

The literature on the potential benefits of art investing has yet to consider the effects of categorizing world regional art markets (e.g. Latin American art) by artistic styles or movements (e.g. Latin American surrealism, Latin American conceptual art, etc.). We propose that such categorization should be carried out and analyze the Latin American art market as an example.

Eleven artistic style price indices within the Latin American art market (30,288 artworks created by 293 artists and sold at auction between 1970 and 2014) are estimated using hedonic regressions: Abstract-geometric, abstract-informal, conceptual, costumbrismo, cubism, figurative, muralism, landscape, surrealism, nineteenth century and avant-garde. We find that several variables that rely on the corresponding Latin American art movement index have a significant relationship with painting prices.

There is significant variation in the financial performance of the various price indices for Latin American art styles: the conceptual (10.33% annual real return), abstract geometric (1.97%), cubism (0.97%) and costumbrismo (0.91%) movements overperformed a market that exhibited an aggregate negative cumulated real return of 0.9% during the sample period. The average correlation between each of the styles was only 0.12. The estimated price index for paintings sold at Christie's and Sotheby's clearly outperformed the index estimated for the other auction houses, and we also found that paintings created by Latin American women artists yielded higher returns.

Our results have practical applications for investors, collectors, auction houses and policymakers.

This is the first paper to highlight the need to decompose art price indices by artistic movements at the regional level.

The purpose of this study is to explore how conflicting factors create tensions that hinder the development of effective policies. It specifically focuses on the broken connections between government policies and social-economic sectors. The study intends to explain how differing and often opposing interests in creating government policy influence the learning process.

This study uses a research methodology that combines developmental work research as a framework with historical case studies for collecting data. The process starts by identifying a problem and challenges related to the Brazilian “Diesel Crisis”. Following this, an analysis of the activity system was undertaken to uncover contradictions and tensions related to policy development.

The key results of the study focus on the learning process of public policy by (1) spotting gaps between government policies and socio-economic areas, (2) finding potential sources for a learning path and shared growth, (3) identifying various conflicting interests in the development of government policy, (4) creating learning possibilities in a complex and diverse environment and (5) offering solutions for resolving conflicting relationships in government policy development.

This study highlights the importance of recognizing the complicated social setting where public policy learning takes place, emphasizing the duality of collaboration and conflicting interests among different government bodies, policymakers and community members as they use tools and rules to reach their objectives.

This systematic review aims to comprehensively explore the existing literature on the use of corporate communication within the realm of social media.

A total of 136 peer-reviewed journal articles are explored and analysed using both performance and bibliometric analysis.

This review identifies five main findings: (1) trends in corporate social media research that highlight the growth trajectory of research on social media use for corporate disclosure, (2) geographical coverage of studies indicating the concentration of research in certain regions, such as the USA, followed by China and the UK, with notable gaps in others, such as developing countries, (3) theoretical frameworks employed demonstrate that various theoretical frameworks are utilized, although a significant portion of the studies do not specify any theoretical underpinning, (4) social media platforms studied, confirming Twitter to be the most studied channel followed by Facebook and (5) thematic analysis of articles on disclosure type that categorized the articles using bibliometric analysis into five themes of disclosure: general disclosure, corporate social responsibility-related information, financial information, CEO announcements and strategic news communication. A subsequent cross-theme analysis classifies disclosure determinants and consequences of corporate social media usage.

Through a comprehensive and systematic analysis of existing research, this review offers novel insights into the current state of corporate communication on social media. It consolidates current knowledge, highlights under-explored areas in the existing literature and proposes new directions and potential avenues for future research.