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This study investigates how insurance intermediaries in Portugal and Ireland evaluate supply chain management (SCM) practices within the insurance industry, specifically focusing on potential regional variations in their assessments.

A comparative research design was employed, collecting data through surveys administered to insurance brokers in Portugal and Ireland. These countries were chosen due to their well-developed intermediary-based insurance markets.

The results show that some dimensions of supply chain management are significantly different between Portugal and Ireland. Nevertheless, the insurance brokers from the two countries also share similar views on key aspects of supply chain management.

This study offers valuable insights for insurance industry management, particularly regarding the dynamics of the insurer-intermediary relationship and the importance of catering to intermediary needs. The findings also highlight potential areas for European Union policy consideration, such as addressing potential asymmetries within the insurance sector across member states.

Improved relationships and collaboration within the insurance supply chain can lead to enhanced access to insurance products and more tailored services for consumers.

This research addresses two key gaps in the literature. Firstly, it examines the insurer-intermediary relationship from the intermediary perspective, a viewpoint often neglected in prior research. Secondly, the study investigates and confirms the existence of regional variations in insurance SCM practices across two European countries.

本研究擬探究在葡萄牙和愛爾蘭兩地的保險中介人於保險行業內,如何評價供應鏈管理方面的慣常做法,研究會特別專注探討這些評價所顯示的潛在地域差異。

研究人員以比較研究設計進行其探究;他們透過向葡萄牙和愛爾蘭兩國的保險經紀發出調查,繼而收集數據。這兩個國家被選中的原因是:它們擁有健全的、以中介為基礎的保險市場。

研究結果顯示,葡萄牙和愛爾蘭兩國的供應鏈管理在有些層面上存在著顯著的差異;但兩地的保險經紀在供應鏈管理的關鍵環節上則有頗類似的見解和看法。

本研究在保險業管理方面提供了寶貴的啟示,特別是它使我們更了解承保人與中介人之間的關係的變革動力,以及滿足中介人需要的重要性。研究結果亦強調了歐洲聯盟在制訂政策時必須考慮的潛在領域,如處理各成員國之間於保險業內的潛在不對稱。

若保險供應鏈內各方的關係和合作得到改善,則消費者會更容易取得各種保險產品;同時,他們亦可獲得更合適的訂製服務。

本研究嘗試處理相關文獻內兩個主要的研究缺口。首先,研究人員以中介人的觀點,去探討承保人與中介人之間的關係,而過去的研究,通常忽視了這個觀點;其次,本研究探究並確認有關的兩個歐洲國家,在其保險供應鏈管理方面的慣常做法上,確實存在著地域差異。

To date, little research has been undertaken to test the effectiveness of team coaching, with past work focusing on models, frameworks and competencies. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of team coaching within real world organizational teams and its impact on individual perceptions of team cohesion and psychological safety.

A randomized control trial (RCT) using the comparable interventions: (1) team coaching (intervention) and (2) team facilitation (control) was employed with multiple teams and multiple facilitators, measuring the impact on team cohesion and psychological safety.

The data indicate participants engaging in the team coaching intervention made greater gains in terms of their individual perceptions of psychological safety and team cohesion than individuals who received the team facilitation intervention (T1–T2).

Facilitators should apply a team coaching approach when seeking to address issues of cohesion and psychological safety within workplace teams.

This study provides the first evidence, using an RCT method, of the effectiveness of team coaching as a workplace intervention for enhancing individual perceptions of psychological safety and team cohesion.

The concept of distributed leadership (DL) has been widely advocated within higher education (HE). Yet, there have been few empirical investigations and little theory development outside Western contexts to date. This study presents a unique conceptualisation of DL and tests it empirically in India.

This study tests a moderated-mediation model by exploring the antecedents and consequences of DL in HE. Standardised questionnaires were drawn from literature and completed by a sample of 269 respondents from six top-ranked (elite) Indian higher education institutions (HEIs). Structural equation modelling (SEM) and multi-group analysis techniques were used to analyse the data.

Results demonstrated that empowering power structure (EPS) is positively related to DL, whilst participation in decision-making (PDM) strengthened this relationship. Further, it is also noted that DL mediates the relationship between EPS and behavioural outcomes of employee voice and silence.

The findings suggest that a DL approach can be effective at enhancing employee voice and reducing employee silence within HEIs in (and perhaps beyond) India. The research also suggests that where institutions implement EPS alongside opportunities for PDM, this can help foster and sustain DL.

By exploring antecedents (EPS and PDM) and consequences (voice and silence), this paper presents a novel approach to studying DL. The focus on Indian HE offers a more nuanced empirical understanding of DL in a non-Western context.

The architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry is currently undergoing a paradigm shift as it integrates innovations such as digital twins (DT) in its activities. As a result, this study aims to ascertain the barriers affecting the implementation of digital twin (DT) technology in Nigeria’s AEC sector.

The study employed a quantitative approach using a questionnaire distributed via Google Forms, yielding 120 valid responses from built environment professionals in Nigeria. The data were subjected to statistical tests such as the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, Cronbach’s alpha, descriptive statistics and the Kruskal–Wallis test. Hypotheses were validated through partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).

The study revealed that out of the 43 identified barriers, inadequate system integration, challenges in guaranteeing interoperability, university education on the subject is deficient, and new system compatibility with legacy systems are the main barriers to implementing DT for sustainable construction practices in the AEC Industry of Nigeria.

The study was conducted in Nigeria with a focus on the Federal Capital Territory. The study identified the barriers of DT in the construction sector.

This study developed and assessed a theoretical framework, examining the relationships between variables. The findings have important implications for the construction industry, offering opportunities to improve construction processes. Furthermore, the study will help improve sustainable practices within the built environment.

The study categorised the barriers of DT into the following: system integration; security-related; performance-related; organizational-related; data quality issues and environmental related issues.

The construction industry is frequently scrutinised by the public for a variety of issues, including waste, inefficiency, narrow profit margins, scheduling setbacks, budget overruns, quality concerns, trust deficits, transparency issues, coordination challenges, communication issues and fraud. The purpose of this paper is to assess the effect of blockchain technology adoption on the construction supply chain.

This study used a quantitative research approach through a questionnaire survey that was conducted among professionals in the Nigerian construction industry using the snowball sampling method, which resulted in a selection of 155 respondents. The collected data were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling, enabling a thorough assessment of the proposed relationships and offering valuable insights specific to the construction industry.

The study’s findings validated the conceptual framework established. The results indicated that implementing blockchain across all stages of the construction supply chain has the potential to improve the construction process. The study also revealed that blockchain technology will significantly affect the construction supply chain in a positive manner.

This research was carried out in the South-western region which is one of the six geo-political zones in Nigeria using a cross-sectional survey method. The study holds implications not only for local construction practices but will also contribute to the broader discourse on national construction sector challenges and possible solutions.

The findings of this study will be immensely beneficial to both professionals, practitioners and stakeholders in the Nigerian construction industry in learning about the potential of blockchain technology application in improving the construction supply chain.

The study in this paper constructed and evaluated a conceptual framework by exploring the connections between the variables. The results have significant implications for the construction sector, as they provide avenues for enhancing the construction process and the overall supply chain. These findings are valuable for researchers examining the potential effects of blockchain technology on the construction supply chain.

This study aims to investigate the impact of ethical accounting practices on financial reporting quality by using the extended theory of planned behaviour (ETPB) and integrating religiosity as a moderating variable.

Using a survey method, data was obtained from 371 chartered accountants who were in good standing as of April 2023. The collected data were then analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling.

The results revealed that there is a significant positive relationship between ethical accounting practices (attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control and ethical judgement) and financial reporting quality of accounting practitioners. Furthermore, a moderation test was conducted, which demonstrated that religiosity enhances the positive correlation between ethical accounting constructs (attitude, subjective norm and ethical judgement) and financial reporting.

Leading by example, top-level management should actively promote a culture of religiosity that prioritises integrity and adherence to financial reporting requirements.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the very few ethics studies in accounting that demonstrates that the application of the ETPB improves financial reporting quality in a context fraught with allegations of moral breaches by accountants.

The purpose of this study is to frame the dimensions of the external institutional environment, namely, cultural-cognitive, normative and regulative dimensions as the main actors in the organisational field. More precisely, Libyan commercial banks have been identified as empirical evidence, to identify constraints of the institutional environment governing the behaviour and decision-making of commercial banks, when adopting Islamic financial transactions.

A questionnaire has been designed for 14 Libyan commercial banks which is distributed to the Board of Directors, managers, directors of departments, and personnel. The exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and the measurement model by using the first-order and second-order confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) have been applied as essential steps to embody the conceptual framework and test the research hypotheses.

The results of the EFA indicated sufficient correlation among the dimensions of the external environment. The CFA supported this study’s hypotheses. The modelling showed that the cultural-cognitive, normative and regulative dimensions are institutional constraints impeding Libyan commercial banks’ adoption of Islamic financial transactions. Interestingly, the findings of the CFA align with the EFA findings in supporting the conceptual framework of the research. They portrayed that the cultural-cognitive dimension has been identified by explicit and implicit cognition.

This study systematically embodies the dimensions of the external institutional environment, namely, cultural-cognitive, normative and regulative dimensions, as the main factors in the organisational field to be conceptually rich lenses to investigate social considerations to reinforce institutional thought broadly. The results of this study were consistent with extant Islamic financial literature, reflecting symmetry and similarity across commercial banks, particularly at the first stage of adopting Islamic financial transactions.

Celebrity endorsers are usually considered to bring positive effects to associated nodes, such as brands and corporations. However, limited evidence suggests that brands and corporations are equally responsible for affecting celebrities and their credibility. Drawing on associative network theory, this study explores the effects of brand credibility and corporate credibility on celebrity credibility, both directly and through the mediating and moderating effects of advertising credibility. The research addresses three main issues: (1) whether brand credibility, corporate credibility and advertising credibility have significant effects on celebrity credibility; (2) whether advertising credibility has a significant mediating effect on the effects of brand credibility and corporate credibility on celebrity credibility and (3) whether advertising credibility has a significant moderating effect on the effects of brand credibility and corporate credibility on celebrity credibility.

The study used a quantitative approach involving structural equation modelling. Data were collected from 675 participants from London and focussed on four leading international brands, corporations and celebrity endorsers.

The findings show that brand credibility and advertising credibility have positive direct effects on celebrity credibility; and that advertising credibility mediates the effects of both credibility constructs on celebrity credibility. Furthermore, moderating effects of advertising credibility are also found.

This study will help managers to understand the reverse effects, i.e. the effects of brand credibility and corporate credibility on celebrity credibility. They will be able to understand that a credible brand and corporation like a credible celebrity can also bring significant effects on the associated elements. This will help them to recruit celebrity endorsers who have historically earned their credibility from previous endorsements of credible brands and corporations. Further, these findings will help managers to understand that credibility of the brand and corporation can also affect the credibility of the associated advertising, resulting in having a significant effect on the credibility of the celebrity. This on the consumers’ side will enhance their preferences, attitudes and behaviours, while for the corporation, it will enhance their economic and commercial performance.

This is the first study in the literature, where a conceptual model based on the reverse effects of both credibility constructs on celebrity credibility is examined, directly and based on the moderating and mediating effects of advertising credibility. Hence, the contributions to the literature are threefold: first, the study examines the reverse effect of celebrity endorsement, whereby the credibility of a brand or corporation is transferred to a celebrity endorser; second, the study examines the mediating and moderating effects of advertising credibility on this reverse effect and finally, associative network theory is used to examine the importance of the model.

Research on knowledge creation within eSports learning is scarce. This study extends the understanding of competition-oriented collaborative learning in eSports by examining the relationship between the dynamics of knowledge creation modes and the continuum of the motivational profile, along with the moderating effects of mutualistic co-presence therein.

Participants were recruited from the community of massively multiplayer online gamers (MMOGs). Through a quantitative survey, their motivations (i.e. self-extrinsic, self-intrinsic, peer-extrinsic and peer-intrinsic motivations), knowledge creation involvements (i.e. internalization, externalization, combination and socialization) and perception of mutualistic benefit of self and peers were captured for hypothesis testing.

Significant and positive direct relationships were observed between four motivations and four knowledge creation modes. The mutualistic co-presence positively moderated the positive relationship between the self-extrinsic, peer-extrinsic and peer-intrinsic motivations and socialization. When mutualistic self-benefit were outweighed, peer-extrinsic motivated gamers became less likely to perform internalization, whereas self-extrinsic and peer-extrinsic motivated gamers were less likely to perform combination.

This study is among the first to rationalize the relationship between motivational profile and the dynamics of knowledge creation in eSports learning. The conceptualization of the new construct – mutualistic co-presence – using the ecological concept of symbiosis is uncommon in prior literature. The findings also demonstrate that the four modes of knowledge creation in eSports learning are continuous and interwoven; they can be initiated at any point and do not necessarily occur in a specific sequence.

This study aims to explore the influence of management control on the performance of teams with surface levels of social diversity.

Under the categorization-elaboration model perspective, an integrative literature review was conducted. Selecting articles published in the Scopus and Web of Science databases until 2023 and with the terms about gender diversity, age diversity, racial diversity and team performance, obtaining 122 documents. Results were analyzed in a matrix under the criteria of social diversity as a principal variable and examined the effects on team performance. Subsequently, it is synthesized according to the social diversity dimension and then integrated into an analysis with conceptual perspectives from management control systems.

The main negative effects of surface-level social diversity on team performance arise from stereotypical perceptions and social biases about differences in gender, age and race, affecting team members’ interactions. This scenario is related to the causes of the need for management control in the absence of direction, motivation problems and personal limitations, so control systems associated with possible solutions to improve group performance are proposed.

To the authors’ knowledge, this work opens the discussion on the influence of management control on the performance of teams with social diversity. Demographic changes require new perspectives for team management, from management control providing a way to guide socially diverse team behaviors to desired team performance.