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To transition into a green/circular economy (CE), both academics and industrialists have undertaken research into various areas of circular business models (CBM), yet despite numerous studies conducted, the ensuing discourse contains scant information regarding the barriers to CBM adoption in the built environment. Therefore, this present study explores the critical barriers hindering the adoption of CBM in the Ghanaian construction industry (GCI), establishing the criticality of the principal barriers identified.

The mixed philosophies of interpretivism and postpositivism were adopted to deductively analyse primary data collected via a survey questionnaire. A comprehensive literature review was first conducted to identify the barriers of adopting CBM in the construction industry. Data gathered from professionals with knowledge of CBM and the green/CE were then analysed using descriptive statistics and inferential fuzzy synthetic evaluation.

Emergent barriers to CBM adoption in the GCI were identified as institutional barriers (i.e. inadequate technology development and transfer, insufficient green incentives in the industry and lack of institutional framework that promote); proficiency barriers (i.e. lack of understanding of circular business models, inadequacy of expertise amongst construction professionals, unfamiliar techniques associated with circular business models and fear of greater investment cost) and cultural barriers (i.e. cultural reluctancy of clients to embrace circular urbanization, inadequate measurement tool, lack of a culture that encourages community engagement in environmental decision-making, inadequate performance information and database, lack of prior experience of stakeholders, inadequate government policies, low public awareness and lack of manufacturer and supplier support). The fuzzy synthetic analysis confirmed all the principal barriers as critical. These barriers had a respective criticality index of 3.66, 3.59 and 3.39. Evidently, the CBM adoption in the GCI faces major challenges and consequently, sector stakeholders must strategize their organizational undertakings to transition their traditional business models towards innovative circular ones.

This study provides a novel and thorough evaluation on the barriers to CBM adoption and establishes the criticality of the identified barriers. The study's findings offer essential direction to GCI stakeholders and policymakers to facilitate the shift towards a CE in accordance with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In recent times, both academics and industrialists have undertaken research into various areas of circular business models (CBM) in a bid to promote a green economy. Yet despite numerous studies conducted, the ensuing discourse contains scant information regarding the contributions of CBM towards the transition of green economy in the construction industry. This present study therefore aims to explore the contributions of CBM in the transition towards a green economy in the Ghanaian construction industry.

A comprehensive literature review was first conducted to identify the contributions of CBM towards the transition towards a green economy. A quantitative research strategy was then adopted to collect primary questionnaire data from professionals with knowledge of CBM and the green economy from 104 participants for the study. The data gathered was analyzed using descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis viz. Principal component analysis.

The contributions of CBM towards the transition towards a green economy were found to be: value contributions (i.e. lower carbon footprint, lower emission of waste by the industry, value creation for clients, innovation in construction materials and methods, reduced maintenance cost, creation of energy efficient infrastructures, improved value proposition for firms, improved sustainability of the industry and reduced pressure on finite resource.); green contributions (i.e. recycling and reuse of construction waste, promotion of green building technology, increased potential for economic growth, increased resource efficiency and creation of green building market) and longevity contribution (i.e. increased life span of buildings). It was evident that CBM make significant contributions in the transition towards green economy and as such, policymakers and other stakeholders within the construction industry must adopt these models to maximize their green credentials and accrue inherent benefits associated with transitioning towards a green economy.

This paper presents a novel and comprehensive study that explores the contributions of CBM towards engendering a green economy. The study’s results provide construction industry stakeholders and policymakers with clear insight into the contributions of CBM towards the transition into a green economy. In practice, this study provides much needed guidance to support construction practitioners to transition towards a green economy in alignment with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The purpose of this study is to test the hypotheses proposed by Konadu et al. (2023) for the first time and provide empirical insight on the subject. Corruption concerns affect all economies, but those attempting to avoid foreign grants are especially vulnerable. Stakeholders in these economies have pushed for more honest public sector (PS) workers and better oversight of public funds in an effort to build a more trustworthy and efficient government to improve PS performance. Just as the mechanisms through which employee integrity (EI) influences work performance (WP) have not been proven empirically, neither has the effect of EI on WP in African economies. Also, how purposeful leadership (PL) interacts with EI to boost WP is yet to be empirically examined in the integrity literature.

This paper surveyed and analysed the responses of 875 workers across the three most corrupt large PS organisations in Ghana using Smart PLS 4. Perceived organisational support and contract fulfilment functioned as control factors influencing job satisfaction (JS, a mediator). Psychological need satisfaction and perceived procedural justice serve as control factors for organisational identification (OI, an additional mediator). Education, tenure, job position, sex and age were used as control variables in WP. Product indicator and variance accounted for (VAF) methods were used to estimate the impacts of moderation and mediation, respectively. A 5% level of significance was determined.

As hypothesised, this study found that EI and WP had a significantly positive connection (ß = 0.119, p = 0.026), and both JS (VAF = 25.16%) and OI (VAF = 39.59%) partially mediated this connection. Moreover, PL positively moderated the EI–JS (ß = 0.155, p = 0.000) and EI–OI (ß = 0.095, p = 0.000) connections.

This paper affords empirical insight on the EI–WP relationship, how this relationship is mediated and how the EI–JS and EI–OI relationships are amplified. In this context, it sheds light on new ways in which EI and WP in the PS are improved. In addition, this paper provides a roadmap for forthcoming academics to test the hypotheses in diverse PS contexts globally to triangulate the results.

Leadership in PS organisations must maintain a “values-grounded approach” to all parts of human resource (HR) practices, including hiring, performance reviews, leadership enhancement programmes, training and promotions, if they are to attract, develop and retain employees who stand for the sector’s ethics and beliefs.

This research gives African nations proof that enhancing EI in the PS is important, and it lays out the many ways in which EI transforms into WP. It also draws attention to the challenges that purposeful leaders may help alleviate and the opportunities that they may present.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the hypotheses put forward in the conceptual research by Konadu et al. (2023) are tested empirically for the first time in this study. It also adds to the empirical literature that already exists on EI, JS, OI, WP and PL in the PS. This contributes to the disciplines of integrity, performance and leadership by enhancing theoretical frameworks and expanding upon existing knowledge.

Competitive tendering in South Africa is often associated with procurement based on the lowest fee tendered. Previous research on this topic did not provide in-depth examinations of how pricing within consulting engineering companies was affected by competitive tendering nor did it illuminate the extent to which professional services were impacted by competitive tendering. This paper aims to examine the implications of competitive tendering on pricing and delivery of consulting engineering services in South Africa.

A survey research strategy with a questionnaire as the research instrument elicited qualitative data from 28 experienced consulting engineers in South Africa. Thematic analysis was used to analyse qualitative data from the questionnaires.

Three key themes were identified, namely: considerations when determining consulting engineering fees on competitively tendered projects; the impact of reduced fees due to competitive tendering on the delivery of consulting engineering services; and interventions to prevent unsustainably “low” professional fees. Many consulting engineers in South Africa still determine fees using fee scales, while other considerations include resources, project complexity, risk, etc. Most participants asserted that design optimisation/value engineering, training, meetings and construction monitoring were adversely impacted by “low” fees.

This paper provides in-depth qualitative feedback from experienced consulting engineers (most having more than 20 years’ experience) on a topical issue in the South African construction industry. Thematic analysis was a novel method of analysis that was not used previously in this area of study.

Firstly, the authors aimed at offering a general perspective on poverty, highlighting important directions of thinking from the theoretical development, including poverty's main causes (like education, health, social protection, economic growth, employment and good governance). Secondly, it was investigated the problem of poverty in Romania after its accession to the European Union (EU), aiming to show (1) Romania's position among the EU member states, nearby (2) the direct and indirect effects of the selected factors particularly in this country.

Based on data from Eurostat and Global Competitiveness Index (GCI), descriptive and path analyses were performed for the period between 2007 and 2020.

The main results emphasized (1) the critical position of Romania among the EU member states in 2020 and the progress recorded since 2007, nearby (2) the direct and indirect effects of the selected factors on poverty in this country. The study highlighted the limited chances for the full participation of the poor people of Romania in the progress of the entire society, especially in terms of education and economic growth.

The major contribution of this study is that it assumes to investigate a profound and persistent societal phenomenon in Romania that is not sufficiently analyzed, discussed and understood. Consequently, this study attained its main objective of showing that the main traditional socio-economic causes of poverty are still pertinent in the actual Romanian society.

Gamification is an emerging technique of applying game elements to difficult and tedious learning activities to make them fun and exciting. This study aims to review the scientific landscape of the library’s readiness to adopt gamification with context to application in teaching and learning purposes based on computational tools. The present research also aims to study the growth of literature on gamification, to identify the most contributing authors, countries, affiliations and journals and collaboration status with different geographical settings. The study will also identify the most influential paper on the area with the highest citation and Altmetric Attention Score (AAS) as well as analyzing the keywords for locating the research trend in the subject area.

The study has adopted Scientometric and Altmetric approach by considering the research outputs of a decade (2013–2022) from Scopus database. First, the required data has been searched using appropriate keywords forming the search strategy by running title–abstract–keywords considering the limitation in the system. The exported data is systematically visualized for performing science mapping like the collaboration of authors, countries, organizations and co-occurrence of keywords using VOSviewer. For finding the Altmetrics score and Mendeley readership of the influential research works, the system Dimension.ai is further used.

The study found 928 records indicating an exponential growth over the years with total 2,750 authors. Samuel Kai Wah Chu from the University of Hong Kong, China, is the most contributed author. Spain and the USA are highly productive countries, but there needs to be a strong collaboration pattern among authors. It is found that gamification is widely applied in education discipline than any other. Some of the libraries have already implemented gamification tools for learning purposes in their services. The research on gamification still lacks social media attention and needs to be promoted more through various social media platforms for greater visibility.

The study explores the global scientific literature to identify the library’s awareness of implementing gamification tools in their services for teaching and learning purposes. As per the author’s knowledge, no such study has been conducted until date with such aims and objectives through the application of both Scientometrics and Altmetrics approaches.

Net zero energy buildings (NZEBs) play a crucial role in mitigating the environmental impact of the construction industry. However, this concept in Ghana is still in the infancy stage, and the level of embracement in the construction industry is uncertain which further poses challenges to its adoption. This can be attributed to the lack of awareness of NZEB among construction professionals. Hence, understanding the awareness among construction professionals is essential for promoting sustainable building practices and reducing the carbon footprint of buildings. Therefore, this study investigates the level of awareness of NZEBs among construction professionals in the Ghanaian construction industry (GCI).

The study adopted a quantitative research method where questionnaire survey was used to obtain data from sixty-six (66) construction professionals in the GCI through snowball sampling technique. The collected data were analysed using frequencies, mean scores, one-sample t-test and cross-tabulation.

The study revealed that thirty (30) construction professionals out of the sixty-six (66) had a moderate level of awareness of NZEBs, and 14 professionals had a low level of awareness. Thirteen had a high level of awareness. Three of the profesionals were extremely unaware, while six had a very high level of awareness. The study’s findings highlight the need to create awareness of NZEBs and their practices among construction professionals and employees in Ghana.

NZEB is an under-explored area in the Ghanaian context and therefore, this study uniquely highlights the nascent awareness of NZEBs among Ghanaian construction professionals, unlike previous studies in more developed contexts. It underscores the critical need for targeted awareness programs essential for reducing the carbon footprint and advancing the adoption of NZEBs in the GCI.

Although social media has gained prominence as a communication and marketing tool in various sectors, its adoption and utilization within the construction industry remain relatively underexplored. Therefore, this study fills this gap by evaluating the level of awareness and the extent of adoption of social media within the Nigerian construction industry, shedding light on its current status and potential impact.

This objective was attained via a quantitative research approach that utilized a structured questionnaire to obtain responses from construction professionals such as architects, builders, engineers, quantity surveyors and estate managers. Frequencies and percentages and the mean item score (MIS) were used to analyze the questionnaire responses and assess the overall awareness and adoption of social media among construction professionals. Additionally, the Kruskal–Wallis H-test provided valuable insights into the variations in social media adoption levels among different professional categories within the construction industry.

The results indicate that construction professionals possess a generally high level of awareness regarding various social media platforms. However, despite this awareness, the extent of adoption does not align with the level of awareness, suggesting that adoption rates are not as widespread as anticipated.

The findings of this study underscore the importance of not just awareness but also effective adoption and utilization of social media platforms. While awareness is a crucial first step, construction firms should focus on implementing strategies to encourage greater adoption and integration of these platforms into their daily operations. This can go a long way in bridging the awareness – adoption gap which was revealed in this study.

While the limited existing research on social media in the construction industry has predominantly concentrated on areas such as marketing, addressing the root causes of fatalities, data environment tools and business branding, none have undertaken a thorough evaluation of social media awareness and adoption within the sector. This study fills a critical gap by narrowing its focus to the adoption dynamics and the technology’s potential impact on communication, collaboration and knowledge sharing among construction professionals.

We seek to understand how informal entrepreneurship education and training (EET) processes support marginalised women in challenging institutional contexts into gainful participation in entrepreneurial activities, facilitating empowerment and emancipation.

The study employs an inductive qualitative approach drawing on in-depth individual interviews, a focus group and observation of how female informal EET educators facilitate hands-on EET to marginalised female entrepreneurs in Uganda.

We specify a range of novel complementary practices that informal EET educators undertake during the main instructional EET stage and present the wraparound purposive work, both pre-and-post the instructional stage, they enact to support female empowerment processes for their disadvantaged learners. We then propose a grounded model capturing practices enacted by EET practitioners that illuminates ways in which informal EET can contribute to processes of empowerment and emancipation.

Our contributions are twofold. First, we conceptualise EET educators as institutional entrepreneurs undertaking institutional work beyond core teaching. Second, we specify a range of novel complementary practices they undertake before, during and after the conventional instructional part. This illuminates how EET can contribute to processes of empowerment and emancipation. Drawing on data from a unique institutional context, we illuminate novel practices enacted by informal EET educators thereby extending both the pedagogy and the realm of entrepreneurship education with implications for grander empowerment and emancipatory outcomes beyond the development of entrepreneurial competencies.

Small talk is often regarded as important in business interactions, yet the effect of genuine engagement on B2B communication remains underexplored. Hence, the purpose of this study is to explore the concept of genuine small talk, contextualize its key dimensions and examine how it contributes to building rapport and mediates negotiation outcomes in B2B relationships.

This study uses a qualitative abductive research approach for this exploratory investigation as it allows for an in-depth examination of the complex relational dynamics inherent in B2B communication. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 35 industry professionals from diverse sectors, ensuring a diverse understanding of the phenomenon across different B2B contexts.

The study identifies eight core dimensions of genuine small talk in B2B interactions: empathy, curiosity, adaptability, active listening, a nonjudgmental disposition, respect for boundaries, positivity and humility. These dimensions collectively contribute to the development of rapport. The findings also highlight that rapport, fostered through genuine small talk, plays a mediating role in achieving favorable negotiation outcomes.

This study adds to the B2B marketing literature by advancing the understanding of genuine small talk and its strategic importance in building rapport and improving negotiation outcomes.