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Microenterprises in emerging economies are known to operate in turbulent and resource-scarce environments. We test our hypothesis that a more comprehensive “Integrated Capital-Based Model” (ICBM) is needed when explaining the performance of microenterprises in such an environment. The model combines traditionally researched financial, human and social capital with more recently emphasized psychological and cognitive capital, providing greater explanatory power than models using only the traditional types of capital.

We use a pooled linear regression to analyze an existing survey of more than 900 independent business owners who were interviewed seven times between 2008 and 2012 in the Accra and Tema marketplaces in Ghana. We measure the performance of microenterprises using three dependent variables (revenue, profits, and productivity). We contrast the explanatory power of ICBM models against the more traditional models.

The ICBM has significantly higher levels of explanatory power over the traditional models in examining the performance of these microenterprises. These results highlight the importance of psychological and cognitive capital in emerging economies.

We advocate for a more comprehensive view of capital as shown in our ICBM. However, the data were gathered only in an urban setting, which limits the generalizability to rural parts of emerging economies.

These findings suggest the utility of government and appropriate agencies finding ways to enhance the level of psychological and cognitive capital of microenterprise owners.

This paper's originality stems from hypothesizing and empirically confirming the higher predictive efficacy of ICBM against more traditionally researched capital sources.

The gift-giving literature has documented several cases in which givers and recipients do not see eye-to-eye in gift-giving decisions. To help integrate this considerable segment of the gifting literature, this paper aims to develop a social norms-based framework for understanding and predicting giver-recipient asymmetries in gift selection.

Five experimental studies test the hypotheses. Participants in these studies evaluate gifts used in previous research, choose between gifts as either gift-givers or gift-recipients, and/or indicate their level of discomfort with choosing different kinds of gifts. The gifts vary in ways that allow the authors to test the social norms-based framework.

Gift-giving asymmetries tend to occur when one of the gifts under consideration is less descriptively, but not less injunctively, normative than the other. This theme holds for both asymmetries recorded in the gift-giving literature and novel ones. Indeed, the authors document new asymmetries in cases where the framework would expect asymmetries to occur and, providing critical support for the framework, the absence of asymmetries in cases where the framework would not expect asymmetries to emerge. Moreover, the authors explain these asymmetries, and lack thereof, using a mechanism that is novel to the literature on gift-giving mismatches: feelings of discomfort.

This research has multiple theoretical implications for the literatures studying gift-giving and social norms. A limitation of this work is that it left some (secondary) predictions of its model untested. Future research could test some of these predictions.

Billions of dollars are spent on gifts each year, making gift-giving a research topic of great practical importance. In addition, the research offers suggestions to consumers giving gifts, consumers receiving gifts, as well as marketers.

The research is original in that it creates a novel framework that predicts both the presence and absence of gift-giving asymmetries, introduces a psychological mechanism to the literature on giver-recipient gift choice asymmetries, and unifies many of the mismatches previously documented in this literature.

Process mining (PM) has emerged as a leading technology for gaining data-based insights into organizations’ business processes. As processes increasingly cross-organizational boundaries, firms need to conduct PM jointly with multiple organizations to optimize their operations. However, current knowledge on cross-organizational process mining (coPM) is widely dispersed. Therefore, we synthesize current knowledge on coPM, identify challenges and enablers of coPM, and build a socio-technical framework and agenda for future research.

We conducted a literature review of 66 articles and summarized the findings according to the framework for Information Technology (IT)-enabled inter-organizational coordination (IOC) and the refined PM framework. The former states that within inter-organizational relationships, uncertainty sources determine information processing needs and coordination mechanisms determine information processing capabilities, while the fit between needs and capabilities determines the relationships’ performance. The latter distinguishes three categories of PM activities: cartography, auditing and navigation.

Past literature focused on coPM techniques, for example, algorithms for ensuring privacy and PM for cartography. Future research should focus on socio-technical aspects and follow four steps: First, determine uncertainty sources within coPM. Second, design, develop and evaluate coordination mechanisms. Third, investigate how the mechanisms assist with handling uncertainty. Fourth, analyze the impact on coPM performance. In addition, we present 18 challenges (e.g. integrating distributed data) and 9 enablers (e.g. aligning different strategies) for coPM application.

This is the first article to systematically investigate the status quo of coPM research and lay out a socio-technical research agenda building upon the well-established framework for IT-enabled IOC.

This study examines the experiences of five German primary schools implementing Lesson Study over a five-year period. When lesson study is to be implemented in Germany, teachers are typically skeptical and do not believe that it will work in their schools. Although four of the schools from our project consider the implementation at their school to be quite successful and report many positive effects, in this article, we focus on the difficulties and strategies for overcoming them. We also report the schools’ recommendations for other schools wishing to implement lesson study.

Using maximum variation sampling, we conducted semi-structured interviews with ten German primary teachers and principals from five schools taking part in the nationwide LemaS project. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed using qualitative content structuring analysis.

The study identified several challenges, ranging from fundamental criticism of lesson study to a lack of resources. All but one school found ways to navigate these challenges. The main themes for success included fostering motivation for lesson study and adequate support from the school leadership.

This study offers examples of strategies of schools to overcome typical hurdles when implementing lesson study. We also present a list of ten recommendations derived from the interviewees that can serve as pragmatic guidelines for practitioners and researchers willing to implement and sustain lesson study.

This study captures the experiences of both teachers and school leaders, providing practical insight for schools wishing to implement the lesson study in a sustainable way.

This study aims to investigate specific green-brand affect in terms of commitment and connection through the morality–mortality determinants of consumer social responsibility and the assumptions of terror management theory in the proposed three-layered framework. Religiosity serves as a moderator within the framework.

Data are collected in Taipei, Taiwan, while quota sampling is applied, and 420 valid questionnaires are collected. The partial least squares technique is applied for data analysis.

With the contingent role of religiosity, consumer social responsibility influences socially conscious consumption, which in turn drives the commitment and connection of green-brand affect. The death anxiety and self-esteem outlined in terror management theory influence materialism, which then drives green-brand commitment; however, contrary to expectations, they do not drive green-brand connection.

By considering green brands beyond their cognitive aspects and into their affective counterparts, morality–mortality drivers of green-brand commitment and green-grand connection are explored to provide unique contributions so as to better understand socially responsible consumption.

This research discloses the effect of religiosity on purchasing intention through serial-mediation paths in a halal-certified food context. Borrowing from the identity theory while supplemented by the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and the knowledge–attitude–practice (KAP) theory, a 4-layered framework is developed to investigate such an issue.

264 questionnaires are collected in the field study conducted in Tunis, Tunisia. Quota sampling method is applied. Testing of the hypotheses is performed using partial least square analysis.

The findings reveal that religiosity affects the four mediators—awareness, trust, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control—which in turn affect attitude, and purchase intention towards halal-certified food is eventually aroused. These four serial-mediation paths are further proved to form the mechanisms.

The field study participants are limited to consumers in Tunis. Besides, a mechanism to collect the data from general public including lower educated consumers should be necessary.

This research is a pioneering work investigating the sequential intervening effect in the religiosity-intention relationship in halal-certified food. The authors provide unique and fruitful insights into this relatively untapped field for academia and firms.

Recent trends in Western civics education have attempted to secure democratic institutions from perceived threats. This paper investigates how political securitisation historically operated within civics textbooks in Australia and Aotearoa, New Zealand. It further evaluates how Māori, Aboriginal and other Indigenous peoples were variably incorporated or marginalised in these educational discourses.

This discourse analysis evaluates a sample of civics textbooks circulated in Australia and New Zealand between 1880 and 1920. These historical sources are interpreted through theories of decoloniality and securitisation.

The sample of textbooks asserted to students that their self-governing colonies required the military protection of the British Empire against undemocratic “threats”. They argued that self-governing colonies strengthened the empire by raising subjects who were loyal to British military interests and ideological values. The authors pedagogically encouraged a governmentality within students that was complementary to military, imperial and democratic service. The hypocritical denial of self-government for many Indigenous peoples was rationalised as a measure of “security” against “native rule” and imperial rivals.

Under a lens of securitisation, the discursive links between imperialism, military service and democratic diligence have not yet been examined in civics textbooks from the historical contexts of Australia and New Zealand. This investigation provides conceptual and pedagogical insights for contemporary civics education in both nations.

The level of deterioration of educational facilities, such as leaking classroom roofs, inadequate good seats, obsolete offices, broken shutters and doors, outdated school buildings, power plants and office equipment like ICT media, laboratories, offices and workshops, despite the involvement of Alumni association in the maintenance of educational facilities for the effective actualization of school objectives was a worrisome nightmare in Kogi state. This, therefore, prompted the researchers to explore the Alumni’s participation in plant maintenance for effective implementation of the universal basic education (UBE) programme in public junior secondary schools in Kogi state. The purpose of this study was guided by the research question which stated that to what extent does the Alumni Association participate in plant maintenance for effective implementation of the UBE programme in public junior secondary schools in Kogi state?

A quantitative research approach using a descriptive survey was adopted for the study. The sample was drawn using a proportionate stratified sampling technique comprising 387 participants which consisted of 191 (49%) urban junior secondary school principals and 196 (51%) rural principals in selected UBE junior secondary schools. Alumni’s Participation in Plant Maintenance Questionnaire was used as an instrument for data collection. The data were analysed with the aid of mean and standard deviation for the research question and z-test statistics at 0.05 level of significance and the value of z-crit. of 1.96 was used to determine the rejection or otherwise of the hypotheses.

The descriptive analysis revealed that the average mean set of 2.64 pointed to the fact that the respondents averagely agreed that there was a high extent to which Alumni participate in plant maintenance in urban than rural areas for effective implementation of the UBE programme in public junior secondary schools in Kogi state. This indicates that Alumni contribute to the management of UBE schools in Kogi state, especially in the areas of funding, infrastructural facilities, discipline, politics and quality control. This finding also shows that the contributions of the alumni to educational institutions are still unclear if they have made contributions to education in some areas and none in other areas making their relevance to plant maintenance unclear.

In terms of practical implications, the study has contributed to knowledge in that it is the first of this form of a study carried out in Kogi state, and as such the findings of the research will make contributions to the physique of information on plant maintenance for the profitable implementation of the UBE programme in Kogi state. Besides, the degree of plant preservation for the implementation of the UBE programme among applicable stakeholders in Kogi state is nevertheless at a low extent.

Researchers have conducted studies that show how non-state Alumni members contribute to the administration of education across different states. Some of these studies revealed that Alumni members have assisted schools in the provision of teaching and learning materials at the senior secondary or tertiary education level. There are no sufficient studies to show how these Alumni members have contributed to the implementation of the free education programme, especially in public junior secondary schools in Kogi state and this is the gap this study intends to fill.

This study aims to examine the perception of public works experts on the application of artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool to potentially increase the rationality and transparency of public works.

This paper is based on an exploratory quantitative design. It uses an original survey on the use of AI in public works, targeting public works experts from Peru. Data was analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Findings reveal public works experts’ interest in AI, highlighting its potential to improve transparency and efficiency, although labor changes are anticipated. AI monitoring could impact economic and quality control areas, vital in the fight against corruption. Infrastructure, government policies and financial resources emerge as fundamental enablers.

The advent of advanced AI systems has raised promises to help fight corruption through new monitoring capabilities that enhance transparency and rationality. However, few studies have assessed the impact of AI on public works. This paper contributes to this gap by testing a framework that explores how public works experts perceive the use of AI, considering their perceptions, expectations, perceived challenges and opportunities over public works’ rationality and transparency.

The purpose of this study is to envision the possible path to regulation of the coca leaf and its derivatives. There are a range of possible coca derivatives that could be considered for the broader market and which could be conceived of as risk and harm reduction interventions, as well as have other nutritional and industrial uses.

The methodology consists of a historical analysis of the advances in alternative uses of the coca leaf within a commercial market in Colombia as a means of providing greater economic capacity to communities that cultivate the plant, while exploring the nutritional and industrial benefits of the plant.

Low-risk products, such as coca leaf and coca tea, could be regulated under the same criteria as coffee or other caffeinated beverages. With a more diverse range of products on the market, consumers can make more informed decisions about their consumption, particularly regarding the associated risks and the effects they desire.

The legal regulation of coca leaf products implies the creation of a regulatory government agency specialized in the subject, as well as monitor and evaluate the cultivation and processing of products. The production of the coca leaf would still be in the hands of the cultivating communities but would fall under the control and monitoring of the government.

The legal regulation of the coca leaf could have strong impacts on cultivating communities to guarantee their human rights and provide greater protection. Various industries have expressed an interest in using coca leaf derivatives and could represent economic opportunities for communities that cultivate.

Minimal work has been done on the regulation of coca leaf although there are some international examples that could be relevant in Bolivia and Perú. There is a need to continue exploring the multiple uses of the leaf to reach greater international consensus on its rescheduling.