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Recently, the concept of frugal innovation (FI) has gained relevance in both academic and societal discourse. Whether disruptive frugal digital innovation is contributing to the growth of small and medium-sized businesses in Africa is a subject of debate. Generally speaking, frugal inventions are linked to developing nations where sizable consumer groups at the base of the pyramid have unfulfilled needs. Africa, a continent with growing economies, has witnessed a surge in disruptive FI, which makes this chapter an important discourse. Digital technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), social media, cloud computing, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are finding their way in the market, and how it is affecting human development and small enterprises has been a subject for debate. This book chapter presents findings on how FI has led to sustainable human development and growth of micro, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) as revealed by a review of existing literature on the subject. According to findings from the literature, MSMEs' connections and interactions with partners, suppliers, and consumers have improved as a result of the adoption of disruptive digital platforms. Additionally, while operating in challenging settings in Africa, digital technologies offer certain intrinsic traits and information technology capabilities that allow firms to grow and flourish. Digital platforms are viewed as transparent, collaborative instruments that provide economic opportunities throughout the ecosystem. The results also show that disruptive digital technologies offer MSMEs an inexpensive, simple-to-use, and simple-to-deploy solution in order to compete with stronger incumbents across a range of industries.

This study aims to empirically examine the role of privacy, security, trust and autonomy in Millennials’ continued use of online dating applications. Emerging markets have been famous for their rapid modernization, growth and cultural shifts. Yet, consumer worries about online dating consumption need to be addressed in the literature through a better understanding of their behavioural intentions. This study examines the interplay of the underlying variables by testing a conceptual framework grounded on the theory of reasoned action (TRA), the self-determination theory (SDT) and the information systems continuance theory (ISCT) with regard to an emerging market.

A cross-sectional and quantitative research design is adopted. Using a well-designed structured questionnaire adapted from established scales, data was collected through a survey featuring 332 substantive responses from actively involved Millennial users of online dating apps in India. The data was analysed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modelling (SEM) through IBM SPSS AMOS (Analysis of Moment Structures) 24.0 to provide evidence of the reliability and validity of constructs alongside testing the hypothesis in the proposed model. Furthermore, Preacher and Hayes’ (2004) approach is used to explore mediation effects.

The results show that autonomy and trust positively affect the continued use of online dating apps. The study further reveals that autonomous behaviour motivates Millennials to use online dating apps, overriding their concerns for privacy and security. Furthermore, the results indicate that trust fully mediates the relationship between concern for privacy, perceived security and continued usage intention. Therefore, trust affects users’ intentions to continue using online dating apps as it bridges the effect of users’ concern for privacy and the perceived security in the online dating platform, making these dimensions relevant as a whole.

This study provides critical insights into the theory and practice. The findings demonstrate that autonomy is more significant in motivating Millennials to use online dating apps than concerns about privacy and perceptions of security. In addition, trust plays a crucial role in mediating the relationship between these variables. Therefore, app developers, app marketers and app stores can use the findings to motivate Millennials to continue using their platforms by encouraging a sense of freedom and a better inner self, fostering engagement and conveying user trust.

Several studies have investigated the pre-adoption behaviour of users of online dating apps, and little attention has been paid to continuance usage. This study provides a unique theoretical research model and perspective for online dating apps that uncovers the role of concern for privacy, perceived security and trust that affect post-adoption behaviour by integrating the TRA, SDT and ISCT. This integration offers a more futuristic and refined perspective on human behaviour by considering both cognitive and motivational aspects. The study establishes that autonomy outweighs concern for privacy and perceived security.

This paper aims to involve both the development of a quantitative measure of outsourcing success that integrates recent research findings on expectations and applying the hierarchy-of-effects (HOE) model to investigating the influence of success on client satisfaction and recommendation intention.

This paper conducted a global survey of information systems managers and Chief Information Officers from firms who have engaged in outsourcing and analyzed the data using partial least squares (PLS).

The study analysis demonstrates the impact of client expectations on perceived outsourcing success, client satisfaction and intention to recommend. This paper also discusses how findings of this study provide important implications for both researchers and practitioners.

To further investigate the theoretical trend toward examining the impact of expectations on outsourcing success, this study extends the foundational success research by quantitatively demonstrating the robustness of an outsourcing success construct that incorporates expectations. Moreover, this study extends the traditional models of success by incorporating factors from each of the stages of client behavior, including cognition, affect and conation.

Borrowing from the dynamic capabilities theory and augmented by the relational view, the study investigates the criticality of supply chain agility in delivering operational performance while understanding the determinant role of key cross-firm resources. Additionally, based on the contingency theory, the interactive influence of two critical context factors, supply uncertainty and product complexity, is examined to enrich the understanding of the contingent nature of the operational performance implications.

The study draws its conclusions from the survey data collected from a 152-respondent sample of executives from US manufacturing firms. The empirical data analyses using partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) relate agility to operational performance enhancements while incorporating the moderating effects of contextual factors.

The study relates agility capability to operational performance enhancements, while resource specificity and resource complementarity emerge as significant determinants of the capability. Results on the contingent impact of contextual factors suggest differential influences of supply uncertainty and product complexity on the agility–performance relationship: while the former enhances, the latter detracts from the relationship.

The study’s contributions suggest theory extensions into supply chains as contexts, reinforcing the importance of market-responsive capabilities and the foundational nature of supply chains as repositories of vital cross-firm resources. The contingent nature of the agility–performance relationship accents the importance of market context factors.

The COVID-19 epidemic caused significant disruptions to numerous supply chains. In order to enhance the resilience of supply chains, Collaboration (CO), Information Alignment (IA), and Big Data Analytics Capability (BDAC) have emerged as contemporary strategies within the humanitarian context. This study was conducted to explore the mechanism via which the effect of BDAC, IA and CO on Humanitarian Supply Chain Resilience (HSCR) in the humanitarian space could be optimized through Organizational Flexibility (OF).

A model of six hypotheses was developed based on the Organizational Information Processing Theory (OIPT). Data from 127 supply chain managers in humanitarian organizations were used to test the hypotheses. The analysis employed both descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS version 26 and Smart-PLS version 3.

The study revealed that BDAC, IA, and CO individually influence supply chain resilience in the humanitarian setting while OF did not moderate the relationship between BDAC, IA, CO, and HSCR.

It is essential that humanitarian stakeholders prioritize factors that could increase supply chain resilience by employing contemporary BDA technologies, effective information flow, and collaborative strategies to set up a robust humanitarian SC system that could help lessen the impact of disasters.

This presents interesting insights that advance theoretical debates on how CO, IA, and BDAC under varying levels of OF could influence SCR in the humanitarian context. The paper further offers some useful guidance to managers in relief organizations who desire to build resilient supply chains by leveraging BDAC, collaboration and information alignment. Finally, the paper may also provoke future humanitarian scholars to replicate the study using different approaches.

This study aims to explore blockchain potential for digital marketing (BlkChn-Mk-KAP) by developing and validating a measurement model for assessing the constructs of knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) related to blockchain technology in digital marketing.

A four-study process was used. The first study reviewed the literature to develop a pool of possible measurement items. Using exploratory factor analysis and reliability assessments, Study 2 (n = 162) investigated the dimensionality of the items developed in Study 1. The factorial structure from Study 2 was validated in Study 3 (n = 204), and the measurement model invariance was assessed using covariance-based structural equation modelling (CB-SEM). Finally, in Study 4 (n = 203), the predictive validity of the BlkChn-Mk-KAP was tested using a CB-SEM approach, testing its constructs correlations with the perceived usefulness of blockchain for digital marketing.

The findings indicate that the BlkChn-Mk-KAP measurement model comprises three-dimensional multi-item scales: knowledge, attitude and practice.

This study introduces a promising BlkChn-Mk-KAP model to examine blockchain’s role in digital marketing. The authors acknowledge the sampling limitation in this research. To enhance the generalisability of the findings, future research should expand to different groups, including generation, gender and age. In addition, further exploration of the explicit links between blockchain knowledge, attitudes and subsequent digital marketing performance is warranted.

Educating employees about blockchain technology’s unique features can shape favourable attitudes and stimulate the utilisation of blockchain-enabled technologies in digital marketing practice. BlkChn-Mk-KAP can offer a reliable and valid instrument to benchmark marketers’ KAP of blockchain-powered digital marketing as they implement blockchain technology to gain a competitive advantage.

This study helps to adopt sustainable practices ensuring the wellbeing of the key stakeholders.

This research introduces the first validated conceptualisation and measurement model, BlkChn-Mk-KAP, to evaluate blockchain KAPs among digital marketing professionals.

Sustainability issues are crucial in today’s competitive environment. The integration of technology plays a vital role in the attainment of sustainability objectives. The study aims to investigate the relationship between green intellectual capital (IC), green information systems (IS), green management initiatives (GMI) and green technology adoption in light of natural resource-orchestration theory (ROT). Moreover, digital technology adoption mediates between green IC, green IS, GMI and sustainable performance. Finally, digital transformation strategy is used as a moderator between green technology adoption and sustainable performance.

A sample of 484 managers from automobile manufacturing companies was used in this study to evaluate the proposed relationships using the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) methodology.

Findings reveal that green IC, green IS and GMI significantly influence green technology adoption. Besides, green technology adoption plays a crucial role in improving sustainable performance. Moreover, green technology adoption significantly mediates between green IC, green IS, GMI and sustainable performance. Finally, a digital transformation strategy significantly strengthens the relationship between green technology adoption and sustainable performance.

The organizations need green technology adoption to address environmental concerns, respond to consumer demand, achieve cost savings and comply with government regulations. Besides, in decision-making, organizations must focus on green IC, green IS, GMI, green technology adoption and digital transformation strategy to boost sustainable performance.

The originality of this study lies in its use of the natural ROT as a framework to examine the impact of multiple green resources on green technology adoption, leading to sustainable performance. Digital transformation strategy is used as a moderator between green technology adoption and sustainable performance. This study provides a comprehensive and integrated perspective on the subject with empirical evidence and relevant insights, contributing to the advancement of the field.

Blockchain technology can potentially address the challenges of information storage, sharing and management and improve them further in an organization and sector as a whole. This study aims to investigate the effects of technology, organization and environment on the behavioral intention of employees to adopt blockchain in the Indian insurance sector and the mediating role of knowledge management practices.

A structured questionnaire was used to collect a sample size of 390 responses based on convenience sampling. Partial least square structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data.

The findings highlighted that organizational factors, followed by technological factors, significantly impact employees' behavioral intentions. The results established that the impact of environmental factors is insignificant on blockchain adoption intention. Knowledge management practices significantly mediate the relationship between organizational factors, technological factors and behavioral intention.

The results indicate that organizations must prioritize organizational factors (technological competence, top management support and financial readiness) and knowledge management practices (knowledge creation, sharing and retention) to positively impact employees' behavioral intentions and ensure successful and effective technology adoption.

Using the Technology-Organization-Environment framework, the study tests the conceptual model, showing the relationship between technological, organizational and environmental factors, behavioral intention and knowledge management practices. The role of knowledge management practices in technology adoption within organizations has been scarcely explored. This study adds significant and novel contributions in this area.

This study aims to examine the key antecedents influencing the private firm’s intention to adopt big data analytics (BDA) in developing economies. To do so, the study follows the sequential explanatory approach.

To test the hypothesized model that draws on the technology–organization–environment (TOE) framework paired with the diffusion of innovation (DOI) theory, a purposive sampling technique was applied to gather data from 156 IT and management domain experts from the private firms that intend to adopt BDA and operate in Pakistan’s service industry, including telecommunication, information technology, agriculture, and e-commerce. The data were analysed using the partial least squares structural equations modelling (PLS-SEM) technique and complemented with qualitative analysis of 10 semi-structured interviews in NVIVO 12 based on grounded theory.

The empirical findings revealed that the two constructs – perceived benefits and top management support – are the powerful drivers of a firm’s intention to adopt BDA in the private sector, whereas IT infrastructure, data quality, technological complexity and financial readiness, along with the moderators, BDA adoption of competitors and government policy and regulation, do not significantly influence the intention. In addition, the qualitative analysis validates and further complements the SEM findings.

Unlike the previous studies on technology adoption, this study proposed a unique research model with contextualized indicators to measure the constructs relevant to private firms, based on the TOE framework and DOI theory, to investigate the causal relationship between drivers and intention. Furthermore, the findings of PLS-SEM were complemented by qualitative analysis to validate the causation. The findings of this study have both theoretical and practical implications.

There is limited knowledge of the sustainable halal food supply management in Brunei Darussalam (Brunei), although it is reputable in the halal economy and advocates the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Therefore, this paper highlights issues faced in a small, rentier halal market and proposes sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) initiatives for halal-certified food companies in Brunei.

This paper draws data from published academic research and employs a normative and narrative assessment of SSCM and halal supply chain literature.

Four normative SSCM initiatives and propositions that could be implemented by Brunei halal-certified food businesses in achieving the SDGs are highlighted: responsible sourcing, environmental purchasing, sustainable packaging and green transportation.

This viewpoint paper provides a basis for achieving the “Brunei Vision 2035” through a sustainable supply chain lens that may increase well-being and develop a productive and sustainable economy. It also lays a foundation for realising the SDGs, specifically Goal 12 of Sustainable Consumption and Production.

The dedicated attention to smaller halal markets, such as Brunei, would enrich the literature, reveal unforeseen issues or address gaps in the domains of SSCM and halal food supply chains.