Search results

The purpose of this study is to nutritionally evaluate dams exposed to caloric restriction or cafeteria diets during the lactation period.

Twenty-four female Wistar rats (n = 8/group) and their respective litters received during lactation: Control (CTRL) – received standard chow; Caloric restriction (CR) – received 50% of the ratio of the CTRL group; Cafeteria diet (CAF) – received cafeteria diet. Weighing of the mother rats and their respective litters occurred weekly and the diets were daily. At weaning, levels of glucose, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and triglycerides were evaluated. Abdominal adipose tissue was removed and weighed. Liver tissue was removed to determine the lipid profile.

CR dams showed lower food (p < 0.01), caloric (p < 0.01) and all macronutrients (p < 0.01) intake. This group also observed intense weight loss (p < 0.01), in addition to low litter weight (p < 0.01). CAF dams had higher caloric intake (p < 0.05) and increased consumption of lipids (p < 0.01). The CAF group also reported greater accumulation of abdominal adipose tissue (p = 0.01), elevated levels of LDL (p < 0.01) and hepatic lipids (p < 0.01), as well as a litter with higher weaning weight (p < 0.01).

Few studies have evaluated the effects of different models of malnutrition focusing on dams. CR dams showed severe weight loss, which may have caused their pups to be underweight. On the other hand, the CAF diet during lactation led to a higher consumption of lipids and accumulation of adipose tissue, which generated a high weight of the litter.

The purpose of this paper is to review literature on home-country institutional factors influencing the internationalization of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from emerging markets. Based on the analysis, the authors propose a research agenda to guide future studies in this field.

This paper follows a systematic procedure to review 58 selected articles on how institutional contexts in emerging economies impact SME internationalization, covering studies from 1999 to 2023. This period was chosen to capture recent research following the post-1990 market liberalization in most emerging economies, which has shaped new opportunities and challenges for SMEs expanding abroad.

This literature review shows that SMEs’ internationalization knowledge in emerging markets is strongly shaped by home-country institutional conditions. Key mechanisms include imprinting by home institutions and learning from domestic institutional sources, both critical yet underexplored areas in SME development. These processes offer substantial opportunities for future research into how institutional contexts influence SMEs’ global growth.

This research builds on previous studies that have emphasized firm-level and external factors such as host market appeal, consumer needs and resource availability driving SMEs’ internationalization. Focusing on home institutional factors, the authors provide a comprehensive review of academic studies and propose a future research agenda on the external institutional influences shaping emerging market SMEs’ global expansion.

To identify and analyze the relevant themes in the literature on digital transformation and internationalization, revealing opportunities for future studies.

A systematic literature review was developed using the Scopus and Web of Science databases. Initially, 156 publications were identified. Based on inclusion/exclusion criteria, a final sample of 74 articles was reached. A bibliometric and qualitative analysis were developed.

Eight main themes related to internationalization, such as internationalization strategy, internationalized companies, marketing-related issues, export, global supply chain, entrepreneurship and new ventures, SMEs internationalization and internationalization of educational institutions, were identified. Eight main themes related to digital transformation were also identified, including internationalization drivers, digital technologies, business model innovation, digitalization, Industry 4.0, digital platforms and e-commerce, people and digital transformation and digital institutional environment.

In recent years, the term digital transformation has become part of the daily lives of many organizations and of life in society itself. For internationalized companies, this discussion has also become present. Although a relationship between digital transformation and internationalization is often presented, the dimensions of analysis of this relationship are still very fragmented, and this study presents a systemic view of the themes. These themes represent opportunities for future studies.

Rural tourism has become increasingly popular given its opportunities to get to know local traditions and lifestyles, to immerse in appealing cultural and natural landscapes and to enjoy a calm and relaxing atmosphere, contrasting stressful city life. Additionally, visitors seek personalised, unique and memorable experiences and immersion in rural places, which could be fostered by co-creative and authentic multisensory experiences. The co-creation of value resulting from tourists' interaction with rural destinations' multiple local agents and resources calls for articulation and even coopetition amongst these agents who may benefit from joining efforts to compete not against each other but together within a wider competitive context to, thus, achieve a stronger, unique market position. This chapter presents a qualitative, exploratory case study, illustrating the overall rural tourist experience lived and co-created in a Portuguese schist village. Semi-structured interviews were applied to visitors, supply and development agents and to the local community in order to understand their perspective regarding the nature, quality and potential of the village experience. Experience co-creation seemed to have a positive impact on visitors' satisfaction. The coopetition approach was also identified in the discourse of supply and development agents who recognised the importance of cooperation, also within the Schist Village Network yielding a more cohesive and attractive tourism product in the village. Aligning locally embedded co-creation experiences and coopetition amongst local actors seems to be a strategic approach for fostering appealing, competitive and sustainable rural tourism experiences.

This study aims to empirically examine the unexplored effects of organizational spirituality on the relationship between knowledge sharing and organizational practical wisdom (phronesis). By integrating these constructs, this study seeks to uncover the mechanisms through which organizations can cultivate practical wisdom and foster a more humanistic approach to management. Contributing in this way aids in the advancement of sustainable and ethical business practices. Drawing upon the theoretical foundations of knowledge dynamics and spirituality in the workplace, this research offers novel insights into the enablers of organizational phronesis.

To explore the influence of spirituality on the relationship between knowledge sharing and practical wisdom, a comprehensive study was conducted. An online survey was conducted to collect answers from 365 workers, ensuring a diverse and representative sample. Partial least squares structural equation modeling to test our hypotheses.

This research reveals a significant correlation. Knowledge sharing, when supported by spirituality, enhances workplace efficiency and extends its positive impact beyond the workplace. This underscores the importance of embracing organizational spirituality and knowledge sharing to embody organizational phronesis and achieve a humanized strategy. By fostering this, organizations can promote effective decision-making and problem-solving, thereby enhancing their sustainable performance.

This research breaks new ground by empirically investigating and establishing the previously unexplored effects of knowledge sharing and organizational spirituality on organizational phronesis, thereby contributing to the evolving field of organizational behavior, sustainability and business ethics.

This paper explores Lean Six Sigma principles and the DMAIC (define, measure, analyze, improve, control) methodology to propose a new Lean Six Sigma 4.0 (LSS 4.0) framework for employee occupational exams and address the real-world issue of high-variability exams that may arise.

This study uses mixed methods, combining qualitative and quantitative data collection. A detailed case study assesses the impact of LSS interventions on the exam management process and tests the applicability of the proposed LSS 4.0 framework for employee occupational exams.

The results reveal that changing the health service supplier in the explored organization caused a substantial raise in occupational exams, leading to increased costs. By using syntactic interoperability, lean, six sigma and DMAIC approaches, improvements were identified, addressing process deviations and information requirements. Implementing corrective actions improved the exam process, reducing the number of exams and associated expenses.

It is important to acknowledge certain limitations, such as the specific context of the case study and the exclusion of certain exam categories.

The practical implications of this research are substantial, providing organizations with valuable managerial insights into improving efficiency, reducing costs and ensuring regulatory compliance while managing occupational exams.

This study fills a research gap by applying LSS 4.0 to occupational exam management, offering a practical framework for organizations. It contributes to the existing knowledge base by addressing a relatively novel context and providing a detailed roadmap for process optimization.

This study investigates how the extant literature approached the issue of small firms’ international market entry enabled by digital platforms.

The paper presents a systematic literature review of the internationalization of small firms using digital platforms. It includes only empirical papers from Scopus and Web of Science databases, covering 2016 to mid-2023.

The study provides both (1) a descriptive analysis of the selected papers, encompassing their temporal and spatial distribution, methods, theoretical perspectives and the type of platform examined and (2) a qualitative analysis of the articles’ content in a narrative review structure, culminating in an integrated framework of key findings and suggested research questions on the role of digital platforms in small firm internationalization.

There is still a very limited number of studies addressing the phenomenon, with several scholars recently calling for further research. This paper compiles, synthesizes, analyzes and integrates the empirical literature on SME internationalization enabled by digital platforms, offering possible future avenues to advance research.

The purpose of this paper is to review cases of artificial reefs built through additive manufacturing (AM) technologies and analyse their ecological goals, fabrication process, materials, structural design features and implementation location to determine predominant parameters, environmental impacts, advantages, and limitations.

The review analysed 16 cases of artificial reefs from both temperate and tropical regions. These were categorised based on the AM process used, the mortar material used (crucial for biological applications), the structural design features and the location of implementation. These parameters are assessed to determine how effectively the designs meet the stipulated ecological goals, how AM technologies demonstrate their potential in comparison to conventional methods and the preference locations of these implementations.

The overview revealed that the dominant artificial reef implementation occurs in the Mediterranean and Atlantic Seas, both accounting for 24%. The remaining cases were in the Australian Sea (20%), the South Asia Sea (12%), the Persian Gulf and the Pacific Ocean, both with 8%, and the Indian Sea with 4% of all the cases studied. It was concluded that fused filament fabrication, binder jetting and material extrusion represent the main AM processes used to build artificial reefs. Cementitious materials, ceramics, polymers and geopolymer formulations were used, incorporating aggregates from mineral residues, biological wastes and pozzolan materials, to reduce environmental impacts, promote the circular economy and be more beneficial for marine ecosystems. The evaluation ranking assessed how well their design and materials align with their ecological goals, demonstrating that five cases were ranked with high effectiveness, ten projects with moderate effectiveness and one case with low effectiveness.

AM represents an innovative method for marine restoration and management. It offers a rapid prototyping technique for design validation and enables the creation of highly complex shapes for habitat diversification while incorporating a diverse range of materials to benefit environmental and marine species’ habitats.

The digital evolution of production and logistics systems requires seamless integration of various functions. Cyber-physical systems (CPS) can streamline operations, reduce costs and optimise freight transport dynamics. Therefore, CPS adoption is essential to transform existing logistics infrastructure by connecting logistical equipment to cyberspace. This research addresses the critical issue of low CPS adoption in logistics. By analysing the barriers, the study proposes effective strategies to increase CPS integration significantly.

This study used the technology-organisation-environment (TOE) framework and identified 18 barriers to CPS adoption in freight logistics. The barriers were then analysed using the fuzzy data-driven multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method, i.e. fuzzy-based decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (Fuzzy-DEMATEL).

The computational analysis of the proposed framework shows that “the complexity of CPS and lagged data-driven logistics infrastructure” (T₁) is a major technological inhibitor to CPS adoption. The “high cost of CPS technology” (O₈) and a “lack of top management support” (O₃) are the top causal inhibitors at the organisational level. “Lack of data governance and regulatory framework” (E₂) is the main environmental inhibitor.

The causal mapping of the TOE-based barriers helps policymakers and logisticians to develop strategies or follow recommended adoption strategies to improve CPS adoption in logistics.

This study is a pioneering effort to unveil the adoption barriers of CPS in the freight logistics industry and suggest strategies for fostering adoption. This research could provide valuable insights for logistics organisations to support CPS-driven logistics modernisation.

Higher education institutions are the contemporary embodiment of knowledge-intensive organizations. The role of knowledge sharing among academics in enhancing teaching, research and innovation performance cannot be overlooked. However, a paucity of studies were devoted to uncovering the influencing factors of knowledge sharing among academics in China. This study aims to dig into the factors that influence academics’ knowledge sharing behaviors in the context of Chinese higher education.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 academics from universities across various regions in China by using a combination of convenience, snowball and purposive sampling methods. Thematic analysis was employed where data sets were examined according to the initial categorization of factors based on a review of the literature while new factors were searched based on frequency of re-occurrence.

Perceived loss of power and time and effort significantly hinder knowledge sharing, whereas expected self-development and association are major catalysts of knowledge sharing. The organizational climate in higher education is featured by competition and individualism, which are not conducive to knowledge sharing, while affiliation and trust are essential for cultivating a pro-sharing environment. Technological tools are perceived as user-friendly and useful in facilitating knowledge sharing, but doubts were raised about the effectiveness of online knowledge sharing compared to face-to-face communication.

Deviating from the conventional quantitative approach, this study provides novelty insights on this topic by revealing some less-investigated factors of knowledge sharing among Chinese academics by taking the qualitative approach.