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The European Union (EU) and European companies are striving for net-zero carbon targets by 2050 and are therefore focused on urgent decarbonization efforts. Manufacturing contributes to 20% of European carbon emissions, although the primary challenge lies in supply chain (SC) emissions, which highlights the field's need to transform. Amid the dissonance between public and private net-zero commitments and persistent carbon emissions, uncertainties surround the development of net-zero carbon supply chains (NZCSCs). This paper aims to address this lack of knowledge by presenting an exploration of the development of NZCSCs within the EU through 2050.

Using a real-time Delphi methodology and tool from durvey.org, this study involves a multiphase panel discussion process with 67 SC and sustainability experts. Twelve prospective theses for NZCSC development in the EU were formulated through desk research, interviews and an expert workshop. The panel assessed these theses in terms of impact, desirability and anticipated occurrence year and provided justification for their evaluations.

The study identifies three clusters that influence NZCSC development, comprising 68 implications that scholars, managers and policymakers should consider during this transition.

This study contributes to the available information regarding NZCSCs by offering insights from a multilevel perspective into the influences on NZCSC development in the EU's manufacturing sector.

Since its introduction by Anthony Giddens in the early 1980s, the use of the concept of “agency” as a way to accommodate an irreducible element of voluntarism into sociological explanations has grown exponentially in the literature. In this chapter, we examine the most prominent theoretical justifications for adopting the notion of “agency” as an integral part of such explanations. We distinguish three broad sets of justifications: the meaningfulness/intentionality of social action, the need for “agency” to explain change in social structures, and the link between agency, social accountability, and human dignity. We find that none of these provides a convincing rationale for the analytical utility of agency. This raises the question of what work it actually does perform in the sociological literature.

The international education sector has seen significant growth, offering K-12 schooling options beyond national borders. However, this expansion presents equity challenges, with limited data available to assess their extent. International schools, predominantly English-medium K-12 institutions following externally set curricula, play a central role in this landscape. Our study examines unintended consequences of policy and practice within international schools, particularly regarding student well-being. Despite efforts to promote global citizenship by transnational organizational actors, oversight and gaps in inclusion can create adverse conditions for vulnerable students, identified by their mental or emotional fragility or concerns of neglect or abuse. As an acculturation study, participants were delimited to expatriate teachers counselors, and school leaders in international schools, who are known as sojourners, and who encounter diverse policies and pedagogies, forming a complex “policyscape” environment. While this offers opportunities for innovation, it also poses challenges, especially in supporting students’ cultural and mental health needs. This study identifies four policyscape manifestations, including challenges in supporting students with mental health issues and special needs. Teachers faced greater stress and limited agency compared to school leaders, who benefited from structural support and resources. Policyscape implications on student well-being underscore the urgency of addressing these challenges in line with global education goals for inclusivity and quality education for all.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are critical in the global business environment, yet they face significant challenges of survival. This study aims to investigate the role of continuous learning and resilience dynamic capabilities (RDC) on SME performance.

The authors conducted a quantitative survey of leaders from 290 SMEs to examine the relationship between continuous learning and performance. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is used to test the dependent relationships in this study. In addition, the Monte Carlo Method is used to test the mediating effect of RDC.

The results suggest that there is a direct effect of continuous learning on firm performance, as well as an indirect effect through RDC. In other words, the effect of continuous learning on firm performance was partially mediated through RDC.

The authors also explored whether firm life cycle stage matters regarding the role of continuous learning and RDC in SMEs. The mediating role of RDC becomes more pronounced (fully mediated) as SMEs transition from the growth stage to maturity stage of their life cycle.

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.

Disaster research is often geared towards logocentrism and has relatively few outputs that explore alternative forms of representation, particularly those using an artistic medium. This paper explores how the creative use of audio representation can enhance understanding of flooding experiences, challenging the predominant text-based approach within qualitative study.

During a series of visits to people who had been flooded in 2019 in the UK, interviews and ambient sounds were recorded, analysed and then intertwined with musical elements composed by the lead author. The result is a phonographic representation of the synthesised data. The process explores a tripartite, creative, sonic approach that comingles thematic spoken excerpts with local sounds and musical compositions.

This article presents three sonic vignettes that illustrate the use of audio as a medium for academic research outputs. It contributes to the current consensus that the interpretation, representation and dissemination of research findings should be broadened beyond the dominance of the written word to align with the ethos of the Disaster Studies Manifesto.

The research contributes to disaster scholarship by developing a transdisciplinary approach to explore people’s experiences. By retaining the participants’ voices at its core, it makes use of in-depth, rich data to illustrate individuality, rather than aiming to generalise.

Very little disaster research has focussed on pushing the boundaries of investigation by using the arts as a lens for both the researcher and their audience. Such work may connect with a wider range of people compared to a text-based “traditional” academic output. It can offer new opportunities for practical uses within Disaster Risk Reduction, for example as a communicative and educational tool.

This paper contributes to understanding the impact of developing audio representation as a medium for conveying people’s experiences of flooded homes.

Purpose: This study quantitatively assesses the impact of ESG profile on equity value and risk, as well as identifies potential differences occurring in different sectors, based on the data of the Nasdaq Nordic market.

Methodology: To reach this purpose, (i) the stock return and volatility analysis is being conducted (using the methods of paired sample t-test, correlation, etc.), and (ii) panel data models with constant, fixed and random effects are being constructed. The analysis is based not only on the company’s ESG performance but also on a cross-sectoral approach.

Findings: The results revealed that although ESG factors appeared to have a significant impact in most of the constructed models, the impact of these factors varies depending on the sector.

Implications: This research provides a comprehensive and comparative approach to the importance of the ESG profile for investment performance and therefore can be useful both for impact investors making investment decisions in dynamic global financial markets and for companies developing or reforming their ESG strategies.

Limitations: Due to the problem of data availability, the cross-sectoral comparison was performed based on the limited number of sectors. In addition, the limited availability of ESG data in the analysed market did not allow the use of additional methods to assess the impact of ESG.

Future Research: Expanding the data sample and assessing the impact of a company’s ESG profile not only in different sectors but also in different phases of the economic cycle might be the direction for future research.

By 1901, New Zealand had the first national government-controlled department of tourism in the world. This was the vehicle used to acquire and control tourism assets. In 1954, the hotel assets were consolidated as the Tourist Hotel Corporation of New Zealand (THC). Whilst hotel consolidation was not unique in the world, comparatively little has been written about the establishment of the THC. The following contributes to this ongoing history.

The research used relevant archival records held within the Archives New Zealand. Altogether 195 files were accessed. Information was analyzed and sorted into themes. The following involves one of those themes, conflict.

The establishment of the THC was the result of corporatist ideology based around the need to preserve the importance of tourism to New Zealand. The legislative requirements relating to the management and governance of the THC led to conflict between the THC CEO and the government. Such conflict has been placed within an institutional context. This conflict may have “got in the way” of effective running of the THC.

There is a large volume of data still to be analyzed. Subsequent work on the later years, and demise of the THC could add further context to the overall history of the THC. The extent to which institutionalism was at the root of conflict between the management of the THC and the controlling government department are explored.

Very little has been written about the establishment of the THC. The following contributes to the discussion on the establishment and problems that emerged in the early management of the THC.