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The adoption of value management (VM) has been on the rise in the construction industry, especially in the past decade. Identifying the main barriers to VM application for ameliorating poor project outcomes in the construction industry is a critical step to overcoming its implementation. Therefore, this study aims to examine the barriers to the adoption of VM in the Nigerian construction industry (NCI) and identify the critical ones for action by construction stakeholders.

This study used two rounds of Delphi surveys with 15 VM experts to identify the challenges to VM adoption. The Delphi team’s data from the two surveys were analysed using descriptive statistics. The mean-mode approach was used to identify ten major barriers to VM adoption based on the consensus reached during the second round of the Delphi poll. Following that, an interrater agreement analysis and a significant level analysis were performed.

Of the 17 identified barriers hindering VM adoption on construction projects in the NCI, 10 were found to be profound after statistical analyses of the data. The significant barriers include communication gap between the client and other consultants; delay in design preparation because of VM services; the pretext that VM is being practiced in the construction industry; and the wrong perception of VM by construction professionals, among others. The findings of the analysis suggested that the lack of VM adoption in the NCI was because of inadequate knowledge of VM techniques among construction professionals. Therefore, it is advised that VM training be provided for concerned stakeholders to address the lack of VM expertise among Nigerian construction professionals.

This study investigated the barriers to VM adoption on construction projects in the NCI with the opinions of a few construction professionals who can be regarded as VM experts. As against obtaining large survey responses from construction professionals who may not be knowledgeable in the VM process, the limited VM experts’ responses provide a valid basis for drawing inferences and making recommendations to address the paucity of VM applications in the NCI.

Through a Delphi survey, the critical barriers to the adoption of VM were identified, along with recommendations to help construction stakeholders overcome the challenges and enjoy the benefits of VM.

Agriculture emerges as a prerequisite for food tourism, and landscapes and lifestyles portray the traditions of rural people, places, and practices. This chapter explores the rural food tourist as a type of tourist who appreciates and values the authenticity and identity of food and beverage products based on their origin. The chapter analyses the relation between online marketing and the cheese tourist. Social media is increasingly regarded as a source of tourism information, and its use as a communication and marketing tool is crucial both at business and destination levels. In this sense, the digital presence of rural assets such as food is a significant way to promote destination identity to tourists. This chapter reviews the digital presence of 28 Spanish cheeses with Protected Designations of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographical Indications (PDI) labels. The chapter explores digital content as a source of information and knowledge for the rural food tourist.

With the global market for advanced technology-driven customer service set to soar, understanding the complicated relationship between advanced technology and customer purchase behaviour is paramount. While prior research has touched upon the impact of technology on purchase processes in some aspects, this study investigates the specific features of advanced technology that shape customer purchase intention in greater depth. By investigating when and under what conditions customers choose advanced technology-based purchases, this research sheds light on the evolving landscape of consumer decision-making and it seeks to quantify the transformative power of advanced technology in driving customer purchase intentions.

Innovative technologies have gained popularity in recent years as a means of improving workers' general well-being at work. Among these exciting new technologies is virtual reality (VR). With a focus on enhancing individual performance, this chapter explores the application of VR as a human resource (HR) intervention to improve spirituality in the workplace. To offer a theoretical foundation for comprehending the possible effects of VR interventions on workplace spirituality, this chapter thoroughly evaluates the literature on mindfulness, quantum consciousness and workplace spirituality. By integrating VR technology with the ideas of these theoretical frameworks, HR professionals may create interventions that foster employee effectiveness, resilience and personal growth. It has also been suggested that HR managers employ VR mindfulness and meditation sessions, virtual retreats, values alignment workshops, empathy-building simulations and spiritual reflection spaces as practical VR interventions to enhance workplace spirituality. To illustrate the usefulness of VR in enhancing workplace spirituality, a few companies that have successfully implemented VR therapies are also cited. Lastly, the challenges and moral dilemmas associated with utilising VR to promote workplace spirituality have been examined. These include privacy difficulties, possible biases in VR content and the requirement for ongoing evaluation and feedback techniques. This chapter highlights how VR has the potential to be a game-changing tool for improving workplace spirituality and boosting individual effectiveness.

We empirically investigate the impact of fintech innovation on dividend payout (DP) decisions. In addition, we also examine the mediated and moderated role of intellectual capital (IC) and board characteristics (BC) respectively in the fintech innovation-DP relationship.

Using a sample of 9,441 firm-year observations over the period 2014–2022, we develop a structural model that encompasses fintech innovation, IC, BC and DP decisions. We utilize fixed effects regression to empirically test the model. A battery of tests such as the two-step Generalized Method of Moment, Heckman’s two-stage selection correction and Difference-in-Difference regression are used to check the robustness and sensitivity of the estimates.

Our results suggest that fintech innovation significantly and positively impacts DP decisions and IC partially mediates the fintech innovation–DP relationship. In addition, BC such as independence, age and gender diversity are found to moderate this relationship.

This study’s originality lies in its micro-level analysis of the impact of fintech innovation on DP decisions, considering a novel firm-level innovation metric derived from patent applications. To our knowledge, no previous work has empirically examined the mediating role of IC and the moderating influence of BC in the fintech innovation–DP relationship, offering a unique perspective on the complex interactions shaping dividend policies in the digital era.

The purpose of the current study is to examine how market orientation mediates the impact of business ties and cultural embeddedness of products on product innovation among Vietnamese artisan businesses.

The institutional logics perspective was applied to provide theoretical framework for hypotheses development and analysis of results. A sample of 214 artisan business owners in Northern Vietnam was created.

The findings of the current study revealed partial mediation effects of market orientation on the impact of business ties and cultural embeddedness of products on product innovation. On the one hand, the research findings showed that business ties have a direct positive impact on product while cultural embeddedness of products has a direct negative impact on product innovation. On the other hand, market orientation mediates the impacts of both business ties and cultural embeddedness on product innovation.

This study did not consider the factors related to personal attributes (e.g. identity) as well as the broader context beyond the Northern Vietnam. Further, this study did not analyze how generational conflicts affect artisan innovation. That may limit the generalization of the research findings.

This paper offers recommendations for future research, government and managerial practices. Future studies can analyze how level of trust and the identity of business owners affect the extent to which firms innovate their products. Government can provide suitable support for the formation of business networks and culture-based groups to help artisan businesses address challenges facing their product innovation. Finally, artisan business owners can re-organize their business model to innovate product without encountering the resistance of cultural dimensions.

The application of the institutional logics helped further shed light on the impacts of business ties and cultural embeddedness on product innovation among artisan businesses. This field was often hidden in the existing literature under the cover of small businesses. The multilayered relationships between factors improved our understanding of organizational product innovation in a unique context of artisanship.

This paper examines the influence of geopolitical tensions—operationalized as political divergence between governments—on firms’ foreign supply bases and the resulting effects on supply base complexity and sub-tier supplier sharing.

The authors conduct panel data regression analyses over the period 2003–2019 to investigate whether political divergence affects foreign supply bases for 2,858 US firms sourcing from 99 countries and to examine how political divergence exposure impacts the supply network structures of 853 US firms.

Firms reduce their supply bases in countries exposed to heightened geopolitical tensions. These supply chain adjustments are associated with increased supply base complexity and greater sub-tier supplier sharing.

This study highlights the importance of state relations in global supply chain reconfiguration. Political divergence between governments provides a dual-view of political risk (i.e. buyer–supplier countries), which can help firms anticipate geopolitical disruptions. While reducing supply bases in foreign countries facing heightened geopolitical tensions is intended to mitigate disruptions, these supply base adjustments are linked to increased supply base complexity and sub-tier supplier sharing, thereby exposing firms to other types of supply disruptions. Additionally, this research contributes to understanding the effects of geopolitical tensions on supply base complexity through the lenses of transaction cost economics and resource dependence theory.