Nosabelo Sila, Justus Ngala Agumba and Oluseyi Julius Adebowale
Health and safety (H&S) management remains a significant global challenge in the construction industry. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) particularly struggle to comply with…
Abstract
Purpose
Health and safety (H&S) management remains a significant global challenge in the construction industry. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) particularly struggle to comply with H&S regulations, resulting in high accident records. To address this poor performance, experts suggest that SMEs adopt H&S management technologies, particularly building information modeling (BIM), due to their potential to improve H&S practices. This study aims to determine the key predictors of construction SMEs’ intentions to adopt BIM for H&S management. The study also explores the potential impact of selected demographic variables on construction SMEs’ adoption intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
Quantitative research was used using a questionnaire distributed to 357 randomly sampled SMEs. The questionnaire collected data regarding SMEs’ intention to adopt BIM for H&S management. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the research data.
Findings
The findings reveal specific “relative advantages”, which include “BIM for H&S management will be preferable to the manual use of the H&S file” and “BIM for H&S management will make it easier to comply with H&S regulations” as significant predictors of the intention to adopt BIM for H&S management. The study also underscores the significance of educational qualifications and professional affiliation as predictors of BIM adoption.
Research limitations/implications
The study’s sample population consisted of SMEs registered with the Construction Industry Development Board register of contractors in Gauteng province, South Africa. This regional focus limits the generalizability of the findings to the entire country. Further research is recommended to investigate the adoption of BIM for H&S management among SMEs in other South African provinces. Additionally, a comparative study exploring BIM adoption for H&S between large construction enterprises and SMEs within the South African context could provide valuable insights.
Practical implications
This study presents a novel approach, leveraging the diffusion of innovation (DOI) theory and demographic analysis, to determine the key predictors of SMEs’ intentions to adopt BIM for H&S management.
Social implications
Socially, the study promotes the adoption of BIM for H&S. Digital technology is advancing and upgrades social standard, it is crucial for the society to adopt BIM for H&S.
Originality/value
Existing BIM for H&S management research has neglected SMEs’ adoption intentions, focusing instead on broader adoption enablers. This study presents a novel approach, leveraging the DOI theory and demographic analysis, to determine the key predictors of SMEs’ intentions to adopt BIM for H&S management.
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Geneva Gudmundson, jay johnson, Jessica W. Chin and Margery Holman
With social media use on the rise and little indication that sport team hazing ceremonies are declining, the amount and types of exposure and awareness of hazing and its…
Abstract
With social media use on the rise and little indication that sport team hazing ceremonies are declining, the amount and types of exposure and awareness of hazing and its potentially detrimental impacts are shifting for athletes, the public and school administrators alike. This chapter describes relationships between hazing in sport and social media use in university athletics. These two areas of research have been investigated separately but warrant a closer examination to understand how they are intertwined. In this analysis, we include findings from our larger national-scale sport hazing study that produced a second stream of data specific to social media use. Data are derived from interviews with university athletic directors, coaches and athletes to spotlight: (1) uses of social media in the context of athletics, (2) their understanding of social media's relationship to hazing and (3) experiences with social media and hazing education. We also present recommendations provided by the researchers, and athletes, coaches and athletic directors, for athletic administration use in developing educational and informational resources that address the interconnections between social media use and hazing. This chapter describes how athletic departments and coaches perceived and (dis)engaged from discussions around social media, the ways that university athletes and teams engaged in hazing practices, the diversified and multiple uses of social media on teams differing by gender, highlighting a (lack) of educational programming provided for athletes by their university athletic departments centred around social media use and sport hazing as both separate and interconnected topics.
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Nnanna P. Azu, Dambo Hussaini, Kate O. Chima and Hassan P. Abdullahi
This study examined the influence of information and communication technology (ICT) on Nigeria's trade in sectors. Specifically, the research evaluated the effects of internet…
Abstract
Purpose
This study examined the influence of information and communication technology (ICT) on Nigeria's trade in sectors. Specifically, the research evaluated the effects of internet penetration, mobile phone subscriptions and fixed telephone subscriptions on exports and imports.
Design/methodology/approach
The study considered data from 1995 to 2022, highlighting ten trade sectors per standard international trade classification (SITC) single digit. It utilised the panel auto-regressive distributed lag (ARDL) with a preference for a pooled mean group (PMG) estimator.
Findings
The study finds that, in the short run, increases in internet penetration, mobile phone subscriptions and fixed telephone subscriptions significantly decrease export levels in Nigeria. Nonetheless, ICT advancements, particularly in mobile and fixed telephone subscriptions, significantly boost import activities by 17.9 and 41.5% in the long run, highlighting their positive impact on trade dynamics. In the long run, mobile telephone subscriptions substantially negatively affect exports. In contrast, internet penetration and fixed telephone subscriptions show no significant impact, indicating differing influences of ICT components on trade over time.
Practical implications
The study underscored the need to prioritise enhancing ICT infrastructure to boost export growth, especially in sectors identified under the SITC framework. Strategies should be developed to mitigate the negative impacts associated with ICT advancements.
Originality/value
The study used the SITC framework, which presents different export and import sectors. It offers a distinctive examination of the short- and long-term effects of ICT on Nigeria's trade sectors. It also provided valuable insights into the impact of mobile and internet technologies on exports and imports, highlighting sector-specific effects and the need for strategic resource allocation.
Stella Lippolis, Dario Dell’Osa and Ezio Ritrovato
Through the reconstruction of the events of some foreign entrepreneurs who worked in the territory of the Italian city of Bari in the first half of the 19th century, this paper…
Abstract
Purpose
Through the reconstruction of the events of some foreign entrepreneurs who worked in the territory of the Italian city of Bari in the first half of the 19th century, this paper aims to analyze the role of entrepreneurial migration in the economic development of Apulia land in this period.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopts a theoretical framework that combines the concept of mixed embeddedness in a multifocal perspective, with the model of the diffusion of innovation focusing on the role of the so-called agency of actors, and of the network, in the dissemination of innovation. The theoretical framework is applied to multiple case studies to compare the evidence that emerged from the simultaneous analysis of several situations.
Findings
By analyzing how innovations have spread within the network of entrepreneurs of that time, it is possible to identify some relevant aspects related to the mechanisms of dissemination of innovations in the context of entrepreneurial migration. Specifically, the opportunity structure is intended in an even broader sense than indicated in the classic approach to mixed embeddedness: it is considered as the result of the joint interaction of the political, institutional and economic context of several places, and the behavioral dynamics of several groups.
Research limitations/implications
Due to the specific method chosen, the outcomes of the research might apply to a narrow context. Therefore, the results need to be tested and confirmed in further empirical studies, and by applying multiple research methods.
Practical implications
Findings are useful and significant in the analysis of the link that exists between the diffusion of innovations and migrant entrepreneurship, and then the conclusions can be applied and extended to the current phenomenon of migration-related innovations, with specific reference to developing countries.
Social implications
Findings can be applied and extended to the current phenomenon of migration-related innovations and highly skilled migration, with specific reference to developing countries.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to shed new light on the contextual and multifocal factors that influence the development of innovations in the networks of migrant entrepreneurship, in a specific historical period and a specific context. Combining social, human and financial capital with the wider opportunity structure, this study also provides a comprehensive understanding of the modalities through which migrant and high-skilled entrepreneurs could innovate.
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Nnanna P. Azu, Samuel O. Adekalu, Yusuf Isa and Joshua O. Chiadikobi
This study aims to assess how South African membership to the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) has influenced its traded sector. It also evaluated information…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to assess how South African membership to the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) has influenced its traded sector. It also evaluated information and communication technology (ICT) as an instrument for enhancing bilateral trade.
Design/methodology/approach
ICT was captured from three perspectives: mobile technology, internet usage and fixed telephones. It was integrated into an augmented gravity equation as a trade cost. The study covered 27 years and 181 South African trading partners. Estimation was done using the Poisson pseudo maximum likelihood estimation technique and the implementation of exporter-year and importer-year fixed effects.
Findings
It was revealed that mobile phone and fixed telephone subscriptions improve import and export by 4.66% and 1.79%, respectively, while the internet penetration rate negates export and import by 13.4% and 5.89%, respectively. However, it further demonstrates that the internet penetration rate and fixed telephone subscription reduced the negative impact of distance by 7.26% and 1.15% for export. ICT performed better when South Africa only traded with the BRICS countries. The report also shows an encouraging BRICS effect on South African bilateral trade with the bloc.
Practical implications
The study highlights that BRICS membership significantly boosts South Africa’s bilateral trade, which encourages new African memberships, while also emphasising the role of ICT in mitigating the negative impact of distance. Policymakers should enhance mobile phone and fixed telephone infrastructures to improve imports and exports, respectively, and strategically manage internet penetration to maximise the benefits of BRICS economic cooperation.
Originality/value
The study evaluated the influence of South Africa’s BRICS membership and how ICT variables interact with distance to mitigate its effects on trade. This provides a nuanced understanding of ICT’s unique impact on South Africa’s bilateral trade, offering valuable insights for policymakers to enhance trade performance and leverage BRICS economic cooperation effectively.
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Stephanie Villers and Rumina Dhalla
Consumers often prefer sustainable goods and services but fail to follow through with purchases that reflect these espoused values. The green intention–outcome gap is studied in…
Abstract
Purpose
Consumers often prefer sustainable goods and services but fail to follow through with purchases that reflect these espoused values. The green intention–outcome gap is studied in many contexts but has yet to inform deathcare decisions. Industry reports suggest that most Americans prefer sustainable deathcare options, yet unsustainable corpse dispositions dominate the market. The purpose of this paper is to understand how history informs this phenonea.
Design/methodology/approach
This study looks to the past – using historical narrative analysis of deathcare trends and influential intermediaries – to understand the future of sustainable deathcare and the prospective role that marketers can play in bridging the gap between decedents’ preferences and survivors’ purchase outcomes.
Findings
Historical ritualization, medicalization and commercialization have resulted in the monopolization of traditional deathcare services. Mortuary professionals remain unresponsive to consumer preferences for sustainable alternatives.
Social implications
Socioeconomic shocks can allow humanity to reflect and transition from consumerism to sustainability. COVID-19 has led to greater awareness of self-mortality, and death has become less taboo. The slow market penetration of sustainable deathcare services suggests a lack of communication between a decedent and their survivors. Marketing scholars need to help marketing practitioners bridge the preference-outcome gap.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is amongst the first to examine how history informs the sustainable action–outcome gap for deathcare preferences in a post-COVID environment and the role that marketers can play in perpetuating change.
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Kabir Ibrahim, Fredrick Simpeh and Oluseyi Julius Adebowale
Construction organizations must maintain a productive workforce without sacrificing their health and safety. The global construction sector loses billions of dollars yearly to…
Abstract
Purpose
Construction organizations must maintain a productive workforce without sacrificing their health and safety. The global construction sector loses billions of dollars yearly to poor health and safety practices. This study aims to investigate benefits derivable from using wearable technologies to improve construction health and safety. The study also reports the challenges associated with adopting wearable technologies.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopted a quantitative design, administering close-ended questions to professionals in the Nigerian construction industry. The research data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics.
Findings
The study found that the critical areas construction organizations can benefit from using WSDs include slips and trips, sensing environmental concerns, collision avoidance, falling from a high level and electrocution. However, key barriers preventing the organizations from adopting wearable technologies are related to cost, technology and human factors.
Practical implications
The time and cost lost to H&S incidents in the Nigerian construction sector can be reduced by implementing the report of this study.
Originality/value
Studies on WSDs have continued to increase in developed countries, but Nigeria is yet to experience a leap in the research area. This study provides insights into the Nigerian reality to provide directions for practice and theory.
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Xuerong Peng, Lian Zhang, Seoki Lee, Wenhao Song and Keyan Shou
This study aims to identify key contributors, research themes, research gaps, and future directions in hospitality innovation by conducting bibliometric and content analyses of…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to identify key contributors, research themes, research gaps, and future directions in hospitality innovation by conducting bibliometric and content analyses of peer-reviewed articles in this field.
Design/methodology/approach
A bibliometric analysis was conducted using VOSviewer software on 2,698 peer-reviewed English-language articles retrieved from the Web of Science database, published between 1995 and 2023. Key contributors were identified based on publication volume, citation, and co-citation analysis. Co-occurrence analysis of index keywords and content analysis of influential articles were used to identify research themes.
Findings
The study identified four distinct research themes in hospitality innovation: (1) digital technology adoption primarily among customers, (2) innovation management within hospitality firms, focusing on knowledge management and eco-innovation, (3) service innovation primarily among employees, and (4) business model innovation involving multiple stakeholders. Additionally, the study determined key contributors, highlighted research gaps, and provided suggestions for future research directions.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the existing literature by providing a systematic and in-depth review of hospitality innovation research. It identifies key contributors, research themes, and potential gaps for future research, offering valuable insights for both industry practitioners and scholars.