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1 – 10 of 36Tamai Ramírez, Higinio Mora, Francisco A. Pujol, Antonio Maciá-Lillo and Antonio Jimeno-Morenilla
This study investigates how federated learning (FL) and human–robot collaboration (HRC) can be used to manage diverse industrial environments effectively. We aim to demonstrate…
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigates how federated learning (FL) and human–robot collaboration (HRC) can be used to manage diverse industrial environments effectively. We aim to demonstrate how these technologies not only improve cooperation between humans and robots but also significantly enhance productivity and innovation within industrial settings. Our research proposes a new framework that integrates these advancements, paving the way for smarter and more efficient factories.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper looks into the difficulties of handling diverse industrial setups and explores how combining FL and HRC in the mark of Industry 5.0 paradigm could help. A literature review is conducted to explore the theoretical insights, methods and applications of these technologies that justify our proposal. Based on this, a conceptual framework is proposed that integrates these technologies to manage heterogeneous industrial environments.
Findings
The findings drawn from the literature review performed, demonstrate that personalized FL can empower robots to evolve into intelligent collaborators capable of seamlessly aligning their actions and responses with the intricacies of factory environments and the preferences of human workers. This enhanced adaptability results in more efficient, harmonious and context-sensitive collaborations, ultimately enhancing productivity and adaptability in industrial operations.
Originality/value
This research underscores the innovative potential of personalized FL in reshaping the HRC landscape for manage heterogeneous industrial environments, marking a transformative shift from traditional automation to intelligent collaboration. It lays the foundation for a future where human–robot interactions are not only more efficient but also more harmonious and contextually aware, offering significant value to the industrial sector.
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Though current literature has started to recognize the significant role that online faith-holders play in the context of brand reputation crises, extant research lacks a…
Abstract
Purpose
Though current literature has started to recognize the significant role that online faith-holders play in the context of brand reputation crises, extant research lacks a theoretical framework to explain the process in which online faith-holders endure the harm in brand reputation while collectively rebuilding the reputation. We propose and test a dual-challenge model for a more systematic understanding of faith-holder communities in brand reputation crises.
Design/methodology/approach
Focusing on collective-level communication activities, we quantitatively compared the volume, valence and variance of a faith-holder community’s communication (441,611 posts by 3,228 fans over 14 days) before and after a brand reputation crisis.
Findings
Our longitudinal data demonstrated that the crisis was a significant threat to group sentiment and cohesion. Nevertheless, the community was highly resilient and adaptive. Their emotions quickly recovered, and they promptly restored group cohesion and coordinated crisis response efforts after the crisis.
Originality/value
This study challenges the traditional assumption that online users are independent, static and reactive during brand crises. Instead, it conceptualizes online faith-holder community as a connected, proactive and dynamically adaptive group in crisis situations. This dual-challenge model highlights the importance of internally fostering collective resilience while externally coordinating crisis responses in a faith-holder community.
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Behzad Foroughi, Mohammad Iranmanesh, Morteza Ghobakhloo, Madugoda Gunaratnege Senali, Nagaletchimee Annamalai, Bita Naghmeh-Abbaspour and Abderahman Rejeb
ChatGPT is a cutting-edge chatbot powered by artificial intelligence that could revolutionise and advance the teaching and learning process. Drawing on the technology acceptance…
Abstract
Purpose
ChatGPT is a cutting-edge chatbot powered by artificial intelligence that could revolutionise and advance the teaching and learning process. Drawing on the technology acceptance model (TAM) and information system (IS) success model, this study aims to investigate determinants of students’ intention to use ChatGPT for education purposes.
Design/methodology/approach
The partial least squares technique was used to analyse 406 usable data collected from university students in Malaysia.
Findings
The results confirmed the relationships between perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEU), attitude and intention to use proposed by TAM. PU and PEU are influenced by system quality. Surprisingly, trust in information moderates negatively the influences of PEU and PU on attitude.
Practical implications
The findings provide insight for higher education institutions, unit instructors and ChatGPT developers on what may promote the use of ChatGPT in higher education.
Originality/value
The study contributes to the literature by exploring the determinants of ChatGPT adoption, extending the TAM model by incorporating IS success factors and assessing the moderating effect of trust in information.
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Muhammad Asif and Hesham Fazel
The use of smartphone applications is the primary means by which modern technology improves the experiences of tourists in the tourism industry by bringing novel and superior…
Abstract
Purpose
The use of smartphone applications is the primary means by which modern technology improves the experiences of tourists in the tourism industry by bringing novel and superior features. The purpose of this study is to look into and examine the factors that affect tourists’ intention to use technology when looking for information in areas of tourism.
Design/methodology/approach
This study quantitatively uses online surveys. A total number of 315 questionnaires were collected from the tourism industry in Saudi Arabia. Partial least squares-structural equations model is used to analyze the data to evaluate the measurement and structural models.
Findings
Results of this study reveal that attitude, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and perceived enjoyment significantly and positively influence the intention of tourists, while customer relationship management and personal innovativeness in technology are insignificant. Furthermore, customer relationship management and personal innovativeness in technology indirectly impact tourists’ intentions.
Originality/value
This study offers novel insights by comprehensively analyzing the factors that influence tourists' intention to adopt technology in the context of destination information searches. Finding new avenues, the research emphasizes the distinct functions of customer relationship management, personal innovativeness in technology and enjoyment, offering insightful viewpoints for improving technology integration in the tourism industry.
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Nurin Athilah Masron, Suhaiza Ismail and Zaini Zainol
The objectives of this study are twofold. Firstly, this study aims to examine the challenges of green public procurement (GPP) involvement among small- and medium-sized…
Abstract
Purpose
The objectives of this study are twofold. Firstly, this study aims to examine the challenges of green public procurement (GPP) involvement among small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) government suppliers. Secondly, it investigates the differences in the perceived challenges between the small- and medium-sized groups of companies.
Design/methodology/approach
The study draws on the quantitative method. The questionnaire was distributed to SMEs that supply green goods or services to the government and which are listed in the MyHijau directory. Using convenience sampling, a total of 394 questionnaires were distributed and 126 usable questionnaires were received, representing a response rate of 31.98%. A descriptive analysis of the mean score, standard deviation and mean score ranking was used to analyse the overall results. The t-test analysis was carried out to examine the differences between the small- and medium-sized groups of companies.
Findings
All five categories of the barriers, i.e. financial, legal, people, knowledge and organizational challenges, are perceived as the important challenges for SMEs’ involvement in GPP. Of the five categories, “having lack of knowledgeable staff on GPP” under the category of “people” challenge is ranked as the most major barrier. In relation to the differences between the two groups of enterprises (small- and medium-sized), medium enterprises are more affected by two items under the “organization” challenge, i.e. “The company has not targeted suppliers that promote environmentally-friendly products/services” and “The company has not established a clear objective on purchase of green products and services”, as compared to the small-sized enterprises through their GPP involvement.
Social implications
By understanding the difficulties faced by SMEs in engaging with GPP, various practical measures can be formulated to support the SME businesses in mitigating the challenges faced for their involvement with GPP, which subsequently will lead to the country’s target to reach the sustainable development goals.
Originality/value
This study extends empirical evidence on barriers or challenges that may hinder the involvement in government green procurement, with a specific focus on SME government suppliers.
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Pedro Garcia-del-Barrio and Giambattista Rossi
The paper aims to revisit the debate on the priorities of football clubs in talent hiring with respect to maximizing sporting performance or economic profitability. Based on the…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to revisit the debate on the priorities of football clubs in talent hiring with respect to maximizing sporting performance or economic profitability. Based on the degree of media exposure of the clubs, we examine whether the clubs’ objectives include, in addition to the classic twofold choice, the aspiration of club managers to gain popularity through media exposure.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper applies structural equation modelling (path analysis) techniques to re-examine what is the more realistic description of football club owners’ decisions when hiring talent. Our database comprises teams from the first division of four top European football leagues: 80 observations per season during the pre-COVID period spanning from 2009/10 to 2017/18.
Findings
The results suggest that, when recruiting players, in addition to considering the two classic objectives (wins and profits), club owners also seem to aim expanding the media exposure and popularity of their clubs. Our study reveals that, to explain talent-hiring decisions in football, the ability to attract media attention is as crucial as sporting performance could be. Furthermore, by examining the direct, indirect and total effects on annual revenue, we found that our media visibility index performs a mediation effect connecting sports performance and revenue.
Originality/value
An innovative feature of our analysis is the use of the MERIT media visibility index, which jointly captures the on-field and off-field players’ skills. The consistency and robustness of the results derive from the various specifications of the estimated models.
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This research investigates the politics of smiling as a central driver for employees to navigate power dynamics within the prevailing discourse at a Japanese retailer in Hong…
Abstract
Purpose
This research investigates the politics of smiling as a central driver for employees to navigate power dynamics within the prevailing discourse at a Japanese retailer in Hong Kong. Existing critical management studies emphasize power in organizational language, often neglecting the role of employees’ emotions in sustaining discourse. This paper examines employees’ smiles as tools for legitimizing (sensegiving) and interpreting (sensemaking) discourse. It explores how the use of their emotional display influenced the outcome of the company’s attempt to legitimize discourse. This research divides the discourse process into five phases: formation, codification, implementation, monitoring and adaptation.
Design/methodology/approach
Using the critical sensegiving and sensemaking approach, this paper discusses how employees’ interpretations of corporate policies shape the perpetuation of dominant discourse and outcomes. Data were collected through the author’s long-term participant observation in the Hong Kong branches of Japanese retailers.
Findings
The formation phase discusses the emergence of a dominant discourse favoring Japanese practices in the company’s Hong Kong operations. Codification involves the conceptualization of standard smiles in customer service policies. In practice (implementation, monitoring and adjustment), employee smiles serve as tools for negotiating power—shaping careers, earnings and shift preferences. This paper argues that this discourse shapes organizational norms while employees’ sensemaking influences the discourse implementation. Furthermore, this paper highlights the transnational impact of Japanese culture in Hong Kong, which has shaped the way Japanese top management and local employees interpret the dominant discourse.
Originality/value
This study demonstrates the importance of discussing the display of emotions and employees’ intentions to understand their impact on the outcome of discourse implementation. This study also reiterates the significance of discussing the influence of one culture on another to understand the broader social context that affects the perpetuation of discourse.
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Jiaxin Huang, Wenbo Li, Xiu Cheng and Ke Cui
This study aims to identify the key factors that influence household pro-environmental behaviors (HPEBs) and explore the differences caused by the same influencing factors between…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to identify the key factors that influence household pro-environmental behaviors (HPEBs) and explore the differences caused by the same influencing factors between household waste management behavior (HWM) and household energy-saving behavior (HES).
Design/methodology/approach
A meta-analysis was conducted on 90 articles about HPEBs published between 2009 and 2023 to find the key factors. HPEBs were further categorized into HWM and HES to investigate the difference influenced by the above factors on two behaviors. The correlation coefficient was used as the unified effect size, and the random-effect model was adopted to conduct both main effect and moderating effect tests.
Findings
The results showed that attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control all positively influenced intention and HPEBs, but their effects were stronger on intention than on HPEBs. Intention was found to be the strongest predictor of HPEBs. Subjective norms were found to have a more positive effect on HES compared to HWM, while habits had a more positive effect on HWM. Furthermore, household size was negatively correlated with HWM but positively correlated with HES.
Originality/value
The same variables have different influences on HWM and HES. These results can help develop targeted incentives to increase the adoption of HPEBs, ultimately reducing household energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions and contributing to the mitigation of global warming.
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Opeyemi Femi-Oladunni, Pablo Ruiz-Palomino and Israel Roberto Pérez Jiménez
This study aims to identify how Spanish consumers’ extrinsic preferences for food have evolved by examining the extant literature on food preferences in Spain, focusing on…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to identify how Spanish consumers’ extrinsic preferences for food have evolved by examining the extant literature on food preferences in Spain, focusing on food-related attributes and food-related values.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is based on a synthetic review of the extant academic literature on Spanish consumer preferences for food-related attributes and food-related values from the mid-20th to the 21st century. This study uses key economic and social milestones that are most likely to influence food value chain actors to show how consumer preferences have evolved over the study period.
Findings
Spanish consumer food attribute preferences expanded as the food sector of the nation continued to grow, and value preferences showed a similar pattern from the mid-20th to the 21st century. The drivers of these preferences were trust, lifestyle, education (campaigns), sociodemographic factors and purchasing power.
Originality/value
Evaluating the extant literature’s contribution to consumer preferences for food-related attributes and values is important because it can aid in understanding the hierarchy and variety of consumers’ food preferences as well as the factors that drive these preferences. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to explore how Spanish consumer preferences evolved between the mid-20th and 21st centuries.
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Tinotenda Machingura, Olufemi Adetunji, Ashleigh Tatenda Muyavu and Catherine Maware
This research seeks to explore the interrelationships between human lean practices (HLP) and their impact on the business performance of service industries.
Abstract
Purpose
This research seeks to explore the interrelationships between human lean practices (HLP) and their impact on the business performance of service industries.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire was used to collect data from the service industries in Zimbabwe, and 260 valid responses were obtained. The questionnaire was analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) in SmartPLS.
Findings
Both the managerial human lean practices (MHLP) and employee human lean practices (EHLP) were found to positively impact business performance. Also, the MHLP had a positive relationship with EHLP.
Research limitations/implications
The research focused on Zimbabwe’s service industry; hence, the results may not be readily adopted by other industries and countries without further investigations.
Practical implications
The improvement in business performance is centered on the activities of humans, both the employees and managers. Therefore, organizations should invest more in human resources to enhance their performance.
Originality/value
Lean manufacturing (LM) is well known for its adoption in the manufacturing industry; thus, extending it to other sectors requires further research. Although a few studies have investigated the effect of adopting Lean in the service sector, they did not explore the relationship between MHLP and EHLP and the importance of such a relationship toward improved business performance.
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