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Higher education institutions (HEIs), including universities, adult and vocational institutes, and technical and further education (TAFE) centres, faced the challenge of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic with limited data on how best to protect their communities and to continue educating their students. HEIs implemented various measures and adaptations by prioritizing the safety and well-being of students, staff, and the broader community while ensuring uninterrupted educational delivery. The pandemic presented a global educational challenge, requiring institutions to address complex organizational issues. These challenges encompassed topics such as information access, equity, diverse communication infrastructures, collaboration, logistics, the use of digital platforms, decentralization, redundancy, variation in virtual rituals and communication protocols, unstructured digital proxemics, Zoom fatigue, the absence of remote feedback loop models, and COVID-19 management protocols. Among the critical questions posed by the pandemic in the higher education sector in Australia and Canada, whether at universities, technical institutes, or education centres, was how faculty enhanced the learning experience and fostered symbiosis among co-located/on-shore and remote/off-shore students. To gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between HEIs and COVID-19 educational mitigation, we analysed the actions taken by three HEIs in Australia and one in Canada during the crisis years of 2021–2022. This analysis was based on the personal reflections of the authors (academics from various HEIs), a synthesis of which is presented in this chapter.

Colonial epistemes distort ideologies through power structures and control, perpetuating differences and the development of an inferior status. This study aims to serve dual purposes: Firstly, the authors advocate for Pacific and international business (IB) researchers to consider adopting inclusive research practices, particularly regarding Pacific and indigenous populations. Secondly, the authors argue that decolonization presents conflicting challenges, demonstrating that the authors still have a long way to go regarding the decolonization agenda within academia, the university, IB and broader society.

An essay style is adopted to introduce inclusive Pacific research practices specific to the Pacific context, what that looks like and the advantages of using culturally appropriate methods.

This paper highlights some examples that justify why Pacific methods should be used, such as spirituality and prayers underpinned by the va (i.e. relational spaces) – a concept well-known in Pacific cultures but missing in Western academic frameworks, models and approaches. Additionally, the authors found that the endeavours to be inclusive can paradoxically lead to exclusion and marginalization within academia, the university and popular mainstream media.

This paper enriches IB theory and pedagogy by advocating for the co-creation of inclusive research practices in collaboration with Pacific and indigenous communities. It contributes to the broader movement to restore indigenous knowledge and scholarship research spaces.

The originality and value of the viewpoint lie in its potential to stimulate conversations and reflections among IB researchers regarding inclusive research practices of decoloniality. Thereby strengthening the “trumpet-shell” call to decolonize the field and academia, which IB as a discipline should not be immune to.

This article demonstrates the reach of Tuhiwai Smith’s ideas across Pacific research. It discusses the theoretical and practical influence of her seminal work Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples through “holographic epistemology”, an indigenous way of viewing knowledge.

The authors present a talanoa (Pacific-style relational conversation) to explore Tuhiwai Smith’s legacy for Pacific Islander researchers and research. The talanoa between two academics at different career stages draws upon personal and professional research experiences and peer-reviewed published sources to explore the expansive and enduring legacy of Tuhiwai Smith’s life and ideas.

Decolonizing Methodologies has helped Pacific Islander researchers flourish, and Pacific Island research approaches gain legitimacy in higher education. Its epistemological influence can be seen in research which utilises knowledge of body, mind and spirit – holographic epistemology – and in indigenous innovations to qualitative research.

This article has value for those seeking to understand the epistemological underpinnings of indigenous approaches to research. It has originality in its presentation as a talanoa between two researchers who have found affirmation and academic freedom with Tuhiwai Smith’s ideas. It is also original in offering a Pacific perspective from a Hawaiian and a Samoan academic about the immense koha (gift) they have received from a Maori tuahine (sister).

This paper aims to present an overview of the development of the public value accounting approach and its application to public sector accountability in New Zealand.

The study uses the public value framework to demonstrate the outcome-related planning and control mechanisms that are put in place in the public sector. The paper draws from archival research using a case study of the Ministry of Pacific Peoples.

The public value accounting-based calculative practices are on the rise within the New Zealand public sector. New Zealand’s public sector is oriented towards a public value budget.

The study is limited through the use of secondary data and the use of content analysis methodology. The research enables policymakers to fund initiatives that enhance the well-being of the community. Public value can be created as a joint effort between citizens and government as evident from the case study. By looking at the totality of the impact of government through public value creation can help to improve policy decisions. Government policymakers need to emphasise on those public value creation that has an enormous positive impact on the citizens. This will also help to improve the relationship between government and citizens through increased trust in the government by citizens.

The paper contributes to the public value research which has received relatively less attention in the literature. Public value accounting is a research field that is yet to achieve a significant level of attention.

Agile new product development (ANPD) attracts researchers and practitioners by its ability to rapidly reconfigure products and related processes to meet the needs of emerging markets. To increase ANPD adoption, this study aims to identify ANPD enablers (ANPDEs) and create a structural framework that practitioners can use as a quick reference.

Initially, a comprehensive literature review is conducted to identify ANPDEs, and a structural framework is developed in consultation with an expert panel using a hybrid robust best–worst method interpretive structural modeling (ISM). During the ISM process, the interactions between the ANPDEs are investigated. The ISM result is used as input for fuzzy Matrice d’Impacts croises-multiplication appliqúean classment means cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification (MICMAC) analysis to investigate enablers that are both strong drivers and highly dependent.

The study’s findings show that four ANPDEs are in the low-intensity cluster and thus are excluded during the structural frame development. ISM output shows that “Strong commitment to NPD/top management support,” “Availability of resources,” “Supplier commitment/capability” and “Systematic project planning” are the important ANPDEs. Based on their driving and dependence power, the clusters formed during the fuzzy MICMAC approach show that 16 ANPDEs appear in the dependent zone, one ANPDE in the linkage zone and 14 ANPDEs in the driving zone.

This research has intense functional consequences for researchers and practitioners within the industry. Industry professionals require a conservative focus on the established ANPDEs during ANPD adoption. Management has to carefully prepare a course of action to avoid any flop during ANPD adoption.

The framework established is a one-of-a-kind study that provides an integrated impression of important ANPDEs. The authors hope that the suggested structural framework will serve as a blueprint for scholars working in the ANPD domain and will aid in its adoption.

Technology-enabled healthcare focuses on providing better information flow and coordination in healthcare operations. Technology-enabled health services enable hospitals to manage their resources effectively, maintain continuous patient engagement and provide seamless services without compromising their perceived quality.

This study investigates the role of technology-enabled health services in improving perceived healthcare quality among patients. Data are collected from the users (n = 418) of health platforms offered in multi-specialty hospitals. Multiple learners are employed to accurately represent the users' perceived quality regarding the perceived usefulness of the features provided via these digital health platforms.

The best-fitted model using a decision tree classifier (accuracy = 0.86) derives the accurate significance of features offered in the digital health platform in fostering perceived healthcare quality. Diet and lifestyle recommendations (30%) and chatting with health professionals (11%) are the top features offered in digital health platforms that primarily influence the perceived quality of healthcare among users.

The predictability of perceived quality with the individual features existing in the digital health platform, the significance of the features on the perceived healthcare quality and the prediction rules showing the combined effect of features on healthcare quality can help healthcare managers accelerate digital transformation in hospitals by improving their digital health platform, designing and offering new health packages while strengthening their e-infrastructure.

The study represents perceived healthcare quality with the features offered in digital health platforms using machine learners based on users' post-pandemic experience. By advancing digital platforms with more patient-centric features using emerging technologies, this model can further foresee its impact on the perceived quality of healthcare, offering valuable directions to healthcare service providers. The study is limited to focusing on digital health platforms that can deal with people's general healthcare needs.

Notwithstanding their potential benefits especially for individuals with low health literacy, users are still somewhat skeptical about the reliability of healthcare chatbots. The present study aims to address this challenge by investigating strategies to enhance users’ cognitive and emotional trust in healthcare chatbots. Particularly, this study aims to understand the effects of chatbot design cues in increasing trust and future chatbot use intention for low health literacy users.

We conducted two experimental studies with a final sample of 327 (Study 1) and 241 (Study 2). Three different chatbots were developed (Chatbot design: Bot vs Male-doctor vs Female-doctor). Participants were asked to have a medical consultation with the chatbot. Participants self-reported their health literacy scores. The PROCESS model 7 was used to analyze the hypotheses.

The results showed that the female-doctor cues elicited greater cognitive and emotional trust, whereas the male-doctor cues only led to greater cognitive trust (vs bot-like cues). Importantly, this study found that users’ health literacy is a significant moderating factor in shaping cognitive and emotional trust. The results indicated that both the female and male-doctor cues’ positive effects on cognitive trust were significant for those with lower levels of health literacy. Furthermore, the positive effect of the female-doctor cues on emotional trust was also significant only for those whose health literacy level was low. The increased cognitive and emotional trust led to greater future intention to use the chatbot, confirming significant moderated mediation effects.

Despite the strong economic and educational benefits of healthcare chatbots for low health literacy users, studies examining how healthcare chatbot design cues affect low health literate users surprisingly remained scarce. The results of this study suggest that healthcare chatbots can be a promising technological intervention to narrow the health literacy gap when aligned with appropriate design cues.

Establishing an effective educational system is directly tied to academic leadership, a multifaceted concept that differs from one environment to another. The purpose of this research is to investigate the role of digital leadership (DL) aspects in the enhancement of technical knowledge sharing (KS) and dealing with emotional intelligence (EI) among the teaching faculty of higher education institutions (HEIs).

Following a quantitative and cross-sectional research design, convenient sampling is employed for data collection via a self-administered questionnaire from 320 faculty members of private HEIs in Pakistan.

Structural equation model (SEM) is used for path analysis. The results reveal a positive and significant effect of DL, aspects like visionary leadership (VL), digital citizenship (DC), systematic improvement (SI), on knowledge sharing (KS), and emotional intelligence (EI).

This study has highlighted the significance of DL in private HEIs. The findings of the study imply that institutional heads of higher education institutions (HEIs) can successfully manage the knowledge assets that they have and those of their staff members, ensure the successful adoption of technology and foster product and process innovation that improves organizational performance and integrates successful strategies into the educational system by demonstrating DL aspects. The research also analyzes institutional heads' present leadership strategies to enhance response to technological change and innovations, which are considered fundamental pillars of organizational success. Ultimately, this will extend the literature on adopting DL techniques towards digital transformation in the education system.

This study empirically confirms the role of DL aspects such as VL, DC, and SI towards KS and EI. Most of the research demonstrates the direct impact of DL on EI, whereas the aspects of DL are not directly related to KS and EI. Studies have also shown how DL enhances its role in incorporating leadership in organizations, industries, and education, mainly in Western countries. This research addresses the gap in understanding the direct effects of DL aspects on KS and EI in non-Western countries, particularly within the education sector.

This study aims to assess the collective impact of social media engagement and anxiety due to COVID-19 on telemedicine adoption intentions with other constructs of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) concerning anxiety linked to COVID-19 and the influence of privacy concerns on TAM constructs. These constructs encompass the perception of ease of use, perceived usefulness, one’s attitude toward telemedicine and the intention to utilize telemedicine.

A total of 178 comprehensive responses were gathered over a six-month period from residents in Mumbai, India, to examine the proposed model. The data was analyzed using software tools, including SPSS version 23 and IBM AMOS 21, to compute factor loadings, assess model fit, estimate path relationships and conduct hypothesis testing.

Privacy concerns with telemedicine usage had a significant negative impact on behavioral engagement (B = −0.20, SE = 0.08, p < 0.05) and positively impacted affective engagement (B = 0.25, SE = 0.06, p < 0.01). Similarly, anxiety due to COVID-19 had a negative impact on the perceived usefulness of telemedicine (B = −0.10, SE = 0.03, p < 0.05).

This research addresses a void in the existing literature by merging the TAM and the Social Media engagement theory. This study reaffirms the impact of past and relevant experiences, privacy concerns and COVID-19-induced anxiety on various components of TAM, thus expanding and enriching the TAM model.

Healthcare administrators should implement strategies to alleviate privacy-related apprehensions associated with telemedicine platforms. Additionally, they should promote existing users to create and disseminate positive content to mitigate COVID-19-induced anxiety and foster meaningful engagement, thereby enhancing the willingness to adopt telemedicine.

Providers and promoters of telemedicine platforms and services may lean toward employing digital marketing campaigns that rely on emotional persuasion, including tapping into the fear factor to boost subscription and service sales. Such practices raise ethical questions, underscoring the need for well-defined advertising standards to govern the marketing of these products.

This article is among the relatively rare studies that document the favorable influence of emotional engagement on the intention to utilize telemedicine, underscoring the significant role of emotions in shaping telemedicine adoption Intentions.