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The lack of conceptual approaches for organizing and expressing capabilities, usage and impact of intelligent machines (IMs) in work settings is an obstacle to moving beyond isolated case examples, domain-specific studies, 2 × 2 frameworks and expert opinion in discussions of IMs and work. This paper's purpose is to illuminate many issues that often are not addressed directly in research, practice or punditry related to IMs. It pursues that purpose by presenting an integrated approach for identifying and organizing important aspects of analysis and evaluation related to IMs in work settings. 

This paper integrates previously published ideas related to work systems (WSs), smart devices and systems, facets of work, roles and responsibilities of information systems, interactions between people and machines and a range of criteria for evaluating system performance.

Eight principles outline a straightforward and flexible approach for analyzing and evaluating IMs and the WSs that use them. Those principles are based on the above ideas.

This paper provides a novel approach for identifying design choices for situated use of IMs. The breadth, depth and integration of this approach address a gap in existing literature, which rarely aspires to this paper’s thoroughness in combining ideas that support the description, analysis, design and evaluation of situated uses of IMs.

This paper proposes a theoretical framework for the comprehensive study of business model (BM) change by taking different types of influencing factors and different levels of analysis into account (business, industry and macro-environment).

Evaluation of the added value of using the combination of three existing frameworks (the business model canvas (Osterwalder and Pigneur, 2010), Porter’s five forces framework (Porter, 1980) and PESTEL (Johnson et al., 2017)) based on semi-structured interviews with eight companies active in the European crop protection industry. The proposed theoretical framework was used to analyse several BM change situations as presented by the companies.

Our findings reveal that the study of BM change is improved when a third type of influencing factors is considered besides drivers and facilitating/hindering factors. This third type includes factors that shape cohesion between BM components or between the BM and its environment. Second, the interaction of different types of influencing factors at different levels of analysis should be considered, as this generates a comprehensive view of the BM change situation.

This paper meets the demand for a theoretical handle that results in improved and more comprehensive analysis of BM change. The proposed theoretical framework combines different types of internal (business) and external (industry and macro-environment) factors that shape a BM change and considers their interaction.

Climate change caused by an increase in greenhouse gas emissions poses a threat to species on earth. Such emissions have been caused by activities that have increased the rate at which greenhouse emissions have occurred due to the burning of fossil fuels and industrial processes in recent decades. Without urgent intervention, the ability of earth’s citizens will be irrevocably altered. Hundreds of millions of people’s lives will effectively become extremely challenging. Deaths due to starvation, lack of water, storms and flooding will increase. The magnitude of the crisis confronting humanity has resulted in means the formation of what’s known as the ‘Net Zero’ target set by The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2024), a United Nations body consisting of global experts on climate change in 1994. This chapter explains why climate change has occurred, what its impact may be and how intervention by governments as well as all organisations and individuals catastrophe can be avoided. There is an overview of subsequent chapters contained in this book.

In the UK, the Future Homes Standard (FHS) will be used to achieve reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by 75–80% in newly constructed houses as part of the effort to achieve net zero by 2050. This chapter explains what this means in practice through design and building of houses by a housing association and speculative housebuilder. Research carried out by the Centre for Future Homes at Birmingham City University (BCU) has enabled a deeper understanding to emerge in how technology and collaborative approaches to production by all participants engaged in the supply chain can ensure attainment of carbon emissions. Crucially, the research has incorporated analysis of the experiences of occupants of innovative houses in altering behaviour and interaction with technology including heat pumps and ventilation systems. Findings from the research will be widely disseminated to assist others in appreciating the potential for housing, built with traditional locally available labour materials to be part of the effort to arrest climate change through proactive carbon reduction.

Although the mental and physical health of students on college campuses has been under scrutiny, little has been done at the program level to assess and improve an accounting student’s overall wellbeing. This chapter describes a wellbeing program integrated into the curriculum of a small accounting program in the American Midwest. It documents the implementation steps, what was learned from the program, and how it can be used to improve both individual student wellbeing, as well as the accounting program as a whole. Integrating a concern for student wellbeing into our accounting curriculum and creating awareness around the areas of wellbeing has been beneficial for both students and faculty. Students are able to learn about the wellbeing principles and apply them to their lives. Faculty gain insight into the lives of students and are able to understand them better. With that understanding, faculty can alter programs and approaches, which may then help with student retention, and enable students to be better ambassadors for our program and for the accounting profession.

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions created a range of potential additional stressors for families, particularly for parents living with children. This study aims to explore whether there were any differences in the mental health and emotional experiences of those living with children, and those who were not, during the pandemic and related lockdowns; and whether there were any specific risk factors associated with these mental health outcomes and emotional experiences.

Regression analyses of ten-wave repeated cross-sectional surveys between May 2020 and November 2021 on a total sample of 42,529 UK adults, which measured mental health with a range of pleasant and unpleasant emotional experiences. The interaction effects of living with children and age as well as marital status were tested.

During the pandemic, individuals who were living with children were more likely to feel hopeful (OR: 1.1) and grateful (OR: 1.163), less likely to feel hopeless (OR: 0.918) and lonely (OR: 0.799), while more likely to feel guilty (OR: 1.185), unprepared (OR: 1.195) and pressurised (OR: 1.14), than those not living with children. More nuanced findings and diverse emotional experiences were also found in people of different age groups and marital statuses.

This study has highlighted that being parents and living with children could be important factors of emotional distress, especially during the special circumstances of the pandemic and lockdowns, drawing on the large-scale national data.

The purpose of this paper is to provide an account of student perceptions (age 16+) of the value of both obtaining a university degree and how it relates to the profession of policing. In addition, the paper details opinions of the perceived benefit of a degree with regard to potentially supporting career progression.

Participants were recruited directly, following input from a Midlands based University at a range of outreach activities, where they completed short, online questionnaires offering their thoughts and opinions on higher education and policing. Study participants were from four school and colleges within the West Midlands area, with all respondents meeting the inclusion criteria of being in the 16+ age group (Year 12 and 13).

The study yielded several key findings. Firstly, respondents positively demonstrated an intention to progress from school/college onto university, believing that having a degree or some form of formalised training is beneficial to development. Secondly, almost half of respondents indicated that they felt a police officer should have a degree to properly perform their duties. Thirdly, there was a mixed response as to whether they would prefer a police officer had a degree when dealing with the public. Finally, over half of respondents felt that holding a degree would be beneficial for career development within the police.

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and partner force to work closely with feeder schools and colleges to provide information on the most suitable pathway into policing for potential officers of the future. By working closely with individual students, HEIs and forces have the scope to best align a potential police officer with the “bespoke” course for them, which should offer career and academic satisfaction. HEIs to further develop a broad range of skills, supporting both academic credibility and career development, further embedding the value of obtaining a degree.

This original research highlights clear evidence from respondents that there is a good deal of perceived value that can be gathered from holding a degree. This is shown from both the perspective of new recruits joining the police and to the potential as an aid to career development.

Implementation of initiatives intended to achieve net zero will require very considerable investment. Whilst there are undoubted potentially immense benefits that will result from the transition to an economy that is based around the principles of net zero, all governments recognise the dilemma of making announcements necessitating spending many billions on this objective. This chapter examines the economic logic underpinning the quest to deal with the calamitous consequences of implementing measures essential to reduce emissions causing global warming. Using the UK as an exemplar, the political challenge and consequences of implementing economic changes required to produce net zero is considered. As is described, short-term expediency is frequently adopted as a way to avoid making difficult decisions to achieve not only long-term economic gain but almost universally regarded as essential to arrest the dire consequences that will befall future generations if immediate and urgent action is not taken. Drawing on previous research justifying the need to act now, this chapter potentially examines ways for governments to derive additional revenue, most particularly carbon taxes and emissions-trading schemes (ETS) as a way to fund investment in net zero through capital investment. As analysis of contemporary events suggests, the urgency of intervention all too frequently becomes a casualty of the need by political parties to avoid confronting tough choices by postponing such decisions.

This study explores how second language (L2) East Asian international students at an Australian university describe themselves as foreign-accented speakers and develop a new L2 identity within a sociolinguistic landscape that reinforces hierarchies between first language (L1) and L2 speakers.

Drawing upon van Manen’s (2016) hermeneutic phenomenology, this study employs a qualitative-dominant mixed methods approach. An initial survey with 306 participants informed subsequent phenomenological interviews with five students, enabling a comprehensive exploration of their L2 identity construction.

The analysis revealed four themes: being proud to be L2 speakers, the value of having L2, complex attitudes towards foreign accents, and miscommunication as natural. These findings underscore the importance of critical engagement with evolving L2 identity and highlight the role of university interventions in fostering students' agency, which aids their successful transitions to host institutions.

This study addresses a gap in existing research by exploring how L2 students develop a new L2 identity beyond the challenges of language proficiency. It emphasises the significance of contextualising their experiences within the broader sociolinguistic landscape, offering insights that contribute to a better understanding of L2 identity construction among international students.

This study aims to understand the impact of extreme weather events on fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) consumption and to examine the role of anticipated product scarcity and FMCG types on such behavior.

This paper conducted five studies, combining archival data analysis with behavioral experiments. The archival data included sales data from a supermarket chain and weather data from the National Weather Service. The experiments were designed to test the effect of extreme weather cues on consumption, the psychological mechanism behind this effect and moderators.

This research found that consumers’ anticipation of extreme weather events significantly increases their consumption of FMCGs. This research further discovered that these behaviors are driven by anticipated product scarcity and moderated by consumers’ altruisms and FMCG types.

Limitations of the research include the reliance on reported sales data and self-reported measures, which could introduce biases. The authors also primarily focused on extreme weather events, leaving other types of disasters unexplored. Furthermore, cultural differences in disaster response might influence results, yet the studies do not fully address these nuances. Despite these limitations, the findings provide critical insights for FMCG retailers and policymakers, suggesting strategies for managing demand surges during disasters. Moreover, understanding consumer behavior under impending disasters could inform intervention strategies, potentially mitigating panic buying and helping ensure equitable resource distribution. Last, these findings encourage further exploration of environmental influences on consumer behavior.

The findings have practical implications for products, brand managers and retailers in managing stock levels and product distribution during disasters. Furthermore, understanding the psychological mechanisms of these behaviors could inform policymakers’ designs of public interventions for equitable resource allocation during extreme weather events.

The research provides significant social implications by highlighting how extreme weather events impact FMCG consumption. This understanding can guide public policymakers in creating efficient disaster management plans. Specifically, anticipating surges in FMCG purchases can inform policies for maintaining price stability and preventing resource shortages, mitigating societal stress during crises. Moreover, these findings encourage public education around responsible purchasing during disasters, potentially reducing panic buying. By collaborating with FMCG manufacturers and retailers, governments can ensure a steady supply of essentials during extreme weather events. Thus, the research can play a crucial role in enhancing societal resilience in the face of impending disasters.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to integrate the impact of extreme weather events on consumption behavior with the psychological theory of anticipated product scarcity. The unique focus on FMCGs offers a novel perspective on consumer behavior literature.