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This study aims to explore the key challenges and drawbacks of smart contracts (SCs) and how they impact digital resilience within small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Whilst this type of technology is seen as a step forward in terms of traceability, transparency and immutability to increase digital resilience, we argue that it should be approached with trepidation.

In developing this paper, the authors conduct a systematic literature search using the Scopus database. Through this, we identified 931 relevant articles, of which 30 were used as the focus of this article. Thematic analysis was used as the analytical approach to develop themes and meaning from the data.

In this paper, there is an emphasis on the importance of understanding the potential risks associated with SC implementation, as well as identifying appropriate strategies for mitigating any negative impact. In our findings, we puts forward three key themes, namely legality, security and human error, which we argue are key smart contract challenges that impact SME digital resilience.

In this paper, we propose the notion of “centralised control in decentralised solutions”. This comes from the research highlighting SC weaknesses in digital resilience for SMEs. We argue that there is a need for standards, regulations and legislation to address these issues, advocating, ironically, a centralised approach to decentralised technology.

Blockchain technology is one of the major contributors to supply chain sustainability because of its inherent features. However, its adoption rate is relatively low due to reasons such as the diverse barriers impeding blockchain adoption. The purpose of this study is to identify blockchain adoption barriers in sustainable supply chain and uncovers their interrelationships.

A three-phase framework that combines machine learning (ML) classifiers, BORUTA feature selection algorithm, and Grey-DEMATEL method. From the literature review, 26 potential barriers were identified and evaluated through the performance of ML models with accuracy and f-score.

The findings reveal that feature selection algorithm detected 15 prominent barriers, and random forest (RF) classifier performed with the highest accuracy and f-score. Moreover, the performance of the RF increased by 2.38% accuracy and 2.19% f-score after removing irrelevant barriers, confirming the validity of feature selection algorithm. An RF classifier ranked the prominent barriers and according to ranking, financial constraints, immaturity, security, knowledge and expertise, and cultural differences resided at the top of the list. Furthermore, a Grey-DEMATEL method is employed to expose interrelationships between prominent barriers and to provide an overview of the cause-and-effect group.

The outcome of this study can help industry practitioners develop new strategies and plans for blockchain adoption in sustainable supply chains.

The research on the adoption of blockchain technology in sustainable supply chains is still evolving. This study contributes to the ongoing debate by exploring how practitioners and decision-makers adopt blockchain technology, developing strategies and plans in the process.

This study aims to investigate causes of sustainability failures of ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems in Botswana.

The research employed qualitative and quantitative methods, including literature review and secondary data analysis to understand trends relating to Botswana, and a survey to identify gaps leading to certification sustainability failures, focusing on; motives for certification, causes of decertification and issues in the certification process.

ISO 9001 adoption in Botswana is slow, with low acceptance rate in the public sector at 13% compared to the private sector at 87%. Termination rates have been high at 55% over two decades. Manufacturing dominates certification with 45% of total certification. While micro and small companies struggle to sustain certification, often failing within 2 years, medium-sized companies demonstrate better sustainability, lasting beyond 6 years. Product/service quality and process improvement drive certification while decertification is influenced by management factors, financial constraints, and process management. The study recommends a model for effective integration of ISO 9001.

Integrated systems are crucial for consistent process performance and continual improvement in all sectors for sustainable organizational success. Although the ISO 9001 Quality Management System has shown positive impacts globally, the impact of its adoption in Botswana remains questionable with high failure rates post implementation. There appears to exist a significant gap in development, implementation, and maintenance of the QMS. The public domain has no evidence of any past investigation on causes of sustainability failures of ISO 9001 post certification. The current study sought to close that knowledge gap.

This paper aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis of studies focusing on green supply chain management (GSCM) within the context of the digital economy.

We utilize the Web of Science database to search and filter relevant documents spanning the years 2003–2022. This extensive dataset enables us to analyze the growth and cutting-edge developments in research pertaining to GSCM in the digital economy.

The paper finds a significant increase in research interest and output, particularly noticeable from 2016 onwards, indicating the growing relevance of integrating GSCM with digital technologies. It is found that the prominent contribution of countries like China, England and the USA, underscoring a strong geographical diversity in research outputs. China leads in the number of publications, which reflects its significant role in shaping the discourse around GSCM in the digital economy. However, when it comes to citations, the USA leads, suggesting a higher impact or quality of research emanating from this region. Collaborative dynamics outlined in the study demonstrate extensive international cooperation, primarily among leading research countries, which is facilitated by shared digital platforms enhancing the research’s reach and impact. The study also highlights a range of emerging themes such as the adoption of blockchain technology, Internet of Things (IoT) and the circular economy within GSCM, indicating dynamic areas for future research.

The findings of this study hold significant practical implications for researchers, practitioners and policymakers. They shed light on the current state of research in GSCM within the digital economy, highlighting areas where further investigation is needed and pointing to the emerging trends in this field. Understanding the distribution of research and influential authors can guide future collaborative efforts and inform decision-making processes in the pursuit of sustainable supply chain practices in the digital era.

This paper contributes to the existing body of knowledge by providing a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the evolving landscape of GSCM in the digital economy. It offers valuable insights into the growth patterns, key contributors and geographical distribution of research in this domain. This information is crucial for researchers and stakeholders seeking to stay at the forefront of sustainable supply chain practices in an increasingly digital world.

This study aims to dissect and understand the latent themes of Islamic work ethic (IWE) and explore the driving factors of IWE research.

Structural topic modeling (STM), a sophisticated machine learning technique, was used to analyze a corpus of 205 articles sourced from the Scopus database. These articles cover the 36 years of research on IWE, from 1988 to 2024. Moreover, negative binomial regression was applied to examine the driving factors of IWE research.

The STM analysis unfolds ten topics in conjunction with IWE including individual success, workplace dynamics, organizational work ethics, knowledge management, employee citizenship behavior, financial ethics, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, performance enhancement and leadership. The further STM outputs included word clouds, prevalence proportions, correlation matrix, heatmap, relationship of topics with metadata, topic prominence in the publishing journals and, finally, illustrating trends and future prospects of research on IWE. The results of negative binomial regression reveal that number of authors, article age, journal indexing, authors from multiple countries and number of references are strong drivers of fostering research in IWE, by having significant positive impacts on total citations.

The insights from this study provide valuable guidance for businesses and organizations looking to integrate IWE principles into their operations. By promoting values such as fairness, hard work and ethical behavior, organizations can foster a more inclusive and morally grounded workplace culture. This, in turn, may lead to enhanced employee satisfaction, greater organizational commitment and improved overall performance. Additionally, the emphasis on ethical practices can contribute to broader societal benefits, such as increased trust in business practices and a stronger alignment with social responsibility initiatives.

This is a unique study that explores the latent themes and characteristics of the IWE literature through STM and provides insights on the future research directions. In addition, this study also examines the driving factors of IWE research.

Family startups are essential to a nation’s development because they foster creativity, economic expansion, and job creation. They introduce novel concepts, game-changing technologies, and innovative business approaches to the market. Family startups also help a country be more competitive abroad by luring capital, encouraging entrepreneurship, and diversifying the economy beyond its core industries. Additionally, family startups operate as agents of social change by addressing societal problems and providing answers that benefit communities. Therefore, fostering a thriving start-up ecosystem is crucial for a nation’s long-term sustainable development and prosperity. Against this background, this book chapter examines the potential and difficulties that family startups in Oman’s developing entrepreneurial environment confront. The chapter explores the challenges faced by entrepreneurs as well as the opportunities for growth and innovation in this dynamic market to illuminate the distinctive dynamics of the Omani start-up scene.

Building on the resource-based view (RBV) and the theory of other orientation, this study aims to examine the association between Islamic work ethics (IWEs) and organizational performance highlighting the role of employee relations climate as an underlying mechanism.

Data were collected from 239 employees working in diverse sectors in the state of Qatar. Structural equation modeling of partial least squares was used to analyze the data of the study.

The results suggest that IWEs positively impact organizational performance and employee relations climate. Furthermore, employee relations climate demonstrated to play a mediating role in the IWEs-organizational performance link.

The study can be used by administrators pertaining to the importance of IWE and employee relations climate to cultivate higher organizational outcomes such as organizational performance.

This research is distinctive as it examines the connection between IWEs and organizational performance in Qatar, a country where the influence of Islamic values and beliefs on work ethics is profound. In addition, the research sheds light on a topic that has received little attention in the literature: the significance of the workplace climate in determining how IWEs affect organizational performance. Finally, the research integrates two important theoretical frameworks, the RBV and the theory of other orientation, to create a comprehensive model that explains the complex relationship between IWEs, employee relations climate and organizational performance.

This research aims to analyses the structural model of customers’ intention towards reputable and accountable Islamic finance, explained through Meta-Analysis Structural Equation Modelling (MASEM) with the Theory of Planned Behaviour approach and extended variables.

This study used MASEM to examine the factors systematically influencing behavioural intentions within Islamic finance. By synthesising 89 existing studies, the study identified key variables and their relationships, providing a comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms. A rigorous methodology involving article selection, data extraction and statistical analysis enabled the development of a robust conceptual framework.

This study underscores the significant impact of subjective norms and perceived behavioural control on the intention to adopt Islamic finance, mediated by customer attitude. Religiosity, customer awareness and knowledge influence the intention to adopt Islamic finance products, with the Islamic financial institution's reputation and customer attitude serving as mediating variables.

This research novelty examines Islamic finance accounting, reporting and financial accountability, primarily focusing on customers’ perceived intentions towards Islamic financial practices.

This study aims to investigate the impact of augmented reality (AR) training modules on knowledge retention in corporate settings, focusing on the context of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Drawing on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and existing literature, the study examines the relationships between AR training modules, employees’ engagement, interactive learning environments and knowledge retention.

This study uses a quantitative technique by using a structured survey to collect data from participants in service sectors in the UAE. The survey gathers information on their attitudes, views and behaviors toward using AR in business training. This study used a stratified random selection to guarantee representation across several service sectors in the UAE, including hospitality, tourism, retail and finance. A SEM analysis tool was used to test the relationship that exists between the construct under investigation, that is, employees’ engagements (EE), AR training modules (ARTM), interactive learning environment (ILE), Fintech training content (FTC), the moderating role of technological aptitude (TA) on knowledge retention (KR).

Findings reveal a significant positive correlation between AR training modules and knowledge retention, emphasizing the potential of immersive technologies in enhancing learning outcomes. Moreover, the study underscores the importance of engaged employees, customized training materials and technological proficiency in shaping knowledge retention. Limitations and avenues for further research are also discussed.

Overall, this study contributes to understanding the factors influencing knowledge retention in corporate training contexts and provides practical insights for organizations seeking to optimize their training programs.

This study examines how structured procedures and psychological safety can enhance six sigma processes’ effectiveness and foster individual creativity within an organization.

This study employs a novel methodological approach, combining structural equation modeling (SEM) and multi-value qualitative comparative analysis (mvQCA).This combination gave us a unique lens through which to view the complex connections between the constructs that were the subject of the investigation.

The results substantiate that a well-structured six sigma approach, paired with a psychologically safe environment, fosters knowledge exploration and exploitation as well as triggering conducive learning behaviors. These elements, in turn, augment individual creativity, which is found to be instrumental in boosting six sigma performance.

This study is one of the first to combine mvQCA and SEM to investigate the complex interplay between structured methods, psychological safety and individual creativity in enhancing six sigma performance. This research highlights the importance of fostering creativity in strategic management processes and the unrealized potential of combining these methods.