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This chapter examines the significant role of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and blockchain technology in fostering a sustainable economy in the metaverse. Blockchain allows the saving and transfer of decentralized and secure data. As a primary component of the metaverse economy, NFTs are distinct and secure virtual assets saved on the blockchain. These assets facilitate possessing, trading, and monetizing digital assets. These advancing technologies have also revolutionized the method by which creators and artists test and exchange their digital work, introducing a novel period of ownership and value in the digital realm. However, the negative environmental effects of some blockchain technologies constitute a considerable constraint, pushing a shift to a sustainable economy. Platforms like The Sandbox have implemented initiatives to address environmental concerns. As a case study, The Sandbox play-to-earn model with tokenized assets showcases its ability to create value and encourage user participation. It shows the ability of NFTs and blockchain to support a sustainable economy.

This paper aims to inquire into the awareness of Vietnamese architects about design for safety (DfS) and the level of engagement in applying DfS among them to get a generic view of the implementation of DfS in Vietnam.

Quantitative research was used, in which a questionnaire was sent to Vietnamese architects to evaluate how they consider and apply DfS in the design process. Inferential and descriptive statistics then analysed the obtained data to identify the role of each factor.

The results from the survey conclude that Vietnamese architects have low engagement in applying DfS despite their high awareness and positive attitude towards DfS. Besides, the participants showed the need for further DfS education and training, which is lacking in Vietnamese formal education. In addition, the research also confirms that DfS education and training have positive impacts on the frequency of DfS implementation in Vietnam.

This research contributes to the knowledge of DfS implementation in developing countries. In line with this, further studies on the DfS concept in developing countries are needed to draw a more objective overview and give the solution for the low DfS appliance.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study inquiring into the implication of DfS in Vietnam, contributing to improving the lack of knowledge in this field in developing countries and Vietnam in particular.

Building information modeling (BIM) is a popular technology in modern construction, but its implementation faces numerous difficulties, which are known as problematic issues of BIM implementation (PIBIs). This study aims to identify and analyze PIBIs based on the perceptions of practitioners in Vietnamese BIM-implemented construction contractors and similar BIM adoption-level countries.

The research is conducted in three stages. After a comprehensive literature review, PIBIs are identified and ranked based on the Delphi method and questionnaire survey. Next, interpretive structural modeling (ISM) is used to provide a hierarchy of system PIBIs. Finally, the driving and dependence power of PIBIs are determined using Fuzzy-Matrice d'Impacts Croisés-Multiplication Appliquée à un Classement (MICMAC) analysis.

This study evaluates 32 PIBIs for small and medium contractors (SMCs) and 28 PIBIs for large contractors (LCs) in Vietnam. This study also develops a systematic framework for contextual relationships and analyzes the relationships among PIBIs using ISM-Fuzzy MICMAC analysis. The results show that different standards or techniques, modeling software limitations and information management significantly impacted LCs, while a lack of senior leadership support and incompatible software affected SMCs, causing other PIBIs.

This study is among the first attempts to investigate the problematic issues emerging during the BIM implementation process at the organizational level in Vietnam as well as other developing countries. The study results could be considered valuable references for BIM practitioners. Furthermore, this knowledge can enable contractors to avoid problems while adopting BIM, thereby increasing their ability to implement BIM successfully and using critical resources more efficiently.

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the role of organizational culture in creating a supportive environment for business model innovation (BMI) by focusing on the mediating role of strategic flexibility and the moderating effect of technological capability.

To achieve this objective an empirical survey was conducted among 379 participant firms in Greece. CFA and finally hierarchical regression analysis were performed to validate the data and examine the hypothesized relationships.

The results show that strategic flexibility mediates the relationship between organizational culture and BMI. The effect of organizational culture on strategic flexibility is stronger for firms with increased technological capability.

Data were collected at only one point in time from one country, Greece. This might pose limitations on the generalizability of our results. Furthermore, we did not explore many internal or external mediating or moderating factors in the relationship between organizational culture and BMI.

Managers should consider incorporating a suitable organizational culture into their strategies to enable them improve their strategic flexibility, which further promotes BMI.

The current state of knowledge of both theory and practice for critical organizational factors such as organizational culture, strategic flexibility, BMI and technological capability will be extended.

This study evaluates the reliability of a multi-state system (MSS) with n components, each having two s-dependent components via copulas.

The study employs copula functions to model dependencies between components in an MSS. Specifically, it analyzes a (1,1)-out-of-n three-state system using Frank and Clayton copulas for reliability evaluation. A simulation-based case study of a micro-inverter solar panel system is also conducted using the Farlie–Gumbel–Morgenstern (FGM) copula.

The study finds that incorporating component dependencies significantly impacts the reliability of multi-state systems. Using Frank and Clayton copulas, the analysis shows how dependency structures alter system performance compared to independent models. The case study on a micro-inverter solar panel system, using the FGM copula, demonstrates that real-world systems with dependent components exhibit different performances. Also some effects of dependence parameters on the performance characteristics of the system such as mean residual lifetime and mean past lifetime are also examined.

This study is original in its use of copula functions to evaluate the performance of multi-state systems, particularly focusing on a (1,1)-out-of-n three-state system with dependent components. By applying Frank and Clayton copulas, the research advances reliability analysis by considering component dependencies, often overlooked in traditional models. Additionally, a case study on a micro-inverter solar panel system using the FGM copula highlights the practical application of these methods.

This study aims to identify the strategic factors and their effects on the post-cross-border acquisitions (CBA) technological innovation performance of the acquiring firms. It develops a hierarchical model to examine the interrelationship between identified strategic factors such as strategic flexibility, strategic ambidexterity, environmental dynamism, etc.

This study uses modified total interpretive structural modeling qualitative methodology (m-TISM) to develop a hierarchical model and conducts a Matrice d’impacts croisés multiplication appliquée á un classment (MICMAC) analysis to show the interrelationship between strategic factors affects the acquirer’s post-CBA technological innovation performance. It determines the autonomous, dependent, linkage and independent strategic factors. It further uses comparative case analysis to empirically examine the strategic factors in real-time CBA situations.

This study shows the m-TISM-based hierarchical model highlighting the interrelation, level of autonomy, dependence and linkage among strategic factors affecting the acquirer’s post-CBA technological innovation performance. It suggests that strategic factors such as environmental dynamism, R&D competence, innovation capability and technological capability are largely autonomous and have significant driving power, whereas strategic ambidexterity and strategic flexibility are the connecting factors. post-M&A integration is the governing factor for technological innovation performance in CBA.

The strategists and practitioners could evaluate the key strategic factors having significant driving power for strategy formulation and implementing efficient policies. By implementing the m-TISM model acquiring a firm’s post-CBA performance can be enhanced. Future researchers might utilize quantitative methods like regression and structural equation modeling in the CBA context.

This study uses a novel m-TISM and MICMAC approach to identify the driving and dependent factors affecting post-CBA technological innovation performance. It further provides a detailed theoretical and conceptual understanding relating to the philosophy and establishes an interrelation amongst these under-researched strategic factors in CBA.

The purpose of the present study is to explore the factors affecting young consumers’ purchase intention towards organic food products (OFPs) and gain a comprehensive understanding of the various factors that influence how consumers perceive and respond to organic food. Therefore, this study frames and validates the measurement scale to examine the factors that may impact purchase intention among young consumers in India.

In order to frame and validate the measurement scale for this investigation, sophisticated statistical procedures such as exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and other statistical measures utilizing SPSS v.26 and AMOS v.24 were used. This study utilized 307 samples to investigate.

The main findings of the study show that Indian consumers' intent to buy organic food items is strongly associated with factors such as “warm glow”, “cultural values”, “environmental cognition”, “natural experience”, “food safety concern”, “self-identity” and “environmental ethics”. These factors explained 69.14% of the overall variance in research variables.

The present offers a novel measurement mechanism for exploring the green consumer behaviour. By applying it in real-world settings, marketers will gain insights and develop more effective, targeted strategies to promote OFPs among young Indian consumers.

The study brings together a diverse set of antecedents that have not been collectively analysed in the context of consumer purchase intention for OFPs. The emphasis on environmental ethics, green self-identity and related constructs aligns with the growing global emphasis on sustainability.

This paper aims to examine the relationship between the readability of annual reports and corporate performance in Chinese listed firms.

This research examined the annual report readability factors of Chinese listed companies by using a textual analysis method using Python to extract the text from the annual reports, convert it into numerical form to facilitate statistical analysis and then merge the results with data from the Chinese stock market to explain the impact on corporate performance and predict future earnings in the Chinese financial markets from 2008 to 2021.

Study findings indicate that firms with better financial reporting readability are more profitable, incur lower agency costs and have low earnings in the Chinese stock markets when readability is low (i.e. more complexity and length of annual reports). It was also found that when a listed company has a good performance, it prefers to use a short space to explain its operating and financial status. More generally, the means of the report length are short, and accounting terms are used less frequently; in the case of a poor company, the annual report is particularly long and accounting terms are more frequently used. In the context of the COVID-19 crisis, this study served as a proxy measure of returns prior to the announcement of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, an instrumental variable approach is used, which helps results to remain robust and control for fixed effects and potential endogeneity problems.

Although this study’s results cannot be generalised globally because of their limited scope, they can still be generalised across non-English speaking countries. Thus, future cross-country research is encouraged to examine the textual analysis of financial reports across those countries.

This study conveys two messages to investors and policymakers within the Chinese market. First, investors ought to pay greater attention to the nonfinancial information contained in annual reports to improve the accuracy of their predictions regarding future firm performance. Second, Chinese policymakers are encouraged to instate a policy for the use of plain English in annual reports to make them more readable by international investors.

This study contributes to the paucity of research that examines English-written annual reports in non-English speaking countries by examining the readability of annual reports in the Chinese market.

The article aims to investigate how washing practices focused on appeasing sceptics of diversity work in for-profit organizations play out in corporate online communication of diversity and inclusion efforts, and how these enable communication to a wide audience that includes social equity advocates.

Online corporate communication data of diversity and inclusion themes were compiled from the websites of eight Swedish-based multinational corporations. The data included content from the companies’ official websites and annual reports and sustainability reports as well as diversity and inclusion-themed blog posts. A thematic analysis was conducted on the website content.

The study showcases how tensions between conflicting external demands are navigated by keeping the communication open to several interpretations and thereby achieving multivocality. In the studied corporate texts on diversity and inclusion, this is achieved by alternating between elements catering to a business case audience and those that appeal to a social justice audience, with some procedures managing to appease both audiences at the same time.

The article complements previously described forms of washing by introducing an additional type of washing – business case washing – an articulation of the business case rhetoric that characterizes the diversity management discourse. While much has been written about washing to satisfy advocates of social change and equity, washing to appease shareholders and boardroom members, who are focused on profit and economic growth, has received less attention. The article suggests that online corporate communication on diversity and inclusion, by appeasing diverse audiences, can be seen as aspirational talk.

The purpose of this study is to examine the association between audit committee expertise and asymmetric information in the US equity market.

The authors use measures of information asymmetry for 705 US firms (5,260 firm-year observations) over the period from 2007 to 2018, and use the theory of expertise (Ericsson and Smith, 1991) to examine the association between audit committee financial expertise and information asymmetry. The authors use multiple econometric approaches such as firm fixed-effect regression and two-stage ordinary least squares regression to control for possible endogeneity and reverse causality and find that the results remain the same.

The authors find that the existence of an audit committee with financial expertise is negatively and significantly associated with information asymmetry. The authors further provide empirical evidence through which audit committee financial expertise affects the firm’s informational environment. Additional analysis supports the argument that the audit committee’s financial expertise enhances the firm’s informational environment by increasing (decreasing) analyst following (dispersion).

One limitation to consider, like most studies on audit committees, is that the authors do not examine the actual role performed by the audit committee. The authors focus on the characteristics stipulated by the Sarbanes–Oxley Act 2002 and stock exchange rules regarding the financial expertise of audit committee members only.

This study is useful to policy makers, standard setters, investors, activists, managers, lenders and various stakeholders who rely on the financial statements of firms with an expert audit committee on board. The outcome of this study promotes recruiting audit committees with financial expertise due to the assumed benefits of this trait to the US firm.

The results of this study are not event-dependent and therefore have persistent effects, which is important to the evaluation of the usefulness of a regulation. This study promotes recruiting audit committees with financial expertise on boards because of the assumed benefits to the firm and investors.

This study is the first to document that financial expertise of audit committee characteristics is not only negatively related to the magnitude of information asymmetry but also driven by the financial expertise of audit committee members rather than chairs.