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Following calls at different times in the United States for the definition of the body of knowledge (BOK) of real estate discipline, this briefing sets out to define the intellectual boundaries of real estate and applies the definitional concept to map out the scopes of real estate professions and real estate valuation vocation

The study essentially uses a literature review to draw out definitional issues that have been tackled before. It reviews calls that have been made in the past for a definition of the BOK of the real estate discipline. Further, it reviews past attempts at definition to reveal why they failed at the definition project.

The study found three key suggestions made in the past: that there is a need to define real estate’s BOK, that there is a need to use a “central structure” to define the BOK of real estate, and that definition of the BOK of real estate should rely on the activity nodes that constitute real estate. The study has relied on these three key ideas to define real estate as the science of value creation, distribution and sustenance in built space.

The definition of the BOK will help in curriculum development for real estate education. It will help faculties and departments to single out what fits into the real estate curriculum and what does not fit in.

A definition of the BOK for real estate: reconceptualizing the discipline and delineating jurisdictional boundaries of its practice.

To evaluate the temperature-dependency of the Young’s and shear moduli of concrete after exposure to moderately elevated temperatures using the non-destructive impulse excitation technique (IET).

The study involved heating the concrete up to 225 °C and measuring the dynamic Young’s and shear moduli using the non-destructive technique of impulse excitation, which measures the natural vibration frequency from a mechanical impulse received by an acoustic sensor. The effects of temperature on the dynamic Young’s and shear moduli were analysed and the importance of the spatial variability of the measured values was also verified.

The study found that even moderately elevated temperatures (below 225 °C) resulted in a significant permanent reduction in the Young’s modulus of concrete (reduction in the range of 23%–36% for the maximum temperature considered in this research) as well as a modest and permanent reduction in the shear modulus of around 6%. It was also observed that spatial variability of the mechanical properties of concrete plays an important role in the measured values; higher dispersion of the results was found for the values of the Young’s and shear moduli of concrete measured along the height of the beam. The non-destructive test method used in this study was found to be extremely useful in the investigation of heat-related damage in concrete structures for its ease of use, low time consumption and accuracy. The results were consistent with the published literature.

This study provides important insights into the temperature-dependent behaviour of the dynamic Young’s and shear moduli of concrete and highlights the significance of proper consideration of the spatial variability of the measured values. The use of a non-destructive test method for continuous acoustic testing during heating and cooling proved to be effective, and the findings contribute to the fields of materials science and civil engineering in understanding the effects of elevated temperatures on concrete properties. The findings confirm that IET can be easily used to gather important information in the condition assessment and rehabilitation of concrete structures after a fire event. Further studies to foster the application of this technique to real structures are suggested.

This article presents a fuzzy cognitive map for the evaluation of innovation in organizations.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a model to evaluate the innovative capacity of organizations based on fuzzy cognitive maps (FCM), particularly for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). The specification of the innovation evaluation model based on FCM was carried out with the “Intelligent Decision Support System” methodology. It is a six-step methodology: selection of experts, definition of concepts and relationships, model design, inference, interpretation and decision.

Our approach yielded good results in three case studies, effectively determining the level of innovation in an organization. The fuzzy cognitive maps demonstrated a high level of accuracy, with an accuracy of 82% in the Colombian case studies and 92% in the global case studies. These results highlight the effectiveness of the model for quantitatively assessing levels of innovation within organizations. Furthermore, the study revealed the most influential and essential innovative activities/variables within organizations, contributing significantly to the improvement of their operations and competitiveness.

It is important to automate the definition of the relationships between the concepts of the context and of our FCM. It is also possible to improve the behavior of the FCM by analyzing the variables with a greater impact on the level of innovation and very dynamic in the context since they are the variables to be observed in real-time to follow the evolution of the innovative behavior of an organization.

The study found that innovative activities emerged as an influential factor in organizations, essential to improving their operations and competitiveness. Our model can help in identifying areas that require improvement to impact positively organizations. By improving innovation assessment through the FCM model, organizations can anticipate higher profitability because innovations are often closely tied to revenue generation and cost savings. The tool can determine the necessity of new products or services, improve operational processes or enter new markets.

The previous results in the literature show that although there are relevant advances on this topic, there is not enough knowledge to provide clear guidelines for evaluating innovation and improving performance in an organization using intelligent systems. Also, previous works have not defined a framework for evaluating innovation in MSMEs based on FCMs. They also do not use the data of an organization to assess the key characteristics related to innovation. This work applies FCM to automate the evaluation of the process and the capacity for innovation in an organization. These are the main differences between our approach and previous studies.

Extant studies propose music sentiment as a novel measure of individuals’ sentiment. These studies argue that individuals’ choice of music reflects their emotional condition in real time and influences their cognitive ability, making it a powerful tool for assessing their mood. This study aims to use music sentiment as a proxy for auditors’ mood and explore its impact on audit quality.

A sample of the US firms from 2017 to 2020 is used in the study. The authors apply the ordinary least squares regressions and the logit regressions to the audit quality models. The authors use absolute discretionary accruals and the propensity to meet or beat earnings forecasts as proxies for audit quality and calculate a stream-weighted average sentiment measure for Spotify’s Top-200 songs of each day during the audit period of a client firm to capture the sentiment of auditors.

The authors find that music sentiment is positively associated with audit quality. The result is consistent with the mood maintenance hypothesis, which suggests that a positive mood can induce auditors to be more careful in risky situations. Furthermore, the result is robust to various sensitivity analyses.

The study contributes to the scarce literature that focuses on auditors’ emotional state and highlights the importance of monitoring auditor mindset during the audit period.

Introduction: Globalization and customer expectations have made managing the supply chain challenging. Blockchain technology has enhanced visibility, accountability, and safety in supply Chain management (SCM), which helps overcome various issues. The research aims to provide insight into Blockchain technology for improving supply chains toward sustainability in the retail sector. This study describes how clients and merchants in various retail business activities may significantly utilize Blockchain technology. From manufacturer to consumer, blockchain can track materials. It ensures product authenticity, transparency, and retail supply chain trust. Retail items are tracked before they reach customers to assess quality and discard expired items, building client confidence. Retail personnel’ SC (Supply Chain) blockchain adoption aspirations are examined in this study.

Methodology: This study validates SCM blockchain adoption using an adjusted UTUAT (Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology) model. This study examines how blockchain adoption improves employee performance using the UTUAT Model. Data was evaluated using exploratory factor and structural equation modeling.

Result: Behavioural intention was significantly associated with BCT (Block Chain Technology) in retail SCM.

Practical Implications: The following factors influence the behavioral intent to utilize the technology: performance expectations, affect expectations, subjective standards, and favorable conditions, which have a significant impact on adoption.

Conclusion: Performance and effort assumptions affect SCM blockchain adoption behavior.

This study examines the impact of outcome uncertainty on the National Football League (NFL) secondary ticket market prices. As a demand-driven market, it is essential to comprehend how resellers respond to outcome uncertainty, one of the consumer demand factors in sports.

Using real-time ticket prices and money lines as a proxy of the probabilities of winning, this study employs a regression analysis and examines 33,554 price observations from the NFL’s secondary ticket market partner, StubHub.

The result shows a positive relationship between outcome uncertainty and secondary market ticket prices, indicating that resellers adjust the prices in response to the level of outcome uncertainty and put more value on games with greater uncertainty. This finding confirms the demand-driven nature of the secondary ticket market, as outcome uncertainty is one of the demand factors in sports.

This study links the uncertainty of outcome hypothesis with secondary ticket market pricing and fills a gap in the literature by providing an important perspective on games with uncertainty in the secondary ticket market. Outcome uncertainty has limited understanding in relation to secondary ticket market pricing despite its relationship with consumer demand. The positive relationship between outcome uncertainty and the ticket prices, grounded in real-time price data and win probability from sport betting markets, enhances our understanding of price determinations in the secondary ticket market.

Humans now enjoy a better life because of Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI has a significant impact on the creation of smart cities. Modern applications based on big data, Internet of Things (IoT) systems, and deep learning require extensive use of complex computational solutions. Thus, the following problems arise: (1) what are smart cities? (2) what is AI? (3) How is AI used in smart cities? To respond to this problem, the following objective was set: to map how AI is used in smart cities. For this purpose, a qualitative methodology based on a narrative analysis of the literature was used. It is concluded that AI and smart cities are complementary technologies that can assist cities in tackling difficult issues including public safety, transportation, energy management, environmental monitoring, and predictive maintenance. This chapter’s findings, while broadly applicable, offer valuable insights into the Gulf region’s unique context, where rapid urbanization and technological adoption intersect with cultural and environmental considerations. The integration of AI in smart cities presents a promising avenue for the Gulf region to address its specific challenges and leverage its economic and infrastructural strengths, thereby contributing to the broader goals of innovation, development, prosperity, and well-being as envisioned in the region’s Vision 2040 initiatives.

The case is primarily based on publicly available data, which includes the company website, industry reports and articles published in various media sources, as well as video-recorded interviews with the company representatives. Some factual data is fetched from or triangulated with public and licensed databases such as Statista, Crunchbase and PitchBook.

In November 2021, six years after its establishment, a Finnish food delivery platform startup, Wolt Enterprise Oy, was acquired by San Francisco-based technology company Doordash, Inc., in a staggering all-stock transaction of approximately US$8.1bn (EUR 7bn). This case invites students to analyze the international growth of a startup from its establishment toward becoming a unicorn amidst an ongoing pandemic and further toward a top-level exit deal and continuation as a subsidiary of a publicly listed multinational company. The case provides an overview of the food delivery industry and its key players and examines the challenges and opportunities faced by Wolt as it expanded to different regions, including Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The case provides a comprehensive and nuanced perspective on the strategic decisions and trade-offs that entrepreneurs face in the rapidly evolving food delivery market. By the end of this case study, students will learn about internationalization challenges and opportunities in the food delivery industry, how to navigate external shocks like COVID-19, analyze the competitiveness of a born-global startup in a competitive delivery business and evaluate the pros and cons of an acquisition deal for future international growth.

The case is designed for use in graduate courses in international business and entrepreneurship, such as internationalization of the firm and global marketing, strategies of business growth and international business strategy. A more diverse student body will be beneficial in uncovering different views on country differences, including various competitive, technological and regulative landscapes.

It provides insights into the challenges digital platforms like Wolt face when expanding globally. Students can apply theories such as the Uppsala model and platform economics while exploring how network effects and first-mover advantages influence Wolt’s competitive edge. The case also highlights localization strategies for global marketing and serves as a basis for examining valuation and integration in mergers and acquisitions. Overall, it helps students understand the unique dynamics and growth strategies in digital platform businesses worldwide. This case was classroom tested in the Internationalization of Firm and Global Marketing course for first-year master’s students of the International Business and Entrepreneurship program of LUT University Business School, Finland, during the years 2020–2023. Prior to this course, the students completed the Global Business Environment course, where they learned how to analyze forces in the external environment for further development of firm-level internationalization strategies.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the perception of real teamwork and sustainable quality culture as well as success factors for achieving a sustainable quality culture within an organisation, focusing on top management teams (TMTs). An additional purpose is to explore the relationship between real teamwork and sustainable quality culture.

A mixed-methods design focusing on TMTs was used. Four TMTs were open-sampled and located in different parts of Sweden. The data were collected through questionnaires and focus group discussions between April 2022 and December 2022. Follow-up meetings were thereafter held with the participants. A meta-analysis was conducted of the data from the four TMTs.

Two overarching conclusions of this study were: to follow the developed methodology can be one way to increase TMTs' abilities for real teamwork alongside a sustainable quality culture, and the results also showed the importance of a systems view, emotional commitment and continuous improvement for improving real teamwork and creating a sustainable quality culture.

Practical implications were suggestions on how to increase the TMTs' abilities for real teamwork alongside a sustainable quality culture. A deepened understanding of real teamwork and a sustainable quality culture was also achieved by the participants.

The novelty of this paper is the use of a new methodology for assessing teamwork and sustainable quality culture. To the authors' knowledge, no similar research has previously been performed to investigate teamwork alongside a sustainable quality culture, focusing on TMTs.

While the concept of reciprocity has gained traction in qualitative research, especially as the term relates to challenging power dynamics inherent within the research and evaluation process, a gap remains in understanding how a researcher's or elevator's cultural background shapes the way reciprocity is conceptualized and practiced. We explore how Filipino concepts connected to reciprocity (utang na loob, pakikipagkapwa, and alalay) inform the practice of Filipina American researchers and evaluators in academia. We use Sikolohiyang Pilipino and Critical Kapwa in the conceptual framework to guide our study and employ a collaborative autoethnography (CAE) methodology. We present three findings: (1) reciprocity and utang na loob as a nontransactional debt, (2) reciprocity and pakikipagkapwa as seeing the humanity in others, and (3) reciprocity and alalay as carrying the weight together. We discuss this study's implications – regarding theorizing reciprocity, using collaborative autoethnography as methodology, and reclaiming deeper ways of knowing from a critical perspective – for transforming evaluation and research practice. Specifically, through a collaborative autoethnography, we learned the importance of understanding the nuances of language (i.e., Tagalog and other Filipino languages) as a decolonizing approach to arriving at our analysis of pakikipagkapwa through kuwentuhan. Methodologies that attend to a culturally responsive evaluation and research practice – –such as CAE and kuwentuhan– – amplify the voices of silenced communities. Lastly, deeply understanding the cultural context of evaluators' and researchers' experiences and cultural identities as well as studying oneself through a collaborative autoethnography can create practices of reciprocity that have been buried by settler colonialism.