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The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) practices on both competitive advantage (CA) and organizational performance (OP) in the manufacturing sector in Ethiopia.

Data for the study were collected from a sample of 221 manufacturing companies operating in the four manufacturing groups/sectors in Ethiopia. In addition, data analysis was performed using the partial least squares method, which is a variance-based Structural Equation Modeling approach in the Smart-PLS software version (SmartPLS 4.0).

Based on the statistical analysis of the collected data, it demonstrates that SSCM has a significant and positive impact on both competitive advantage and organizational performance. Furthermore, statistical findings offer proof of the clear connection between competitive advantage and organizational performance. Moreover, competitive advantage indirectly mediates the relationship between SSCM and OP.

The primary limitation of this research is its reliance on a cross-sectional design. The generalizability of the findings obtained from the present study may be hindered. The variable under investigation in this research assessed organizational performance, a concept that is widely acknowledged to be extremely dynamic.

The study provides managers and researchers with valuable information on Sustainable Supply Chain Management strategies and how they influence competitive advantage and organizational performance in commercial and industrial environments.

This paper adds to the body of knowledge by providing new data and empirical insights into the relationship between SSCM practices and the performance of manufacturing companies in Ethiopia.

This study aims to characterize the lubrication condition under sliding-rolling contact using three indicators, including the oil film thickness and two perpendicular (vertical and tangential) vibrations. The lubrication deterioration can then be detected when sliding occurs in rolling contact.

An experimental study is presented to identify the lubrication deterioration under sliding-rolling contact. Sliding-rolling experiments with controlled loads, slip ratios and speeds are carried out on a roller-ring test rig. The deterioration of lubrication condition is analyzed by the transient oil film thickness and two perpendicular vibration signals, respectively.

The oil film thickness and the vibration signal play different roles in characterizing different lubrication deterioration conditions. Specifically, the degree of lubrication deterioration with slight solid-contact is indicated by the rapid reduction in oil film thickness. The degree of lubrication deterioration with severe solid-contact is reflected by two perpendicular (vertical and tangential) vibrations. Furthermore, the tangential vibration can indicate the occurrence of sliding in rolling contact.

A full characterization of the lubrication deterioration under sliding-rolling contact can be accomplished by integrating both the oil film thickness and two perpendicular vibration monitoring.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-07-2024-0244/

This study aims to examine the combinations of internal and external knowledge flows between research and development (R&D) incumbents and start-ups in the context of open innovation. While there is a growing body of knowledge that has examined how, in a knowledge economy, a firm’s knowledge and innovation activities are closely linked, there is no systematic review available of the key antecedents, perspectives, phenomenon and outcomes of knowledge spillovers.

The authors have conducted dual-stage research. First, the authors conducted a systematic review of literature (97 research articles) by following the theories–contexts–methods framework and the antecedent-phenomenon-outcomes logic. The authors identified the key theories, contexts, methods, antecedents, phenomenon and outcomes of knowledge spillovers between R&D-driven incumbents and start-ups in the open innovation context. In the second stage, the findings of stage one were leveraged to advance a nomological network that depicts the strength of the relationship between the observable constructs that emerged from the review.

The findings demonstrate how knowledge spillovers can help incumbent organisations and start-ups to achieve improved innovation capabilities, R&D capacity, competitive advantage and the creation of knowledge ecosystems leading to improved firm performance. This study has important implications for practitioners and managers – it provides managers with important antecedents of knowledge spillover (knowledge capacities and knowledge types), which directly impact the R&D intensity and digitalisation driving open innovation. The emerging network showed that the antecedents of knowledge spillovers have a direct relationship with the creation of a knowledge ecosystem orchestrated by incumbents and that there is a very strong influence of knowledge capacities and knowledge types on the selection of external knowledge partners/sources.

This study has important implications for practitioners and managers. In particular, it provides managers with important antecedents of knowledge spillover (knowledge capacities and knowledge types), which directly impact the R&D intensity and digitalisation driving open innovation. This will enable managers to take important decisions about what knowledge capacities are required to achieve innovation outcomes. The findings suggest that managers of incumbent firms should be cautious when deciding to invest in knowledge sourcing from external partners. This choice may be driven by the absorptive capacity of the incumbent firm, market competition, protection of intellectual property and public policy supporting innovation and entrepreneurship.

Identification of the key antecedents, phenomenon and outcomes of knowledge spillovers between R&D-driven incumbents and start-ups in the open innovation context. The findings from Stage 1 helped us to advance a nomological network in Stage 2, which identifies the strength and influence of the various observable constructs (identified from the review) on each other. No prior study, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, has advanced a nomological network in the context of knowledge spillovers between R&D-driven incumbents and start-ups in the open innovation context.

This study serves a dual purpose. First, it aims to explore the phase-wise progression that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups must undertake to become successful ecosystem partners, supporting large industrial firms in their circular transition. Second, it seeks to examine how these small firms manage change and foster collaborative cultures through strategies enabled by positive organizational scholarship (POS) during their phased evolution.

This study provides empirical evidence through a multiple case study-based approach involving 12 born-circular SMEs/startups from 5 diverse Indian industrial sectors. Insights were gathered by conducting two rounds of semi-structured interviews with 24 participants and one validatory seminar with eight participants.

This research identified three distinct and complementary phases – compare, compete and collaborate – that SMEs/startups can undergo to emerge as successful ecosystem partners. Each phase encompasses specific business practices, including various circular activities. These activities serve as clear indicators of the smaller firms’ potential competence in aiding larger firms during their circular transitions.

This paper contributes to the theoretical understanding of the circular economy by outlining a trajectory for SMEs/startups to establish successful partnerships. Another contribution is the application of POS as a positive change management paradigm to facilitate circularity. Additionally, the study highlights the context of developing nations, which remain underexplored compared to their developed counterparts in circularity initiatives.

This study identifies a methodology to explore the issues of enterprise innovation ecosystem health (EIEH).

First, this study constructs the indicator system of EIEH based on the research objective; second, the dynamic vertical projection method (DVPM) and entropy weight method are proposed to analyze the status and influencing factors of EIEH; finally, the future development of EIEH is analyzed using GM (1,1).

In terms of methodology, the DVPM can effectively analyze EIEH, which can not only analyze the development status and potential of EIEH every year but also analyze the comprehensive state of EIEH for many years. In terms of practice, the value and grade of EIEH in China have been gradually increasing from 2016 to 2020, but the overall development is unbalanced, and five key factors affecting EIEH have been identified. The EIEH in China is predicted to steadily grow from 2021 to 2025.

The analytical method employed in this study can effectively analyze EIEH, which provides a new analytical perspective for the evaluation of EIEH and enriches the research content of the enterprise innovation ecosystem (EIE). By analyzing the results, we can gain a comprehensive understanding of the state of different EIEs, enabling each EIE to design tailored remedial measures to enhance EIEH and achieve sustainable development.

Drawing upon the cognitive-affective processing system (CAPS) framework, the current study proposes a dual-pathway model that suggests self-serving leadership has a positive influence on employee knowledge hiding. The study also examines the mediating effects of relative deprivation and emotional exhaustion, as well as the moderating effect of political skill, to provide a comprehensive understanding of these relationships.

This study employed two-wave time-lagged survey data collected from 644 employees in 118 teams within a company based in Shenzhen, China. Moreover, hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was used to test the hypothesized relationships.

The results indicated that self-serving leadership positively influenced employee knowledge hiding, and this relationship was mediated by relative deprivation and emotional exhaustion. Additionally, political skill was found to negatively moderate both the direct relationship between self-serving leadership and relative deprivation and emotional exhaustion, and the indirect path from self-serving leadership to employee knowledge hiding through relative deprivation and emotional exhaustion.

This study makes a unique contribution to the knowledge management literature in several ways. First, it introduces self-serving leadership as a predictor of employee knowledge hiding, expanding the current understanding of this phenomenon. Second, it offers a novel conceptualization, suggesting that employees coping with self-serving leadership may experience relative deprivation and emotional exhaustion, and these factors can predict their engagement in knowledge hiding. Third, the research findings on the moderating role of political skill push the boundaries of the knowledge-hiding literature, providing new insights into the conditions under which this behavior occurs.

Current research in the field of behavioural finance has attempted to discover behavioural biases and their characteristics in individual investors’ irrational decision-making. This study aims to find out how biases in information based on knowledge affect decisions about investments.

In step one, through existing research and consultation with specialists, 13 relevant items covering major aspects of bias were determined. In the second step, multiple linear regression and artificial neural network were used to analyse the data of 337 retail investors.

The investment choice was heavily impacted by regret aversion, followed by loss aversion, overconfidence and the Barnum effect. It was observed that the Barnum effect has a statistically significant negative link with investing choices. The research also found that investors’ fear of making mistakes and their tendency to be too sure of themselves were the most significant factors in their decisions about where to put their money.

This research contributes to the expansion of the knowledge base in behavioural finance theory by highlighting the significance of cognitive psychological traits in how leading investors end up making irrational decisions. Portfolio managers, financial institutions and investors in developing markets may all significantly benefit from the information offered.

This research is a one-of-a-kind study, as it analyses the emotional biases along with the cognitive biases of investor decision-making. Investor decisions generally consider the shadowy side of knowledge management.

Based on social exchange theory and self-determination theory, this study explores the influence mechanism of empowering leadership on employees’ creative deviance and innovation performance.

The data were collected from 312 employees on Internet and other high-tech corporation in China. Hierarchical linear regression models and bootstrapping analysis outlined by Hayes were used to test the hypotheses.

Empowering leadership is positively correlated with employees’ innovation performance (EIP), and employees’ creative deviance plays an intermediary role in the above relationship. Power distance positively moderates the relationship between empowering leadership and employees’ creative deviance. Time pressure moderates the moderating effect of power distance on empowering leadership and employees’ creative deviance.

This study advances the empowering leadership and employees’ innovation performance by establishing creative deviance as the mediator. This study is also helpful to clarify the role of time press and power distance as boundary condition in the relationship between empowering leadership and employees’ creative deviance, which have certain reference significance for organization practices.

This study aims to explore the use of modified graphene (MG) in copper wire drawing lubricants to enhance their friction-reducing and anti-wear capabilities.

Graphene was modified using oleic and stearic acids to improve its dispersibility in lubricants. Various concentrations of MG were then introduced into a copper wire drawing lubricant to investigate their tribological performance. Wear mechanisms were evaluated with scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS).

The best concentration of MG is 1.5 Wt.%, at which the copper wire drawing oil exhibits a friction coefficient and wear rate of 0.085 and 2.11 × 10⁻⁶ mm³/Nm, respectively, representing decreases of 22.7% and 47.6% compared to the base oil. It was further found that the addition of 1.5 Wt.% MG to a copper wire drawing fluid with a water content of 70% resulted in a 30.3% reduction in friction coefficient compared to the base oil. Raman spectroscopy and EDS analysis confirmed that the MG tribo-film formed on the worn copper disc effectively minimized friction and wear.

This study analyzes the tribological performance of different concentrations of MG in copper wire drawing oils, establishing a basis for the application of MG in copper wire drawing fluids.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-10-2024-0399/

This study aims to propose a comprehensive framework for assessing circular economy (CE) performance in the agri-food sector. It identifies those indicators that should be used to measure circularity regarding CE strategies, applies them at a microeconomic level and examines the impact of key business determinants (financial, internalization, knowledge, awareness and digitalization).

A literature review was conducted with a focus on CE strategies and related indicators. The framework obtained is applied on a Spanish agri-food sector survey to provide an empirical CE analysis at firm level. A partial least squares based-structural equation modelling method is applied.

The research suggests a set of circularity indicators to assess CE strategies at micro level. The findings reveal the heterogeneity of CE sub-indicators related to narrowing, slowing, closing and regenerating strategies. It also highlights the strong effects that the drivers tested have on CE, especially awareness and knowledge.

This study provides a framework that can guide public policies and business decisions in sectors with significant environmental impacts. It provides a conceptual framework that explains which CE indicators should be considered by governments and regulators when developing policies that seek to promote circular strategies.

In the case of companies, the results show that acquiring more environmental awareness and knowledge is essential for promoting more sustainable work habits that enhance CE.

The paper offers a novel contribution to the CE literature by introducing a multidimensional indicator framework comprehensively applied to the agri-food sector, integrating miscellaneous pillars of circular strategies and business determinants.