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THOMAS FINCK IS SAVORING success. When the oilman‐financier arrived in Dallas two years ago to take the helm of Triton Energy Corp., the company was sitting on one of the biggest oil discoveries of the decade—and courting financial ruin. In the vernacular of the oil industry, tiny Triton and its partners had found an “elephant” in the Andean foothills of Colombia in 1991. The giant Cusiana field and a subsequent nearby discovery were worth more than $1 billion to Triton.

The purpose of this study is to study the evolution of French corporate governance law in light of collibration approach and bring statistical evidence from French Companies Executive Compensation practices.

The study has used mixed methods. In the first part, the authors analyzed the French laws in the light of collibration. In the second part of the study, the authors used unbalanced panel data to test the hypotheses related to executive remuneration based on the theoretical underpinning of collibration. Data for 173 firms listed in the Euronext Paris Index is collected from the Bloomberg database. Seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) analysis is performed to investigate the impact of collibration on the governance disclosure of French-listed firms.

SUR results indicate that board size plays a significant role in the governance disclosure before collibration. However, the collibration model is found to be more effective in ensuring the desired level of governance disclosure. Under the collibration approach, executive remuneration, frequency of board meetings, executive directors in the compensation committee and independent directors play a significant role in governance disclosure. Board size, however, does not have a substantial impact on governance disclosure after the adoption of collibration mechanism.

Results provided by this study can allow regulators to improve corporate disclosure regime in France, which could play a vital role in safeguarding the interest of stakeholder.

The authors study the impact of collibration on the extent of governance disclosure in the context of France. Empirical evidence on the implication of collibration as governance mechanisms to enhance stakeholder confidence is rare and allows this study to make a unique contribution to the governance literature.

The paper posits that a solution for businesses to use privacy-friendly data repositories for its customers’ data is to change from the traditional centralized repository to a trusted, decentralized data repository. Blockchain is a technology that provides such a data repository. However, the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) assumed a centralized data repository, and it is commonly argued that blockchain technology is not usable. This paper aims to posit a framework for adopting a blockchain that follows the GDPR.

The paper uses the Levy and Ellis’ narrative review of literature methodology, which is based on constructivist theory posited by Lincoln and Guba. Using five information systems and computer science databases, the researchers searched for studies using the keywords GDPR and blockchain, using a forward and backward search technique. The search identified a corpus of 416 candidate studies, from which the researchers applied pre-established criteria to select 39 studies. The researchers mined this corpus for concepts, which they clustered into themes. Using the accepted computer science practice of privacy by design, the researchers combined the clustered themes into the paper’s posited framework.

The paper posits a framework that provides architectural tactics for designing a blockchain that follows GDPR to enhance privacy. The framework explicitly addresses the challenges of GDPR compliance using the unimagined decentralized storage of personal data. The framework addresses the blockchain–GDPR tension by establishing trust between a business and its customers vis-à-vis storing customers’ data. The trust is established through blockchain’s capability of providing the customer with private keys and control over their data, e.g. processing and access.

The paper provides a framework that demonstrates that blockchain technology can be designed for use in GDPR compliant solutions. In using the framework, a blockchain-based solution provides the ability to audit and monitor privacy measures, demonstrates a legal justification for processing activities, incorporates a data privacy policy, provides a map for data processing and ensures security and privacy awareness among all actors. The research is limited to a focus on blockchain–GDPR compliance; however, future research is needed to investigate the use of the framework in specific domains.

The paper posits a framework that identifies the strategies and tactics necessary for GDPR compliance. Practitioners need to compliment the framework with rigorous privacy risk management, i.e. conducting a privacy risk analysis, identifying strategies and tactics to address such risks and preparing a privacy impact assessment that enhances accountability and transparency of a blockchain.

With the increasingly strategic use of data by businesses and the contravening growth of data privacy regulation, alternative technologies could provide businesses with a means to nurture trust with its customers regarding collected data. However, it is commonly assumed that the decentralized approach of blockchain technology cannot be applied to this business need. This paper posits a framework that enables a blockchain to be designed that follows the GDPR; thereby, providing an alternative for businesses to collect customers’ data while ensuring the customers’ trust.

Over the past twenty years the programmable controller has been developed from a relatively simple hard‐ wired device used for controlling sequential operations to being almost a ‘computer’ in its own right capable of handling many distributed processing tasks on the factory floor in real time. This short feature takes a brief look into how Siemens is using CIM to produce programmable controllers more efficiently. Siemens has such a state‐of‐the‐art CIM‐based production line in Amberg, Germany, which is notable for the short time it took to be ‘up‐and‐running’. But why is the company increasing production in a recession? The answer is because of Far East markets, where the aggregated demand for programmable controllers is estimated to grow at some 15% per annum. Consequently, the company has changed its production techniques to gain ‘an edge’ in these burgeoning markets and in doing so has adopted heretofore Japanese attitudes to ongoing product quality.

Blockchain technology has extended beyond the border of cryptocurrency and taken hold in various areas of international business. This study aims to analyze the impacts of blockchain on international business and the resulting challenges and implications for global governance.

The analysis of multiple blockchain applications in international finance, banking and insurance, supply chain management and logistics and marketing and advertising shows that the use of blockchain in international business has different impacts on global governance.

Although the protection of property rights can be improved and transaction costs can be reduced, the effects on other functions of global governance are more ambivalent.

As a recommendation for future studies, the need for more multidisciplinary and empirical research is proposed.

As the technology disrupts business activities, it also affects the governance of these activities on a global scale. Suggestions for the future regulation of blockchain applications in international business are developed.

Blockchain technology has extended beyond the border of cryptocurrency and taken hold in various areas of international business. This study aims to analyze the impacts of blockchain on international business and the resulting challenges and implications for global governance. The application of blockchain technology in international business across multiple industries is explored in order to draw conclusions about its impacts on global governance. It is determined that blockchain brings about both challenges and benefits for global governance.

Introduction: The Covid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the organisations in the form of increased job demands which manifested through increased workload, time pressure, etc. Similarly, stress and burnout engulfed the employees. Remote work became the new normal post-pandemic. Remote workers require more engagement. This has brought Artificial Intelligence (AI) to the forefront for engaging employees in the new normal.

Purpose: With limited studies on AI-enabled employee engagement in the new normal, this study investigates and proposes a conceptual framework of employee engagement in the context of AI and its impact on organisations.

Methodology: A systematic review and meta-synthesis method is undertaken. A systematic literature review assisted in critically analysing, synthesising, and mapping the extant literature by identifying the broad themes.

Findings: Since many organisations are turning to remote work post-pandemic and remote work requires more engagement, organisations are investing in AI to boost employee engagement in the new normal. Several antecedents of employee engagement such as quality of work life, diversity and inclusion, and communication are facilitated by AI. AI helps enhance the quality of work life by playing a major role in providing fair compensation, safe and healthy working conditions, immediate opportunity to use and develop human capacities, continued growth and security, work and total life space, and social relevance of work life. This has led to positive organisational outcomes like increased productivity, employee well-being, and decreased attrition rate. Furthermore, AI helps in measuring employee engagement. The various tools of AI, such as wearable technology, digital biomarker, neural network, data mining, data analytics, machine learning (ML), natural language processing (NLP), etc., have gone a long way in engaging employees in the new normal.

Since the early 1960s, there have been different techniques to schedule linear projects, but for the most part, these have been overshadowed by the critical path method (CPM). Recently, there has been renewed interest in linear scheduling and in adapting some of the CPM techniques to linear scheduling. This necessitates a review of the research in the area of linear scheduling. The present paper provides an overview of linear scheduling, discusses the different approaches that have been used and expresses new avenues for research in the area of resource levelling of linear schedules.

Some of you may be surprised to learn of some of the inventions originating from Australian endeavours — the black box flight recorder, atomic absorption spectrophotometer, over‐the‐horizon radar, combine harvester and the all important ‘esky’ cooler, to name but a few. However, in the 1980s the Australian electronics industry found itself in somewhat of a knowledge vacuum when it came to surface mount technology. The introduction of this technology and its advancement were happening overseas and it was taking some time for the information to get down under for Australian designers and manufacturers to apply this new enabling technology.

This study aims to critically analyze existing research on blockchain technology adoption, examining the dominant models and methodologies used, the primary domains where blockchain is applied and the emerging opportunities across various sectors.

Using a methodical systematic review approach, the authors meticulously examined a pool of 1,322 collected articles, subjecting 38 studies to rigorous assessment. Through this comprehensive analysis, the authors unveiled the key models and influential factors that intricately shape the trajectory of blockchain adoption.

The primary models identified for investigating blockchain adoption were the technology acceptance model and technology–organization–environment. Apart from the core variables within these models, the pivotal determinants influencing various blockchain applications include perceived trust, perceived cost and social influence. In addition, this study highlights supply chain management as a prominent domain for blockchain application adoption.

Understanding these influential factors and models can guide practical decisions and aid stakeholders in formulating effective strategies for blockchain adoption in diverse sectors.

This study contributes to advancing the understanding of blockchain adoption dynamics by unveiling the prevalent models and determinants shaping adoption. This study offers valuable insights into the factors influencing the use and adoption of blockchain technologies across diverse sectors.

Sustainability indicators that allow integrated farm assessments have received increasing attention. However, limited evidence is available for the use of the same when assessing the agricultural sustainability of farming systems, especially in regions practising incessant monoculture. Therefore, this study aims to develop a holistic index to assess alternative farming systems based on a stock-and-flow framework.

A composite metric was developed by aggregating the economic, social and environmental indicators. The methodology involved estimation, normalisation, hierarchical weighting and progressive aggregation of indicators to form the Comprehensive Farm Assessment Index (CFAI). The CFAI was applied to assess the farming practices of 88 organic and 90 conventional farming plots across three agro-climatic zones over two cropping seasons in selected districts of Punjab, India.

Results showed statistical mean differences between the organic and conventional farming systems in terms of key production costs and income for wheat, rice and cotton crops. The normalised values of the selected social indicators were higher for the organic farming system. Similarly, in the environmental dimension, more biodiversity and less water contamination were found in organic farms. Except for paddy cultivation in the North–East region, the CFAI for organic farming is higher than that for conventional farming, even under the mono-cropping system with a single-crop rotation.

The CFAI has ubiquitous applications and can be used to assess alternate sustainable approaches and practices across crops and regions. It provides a perspective on the social viability and ecological sustainability of agriculture, which would enable contextual and effective policy analysis and implementation.