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Environmental degradation has emerged as one of the major limitations of industrial revolution and has led to an increased focus towards developing sustainable strategies and techniques. This paper aims to highlight the sustainability aspects of three-dimensional (3D) printing technology that helps towards a better implementation of Industry 4.0. It also aims to provide a brief picture of relationships between 3D printing, Industry 4.0 and sustainability. The major goal is to facilitate the researchers, scholars, engineers and recommend further research, development and innovations in the field.

The various enabling factors for implementation of Industry 4.0 are discussed in detail. Some barriers to incorporation of 3D Printing, its applications areas and global market scenario are also discussed. A through literature review has been done to study the detailed relationships between 3D printing, Industry 4.0 and sustainability.

The technological benefits of 3D printing are many such as weight savings, waste minimization and energy savings. Further, the production of new 3D printable materials with improved features helps in reducing the wastage of material during the process. 3D printing if used at a large scale would help industries to implement the concept of Industry 4.0.

This paper focuses on discussing technological revolution under Industry 4.0 and incorporates 3D printing-type technologies that largely change the product manufacturing scenario. The interrelationships between 3D printing, Industry 4.0 and sustainability have been discussed.

To explore the role of digital leadership in fostering strategic agility, innovation adaptivity, organizational agility and resilience in the context of digital transformation.

Following an interpretive case study approach and using a thematic data analysis technique, we conducted 20 in-depth interviews with digital leaders from five different media firms across the UAE.

The findings reveal that digital leaders are central to developing and executing digital strategies that enhance organizational agility and competitive edge, particularly in firms’ digital transformation. Digital leaders catalyze innovation and adaptability, ensuring the organization’s readiness for technological and market shifts. Moreover, digital leaders are instrumental in fostering an environment that promotes continuous learning, technological integration and a culture of change, which drives organizational agility and resilience.

The originality of this study lies in its focused examination of digital leadership within the UAE’s media sector, offering new insights into how digital leadership drives strategic agility, innovation adaptivity, organizational agility and resilience in a regionally specific digital transformation context. Our findings contribute to the broader academic and practical understanding of digital transformation in the media industry.

The paper aims to propose an optimized handover necessity estimation scheme for a mobile terminal (MT) traversing from a third-generation (3G) cellular network into the wireless local area network (WLAN) cell for reducing the number of handover failures and unnecessary handovers.

The proposed optimized handover necessity estimation scheme comprises of two algorithms – a “travelling time prediction” reliant on consecutive received signal strength (RSS) measurements and MT’s velocity, and a “time threshold estimation” depending on the handover latency, WLAN’s cell radius, tolerable handover failure probability and the tolerable unnecessary handover probability.

Our performance analysis reveals that the suggested mechanism effectively minimizes the number of handover failures and unnecessary handovers by 60 per cent as compared to the already proposed schemes in the literature.

The convergence of Internet and wireless mobile communication accompanied by a massive increase in the number of cellular subscribers has led mobility management to emerge as a significant and challenging domain for wireless mobile communication over the Internet. Mobility management enables serving networks to locate roaming terminals for the call delivery (location management) and ensures a seamless connection as MT enters into the new service area (handover management). In this manuscript, an optimized handover necessity estimation scheme has been envisaged for reducing the probability of handover failures and unnecessary handovers from 3G cellular networks to WLANs to provide optimal network utilization along with an enhanced user satisfaction. Performance analysis reveals that the suggested scheme yields enhanced results as compared to the schemes already proposed in the literature.

This study aims to explore supply chain disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic in the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector in Oman. This study analyzes the impact on selected supply chain drivers – facilities, inventory, transportation and sourcing. It further intends to explore whether the supply chain challenges faced by the SME sector in Oman impact their overall performance.

This study follows the quantitative technique of structural equation modeling to examine the proposed hypotheses. Data were collected electronically from SME managers/owners/entrepreneurs. All items were adopted and measured using a five-point Likert scale. One hundred and four complete and usable responses were received and considered.

The data was analyzed using SPSS and PLS statistical software. The model has been supported empirically, and the results showed a significant relationship between supply chain drivers and SMEs’ overall performance in Oman, except for supply chain inventory. The results have demonstrated that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the SMEs’ supply chain drivers in Oman and, consequently, their overall performance.

The results of this research can drive the development and implementation of a supply chain management strategy. This research will help policymakers induce the performance of SMEs affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It would further enhance strategic sourcing and supplier performance considering the developed practices associated with the resource-based view.

The originality of the current study lies in its ability to empirically test two models within the Omani SMEs context while considering the supply chain drivers as a single variable or dividing it into four separate independent variables. This study would provide a preview for scholars for such empirical investigation and serve as a reference for policymakers and practitioners to maintain a management system of crises that may protect the SME supply chain drivers.

This study aims to measure the level of public awareness about the threat of the emerging coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic among the Omani population. It also aims to investigate the mediating effect of the Omanis’ attitudes and behaviors with underlying conditions of COVID-19.

A cross-sectional study was conducted to collect data via an online survey of Omani citizens and residents from various geographic areas in Oman, 305 responses were received. SPSS and partial least square-structural equation modeling were used for data analysis.

The study revealed that public awareness regarding the COVID-19 pandemic was significantly influenced by people’s perceived risk, information source and health-related knowledge. Further, preventive behavior during the disease spread has a significant direct and indirect impact on their awareness. However, an insignificant mediation effect of public attitude was found between the source of information and public awareness.

This study is limited by the scarcity of related literature in the Omani context. It is recommended that future research complete an in-depth study of public awareness regarding COVID-19, using other constructs and/or other data collection techniques.

This research will provide governmental health authorities and policymakers with a guideline to establish more efficient pandemic containment strategies to control public behavior toward the COVID-19 pandemic and curb viral prevalence.

This research will help in improving prevention measures against COVID-19 are recommended to be more educated through a more effective mechanism to raise public attitude regarding pandemic prevalence positively.

The originality of this research can be drawn from key findings that indicate that people overall gained knowledge about how to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and the accuracy of information significantly impacts public awareness.

This paper aims to review the critical challenges and factors influencing the successful adoption of electronic learning (e-learning) systems in higher educational institutions before and during the current propagation of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

This study undertook a literature review concerning the in-depth revision of previous studies published in 2020 and 2021. A total of 100 out of 170 selected research papers were adopted to identify and recognise the factors restricting the application of e-learning systems.

The findings determine and illuminate the most challenging factors that impact the successful application of online learning, particularly during the wide propagation of the COVID-19 pandemic. The review of the literature provides evidence that technological, organisational and behavioural issues constitute significant drivers that frontier the facilitation of the e-learning process in higher educational institutions.

The current paper suggests a guide for managers and scholars in educational institutions and acts as a roadmap for practitioners and academics in the educational field and policymakers as this research spotlights the significant factors challenging the e-learning process before and during the pandemic crisis.

The provided in-depth literature review in this research will support the researchers and system designers with a comprehensive review and recent studies conducted before and during the COVID-19 pandemic considering the factors limiting the e-learning process. This paper formulates a valuable contribution to the body of knowledge that will assist the stakeholders in the higher educational institutions' context.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-02-2022-0085.

The literature has not yet delved sufficiently deeper into the holistic relationship between organisational culture and agile project management. This paper aims to address this literature gap by delineating the specifics of why and how organisational culture affects agile project management.

This paper addresses this literature gap by conducting a systematic literature review of empirical research investigating how organisational culture affects agile project management. This paper draws on the competing values framework to explain how various dimensions of organisational culture influence the technical and social streams of agile project management.

The findings underscored the detrimental effects of hierarchical culture, characterised by rigid organisational structures, formal communication with management and resistance to change acceptance, on both the technical and social aspects of agile projects. In contrast, the positive impact of group culture on the social aspect was evident through employee empowerment and teamwork. Moreover, the rational culture dimension demonstrated favourable effects on both streams, emphasising market knowledge, financial development and business opportunities. Finally, the developmental culture dimension supported customer collaboration, knowledge sharing and innovation.

The focus on the “mutability” of organisational culture has led to four research propositions delineating specific ways of cultivating organisational culture to be more conducive to agile projects, marking a first in the academic literature.

This study aims to investigate how the service quality provided by distribution companies (DISCOs) impacts consumer satisfaction, focusing on the mediating role of regulatory effectiveness as governed by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) in Pakistan’s power sector.

A quantitative research design was used, with data collected via online surveys from domestic electricity consumers of five DISCOs in Punjab, Pakistan. Data analysis was performed using SPSS-25 and SmartPLS-4 software.

The results indicate that service quality significantly affects both consumer satisfaction and regulatory effectiveness, with regulatory effectiveness positively mediating the relationship between service quality and consumer satisfaction.

The limitations of this study include a cross-sectional design and multistage sampling, which may introduce bias and inadequately represent diverse demographics. Future research should involve commercial users, use longitudinal designs and adopt mixed methods for deeper insights. Nevertheless, the findings emphasize the mediating role of regulatory effectiveness in linking service quality to consumer satisfaction, highlighting the importance of governance in the electricity sector.

The findings offer valuable insights for policymakers, DISCO managers and regulatory bodies, underscoring the need to enhance service quality and regulatory practices to improve consumer satisfaction. Collaboration between DISCOs and NEPRA is recommended to address inefficiencies and governance issues, focusing on infrastructure development, transparency and accountability to enhance the consumer experience in Pakistan’s electricity sector.

This study contributes to the literature by introducing regulatory effectiveness as a mediator between service quality and consumer satisfaction within the power sector, guided by institutional theory.

A majority of higher education institutions (HEIs) in Oman, and internationally, have adopted English as the language of education, driven by its power and its globally accepted status as the language of knowledge and communication. Such an internationalisation policy has been inadequately evaluated to examine its actual effects. This paper aims at analysing the existing literature with a view to hypothesise the effects of adopting English as a medium of instruction (EMI) on establishing intellectual capital in the Omani context.

The paper employs a case study design that draws on data generated through a systematic review of 94 peer-reviewed papers that are synthesised using thematic analysis.

The findings indicate that EMI negatively affects the optimal creation of intellectual capital through limiting access to HE, hindering knowledge transfer, impeding Omanis' employability and hindering faculty's professional growth. EMI leads HEIs to mirror the supplying countries' cultures in terms of materials, ideologies and standards. It affects teaching and research quality, training and communication, the sense of equity, belonging and self-worth amongst students and the relationships amongst faculty members. It also increases reliance on external stakeholders.

The paper highlights the interconnection between the forms of intellectual capital and how some components are antecedents to the creation of the intellectual capital forms. It establishes the moderating role the language of instruction plays in relation to the three sub forms of intellectual capital in higher education.

The paper calls for maximising higher education intellectual capital through adopting bilingual rather than monolingual higher education. It calls upon policymakers to revisit the assumptions underlying higher education systems in order to optimise their outcomes.

The paper is the first one that sheds light on the role of language in intellectual capital construction. Such a moderating role has received almost no attention in the higher education literature that is largely busy quantifying its outcomes rather than ensuring they are actually sustainably generated.

This research explores the effect of e-learning Moodle-based system usability on students' learning outcomes with the possible intervening role of teacher's behavior and online engagement.

In this research, the authors followed a quantitative methodology and a deductive research approach. Data were collected from 433 students at different study levels and academic specializations in higher education institutions (HEIs) in Oman. The data have been analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling via Smart-PLS.

The findings of this research show that e-learning system usability affects students' learning outcomes. Moreover, the relationship between these two variables is mediated by teacher behavior and students' online engagement.

This study is important as it adds to the understanding of the role of e-learning system usability in predicting student outcomes. From practical perspectives, especially during the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study also helps practitioners at private HEIs use e-learning systems more efficiently and effectively to improve students' engagement and learning outcomes.