Atul Kumar Singh, Saeed Reza Mohandes, Bankole Osita Awuzie, Temitope Omotayo, V.R. Prasath Kumar and Callum Kidd
This study delves into the challenges obstructing the integration of blockchain-enabled smart contracts (BESC) in the construction industry. Its primary objective is to identify…
Abstract
Purpose
This study delves into the challenges obstructing the integration of blockchain-enabled smart contracts (BESC) in the construction industry. Its primary objective is to identify these barriers and propose a roadmap to streamline BESC adoption, thereby promoting sustainability and resilience in building engineering.
Design/methodology/approach
Employing a unique approach, this study combines the Technology-Organization-Environment-Social (TOE + S) framework with the IF-Delphi-HF-DEMATEL-IFISM methodology. Data is collected through surveys and expert interviews, enabling a comprehensive analysis of BESC implementation barriers.
Findings
The analysis reveals significant hindrances in the construction industry’s adoption of BESC. Key obstacles include economic and market conditions, insufficient awareness and education about blockchain technology among stakeholders, and limited digital technology integration in specific cultural and societal contexts. These findings shed light on the complexities faced by the industry in embracing blockchain solutions.
Originality/value
The research makes a significant contribution by combining the TOE + S framework with the IF-Delphi-HF-DEMATEL-IFISM methodology, resulting in a comprehensive roadmap to address barriers in implementing BESC in Sustainable Construction Projects. Noteworthy for its practicality, this roadmap provides valuable guidance for construction stakeholders. Its impact extends beyond the industry, influencing both academic discourse and practical applications.
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T.F. Burgess, D. McKee and C. Kidd
Addresses the research question “how is the discipline of configuration management (CM) practised in the European Aerospace industry?”
Abstract
Purpose
Addresses the research question “how is the discipline of configuration management (CM) practised in the European Aerospace industry?”
Design/methodology/approach
Uses a mixed method approach with a questionnaire survey followed by in‐depth interviews.
Findings
CM discipline relies on fragmented and diverse processes and its organisational role and contribution are undervalued. Remedying present piecemeal deployment of information technology holds out substantial opportunity for improvement.
Research limitations/implications
This exploratory research focusses on a specific industry and relies mainly on descriptive statistics. Future research could examine other industries or carry out explanatory research on CM systems in aerospace.
Practical implications
Substantial scope for business benefits exists if information technology and people are mobilised to improve CM. The need for effective CM systems in organisations will grow as social and environmental responsibilities increase.
Originality/value
This exploratory study illuminates current practices in aerospace and establishes a datum for future research studies. The below par performance within aerospace indicates that achieving highly performing CM systems is not as simple as existing literature makes out. The increasing importance placed by society on risk means that achieving highly effective CM systems will become more important; both in aerospace and other risk‐critical industries.
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Justin M. Jones, Dorothy R. Carter and Noshir S. Contractor
Research on organizational teamwork is increasingly highlighting the patterned nature of the relational processes (e.g., communication, backup behavior) and psychological states…
Abstract
Research on organizational teamwork is increasingly highlighting the patterned nature of the relational processes (e.g., communication, backup behavior) and psychological states (e.g., trust, shared cognition) that underlie team effectiveness. However, studies of teams often rely on methodologies that do not explicitly assess the underlying patterns of relational processes and states. Social network approaches offer an appealing alternative to the typical methodologies used in team research given that network approaches provide both the theory and methodology necessary to conceptualize and investigate patterns of interactions among group members. Despite the advantages of social network approaches, many team researchers are unfamiliar with the network paradigm and its associated methodologies. The purpose of this chapter is to clarify how networks can be leveraged to answer key research questions related to the study of team functioning and effectiveness. We begin by discussing the evolution and eventual convergence of team research and network approaches. Then, we examine the current state of the literature at the intersection of teams and networks in order to identify key takeaways and remaining questions. We conclude by highlighting opportunities for the future of team network science.
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Purpose – This paper explores how the interactive dynamics of peer education models within independent youth media outlets facilitate and impede youth engagement in media activism…
Abstract
Purpose – This paper explores how the interactive dynamics of peer education models within independent youth media outlets facilitate and impede youth engagement in media activism and social change work, more broadly defined.Design/methodological approach – Ethnographic and participatory action research methods are used with the youth media hub, Youth Media Action (YMA), to examine the possibilities and challenges that peer media educators confront in cultivating a noncommercial space for the collective production of oppositional media. YMA specifically seeks to involve youth from marginalized communities.Findings – The results suggest that peer-to-peer education models do act as vehicles for political engagement as youth experience shared ownership, cultivate solidarity, and acquire community organizing skills through the collective production of oppositional media. At the same time, challenges can surface when peer educators juggle multiple roles and participating community youth groups espouse differing organizational values and pedagogical sensibilities.Research limitations/implications – This study offers a potential pathway for further research on how peer education and collective media making models influence youth citizenship and social change work.Originality/value – The focus on the organizational and social dynamics of peer education models is useful in understanding youth citizenship and digital access as a collective experience for youth living in disenfranchised communities that seek out these spaces for not only media making but also community building.
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This chapter presents an empirical effort for the theoretical applicability of sport diplomacy to sport for development (SFD) research by examining how sport played a role in…
Abstract
This chapter presents an empirical effort for the theoretical applicability of sport diplomacy to sport for development (SFD) research by examining how sport played a role in pursuing South Korea's development at given four historical stages: (1) A prelude to Korean SFD before 1945, (2) sport for a new Korea between 1945 and 1960, (3) sport for developmental state between 1961 and 1979, and (4) sport for coming-out parties of the 1980s. This chapter supports current scholarly attempts to situate the 21st century sport for development (SFD) within the history of sport for social good, as well as approaches integrating the role of sport in the 19th century colonization and/or in the modern version of development during the post-war era. By adding an Asian case (South Korea), this chapter contributes to existing SFD literature mostly focusing on Western countries and their former colonies in Africa and South/Central America. It also contributes to the understanding of soft power's dualistic characteristics that direct domestic and international audiences with a new insight into the sport-development nexus in the history of South Korea.
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Lyndsay M.C. Hayhurst, Holly Thorpe and Megan Chawansky
Anchal Luthra, Vikas Arya, Shivani Dixit, Hiran Roy and Pasquale Sasso
Considering the important role of knowledge management in the global growth of world economies, the importance of knowledge management in the tourism industry can hardly be…
Abstract
Purpose
Considering the important role of knowledge management in the global growth of world economies, the importance of knowledge management in the tourism industry can hardly be overestimated. Knowledge management, empowering leadership and innovation can open new research prospects for online travel and tourism, thereby increasing organizational capacity. In this context, this study aims to investigate the relationship between knowledge management practices and transformational leadership, along with the mediating role in this relationship of leadership communication. Knowledge management practices are discussed through the lens of managers’/organizational perspectives working in the online travel and tourism industry.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a descriptive research method, the data were collected from a total of 174 managers/senior executives working in the online travel and tourism sectors. The proposed conceptual framework was evaluated using structural equation modeling through AMOS 21 and Process Macro (SPSS-Plugin).
Findings
The results revealed a significant increase in the adoption of knowledge management practices in the online travel and tourism sector under transformative leadership. The results also highlighted that effective communication is a vital contributor and significant complementary mediator in the relationship between transformative leadership and knowledge management practices.
Practical implications
The results of this study suggest that transformational leaders, who are equipped with the “high touch” nature of leadership and the “high tech” aspect of the contemporary workplace, are the best fit to manage online travel and tourism organizations. To have an adequate knowledge management system, knowledge managers should adopt a transformative leadership style and receive comprehensive training in developing leadership abilities such as effective communication competencies.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to demonstrate that, in emerging online travel and tourism sectors, organizational knowledge can be managed through effective leadership communication.
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Christopher K. Hsee and Bowen Ruan
This chapter reviews and integrates recent research on curiosity. We discuss potential costs and benefits of curiosity, both hedonic and motivational. In particular, we examine…
Abstract
This chapter reviews and integrates recent research on curiosity. We discuss potential costs and benefits of curiosity, both hedonic and motivational. In particular, we examine the Pandora effect, the teasing effect, and the motivating-uncertainty effect.
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Autumn Edwards, Chad Edwards, Bryan Abendschein, Juliana Espinosa, Jonathan Scherger and Patricia Vander Meer
The purpose of this paper is to interrogate the relationship between self-reported levels of acute stress, perceived social support and interactions with robot animals in an…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to interrogate the relationship between self-reported levels of acute stress, perceived social support and interactions with robot animals in an academic library. The authors hypothesized that (1) participants would report lower stress and higher positive affect after their interaction with a robot support animal and (2) perceived supportiveness of the robot support animal would positively predict the amount of stress reduction the participants reported.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors hosted a robot petting zoo in the main library at a mid-sized Midwestern university during finals week. Participants were asked to rate their stress level prior to interacting with the robot pets (T1) and then after their interaction they were asked about their current stress level and the perceived supportiveness of the robot animal (T2). Data were analyzed using paired samples t-tests for the pretest and post-test scores.
Findings
The results showed a significant decrease in acute stress between T1 to T2, as well as a significant increase in happiness and relaxation. Participants reported feeling less bored and less tired after their interactions with the robot support animals. The findings also reveal that the degree to which individuals experienced a reduction in stress was influenced by their perceptions of the robot animal's supportiveness. Libraries could consider using robot pet therapy.
Originality/value
This study reveals the benefit of robot support animals to reduce stress and increase happiness of those experiencing acute stress in a library setting. The authors also introduce the concept of socially supportive contact as a type of unidirectional social support.
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Jenny L. Davis and Tony P. Love
Role-taking, perspective taking, and empathy have developed through parallel literatures in sociology and psychology. All three concepts address the ways that people attune the…
Abstract
Purpose
Role-taking, perspective taking, and empathy have developed through parallel literatures in sociology and psychology. All three concepts address the ways that people attune the self to others’ thoughts and feelings. Despite conceptual and operational overlap, researchers have yet to synthesize existing research across the three concepts. We undertake the task of theoretical synthesis, constructing a model in which role-taking emerges as a multidimensional process that includes perspective taking and empathy as component parts.
Approach
We review the literatures on role-taking, perspective taking, and empathy across disciplines. Focusing on definitions, measures, and interventions, we discern how the concepts overlap, how they are distinct, and how they work together in theoretically meaningful ways.
Findings
The review identifies two key axes on which each concept varies: the relative roles of affect and cognition, and the relative emphasis on self and structure. The review highlights the cognitive nature of perspective taking, the affective nature of empathy, and the structural nature of role-taking. In a move toward theoretical synthesis, we propose a definition that centers role-taking as a sociological construct, with perspective taking and empathy representing cognition and affect, respectively.
Social implications
Role-taking is an important part of selfhood and community social life. It is a skill that varies in patterned ways, including along lines of status and power. Theoretical synthesis clarifies the process of role-taking and fosters the construction of effective interventions aimed at equalizing role-taking in interpersonal interaction.