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This study aims to research the usage of virtual reality as a tool to train employees in a changeover process in a company, and if it guarantees the same level of quality. Moreover, another goal is to understand how it can influence the machines’ availability, reducing the number of hours a machine is stopped to perform training sessions.

To achieve the goals proposed, the action research strategy was used. After defining the context and purpose, two full cycles were applied, composed by five activities: diagnosis, action planning, action taking, action evaluation and specify the learning.

The results are extremely satisfactory. On the one hand, it can be concluded that virtual reality is a reliable training tool, guaranteeing proper training to the employees. On the other hand, based on the previous point, the researchers were able to conclude that it is possible to increase machines’ availability, reducing by 50% the time needed to have the machines stopped to run a changeover training.

To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to use the action research strategy to develop a virtual reality simulation as a training tool for machines’ changeover in the automotive industry.

The purpose of this study intends to make a characterization of a shop floor management (SFM) system in the context of smart manufacturing, through smart technologies and digital shop floor (DSF) features.

To attain the paper objective, a mixed method methodology was used. In the first stage, a theoretical background was carried out, to provide a comprehensive understanding on SFM system in a smart manufacturing perspective. Next, a case study within a survey was developed. The case study was introduced to characterize a SFM system, while the survey was made to understand the level of influence of smart manufacturing technologies and of DSF features on SFM. In total, 17 experts responded to the survey.

Data analytics is the smart manufacturing technology that influences more the SFM system and its components and the cyber security technology does not influence it at all. The problem solving (PS) is the SFM component more influenced by the smart manufacturing technologies. Also, the use of real-time digital visualization tools is considered the most influential DSF feature for the SFM components and the data security protocols is the least influential one. The four SFM components more influenced by the DSF features are key performance indicator tracking, PS, work standardization and continuous improvement.

The study was applied in one multinational company from the automotive sector.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this work is one of the first to try to characterize the SFM system on smart manufacturing considering smart technologies and DSF features.

Recognizing economic literacy as a vital form of intellectual capital provides essential tools to mitigate the adverse impact of risk factors on business organizations' performance. This recognition serves as a strong rationale for prioritizing economic literacy as a strategic asset in navigating the complexities of risk factors for sustained organizational performance. To bridge this gap, this study examines the role of risk factors in the economic literacy of an organization and how they affect organizational performance.

This exploratory study employed a qualitative research method, utilizing a systematic review with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach to identify gaps. A comprehensive search across databases was conducted using keywords related to risks, economic literacy and organizational performance. In total, 32 articles were meticulously analyzed, focusing on methodology, results and discussion sections to address research questions.

This study highlights the impact of risk factors on economic literacy and organizational performance, focusing on risk-taking, attitude, enterprise risk management (ERM), financial literacy and organizational performance. It reveals that possessing economic literacy can mitigate financial risks in corporations by helping entrepreneurs identify business opportunities and pitfalls, enabling informed and prudent financial decision-making. Conflicting findings challenge existing knowledge on the link between risk factors and financial literacy, particularly in new product development decisions, highlighting the need for further investigation into environmental factors shaping this connection.

The study developed a conceptual model that explains the interaction among economic literacy, risk factor and organization performance, which has implications for the development of the required intellectual capital to mitigate the impact of risk factors. Also, the study identified diverse conceptual, methodological and geographical gaps that will provide direction for future studies. Future research could delve into firm-level or cross-country data via surveys, interviews or focus groups, enriching the research's robustness and depth for nuanced insights into the investigated relationships.