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Brinell, Vickers and low-force Vickers hardness measurements are herein adopted to investigate and quantify the fatigue damage evolution in specimens made of S355J2+AR ferritic pearlitic steel. Though nano and microhardness measurements have been well adopted, they require a strict preparation routine, whereas macroscopic hardness measurements are not as stringent.

The feasibility of adopting macroscopic hardness measurements as a means of measuring fatigue damage is investigated through a combination of experimental tests and finite element analyses with both Brinell and Vickers hardness indenter.

It is found that the Brinell hardness measurements method seems more feasible, regarding finding a continuous and significant change during the fatigue life, in comparison to both Vickers and low-force Vickers. Thereafter, the question regarding the feasibility of the hardness measurements as a method of assessing accumulated fatigue damage in situ is discussed.

Much work has previously been performed towards correlation of the micro and nano hardness indentations, which generally has stringent preparation requirements before testing. Herein, the adoption of macroscopic hardness measurements as a means of assessing accumulated fatigue damage is considered both experimentally and theoretically.

Scholars mainly propose and establish theoretical models of cumulative fatigue damage for their research fields. This review aims to select the applicable model from many fatigue damage models according to the actual situation. However, relatively few models can be generally accepted and widely used.

This review introduces the development of cumulative damage theory. Then, several typical models are selected from linear and nonlinear cumulative damage models to perform data analyses and obtain the fatigue life for the metal.

Considering the energy law and strength degradation, the nonlinear fatigue cumulative damage model can better reflect the fatigue damage under constant and multi-stage variable amplitude loading. In the following research, the complex uncertainty of the model in the fatigue damage process can be considered, as well as the combination of advanced machine learning techniques to reduce the prediction error.

This review compares the advantages and disadvantages of various mainstream cumulative damage research methods. It provides a reference for further research into the theories of cumulative fatigue damage.

This study aims to explore how the local tour guides (LTGs) operate through the sharing economy platform. This study explores how LTGs have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions using self-efficacy and other resources to improve resilience and performance. This study also delineates the working mechanisms of peer-to-peer (P2P) platform-enabled, dynamic capability building processes, in the tourism sharing economy.

This research adopted an interpretive approach to understand the focal phenomenon using two types of data. A total of 40 semi-structured interviews with LTGs and 26,478 online tourist reviews from tour guide service participants’ before and during the COVID-19 pandemic were used.

The findings of this study revealed that LTGs used sharing economy platforms to arrange flexible tour guide services. Resilience emerged through dynamic capability that addressed contextual factors in real time. LTGs coordinated different resources and customers during a time of uncertainty. Different sources of self-efficacy and types of dynamic capability were identified. The interplay between LTGs’ self-efficacy and dynamic capability was also delineated.

The findings provide guidance for LTGs on P2P platforms and other sharing economy sectors on how diverse resources enabled by the sharing economy can enhance resilience during times of uncertainty. LTGs that engage with contextual information and are dynamic can adopt itineraries and services that will benefit tourists and their business.

This study contributes to the sharing economy literature by theorizing the working flow that enables LTGs to exert self-efficacy and leverage dynamic capability on P2P platforms. This study also contributes by linking resilience to contextual factors in real time. The outcomes provide guidance for LTGs to remain competitive and establish resilience in uncertain environments.

The recent advances in the technology of electronic banking have helped develop new ways of handling banking affairs, especially through online banking. Moreover, the rapid development of the internet has stimulated the banking sector towards encouraging customers to make their transactions online. The purpose of this paper is to introduce an extended technology acceptance model (TAM) model as a tool for examining the factors that have a significant impact on customers' online banking acceptance.

The typical TAM constructs were enhanced with the variables of perceived risk and quality of the internet connection. The proposed conceptual framework of the study (extended TAM), was tested on a sample of Greek internet users. Data were analysed using the “structural equation modelling” technique.

Results provide overall support for the extended TAM model and confirm its robustness in predicting customers' intention of adoption of internet banking. More specifically, results underlined the important impact of perceived usefulness, security risk and performance risk on the intention to use internet banking. On the contrary, the impact of perceived ease of use and quality of the internet connection seemed to have only an indirect effect on internet banking adoption.

The paper makes an analytical effort in order to point out areas that banking organisations should emphasize in order to successfully implement online banking and, therefore, harvest its potential benefits.

The paper proposes an enhanced conceptual framework (extended TAM) that examines vital issues concerning online banking acceptance, thus providing valuable outcomes for decision makers and academics. To the best of the researchers' knowledge, such an extension of the TAM model has never been examined in the relevant literature. Moreover, the results of the study may be generalised in other developed countries whose financial sector faces significant challenges (e.g. Spain, Italy, Portugal, Ireland, etc.).

Online consumer reviews have become increasingly important for consumer decision-making. One of the most prominent examples is the hotel industry where consumer reviews on websites, such as Bookings.com, TripAdvisor and Venere.com, play a critical role in consumers’ choice of a hotel. There have been a number of recent studies analyzing various aspects of online reviews. The purpose of this paper is to investigate their effects in terms of hotel occupancy rates.

This paper measures through regression analysis the impact of three dimensions of consumer reviews (i.e. review score, review variance and review volume) on the occupancy rates of 346 hotels located in Rome, isolating a number of other factors that might also affect demand.

Review score is the dimension with the highest impact. The results suggest that after controlling for other variables, a one-point increase in the review score is associated to an increase in the occupancy rate by 7.5 percentage points. Regardless the review score, the number of reviews has a positive effect, but with decreasing returns, implying that the higher the number of reviews, the lower the beneficial effect in terms of occupancy rates is.

The findings quantify the strong association of online reviews to occupancy rates suggesting the use of appropriate reputational management systems to increase hotel occupancy and therefore performance.

A major contribution of this paper is its comprehensiveness in analyzing the relation between online consumer reviews and occupancy across a heterogeneous sample of hotels.

This study aims to develop and test an original conceptual framework that examines the role of various factors borrowed from three theories (i.e. Institutional Theory, Resource-Based View and Diffusion of Innovation) in adopting Human Resource Analytics (HRA).

A new conceptual framework (research model) is developed based on previous research and coherent theoretical arguments. Its factors are classified using the Technology–Organization–Environment (TOE) framework. Research hypotheses are tested using primary data collected from 152 managers of Greek organizations. Empirical data are analyzed using the “Structural Equation Modelling” (SEM) technique.

The technological and organizational context proved extremely important in enhancing Organizational Analytics Maturity (OAM) and HRA adoption, while the environmental context did not. Relative advantage and top management support were found to significantly impact the adoption of HRA, while Information Technology (IT) infrastructure, human resource capabilities and top management support are crucial for increasing OAM. Overall, the latter is the most important factor in enhancing HRA adoption.

This study contributes to the limited published research on HRA adoption while at the same time it can be used as a guideline for future research. The novel findings offer insights into the factors impacting OAM and HRA adoption.

Nowadays, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are incrementally using e-business tools in order to compete in an extremely hostile market and gain global access. The importance of e-business adoption for the economic success and survival of SMEs creates a very interesting field of research. The purpose of this paper is to develop and empirically test a conceptual framework that investigates the factors affecting the e-business adoption decision in SMEs.

The examination of the proposed conceptual framework was made with the use of a newly developed structured questionnaire that was distributed to a group of Greek SMEs. The questionnaire was distributed to 600 companies, while 161 usable questionnaires were finally returned. exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, linear regression methods and the structural equation modelling (SEM) technique were used to test the research hypotheses.

The proposed model explains 71 per cent of the variance of e-business adoption, with firm size, firm scope, IT infrastructure and internet skills being the most important e-business adoption drivers (with firm size being the most significant). On the other hand, CEOs knowledge, adoption cost, and competitive pressure do not seem to play an important role in the e-business adoption decision.

A limitation stemming from the implemented methodology is the use of self report scales to measure the constructs of the proposed model. Moreover, the present paper lacks a longitudinal approach, since it is cross-sectional and provides a static picture of e-business adoption.

The paper makes an effort in order to point out areas that companies should emphasise in order to successfully adopt e-business and, therefore, harvest its potential benefits. Certain practical implications are offered in the final part of the paper.

First, the present study places SMEs in the centre of its attention, while the contemporary research mostly examines the implementation of e-business practices in large organisations. Second, the present study proposes a three-dimensional conceptual framework, including technological, organisational and environmental context. Such a multidimensional approach has randomly been explored in the existing literature. Third, the results of the study may be generalised in other developed countries with similar economic realities and yield interesting outcomes for practitioners in these countries.

The paper reports a study that evaluated the effectiveness and usefulness of Business and Technology Management (BTM), a management practice for formulating business digital strategies that address organization, processes and technology in an integrative way.

The research followed action design research guidelines that combine the methodological principles of design science research and action research.

Evidence from the study confirmed the adequacy and usefulness of BTM as a solution to an old management problem of internal fit, synergies, alignment or strategic integration. It also led to an improvement in its way of working, namely, a management practice with four process stages: (1) define trade objectives, (2) design an integrated business model, (3) manage the business transformation and execution and (4) evaluate the results obtained.

The study exemplifies how practice research can be used within a long-term research pursuit to provide empirical evidence that permits evaluating and improving a research-originated management approach.

Being a theory-for-action, BTM has direct relevance for managers engaged in defining organizational and technological strategies connected with business results. The paper discloses an improved version of BTM together with a description of its application in a medium-sized company operating in the tourism sector.

BTM addresses a recurrent issue raised by researchers and practitioners concerning a failure to bring different management perspectives together when formulating a strategy. Therefore, its value lies in its ability to assist in the integration of management perspectives into business development initiatives.