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The hypothesis that job satisfaction affects employee performance or favourable service behaviours could be considered a well‐worn topic. However, this paper shows that the extant literature has not adequately conceptualised nor addressed the complex relationship which could exist between employee satisfaction and service performance quality. Indeed, some studies appear to challenge this almost axiomatic view. This paper, therefore, considers the literature on “the job satisfaction‐service performance/quality thesis” and proposes a new model which reconceptualises the relationship between the two constructs. Suggestions for service practitioners, as well as new ways in which the thesis could be further tested, are also provided.

The study aims to critically evaluate the Kochi Water Metro as a model for sustainable urban transportation and extract valuable lessons for policymakers and cities seeking similar initiatives. The study employs a qualitative data-driven approach, utilising a longitudinal case study design, open-ended interview questions, direct observations and qualitative content analysis. The Kochi Water Metro has emerged as a transformative urban mobility initiative, enhancing connectivity while simultaneously reducing congestion on roads. The project's sustainable practices have minimised its carbon footprint, contributing to environmental sustainability. Economic benefits have accrued through increased tourism, employment opportunities and improved local livelihoods. The project's adaptability to local conditions and changing needs further underscores its sustainability. Limited data from the project's early years necessitate further longitudinal analysis. The focus on benefits may overlook potential challenges, warranting broader investigation. Reliance on qualitative data may restrict generalisability. The Kochi Water Metro serves as a beacon for sustainable and equitable transportation solutions. It serves as a blueprint for policymakers, providing practical lessons in project implementation, especially its integration with existing modes enhances overall urban mobility. Policymakers should consider replicating elements such as electric boats and integrated networks, while emphasising environmental sustainability, accessibility and community engagement. The comprehensive evaluation provides valuable insights into the project's tangible impacts and replicable elements. The innovative approach blends sustainable practices, operational resilience and community engagement, serving as a model for cities seeking sustainable, equitable and efficient transportation solutions.

Following the trend in the world over and on the African continent, the Parliament of Ghana passed a new law in 2020, the Narcotics Control Commission Act (Act 1019) that eased the legal restrictions on cannabis cultivation and use, subject to obtaining license from the relevant authority/authorities. This paper aims to examine the implications of Ghana’s decision to legalise the cultivation of cannabis for industrial purposes for the production of fibre and for medicinal purposes.

The author adopted the qualitative analysis critical review methodology in sourcing information from peer-reviewed articles, coupled with the author’s own professional knowledge, background and training, to critically analyse and review the reasons behind Ghana’s decision to legalise cannabis cultivation and the implications such a major policy change/shift.

It was found that, while the law mentions industrial and medicinal purposes for the legalisation of cannabis, the real reason, at least in the immediate term, is mainly economic. This agrees with those of other African countries that have legalised cannabis cultivation but appears to contrast with those of Europe and America.

This research is limited to Ghana and the few African countries that have legalised cannabis cultivation so far. The main reason for the legalisation (economic benefits) may also change in the future when the economics of scale turn in the favour of the country. Therefore, Ghana’s case may not represent the case of all countries legalising cannabis cultivation.

The research implication of this paper is that it brings to the world the law on cannabis cultivation in Ghana. It provides a professional and scientific position paper on Ghana’s drug law regime regarding cannabis, thus, serving as a useful reference literature to the academic and research community on the topic. More importantly, it discusses the implications of such major policy change from an objective perspective, unravelling the real reason behind the State’s decision to legalise the cultivation of cannabis in Ghana.

This paper will bring to the fore the other consequences of Ghana’s cannabis cultivation legalisation policy change, which little attention has been devoted to so far.

This paper, apart from reference to other published texts on the topic, which have been duly acknowledged, represents the sole work of the author. It has not been produced anywhere or by anyone else either in Ghana or elsewhere.

This study aims to assess gender-based differences on farmers’ perception of impacts and vulnerability to climate change and the implementation of adaptation strategies in the Pra River Basin of Ghana, while also providing lessons for other Sub-Saharan nations and regions with similar conditions.

The study used semi-structured interviews and questionnaires to collect data from 344 farmers, 64 participants in focus group discussions and 6 agriculture extension officers (key informants) from 10 districts in the Pra River Basin of Ghana.

Results showed several differences in how climate change is perceived and tackled by male and female genders. In the perception of male farmers, for example, they were found to be more vulnerable to increased temperature, and changes in rainfall and growing season, whereas female farmers on average were considered to be less resilient to floods and droughts for different reasons. Moreover, floods posed higher risks to farming than other climate change impacts. Gender roles had a significant correlation with the type of adaptation strategies practised. Men adopted agrochemicals more often than women, as an adaptation strategy.

Gender-differentiated interventions should be incorporated in the national climate change action plan for sustainable development in a rain-fed agricultural economy such as Ghana. The study recommends several actions to promote gender equity in the assessed region.

This research assessed the gender differentials in climate trends, impact, vulnerability and adaptation based on primary data collected between April and May 2019 and compared the results with climate data in the basin for the period 1991–2014. It is an empirical study focused on primary data analysis obtained in loco by authors, involving approximately 400 participants.

Healthcare policies around the globe are aimed at achieving patient-centeredness. The patient is understood as a prosumer of healthcare, wherein healthcare service co-production and value co-creation take center stage. The article endeavors to unpack the state of the literature on the innovations promoting the transition toward patient-centeredness, informing policy and management interventions fostering the reconceptualization of the patient as a prosumer of healthcare services.

A hybrid review methodology consisting of a bibliometric-interpretive review following the Scientific Procedures and Rationales for Systematic Literature Reviews (SPAR-4-SLR) protocol is used. The bibliometric component enabled us to objectively map the extant scientific knowledge into research streams, whereas the interpretive component facilitated the critical analysis of research streams.

Patient-centeredness relies on a bundle of innovations that are enacted through a cycle of patients' activation, empowerment, involvement and engagement, wherein the omission of any steps arrests the transition toward service co-production and value co-creation. Institutional, organizational and cognitive barriers should be overcome to boost the transition of patients from consumers to prosumers in a patient-centered model of healthcare.

The article delivers the state of the art of the scientific literature in the field of innovations aimed at sustaining the transition toward patient-centeredness and provides some food for thoughts to scholars and practitioners who wish to push forward service co-production and value co-creation in healthcare.

This study aims to undertake a review of how carbon trading contributes to a reduction in emission of greenhouse gases (CHGs).

A narrative literature review approach was adopted to identify and synthesise existing literature using the Scopus and Web of Science databases. Articles were limited to the past 10 years to obtain the most current literature. The various ways in which carbon trading leads to reductions in emissions were identified and discussed.

The results showed that the main ways in which carbon trading contributes to reductions in emissions are through innovation in low-carbon technologies, restoration of ecosystems through offset money, development of renewable and clean energy and providing information on investment related to emissions.

The value of this study is to contribute to the built environment’s climate change mitigation agenda by identifying the role of carbon trading.

The output of this research identifies and contextualises the role carbon trading plays in the reduction of CHG emissions.

Against social cognitive and social exchange theories, this research paper aims to investigate the significance and interaction between perceived knowledge, involvement, trust and brand community engagement in brand communities (BC).

BC participants (n = 503) completed a cross-sectional survey for this research. Analysis was performed using PLS-SEM via SmartPLS (v. 4.1.0.2) and the novel Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA).

An integrative KITE model with positive and significant relationships of key BC constructs was established. The perceived BC knowledge influenced involvement and engagement. Furthermore, the constructs of involvement and trust were discovered to have a positive and significant impact on engagement, with trust having a substantial effect on BC engagement. The indirect effects of the trust construct via the BC knowledge and BC involvement constructs were also significant.

This research advances the existing conceptual approaches by introducing knowledge as the key BC constructs. The study illustrates that members’ knowledge about a BC facilitates their involvement in the BCs. The vital role of trust is revealed in the KITE model, as it is significantly related to BC knowledge, BC involvement and BC engagement with at least medium to large effect sizes. Notably, the role of trust is enhanced as it is the only necessary must-have (instead of “should-have”) condition to achieve high levels of BC engagement. Furthermore, the KITE model provides insights for marketers to develop a valuable BC.

Construction project management outcomes in the literature typically portray significant deviations from expected outcomes. Various theories from studies that focus superficially on causes of project cost and time overruns rather than root causes have not addressed this problem. The need is for a better understanding of how procurement strategy provides a fundamental means to address this problem. The purpose of this paper is to examine the procurement strategy used to deliver a new universities project in South Africa within budget and to ascertain its influence on the outcomes.

A case study was designed to provide a comprehensive and intensive methodology to identify and examine the construction procurement strategy and its influence on the project outcomes. Document analyses and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data on the construction procurement strategy and outcomes from the client team.

The evidence brought forward demonstrates that the successful outcome was largely a consequence of the client team, procurement strategy and systems of delivery. However, the collaborative procurement strategy formed the basis of the successful project delivery and outcomes. A general observation from the data is that an appropriate construction procurement strategy developed by an experienced client team and proactively implemented by an integrated delivery team working collaboratively is likely to achieve the intended project outcomes.

The findings show three critical keys to achieving intended outcomes – people, procurement strategy and systems of delivery at the governance, portfolio, programme and project management levels.

The value of this paper lies in using a comprehensive methodology to study the relationship between procurement strategy and outcomes. The findings can be applied by client teams to achieve better outcomes and value for money in infrastructure projects.

Global crises have become increasingly recurrent events that jeopardize public-private partnerships (PPPs). In this context, the purpose of this paper is to expose the PPP-crisis research agenda by combining bibliometric and network analyses.

The PPP literature associated with global crises between the 2008 global financial crisis and 2022 was analyzed in three stages: (1) paper selection and screening for the inclusion/exclusion of articles relevant to this research, (2) semantic network development for examining thematic relationships among selected papers by considering the co-occurrence of keywords within the chosen studies and (3) calculation of network metrics for analysis.

The paper identified six research avenues for the PPP-crisis agenda: public interest, relational governance, risk management, user-pay PPPs, crisis management and financial performance. The PPP-crisis literature has spread significantly in the last five years driven by the case study approaches on a national or regional basis. Conversely, non-crisis periods generate room to strengthen user-pay PPPs and relational governance. The pandemic and post-pandemic times shared the priorities of the 2008 financial crisis but also strengthened the management of the risks and the structural drivers of the global crisis.

This study demonstrates that during global crisis periods, the public interest and financial performance gain relevance in a detriment of structural solutions to social legitimacy erosion of PPPs because of the urgency of giving tools to the public and private sectors to tackle the financial issues, which steer future issues for PPPs.

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the role of Industry 4.0 capability (I4.0 C) in creating a supportive environment for business model innovation by focussing on the mediating role of knowledge management capability (KMC) and the moderating effect of market uncertainty.

This paper uses interviews with managers and academics. Data were collected from 379 managers; CFA and finally regression analysis were performed, and the program “PROCESS” software was used to validate the data and examine the hypothesized relationships.

KMC mediates the relationship between Industry 4.0 capability and business model innovation. The effect of Industry 4.0 capability on KMC is stronger for firms with increased market uncertainty. In contrast, the impact of KMC on business model innovation is weaker for firms operating in highly-uncertain markets.

Data were collected at only one point in time from one country, Greece. This might pose limitations on the generalizability of our results. Future research should test the relationships examined in this study in other international contexts.

Managers should invest in more advanced technology in order to obtain knowledge and capability. In addition, they need to pay more attention to how their firms' knowledge derived from Industry 4.0 contributes to business model innovation.

The current state of knowledge of both theory and practise for critical organizational factors such as Industry 4.0 capability, KMC, business model innovation and market uncertainty will be extended.