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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the organizational readiness perspective of adopting artificial intelligence and big data analytics in the textile and garment industry in Bangladesh along with identifying the associated factors.

The research uses a qualitative method using semi-structured interviews with representatives of business organizations and stakeholders of Bangladesh’s textile and garment industry.

The research reveals that the textile and garment industry in Bangladesh currently has low organizational readiness to adopt artificial intelligence and big data analytics. This is due to moderate knowledge- and leadership-readiness along with low human-, finance- and engagement-readiness of most of the business organizations. The readiness aspects interplay with each other and need to be improved holistically.

Considering the significant global and national importance of Bangladesh’s textile and garment industry, gaining insights into the industry’s current state of readiness for adopting artificial intelligence and big data analytics would offer valuable assistance to both national and global economies and may enhance economic outcomes.

Since no exploratory study was conducted to understand the organizational readiness aspects of adopting artificial intelligence and big data analytics of the globally significant textile and garment industry in Bangladesh, the paper analyzes five key aspects of such readiness and offers a basis for conducting similar studies in other emerging economies.

The paper aims to investigate key aspects of climate change adaptation strategies of Multinational Corporations (MNCs) across two different climate-vulnerable country contexts, developed, i.e. Australia and developing, i.e. Bangladesh, while identifying the key factors affecting the formulation and implementation of such strategies.

The research uses a qualitative research method using interviews and document analysis while considering distinctive factors manifest in Australia and Bangladesh and focussing on the agricultural seed business sector.

The research reveals that no specific pattern of adaptation strategies exists across MNCs. They either follow a proactive “deliberate” strategy or a reactive “emergent” strategy. MNCs also follow a distinct strategy, “subliminal”, i.e. unintended or inadvertent strategy, by following the “business as usual” approach.

In recent years, many MNCs have started embracing strategies to reduce their negative environmental footprint but barely adopted any formal strategies to adapt to climate change impacts on their business operations. This study provides insights into the existing climate change adaptation strategies of MNCs, which could be beneficial for companies in better planning and implementing their existing as well as future climate change adaptation strategies.

Based on a developed-developing country comparison and together with a novel focus on the agricultural seed business sector, the paper has used a variety of business strategies in providing insights and understanding of the status of MNC climate change adaptation strategies. The research has identified and coined the term, “subliminal” or unintended strategy as a new addition to the MNC adaptation strategy literature.

This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

This paper identified climate change adaptive strategies as a more effective means of addressing the impacts of climate change.

The briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Students’ progressing to tertiary (undergrad or higher) level education often faces problems due to the change in the educational settings that may directly or indirectly affect their studies and interim results. In addition, they may suffer from low self-esteem, which in turn may result from another set of issues such as negative peers, past poor results, unable to get into a school of choice and so on. Those who have to live away from home to attend a university could have their own set of problems. To provide support many universities have counseling offices to help the students tackle their problems. The counseling officers often give repeated appointments in an attempt to help solve these problems. At the university where the research was conducted, more than 75 percent of the students come from a rural background. These are students who, for the purposes of acquiring their tertiary-level education, have had to move to the city, away from their family. These students are known to have problems such as adjusting to urban life, missing home, managing all household chores by themselves, even a culture shock given the nature of urban life and so on, all of which may affect their studies. Unfortunately, the university under study does not employ a student counselor to look after students coming from rural areas. Therefore, to support such students it was thought that a peer counseling session might help the students help themselves.

A workshop using a collaborative approach to help students solve their own problems was designed and conducted. From three different departments, 78 students with a low Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA < 2.50 out of 4.0) participated in the problem-solving workshop. The students were guided in a collaborative environment where individual problems were first identified anonymously by working in pairs and possible solutions were presented by the students themselves by working in collaborative groups.

The paper proposes a performance-improving model to reduce the dropout rate and ensure graduation with a better CGPA. After six semesters of the intervention, the performance of the participating students was compared against the students with similar profile who did not attend the workshop. The perception of effectiveness of the collaborative guidance model was also measured by taking feedback from students.

The collaborative approach seems to benefit students by empowering them to think on their own to solve study-related problems by themselves. To become a standardized procedure, however, more rigorous testing across a greater cross section and number of subjects would be helpful. This paper provides an initial study of the methodology for further study and use.

As the collaborative approach purely involves peers, it benefits students by empowering them to solve study-related problems by themselves and indirectly help self-esteem development.

The purpose of this paper is to measure the impact of open government data (OGD) on citizen empowerment.

This study advances the body of knowledge on OGD by proposing an integrated research model based on transparency, accountability, participation and collaboration dimensions. The research model was empirically tested using 275 responses using the on-paper survey from the university students and professionals in Bangladesh. Data were analyzed using the structured equation modeling technique.

Findings revealed that transparency and participation have a positive and significant direct and indirect influence on citizen empowerment through accountability and collaboration. Overall, the four basic pillars of OGD such as transparency, participation, accountability and collaboration interrelated with each other and have the impact on citizen empowerment.

This study has proposed an instrument that sums the dimensions of open government, which avoids tautology and redundancy among OGD dimensions. More research should be done to validate the proposed model and the instruments used in this study.

For the researchers, this study provides a basis for further refinement of individual models of empowerment. For practitioners, understanding the key constructs is crucial to design, refine and implement OGD systems and applications that empower citizens, create public values and strengthen the democratic process.

This research is the first step that empirically investigates the impact of OGD on citizen empowerment which is the ultimate goals of any democratic government.

This study aims to explain the effect of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) dimensions on firms’ export performance. The study has considered three dimensions of EO: innovativeness, proactiveness and risk-taking. Export performance has been measured through multifaceted determinants: financial, strategic and satisfaction levels of exporting firms.

To explain the association between such determinants, qualitative face-to-face, in-depth interviews were conducted with the respondents from the apparel manufacturing companies of Bangladesh. The study has also applied a content analysis technique to explore and triangulate the descriptions of EO dimensions on performance.

The research results reveal that EO has a meaningful explanation of export performance from the lived experience of the respondents. The study has also found frequent explanations and indicators about the association of innovativeness and proactiveness on export performance, but the risk-taking dimension has revealed no effects.

The research has different implications on theoretical, managerial and policy-making aspects of EO and export performance. Nevertheless, the findings are based on the opinions of a small sample of entrepreneurs and high-level managers. Thus, it is important to test the generalizability of these findings in future research using a larger sample.

This study indicated product, process and market creation innovativeness. Risks related to product innovation, new market entry and politics are considered for risk-taking measures, while proactive innovation, technology and new market searching are used for measuring proactiveness. Additionally, multifaceted performance determinants have been applied to evaluate export performance. Hence, this study is a unique qualitative analysis with important theoretical, practical and methodological implications.

This study examined the relationship between levels of digital literacy and the online learning motivation (OLM) of teacher trainees across various factors.

This investigation utilized a quantitative research approach. The sample was selected through a purposive method and consisted of 485 teacher trainees from the School of Education at Bangladesh Open University (BOU). Participants' digital literacy and OLM were assessed using validated five-point Likert scale questionnaires, consisting of 17 items for digital literacy and six items for OLM. The collection of data was conducted via a cross-sectional survey. Descriptive analysis, Cronbach’s alpha, exploratory factor analysis, t-test and ANOVA were employed for the purpose of data analysis.

The findings demonstrated that teacher trainees possessed sufficient digital literacy and OLM concerning the specified variables. Furthermore, there was a significant correlation between digital literacy and OLM. BOU can evaluate all of these findings to make a rational decision regarding the development of its teacher education programs.

This exploratory study has yielded significant insights into the demographic characteristics, computer and internet skills, virtual learning skills and OLM of teacher trainees, thereby enhancing the existing body of knowledge in this field.

This research explores the spillovers and portfolio implications for green bonds and environmental, social and governance (ESG) assets in the context of the rapidly expanding trend in green finance investments and the need for a green recovery in the post-COVID-19 era.

This study utilizes Diebold and Yilmaz’s (2014) spillover method and portfolio strategies (hedge ratio, optimal weights and hedging effectiveness) for the data starting from February 29, 2012, to March 14, 2022.

The study’s findings reveal that the lower volatility spillover is evidenced between the green bonds and ESG stocks during tranquil and turbulent periods (e.g. COVID-19 and Russia-Ukraine War). Furthermore, hedging costs are lower both in normal times and during economic slumps. Investing the bulk of the funds in green bonds makes it possible to achieve maximum hedging effectiveness between the S&P green bond (GB) and the S&P 500 ESG.

Both investors and policymakers may use these findings to make wise investment and policy choices to achieve post-COVID environmental sustainability.

Unlike previous research, this is the first to explore the interconnectedness among the major global and country-specific green bonds and ESG assets. The major findings of this study about the lower volatility spillovers and hedging costs between green bonds and ESG assets during the tranquil and turbulent periods may contribute to the post-COVID investment portfolio for environmental sustainability.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors, which drive teenagers’ behavioural intention to adopt wearable technologies and their behavioural intention to recommend others.

This study proposes a new adoption model combining two different models including the extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology and the theory of planned behaviour, which provided relevant contributions for understanding the adoption of wearable technologies. A structural equation modelling approach using analysis of a moment structures 23 software was used to analyse the data collected from 318 respondents.

Findings of this study reveals that performance expectancy (β = 0.28; t = 2.049), facilitating conditions (β = 0.28; t = 1.989), social influence (β = 0.23; t = 3.150) and attitude (β = 0.18; t = 3.246) have a statistically significant impact on behavioural intention. Additionally, behavioural intention (β = 0.15; t = 2.543) and attitude (β = 0.15; t = 3.261) have a statistically significant impact on intention to recommend others. However, effort expectancy, price value, hedonic motivation and habit did not have a significant influence on behavioural intention.

In this study, the understanding of the determinants contributing to teenagers’ behavioural intention to use wearable technologies and driving their intention to recommend others to adopt these devices will provide insights to practitioners and decision makers to customize the features of wearable devices to promote sustainable use of these technologies.

This study is among the first to investigate wearable technologies from behavioural perspectives especially on teenagers in Bangladesh. Hence, the findings of this study will help to comprehensively explain teenagers’ behavioural intention to adopt wearable technologies and their intention to recommend others.

Introduction: As the human population grows, consumer demand for digital services tailored to their specific needs also increases. To improve the financial performance of farms and meet the need for food of a growing population, farmers and agribusinesses have started incorporating distributed ledger technology into agricultural and farm management software. These developments in the agriculture sector may lead to realising sustainable development goals.

Purpose: Several researchers have done studies to explore the features and benefits of blockchain technology in the field of agriculture. There is a need to analyse the available literature to identify the use of this technology in agriculture and the scope of further research. This chapter will mainly focus on its publication trend, journal productivity and impact, prolific studies, and coherent themes.

Methodology: For a comprehensive review, bibliometric and content analysis of 71 open-access articles collected through a structured database of Mendeley is done. These articles were published during 2017–2021.

Findings: The execution of blockchain is continuously increasing in the agriculture sector, which has resulted in automation in supply chain management, land registrations, and crop insurance. The study revolves around supply chain management, digitisation of agriculture, and sustainable economic development. This study’s conclusions can help agriculturalists improve their understanding of blockchain implementation in agriculture. The study also gives directions for future research.