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This study aims to predict the impact of utilitarian and hedonic motivations on using enterprise social network (ESN) systems for sharing internal and external knowledge, as well as their effects on employee productivity.

Responses of 115 ESN system users from a wide spectrum of firms have been validated and analysed by means of structural equation modelling using partial least squires (PLS-SEM) method.

The results indicate that using ESN to share internal and external knowledge has a positive significant impact on employee productivity. Surprisingly, empirical analysis reveals that using ESN tends to be significantly influenced by hedonic rather than utilitarian motivations.

The study is an early empirical attempt that examines using ESN for knowledge sharing, emphasizing its upstream motivational influence and downstream business impact. It also offers managers and ESN vendors a frame of reference to maximize the use of ESN in the workplace to boost employees’ productivity within various contexts.

The purpose of this paper is to predict Twitter satisfaction by healthcare professionals through integrating constructs of Csikszentmihalyi’s flow theory, quality dimensions and usefulness.

Survey responses of 108 physicians from a variety of specialisations in the United Arab Emirates have been validated and analysed by means of partial least squares-based structural equation modelling method using smartPLS software.

Service quality has emerged as the most influential quality dimension that positively impact flow state and perceived usefulness of Twitter, while information quality, surprisingly, does not show any effect. The findings also indicate that flow state plays a significant role in shaping physicians’ satisfaction with Twitter. The study also enhances our understanding concerning the effects of perceived usefulness on flow state and satisfaction.

Understanding factors that influence Twitter satisfaction can help healthcare managers construct appropriate intervention strategies for maximising professional benefits of social media and minimising user resistance. This is important because top managers usually ratify traditional practices that are only of limited effect. Also, the findings help vendors to accentuate user’s concerns in addition to system functionalities in social media applications.

The paper is an early attempt to propose a model for social media success in a professional context in general and healthcare in particular. It also one of first studies that examine social media satisfaction through integrating contemporary information system success and acceptance models with flow theory.

Despite considerable growth in literature on Industry 4.0 technologies, the research on the factors influencing the investment on these technologies in pursuit of supply chain 4.0 is yet incipient. The study aims to fill this knowledge void by exploring the perceived drivers and barriers intertwined in the implementation of supply chain 4.0 in the context of food and beverage industry.

Qualitative exploratory research was employed involving 20 semi-structured interviews with senior managers from the Australian food and beverage supply chain. The interviews' data were analysed with VOSViewer software version 1.6.14.

The results unravel that reduction in supply-demand misalignment, fast-changing consumer's needs, threat of legal penalties and cost optimisation are the key drivers; whereas lack of collaboration, organisational inertia and lack of awareness are the critical barriers to implement supply chain 4.0.

The study derives seven propositions and a theoretical framework that need to be empirically corroborated.

Understanding of drivers and barriers will help practitioners to make more informed decision in implementation of supply chain 4.0.

Implementation of supply chain 4.0 can enhance the performance of the food and beverage industry, thus offering more job opportunities and sustained food supply.

This is the first study in exploring drivers and barriers to the implementation of supply chain 4.0; thus, adds new knowledge to the growing body of the literature. The paper introduces a novel method for qualitative data analysis contributing to the methodological development of the supply chain management field.

This paper aims to examine the impact of demographic, technology, individual and organizational factors on perceived productivity of Egyptian teleworkers.

Data from 199 usable questionnaires are collected and analyzed by means of factor analysis and stepwise linear regression analysis.

The results highlight the crucial role of individual and organizational factors in influencing the perceived productivity of Egyptian teleworkers. In addition to the emergence of job security as a key determinant of perceived teleworking productivity, the role of satisfaction, commitment, work flexibility and management support is also emphasized. Surprisingly, the impact of demographic, attitudes and technological factors are barely observable.

The paper has important implications for managers and practitioners to boost teleworking productivity. Managers must ensure teleworkers' job security, work flexibility, and satisfaction. Also, addressing the efficient use of IT combined with user training should be based on clear understanding of teleworkers' need, knowledge and skills.

The paper is one of the first studies that examine determinants of perceived teleworking productivity. Also, the paper highlights teleworking productivity in an Arab world context, which is barely examined in teleworking research.

The purpose of this paper is to empirically validate how the effectiveness of the most influential barriers to Six Sigma implementation may vary in relation to dimensions of organizational factors in a developing country.

An empirical survey, using 500 self‐administered questionnaires, was conducted. Data about 47 Six Sigma barriers and specific organizational parameters from 132 usable questionnaires, with a response rate of 26.4 per cent, were collected and analyzed by means of statistical data analysis package.

The results highlight the key role of soft impediments, i.e. knowledge and support, and hard impediments, i.e. professionals and finance, as the most influential barriers to Six Sigma implementation. The analysis clearly shows that only specific barriers are significantly influencing Six Sigma implementation in relation to dimensions of organizational factors.

Decision makers and quality managers should not waste their resources on overcoming all Six Sigma barriers. High attention should be given to the most obstructing barriers in relation to organizational context. Before implementing Six Sigma projects, managers are advised to activate and boost the level of Six Sigma knowledge and support by means of knowledge management functions such as Six Sigma knowledge acquisition, sharing, storing, revealing, etc. among organizational members.

The paper is one of the first studies which examines a large number of Six Sigma barriers and their effectiveness in relation to dimensions of organizational factors in a developing country.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of organizational knowledge and innovation practices on the outcomes of operations strategy.

The study employs a survey‐based method to test a theoretically grounded set of hypotheses using regression techniques.

The results indicate that cost, quality, delivery and flexibility outcomes are influenced by specific organizational knowledge and innovation practices. Also, the findings show that innovation performance mediate the relationship between knowledge practices and operations strategy.

Acquiring knowledge is not enough. Managers need to facilitate dynamics of knowledge sharing and utilization to cultivate a better level of technical and administrative innovation performance, which in turn will result in favourable operations strategy outcomes.

The paper is one of the first studies that highlight knowledge and innovation practices in relation to operations strategy in one study applied to a developing country context.

This paper aims to clarify emerging aspects and trends of Six Sigma literature over 17 years, from 1992 to 2008.

The literature on Six Sigma from 417 referred journal articles in business and management disciplines, information systems and computer science, engineering, healthcare, etc. were systematically analyzed based on a scheme that consists of four distinct dimensions: publication year and journal, major themes, research type, and application sector (i.e. manufacturing vs service).

A number of key findings emerged: Six Sigma research is growing rapidly, covering various disciplines and domains with a great focus on Six Sigma tools and techniques; empirical research is dominant with more emphasis on case study approach; and the growing gap between manufacturing‐ and service‐focused articles implies the return of Six Sigma to manufacturing as its initial base. Although a large volume of literature is available on Six Sigma, the topic is still under development and offers potential opportunities for further research and applications.

The paper provides both academics and practitioners with a useful framework for pursuing rigorous Six Sigma research through explaining the chronological growth of Six Sigma, challenging themes of Six Sigma research, dominating research types and application areas in Six Sigma, and the major sources of Six Sigma information.

The purpose of this paper is to predict e‐procurement adoption through integrating the constructs of the technology acceptance model and the theory of planned behaviour.

A structural equation modelling is conducted through the analysis of 316 usable questionnaires.

The results show that the proposed model has good explanatory power and confirms its robustness, with a reasonably strong empirical support, in predicting users' intentions to use e‐procurement technology. Behavioural intention toward e‐procurement technology is mainly determined by user's attitude and additionally influenced by perceived usefulness and subjective norm.

The paper provides procurement system developers and managers with a useful adoption model that demonstrates the significance of perceived usefulness of e‐procurement system in influencing the adoption decision. This highlights the importance of maximizing the benefits of e‐procurement system for potential users to facilitate the adoption process.

System developers and procurement managers should also consider the role of social influences, such as these from supply chain partners, in the adoption process and how such influences may facilitate or inhibit e‐procurement adoption process.

The paper is the first study that examines e‐procurement adoption in the United Arab Emirates. Also, the findings allow us to understand the importance of both technology‐related aspects and social influence in e‐procurement adoption.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a multifaceted perspective on e-maintenance research and practice over 12 years from 2002 to 2013.

A qualitative research approach is conducted through analysing e-maintenance literature published in peer-review journals from 2002 to 2013 in operations management, information systems, computer science and engineering disciplines.

A multifaceted perspective that reflects evolutionary, managerial, and technological domains of e-maintenance research has been emerged and explained. In addition, stages of e-maintenance process (i.e. integration, aggregation, and prediction) tend to synchronize with organizational levels (i.e. strategic, tactical, and operational) and stimulate the value of e-maintenance practices across the enterprise. However, there are many managerial and technological challenges that inhibit successful implementation of e-maintenance system.

The present research offers managers and vendors a frame of reference that facilitates e-maintenance adoption and implementation. In addition, there is a need for theoretical as well as empirical research in the future to validate the multifaceted perspective in the present study and to obtain more insight into the nature of e-maintenance issues in various settings.

The present paper is one of the first attempts to bridge the gaps in a currently cluttered field of e-maintenance research. It also provides both academics and practitioners with a useful framework that sustains rigorous e-maintenance research and practice.

Based on self-determination theory (SDT), the present study aims to assess the effect of managerial (manager trust and support), work (job autonomy) and individual (intrinsic motivation) characteristics on job performance of telecommuters in a pre- and post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak period and is further studied longitudinally after six months of continued mandatory telecommuting.

Data were collected from information technology (IT) sector employees in three phases and model fitness, reliability and validity of the data for all three phases were assessed through CFA models, while the hypotheses were tested through path analysis.

Perceived manager trust and support increases job performance and the effect strengthens with an increase in telecommuting extent. Job autonomy had similar effects with the exception that employees did not enjoy autonomy when mandatory telecommuting arrangement was initially introduced. Lastly, intrinsic motivation fades away as employees continue to work permanently from their homes.

Permanent full-time telecommuting is expected to continue for the unforeseeable future; the present study suggests that while ensuring increased trust, support and job autonomy to employees, managers must also ensure that employees do not feel professionally isolated and attempt to keep individuals intrinsically motivated.

The authors assess the effect of managerial (manager trust and support), work (job autonomy) and individual (intrinsic motivation) characteristics on job performance under three different types of telecommuting arrangements (voluntary part-time, mandatory full-time and continued mandatory full-time) by collecting data in three different time frames from the same individuals.