The purpose of this paper is to examine the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in human resource management (HRM) in the Global South.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in human resource management (HRM) in the Global South.
Design/methodology/approach
Multiple case studies of AI tools used in HRM in these countries in recruiting and selecting as well as developing, retaining and productively utilizing employees have been used.
Findings
With AI deployment in HRM, organizations can enhance efficiency in recruitment and selection and gain access to a larger recruitment pool. With AI deployment in HRM, subjective criteria such as nepotism and favoritism are less likely to come into play in recruitment and selection of employees. AI deployment in HRM also has a potentially positive impact on the development, retainment and productive utilization of employees.
Research limitations/implications
AI is an evolving technology. Most HRM apps have not gained enough machine learning capabilities with real-world experience. Some of them lack a scientific basis. AI in HRM thus currently affects only a tiny proportion of the population in the GS.
Practical implications
The paper explores the roles of AI in expanding recruitment pools. It also advances our understanding of how AI-based HIRM tools can help reduce biases in selecting candidates, which is especially important in the Global South. It also delves into various mechanisms by which AI helps in the development, retainment and productive utilization of employees.
Originality/value
We provide details of various mechanisms by which AI brings input and output efficiencies in recruitment and selection in these countries.
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The purpose of this paper is to examine blockchain's roles in promoting ethical sourcing in the mineral and metal industry.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine blockchain's roles in promoting ethical sourcing in the mineral and metal industry.
Design/methodology/approach
It analyzes multiple case studies of blockchain projects in the mineral and metal industry.
Findings
It gives detailed descriptions of how blockchain-based supply chain networks' higher density of information flow and high degree of authenticity of information can increase supply chain participants' compliance with sustainability standards. It gives special consideration to blockchain systems' roles in overcoming the deficits in the second party and the third-party trust. It also demonstrates how blockchain-based supply chain networks include outside actors and configure the supply chain networks in a way that enhances the empowerment of marginalized groups.
Practical implications
It suggests various mechanisms by which blockchain-based supply chain networks can give a voice to marginalized groups.
Originality/value
It demonstrates how blockchain is likely to force mineral and metal supply chains to become more traceable and transparent.
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To examine the effects of the metaverse on firms’ marketing activities.
Abstract
Purpose
To examine the effects of the metaverse on firms’ marketing activities.
Design/methodology/approach
A conceptual paper.
Findings
It provides evidence of the growing importance of different value capture mechanisms in the metaverse.
Originality/value
Among the first articles on this topic.
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Ravi Sharma, Charcy Zhang, Stephen C. Wingreen, Nir Kshetri and Arnob Zahid
The purpose of this paper is to describe the application of soft systems methodology (SSM) to address the problematic situation of low opt-in rates for Precision Health-Care (PHC).
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe the application of soft systems methodology (SSM) to address the problematic situation of low opt-in rates for Precision Health-Care (PHC).
Design/methodology/approach
The design logic is that when trust is enhanced and compliance is better assured, participants such as patients and their doctors would be more likely to share their medical data and diagnosis for the purpose of precision modeling.
Findings
The authors present the findings of an empirical study that confronts the design challenge of increasing participant opt-in to a PHC repository of Electronic Medical Records and genetic sequencing. Guided by SSM, the authors formulate design rules for the establishment of a trust-less platform for PHC which incorporates key principles of transparency, traceability and immutability.
Research limitations/implications
The SSM approach has been criticized for its lack of “rigour” and “replicability”. This is a fallacy in understanding its purpose – theory exploration rather than theory confirmation. Moreover, it is unlikely that quantitative modeling yields any clearer an understanding of complex, socio-technical systems.
Practical implications
The application of Blockchain, a platform for distributed ledgers, and associated technologies present a feasible approach for resolving the problematic situation of low opt-in rates.
Social implications
A consequence of low participation is the weak recall and precision of descriptive, predictive and prescriptive analytic models. Factors such as cyber-crime, data violation and the potential for misuse of genetic and medical records have led to a lack of trust from key stakeholders – accessors, participants, miners and regulators – to varying degrees.
Originality/value
The application of Blockchain as a trust-enabling platform in the domain of an emerging eco-system such as precision health is novel and pioneering.
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Keywords
International Business, International Entrepreneurship, International Marketing.
Abstract
Subject area
International Business, International Entrepreneurship, International Marketing.
Study level/applicability
Advanced undergraduate and graduate students are the primary audience. The case can also be used in executive classes with emerging economies as a focus.
Case overview
Kaspersky Lab is a provider of information technology (IT) security products such as anti-virus, anti-spam and network security software. It is Russia's largest software company and the only Russian firm that ranked among the world's top 100 software companies. This case presents several interesting features of the company and its environment. The foci of the case are on potential barriers facing firms based in emerging economies in their internationalization initiatives and negative country of origin effects associated with emerging economies.
Expected learning outcomes
The learning objectives of this case include:
To identify internal and external sources of competitive advantage for a developing world originated successful entrepreneurial firm.
To assess the potential barriers facing an emerging economy-based firm in the internationalization process and analyse whether such barriers differ across economies of various characteristics.
To evaluate whether the natures of obstacles and challenges faced by an emerging economy-based firm is different in a newly evolving industry.
To analyze how an emerging economy-based firm can overcome some of the barriers to internationalization.
To identify internal and external sources of competitive advantage for a developing world originated successful entrepreneurial firm.
To assess the potential barriers facing an emerging economy-based firm in the internationalization process and analyse whether such barriers differ across economies of various characteristics.
To evaluate whether the natures of obstacles and challenges faced by an emerging economy-based firm is different in a newly evolving industry.
To analyze how an emerging economy-based firm can overcome some of the barriers to internationalization.
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The purpose of this paper is to review the existing literature on blockchain technology, present some trends and consider its potential value in supply chain management (SCM).
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review the existing literature on blockchain technology, present some trends and consider its potential value in supply chain management (SCM).
Design/methodology/approach
Papers that contained the word “blockchain” in their titles, keywords or abstracts were selected for conducting trend analyses.
Findings
The blockchain technology is rapidly making inroads in many industries and there is tremendous potential to eliminate intermediaries and to make SCM more efficient.
Research limitations/implications
This analysis is limited to 299 papers from the EBSCO database through December 2018.
Practical implications
This paper highlights the imperative role of blockchain technology that has created a discourse in the world of innovation and technology. This work will help academics to further the understanding of blockchain technology.
Social implications
Blockchain technology will provide transparency to consumers.
Originality/value
This paper presents the first review of blockchain technology and delves into its value in SCM. This work will help researchers in identifying the areas where blockchain is the most desirable and can be implemented.
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There are strong similarities and striking differences in Estonia's and South Korea's entrepreneurial ecosystems. The purpose of this paper is to seek to compare and contrast…
Abstract
Purpose
There are strong similarities and striking differences in Estonia's and South Korea's entrepreneurial ecosystems. The purpose of this paper is to seek to compare and contrast these two economies in terms of key indicators related to impacts, performance measures and determinants of entrepreneurship.
Design/methodology/approach
The approach of this study can be described as theory building from multiple case studies. The analysis is based on secondary data from a number of sources related to impacts, performance measures and determinants of entrepreneurship.
Findings
Among the major findings is that in order to shift to a higher gear, South Korea's entrepreneurial weakness must be addressed through broad institutional reforms that include the corporate governance, and policies and attitudes toward immigrants and immigration. In Estonia's case, while continuing attention must be paid to institutional reforms, immediate action is needed to improve policies that affect basic economic, technological and infrastructural conditions.
Research limitations/implications
A crucial lesson from a comparison of these two economies is that multiple paths of entrepreneurial success exist.
Practical implications
The lessons each can learn from the other to improve the entrepreneurial ecosystem are suggested. Other emerging, developing and less developed economies also have much to learn from the success paths of these two economies.
Originality/value
This paper provides unique insights into alternative ways that emerging economies can follow to develop successful entrepreneurial ecosystems and achieve entrepreneurial success as well as advantages and limitations of the alternatives.
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The purpose of this paper is to investigate, theoretically and empirically, how entrepreneurial firms' perceptions of formal institutions differ across Central and Eastern…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate, theoretically and empirically, how entrepreneurial firms' perceptions of formal institutions differ across Central and Eastern European (CEE) economies.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses data from the World Bank Group's World Business Environment Survey (WBES) compare entrepreneurial firms' perceptions of changes in different components of regulative institutions in Latin and orthodox CEE economies. The data used in this paper capture a decade's progress in the development of regulative institutions in these economies.
Findings
It was found that the state's regulatory, participatory, and supportive roles are more favorable to businesses in the Latin countries than in the orthodox countries. The findings provide support for the notion that informal institutions influence the degree of generalizeability and replicability of Western political and economic institutions' success in driving firms' entrepreneurial behavior in emerging economies.
Research limitations/implications
The first limitation is that the data used were collected about a decade ago. Another limitation relates to a lack of coverage of many former Soviet republics and some other CEE countries in the WBES.
Practical implications
The findings point to the need of strategic planning and various degrees of adaptation of business strategies across the CEE economies. Second, businesses may differ in terms of the relative importance of regulatory, participatory, and supportive roles of the government in their operations. Finally, some CEE economies can be influenced more than others by international pressures.
Originality/value
This paper's greatest value stems from the fact that it uses internationally comparable firm‐level data to empirically examine entrepreneurial firms' perceptions of regulative institutions in CEE economies.
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Nir Kshetri and Nikhilesh Dholakia
The issue of offshore outsourcing of healthcare services is a critical but little‐examined problem in healthcare research. The purpose of this study is to contribute to filling…
Abstract
Purpose
The issue of offshore outsourcing of healthcare services is a critical but little‐examined problem in healthcare research. The purpose of this study is to contribute to filling this void.
Design/methodology/approach
A library‐based study was carried out of the development of the Indian medical transcription offshoring industry.
Findings
Cost‐saving potential and the degree of outsourceability are higher for medical transcription compared with most services. Offshoring experience, typically in a low‐value BPO, helps to enhance productivity and international linkages required for the success of medical transcription.
Research limitations/implications
An important area of future research concerns comparing India's factor endowments in medical transcription outsourcing with other services. Further research is also needed to examine how India differs from its regional competitors in terms of factors endowments associated with these services. Another extension would be to investigate the drivers of offshoring of higher value services such as radiological readings.
Practical implications
ICT infrastructures needed for outsourcing require much less investment compared with leading capital‐intensive industries. The development patterns of the Indian medical and offshoring industries indicate that India may attract higher skilled medical functions in the future. The Indian offshoring industry is shifting its focus from BPO to knowledge process outsourcing (KPO). Developing countries need to shift to greater automation and greater levels of skill training to retain and reinforce their comparative advantages.
Originality/value
This paper's greatest value stems from the fact that it examines the drivers of a new but rapidly growing healthcare industry.
Details
Keywords
Industrialized world‐based healthcare providers are increasingly off‐shoring low‐end healthcare services such as medical transcription, billing and insurance claims. High‐skill…
Abstract
Purpose
Industrialized world‐based healthcare providers are increasingly off‐shoring low‐end healthcare services such as medical transcription, billing and insurance claims. High‐skill medical jobs such as tele‐imaging and tele‐pathology are also being sub‐contracted to developing countries. Despite its importance, little theory or research exists to explain what factors affect industry growth. The article's goals, therefore, are to examine economic processes associated with developing economies' shift from low‐ to high‐value information technology enabled healthcare services, and to investigate how these differ in terms of legitimacy from regulative, normative and cognitive institutions in the sending country and how healthcare services differ from other services.
Design/methodology/approach
This research is conceptual and theory‐building. Broadly, its approach can be described as a positivistic epistemology.
Findings
Anti off‐shoring regulative, normative and cognitive pressures in the sending country are likely to be stronger in healthcare than in most business process outsourcing. Moreover, such pressures are likely to be stronger in high‐value rather than in low‐value healthcare off‐shoring. The findings also indicate that off‐shoring low‐value healthcare services and emergent healthcare industries in a developing economy help accumulate implicit and tacit knowledge required for off‐shoring high‐value healthcare services.
Research limitations/implications
The approach lacks primary data and empirical documentation.
Practical implications
The article helps in understanding industry drivers and its possible future direction. The findings help in understanding the lens through which various institutional actors in a sending country view healthcare service off‐shoring.
Originality/value
The article's value stems from its analytical context, mechanisms and processes associated with developing economies' shift to high‐value healthcare off‐shoring services.