Murali Krishna Penmetsa and Sebastián Bruque-Camara
Nations are opening their “digital borders” to allow the free movement of business, employment and skills. However, this process of digitalization is fraught with challenges. This…
Abstract
Purpose
Nations are opening their “digital borders” to allow the free movement of business, employment and skills. However, this process of digitalization is fraught with challenges. This study aims to identify these challenges to build a solution-oriented framework for smart nations.
Design/methodology/approach
This study conducted a systematic literature review, analyzing 69 peer-reviewed academic papers out of 5,958 identified papers.
Findings
The identified challenges for smart nation building were categorized as follows: people and society, technology and innovation, digital infrastructure, politics, governance, economics and business and sustainability. To overcome these challenges, this study highlights the need for a holistic national approach, which includes solutions such as improving education, technology-driven innovations, investments for building smart nation infrastructure, top political leadership involvement, national vision and action plan, national regulatory frameworks, business environment and job creation, stakeholder engagement, renewable energy use and technological integration – all of which are key for sustainable development.
Research limitations/implications
This study provides directions for building a smart nation framework, but the literature review results are confined to articles, conference papers and book chapters. This study could be further enriched if the findings are cross-checked with experts. This limitation will be addressed in future research.
Originality/value
Given the dearth of literature on this nascent concept, the insights from this study can guide policymakers and industry leaders involved in smart nation building and benefit researchers engaged in theoretical development.
Details
Keywords
Murali Krishna Penmetsa and Sebastián Bruque-Camara
Nations around the globe are moving from digital transformation toward the realization of a digital nation, but they are facing challenges in the process. This study aims to build…
Abstract
Purpose
Nations around the globe are moving from digital transformation toward the realization of a digital nation, but they are facing challenges in the process. This study aims to build a digital nation framework by identifying these challenges and developing solutions.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic literature review process was followed, which included the development of a review protocol, selection of research papers, data extraction and analysis of results. In total, 41 research papers were selected from the 12,624 peer-reviewed academic and research papers initially identified.
Findings
Several challenges associated with the elements of a digital nation, including people, technology, institutions, policy, economics and sustainability, are identified; and solutions to these problems are presented. This study's primary objective is to build a digital nation framework by analyzing these challenges and finding solutions to them.
Research limitations/implications
The study provides direction for building a digital nation framework, but the literature review findings are limited to journals, conference papers and government publications. Moreover, it would have been helpful if the research findings had been crosschecked with a panel of experts. This study will correct this weakness in later research.
Practical implications
This study provides policymakers and leaders with a guide for building a digital nation. This study also provides direction for researchers working in this field as little relevant research is currently available.
Originality/value
This study analyses the existing literature on the challenges surrounding digital nations and gives direction to theory building for future studies.
Details
Keywords
Juan Manuel Maqueira-Marín, Sebastián Bruque-Cámara and Beatriz Minguela-Rata
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the influence of Technology Providers, Public Administrations and R&D Institutions on Cloud Computing adoption. This research also…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the influence of Technology Providers, Public Administrations and R&D Institutions on Cloud Computing adoption. This research also considers Killer Applications and Success Cases as other environmental factors.
Design/methodology/approach
Factorial analyses and structural equation models were used on a sample of high-technology firms located in technological parks in Southern Europe, with more than ten employees and sustained investments in R&D.
Findings
Results show that Technology Providers and Success Cases are determinant in Cloud Computing adoption. Moreover, Killer Applications are a forerunner for Success Cases.
Practical implications
An appropriate fit between the tools and resources provided by suppliers and the internal resources of the company is needed to create competitive advantages. Firms should evaluate Technology Providers, identify Success Cases to Cloud Computing adoption and implement technological benchmarking.
Originality/value
This study contributes to Cloud Computing adoption literature because it includes Technology Providers, Public Administrations and R&D Institutions simultaneously as well as other variables as Killer Applications and Success Cases. The importance of the external agents on information technology (IT) adoption, especially when the technologies to be adopted are new and in an emergent stage, together with the lack of prior investigations focusing on specific environmental factors affecting the adoption of these new, emerging IT, justify the value of this research.
Details
Keywords
Ákos Uhrin, Sebastian Bruque-Cámara and José Moyano-Fuentes
The purpose of this paper is to deepen the knowledge about the role of human resources in a lean environment and its impact on operational performance.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to deepen the knowledge about the role of human resources in a lean environment and its impact on operational performance.
Design/methodology/approach
For this reason, present work investigates the influence of workforce development on the relationship between lean production and operational performance. To test the hypotheses of the paper, a questionnaire was developed and tested on a sample of first tier suppliers in the Spanish automotive industry.
Findings
Results highlight the indispensable role of workforce development in the implementation phase of lean production and draw upon the insight that advancements in implementation of lean production correspond to an increase in knowledgeable employees which in turn facilitates the attainment of improved operational performance outcomes.
Originality/value
The research reaffirm that lean is an integrated socio-technical system oriented to efficiency.
Details
Keywords
Ákos Uhrin, José Moyano-Fuentes and Sebastián Bruque Cámara
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of external and internal sources of variability on the degree of lean production implementation. For this, this paper analyzes…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of external and internal sources of variability on the degree of lean production implementation. For this, this paper analyzes the effects of environmental risk and the company’s past operational performance on the level of lean production implementation.
Design/methodology/approach
Utilizing the reasoning of prospect theory and the threat-rigidity hypothesis, three hypotheses have been developed as to the impact of internal and external sources of variability on the degree of lean production implementation. A questionnaire has been developed to test the hypotheses of the paper on a sample of first-tier suppliers in the Spanish automotive industry. The methodology comprises a combination of hierarchical regression analysis and mediation analysis.
Findings
In line with the propositions of prospect theory, the results obtained show support for the influence of firm risk and past operational performance variability in terms of undertaking decisions that favor further progress in lean production implementation.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to the explanation of the circumstances that ultimately lead to the implementation of lean production. Consequently, the impact of the external and internal environment influences a company’s commitment to increasing its level of lean production implementation and fosters managers’ strategic decision making. Furthermore, its implementation could help guarantee firm survival.
Details
Keywords
Ana Rosa del Águila Obra, Sebastián Bruque Cámara and Antonio Padilla Meléndez
In this paper, we present the concept of telecentres as an aid to socio‐economic development in deprived rural and urban areas, and analyse the use of information technology in…
Abstract
In this paper, we present the concept of telecentres as an aid to socio‐economic development in deprived rural and urban areas, and analyse the use of information technology in these workplaces. Numerous public and not‐for‐profit organisations are subsidising these initiatives as pilot development aid projects on a international scale. We have undertaken an empirical study on a Spanish scale with the following objectives: to know how many telecentres exist in Spain; to identify their state, category and organizational characteristics; to discover what services they offer; to determine the marketing strategies they employ; and to identify the principal factors that determine their success.
Details
Keywords
Sebastián Bruque Cámara, José Moyano Fuentes and Juan Manuel Maqueira Marín
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effects of two technologies, cloud computing and Web 2.0, on a firm’s operational performance, examining the relationship between these…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effects of two technologies, cloud computing and Web 2.0, on a firm’s operational performance, examining the relationship between these two technologies and operational performance, and the mediating role played by supply chain integration.
Design/methodology/approach
A random sample of 394 companies taken from the DUNS 50,000 database in Spain is used to test the paper’s hypotheses. The data were gathered by telephone survey using the CATI computerized system to manage interviewees’ answers, obtaining a 19.36 percent response rate. Factorial analyses and structural equation modeling were used to test the hypotheses.
Findings
The results suggest that cloud computing requires the mediating support of supply chain integration. However, there is no concluding evidence that Web 2.0 has a positive effect on either supply chain integration or operational performance. A positive, significant relationship was found between supply chain integration and operational performance in all the models used.
Research limitations/implications
Further research and longitudinal analyses should be carried out in a range of industrial and geographical settings to confirm the findings of this study. Further analyses could also extend the scope and generalizability of results by analyzing the assimilation of supply chain integration-related inter-organizational information systems, such as the effect of ERP systems on performance. Another future direction for research is a study of the impact of the joint assimilation of internal and external integration practices on operational performance.
Practical implications
Managers should be aware of the key role that trust plays in the information-sharing process in conjunction with supply chain management. Trust and information-sharing are two inextricably linked elements that enable greater supply chain integration to translate into better operational performance. This paper can also make managers more aware of the powerful tools that exist in the cloud computing universe and those that come under the umbrella of Web 2.0. Companies can use the findings of this paper to create new applications to facilitate supply chain integration. Some examples are also given of how cloud applications can be applied to better integrate the supply chain and, ultimately, to improve overall operational performance.
Originality/value
This is one of the first attempts to disentangle the effects exerted by cloud computing on company performance through the mediating role of a higher supply chain integration. The value of this study relies in that academics and practitioners may have a supporting evidence on the role played by a new, disruptive technology such us cloud computing in, internal, operationally linked structures such as supply chain integration and how this combination transforms into better operational outcomes.
Details
Keywords
Ana Rosa del Aguila Obra, Sebastián Bruque Cámara and Antonio Padilla Meléndez
Since the beginnings of the computing era it has been suggested that firm performance could be enhanced by the use of information technology which would help firms to score better…
Abstract
Since the beginnings of the computing era it has been suggested that firm performance could be enhanced by the use of information technology which would help firms to score better on such indicators as productivity, profitability and market share. TCP/IP or the Internet are examples of the technology that is now available to help firms pursue their strategic aims. So far, however, their effects remain uncertain. In this paper we attempt to provide some evidence regarding the impact of the Internet on competitive advantage in a non “dot.com” industry in Spain. We also offer some ideas that may help to explain the role of the Internet as a competitive tool in modern firms.
Details
Keywords
Michael Lustenberger and Florian Spychiger
This paper investigates the influence of blockchain technology on trust and transparency within supply chain management. While existing research suggests blockchain has…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper investigates the influence of blockchain technology on trust and transparency within supply chain management. While existing research suggests blockchain has revolutionary potential, real-world evidence remains limited. This study aims to bridge this gap.
Design/methodology/approach
The research relies on transaction cost analysis and principal-agent theory to develop a conceptual model. The model proposes how blockchain fosters trust and transparency, ultimately leading to a market-based governance model within supply chains. Five different blockchain applications were analyzed in a multi-case study through document reviews and expert interviews to test the model’s assumptions.
Findings
The study’s findings challenge initial assumptions. The complexity of blockchain networks and a reluctance to share information among participants hinder blockchain technology’s ability to increase trust and transparency. Consequently, the expected reduction in opportunism and uncertainties is not observed, and a market-based governance model fails to materialize. In practice, supply chain partners gravitate toward permissioned blockchains managed by established consortia. Acting as trusted third parties, these consortia assume control over network management, rendering blockchain essentially unnecessary.
Originality/value
This paper sheds light on the practical limitations of blockchain technology in revolutionizing supply chain management. While blockchain promises much, the findings suggest that established consortia currently play a more critical role in fostering trust and transparency within supply chains.