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Sharding of blockchains consists of partitioning a blockchain network into several sub-networks called “shards,” each shard processing and storing disjoint sets of transactions in parallel. Sharding has recently been applied to public blockchains to improve scalability through parallelism. The throughput of sharded blockchain is optimized when the workload among the shards is approximately the same. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the problem of balancing workload of account-based blockchains such as Ethereum.

Two known consensus-based distributed load-balancing algorithms have been adapted to sharded blockchains. These algorithms migrate accounts across shards to balance transaction processing times. Two methods to predict transaction processing times are proposed.

The authors identify some challenging aspects for solving the load-balancing problem in sharded blockchains. Experiments conducted with Ethereum transactions show that the two load-balancing algorithms are challenged by accounts often created to process a single transaction to optimize anonymity, while existing accounts sparsely generate transactions.

Tests in this work have been conducted on transactions originating from a blockchain platform rather than using artificially generated data distributions. They show the specificity of the load-balancing problem for sharded blockchains, which were hidden in artificial data sets.

Current e-learning platforms are based on relational database management systems (RDBMS) and are well suited for handling structured data. However, it is expected from e-learning solutions to efficiently handle unstructured data as well. The purpose of this paper is to show an alternative to current solutions for unstructured data management.

Current repository-based solution for file management was compared to MongoDB architecture according to their functionalities and characteristics. This included several categories: data integrity, hardware acquisition, processing files, availability, handling concurrent users, partition tolerance, disaster recovery, backup policies and scalability.

This paper shows that it is possible to improve e-learning platform capabilities by implementing a hybrid database architecture that incorporates RDBMS for handling structured data and MongoDB database system for handling unstructured data.

The study shows an acceptable adoption of MongoDB inside a service-oriented architecture (SOA) for enhancing e-learning solutions.

This research enables an efficient file handling not only for e-learning systems, but also for any system where file handling is needed.

It is expected that future single/joint e-learning initiatives will need to manage huge amount of files and they will require effective file handling solution. The new architecture solution for file handling is offered in this paper: it is different from current solutions because it is less expensive, more efficient, more flexible and requires less administrative and development effort for building and maintaining.

As the core technology of blockchain, various consensus mechanisms have emerged to satisfy the demands of different application scenarios. Since determining the security, scalability and other related performance of the blockchain, how to reach consensus efficiently of consensus mechanism is a critical issue in the blockchain.

The paper opted for a research overview on the blockchain consensus mechanism, including the consensus mechanisms' consensus progress, classification and comparison, which are complemented by documentary analysis.

This survey analyzes solutions for the improvement of consensus mechanisms in blockchain that have been proposed during the last few years and suggests future research directions around consensus mechanisms. First, the authors outline the consensus processes, the advantages and disadvantages of the mainstream consensus mechanisms. Additionally, the consensus mechanisms are subdivided into four types according to their characteristics. Then, the consensus mechanisms are compared and analyzed based on four evaluation criteria. Finally, the authors summarize the representative progress of consensus mechanisms and provide some suggestions on the design of consensus mechanisms to make further advances in this field.

This paper summarizes the future research development of the consensus mechanisms.

This study aims to gain insights into how students perceive online examination practices and evaluation, as well as identify the key factors that impact their intentions toward online exams.

This empirical study conducted in India utilized an online survey method between May 24 and June 14, 2022. The data were collected from 712 undergraduate and postgraduate students through a Google Docs questionnaire. Descriptive analysis, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), regression and reliability analysis were conducted to analyze the data.

There are many studies related to the adoption of online learning. However, there are limited studies that explore the adoption and acceptance of online examinations and evaluations. This paper intends to fill this gap and tries to highlight important factors influencing online examination usage by the students. Five important factors emerged in the study include “pedagogy, validity, reliability,” “practicality,” “security,” “facilitating condition” and “intention,” The study concludes that taking tests online is preferred for several reasons, including the perceived increased dependability of grades and the decreased cost, time and effort associated with taking exams.

This research explores students' perceptions of learning management systems (LMS)-based online exams and provides insights for students to better prepare and adapt. It assists policymakers in developing fair assessment policies and improving LMS platforms. The study contributes to the theoretical understanding of e-learning and calls for further research to enhance the effectiveness of online exams. It identifies gaps in existing literature and recommends larger sample sizes, broader representation, longitudinal data collection and conversational methods for future research.

This study shows increasing research on e-learning and online examinations, mostly using quantitative methods. The important variables for understanding students' perceptions of online exams are “pedagogy, validity, reliability,” “practicality,” “security,” “facilitating condition” and “intention.” Concerns raised include validity, fairness and security. Electronic exams are more suitable for formative evaluation, and validity, reliability, security and adaptability are key pillars for successful online testing.

The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to explore the contingency effects of personality composition on the shard leadership and entrepreneurial team performance relationship and second, to examine different contingency effects that team personality mean score and team personality diversity have on the shared leadership – entrepreneurial team performance relationship, using the person-team fit theory and the Big-5 framework.

The sample consisted of 200 entrepreneurial teams in a technology incubator founded in 2009 in eastern China. Data were collected through an online survey.

Team conscientiousness level and team openness to experience diversity were found to interact with shared leadership to influence team effectiveness in a supplementary way, such that the relationship between shared leadership and team effectiveness will be stronger when the team’s mean score on conscientiousness level is high and diversity score on openness to experience is low. Another finding from this study is that team diversity scores on emotional stability and agreeableness interact with shared leadership in a complementary way; that is, the higher the diversity score, the better influence shared leadership has on team effectiveness.

First, this study provides policy implications for government agencies, foundations, and universities who provide support for start-ups in incubators. These institutions should know the importance of entrepreneurial team composition and team process to start-up performance and should provide entrepreneurial teams support in team development. Second, the study provides entrepreneurs with implications regarding team member selection.

This is one of the first papers to study the interaction between personality composition and shared leadership and its impact on new venture performance. These findings advance the literature on moderators of shared leadership by demonstrating that team personality composition on conscientiousness, openness to experience, emotional stability, and agreeableness moderates the relationship between shared leadership and entrepreneurial team performance.

Circular economy is an emerging concept which requires insights from a variety of disciplines, especially from sustainable operations management. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to verify how formal and informal instruments of governance influence the induction of green practices in a green network located in Brazil, with implications for the circular economy.

Based on a review of the supply chain (SC), green supply chain management, and governance literature, proposals are made regarding the influence of governance instruments in inducing green practices. To investigate these propositions, a qualitative research was conducted using a single exemplary case study of a cosmetics supply network.

The authors present original research findings which have both expected and unexpected implications for the circular economy, due to the fact that the data analysis showed that the formal (contracts and environmental norms) and informal (trust and cooperation) instruments of governance positively influence the induction of green practices within the supply network.

This study contributes to supply network and governance theory by providing insights for better understanding of how governance instruments can induce green practices in a supply network, and it provides practical implications for SC managers, by showing the importance of considering different governance instruments. Implications for the circular economy are made.

This study aims to understand the benefits and challenges associated with the adoption of a blockchain-based identity management system in public services by conducting an academic literature review, and to explore the design of such a system that can be applied to the Korean government.

This study explores the adoption of a blockchain-based identity management system using a literature review and an actual design case intended for use by the government sector.

Blockchain-based identity management systems can significantly improve transparency, accountability, and reliability in the user control of one's own data while reducing the time and cost needed to deliver public services, as well as increasing administrative efficiency. However, it is not always easy to implement such systems, and introducing new technologies in the government field requires a complicated, time-consuming process. There is currently an appetite for research extending beyond the typical technology-driven approach to elucidate the government adoption of new technologies and explore its implications.

The idea behind this system is that by storing and managing personal information on the blockchain and providing mobile apps to customers, users can log in or retrieve previously authenticated personal information without having to go through an authentication process. Since users do not need to go through the verification process every time, it is expected that they will be able to access only the necessary personal information more quickly and conveniently without having to deal with unnecessary details. In addition, the blockchain-based operation of a public service effectively increases the transparency and reliability of that service and reduces the social costs caused by personal information leakage.

This study introduces the design of a blockchain-based identity management system that can be used in public services, specifically in the Korean government sector for the first time. Along with a literature review, the implications that this study gleans from these real-world use cases can contribute to this field of research.

The ceramic tile chain can generate several environmental impacts, from raw material extraction to the production process, commercialization, consumption, maintenance and disposal. One of the open issues remaining in the literature on socially responsible supply chains, also known as responsible supply chains, is understanding how corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices are being implemented in ceramic tile companies in Brazil.

The method adopted is a multiple-case study. The authors conducted face-to-face interviews with six ceramic producers and a trade association. The authors also conducted eight interviews with specialists in the ceramic sector. They are two university professors, two class association representatives, one professional from a technological institute, two representatives of the inspection body and one supplier.

Companies perform on a compliance basis, manifesting a less proactive position when the subject is CSR. In addition, the CSR practices established by the companies are preferably aimed at reducing costs and risks and increasing reputation. Practices in terms of eco-design are linked to lowering costs and growing reputation, as seen from the reduction in the use of inputs and improvements in packaging to minimize costs. These practices improve the company’s reputation from the consumers' perspective. Environmental aspects are dominant due to the legislation.

This paper contributes theoretically since it identifies, from the companies' perspective, the CSR practices related to risk, cost reduction and reputation increase. There are also opportunities to be explored for facilitating their efforts towards a sustainable business model, especially considering the social dimension. From a managerial perspective, this paper provides some input for implementing CSR actions, mainly regarding their implications for society and local communities.

La cadena de revestimiento cerámico puede generar diversos impactos ambientales, desde la extracción de la materia prima hasta el proceso de producción, comercialización, consumo, mantenimiento y disposición. Una de las cuestiones abiertas que quedan en la literatura sobre cadenas de suministro socialmente responsables, también conocidas como cadenas de suministro responsables, es comprender cómo se están implementando prácticas de responsabilidad social empresarial en las empresas de revestimientos cerámicos en Brasil.

El método utilizado en el estudio es un estudio de casos múltiples. Realizamos entrevistas cara a cara con 6 productores de cerámica y una asociación comercial. También recibimos información de 8 especialistas representantes de organizaciones relacionadas con el sector cerámico; 2 profesores universitarios; 2 representantes de asociaciones de clase; 1 profesional de instituto tecnológico; 2 representantes del organismo de control; y 1 proveedor de esmaltes.

Las empresas actúan sobre la base del cumplimiento, manifestando una posición menos proactiva cuando el tema es la RSE. Además, las prácticas de RSC establecidas por las empresas están preferentemente encaminadas a la reducción de costes y riesgos y al aumento de la reputación. Las prácticas en materia de ecodiseño están esencialmente ligadas a la reducción de costos y al aumento de la reputación, a partir de la reducción en el uso de insumos y mejoras en los empaques para minimizar costos. Estas prácticas mejoran la reputación de la empresa desde la perspectiva de los consumidores. Los aspectos ambientales son dominantes debido a la legislación.

Este trabajo aporta teóricamente ya que identifica, desde la perspectiva de las empresas, las prácticas de RSE relacionadas con el riesgo, la reducción de costos y el aumento de la reputación. También hay oportunidades por explorar para facilitar sus esfuerzos hacia un modelo de negocio sostenible, especialmente teniendo en cuenta la dimensión social. Desde la perspectiva gerencial, este documento proporciona algunos insumos para la toma de decisiones sobre la implementación de acciones de RSE, principalmente en lo que respecta a las implicaciones para la sociedad y las comunidades locales.

Building on the thematic intersection of architectural waste and conservation, the purpose of this paper is to look at the demolition and deconstruction of Honest Ed’s and Mirvish Village – an iconic site in downtown Toronto. In doing so, it examines contradictory site values and tensions inherent in sustainable heritage practices.

This article uses a “follow-the-thing” methodology – an approach developed by the cultural geographer Nicky Gregson (Gregson et al., 2009) – to demonstrate how engaging with processes of building demolition and deconstruction can begin to reveal the site’s multiple legacies.

Recognizing that materials are not lost, but instead move through and are determined by various physical, spatial and cultural conditions, this piece demonstrates how an attention to the choreography of demolition and deconstruction may deepen our understanding of notions of ownership, responsibility and stewardship.

Exposing material trajectories and various actors in the chain, this work challenges the save/discard binary which underpins conventional heritage practices and provides insight into new ways of considering the significance of demolition/deconstruction sites as well as broader social and environmental landscapes implicated in its reconfiguration.

Whereas heritage value is often defined in contrast with perceptions of loss, this piece suggests that engagement with processes of demolition and deconstruction constitutes a form of conservation that simultaneously acknowledges the difficult heritage of these procedures, while also commemorating the site’s ongoing transformation.