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This chapter aims to shed light on the role that a sustainable orientation plays in strengthening the relationships between global consumers and online brands. Despite many previous studies about the importance of sustainability considerations for national consumers’ brand commitments and purchase intentions, there is a lack of empirical studies focussing on this relationship from a global consumer perspective. A pre-study (consisting of focus group discussions) and a widely distributed international survey with responses from 74 countries show mixed results. Whereas the results from the focus groups imply that a sustainable orientation influences both global consumers’ purchase intentions and brand commitments towards online brands, the survey results imply that global consumers’ sustainable orientations do not affect purchase intentions directly, even though they influence brand commitments. An implication of these results is that an international online brand’s possibility to portray a sustainable orientation plays an important role in strengthening the relationship with global consumers, especially regarding brand commitment.

The purpose of the study is to design the compensation network of a dynamic wireless power transfer system, considering the movement of the receiving coil along an electrified track with a large number of inductors buried on the road.

A finite element model has been developed to calculate the self-inductances of transmitting and receiving coils as well as the mutual inductances between the receiving coil and the transmitting ones in the nearby and for various relative positions. The calculated lumped parameters, self-inductances and mutual inductances depending on the relative positions between the coils, have been considered to design the compensation network of the active coils, which is composed of three capacitive or inductive reactances connected in the T form. The optimal values of the six reactances, three for the transmitting coils and three for the receiving one, have been calculated by resorting to the Genetic Algorithm NSGA-II.

In this paper, the results obtained by means of the optimizations have broadly discussed. The optimal values of the reactances of the compensation networks show a clear trend in the receiving part of the circuit. On the other hand, the problem seems very sensitive to the values of the reactances in the transmitting circuit.

Dynamic wireless power transfer system is one of the newest ways of recharging electric vehicles. Hence, the design of compensation networks for this kind of systems is a new topic, and there is the need to investigate possible solutions to obtain a good performance of the recharging system.

The purpose of this study is to examine various data sources to identify trends and themes in humanitarian supply chain management (HSCM) in the digital age.

In this study, various data sources such as published literature and social media content from Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs and forums are used to identify trending topics and themes on HSCM using topic modelling.

The study examined 33 published literature and more than 94,000 documents, including tweets and expert opinions, and identified eight themes related to HSCM in the digital age namely “Digital technology enabled global partnerships”, “Digital tech enabled sustainability”, “Digital tech enabled risk reduction for climate changes and uncertainties”, “Digital tech enabled preparedness, response and resilience”, “Digital tech enabled health system enhancement”, “Digital tech enabled food system enhancement”, “Digital tech enabled ethical process and systems” and “Digital tech enabled humanitarian logistics”. The study also proposed a framework of drivers, processes and impacts for each theme and directions for future research.

Previous research has predominantly relied on published literature to identify emerging themes and trends on a particular topic. This study is unique because it examines the ability of social media sources such as blogs, websites, forums and published literature to reveal evolving patterns and trends in HSCM in the digital age.

Amidst the ongoing digital transformation in the maritime industry, this study aims to interrogate the application of electronic certification (e-certification) to seafarers globally.

Data and methodological triangulation were used in the study. This included a scoping review to analyze the components of effective e-certificates; document analysis to evaluate the nature and functions of the international legal framework of seafarers’ e-certification and thematic and statistical analyses of responses from survey questionnaires and interviews to examine the merits, demerits and challenges to global implementation of seafarers’ e-certification. A modified Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model was used to determine the stakeholders’ usage behavior regarding seafarers’ e-certification.

The results revealed several merits associated with the implementation of seafarers’ e-certificates, outweighing the presence of certain drawbacks. It also identified various challenges to global application along with potential solutions. Despite the strong industry support for the entire replacement of seafarers’ traditional printed certificates with e-certificates, the study concludes that the coexistence of both formats will persist until crucial challenges are effectively addressed. The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), 1978, as amended, along with the relevant International Maritime Organization (IMO) guidelines, functions as the international legal framework for the effective global application of electronic certification for seafarers.

The study addresses a significant aspect of the contemporary digital transformation of seafarers’ certification under the STCW Convention, 1978, as amended.

We draw upon stress theory and utilize the context of the COVID-19 pandemic to investigate how various coping strategies employed by expatriates affect their psychological stress, subsequently influencing their expatriation satisfaction and intention to withdraw from the host country.

We utilize structural equation modeling to analyze a sample of 453 expatriates residing and working in the United Arab Emirates during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our analysis shows that the effects of different coping strategies on expatriates vary. Depending on the nature of the strategy, they can have either positive or negative effects. While coping via problem-focused and denial strategies decreases expatriates' stress, coping by distancing increases it. Social support-seeking is not found to be an effective stress-coping strategy. In terms of implications, the problem-focused strategy leads to the most positive outcomes, whereas distancing leads to the most negative outcomes.

Our study provides significant theoretical and practical insights into expatriates' coping mechanisms within the context of natural crises.

This study aims to deepen the understanding of the challenges and implications entailed by deploying mobile clinics in conflict zones to reach populations affected by violence and cut off from health-care services.

This research combines an integrated literature review and an instrumental case study. The literature review comprises two targeted reviews to provide insights: one on conflict zones and one on mobile clinics. The case study describes the process and challenges faced throughout a mobile clinic deployment during and after the Iraq War. The data was gathered using mixed methods over a two-year period (2017–2018).

Armed conflicts directly impact the populations’ health and access to health care. Mobile clinic deployments are often used and recommended to provide health-care access to vulnerable populations cut off from health-care services. However, there is a dearth of peer-reviewed literature documenting decision support tools for mobile clinic deployments.

This study highlights the gaps in the literature and provides direction for future research to support the development of valuable insights and decision support tools for practitioners.

This study demonstrates how artificial intelligence (AI) shapes the strategic planning process in volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) business environments. Having adopted various domains of the Cynefin framework, the research explores AI's transformative potential and provide insights regarding how organisations can harness AI-driven solutions for strategic planning.

This conceptual paper theorises the role of AI in strategic planning process in a VUCA world by integrating extant knowledge across multiple literature streams. The “model paper” approach was adopted to provide a theoretical framework predicting relationships among considered concepts.

The paper highlights potential application of the Cynefin framework to manage complexities in strategic decision-making process, the transformative impact of AI at different stages of strategic planning, the required strategic planning characteristics within VUCA to be supported by AI and the attendant challenges posed by AI integration in the uncertain business landscape.

This study pioneers a theoretical exploration of AI's role in strategic planning within the VUCA business landscape, guided by the Cynefin framework. Thus, it enriches scholarly discourse and expands knowledge frontiers.

This study aims to establish a comprehensive framework for adopting mobile-based artificial intelligence (AI) services in Tanzanian manufacturing small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

The methodology involved conducting a literature review and using the combination of Mobile Services Acceptance Model and Innovation Diffusion Theory (IDT) as a theoretical foundation. This synthesis delves into the current knowledge on technology adoption, organizational behavior and innovation diffusion, creating a solid conceptual basis. Expert review was used for framework validation to ensure the framework's accuracy.

This study shows that the factors influencing the adoption of mobile-based AI services in Tanzanian manufacturing SMEs include perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, context, personal initiatives and characteristics, trust, infrastructure, cost, mobility, power distance, compatibility, observability and trialability.

The framework provides valuable insights tailored to Tanzanian sociocultural and economic nuances. However, its generalizability is limited due to its specificity to Tanzanian manufacturing SMEs.

The framework outlined in this research provides SME leaders, policymakers and technology implementers with valuable guidance to make informed decisions during the adoption process.

This study introduces a novel lens for understanding technology adoption. This study's focus on the Tanzanian context and its nuanced examination of contributing factors add to its originality and practical significance.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the 3D printability of a multimaterial, fully self-supporting auxetic structure. This will contribute to expanding the application of additive manufacturing (AM) to new products, such as automotive suspensions.

An experimental approach for sample fabrication on a multiextruder 3D printer and characterization by compression testing was conducted along with numerical simulations, which were used to support the design of different auxetic configurations for the jounce bumper.

The effect of stacking different auxetic cell modules was discussed, and the findings demonstrated that a one-piece printed structure has a better performance than one composed of multiple single modules stacked on top of each other.

The quality of the 3D printing process affected the performance of the final components and reproducibility of the results. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to further study component fabrication optimization to achieve a more reliable process.

This research work can help improve the manufacturing and functionality of a critical element of automotive suspension systems, such as the jounce bumper, which can efficiently reduce noise, vibration and harshness by absorbing impact energy.

In previous research, auxetic structures for the application of jounce bumpers have already been suggested. However, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, in this work, an AM approach was used for the first time to fabricate multimaterial auxetic structures, not only by co-printing a flexible thermoplastic polymer with a stiffer one but also by continuously extruding multilevel structures of auxetic cell modules.

We develop a credit-risk model to study the informational role of investment in an economy susceptible to large liquidity shocks. Firms' investment decisions carry information about their asset quality, thereby mitigating informational frictions when firms enter bankruptcy. An increase in aggregate investment can reduce the informational value of investment, depressing firms' recovery values. Therefore, policies boosting investment can decrease debt and firm values by reducing the informational value of investment. The presence of debt overhang may enhance firm value by making firms' investment decisions more informative. We present suggestive empirical evidence consistent with model predictions on the relation between firms' investments and recovery rates.