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The evolution of digital construction within Industrial Revolution 5.0 emphasises the harmonious integration of humans and technology, value-driven technology implementation, adaptive leadership and user-centric design solutions. This shift necessitates architects to enhance their soft skills to navigate the transition effectively. Failure to demonstrate these skills may confine architects to passive roles as technology consumers rather than innovative leaders. While existing research predominantly focuses on the technical aspects of digital construction, this study investigates how architects effectively manifest their soft skills within such dynamic contexts, addressing a critical gap in the current literature.

Employing an interpretive phenomenological approach, the research engaged 14 individual architects practicing in architectural consultancy practices (ACPs) in Malaysia through semi-structured interviews and written exercises to unveil their experiences.

Thematic analysis revealed six primary themes: “analytical and critical thinking,” “digital communication,” “diversity in leadership styles,” “emotional intelligence,” “ethics and professionalism,” and “curiosity and agility.”

Furthermore, the developed thematic map serves as a foundational resource for human resource practices aiming to design upskilling and reskilling programs that focus on nurturing soft skills. Emphasising soft skills, these programs are designed to thrive in the digital construction era and beyond.

These shared experiences significantly contribute to the theoretical understanding of soft skills within the digital construction context, providing novel insights into their practical application when addressing real-world implications.

Quality 4.0 is essential to the Industry 4.0 framework, notably in the electronics sector. It evaluates product quality in real-time using automatic process controls, quality tools and procedures. The implementation of Quality 4.0 criteria in the electronics industry is the subject of this study’s investigation and analysis. In this study, nine Customer Requirements (CRs) and 18 Design Requirements (DRs) have been defined to adopt Quality 4.0, aiming to increase yield while reducing defects. This study has developed a Quality 4.0 framework for effective implementation, incorporating the People, Process and Technology categories.

Many CRs and DRs of Quality 4.0 exhibit interdependencies. The Analytic Network Process (ANP) considers interdependencies among the criteria at various levels. Quality Function Deployment (QFD) can capture the customer’s voice, which is particularly important in Quality 4.0. Therefore, in this research, we use an integrated ANP-QFD methodology for prioritizing DRs based on the customers' needs and preferences, ultimately leading to better product and service development.

According to the research findings, the most critical consumer criteria for Quality 4.0 in the electronics sector are automatic systems, connectivity, compliance and leadership. The Intelligent Internet of Things (IIOTs) has emerged as the most significant design requirement that enables effective control in production. It is observed that robotics process automation and a workforce aligned with Quality 4.0 also play crucial roles.

Existing literature does not include studies on identifying CRs and DRs for implementing Quality 4.0 in the electronics industry. To address this gap, we propose a framework to integrate real-time quality measures into the Industry 4.0 context, thereby facilitating the implementation of Quality 4.0 in the electronics industry. This study can provide valuable insights for industry practitioners to implement Quality 4.0 effectively in their organizations.

Our work adds to the debate regarding higher education graduates’ skills required in the labour market in Germany and beyond.

Using Q-methodology and the accompanying narrations, we explore German employers’ and employees’ views (N = 26) on characteristics required at the entry level.

Our findings show three areas of the labour market with different skill requirements. Whereas the first area, “The world of rules”, applies more likely to the professions and academia, the two other areas, “The middle field” and “The people-oriented and critical market”, can be found throughout the labour market. The disciplinary affiliation does not play a role. In all three areas, soft skills are crucial and specialised knowledge is only highly valued in the area of “The world of rules”.

In contrast to previous findings, we do not focus on singular skills. Instead, we focus on skill sets and discuss their relevance from the background of their usability.

This contribution responds to the call of various researchers for a shift in Responsible Management Education (RME) to adopt a more human-centered and less organizational-centered approach. Service learning (SL) is introduced as a possibility to offer didactical opportunities for participants to connect real-world experiences to system thinking in various ways. We suggest an approach called a “Prism of Reflections” to pique participants' hermeneutical, technical, and emancipatory interests so they can delve deeply into local social and environmental issues and be able to connect them to broader global issues as encapsulated in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We exemplify our method by demonstrating how students reflect on their experiences working at food banks, and how they relate to concerns of sustainability, poverty, and access to food. Our research suggests that this approach offers a way to situate organizational thinking and instrumental reasoning in a larger framework that considers the aims of hermeneutics, technical and emancipatory discourses. Our findings demonstrate that there are conflicts and dissonances when connecting intersubjective real-world perceptions to emancipatory interests and technical knowledge, particularly when it comes to challenges in the realm of food.

The authors study how cloud adoption decision making unfolds in organizations and present the dynamic process leading to a decision to adopt or reject cloud computing. The authors thus complement earlier literature on factors that influence cloud adoption.

The authors adopt an interpretive epistemology to understand the process of cloud adoption decision making. Following an empirical investigation drawing on interviews with senior managers who led the cloud adoption decision making in organizations from across Europe. The authors outline a framework that shows how cloud adoptions follow multiple cycles in three broad phases.

The study findings demonstrate that cloud adoption decision making is a recursive process of learning about cloud through three broad phases: building perception about cloud possibilities, contextualizing cloud possibilities in terms of current computing resources and exposing the cloud proposition to others involved in making the decision. Building on these findings, the authors construct a framework of this process which can inform practitioners in making decisions on cloud adoption.

This work contributes to authors understanding of how cloud adoption decisions unfold and provides a framework for cloud adoption decisions that has theoretical and practical value. The study further demonstrates the role of the decision-leader, typically the CIO, in this process and identifies how other internal and external stakeholders are involved. It sheds light on the relevance of the phases of the cloud adoption decision-making process to different cloud adoption factors identified in the extant literature.

This study aims to focus on the five most relevant and discursive emerging technologies in accounting (cloud computing, big data and data analytics, blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics process automation [RPA]). It investigates the adoption and use of these technologies based on data collected from accounting professionals in a technology-developed country – Canada, through a survey.

The study investigates the adoption and use of emerging technologies based on data collected from accounting professionals in a technology-developed country – Canada, through a survey. This study considers the said nature and characteristics of emerging technologies and proposes a model using the factors that have been found to be significant and most commonly investigated by existing prior technology-organization-environment (TOE)-related technology adoption studies. This survey applies the TOE framework and examines the influence of significant and most commonly known factors on Canadian firms’ intention to adopt the said emerging technologies.

Study results indicate that Canadian accounting professionals’ self-assessed knowledge (about these emerging technologies) is more theoretical than operational. Cloud computing is highly used by Canadian firms, while the use of other technologies, particularly blockchain and RPA, is reportedly low. However, firms’ intention about the future adoption of these technologies seems positive. Study results reveal that only the relative advantage and top management commitment are found to be significant considerations influencing the adoption intention.

Study findings confirm some results presented in earlier studies but provide additional insights from a new perspective, that of accounting professionals in Canada. The first limitation relates to the respondents. Although accounting professionals provided valuable insights, their responses are personal views and do not necessarily represent the views of other professionals within the same firm or the official position of their accounting departments or firms. Therefore, the exclusion of diverse viewpoints from the same firm might have negatively impacted the results of this study. Second, this study sample is limited to Canada-based firms, which means that the study reflects only the situation in that country. Third, considering the research method and the limit on the number of questions the authors could ask, respondents were only asked to rate the impact of these five technologies on the accounting field and to clarify which technologies are used.

This study’s findings confirm that the organizational intention to adopt new technology is not primarily based on the characteristics of the technology. In the case of emerging technology adoption, the decision also depends upon other factors related to the internal organization. Furthermore, although this study found no support for the effect of environmental factors, it fills a gap in the literature by including the factor of vendor support, which has received little attention in prior information technology (IT)/ information system (IS) adoption research. Moreover, in contrast to most prior adoption studies, this study elaborates on accounting professionals’ experience and perceptions in investigating the organizational adoption and use of emerging technologies. Thus, the findings of this study are valuable, providing insights from a new perspective, that of professional accountants.

The study findings may serve as a guide for researchers, practitioners, firms and other stakeholders, particularly technology providers, interested in learning about emerging technologies’ adoption and use in Canada and/or in a relevant context. Contrary to most prior adoption studies, this study elaborates on accounting professionals’ experience and perceptions in investigating the organizational adoption and use of emerging technologies. Thus, the findings of this study are valuable, providing insights from a new perspective, that of professional accountants.

The study provides insights into the said technologies’ actual adoption and improves the awareness of firms and stakeholders to the effect of some constructs that influence the adoption of these emerging technologies in accounting.

The accelerated digital transformation and the growing emphasis on privacy, safety and security present ongoing challenges for cybersecurity experts. Alongside these challenges, the multidisciplinary, everchanging and complex nature of the cybersecurity domain has further challenged the acquisition and retention of cybersecurity talent. Empowering reskilling and upskilling in cybersecurity necessitates efficacious educational endeavours which promote self-confidence and foster a growth mindset. The purpose of this paper is to highlight that cultivating self-efficacy in cybersecurity education can help promote competency development and effectively address the prominent skills gaps. This notion applies equally to both aspiring individuals pursuing a career in cybersecurity and professionals in the field who may wish to better articulate the skills they already possess, the skills they lack and newly surfacing skills that need to be developed.

The study discusses the imminent need for adopting a “skills-first” approach in cybersecurity and explores innovative pedagogies and professional frameworks that can inform and frame such an approach. Subsequently, a critical analysis of the importance of self-efficacy towards motivating and supporting upskilling in cybersecurity is performed. A case study is presented, expanding the authors’ previous work on cybersecurity professional development, to demonstrate the mediating role that self-efficacy can play in developing core cybersecurity competencies. The case study presents the design of a new cybersecurity curriculum in the context of postgraduate, synchronous distance cybersecurity education, and it is utilised as a basis to discuss how the proposed curriculum cultivates self-efficacy attitudes.

A skills-first approach is becoming the new norm in contemporary workplaces. This work highlights the importance of actively nurturing self-efficacy attitudes through innovative cybersecurity curricula that can be tailored to the learners’ needs, instigating a drive for learning and, ultimately, helping learners effectively upskilling by portraying a self-directed learning path and a professional growth mindset in cybersecurity.

The authors present the importance of cultivating self-efficacy in higher and lifelong education to foster reskilling and upskilling in cybersecurity. An innovative cybersecurity curriculum was constructed and delivered with a group of learners demonstrating how self-efficacy can be leveraged through interactive, reflective and self-assessment educational activities that enhanced motivation and self-awareness, curiosity, attention to detail and resilience – key skills for a successful career in cybersecurity.

In the era of Industry 4.0, the relevance of webinar tutorials, a form of distance learning, is paramount. These tutorials can catalyze self-regulated learning, critical thinking and communication skills, especially for prospective and in-service teachers pursuing higher education. This paper aims to develop a conceptual framework and report the results of implementing a flipped classroom with whiteboard animation and modules. This innovative approach seeks to enhance students' self-regulation, critical thinking and communication abilities.

This study employs a mixed-methods approach. In the first phase, a hypothetical model and conceptual framework for the Flipped Classroom with Whiteboard Animation and Modules were developed to enhance self-regulation, critical thinking and communication skills. The resulting conceptual framework was then implemented through a quasi-experiment using a non-equivalent control group design involving 83 elementary school teachers enrolled in the Elementary School Science Education course (PDGK4202), divided into three treatment groups. Qualitative data were collected through observations of the learning process, documentation of student worksheet completion and interviews with students. Questionnaires and tests were used as instruments for quantitative data collection. Qualitative data were analyzed using descriptive methods, while quantitative data were evaluated using MANCOVA.

The findings demonstrate significant improvements in students' self-regulation, critical thinking skills and communication abilities after implementing the Flipped Classroom with Whiteboard Animation and Modules.

Some limitations in this study need to be recognized. These limitations include the specific sample type of elementary school teachers who went back to college to take science learning courses in elementary school. Teachers have various diversity that may affect the dependent variable, such as age, educational background, facilities, internet signal stability at their learning location and teaching experience. This study was conducted in a specific context (using the flipped classroom model at UT), so the results may need to be more generalizable to other educational contexts with different facilities, systems and policies. In addition, the measurement of self-regulation and communication skills, particularly with questionnaires, relies on self-report, which can be biased due to socially desirable responses or inaccurate self-assessment. Although the MANCOVA test showed significant results, it is possible that other variables not controlled for in this study (e.g. intrinsic motivation, social support from family or colleagues) also affected the independent variables.

This study emphasizes the importance of adapting webinar tutorials for Industry 4.0 and enhancing self-regulated learning, critical thinking and communication skills, particularly for working students and teachers. It offers a practical framework for educators and suggests ways to improve online learning materials. The implementation results show significant skill enhancement. These findings have practical implications for educators, institutions and instructional designers, guiding the development of effective distance learning strategies and curriculum improvements in the digital age.

The social implications of this study are noteworthy. In the context of Industry 4.0, adapting webinar tutorials to promote self-regulated learning, critical thinking and communication skills is essential not only for the educational sector but also for the broader society. It equips prospective and in-service teachers, who are pivotal in shaping future generations, with the necessary skills to navigate a rapidly changing digital landscape. Furthermore, enhancing self-regulation and critical thinking abilities among employed students contributes to a more informed and adaptable workforce, fostering societal resilience in the face of technological advancements.

The uniqueness of this study stems from the creative modification of a webinar tutorial, which specifically targets the urgent requirement for enhancing abilities among teachers and university students. The conceptual framework serves as a valuable tool for educators, and the findings of this study confirm its effectiveness in enhancing self-regulation, critical thinking abilities and communication proficiency. Furthermore, the recommendations offered also furnish practical insights to improve this model.

This paper aims to critically examine the accounting and information systems literature to understand the changes that are occurring in the management accounting profession. The changes the authors are interested in are linked to technology-driven innovations in managerial decision-making and in organizational structures. In addition, the paper highlights research gaps and opportunities for future research.

The authors adopted a grounded theory literature review method (Wolfswinkel et al., 2013) to achieve the study’s aims.

The authors identified four research themes that describe the changes in the management accounting profession due to technology-driven innovations: structured vs unstructured data, human vs algorithm-driven decision-making, delineated vs blurred functional boundaries and hierarchical vs platform-based organizations. The authors also identified tensions mentioned in the literature for each research theme.

Previous studies display a rather narrow focus on the role of digital technologies in accounting work and new competences that management accountants require in the digital era. By contrast, the authors focus on the broader technology-driven shifts in organizational processes and structures, which vastly change how accounting information is collected, processed and analyzed internally to support managerial decision-making. Hence, the paper focuses on how management accountants can adapt and evolve as their organizations transition toward a digital environment.