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Fintech has revolutionized personal finance, introducing innovative tools that offer unprecedented access, efficiency, and security in managing finances. This chapter explains fintech's personal finance applications, from intuitive budgeting apps and advanced robo-advisors to peer-to-peer payment platforms. It articulates how these tools have shifted the control and management of finances into the hands of consumers, providing real-time financial data, customized investment strategies, improved credit scores, and streamlined transactions that eliminate the need for traditional intermediaries. Furthermore, this chapter features a select list of FinTech50 firms and highlights how individuals can leverage their services. This comprehensive guide is invaluable for individuals seeking to leverage fintech for personal finance optimization and for professionals keen on understanding and navigating the rapidly evolving fintech landscape.

This study aims to advance knowledge in international management research about how researchers’ cultural identity in fieldwork encounters may be grounded in the choice of language in multicultural and multilingual projects.

The study is based on critical reflections on the experience of two co-authors as Chinese nationals conducting research in overseas Chinese multinational corporations (MNCs) in developing economies.

Drawing on social identity theory, the authors demonstrate that the cultural identity and cultural insider/outsider positionality of both the researcher and research participants can be shaped by language, translation and other artefacts in cross-cultural interviews, constantly being shifted, managed and renegotiated during qualitative interviewing. This study highlights the politics of language which, when combined with other forms of power relations, such as the researcher’s perceived status, economic development of the MNCs’ home country and the participants’ organisational hierarchy, affect power distribution between the researcher and participants. Researchers often need to move from being an “insider” to an “outsider” and often to an “in-betweener” at different stages in an interview interaction to balance power.

This study contributes to international debates about the complex interplay of languages, politics and identity in multilingual and multicultural qualitative research. In contributing to these literatures, the authors focus on the relatively under-researched Chinese MNCs in other developing countries including Mongolia and Tanzania. Recommendations for researcher training and reflexivity are proposed.

The international business (IB) literature emphasizes knowledge sharing and knowledge hiding as part of the knowledge transfer process. However, limited studies discuss the antecedents of the two practices in the same organization in international assignments. This study aims to explore the knowledge transfer practices of expatriates in emerging economy multinational enterprises (EMNEs) conducting international assignments in developing economies and identify the reasons why expatriates share knowledge and/or hide knowledge in interaction with the local environment.

In-depth, semistructured interviews with Chinese expatriates from a Chinese state-owned multinational enterprise (MNE) operating in three African countries were conducted to obtain their experience of knowledge transfer behaviors in international assignments. Thematic analysis was used to analyze interview data.

The results show that knowledge sharing is more common than knowledge hiding in the overseas operations of EMNEs in developing economies. Cooperation requirements, corporate incentives, company support and the host country environment facilitate knowledge sharing; conversely, competitiveness and company policies are related to expatriate knowledge-hiding behaviors in other emerging economies.

This paper provides the enlightenment of Chinese MNEs on knowledge management in overseas operations in developing economies and reflects the company’s system and practice in knowledge management from the level of expatriates, as well as the role of company practices in choosing knowledge sharing or hiding behaviors.

Food supply chain resilience is a critical aspect in ensuring the continuous and reliable flow of food, particularly in the face of disruptions. This study aims to address specific gaps in the existing literature by conducting a bibliometric analysis. The primary objective is to identify key areas of concern and lacunae related to disruptions and resilience within the food supply chain. The study also strives to contribute to the field by developing a comprehensive framework that evaluates the factors influencing resilience. Furthermore, the research intends to propose effective strategies for mitigating and recovering from disruptions, emphasizing the urgency of these measures in light of identified gaps in the current body of literature.

To achieve these objectives, the authors extracted the most relevant papers from Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) databases. The analysis parameters included a comprehensive review of current food supply chain practices and an exploration of trending research topics, such as sustainability, adaptability, circular economy and agility. Notably, the study recognized the pervasive impact of COVID-19 on food supply chain disruptions, with a high occurrence in the literature. Using advanced analytics tools like VOSviewer and Biblioshiny, the research delved into the role of modern technologies, including Industry 4.0, the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and blockchain in addressing disruptions and enhancing resilience.

The research reveals a significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food supply chain disruptions, underscoring the critical need for strategies to bolster resilience. Notably, the study identifies the pivotal role of modern technologies (Industry 4.0, IoT, AI, ML and blockchain) in mitigating disruptions and enhancing resilience in the food supply chain. The bibliometric analysis conducted through VOSviewer and Biblioshiny provides valuable insights into research trends and focal areas within the literature.

The observed importance of Industry 4.0, IoT, AI, ML and blockchain implies a practical need for integrating these technologies into food supply chain operations. Moreover, the paper discusses strategies for reducing the impact caused by disruptions, providing practical guidance for resilience planning in food supply chains. Researchers can leverage the findings to direct future efforts toward areas with identified gaps and opportunities, fostering advancements in the field and offering practical insights for real-world applications.

By amalgamating insights from bibliometric analysis and the developed framework, this study contributes to a holistic understanding of the challenges and opportunities in fortifying the resilience of the food supply chain. The identified factors and strategies offer valuable insights for researchers and practitioners seeking to address disruptions in food supply chains. The study’s unique contribution lies in bridging theoretical perspectives with practical applications, enhancing the relevance of business-to-business/industrial supply chain theories.

This paper aims to evaluate the effects of salting duration and salt concentration on the physicochemical, colour, texture and sensory attributes of buffalo meatballs.

Minced buffalo meat was mixed with salt at 1 or 2% concentration and stored for 0 h, 24 h or 48 h during the preparation of meatballs. The developed meatballs were analysed for moisture content, water holding capacity (WHC), pH, cooking yield, shrinkage, colour, texture profile analysis, gelling properties and sensory attributes.

The salting durations of 24 and 48 h had significant (p < 0.05) effects on the WHC and colour attributes of the buffalo meatballs. A 2% salt addition in meatballs significantly (p < 0.05) affected pH and cooking yield. Salting for 24 h with 2% salt concentration significantly (p < 0.05) increased the hardness, chewiness and gel strength of the meatballs. Thus, salting for 24 h with a 2% salt concentration improved the physicochemical, textural and sensory attributes of buffalo meatballs.

The study highlighted the importance of salting treatment during the preparation of meat products. For example, salting buffalo meatballs with a 2% salt concentration for 24 h could improve their functional and sensory attributes.

Studies on salting durations at different salt concentrations in buffalo meat are very limited. An optimized combination of salting duration and salt concentration during the preparation of buffalo meatballs could improve the quality attributes and acceptability of these products.

The aim of the study is to investigate the impact of job characteristics on gig worker performance in India. In addition, this study examines the role of work–life balance as a mediator in exploring the impact of job characteristics, namely, flexibility and job autonomy and person–job fit on gig workers performance among location-based gig workers.

A total of 266 responses were collected by gig workers using a questionnaire-based survey. The responses were analyzed using the partial least square structural equation modeling technique.

The study results indicate that factors of job characteristics and person–job fit significantly enhance the gig worker performance and also finds work–life balance as significant mediator. These results provide evidence for the hypotheses, which emphasizes that these aspects will have a beneficial effect on the performance of gig workers.

This research contributes to the field of the gig economy by empirically examining the study factors to understand the work dynamics in flexible work arrangements. Based on the findings, the gig platforms and policymakers can formulate strategies for establishing job design for enhancing work–life balance, which subsequently enhances gig workers performance.

Emotional intelligence (EI) and authentic leadership are essential attributes for effective healthcare management. Understanding their interplay can inform leadership development and improve patient care outcomes. This study aims to determine the relationship between EI and authentic leadership among nurse managers.

Study conducted a cross-sectional study, collecting data from 198 nurse managers using surveys assessing EI and authentic leadership. Correlation and regression analyses were used to explore the relationship and impact of EI on authentic leadership. STROBE checklist used to report the study.

The findings revealed a positive and significant relationship between nurse managers’ EI and their authentic leadership characteristics. Higher EI scores were associated with increased authenticity in leadership. EI, particularly interpersonal EI, plays a crucial role in authentic leadership. Enhancing nurse managers’ EI can foster more authentic leadership, positively impacting healthcare settings.

This research underscores the importance of EI in leadership development and its potential for improving patient care and organizational outcomes.