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The rule of law has been tried in many countries under the state of exception during COVID-19. This chapter focusses on the case of Finland, the only Nordic country to declare a state of exception during the pandemic. Drawing from theoretical accounts on the state of exception, it analyses to what extent the Finnish democratic Rechtsstaat has coped in the state of exception.

The authors propose the concepts of a radical and restrained state of exception and argue that while the Finnish states of exception were rather restrained than radical, there are risks involved in the fact that powers granted by the Emergency Powers Act to be used during a state of exception are moved to normal legislation. Indeed, as Giorgio Agamben, among others, has warned, the state of exception may become permanent and undermine democracy and the rule of law. The chapter provides a dialogue between theory and empirics related to a state of exception, applying theoretical insights on the case of Finland during COVID-19.

The purpose of this study is to empirically investigate the role of dynamic capabilities, specifically the sequence of sensing, seizing, and transforming capabilities, in highly uncertain, emerging technology environments. Focusing on the extended reality industry, the study aims to understand the antecedents to these dynamic capabilities, their sequential nature, and their subsequent impact on innovation and company performance.

Based on a survey of 130 German companies in the extended reality sector, we built a structural equation model that explores the relationship between dynamic capabilities, their antecedents, and their effect on innovation and company performance.

The analysis suggests that sensing capabilities positively influence seizing and transforming capabilities, while seizing directly contributes to transforming. Transforming capabilities are linked to improved innovation performance, which in turn boosts company performance. Organizational ambidexterity, market orientation, and technology orientation are found to be crucial antecedents, accounting for 33.1% of the variance in sensing capabilities.

This research illuminates the interdependence of dynamic capabilities in highly uncertain business environments, such as emerging technology markets. It contributes original insights by elucidating the sequential nature of dynamic capabilities and identifying their vital antecedents. It also enlarges the understanding of how dynamic capabilities impact firms’ innovation performance.

This paper undertakes a structured literature review to analyse the literature on performance management and measurement (PMM) in universities over the last four decades. Over that time, PMM has emerged as an influential force in universities that impacts their operations and redefines their identity.

A structured literature review approach was used to analyse a sample of articles on PMM research from a broad range of disciplines over four decades. This was undertaken to understand the impacts of PMM practices on universities, highlight changes over time and point to avenues for future research.

The analysis highlights the fact that research on PMM in universities has grown significantly over the 40 years studied. We provide an overview of published articles over four decades regarding content, themes, theories, methods and impacts. We provide an empirical basis for discussing past, present and future university PMM research. The future research avenues offer multiple provocations for scholars and policymakers, for instance, PMM implementation strategies and relationships with various government programs and external evaluation and the role of different actors, particularly academics, in shaping PMM systems.

Unlike a traditional literature review, the structured literature review method can develop insights into how the field has changed over time and highlight possible future research. The sample for this literature review differs from previous reviews in covering a broad range of disciplines, including accounting.

In this paper, the authors examine the strategies used to reduce labour costs in three public hospitals in South Africa, which were effective and why. In the democratic era, after the revelations of large-scale corruption, the authors ask whether their case studies provide lessons for how public service institutions might re-make themselves, under circumstances of austerity.

A comparative qualitative case study approach, collecting data using a combination of interviews with managers, focus group discussions and interviews with shop stewards and staff was used.

Management in two hospitals relied on their financial power, divisions between unions and employees' loyalty. They lacked the insight to manage different actors, and their efforts to outsource services and draw on the Extended Public Works Program failed. They failed to support staff when working beyond their scope of practice, reducing employees' willingness to take on extra responsibilities. In the remaining hospital, while previous management had been removed due to protests by the unions, the new CEO provided stability and union–management relations were collaborative. Her legitimate power enabled unions and management to agree on appropriate cost cutting strategies.

Finding an appropriate balance between the new reality of reduced financial resources and the needs of staff and patients, requires competent unions and management, transparency and trust to develop legitimate power; managing in an authoritarian manner, without legitimate power, reduces organisational capacity. Ensuring a fair and orderly process to replace ineffective management is key, while South Africa grows cohorts of competent managers and builds managerial experience.

Organizations increasingly use knowledge arbitrage to stimulate innovation and achieve competitive advantage. However, in knowledge management its use in startups is yet unexplored. This study aims to examine the utilization of knowledge arbitrage by startups, specifically during COVID-19.

This study employed an open-ended essay methodology to explore the drivers and barriers that startups face in utilizing knowledge arbitrage. We collected data from 40 participants to understand the role of knowledge arbitrage in startups’ knowledge management practices.

This study’s findings highlight the significance of knowledge arbitrage for startups. The benefits identified include organizational benefits such as building networks, innovating new products and achieving competitive advantage and financial benefits such as cost reduction and sales growth. The study also identifies several technological and organizational drivers and barriers that startups confront during knowledge arbitrage.

This study contributes to the existing literature on knowledge management by extending our understanding of knowledge arbitrage’s role in startups. Additionally, it sheds light on the importance of knowledge arbitrage for startups and the challenges they face, particularly in a disrupted environment reared by COVID-19. The study provides insights for the scholars and practitioners interested in effective knowledge management in startups.

The study aims to assess the impact of electronic learning (e-learning) on students' performance (SP), with an emphasis on the mediating role of sustainable education (SE) at the Sharjah Police Sciences Academy (SPSA). The urgency of this study was highlighted by the global COVID-19 pandemic that happened between 2020 and 2022, which emphasized the need for e-learning as a tangible and imperative solution.

The study applied a quantitative approach, targeting the 91 student population at SPSA in the winter semester of 2022/2023 who practiced the e-learning process. A comprehensive survey was implemented disseminating 91 questionnaires by Google Forms to all students. Of the total, 61 questionnaires were returned, resulting in a response rate of 67.03%.

The results revealed that e-learning predictors explained 85.4% of the variations in SP, and 46.4% of the variations in SE. The model demonstrated a strong fit and high predictive relevance. The indirect impact of e-learning on SP through SE was found to be positive and statistically significant at the 0.05 level. Consequently, the mediation effect was considered partial and statistically significant.

Policymakers and educators should consider findings of the study when designing educational programs and policies. Accordingly, the SPSA management could gradually focus on safeguarding a sustainable e-learning environment and improving high-tech platforms. This would involve creating a sustainable e-learning curriculum to enable students to remain informed on the best e-learning practices.

An empirical study is essential for exploring the optimal answers to inquiries related to e-learning, SE and their impact on SP. The finding of the current study may contribute to the existing knowledge on e-learning, SE and SP. Additionally, they may improve learning activities and provide more sustainable learning experiences, leading to enhanced learning outcomes for students

This paper reports on a project looking at consumer perceptions of terroir in the UK, using cheese as a stimulus for the data collection.

Data collection was based on a consumer survey using a discrete choice experiment which included a number of cues to, and stories about, terroir. Analysis of preferences produced three latent classes with varying attitudes towards terroir cues for cheese. There was also an open-ended question giving rise to a qualitative analysis of respondents understanding of the work “terroir”.

When faced with the terroir cues most used some positively to make their choices. A PDO label and stories about the production region and method and business structure all generally offered positive utility.

Terroir is a widely used term in the marketing of (especially) wine, particularly in Europe, offering a form of authenticity and has been very important in policies to sustain the economies of otherwise declining rural areas. It has been adopted by producers in the English-speaking world but is less widely recognised, by consumers. The significance of this study is that it is the first large-scale survey of British consumer perceptions around a key tool for rural businesses – terroir – and one of the first around a non-wine product, and it explores the stories which resonate most effectively with consumers.