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The circular economy (CE) has been endorsed as representing a model that is able to achieve environmental protection through decreased use of raw materials, together with changing economic values and social inclusion thanks to its demand for a wide variety of skill profiles. This has motivated many policy initiatives to support the implementation of the CE. The purpose of this study is to follow such policy initiatives in three geographically anchored industry-specific networks.

The study contributes to the research debate on the CE through a spatial approach with a focus on how the implementation of the CE is conditioned by spatial and regional contexts. The authors investigate three different networks in Sweden for CE with different locations and industrial profiles.

The findings reveal the difficulty that exist in relation to the implementation of the CE. The network and support functions in combination with private industry are vital. The risk of sustaining an uneven regional economic development is evident.

Although research on the development of the CE has proliferated, geographical approaches to this development are comparably rare to date. The authors seek to contextualise the strategy development and policy implementation of a CE policy.

Cloud computing, a dominant technology, significantly impacts organizations, necessitating talent management strategies for sustained growth. This study aims to explore the impact of cloud adoption on large French organizations through a “learning organization” perspective.

Interviews were conducted with business and IT stakeholders from 35 multinational organizations in France.

Cloud services have a high impact on large organizations, leading to a demand for cloud-related skills, a power shift from IT to business departments and increased shadow IT activities. Effective utilization requires organizational learning and a change management project, transforming organizations into productive and innovative learning organizations.

This paper contributes to cloud computing, organizational learning and talent management literature, offering managers a novel approach to handling cloud services.

The paper introduces the autoethnography as a healing and everyday resistance strategy for marginalized voices. The focus is to deliver the author’s own reflections on some key moments and experiences to stimulate the discussion on autoethnography as a critical instrument channeling one’s reflexivity in the higher education context.

The paper draws on a case study of Chinese academic professionals to inspire the discussion on the research and practical values of autoethnography. It also provides conceptual reflections on the political meaning and functions of autoethnography.

The paper highlights two key aspects of autoethnography in the higher education context. Firstly, it emphasizes the importance of autoethnography in navigating the personal political front. Secondly, it promotes the integration of autoethnography into the ordinary lives of overseas Chinese academic professionals for daily healing and resistance.

The paper explores political sensitivity as an important dimension of workplace ethnography. Recognizing political sensitivity avows autoethnography a political act and a research framework, through which the (auto)ethnographer examines his or her own principles for negotiating justice and interpreting the ownership of personal identity against the influx of politically-charged opinions from the surrounding.

Many healthcare institutions, such as hospitals, have recently implemented quality improvement initiatives such as Lean Six Sigma (LSS). However, only a few have sustained the initiatives and remained successful. One of the main reasons for the failure of LSS implementation is that managers tend to view LSS as individual projects. Managers lack a Change Management (CM) focus during the implementation. The primary purpose of this study is to document the implementation of LSS through a CM approach to improve sustainability.

Define-Measure-Analyse-Improve-Control (DMAIC) and the Awareness-Desire-Knowledge-Ability-Reinforcement (ADKAR), a popular CM approach, are combined to propose a new framework. The usefulness of the proposed framework is demonstrated using a case study in a multispeciality hospital located in southern India.

The study found that several factors are responsible for the high Length of Stay (LOS) for patients in the Emergency Department (ED). By implementing this proposed model to implement LSS and taking corrective actions, the average LOS was reduced from 267 to 158 min (a 40% reduction approximately).

The complete step-by-step approach is explained, and the LOS was considerably reduced during the pilot project. The findings will provide valuable insights for healthcare practitioners to understand the steps involved in the combined DMAIC-ADKAR model. The findings would also give healthcare practitioners the confidence to identify suitable tools and implement LSS in organisations where the practitioners work.

According to the authors' knowledge, this is the first study that synergises two models (DMAIC and ADKAR) into a single framework to implement in a hospital.

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosure has gained momentum in corporate reporting. Addressing a research gap on the subject, this paper aims to explore the theories involved in ESG disclosure studies, thereby shedding light on the dominant theoretical approaches and emerging perspectives that inform this type of disclosure.

A systematic review of 142 selected accounting studies published up to June 2023 devoted to ESG – and corporate social responsibility (CSR) – disclosure was conducted. The theories underlying these studies were examined through a descriptive performance analysis complemented by a systematic qualitative text analysis using RStudio and QDA Miner software tools.

The study reveals that five dominant theories stand out among the overall 32 found: stakeholder theory first, followed by legitimacy, institutional, agency and signaling theories. Theories are often combined into an integrated theoretical framework. The findings also show an array of minor constructs – many of them unconventional – that offer fresh perspectives for studying ESG disclosure, such as upper echelons, stakeholder salience, cognitive cost and reputation theories, among others.

This paper provides an original literature contribution by offering a comprehensive overview of the mainstream and niche theoretical perspectives underpinning accounting studies focused on ESG disclosure, with a nuanced scope of discussion on the use of ESG/CSR terms.

As an advanced manufacturing method, additive manufacturing (AM) technology provides new possibilities for efficient production and design of parts. However, with the continuous expansion of the application of AM materials, subtractive processing has become one of the necessary steps to improve the accuracy and performance of parts. In this paper, the processing process of AM materials is discussed in depth, and the surface integrity problem caused by it is discussed.

Firstly, we listed and analyzed the characterization parameters of metal surface integrity and its influence on the performance of parts and then introduced the application of integrated processing of metal adding and subtracting materials and the influence of different processing forms on the surface integrity of parts. The surface of the trial-cut material is detected and analyzed, and the surface of the integrated processing of adding and subtracting materials is compared with that of the pure processing of reducing materials, so that the corresponding conclusions are obtained.

In this process, we also found some surface integrity problems, such as knife marks, residual stress and thermal effects. These problems may have a potential negative impact on the performance of the final parts. In processing, we can try to use other integrated processing technologies of adding and subtracting materials, try to combine various integrated processing technologies of adding and subtracting materials, or consider exploring more efficient AM technology to improve processing efficiency. We can also consider adopting production process optimization measures to reduce the processing cost of adding and subtracting materials.

With the gradual improvement of the requirements for the surface quality of parts in the production process and the in-depth implementation of sustainable manufacturing, the demand for integrated processing of metal addition and subtraction materials is likely to continue to grow in the future. By deeply understanding and studying the problems of material reduction and surface integrity of AM materials, we can better meet the challenges in the manufacturing process and improve the quality and performance of parts. This research is very important for promoting the development of manufacturing technology and achieving success in practical application.

This study aims to analyse the resilience strategy utilized by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), enabling these businesses to effectively adapt their operations in response to varying conditions by providing them with essential resources. SMEs operate in marketplaces that are both dynamic and frequently tumultuous. These markets provide SMEs with a variety of obstacles, including economic ups and downs, advances in technology, evolving customer tastes and new regulatory requirements. SMEs need to create a strategic strategy to survive and grow in such situations. This strategy ought to help strengthen their resiliency and make it possible for them to make the most of emerging opportunities while simultaneously lowering the dangers.

The questionnaires adopted and adapted from previous research served as the basis for gathering the data. The manufacturing industry was polled through the use of questionnaires. To test the hypothesis, the data were analysed using Smart PLS. Through the use of closed-ended questions directed to the proprietors, managers or senior executives of SMEs, data were collected from each and every institution in the sample. Following the examination of the data by means of descriptive analysis and the presentation of several scenarios using information relating to SMEs, the findings were presented.

The ambidextrous strategies that are used by SMEs have a propensity to offer a constructive contribution to SMEs. In this study, it was discovered that ambidexterity, which is defined as the capacity to both seek and capitalise on possibilities, has a significant bearing on the organisational effectiveness of SMEs. The results showed that ambidextrous strategies have a propensity to work as mediators in interactions involving proactive resilience tactics and performance.

The research expands our understanding of how SMEs in the manufacturing sector may improve their performance by concentrating on growing their ambidextrous strategies.

This study provides a plausible explanation of two crucial management mechanisms for enhancing the sustainability of organisational effectiveness. The relationships between ambidextrous capabilities and firm effectiveness are malleable, and this study suggests that nurturing formal and informal relationships may be the key to SMEs' long-term sustainable performance. Improving the knowledge and performance of supply chain systems for SMEs in the manufacturing sector and boosting their competitiveness in domestic and international markets are the practical contributions of this study.

Our comprehension of monitoring, cooperation and innovation within social management was deepened as a result of these facts. In addition, the study conducted in the sector uncovered four essential connections that outline how managers should actively work towards lowering social risks, developing new possibilities and increasing business performance. These capacities and links, when taken as a whole, provide the foundation upon which an integrated framework and five research propositions are built.

This research offers a convincing explanation of fundamental management processes for enhancing the sustainability of organisational effectiveness. This research implies that developing formal and informal interactions may be the key to the sustainable performance of SMEs over the long run. The relationships between ambidextrous capabilities, methods and organisational effectiveness are flexible, and this study also suggests that these relationships may be shaped. The practical contributions made by this research include boosting the understanding and performance of supply chain systems for SMEs as well as the competitive power of these businesses in both local and international markets.

The importance of learning in development in increasingly dynamic contexts can help individuals and organizations adapt to disruption. Artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a disruptive technology, with increasing adoption by various human resource management (HRM) functions. However, learning and development (L&D) adoption of AI is lagging, and there is a need to understand of this low adoption based on the internal/external contexts and organization types. Building on open system theory and adopting a technology-in-practice lens, the authors examine the various L&D approaches and the roles of human and technology agencies, enabled by differing structures, different types of organizations and the use of AI in L&D.

Through a qualitative interview design, data were collected from 27 key stakeholders and L&D professionals of MSMEs, NGOs and MNEs organizations. The authors used Gioia's qualitative research approach for the thematic analysis of the collected data.

The authors argue that human and technology agencies develop organizational protocols and structures consistent with their internal/external contexts, resource availability and technology adoptions. While the reasons for lagging AI adoption in L&D were determined, the future potential of AI to support L&D also emerges. The authors theorize about the socialization of human and technology-mediated interactions to develop three emerging structures for L&D in organizations of various sizes, industries, sectors and internal/external contexts.

The study hinges on open system theory (OST) and technology-in-practice to demonstrate the interdependence and inseparability of human activity, technological advancement and capability, and structured contexts. The authors examine the reasons for lagging AI adoption in L&D and how agentic focus shifts contingent on the organization's internal/external contexts.

While AI-HRM scholarship has primarily relied on psychological theories to examine impact and outcomes, the authors adopt the OST and technology in practice lens to explain how organizational contexts, resources and technology adoption may influence L&D. This study investigates the use of AI-based technology and its enabling factors for L&D, which has been under-researched.

This study presents a systematic literature review (SLR) of the interdisciplinary literature on drones in last-mile delivery (LMD) to extrapolate pertinent insights from and into the logistics management field.

Rooting their analytical categories in the LMD literature, the authors performed a deductive, theory refinement SLR on 307 interdisciplinary journal articles published during 2015–2022 to integrate this emergent phenomenon into the field.

The authors derived the potentials, challenges and solutions of drone deliveries in relation to 12 LMD criteria dispersed across four stakeholder groups: senders, receivers, regulators and societies. Relationships between these criteria were also identified.

This review contributes to logistics management by offering a current, nuanced and multifaceted discussion of drones' potential to improve the LMD process together with the challenges and solutions involved.

The authors provide logistics managers with a holistic roadmap to help them make informed decisions about adopting drones in their delivery systems. Regulators and society members also gain insights into the prospects, requirements and repercussions of drone deliveries.

This is one of the first SLRs on drone applications in LMD from a logistics management perspective.

This study aims to provide empirical evidence on two research questions: firstly, whether green finance is positively related to electricity access, and, secondly, if the domestic economic environment moderates the relationship between green finance and electricity access? This paper pays particular attention to the regional disparities in Africa.

While pursuing the study objectives, the authors apply a variety of statistical approaches and tools to assess the robustness of the findings. The authors use panel dataset for analysing data. In order to empirically examine the relationship between green finance and electricity access in the African region, the paper employs static and dynamic panel estimation methods, Poisson method and adopts two-step system generalized method of moments (GMM) approach for dealing with issues relating to endogeneity. The authors also use alternate proxy for the electricity access, which is drawn from the regulatory indicators for sustainable energy (RISE) scores.

The authors find that despite the fact that green funding appears to support job creation, household incomes aren't high enough to drive rising demand for electricity. The study underscores the role and responsibilities of external funding agencies to ensure that funds at the receiving end are effectively routed to encourage access to clean and sustainable energy, which is good to the economic and domestic environment. Further, due to the relatively modest size of some funds, the cost to administer those funds is larger than the funds themselves. This causes inefficiencies, which may temporarily provide jobs but not lasting growth. This means there is no regular need for energy, therefore larger investors have no reason to enter the market. This discourages investors from public-private partnerships or private investments and prevents future investment.

The provide insights into the private-public partnerships and whether the challenges to electricity access are being turned into investment opportunities. The effects of the power Africa project initiatives are revealing, with, sanitation being an impediment to the development of electricity infrastructure, specifically in low-income group countries.

The study confirms the view that trivial amounts of green financing (US-Aid or grants) impose a burden on the absorptive capacity of the recipient government and increases the transaction costs and is likely to be an impediment (Kimura et al., 2012) to initiating projects that enhance electricity access.

The results indicate that although green financing seems to be supporting employment opportunities, income levels are insufficient to create demand for electricity usage. It, therefore, becomes imperative that sanitation (SDG 6) is fully addressed in order to ensure that SDG 7 is attained.

The authors provide insights around the private public partnerships and whether the challenges to electricity access are being turned into investment opportunities. The effects of the power Africa project initiatives are revealing, with, sanitation being an impediment to the development of electricity infrastructure, specifically in low-income group countries.