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1 – 9 of 9Bokolo Anthony Jr, Mazlina Abdul Majid and Awanis Romli
The purpose of this paper is to develop a collaborative agent-based web architecture and an agent-based green IS assessment tool to aid information technology (IT…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop a collaborative agent-based web architecture and an agent-based green IS assessment tool to aid information technology (IT) practitioners in data centers assess their current green information systems (IS) practice toward attaining sustainability.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology comprises that the collaborative agent-based web architecture, agents’ algorithm and the green IS assessment tool, which is validated by employing focus group questionnaire targeting IT practitioners in seven Malaysian-based enterprises that have an in-house data centers. With 105 valid samples at hand, descriptive analysis and exploratory factor analysis was utilized to determine the applicability of the implemented agent-based green IS assessment tool.
Findings
Findings reveal that the agent-based green IS assessment tool possesses the capability to evaluate benchmark and rate enterprise data centers current green IS practice. Additional findings indicate that the agent-based green IS assessment tool provide suggestions on how green IS practice can be improved in enterprise data centers.
Research limitations/implications
This study only collected data from 105 IT practitioners in enterprise data centers based in Malaysia; as such results from this research cannot be generalized to other countries. Moreover, the developed collaborative agents for green IS practice assessment can only be fully deployed after domain experts has added green IS practice assessment questions and alternative answers.
Practical implications
This study presents an autonomous agent-based green IS assessment tool that supports the assessment of enterprise toward inclusion of sustainability considerations to enhance enterprise environmental performance.
Social implications
This study provides empirical evidence for data centers efficacy leading toward a greener society for environmental conservation for future generations to come.
Originality/value
This study creates awareness by presenting the green IS practice to be implemented by IT practitioners in data centers. In addition, the agent-based green IS assessment tool provides a web-based platform for promoting environmental sustainability by supporting data centers toward evaluating, benchmarking and rating their current green IS practices.
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The purpose of this paper is to develop an eccentric model to examine the factors that influence environmental performance in organizations based on belief–action–outcome…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop an eccentric model to examine the factors that influence environmental performance in organizations based on belief–action–outcome framework and natural resource-based view theory.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected by employing online survey from respondents in organizations to statistically test the eccentric model and its associated hypotheses. Partial least squares–structural equation modeling and Statistical Package for Social Sciences were utilized to analyze the survey data.
Findings
The results show that information technology (IT) professionals and IT executives’ behavior positively influences environmental performance. Further results suggest that the belief of IT professionals and IT executives is significantly influenced by the action of IT infrastructure, institutional pressure, organizational strategy and information diffusion. In addition, results reveal that the action of IT infrastructure, institutional pressure, organizational strategy and information diffusion in organizations significantly has an impact on the outcome of environmental performance. Moreover, results indicate that green information systems (IS) for pollution prevention, product stewardship and clean development initiatives adopted positively influence the environmental performance of organizations.
Research limitations/implications
The developed eccentric model further shows how green IS practice integration can improve environmental performance. However, the selected respondents are from a single country as such findings from this study cannot be generalized to other countries.
Practical implications
Practically, this paper has implications for the capability of IS to promote environmental performance in organizations.
Social implications
This study provides a pertinent contribution in developing and validating an eccentric model for green IS adoption. Besides, a survey instrument is developed that can be used by future studies.
Originality/value
The developed model helps to explore the factors that influence environmental performance and also the outcomes of green IS adoption for environmental performance. Accordingly, IT professionals and IT executives can draw upon the eccentric model in assessing their current environmental-friendly practice for the effective initialization of green IS for corporate value.
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Bokolo Anthony Jnr, Adzhar Kamaludin, Awanis Romli, Anis Farihan Mat Raffei, Danakorn Nincarean A_L Eh Phon, Aziman Abdullah, Gan Leong Ming, Nurbiha A Shukor, Mohd Shukri Nordin and Suria Baba
Blended learning (BL) has been increasing in popularity and demand and has developed as a common practice in institutions of higher learning. Therefore, this study…
Abstract
Purpose
Blended learning (BL) has been increasing in popularity and demand and has developed as a common practice in institutions of higher learning. Therefore, this study develops a model to evaluate the critical predictors that determine students' acceptance and deployment of BL in institutions of higher education based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB).
Design/methodology/approach
The empirical analysis entails data collected from 1,811 responses from an online survey questionnaire from students in Malaysian universities, colleges and polytechnics. Partial least square–structural equation modeling (PLS–SEM) was employed for data analysis.
Findings
The results reveal that the attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control and self-efficacy were found to influence students' intention to accept BL. Moreover, results suggest that the intention of students to accept BL approach is significantly influenced by actual BL deployment.
Research limitations/implications
Data were collected from students in universities, colleges and polytechnics only. Besides, this research is one of the limited studies that explored BL deployment in a Malaysian perspective.
Practical implications
Findings from this research not only add scientific evidence to BL literature but also provide a better understanding of the predictors that may motivate or discourage learners to deploy BL in institutions of higher learning.
Social implications
Respectively, findings from this study aid students to acquire and apply knowledge on how to effectively improve BL initiatives in learning activities.
Originality/value
This study is one of the fewer studies that investigate students' behavioral intentions toward BL deployment in Malaysia. Additionally, this study contributes to the understanding of the predictors that influence students' intention to accept and deploy BL in their respective institutions.
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This paper aims to investigate the current value chain activities grounded on Porter’s value chain theory and to examine the drivers of strategic environmentalism that…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the current value chain activities grounded on Porter’s value chain theory and to examine the drivers of strategic environmentalism that influence sustainable value chain adoption. This study further constructs a prescriptive model to reveal the extent to which information communication technology (ICT)-based industries are adopting sustainable value chain practices.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected using questionnaire from selected ISO 14000/14001-certified ICT-based firms in Malaysia and analyzed using partial least square-structural equation modeling.
Findings
Results reveal that the primary activities positively influence sustainable value chain. Moreover, results indicate that support activities significantly influence sustainable value chain adoption in ICT-based firms. Results further show that strategic environmentalism drivers have an impact on sustainable value chain adoption.
Research limitations/implications
Data were collected from ICT-based industries in Malaysia only. Additionally, this research extends the body of knowledge and offers theoretical implications for ICT-based industries in Malaysia and other emerging economies in adopting sustainable value chain activities.
Practical implications
Practically, this study assists ICT-based industries to change their current paradigm from the traditional operations to a more holistic approach toward supporting practitioners to simultaneously achieve social responsibility, environmental and economic growth.
Social implications
This study offers social implications for ICT-based industries to implement cleaner operations by decreasing CO2 emission, lessening energy usage, diminishing cost incurred and minimizing usage of natural resources, thereby increasing product recovery and recycle-ability of IT hardware.
Originality/value
This study is one of the first to address the issue related to sustainable value chain in ICT-based industry by providing a roadmap on how practitioners can implement sustainable initiatives or more significantly, how to infuse these initiatives in their current chain, while concurrently enhancing competitiveness. Furthermore, this paper examines the current activities implemented by practitioners toward sustainable value chain adoption and explores the correlation of the drivers of strategic environmentalism with regard to sustainable value chain.
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Keywords
- Quantitative
- Corporate social responsibility
- Process design
- Economic and social systems
- New business or process or operations models
- Modelling of systems and processes
- Sustainability development
- Sustainable value chain adoption
- Strategic environmentalism
- Primary value chain activities
- Support value chain activities
- ICT firms
Bokolo Anthony Jnr, Sobah Abbas Petersen, Dirk Ahlers and John Krogstie
Electric mobility as a service (eMaaS) is suggested as a possible solution to ease transportation and lessen environmental issues by providing a collaborative transport…
Abstract
Purpose
Electric mobility as a service (eMaaS) is suggested as a possible solution to ease transportation and lessen environmental issues by providing a collaborative transport sharing infrastructure that is based on electric vehicles (EVs) such as electric cars, electric bicycles and so on. Accordingly, this study aims to propose a multi-tier architecture to support the collection, processing, analytics and usage of mobility data in providing eMaaS within smart cities. The architecture uses application programming interfaces to enable interoperability between different infrastructures required for eMaaS and allow multiple partners to exchange and share data for making decision regarding electric mobility services.
Design/methodology/approach
Design science methodology based on a case study by interview was used to collect data from an infrastructure company in Norway to verify the applicability of the proposed multi-tier architecture.
Findings
Findings suggest that the architecture offers an approach for collecting, aggregating, processing and provisioning of data originating from sources to improve electric mobility in smart cities. More importantly, findings from this study provide guidance for municipalities and policymakers in improving electric mobility services. Moreover, the author’s findings provide a practical data-driven mobility use case that can be used by transport companies in deploying eMaaS in smart cities.
Research limitations/implications
Data was collected from a single company in Norway, hence, it is required to further verify the architecture with data collected from other companies.
Practical implications
eMaaS operates on heterogeneous data, which are generated from EVs and used by citizens and stakeholders such as city administration, municipality transport providers, charging station providers and so on. Therefore, the proposed architecture enables the sharing and usage of generated data as openly available data to be used in creating value-added services to improve citizen’s quality of life and viability of businesses.
Social implications
This study proposes the deployment of electric mobility to address increased usage of vehicles, which contributes to pollution of the environment that has a serious effect on citizen’s quality of life.
Originality/value
This study proposes a multi-tier architecture that stores, processes, analyze and provides data and related services to improve electric mobility within smart cities. The multi-tier architecture aims to support and increase eMaaS operation of EVs toward improving transportation services for city transport operators and citizens for sustainable transport and mobility system.
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Bokolo Anthony Jnr., Mazlina Abdul Majid and Awanis Romli
The purpose of this paper is to design a system deployment model that integrates case-based agent technique to develop an eco-responsibility decision support tool for…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to design a system deployment model that integrates case-based agent technique to develop an eco-responsibility decision support tool for greening educational institutions toward environmental responsibility.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected through questionnaires distributed among a statistical population that comprised practitioners across educational institutions in Malaysia that implement green practices. The questionnaire measured the feasibility of the developed tool based on factors derived from the literature. Accordingly, descriptive, exploratory and factor analysis approach using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) was used to test the feasibility of the developed tool.
Findings
Results from descriptive analysis confirm the tool is feasible based on mean values that range from 4.1619 to 3.6508 on a five-point scale, indicating that the tool is effective in sustaining educational institutions going green. Besides, results from exploratory analysis verify the reliability of the tool based on the acceptable Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient score higher than 0.7 and Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin value being above 0.5. Finally, results from factor analysis reveal that the developed tool is usable, efficient, helpful, flexible and credible and supports educational institutions in going green at 88.44 per cent of the total variance, suggesting that the respondents are satisfied with the tool.
Research limitations/implications
The sample population in this study comprises only practitioners from educational institutions in Malaysia. Theoretically, this research provides feasibility factors and associated items that can be used in evaluating developed information systems.
Practical implications
Practically, this study develops an eco-responsibility decision support tool to facilitate green strategies and provides information on how practitioners in educational institutions can improve green growth.
Social implications
This study presents how case-oriented agents aid educational institutions in going green for environmental responsibility. Socially, this research provides the strategies for green practice improvement in educational institutions toward environmental responsibility.
Originality/value
The eco-responsibility decision support tool provides a Web-based platform for promoting ecological protection by supporting the measuring of practitioners’ current green practices for environmental responsibility. Thus, research findings from this study are expected to help decision-makers generate useful insights into environment-friendly strategies to be implemented in educational institutions. Lastly, the statistical tests adopted in this paper can be used to gauge the feasibility of information system application in future.
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This study aims to develop a software agent-knowledge procurement management tool to address uncertainties from external and internal environments, such as record failure…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to develop a software agent-knowledge procurement management tool to address uncertainties from external and internal environments, such as record failure, slow logistics auditing and distribution delay toward improving procurement management in retailing enterprises.
Design/methodology/approach
Quantitative methodology was used to collect data using a self-administered survey from randomly selected procurement staffs, marketers and customers to measure their perception regarding the feasibility and acceptance of the implemented agent-knowledge-based procurement management tool.
Findings
Results from empirical analysis reveal that the implemented tool facilitates collaboration and interaction among buyers, sellers and procurement managers toward enhancing procurement managers’ flexibility to handle unexpected exceptions. In addition, results confirm the feasibility of the implemented tool in supporting procurement management toward handling inventory failure exception, which occurs in traditional procurement approaches. Moreover, descriptive results from user acceptance test verify that the tool was accepted by the respondents.
Research limitations/implications
The limitation of this study is that the implemented tool is evaluated using data collected from respondents in Malaysia retailing enterprise only; thus, the results cannot be generalized to other enterprises and country. In addition, research implications from this study design a methodological and comprehensive software agent-knowledge-based model that support buyers, sellers and procurement managers with information to facilitate buying and selling operations.
Practical implications
Practically, the designed software agent-knowledge-based model describes how software agents collaborate with each other to facilitate procurement tasks and also use the knowledge base in the implemented tool to provide information sharing platform that manages the dynamics of procurement operations.
Social implications
This research integrates software agents which are autonomous programs that carryout pre-defined task on behalf of end users. Socially, this study would be useful for procurement managers in developing mechanisms for instilling insights in retailing operations.
Originality/value
This research is among the first to attempt to develop a software agent-knowledge-based model to support procurement management in the retailing enterprise domain. It contributes to promote e-procurement practices by implementing a software agent-knowledge-oriented tool to address uncertainties experienced in retailing enterprise. It is envisaged that this study will provide basis for future research into e-procurement practices for retailing businesses in Malaysia and beyond.
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Dharyll Prince Mariscal Abellana
This paper aims to propose a new genetically evolved fuzzy cognitive mapping approach as a decision-making framework for analyzing the relationships between the drivers…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to propose a new genetically evolved fuzzy cognitive mapping approach as a decision-making framework for analyzing the relationships between the drivers and strategies for green computing adoption.
Design/methodology/approach
A focus group discussion among stakeholders in the Philippines is used to establish the relationships between the drivers and strategies of green computing adoption.
Findings
The proposed approach significantly reduces the time complexity for developing the fuzzy cognitive maps and provides a basis for comprehensively clustering drivers and strategies that share similar characteristics.
Research limitations/implications
This paper’s results provide insights into how the drivers and strategies of green computing adoption facilitate the intention of adopting stakeholders. Moreover, it provides a framework for analyzing structural relationships that exist between factors in a compliant manner.
Originality/value
To the best of the author’s knowledge, the paper is the first to analyze the drivers and strategies of green computing under a complex systems’ perspective. Moreover, this is the first study to offer lenses in a Philippine scenario.
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Graziela Breitenbauch de Moura and Letícia Godoy Saroli
The aim of this research is to analyze sustainable value chain management based on dynamic capabilities in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this research is to analyze sustainable value chain management based on dynamic capabilities in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative methodology is used, through a multiple case study with three SMEs, to identify the conceptual relationship between the sustainable value chain and dynamic capabilities. Interviews are conducted with managers, and the data are analyzed through content analysis.
Findings
It is observed that breaking down barriers in processes is important for establishing the sustainable value chain, generating dynamic capabilities with the readaptation of activities.
Research limitations/implications
It is recommended that studies be conducted in other sectors and in large companies, to identify new perspectives.
Practical implications
The findings of this study demonstrate the constant processes of SMEs in response to legal, bureaucratic and logistical changes, in the generation of dynamic capabilities and sustainable value chain management, to achieve their customers' goals.
Social implications
The research contributes to the literature on the management of dynamic capabilities in the value chain in Brazilian companies and to the supply chain field, particularly in relation to SMEs.
Originality/value
This research analyzes sustainable value chain management based on dynamic capabilities in Brazilian SMEs, gathering the managers' perceptions regarding changes in the external environment that influence adaptations and alignments, impacting on their businesses.
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