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This study aims to investigate the relationship between shared leadership (SL) and decision quality, utilizing shared leadership theory (SLT) and behavioral decision theory (BDT). The authors will explore the mediating role of “decision comprehensiveness” in the SL–decision quality linkage. Additionally, the authors will examine how individual “self-leadership” and “debate” among team members moderate the relationship between SL and decision comprehensiveness.

The authors tested the hypothesized moderated mediation model using a sample of 506 professionals employed in 112 research and development (R&D) teams, along with their direct managers from large Italian firms. To examine the relationships, the authors employed confirmatory factor analyses and path analyses. In order to address endogeneity concerns, the authors incorporated an instrumental variable, namely delegation, into the analysis.

SL positively influences decision quality, mediated by decision comprehensiveness, where teams include comprehensive information in decision-making. The level of debate among team members positively moderates the SL–decision comprehensiveness relationship. High levels of self-leadership can harm SL by reducing decision comprehensiveness, indicating a downside. However, low or moderate levels of self-leadership do not harm decision comprehensiveness and can even benefit SL.

This is the first work to investigate the relationship between SL and decision quality, shedding light on the mechanisms underlying this association. By integrating SLT and BDT, the authors provide insights into how managers can make higher-quality decisions within self-leading teams. Moreover, this research makes a distinct contribution to the field of self-leadership by delineating its boundaries and identifying a potentially negative aspect within the self-influence process.

In binder jetting, the interaction between the liquid binder droplets and the powder particles defines the shape of the printed primitives. The purpose of this study is to explore the interaction of the relative size of powder particles and binder droplets and the subsequent effects on macro-scale part properties.

The effects of different particle size distribution (5–25 µm and 15–45 µm) of stainless steel 316 L powders and droplet sizes (10 and 30 pL) on part density, shrinkage, mechanical strength, pore morphology and distribution are investigated. Experimental samples were fabricated in two different layer thicknesses (50 and 100 µm).

While 15–45 µm samples demonstrated higher green density (53.10 ± 0.25%) than 5–25 µm samples (50.31 ± 1.06%), higher sintered densities were achieved in 5–25 µm samples (70.60 ± 6.18%) compared to 15–45 µm samples (65.23 ± 3.24%). Samples of 5–25 µm also demonstrated superior ultimate tensile strength (94.66 ± 25.92 MPa) compared to 15–45 µm samples (39.34 ± 7.33 MPa). Droplet size effects were found to be negligible on both green and sintered densities; however, specimens printed with 10-pL droplets had higher ultimate tensile strength (79.70 ± 42.31 MPa) compared to those made from 30-pL droplets (54.29 ± 23.35 MPa).

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper details the first report of the combined effects of different particle size distribution with different binder droplet sizes on the part macro-scale properties. The results can inform appropriate process parameters to achieve desired final part properties.

Government repression against civilians while enforcing COVID-19 related lockdowns was widely reported in Africa. At the same time, many have claimed that high-speed (4G) mobile network proliferation provide an accountability mechanism that may constrain police abuses. This study focused on Nigeria to examine (1) the effect of COVID-19 lockdowns on police repression and (2) whether widespread high-speed mobile data networks constrain police repression.

Using data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Database (ACLED) and the Mobile Coverage Database, this study used difference-in-differences (DID) and triple difference (DDD) estimation on a sample of 423,925 observations (local government area-days) between January 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020 to estimate the causal effects of COVID-19 lockdowns and high-speed (4G) mobile data on police repression.

Lockdowns increased certain forms of police repression in areas with substantial high-speed (4G) mobile networks. Separate from the lockdowns, widespread 4G network increased police repression even without lockdowns.

Proliferation of high-speed mobile networks in Nigeria appears to facilitate, rather than constrain, police repression. It is possible that high-speed mobile data networks allow police to detect and repress citizen behaviors, rather than permitting citizens to correct repressive police behaviors.

Although many studies have explored the COVID-19 pandemic and police behavior in Western countries, only a few have examined its effects in states with even more troubled policing institutions, including those in sub-Saharan Africa, using DID and DDD estimation.

The case was developed from secondary sources. This descriptive case was classroom tested in undergraduate organizational behavior courses.

The 94th Academy Awards ceremony, which honored movies released in 2021, was held on March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood. Prior to Chris Rock announcing the winner in the category of best documentary film, Rock was assaulted on stage by Will Smith. On April 8, 2022, the Academy’s board of governors met to discuss disciplinary actions for Smith’s behavior. The Academy’s board decided to ban Smith from all Academy events for the next 10 years. Theories of individual behaviors and social processes can provide explanations for behaviors of Chris Rock, Will Smith, the producers and the Academy.

This descriptive case is most appropriate for undergraduate-level organizational behavior courses. The primary topics in this case align well with individual behaviors relative to emotional intelligence (EI) and motivation. The secondary topics in this case align well with social processes relative to decision-making, conflict and culture.

Healthcare supply chains (HCSCs) face severe challenges when compared to regular chains. Besides avoiding bankruptcy, they must accomplish their goal which is to save lives. Since 2019 the COVID-19 pandemic evidenced that a HCSC disruption generates disruptions to other SCs. Therefore, the objective of this paper is threefold: conduct a systematic literature review to build a HCSC operational excellence (HSCOE) definition; build a conceptual framework by mapping the antecedents of HSCOE and formulate hypotheses; test the hypotheses using a fuzzy-Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) combined with partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) techniques to obtain empirical validation.

Given this context, this paper conducted a systematic literature review to build a HSCOE conceptual framework and used a fsQCA combined with PLS-SEM techniques to obtain empirical validation.

The paper revealed a relationship between important variables to achieve HSCOE, such as Supply chain 4.0, SC risk management, SC integration, SC resilience (antecedents) and HSCOE (consequent).

The literature contributions of this paper are as follows: validating a new scale for each of the constructs; finding evidence of the causal relationships between the latent variables; measuring how the constructs influence the HSCOE; in addition, the results address important literature gaps identified by researchers and serve as a guide to organizations that need to implement these practices. Furthermore, this study recommends that HCSC managers consider the implementation of robust initiatives concerning the latent variables presented in this work.

This study aims to develop an experimentally validated three-dimensional numerical model for predicting different flow patterns produced with a gas dynamic virtual nozzle (GDVN).

The physical model is posed in the mixture formulation and copes with the unsteady, incompressible, isothermal, Newtonian, low turbulent two-phase flow. The computational fluid dynamics numerical solution is based on the half-space finite volume discretisation. The geo-reconstruct volume-of-fluid scheme tracks the interphase boundary between the gas and the liquid. To ensure numerical stability in the transition regime and adequately account for turbulent behaviour, the k-ω shear stress transport turbulence model is used. The model is validated by comparison with the experimental measurements on a vertical, downward-positioned GDVN configuration. Three different combinations of air and water volumetric flow rates have been solved numerically in the range of Reynolds numbers for airflow 1,009–2,596 and water 61–133, respectively, at Weber numbers 1.2–6.2.

The half-space symmetry allows the numerical reconstruction of the dripping, jetting and indication of the whipping mode. The kinetic energy transfer from the gas to the liquid is analysed, and locations with locally increased gas kinetic energy are observed. The calculated jet shapes reasonably well match the experimentally obtained high-speed camera videos.

The model is used for the virtual studies of new GDVN nozzle designs and optimisation of their operation.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the developed model numerically reconstructs all three GDVN flow regimes for the first time.

It is the expectation of Halal consumers that the meat they buy in retail shops and restaurants are ethically and legally reared and slaughtered in approved premises to protect animal welfare and public health. While this may be the case in multinational and well-established supermarkets due to due diligence on the part of retailers, there is evidence to suggest that some independent retail shops and ethnic restaurants in the UK partake in selling meat from illegally slaughtered animals. It is a crime that involves many players, but usually masterminded by rural entrepreneurs, including rogue farmers who supply the animals for illegal slaughter and further processing into smokies, or as part of the Islamic festival of Qurbani, in makeshift abattoirs. The purpose of this paper is to highlight illegal slaughter of sheep for the Halal market and how these impacts on food integrity and animal welfare.

This paper examines the legality of slaughter in accordance with UK animal welfare and food safety legislations. The documentary research approach is adopted to examine available information on the activities of organised criminal gangs in the production of smokies and their possible involvement in Qurbani fraud.

This paper demonstrates the involvement of some rogue farmers who are facilitating the smokies trade and illegal slaughter of sheep during the Qurbani sacrifice. It is worth noting that while these illegal activities occur in the Halal sector, the perpetrators are not always Muslims. The processing of illegally slaughtered sheep takes place in unhygienic conditions which is of food safety, public health concern and may violate the religious rules around slaughter.

Illegal slaughter for the Muslim sacrifice of Qurbani is underreported, this paper aims to highlight the animal welfare and food safety aspects of this type of slaughter, in addition to those slaughtered for smokies production.