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Since competitiveness is crucial in international trade, this paper contributes to the literature by interrogating the information and communication technology (ICT)-trade nexus on competitiveness in Eastern and Western European countries. Does ICT usage promote or hinder the impact of trade openness on competitiveness? This study attempts to answer two questions: (1) is the interaction of trade and ICT significant in promoting competitiveness? (2) Is the effect significantly different by European classification?

With data on 17 European countries from 2007 to 2020 and using mobile phones and fixed telephone usage as ICT indicators, the study engages the bootstrapped ordinary least squares (BOLS) and method of moments quantile regression (MM-QR) techniques to probe the discourse.

The empirical findings reveal that (1) the interaction of trade and ICT boost competitiveness; (2) the effect of mobile phone is consistent across the full, East, and West European samples; (3) the interaction effect is also significant across the conditional distribution of competitiveness and (4) mobile phones and fixed broadband usage reveal “leapfrog” effect across the quantiles. Overall, the study submits that ICT usage will enhance the impact of trade, and thus, ICT is a critical enabler of competitiveness in Europe; policy recommendations were discussed.

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study examining the interaction effect of trade openness and ICT usage on competitiveness in Europe. In other words, the authors attempt to analyze how ICT usage influences trade-competitiveness dynamics. To fill the gap in the literature, the authors' use a sample of 17 European countries from 2007 to 2020. The variables of interest are the competitiveness index, trade openness, and four ICT indicators (mobile phone, fixed telephone subscriptions, fixed telephone subscriptions, and Internet users).

The purpose of the paper is to study the influence of procurement on the performance of integrated design teams.

The research paradigm is based on Russian socio‐constructivist approach to activity theory. Activity theory, as opposed to natural or social science, is a design science approach that focuses on the context aspect of project. A triangulation of qualitative research methods is used to investigate the dynamic of integrated teams in two different procurement contexts.

The paper is conclusive regarding the influence of procurement on team efficiency. It demonstrates that traditional procurement processes reinforce socio‐cognitive barriers that hinder team efficiency. It also illustrates how new procurement modes can transform the dynamic of relationships between the client and the members of the supply chain, and have a positive impact on team performance.

The paper demonstrates first that problems with integrated design team efficiency are related to context and not process – they are not technical but socio‐cognitive; second that fragmented transactional contracting increases socio‐cognitive barriers that hinder integrated design team performance; third that new forms of relational contracting may help to mitigate socio‐cognitive barriers and improve integrated design team performance, fourth that changing the context through procurement does not address the problem of obsolete design practices.

The paper brings together theories of production in lean construction and social learning as a rival approach to traditional project management theory for demonstrating the importance of context on team performance.

The purpose of the study is to identify which factors facilitate and hinder change management in the business strategy execution journey and contribute to its transformation.

Companies that have implemented organizational transformation projects, as an adaptive response to their survival, were studied. The authors chose to work with three companies that went through strong changes in the period between 2014 and 2019. A total of 12 professionals were interviewed, encompassing top management and team members.

Cases were described, and the learning from them culminated in the recommendation of six managerial propositions, which should guide change agents in the planning and execution of their business transformation journeys.

The findings were observed in the three case studies that implemented change management strategies. Failure case studies were not considered, which could present other managerial propositions.

The results of the article highlight the importance of coalition issue before the urgency in the organizational change model and also the importance of institutionalization along the change journey. As a managerial contribution is the model called “framework of the journey of execution and transformation of corporate strategy”, which serves as guidance for executives and agents of change in organizations.

This study aims to focus on public policy concerning the implementation of public procurement policies in Nigeria and Ghana toward achieving value for money in the procurement of goods, services and works. It specifically analyzes some major administrative challenges Nigeria and Ghana are faced with in the administration/implementation of public procurement policies toward achieving value for money. It looks at the relationship between the state (regulatory authorities) and substate (procurement entities) in the public sectors of Nigeria and Ghana.

A comparative case study approach is adopted, where the two countries are compared in terms of achieving value for money. Data was collected from multiple sources, including in-depth interviews. The use of official documents and direct observations at the procurement regulatory authorities and entities’ premises.

This study found Nigeria often used the four Es – economy, efficiency, effectiveness and equity while Ghana mainly used the traditional five rights (right quantity, right quality, right price, right place and right time) as their criteria for ensuring value for money. The major administrative challenges found include corruption, low capacity of procurement personnel and poor knowledge of the procurement laws.

It recommends effective collaboration between government and civil society groups in the fight against corruption in procurement-related activities, with the implication that there is a need for periodic training for public procurement officials.

It adds to the field of public procurement in terms of value for money in the procurement of goods, services and works in developing countries context.

In recent years, the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has gained recognition and importance in both business and political settings. While considerable research has been conducted on CSR in developed countries, the extant literature on CSR in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is scant and CSR is seen in terms of philanthropy. This paper aims to examine CSR from a broader perspective and in particular to identify the factors that hinder and promote CSR activities in SSA using the Smit (2009) CSR Value Chain Model.

This paper is based on data obtained from a survey conducted by GTZ (now GIZ) on factors promoting and hindering CSR in SSA. The study surveyed 85 companies from six countries, namely; South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique and Namibia. The study essentially examined the internal and external CSR environments of the companies in the participating countries.

The study revealed that there are nine key promoting and hindering factors of CSR for businesses in SSA. These include: leadership and governance, policy framework, project management, monitoring, evaluation and reporting, stakeholder engagement, staff engagement, government, funding and beneficiation. The study recommends a systemic and context-sensitive approach that relies on the potential of organisations and communities to design and implement their own solution within global frameworks in order to further develop CSR in the region.

There are a number of limitations in this study. First, this study did not include any informants from the responding organisations’ stakeholder groups, but relied mainly on information obtained from single respondents from organisations. Further research should include responses from other stakeholder groups.

To promote or achieve the successful implementation of CSR and broaden its scope within the region beyond its current focus on philanthropy, managers must build bridges with their stakeholders through both formal and informal dialogues and engagement practices. Additionally, firms may enhance and maximise both social and economic value created when managers link their CSR activities to areas that improve firms’ long-term competitive potential by collectively and systematically applying their distinctive strengths to such activities in accordance with the value chain model.

The finding in this study is novel and adds an important contribution to the developing CSR literature in the SSA region.

This paper aims to investigate student experiences and the potential impact of experience-based learning (EBL) in the early phase of graduate sustainability programs through the lens of key competencies. The goal is to provide evidence for the improvement of existing and the thorough design of new EBL formats in sustainability programs.

This comparative case study focuses on the first semester of three graduate sustainability programs at Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Germany and Arizona State University, USA, for two of which EBL was a core feature. The study compares the curricula, the teaching and learning environments and the reported experiences of one student cohort from each of three programs and synthesizes the resulting insights. Student interviews were combined with student self-assessments and supported by in-vivo observations, curriculum designer input, instructor interviews and course materials. MAXQDA was used for data analysis following a grounded theory approach.

EBL influences students’ reflective capacity, which impacts the development of key competencies in sustainability. Qualitative analysis found four key themes in relation to the students’ learning in EBL settings, namely, discomfort, time-attention relationship, student expectations of instructors and exchange. The intersection of these themes with curricular structure, student dispositions and differing instructor approaches shows how curriculum can either support or interrupt the reflective cycle and thus, holistic learning.

With the focus on the first semester only, the students’ competence development over the course of the entire program cannot be demonstrated. Learning processes within EBL settings are complex and include aspects outside the control of instructors and curriculum designers. This study addresses only a select number of factors influencing students’ learning in EBL settings.

Early engagement with EBL activities can push students to leave their comfort zones and question previous assumptions. Designing curricula to include EBL while encouraging strong intra-cohort connections and creating space for reflection seems to be an effective approach to enable the development of key competencies in sustainability.

This paper investigates the experiences of students in EBL through a key competence lens. The study combines student self-perceptions, instructor reflections and in-vivo observations. Data collection and analysis were conducted by a researcher not affiliated with the programs. These factors make for a unique study design and with data-driven insights on the seldom researched competence-pedagogy-curriculum connection.

This study aims to increase understanding about the co-creation of digital facilities management (FM) services with and for FM during a construction project.

The paper reports a case study on the co-creation of a digital facilities management service during the Mission Bay medical center construction project for the University of California, San Francisco. The sub-contractors and the FM team co-created a quick-response (QR) code system for valves on the project. This digital service is now used by the FM team for training purposes and in emergency situations when information on valves and their service areas is quickly needed. Researchers made on-site observations, conducted 84 interviews and reviewed archival data in 2012, 2014 and 2016.

The findings show that a successful co-creation process consists of three elements: a dialogue between the project parties, the creation of shared context between the project parties and the creation of shared understanding about the FM’s needs and the service providers’ ways of satisfying those needs. The study describes ways to promote these elements.

Previous studies emphasize the need for digital FM but few explain how FM teams can be involved in creating digital services for them. This paper describes how to co-create digital FM services with and for FM in the context of a construction project.

The increased complexity of global supply chains and its inherent risk requires the re-evaluation of the SCRM discipline as a source of value creation for shareholders. This paper aims to unveil the areas that require more focus considering the point of view of Chinese manufacturers, and following a social constructivist approach oriented to fashion organizations outsourcing to China, unveil the elements driving the point of SCRM strategies.

The authors studied the existing body of knowledge related to SCRM and developed a model to quantify the influence of macro and micro risk factors to the different operations performance indicators. This model was used in a survey to 61 Chinese manufacturers of fashion products, while at the same time, an interview to 20 members of the SC group of fashion companies around the globe was conducted to understand the qualitative and quantitative elements shaping their SCRM initiatives.

The study shows that, while supply, manufacturing and demand risk remain as the main factors hindering value creation in the industry, the addition of the manufacturer’s perspective proves that other elements that are less evident to the customer, such as macro-social and micro-infrastructure (transportation, financial and information), require more attention. Additionally, it was noted that the influence of the different risk factors is different for the different performance indicators of quality, speed, cost, dependability and flexibility. Finally, it shows that current SCRM programs tend to be simplified methods of trial and error, fed with incomplete KPIs, shaped by the experience and priorities of dominant stakeholders and prompt to potential agency costs and focused on the short term.

The focus on the fashion industry led to relatively small sample sizes for surveys and interviews. Although some patterns are identified, studies with larger sample sizes could facilitate the statistical analysis of unique characteristics in the different sub-groups. Additionally, the use of cross-sectional research designs that include survey techniques has the limitation of not explaining processes over time. Future reference to this work can be complemented with a new study to unveil the latest priorities.

This study shows that, to create value, fashion organizations first need to determine the operational elements that create value for them and then focus their limited resources on the risk elements that have proved more influence. The authors offer a systematic framework to measure the risk associated with global outsourcing; it can be used by organizations outsourcing globally to make strategic decisions, including potential outsourcing locations, to allocate resources across categories and to evaluate changes over time. Finally, the interview with SC practitioners shows that, to advance toward its objective of value creation, the SCRM discipline requires cross-collaboration and a holistic approach supported by more systematic processes that can reduce bias and potential agency costs.

This study offers insights about contemporary factors affecting the value creation function for fashion organizations outsourcing production to China and a more holistic approach vs other studies by including: a wider and more relevant categorization of risk factors, the perspective of Chinese manufacturers and the view of SC practitioners around the world. This study also develops a model to explain the cycle of SCRM in fashion organizations and the most common traps hindering its execution.

The purpose of this paper is to examine qualitative issues involved in conducting research at the base of the pyramid (BOP). The paper reports on the differences between anticipated issues and the actual issues encountered in the conduct of research at the BOP in Zimbabwe.

Qualitative data collection methods comprising in‐depth one to one consumer interviews, focus groups, ethnographic observations and case studies were used to conduct the research.

Findings from the analysis are based on multiple experiences from multiple sites and these suggest that the main themes established from previous studies on cross‐cultural research are also prevalent at the BOP. However, the findings reveal a number of challenges specific to the BOP and suggest that the BOP is not one homogenous market.

The sample used for consumer interviews is small, and confining the focus to the food and personal hygiene sector may limit generalization of findings to a broader population.

The study provides insight on potential procedures and strategies to deal with the challenges of undertaking research at the BOP.

The study provides insight on how social networks can be used as a mechanism for facilitating research and overcoming a number of challenges faced by researchers at the BOP.

Research into the BOP is a relatively new area of study in the field of international business. This expands knowledge in the area of challenges faced by researchers conducting research at the BOP by providing both new insights and advancement of previous research by employing empirical qualitative mixed research methods to study consumers and firms since the two have a dyadic relationship.

Educational design/build (e-d/b) curricula in university-level professional schools of architecture have flourished in recent years, internationally, as new programs are launched and the volume of built work increases dramatically. This growing body of built work, however, has typically not been subjected to rigorous behavioral assessment from the standpoint of what is actually built, as experienced through the eyes of user-recipients in the everyday milieu. The lack of rigor in this aspect of assessing the efficacy of what gets built continues to hinder evidence-based academic scholarship on this subject.

An interdisciplinary research initiative titled Thinking While Doing, spanning the years 2013–2019, centered on exploring the inner profundities of e-d/b. As part of a multifaceted project involving seven universities in Canada and the United States, behaviorally focused post-occupancy assessments were conducted of three open-air pavilion structures from the viewpoint of 161 respondents' impressions, degree of satisfaction and everyday uses.

Functionality, community context, materiality and aesthetic factors were among the set of variables analyzed. Among the results, the three open air pavilions were viewed as tectonically sound and aesthetically iconic and were considered to be valued additions to their immediate physical contexts and local community.

Study limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

Student learning objectives in relation to the design intent of the built structures are highlighted.

This evidence-based design research empowers stakeholders seeking campus-community partnership opportunities.

This is the first comparative, behaviorally focused appraisal of its type from the perspective of everyday user-recipients in the realm of e-d/b.