Search results

This research aims to explore the research data ethics governance framework and collaborative network to optimize research data ethics governance practices, to balance the relationship between data development and utilization, open sharing, data security and to reduce the ethical risks that may arise from data sharing and utilization.

This study explores the framework and collaborative network of research data ethics policies by using the UK as an example. 78 policies from the UK government, university, research institution, funding agency, publisher, database, library and third-party organization are obtained. Adopting grounded theory (GT) and social network analysis (SNA), Nvivo12 is used to analyze these samples and summarize the research data ethics governance framework. Ucinet and Netdraw are used to reveal collaborative networks in policy.

Results indicate that the framework covers governance context, subject and measure. The content of governance context contains context description and data ethics issues analysis. Governance subject consists of defining subjects and facilitating their collaboration. Governance measure includes governance guidance and ethics governance initiatives in the data lifecycle. The collaborative network indicates that research institution plays a central role in ethics governance. The core of the governance content are ethics governance initiatives, governance guidance and governance context description.

This research provides new insights for policy analysis by combining GT and SNA methods. Research data ethics and its governance are conceptualized to complete data governance and research ethics theory.

A research data ethics governance framework and collaborative network are revealed, and actionable guidance for addressing essential aspects of research data ethics and multiple subjects to confer their functions in collaborative governance is provided.

This study analyzes policy text using qualitative and quantitative methods, ensuring fine-grained content profiling and improving policy research. A typical research data ethics governance framework is revealed. Various stakeholders' roles and priorities in collaborative governance are explored. These contribute to improving governance policies and governance levels in both theory and practice.

This study aims to examine the key antecedents influencing the private firm’s intention to adopt big data analytics (BDA) in developing economies. To do so, the study follows the sequential explanatory approach.

To test the hypothesized model that draws on the technology–organization–environment (TOE) framework paired with the diffusion of innovation (DOI) theory, a purposive sampling technique was applied to gather data from 156 IT and management domain experts from the private firms that intend to adopt BDA and operate in Pakistan’s service industry, including telecommunication, information technology, agriculture, and e-commerce. The data were analysed using the partial least squares structural equations modelling (PLS-SEM) technique and complemented with qualitative analysis of 10 semi-structured interviews in NVIVO 12 based on grounded theory.

The empirical findings revealed that the two constructs – perceived benefits and top management support – are the powerful drivers of a firm’s intention to adopt BDA in the private sector, whereas IT infrastructure, data quality, technological complexity and financial readiness, along with the moderators, BDA adoption of competitors and government policy and regulation, do not significantly influence the intention. In addition, the qualitative analysis validates and further complements the SEM findings.

Unlike the previous studies on technology adoption, this study proposed a unique research model with contextualized indicators to measure the constructs relevant to private firms, based on the TOE framework and DOI theory, to investigate the causal relationship between drivers and intention. Furthermore, the findings of PLS-SEM were complemented by qualitative analysis to validate the causation. The findings of this study have both theoretical and practical implications.

Quite often than not, a new industry can be created, thanks to the countless entrepreneurs and innovative activities across the globe. Smart city (SC) is one such industry and a living lab using the key roles of the digital platform that enable a seamless flow of information and knowledge for innovation within the SC. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how SC can be a new regional industry engine through an “open collective innovation system” as its new concept. In particular, SC provides efficient transaction costs and knowledge flows. Eventually, SC can be an innovation hub for entrepreneurship through openness.

To frame the research goals, the authors used qualitative research methodologies based on grounded theory. In particular, the author used inductive reasoning to generate arguments and conclusions about the future of an SC as a new growth engine in the era of the fourth industrial revolution. Numerous documents and prior literature were used for the preliminary conceptualization of an SC. Interview data were then coded for reasoning in an open collective innovation system based on “openness”.

SC maximizes efficiency in practicing innovation. In the perspective of innovation costs, SC can minimize transaction costs, specifically the information processing costs, through data openness. In this context, transaction costs can be considered an economic equivalent of friction in a physical system. So, as the friction is low, some movements of an object on the surface are likely to be easy. SC is optimized for innovation activities through an “open collective innovation system”. In terms of innovation networks, an SC results in an innovation efficiency derived from both the network and the spatial agglomerations in physical and cyberspace. The efficiency-based SC itself overlaps knowledge creation, dissemination and absorption, providing an open innovation (OI) ecosystem.

This paper remarkably extends that SC can be an “open collective innovation system model” and a new conceptualization. Eventually, SC will play a crucial role in developing regional industries as a new growth engine. To operate as a new growth engine fully-fledged, the SC is needed to accumulate innovative assets such as the critical mass of residents, numerous firms, etc. However, this study has some limitations. First, difficulties in any analytic approach to SC resulted from their many interdependent facets, such as social, economic, infrastructural and spatial complex systems, which exist in similar but changing forms over a huge range of scales. Also, this research is at a quite an early stage. Thus, its theoretical stability is weak. So, this paper used the qualitative methodology with a grounded theory. Another limitation is in the research methodology. The limitation of using grounded theory adapted by this work is that the results of this study may not be generalizable beyond the context of this study. This non-generalizability occurs because ours is an inductive approach to research, meaning that the findings are based on data collected and analyzed. As such, the results of this study may not be applicable to other contexts or situations. In addition, the analysis of data in the grounded theory is based on researcher’s subjective interpretations. This means that the researcher’s own biases, preferences and assumptions may influence the results of the study. The quality of the data collected is another potential limitation. If the data is incomplete or of poor quality, it can cause researcher’s own subjective interpretations.

Findings of this study have some practical implications for enterprises, practitioners and governors. First, firms should use value networks instead of value chains. Notably, the firms that pursue new products or services or startups that try to find a new venture business should take full advantage of SC. This taking advantage is possible because SC not only adapts state-of-the-art information technology (e.g. sensor devices, open data analytics, IoT and fiber optic networks) but also facilitates knowledge flow (e.g. between universities, research centers, knowledge-based partner firms and public agencies). More importantly, with globalized market competition in recent years, sustainability for firms is a challenging issue. In this respect, managers can take the benefits of SC into consideration for strategic decisions for sustainability. Specifically, industrial practitioners who engage in innovation activities have capabilities of network-related technologies (e.g. data analysis, AI, IoT and sensor networks). By using these technologies in an SC, enterprises can keep existing customers as well as attract potential customers. Lastly, the findings of this study contribute to policy implementation in many aspects. At first, for SC to become a growth engine at regional or natural levels, strong policy implementation is crucial because SC is widely regarded as a means of entrepreneurship and an innovation plaza (Kraus et al., 2015). To facilitate entrepreneurship, maker spaces used for making the prototypes to support entrepreneurial process were setup within universities. The reason for establishing maker spaces in universities is to expand networking between entrepreneurs and experts and lead to innovation through a value network. One of the policy instruments that can be adapted is the “Data Basic Income Scheme” suggested by this research to boost the usage of data, providing content and information for doing business. Also, a governor in SC as an intermediator for the process of the knowledge flow should initiate soft configuration for SC.

This work makes two theoretical contributions to OI aspects: (1) it explores dynamic model archetypes; and (2) it articulates and highlights how SC with digital technology (i.e. in the AI, IoT and big data context) can be used to create collective knowledge flow efficiently. First, the findings of this study shed light on the OI dynamic model. It reveals important archetypes of new sub-clustering creation, namely, a system that underpins the holistic process of innovation by categorization in amongst the participating value network (Aguilar-Gallegos et al., 2015). In innovation studies, scholars have particularly paid attention to a cluster’s evolution model. In the process of innovation, the “open innovation dynamic model” suggested by this study illustrates sub-clustering that happens in value networks by taking the benefits of SC. Eventually, the evolution or development of sub-clusters can bring in a new system, namely, an OI system. Second, the findings of this study contribute to the understanding of the role of digital technologies in promoting knowledge flow. The usage and deployment of digital technologies in SC may enormously and positively influence innovative activities for participants. Furthermore, the rising of digital economy, in the so-called platform business, may occur depending on advanced technologies and OI. In doing so, the findings can further tow innovation research through juxtaposition between SC and innovation research (Mehra et al., 2021).

This paper shows that the function of an SC not only improves the quality of life but also acts as an engine of new industry through an open collective innovation setting using dynamic and ecological models.

Starting from the status quo, the paper outlines perspectives and challenges for the connection and interlinking of digitised and digital archival data. The following topics are addressed: Where are fields of action and what are the means of archives? Which functional and technical requirements are to be considered, and what is the role of portal infrastructures linking together various different institutions?

Considering needs of users and general framework conditions, the paper examines new approaches emerging in Germany. It outlines recent projects and considerations aiming to improve services and visibility of archives within the national data infrastructure in Germany.

Cross-connections are no new phenomenon, but change their appearance significantly in a digital context. In this respect, both smaller and bigger archives profit from participation in larger digital networks. Furthermore, archives need to keep in mind to reflect the quality of their digital (meta)data regularly and to offer or join systems that functionally and technically support cross-connection and interlinking of data.

The paper endeavours to show the importance of digital cross-connections and the role of portal infrastructures for visibility, online-distribution and use of digital archival metadata and data.

Positive experiences with working from home (WFH) during the Corona pandemic (COVID-19) have motivated many employees to continue WFH after the pandemic. However, factors influencing employees' WFH intentions against the backdrop of experiences during pandemic-induced enforced working from home (EWFH) are heterogeneous. This study investigates factors linked to information technology (IT) professionals' WFH intentions.

This mixed-methods study with 92 IT professionals examines the effects of seven predictors for IT professionals' WFH intentions. The predictors are categorized according to the trichotomy of (1) characteristics of the worker, (2) characteristics of the workspace and (3) the work context. Structural equation modeling is used to analyze the quantitative survey data. In addition, IT professionals' responses to six open questions in which they reflect on past experiences and envision future work are examined.

Quantitative results suggest that characteristics of the worker, such as segmentation preference, are influencing WFH intentions stronger than characteristics of the workspace or the work context. Furthermore, perceived productivity during EWFH and gender significantly predict WFH intentions. Contextualizing these quantitative insights, the qualitative data provides a rich yet heterogeneous list of factors why IT professionals prefer (not) to work from home.

Reasons influencing WFH intentions vary due to individual preferences and constraints. Therefore, a differentiated organizational approach is recommended for designing future work arrangements. In addition, the findings suggest that team contracts to formalize working patterns, e.g. to agree on the needed number of physical meetings, can be helpful levers to reduce the complexity of future work that is most likely a mix of WFH and office arrangements.

This study extends literature reflecting on COVID-19-induced changes, specifically the emerging debate about why employees want to continue WFH. It is crucial for researchers and practitioners to understand which factors influence IT professionals' WFH intentions and how they impact the design and implementation of future hybrid work arrangements.

This study investigates the pathways for adopting IoTs and BDA technologies to improve healthcare management.

The study relied on 445 healthcare professionals' perspectives to explore different causal pathways to IoTs and BDA adoption and usage for daily healthcare management. The Fussy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis was adopted to explore the underlying pathways for healthcare management.

The empirical analysis revealed six different configural paths influencing the acceptance and use of IoTs and BDA for healthcare improvement. Two key user topologies from the six configural paths, digital literacy and ease of use and social influence and behavioural intentions, mostly affect the paths for using digital health technologies by healthcare physicians.

Despite this study's novel contributions, limitations include the fsQCA methodology, perceptual data and the context of the study. The fsQCA methodology is still evolving with different interpretations, although it reveals new insights and as such further studies are required to explain the configural paths of social phenomena. Additionally, future research should consider other constructs beyond the UTAUT and digital literacy to illustrate configural paths to healthcare technology acceptance and usage. Again, the views of healthcare professionals are perceptual data. Hence future research on operational data will support significant contributions towards pathways to accept and use emerging technologies for healthcare improvement. Lastly, this study is from a developing country perspective where emerging digital healthcare technology is still emerging to support healthcare management. Hence, more investigation from other cross-country analyses of configural paths for digital technology deployment in healthcare will enhance the conversation with IoTs and BDA for healthcare management.

Holistically, the acceptance and use of healthcare technologies and platforms is not solely on their capabilities, but a combination of distinct factors driven by users' perspectives. This offers healthcare administrators and institutions to essentially reflect on the distinct combinations of conditions favourable to health professionals who can use IoTs and BDA for healthcare improvement.

This study is among the few scholarly works to empirically investigate the configural paths to support healthcare improvement with emerging technologies. Using fsQCA is a unique contribution to existing information system literature for configural paths for healthcare improvement with emerging digital technologies.

The purpose of this study is to address the generalised lack of guidance on ethical treatment of corporate (e.g. non-research) data in higher education institutions, by focusing on the case of the University of Queensland (Brisbane, Australia). No actionable framework is currently available in the country to govern the ethical usage of corporate data. As such, this research takes a stakeholder-centred approach to data ethics; the lived experience of the stakeholders involved coupled with a theory-based ethical framework allowed the authors build to build a framework to guide ethical data practice.

Adopting a revised canonical action research approach focused on intervention on the context, the authors conducted a review of the literature on ethical usage of data in higher education institutions; administered one survey to university students (n = 168); and facilitated three workshops with professional staff (two) and students (one).

Collected data highlighted how, among other themes, the role and ethical importance of transparency was the dominant claim among all stakeholder groups. Findings helped the authors develop an Enhanced Enterprise Data Ethics Framework (EEDEF) emphasising transparency and stakeholder-centricity.

Legislation is the driver to regulate the use of corporate data in higher education; however, this can be problematic because legislation is retrospective, lacks normativity and offers scarce directions for cases that do not exactly follow within the legislative mandate. In light of these regulatory limitations, the authors’ EEDEF offers operators guidance on how to ethically manage corporate data in the higher education environment.

This study fills gaps in praxis and theory; that is the lack of literature and guiding ethical frameworks to inform data practice in higher education. This research fosters a more ethical data management by virtue of genuine and authentic engagement with stakeholders and emphasises the importance of strategic decision-making and maturity of data culture in the higher education sector.

This study aims to increase the understanding of the starting points and presuppositions of organizational learning (OL) processes in a hospital’s surgical department based on the existing theory of OL and to make visible the practical possibilities of the theory in this context.

The study was conducted as a case study. The data were collected from personnel of the hospital’s surgical department and consisted of 26 thematic interviews. The data were analyzed using qualitative theory-driven content analysis.

This study found different starting points for both employee-oriented and organization-oriented learning processes that could potentially progress to different levels of the organization: from individuals to a wider group or from a large group to an individual. The starting point of employee-oriented learning processes was depicted as everyday life problems or situations or was based on the person’s interest. The starting points of organization-oriented learning processes were described as achieving or maintaining the organization’s expected skill levels, pursuing continuous development or pursuing the organization’s specific development needs. Different kinds of presuppositions were also located within the OL processes.

This study produced new practice-based knowledge about the starting points of OL processes and their presuppositions. In health-care organizations, learning is especially important due to intensive and complex changes, and this study provides empirical evidence on how to enhance learning.

This study focuses on (re-)introducing computer simulation as a part of the research paradigm. Simulation is a widely applied research method in supply chain and operations management. However, leading journals, such as the International Journal of Operations and Production Management, have often been reluctant to accept simulation studies. This study provides guidelines on how to conduct simulation research that advances theory, is relevant, and matters.

This study pooled the viewpoints of the editorial team of the International Journal of Operations and Production Management and authors of simulation studies. The authors debated their views and outlined why simulation is important and what a compelling simulation should look like.

There is an increasing importance of considering uncertainty, an increasing interest in dynamic phenomena, such as the transient response(s) to disruptions, and an increasing need to consider complementary outcomes, such as sustainability, which many researchers believe can be tackled by big data and modern analytical tools. But building, elaborating, and testing theory by purposeful experimentation is the strength of computer simulation. The authors therefore argue that simulation should play an important role in supply chain and operations management research, but for this, it also has to evolve away from simply generating and analyzing data. Four types of simulation research with much promise are outlined: empirical grounded simulation, simulation that establishes causality, simulation that supplements machine learning, artificial intelligence and analytics and simulation for sensitive environments.

This study identifies reasons why simulation is important for understanding and responding to today's business and societal challenges, it provides some guidance on how to design good simulation studies in this context and it links simulation to empirical research and theory going beyond multimethod studies.

This paper aims to explore the strategic and evolving role of human resource management (HRM) directors within the context of underdeveloped institutional arrangements. The study focuses on India and conducts a comparative analysis of the roles of HRM directors in both multinational enterprises (MNEs) and domestic firms.

Survey-based data from the HRM directors of 252 enterprises were gathered for the comparative analysis, including both multinational and domestic enterprises.

HRM directors in MNEs lack the proficiency required to effectively fulfil their strategic role. In addition, there has been a notable shift in the responsibilities of HRM directors in MNEs, with increased emphasis on labour movements and trade union negotiations, as opposed to traditional human resource (HR) activities. This shift suggests that the role of HRM in MNEs operating in India has been influenced by local isomorphic forces, rather than following a “pendulum swing” between home and host country institutional pressures. The prevalence of informality in the Indian institutional arrangements may act as a strong counterforce to integrating the strategic agency of MNEs' home country HRM directors into the organizational structure. Despite facing resistance from the local institutional context, HRM directors in MNEs are responding with a pushback, prioritizing labour movements and trade union negotiations over core HRM activities.

The study highlights the broader implications for theory and practice, shedding light on the challenges faced by HRM directors in navigating incoherent institutional arrangements. It emphasizes the need for a deeper understanding of local forces in shaping HRM practices within multinational settings.

We contribute to the comparative HRM literature by elaborating on power struggles that HRM directors face amid the dichotomies of formal power and authority that are encoded in the organizational structure versus culturally contingent power that can be accrued from engaging in informality. We also highlight their engagement in prolonged institutional mediation and change, which serves as a compensatory mechanism for the institutional shortfalls they encounter within the context of emerging markets.