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The purpose of this paper is to conduct a critical analysis of the commonly projected visions on the future of built environment, focusing on transformative research. The primary question is will the construction sector be able to make the projected transformative leap even if the history of technology adoption in construction suggests otherwise? And, what role can academic research play?

This paper is based on a reflective research and qualitative review of academic articles, white papers and reported projections for the future of construction. The reflections are based on discussions with colleagues and students, including thought experiments.

There is a general agreement across various sources about the key technical and social drivers for the future of construction. However, these projections seem to be emanating from industry insiders, and more diversity and creativity is needed in exploring alternative possibilities.

The paper should be useful for researchers in assessing their research strategy, especially those aiming to focus on the future of construction and transformative research. The findings of this paper suggest the need for collaboration and explorations with diverse disciplines, including those that may not appear immediately connected to digital construction.

The paper should be useful for individuals and organizations, especially start-ups that are seeking novel opportunities to disrupt the future of construction.

The originality and value of this research lies in a timely critique of the commonly projected trends in the future of digital construction. The use of reflective research and thought experiments emphasizes the need for divergent thinking and creative research methods in construction research.

The main purpose of this study is to reveal the degree of association between lean, building information modeling (BIM) and construction project success. The study further intends to provide strategies for high and low associations of the factors.

Lean construction and BIM are two important applications that have recently gained popularity in terms of enhancing project success. Considering this impact, this study investigates the synergy between lean construction and BIM and determines to what extent these two contribute to the success of the projects. As a first step, lean, BIM and project success were examined based on an in-depth literature review. In the second stage, a structural equation model (SEM) was established to reflect the relationship among these three through hypotheses. Then, a questionnaire was designed and administered to the construction professionals experienced in both lean and BIM implementation. The SEM was tested using Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS), an SPSS tool.

The results indicated that lean implementation has a significant and positive impact on BIM implementation and project success. On the other hand, BIM implementation had a lower significant impact on project success than lean implementation construct.

The results of this study can be used by both policymakers and industry practitioners in terms of developing strategies for effectively using both lean and BIM. The researchers can further develop other implementation models to investigate whether these concepts are more effective in increasing project success when used integratively.

This study considers both the impact of lean and BIM on project success through input from construction practitioners working on large projects. This way, the study fosters the use of lean, BIM or lean–BIM together in construction projects to enhance project success.

Anchored in the theories of brand gestalt and stakeholder perspectives, this study aims to undertake a comprehensive examination of the brand gestalt concept, emphasizing its multidimensional nature and the process of co-creation.

Focused within the context of the Wonderful Indonesia brand, the research draws upon a rich qualitative data set derived from in-depth interviews conducted with 18 international tourists, supplemented by netnography (or internet ethnography) of websites, social media and online articles related to Wonderful Indonesia. Using grounded theory methodology, the qualitative data undergo rigorous analysis to identify emergent themes and patterns.

The research elucidates the four dimensions (4S) comprising brand gestalt: storyscapes, sensescapes, servicescapes and stakeholderscapes. Each dimension is further delineated into essential categories, providing a comprehensive understanding of brand gestalt. This study highlights the collaborative nature of brand gestalt, emphasizing the involvement of multiple stakeholders in shaping the brand's identity and perception. Consumer perceptions of co-creation are identified as significant contributors to brand gestalt, enhancing the brand's value proposition.

Destination management and practitioners can use the insights from the research to refine their brand management and marketing strategies by leveraging the dimensions of brand gestalt. Recognizing the collaborative construct of brand gestalt can guide businesses in fostering meaningful relationships with stakeholders and aligning branding efforts with collective visions. Understanding the role of consumer co-creation in brand development can inform strategies aimed at enhancing brand equity and fostering consumer loyalty.

This study extends existing literature on brand gestalt by providing a comprehensive examination of its four dimensions and essential categories. By emphasizing the collaborative nature of brand gestalt, this study contributes to advancing the understanding of brand co-creation paradigms. The identification of consumer perceptions of co-creation as a significant factor in brand gestalt adds novel insights to the literature, offering valuable implications for brand management and marketing strategies.

Guided by resource-based theory, this study unpacks the relationship between an export entrepreneurial marketing orientation (EMO) and export performance. This is undertaken by investigating quadratic effects and the moderating role of export coopetition (cooperation amongst competitors in an international arena).

Survey responses were collected from a sample of 282 smaller-sized wine producers in Italy. This empirical context was ideal, as it hosted varying degrees of the constructs within the conceptual model. Put another way, it was suitable to test the underlying issues for theorising purposes. The hypotheses and control paths were tested through a three-step hierarchical regression analysis.

An export EMO had a non-linear (inverted U-shaped) association with export performance. Furthermore, this link was positively moderated by export coopetition. With too little of an export EMO, small enterprises might struggle to create value for their overseas customers. With too much of an export EMO, owner-managers could experience harmful performance outcomes. By cooperating with appropriate industry rivals, small companies can acquire new resources, capabilities and opportunities to help them to boost their export performance. That is, export coopetition can stabilise some of the potential dangers of employing an export EMO.

The empirical findings signified that an export EMO has potential dark-sides if these firm-wide behaviours are not implemented effectively. Nevertheless, cooperating with competitors in export markets can alleviate some of these concerns. Collectively, unique insights have emerged, whereby entrepreneurs are advantaged by being strategically flexible and collaborating with appropriate key stakeholders to enhance their export performance.

The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the consumer payment behavior in Italy by correlating financial literacy with digital payment awareness, examining media anxiety and financial security, and including a gender analysis.

Consumers’ attitudes toward cashless payments were investigated using an online survey conducted from November 2021 to February 2022 on a sample of 836 Italian citizens by considering the behavioral characteristics and aspects of financial literacy. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses and to determine whether the model was invariant by gender.

The analysis showed that the fear of contracting COVID-19 and the level of financial literacy had a direct influence on the payment behavior of Italians, which was completely different in its weighting. Fear due to the spread of news regarding the pandemic in the media indirectly influenced consumers’ noncash attitude. The preliminary results of the gender multigroup analysis showed that cashless payment was the same in the male and female subpopulations.

This research is noteworthy because of its interconnected examination. It examined the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on people’s payment choices, assessed their knowledge, and considered the influence of media-induced anxiety. By combining these factors, the study offered an analysis from a gender perspective, providing understanding of how financial behaviors were shaped during the pandemic.

The paper aims to explore the relationship between accounting and racial violence through an investigation of sharecropping in the postbellum American South.

A range of primary sources including peonage case files of the US Department of Justice and the archives of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) are utilised. Data are analysed by reference to Randall Collins' theory of violence. Consistent with this theory, a micro-sociological approach to examining violent encounters is employed.

It is demonstrated that the production of alternative or competing accounts, accounting manipulation and failure to account generated interactions where confrontational tension culminated in bluster, physical attacks and lynching. Such violence took place in the context of potent racial ideologies and institutions.

The paper is distinctive in its focus on the interface between accounting and “actual” (as opposed to symbolic) violence. It reveals how accounting processes and traces featured in the highly charged emotional fields from which physical violence could erupt. The study advances knowledge of the role of accounting in race relations from the late nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century, a largely unexplored period in the accounting history literature. It also seeks to extend the research agenda on accounting and slavery (which has hitherto emphasised chattel slavery) to encompass the practice of debt peonage.

The construction industry in Nigeria has a complex environment, comprising several combinations of consulting professions, clients, contractual arrangement and investors, with longer working hours than other industries. Work–life balance (WLB) strategies are used to balance professional life and personal life. This study aims to assess the extent of implementation of WLB strategies among construction companies in Lagos, Nigeria.

This study adopts a survey research technique. Snowball sampling technique was adopted to identify the targeted respondents for the administration of questionnaire. A total of 156 questionnaires were distributed and a response rate of 66% (103 questionnaires were completely filled and returned) was attained. Data elicited were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results from this study provides evidence that the level of implementation of WLB strategies among construction companies in Lagos state, Nigeria is on the average. The results also revealed organisational understanding, paternity/maternity leave and flexible working arrangement as the top most three WLB strategies implemented among the construction companies in Lagos, Nigeria.

This study contributed to more effective WLB studies by identifying new information on the extent of usage of WLB practices in the Nigerian construction sector as well as offers a fresh perspective on the usage of WLB in a developing country. An understanding of these strategies is significant for companies’ stakeholders, such as management personnel, top construction professionals and policymakers, and for facilitating the adoption and implementation of WLB strategies among construction organisations.

This study aims to investigate the combined impact of pharmaceutical marketing strategies, specifically free drug samples and interactions with medical representatives, on physicians’ attitudes and prescribing behavior in Jammu and Kashmir, India.

To achieve this objective, data were collected from a sample comprising 425 physicians. A six-point forced-choice Likert scale was used for data collection, and cluster sampling techniques were used in the study design.

The study reveals significant insights into pharmaceutical marketing’s influence on physician behavior. Free drug samples exert a positive influence on both physician attitudes and prescribing behavior. Physicians’ attitudes, in turn, significantly affect their prescribing decisions. Mediation analysis demonstrates that free drug samples indirectly influence prescribing behavior through shifts in physician attitudes. Effective medical representatives amplify this influence, as stronger associations between free drug samples and physician attitudes are observed when representatives are more effective.

This research contributes by unraveling the intricate dynamics between marketing strategies, physician attitudes and prescribing behavior in Jammu and Kashmir, India. It underscores the importance of ethical pharmaceutical marketing practices, highlighting the substantial role of free drug samples and the crucial function of effective medical representatives in shaping physician behavior. Ultimately, this study sheds light on how responsible pharmaceutical marketing and adept medical representatives can improve health-care outcomes in the region.

This study aims to investigate how the management of supply chain information impacts the performance of the supply chain. This relationship is explored by considering the mediating influence of internal and external integration, which is underpinned by the principles of resource-based theory.

Data was collected from 144 supply chain professionals across different manufacturing companies. The proposed hypotheses were subjected to quantitative analysis using partial least squares structural equation modeling, and the validity of the measurement model was assessed with the assistance of SmartPLS software.

This study identified that information management (IM) significantly and positively affects internal integration (II), customer integration (CI) and supply chain performance (SCP). Similarly, the results showed that II significantly and positively affects SCP. Likewise, CI positively and significantly affected SCP. At the same time, II found a positive yet significant mediating role in the relationship between IM and SCP. CI was found to play a positive but insignificant mediating role in the relationship between IM and SCP.

This research evaluated a second-order model and tested the SCP in conjunction with the resource-based view in the manufacturing industry. This research could be beneficial for researchers, manufacturers and policymakers to attain organizational objectives by implementing an efficient IM system for better integration and SCP.

The deployment of solar photovoltaic (PV) in higher education institutions is beneficial and critical for attaining sustainable campus goals. However, various barriers hamper the adoption of the technology, and unless these challenges are identified, formulating tailor made solutions to boost deployment will be challenging. Thus, this study aimed to identify the barriers to the deployment of PV in the public university sector in South Africa.

A critical review of the literature was conducted to identify the factors that negatively impact PV deployment. By screening the barriers identified from the literature using a conceptual framework, the barriers that were considered relevant to deployment within a university context were selected. Thereafter, the selected barriers and additional barriers recommended by panellists were verified through a three-round Delphi survey. The factors were either accepted or rejected as barriers in the sector based on the factors' mean score and interquartile range values.

The study observed that 12 barriers hamper PV deployment in the public university sector. The findings indicated that the top five barriers were the lack of incentives, lack of green building targets, lack of financial resources, high initial cost, and lack of clear policy direction. However, the study found that deployment was not hindered because there was resistance to change or uncertainty of recouping investment costs. The deployment was also not hindered because there was a lack of demand from electricity end-users or a lack of suitable installation space.

Given the lack of empirical studies on the subject in the region, the present study contributes to the body of knowledge by identifying the significant barriers that impede PV deployment in the public university sector. Furthermore, insight is provided on measures that relevant stakeholders can take to motivate and support universities to deploy the technology further.