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The purpose of this research is to develop a better understanding of the hurdles in implementing Lean Six Sigma (LSS) for operational excellence in digital emerging technology companies.

We have conducted case studies of LSS implementations in six US-based companies in the digital emerging technology industry.

Critical success factors (CSF) for LSS implementations in digital emerging technology companies are: (1) organizational leadership that is engaged to the implementation, (2) LSS methodology that is rebranded to fit existing shared values in the organization, (3) restructuring of the traditional LSS training program to include a more incremental, prioritized, on-the-job training approach and (4) a modified LSS project execution methodology that includes (a) condensing the phases and tools applied in LSS projects and (b) adopting more iterative project management methods compared to the standard phased LSS project approach.

The qualitative nature of our analysis and the geographic coverage of our sample limit the generalizability of our findings.

Implications comprise the awareness and knowledge of critical success factors and LSS methodology modifications specifically relevant for digital emerging technology companies or companies that share similarities in terms of focus on product development, innovation and growth, such as R&D departments in high-tech manufacturing companies.

Research on industry-specific enablers for successful LSS implementation in the digital emerging technology industry is virtually absent. Our research informs practitioners on how to implement LSS in this and alike industries, and points to aspects of such implementations that are worthy of further attention from the academic community.

Drawing from legitimacy and institutional entrepreneurship theory, this study assesses the naming patterns of entrepreneurial firms in the US biotechnology industry.

The authors use a mixed-methods design of content analysis and regression to analyze a sample of 441 entrepreneurial biotechnology firms, for which data were obtained from Net Advantage. The authors track changes to the proportion of firms with naming attributes, such as name length and type of name. The authors also examine variability in those characteristics during the industry's evolution, comparing freestanding to acquired start-ups.

Start-ups select names that are longer, more descriptive, begin with rare sounds or hard plosives and have stronger discipline- or technology-specific links during nascent years of the industry. As the industry evolves, entrepreneurs are more likely to select names that are shorter, more abstract, begin with hard plosives and have stronger industry-specific links. The naming patterns of freestanding and acquired companies differ, and companies that conform to industry pressures tend to remain independent.

Unlike extant studies that assess established industries, the current study identifies shifting trends in the naming patterns of entrepreneurial firms in an emerging industry. By focusing on start-ups, the authors expand research on organizational naming practices, which focuses traditionally on name choices and name change patterns of incumbents. By using marketing and linguistics methods when analyzing organizational name attributes, naming patterns in these attributes are identified, including name length, name type, starting letter of the name and link to the industry.

In recent years, China's marine industry has maintained rapid growth in general, and marine-related economic activities have continued to improve. The purpose of this research is to analyze the basic situation of China's marine economy development, identify the problems therein, forecast development trends and propose policy recommendations accordingly.

This research conducts a comprehensive and detailed analysis of the development of China's marine economy with rich data in diversified aspects. The current situation of China's marine economy development is analyzed from the perspective of scale and structure, and the external and internal development environment of China's marine economy is discussed. With the application of measurement and prediction method such as trend extrapolation, exponential smoothing, grey forecasting and neural network method, the future situation of China's marine economy development is forecasted.

In a complex environment where uncertainties at home and abroad have increased significantly, China's marine economy development suffers tremendous downward pressure in recent years. As China has achieved major achievements in the prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic, the marine economy development will gradually return to normal. It is estimated that the gross marine production value in 2022 will exceed 10 trillion yuan. China's marine economy will continue to maintain a steady growth trend in the future, and its development prospects will remain promising.

This research explores the current situation and trends of China's marine economy development and puts forward policy recommendations to promote the steady and health development of China's marine economy accordingly.

Rapid urbanisation and recent shock events have reiterated the need for resilient infrastructure, as seen in the pandemic. Yet, knowledge gaps in construction robotics and human–robot teams (HRTs) research limit maximising these emerging technologies’ potentials. This paper aims to review the state of the art of research in this area to identify future research directions in HRTs able to aid the resilience and responsiveness of the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) sector.

A total of 71 peer-reviewed journal articles centred on robotics and HRTs were reviewed through a quantitative approach using scientometric techniques using Gephi and VOSviewer. Research focus deductions were made through bibliometric analysis and co-occurrence analysis of reviewed publications.

This study revealed sparse and small research output in this area, indicating immense research potential. Existing clusters signifying the need for further studies are on automation in construction, human–robot teaming, safety in robotics and robotic designs. Key publication outlets and construction robotics contribution towards the built environment’s resilience are discussed.

The identified gaps in the thematic areas illustrate priorities for future research focus. It raises awareness on human factors in collaborative robots and potential design needs for construction resilience.

Rapid urbanisation and recent shock events have reiterated the need for resilient infrastructure, as seen in the pandemic. Yet, knowledge gaps in construction robotics and HRTs research limit maximising these emerging technologies’ potentials. This paper aims to review the state of the art of research in this area to identify future research directions in HRTs able to aid the resilience and responsiveness of the AEC sector.

In most developing countries, indigenous emerging construction contractors (ECCs) face severe problems of not adopting a project management framework (PMF) in their business activities. It has increased their business risk and threatened their sustainability. Studies showed that government policy support (GPS) helps mitigate business risks. Thus, there is a paucity of literature concerning GPS on emerging Nigerian construction contractors' business sustainability. Therefore, the paper aims to investigate the moderating effect of GPS on the relationship between PMF and ECCs in Nigeria.

SmartPLS was used to analyse the collected data from the useable 310 questionnaires retrieved from respondents in Abuja and Lagos, Nigeria. Systems Theory was used to support the developed framework.

Findings show that government policy support significantly moderates the relationships between PMF and ECCs in the Nigerian construction sector. It implies that the study's results offer more understanding regarding issues affecting construction entrepreneurs' sustainable business cycle via applying PMF to mitigate business sustainable associated risks.

The study will stir Nigeria's ECCs and policymakers to promote construction business sustainability for a new entrepreneur, emphasising business risk management via PMF and GPS to enhance the sustainable business cycle.

The research (PMF and GPS) is strategies to enhance ECCs business sustainability in the Nigerian construction sector and other developing countries with similar political and economic attributes. Besides the study guiding old and intending ECCs and policymakers in the developing countries industries, it would contribute to bridge the theoretical gap regarding PMF and ECC, especially ECCs in developing countries with similar business sustainability issues.

Currently, China’s economy is in the critical phase of transforming economic development patterns and replacing old growth drivers with new ones. Whether it can successfully overcome the “middle-income trap” has become a significant issue attracting wide attention.

Driven by underlying digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing and big data, the fourth industrial revolution featuring the booming digital economy has provided significant opportunities for China’s economy to “overtake” and overcome the “middle-income trap”. The transformation of economic development pattern, the optimization of industrial structure, and the change of growth drivers, brought by the deep integration of digital and real economies are the keys to leaping over the “middle-income trap”.

From the supply side, the digital economy can improve the quality and efficiency of the supply side and promote the supply-side structural reform and economic growth from the following three aspects: First, promote the quality, efficiency and diversification of the supply system; second, promote networking, opening-up and synergy in the innovation system and third, promote the socialization, modularization and flexibility of production pattern. From the demand side, the digital economy can boost the new drivers of the “troika” of economic growth consisting of consumption, exports and investment by changing the market investment direction, promoting consumption upgrade and fostering export strengths. However, once these two attributes interact with each other, especially when data is combined with capital, the most adhesive factor in the market economy, a series of new social relations will then be produced based on the technical attribute, resulting in significant adjustments in social relations, involving both positive and negative externalities.

To overcome the “middle-income trap”, it is necessary to adapt to the laws of economic evolution and promote a fundamental change in economic growth drivers; boost the high-quality development of the digital economy by strengthening the support role of data in the digital economy; and accelerate digital industrialization and industrial digitalization to realize the integration of digital and real economies.

Site supervision features largely influence the productivity status of construction operational processes. This study aims to use a case study containing mixed methods to test the site supervisory traits in applying mathematical theories to construction operations for directing supervisory capabilities under various operational characteristics.

A total of 62 construction site supervisors were trained as part of a new apprenticeship programme. Through literature reviews and expert consultations, grading criteria were designed with various degrees of descriptions and score ratings. The supervisory attributes were evaluated under seven competency element characteristics mapped with the relevant learning domains.

The results demonstrate a detailed sectional view of performance ratings of supervisors under different characteristics of competency factors with the validity, reliability, applicability and generalisability assurance of the research findings using relevant statistical tests and expert evaluations.

Though the research applications were engaged directly with the construction industry in the Sri Lankan setting, other developing countries and emerging industries can also employ equivalent tactics to attain similar outcomes in their industry-based operations.

The research findings have led to producing a new guide that makes significant impacts on deciding the capability levels in construction supervisory attributes while executing problem-solving applications in construction planning and operational processes. Accordingly, the findings push to open a gate to intake advanced cognitive attributes towards addressing the industry's knowledge gap on how the problem-solving-based apprenticeship protocols need to be linked with the supervision features.

This study characterizes the scenario of emerging countries (ECs) – “Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS)” concerning digital transformation and its association with the Industry 4.0 (I4.0) value creation system. For such, the authors developed a discussion paper based on content analysis of 857 journals in business administration, describing in a proposed framework the institutionalization “BRICS” policies that nurture global competitiveness among ECs and development needs to catching up.

Data from 16 official documents of government, ministries and economic studies were analyzed by applying Atlas TI contrasting theory of 875 papers to develop and discuss the framework. Content analysis showed research gaps, technological needs and governance to enable firms to sustain competitive advantages applying I4.0 value creation system. Results converged into a microfoundation of the agile journey of a digital transformation to global organizations in between BRICS.

This paper's central question is to understand: How can organizations achieve a sustainable I4.0 value creation system adopting digital transformation in “BRICS”? The reduced transaction costs driven by platforms and ecosystems orchestration and the related or integrated multiple level sources of knowledge could speed benefits of domestic firms and subsidiaries of global organizations. Research gaps could be understood by a new combination of resources and knowledge, exploiting technologies and, also, the discussion of social economic relevance of I4.0.

Because of the complexity and the novelty of the framework, further studies could be discussed by its elements. New structures and paths for alternative strategic factors may be proposed in the future with the inclusion of new relationships in the adoption of platform business models and ecosystems. Future studies should consider digital knowledge-based assets attained to economic activities across national boundaries; data analytics or data-driven technology adoption and their effects on global attractiveness.

The paper implicates in evaluating whether dynamic capabilities subsidize performance propitiating the catching up with a focus on the I4.0 system and digital transformation management journey. The proposed framework demonstrates the benefits of digital transformation by enabling strategic capabilities, making efforts to reduce a lack of research paths concerning the policy attributes that define the platform use strategy from an architectural standpoint and its benefits.

The particularities of turning either an I4.0 global organization or a digital organization operate in various environments, allowing access to the activities' digital context. Social implications concerning digital resources as strategic accelerators are determined by the BRICS peculiarities, such as social behavior, consumerism or communication pattern, leadership and workforce skills. Finally, political aspects and interference in the economy are deployed in society what must be considered.

This paper proposes a conceptual framework to better understand whether the heterogeneity of resources could explain I4.0 and digital configurations, while new platforms have driven features in global industrial environments and ecosystems. The seizing opportunities in these countries and sense-making use of platforms and orchestration of ecosystems are found as the critical topics being the main value of this important discussion.

Recently, the entry of new players has prompted significant restructuring in the Australian coal market with value migrating away from the existing fragmented, traditional production/export model characterised by competing operators generally using 'common user' infrastructure facilities to new, fully integrated supply chains creating a multi-tiered production-consumer framework.

This paper argues that not only are coal markets restructuring but they are doing so within the framework of a significant paradigm shift towards efficiency-seeking and efficiency-driven mechanisms. Value innovation and a deregulated market are enabling operators to enter the industry seeking and implementing end-to-end control of the supply chain - and, in so doing, capturing the significant gains of integration.

This paper explores these changes within the framework of integrative efficiency - a product of end-to-end control by a single party, derived from a number of companies, or chain elements, working cooperatively rather than competitively, or a single operator vertically integrating the chain from point of production to point of consumption to capture and deliver significantly higher value. The paper focuses attention on this paradigmatic shift in a brief though detailed case study of a major new industry entrant into export coal chains from the rapidly developing Galilee Basin in northern Queensland. It examines the dynamics and implications of this shift in the context of chain efficiency and value innovation

This paper aims to analyze how the internationalization process of Brazilian microbreweries takes place, especially in factors of propensity to internationalization, competition and survival in the national and international market.

The authors adopted qualitative approach research, using a multiple case study strategy, analyzing seven Brazilian craft breweries. The authors developed this study through documentary research, semi-structured interviews and nonparticipant observation.

The research findings made it possible to characterize the internationalization process motivated by the background and international experience of entrepreneurs that adopted different strategies for expansion in the international market. The authors noticed that the networks developed in production partnerships, festivals and international missions represent an increase in the ease of internationalization and helps to reduce the risk perception.

The contributions refer to the conjecture that the born global's evolution related to the high competitiveness of the market is influenced by the international background of the founders and by the influence of the international network, overcoming institutional and market challenges in emerging countries, assuming risks associated with rapid and early entry into the international arena.

The paper is potentially useful for managerial practice and policymakers by providing insights into the characteristics of entrepreneurs and companies considering their propensity to internationalize, presenting how entrepreneurs and managers can seek resources and develop their skills and capacities to manage such companies and processes of internationalization.

The research is presented as a complementary study to the limited number of studies examining born globals from emerging markets, also challenging the arguments of the dominant theory regarding gradual and nonlinear internationalization.