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Aim of the present monograph is the economic analysis of the role of MNEs regarding globalisation and digital economy and in parallel there is a reference and examination of some legal aspects concerning MNEs, cyberspace and e‐commerce as the means of expression of the digital economy. The whole effort of the author is focused on the examination of various aspects of MNEs and their impact upon globalisation and vice versa and how and if we are moving towards a global digital economy.

This paper compares impact of Industry 4.0 / emerging information and communication Technologies (ICTs), for example, Internet of things (IOT), machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and cloud computing, on 22 organisational performance indicators under nine combinations of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) and quality management systems (QMS).

Survey of 105 Indian organisations was done about their experience of using QMS, Lean Six Sigma and emerging ICTs. Respondents included both manufacturing and service enterprises of different scales and sectors. The responses collected were compared, and statistically significant difference among them was evaluated using chi-square test.

The study confirmed statistically significant difference among 20 organisational performance indicators under different combinations of QMS, LSS and ICTs. These indicators include quality performance, delivery performance, sales turnover, inventory level and so forth. However, for two indicators, namely, absenteeism and throughput, significant difference in responses was not established.

All possible combinations of QMS, LSS, only LSS tools and ICTs were not studied because of either theoretical impossibility (e.g. using LSS without LSS tools) or practically rare situations (e.g. organisations using ICTs and LSS without QMS). Furthermore, the impact from different sequences of implementing QMS, LSS and ICTs can be studied.

Using this study, practitioners can identify which LSS, Quality System and ICT combination results in best performance and quick success. On theoretical front, the study confirms impact of LSS and QMS on organisational performance.

This study evaluates organisational performance under several possible combinations of QMS, LSS, and emerging ICTs, which was so far unexplored.

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have featured strongly in all the recent national foresight studies. This paper documents some of the common trends that emerge from a comparison of these different studies and attempts to draw some strategic conclusions. The first section charts their relative importance. The main trends identified in the national foresight studies are then discussed by main technological areas in turn: software, components and peripherals, advanced telecommunications and telematics applications. Finally, the third part of the paper, strong interactions that ICTs have with other technological disciplines is considered, especially in relation to new materials, nanostructures and bioinformatics.

The paper aims to explore future and emerging information and communication technologies. It gives a general overview of the social consequences and ethical issues arising from technologies that can currently be reasonably expected. This overview is used to present recommendations and integrate these in a framework of responsible innovation.

The identification of emerging ICTs and their ethical consequences is based on the review and analysis if several different bodies of literature. The individual features of the ICTs and the ethical issues identified this way are then aggregated and analysed.

The paper outlines the 11 ICTs identified. Some of the shared features that are likely to have social relevance include an increase in natural interaction, the invisibility of technology, direct links between humans and technology, detailed models and data of humans and an increasing autonomy of technology that may lead to power over the user. Ethical issues include several current topics such as privacy, data protection, intellectual property and digital divides. New problems may include changes to the way humans are perceived and the role of humans and technology in society. This includes changing power structures and different ways of treating humans.

The paper presents a piece of foresight research which cannot claim exact knowledge of the future. However, by developing a detailed understanding of possible futures it provides an important basis for current decisions relating to future technology development and governance.

The paper spells out a range of recommendations for both policy makers and researchers/industry. These refer to the framework within which technology is developed and how such a framework could be designed to allow the development of ethical reflexivity.

The work described here is likely to influence EU policy on ICT research and technology research and innovation more broadly. This may have implications for the type of technologies funded and broad implications for the social use of emerging technologies.

The paper presents a novel and important broad view of the future of ICTs that is required in order to inform current policy decisions.

Despite the significance of knowledge sharing for competitive advantage in networked businesses like franchising systems, there is a lack of comprehensive understanding regarding the strategic value of knowledge sharing in the context of franchising. In particular, the specific contribution of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in facilitating interorganizational knowledge exchange among franchising members remains inadequately understood, particularly in emerging economies. Therefore, this study aims to explore the mechanisms involved in the knowledge-sharing process facilitated by a virtual learning environment (VLE) within franchising networks and examine the role of VLEs in facilitating knowledge.

This study uses a multiple-case study approach involving 24 franchisees and the franchisor within a Brazilian franchising network operating in the furniture market to examine the role played by a VLE.

The results of the study reveal that the introduction of a VLE has played a significant role in fostering enhancements in the knowledge-sharing process among the franchisor and franchisees in the network. Moreover, the results indicate that VLEs play a significant role in overcoming geographical obstacles, thereby enabling efficient knowledge sharing between franchisees and franchisors operating in extensive territorial contexts. Finally, findings indicate that intracommercial competition acts as a prominent barrier, leading to low levels of cooperation and knowledge-sharing intent among franchisees within the network.

This study contributes to the existing knowledge by enhancing the understanding of how ICTs can facilitate knowledge sharing in organizations operating within franchising systems. Furthermore, this paper advances the comprehension of the role of networking franchising configuration and governance in supporting organizational improvements. Additional actionable insights are provided.

The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, to explore the intricacies of culture along with the complex contextual factors that affect the selection, implementation and use of social media as an organizational communication channel in emerging markets. Second, by using Hofstede’s dimension of cultural variability as a framework, the paper identifies different variables that impact usage and adoption of social media in emerging markets.

A review of literature was employed for this study to glean different factors that influence social media use in less economically developed countries and emerging markets. The selected literature consisted of the following keyword phrases “social media” and “emerging markets.” The term “culture” was used to narrow the scope of the analysis.

The analysis provides insights about how elements such as context, culture, communication preference, trust, gender and literacy affect social media use of individuals within organizations and merchants operating in emerging markets. The paper, in particular suggests that all social media campaigns contain important cultural considerations for potential users who will interact with the social networks in emerging markets.

The review of literature may not have been all inclusive. Hence, certain relevant studies may have been excluded based their lack of selected keywords. Furthermore, currently there are not enough published studies in social media usage and emerging markets to fully explore the topic. Therefore, a call for more empirical research utilizing mixed method approach will provide a more comprehensive analysis.

The paper includes implications for the development of technological and cultural fit in the diffusion of social media technologies in an attempt to achieve desired results in emerging markets.

This paper identifies the need for clarity or understanding of culture when crossing cultural boundaries in particular West vs East through the use of new and social media within emerging markets.

The purpose of this paper is to present a brief history of the information society and a research framework addressing the challenges of ensuring that information and communication technologies (ICTs) are applied in ways that are enabling and responsive to the varied contexts in which people live their lives.

Examination of why insights arising from research that is critical of the mainstream vision of the information society are rarely influential in debates on ICT policies, of the outstanding research questions around the promotion of investment in ICTs in support of sustainable development goals, and of the components of an alternative research framework that could be pursued by those concerned with social and technological innovation.

The analysis of policy discussion in this area indicates that there may now be an opportunity to re‐enter some of these debates, particularly those in which it is clear that there are many important issues that are reappearing on the ICT policy agenda. Some of the most difficult issues are highlighted including the need to give greater attention to measures supporting more differentiated information or knowledge societies.

The paper demonstrates that there are signs of learning and an awareness of unequal power relationships among stakeholders in ICT policy debates that may contribute to a shift in priorities towards a more context sensitive research framework that would be of value to those who are preoccupied by efforts to improve the material conditions of people's lives.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of adopting knowledge management systems (KMSs) on firms’ performance. Although many organizations have adopted the notion of KMS, there is little evidence on the effect of KMS on a firm’s performance, especially in an emerging economy like the Egyptian one. An intensive literature review is conducted not only to synthesize but also to establish the conceptual foundations for the systemic perspective of knowledge management and its potential impact on knowledge management performance in an emerging information and communication technology (ICT) industry. This systemic perspective fits with the evolutionary nature of such an emerging industry in Egypt.

The empirical study of this work is conducted on knowledge-intensive firms operating in the field of ICT. The paper is descriptive in nature where a quantitative research design is adopted to survey senior managers’ perceptions – from both national and multinational enterprises operating in Egypt – on the pay-off maintained from creating an integrative KMS. The primary data are collected from 90 managers holding significant top positions related to the knowledge management area. A linear simple regression test is conducted to discover the initial association between the conceptual model’s key variables.

The results of this work reveal that there is a positive association between each of the six elements that constitute a KMS, namely, knowledge: creation, acquisition, codification, sharing, transfer and measurement, and the perceived knowledge management performance. Besides, there is a significant positive association between the adopted total KMS and perceived knowledge management performance. This study provides strong evidence that KMSs are essential to improve firms’ performance. The results of t-test and analysis of variance assert that the gender, types of business, year of experience and age of respondents have no significant difference to perceived knowledge management performance resulting from KMS.

The findings reflect the fact that informants have to deploy six components that constitute a KMS to realize improvements in knowledge management performance. This work also highlights a number of findings of great value to managers in the ICT sector. Yet, the empirical study does not cover all the issues which are linked to KMS implementation. Issues such as culture, trust and leadership role in building a significant KMS are not examined in this work. Also, the generalizability of the findings to other industries must be considered carefully. Although the findings are statistically significant, the framework developed may be quite specific to the ICT organizations.

This paper enhances managers’ understanding in deploying the notion of KMSs to leverage their corporate performance. It also provides managers in emerging markets with an integrative perspective to fundamental issues that encounter them when they put those KMSs into practice.

This research advances understanding of the application and benefit of KMS in ICT firms in several ways: it provides a better understanding of KMS and practices currently being applied in the Egyptian ICT firms. There had been little or no industry-wide empirical research on this topic to date, it provides a better understanding of knowledge processes in the ICT sector; specifically, the links between knowledge acquisition, creation, codification, sharing, transfer and measurement, and their links to performance, the measurement instruments developed for this research constitute a reliable set of construct measures that provide a basis for future research.

This paper advances the knowledge management subject by synthesizing past studies into an integrative KMS that directs scholars’ attention on how to examine the notion. It is claimed that KMS help those managers improve core business processes, management decisions and, accordingly, firms’ performance. Besides, this study suggests a set of implications for managers in an emerging market that has recently adopted the notion of KMSs. This study also reflects the viewpoints and perceptions of key managers in a strongly evolving knowledge-intensive industry that has an increasing impact on the GDP of an entire nation throughout the past two decades.

Information and communication technologies (ICT) may represent an important source of advantages for service companies. However, the literature suggests that ICT need to be adapted to the demands of the company and its customers. The purpose of this paper is to compare the ICT use in hotels situated in established (i.e. Spain) and emerging (i.e. Croatia) tourist destinations.

Non-hierarchical cluster analysis is performed. Clusters are internally validated by a K-Means cluster analysis and a discriminant analysis. Analysis of variance is applied and contingency tables between cluster membership and hotel characteristics are created.

The results reveal significant differences in the degree of ICT implementation, identifying “traditional” and “technified” hotels. However, these differences are better explained by the hotel category rather than by its location.

ICT may be useful for both hotels located in established tourist destinations and for those in emerging tourist areas. However, reasons for making use of ICT may differ: while hotels located in established tourist destinations may use technology in order to differentiate themselves from the competition in the local market, hotels in emerging destinations may try to attract Western tourists who are looking for something different.

It is known that hotels in established tourist destinations can use technology as a renewal tool. Nevertheless, there is little evidence about the ICT use in hotels in emerging tourist destinations, which intends to be approached by this study.

This paper presents recently published resources on library instruction and information literacy, providing an introductory overview and a selected annotated bibliography of publications covering various library types, study populations and research contexts.

This paper introduces and annotates English-language periodical articles, monographs, dissertations, reports and other materials on library instruction and information literacy published in 2020.

The paper provides a brief description of all 440 sources and highlights sources that contain unique or significant scholarly contributions.

The information may be used by librarians, researchers and anyone interested in a quick and comprehensive reference to literature on library instruction and information literacy.