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This study aims to propose and develop a new digital collaborative supply chain (CSC) model completely based on the emerging Industry 4.0 technologies. The digital model aims to support the main factors likely to affect CSC. This proposed model combines the most well-known digital tools such as blockchain technology, Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud computing (CC).

Motivated by its effective solution to enhance trust, traceability, transparency and minimize costs and risks, the combination of the most well-known digital tools such as blockchain technology, IoT and CC to develop a new digital CSC model is addressed in this research. This study first investigates and conducts a deep review analysis that explores how Industry 4.0 technologies can enable collaboration mechanisms. Second, based on an analysis of literature review, the main factors likely to affect CSC have been identified and analysed. Finally, the authors combine digital tools to support the identified factors to enhance transparency, traceability and trust by proposing a new digital CSC model. This proposed model will be used as a referential guide to encourage and motivate SC actors to collaborate in digital CSC.

This work provides many important contributions to theory and practice. First, role and impacts of the most well-known digital tools such as blockchain technology, IoT and CC for digitizing CSC have separately presented and developed. Second, the authors conceptualized a framework by developing a new digital CSC model. This conceptual digital model can be used as a referential guide for all SC actors in order to motivate them to collaborate in a modern, intelligent, secure and reliable SC. It can also support all factors affecting CSC.

The originality of this study is first investigating separately the roles and impacts of each digital tool on CSC performance. Second, the authors combine the most well-known digital tools such as blockchain technology, IoT and CC in order to develop an efficient, smart, modern and new digital CSC model. In this combination, CC is used as platform as a service enabling to link and connect the blockchain and IoT to support the main factors affecting CSC. Unlike to digital CSC model with only one digital tool, the proposed model is more realistic since depending on the information to be shared with other actors, the most appropriate tool will be automatically detected and used. This solution offers a large choice to SC actors for real time data and information sharing. In addition, the proposed model will largely enhance traceability, transparency and trust in CSC.

This study aims to identify the driving factors that influence blockchain technology adoption in the context of a supply chain (SC), considering three dimensions: technology, transactions and collaboration.

An integrative systematic literature review of previous studies was conducted. Using three main dimensions: technology, transactions and SC collaboration, supported by the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology, transaction cost economics (TCE) and concepts of SC collaboration, the authors categorized factors that contributed to blockchain technology in SC in the extant literature and proposed a theoretical model that covers these three dimensions.

The findings reveal that the information sharing category – related to the SC collaboration dimension – is the category with the greatest number of motivating factors for blockchain adoption in the SC context, followed by performance expectancy and behavioral uncertainty.

The review considers papers published until 2021 obtained from a specific database.

This study focuses on filling the research gap concerning technology adoption as it considers the interconnection formed by two organizations, interorganizational transactions and SC collaboration, using complementary theories to explain the phenomenon.

This study aims to investigate the knowledge domain and development trends that appear in the scholarly corpus on religious tourism.

The most common themes evolving in the religious tourism research field are figured out by conducting keyword and trend analyses using the bibliographic data collected from 988 research articles published in Social Science Citation-indexed journals listed in the Web of Science database between 1992 and 2022.

It has been found that the number of publications has increased exponentially. European countries are the major contributors to religious tourism research. Research has mainly clustered around the areas of spiritual experience, identity, cultural heritage, pilgrimage, tourist attitude, behavior and satisfaction. Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism are religions that have received relatively little research attention.

Future research should focus on the sustainability of religious tourism sites, mitigating the adverse impact of the commercialization of religious tourism products and recovering religious tourism activities from the COVID-19 impact.

The findings are useful for corporate practitioners, site managers and entrepreneurs to take advantage of the valuable opportunities this segment offers. These findings are useful for scholars and policymakers in acquiring the latest knowledge of developments in this field.

The insights obtained by using a holistic approach are valuable for religious tourists who want to understand the importance of visiting religious sites.

This study identifies key themes that have evolved in religious tourism. In so doing, it presents an agenda for pushing this research corpus forward.

The purpose of the study is to identify barriers to collaboration among female administrators at a Ghanaian technical university (TU), based on the social identity theory (SIT).

A mixed-method approach was adopted, integrating qualitative interviews of 15 female administrators and completing structured questionnaires from 117 randomly sampled female administrators. The SIT, as the analytical framework, identified themes emerging from the data on barriers to collaboration among female administrators. While exploratory factor analysis identified measures of factors hindering collaborations, the use of structural equation modeling (SEM) enabled the confirmation of relationships among the barriers to collaboration with female administrators.

There existed statistically significant relationships between four of the barriers: intergroup relations conflict, trust with stakeholders and among females and structural barriers (SBs). For the quantitative analysis, it was found that SBs, intergroup relations, conflict and trust were statistically significant except for weak cultures. For the qualitative, results showed that SBs, lack of trust with stakeholders and among females and intergroup conflict hinder collaboration.

The study has a limited scope in using only one TU and focusing on a particular gender. The implications of this research will enrich the literature on barriers to female administrative collaboration in technical education based on the SIT.

Promoting administrative collaborations in the TU will ensure sustainability and efficient administrative systems.

Institutional policies should include gender inclusivity and equality on networking opportunities and provide mentorship programs for efficient administrative systems.

We used the SIT to determine barriers to collaboration among female administrators in a technical education institution, and the mixed methodology added a unique dimension to the study.

Currently, owners find it difficult to manage their assets throughout their project life cycle. The fact that asset information models (AIMs) are mandatory as deliverables for building information modeling-driven projects makes it a key requirement for the client to understand in detail those factors affecting asset operation. Hence, because the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the most significant market in the Middle East, this study aims to investigate those factors where blockchain and AIMs could impact the asset management (AM) life cycle.

Researchers used a hypothesis-based approach over a systematic literature review and a workshop (descriptive statistics) to understand the current challenges in AM. Later, a second workshop was run to understand the impact factor analysis affecting the operation of the asset life cycle by using asset information modeling and blockchain technology over a multiquantitative method.

Results found that factors affecting the operation of assets could be the improvement of trust and stakeholder’s influences; the availability of handover process products’ accurate data; manufacturers providing detailed product models; increasing the speed of preparing holistic and integrated AM systems; improving collaboration between stakeholders; and returning clients’ investments faster.

Understanding the factors affecting AM life cycle based on the utilization of AIMs and blockchain then allows investors and their team members to work in a secure and collaborative environment that helps them to pre-identify certain risks and improve decision-making in a more effective way, as is required by ISO55000.

This study aims to compare the expectations of non-collaborating professionals and the actual opinions of collaborating professionals regarding success factors of horizontal logistics collaboration (HLC) and investigates the reasons behind the observed differences.

This study employs a mixed-method approach. First, a survey is conducted to collect data from two samples representing collaborating and non-collaborating industry professionals. Second, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) is used to compare the measurement models from the two samples and identify their similarities and differences. Third, a Delphi study is conducted to identify factors limiting collaborative behavior.

The results show that collaborating professionals exhibit lower levels of joint relationship efforts and trust than expected. This is primarily due to inadequate information sharing, poor collaboration formalization and the absence of a clear costs and benefits allocation mechanism.

The findings indicate that, in HLC, managers should give high importance to facilitating timely and complete information exchange, putting in place an acceptable costs/benefits allocation mechanism, formalizing the collaboration and prioritizing integrity over competency when selecting partners.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that shows the existence of differences between industry professionals' pre-collaboration expectations and the actual experiences in HLC. This is also the first study that points to the exact HLC enablers that fail in practice and the barriers responsible for it.

This study aims to investigate the implementation of lean human resource management (HRM) practices in manufacturing small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and explore how various factors interact to influence their successful adoption. By exploring the interplay among these factors, the research seeks to identify key drivers affecting the adoption of lean HRM in manufacturing SMEs. Ultimately, the research intends to provide insights that can guide organisations, practitioners and policymakers in effectively implementing lean HRM practices to enhance operational efficiency, workforce engagement and competitiveness within the manufacturing SME sector.

The study combined total interpretive structural modelling (TISM) and Matrice d'Impacts Croisés Multiplication Appliquée à un Classement (MICMAC) analysis. TISM helped in understanding the hierarchical relationship among different factors influencing lean HRM implementation, whereas MICMAC analysis provided insights into the level of influence and dependence of each factor on others.

The research revealed that “top management support” emerged as the most independent factor, indicating that strong support from top management is crucial for initiating and sustaining lean HRM practices in manufacturing SMEs. On the other hand, “employee involvement and empowerment” was identified as the most dependent factor, suggesting that fostering a culture of employee engagement and empowerment greatly relies on the successful implementation of lean HRM practices.

While the study provided valuable insights, it has certain limitations. The research was conducted within the specific context of manufacturing SMEs, which might limit the generalizability of the findings to other industries. Expert opinions introduce subjectivity in data collection. Additionally, the study may not cover all critical factors, allowing room for further exploration in future research.

The findings have practical implications for manufacturing SMEs aiming to implement lean HRM practices. Recognising the pivotal role of top management support, organisations should invest in cultivating a strong leadership commitment to lean HRM initiatives. Furthermore, enhancing employee involvement and empowerment can lead to better adoption of lean HRM practices, resulting in improved operational efficiency and overall competitiveness.

This research contributes to the field by offering a comprehensive exploration of the interplay among factors influencing lean HRM implementation. The use of TISM and MICMAC analysis provides a unique perspective on the relationship dynamics between these factors, allowing for a nuanced understanding of their roles in the adoption of lean HRM practices in manufacturing SMEs. The identification of “top management support” as the most independent and “employee involvement and empowerment” as the most dependent factors adds original insights to the existing literature.

The first purpose is to assess the quality of containerized multimodal export and the second is to develop and demonstrate the design of a service network with quality approach.

The article used the structural equation model to develop a model to measure the quality of multimodal transportation for containerized exports and finalized the model with an alternative approach. The evolutionary algorithm had been used to design a service network based on quality.

Provided factors affecting quality of multimodal transportation and reverse to one hypothesis, the construct variation in cost, time shape and quantity did not affect the quality of multimodal transportation for containerized exports. The model without variation construct was finalized by exploring causality.

This research had scope till container loading onto the vessel and assessed the quality for containerized cargo only, and second research purpose is limited by assumed values of fitness function and the limited number of nodes, in service network design demonstration.

This research provided a tool to measure the quality of multimodal transportation for containerized exports and demonstrated the field application of the model developed in service network design. This approach included all factors applicable across the container movement. The integrated approach of the article provided an organized method to design a service network for containerized exports.

This work provided the tool to assess the quality of multimodal transportation for containerized exports and developed an approach to design a service network of multimodal transportation based on quality. This approach has considered the factors of multimodal transportation comprehensively in contrast to the optimization approaches based on operation research techniques.

The purpose of this exploratory case study was to investigate the role of School Leaders (SLs) in building Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) in schools, as well as to expand a literature-driven PLC model within the Pakistani context.

The study involved the purposive selection of two schools affiliated with a university. The sample comprised one school leader, one academic coordinator and five teachers from each school, altogether 14 participants. The participants shared similar demographic characteristics. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data, which were analysed thematically.

The findings of the study revealed that both schools have created PLCs to some extent and that school goals and culture were contributing factors in building these communities. Additionally, the SLs played a key role in promoting PLCs by encouraging teacher collaboration. The study concludes that SLs have the potential to strategize their actions to foster positive professional relations among teachers and ensure their well-being.

The study contributes to the literature on professional communities in Pakistan by validating a literature-driven PLC model. The model emphasizes collaboration among teachers, which can be facilitated by SLs. As such, the study implicates SLs in prioritizing the professional development of teachers to enhance student learning and achieve school success.

This study is unique in expanding a literature-driven PLC model within the Pakistani context, with a focus on teacher collaboration as facilitated by SLs. The model has the potential for replication in other contexts and can serve as a useful tool for future research.

Virtual reality (VR) offers unprecedented immersion and interactivity in education, and working and learning from home have become the norm during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study empirically investigated the factors affecting the use of a VR online learning system (VROLS).

To explore factors affecting users’ continuance behavioral intentions toward using VROLSs, a research framework was formed comprising factors that constitute benefits (i.e. pull factors) and costs (i.e. push factors); these factors included perceived value, flow and social influence. The data for this study were collected via online survey questionnaires. A total of 307 valid responses were used to examine the hypotheses in the research model, employing structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques.

Perceived value, flow experience and the number of peers using VR primarily affect the decision to adopt a VROLS. The pull factors of spatial presence, entertainment and service compatibility, along with the push factors of complexity and visual fatigue, affect perceived value. Therefore, we conclude that perceived value is a primary factor positively influencing both flow experience and the decision to adopt the service.

This study contributes to a theoretical understanding of factors that explain users’ intention to use VROLSs.