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This paper is intended to assess the developments conducted on the master plan of Old Najaf, mainly in three areas: the Imam Ali Holy Shrine and its surroundings, the Great Market Area and the location of the Town of Visitors.

In order to analyse the implementation of the transformation phases in Old Najaf, the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) technique was used to identify and organise the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats related to the examined case study of the city's historic centre. At the first stage, all available data (photographs, maps, documents and reports) were collected from different sources, including previous studies by governmental institutions, departments and agencies. Ultimately, the SWOT analysis was used for each identified phase in the morphological evolution of the historic centre. This can offer an opportunity to observe the implications of urban planning practices in Old Najaf from the mid-20th century to the present day. In order to identify the well-organised urban design practices and appropriate strategies, the implemented studies and projects were examined by the four factors of the SWOT analysis.

The current results have revealed important urban transformations, already made and/or ongoing, of those aforementioned three main areas, which imply a great loss of the city's traditional character and urban heritage. Further, the environmental and socio-economic issues should be involved in the analysis to evaluate how they have influenced the current outcomes of Old Najaf in relation to the urban configuration and orientation.

The rich cultural and architectural heritage of Al-Najaf historic centre is dramatically neglected and seriously threatened to be lost. Hence, conservation on both tangible and intangible levels is urgently needed. It is the first paper which focussed on this problem and tries to learn from the British Conservation Experiences in this field.

Many firms are now pursuing large-scale change initiatives to accelerate their digital transformation (DT) and sustainable development. However, the success rate of DT projects is still low, and the extent to which DT enables firms to improve environmental sustainability (ES) remains unclear. Recently, researchers have argued that DT is more about people transformation rather than technology. Based on the contingent resource-based view, this study investigates how DT influences ES and examines the moderating role of training provision (TP).

Survey data gathered from manufacturers in China were analysed to test the proposed theoretical framework.

The results indicate that DT has a positive impact on ES, and that this effect is positively moderated by TP.

The empirical findings provide insights for managers to understand the success of digital sustainability transformation requires necessary digital knowledge and skills derived from TP.

This study provides an initial examination of digital sustainability, which is a new stream of literature for the digital age, and further extends existing knowledge by demonstrating the importance of people (i.e. TP) in strengthening the effectiveness of DT on ES.

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.

This study proposes a novel method utilising a speech-word pair bipartite network to examine the correlation structure between members of parliament (MPs) in the context of the UK- China relationship.

We construct MP-word pair bipartite networks based on the co-occurrence relationship between MPs and words in their speech content. These networks are then mapped into monopartite MPs correlation networks. Additionally, the study calculates correlation network indicators and identifies MP communities and factions to determine the characteristics of MPs and their interrelation in the UK-China relationship. This includes insights into the distribution of key MPs, their correlation structure and the evolution and development trends of MP factions.

Analysis of the parliamentary speeches on China-related affairs in the British Parliament from 2011 to 2020 reveals that the distribution and interrelationship of MPs engaged in UK-China affairs are centralised and discrete, with a few core MPs playing an integral role in the UK-China relationship. Among them, MPs such as Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, David Cameron, Lord Hunt of Chesterton and Lord Howell of Guildford formed factions with significant differences; however, the continuity of their evolution exhibits unstableness. The core MP factions, such as those led by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon and David Cameron, have achieved a level of maturity and exert significant influence.

The research has several limitations that warrant acknowledgement. First, we mapped the MP-word pair bipartite network into the MP correlation network for analysis without directly analysing the structure of MPs based on the bipartite network. In future studies, we aim to explore various types of analysis based on the proposed bipartite networks to provide more comprehensive and accurate references for studying UK-China relations. In addition, we seek to incorporate semantic-level analyses, such as sentiment analysis of MPs, into the MP-word -pair bipartite networks for in-depth analysis. Second, the interpretations of MP structures in the UK-China relationship in this study are limited. Consequently, expertise in UK-China relations should be incorporated to enhance the study and provide more practical recommendations.

Firstly, the findings can contribute to an objective understanding of the characteristics and connotations of UK-China relations, thereby informing adjustments of focus accordingly. The identification of the main factions in the UK-China relationship emphasises the imperative for governments to pay greater attention to these MPs’ speeches and social relationships. Secondly, examining the evolution and development of MP factions aids in identifying a country’s diplomatic focus during different periods. This can assist governments in responding promptly to relevant issues and contribute to the formulation of effective foreign policies.

First, this study expands the research methodology of parliamentary debates analysis in previous studies. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to study the UK-China relationship through the MP-word-pair bipartite network. This outcome inspires future researchers to apply various knowledge networks in the LIS field to elucidate deeper characteristics and connotations of UK-China relations. Second, this study provides a novel perspective for UK-China relationship analysis, which deepens the research object from keywords to MPs. This finding may offer important implications for researchers to further study the role of MPs in the UK-China relationship.

This study proposes a novel scheme for analysing the correlation structure between MPs based on bipartite networks. This approach offers insights into the development and evolving dynamics of MPs.

This study aims to investigate profoundly the protection of oil painting from deterioration using molybdenum trisulphide quantum dots (MoS3 QDs) against microbe, dirt accumulation and ultraviolet (UV) degradation.

The protection of painting against different deterioration factors necessitates the sustainable methods and advanced techniques. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy have been used to investigate the morphological structure of the painting and MoS3 QDs, respectively, and optical microscopy was used to examine antibacterial activity of MoS3 QDs towards different types of bacteria. To investigate the protection of painting against deterioration, the Fourier transform IR spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to investigate the paintings left in open air for a year. Chemical composition and crystal structure of MoS3 QDs have been studied using X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis, respectively.

The addition of MoS3 nanoparticles into painted coatings enhances the durability of linseed oil-based paintings toward UV ageing regarding the change in colour which confirmed by FTIR analysis. The protection of oil painting opposed to various deterioration factors was developed by involving of MoS3 QDs in the coating of the painting. Antibacterial effect of MoS3 QDs was tested against different types of bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa confirming that the MoS3 QDs involved in the coatings of oil paintings produces a high protection layer for the paintings against several microbial attacks. In addition, coatings containing MoS3 QDs reduce the accumulation of dirt on oil paintings when subjected to open air for a year.

The novel MoS3 QDs was used to form a protective and transparent coating layer for the oil painting to overcome the deterioration, displays the promising protection and can be applied for different oil paintings.

This study aims to identify the political alignment and political activity of the 11 Presidents of Britain’s most important scientific organisation, the Royal Society of London, in its early years 1662–1703, to determine whether or not the institution was politically aligned.

There is almost no information addressing the political alignment of the Royal Society or its Presidents available in the institution’s archives, or in the writings of historians specialising in its administration. Even reliable biographical sources, such as the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography provide very limited information. However, as 10 Presidents were elected Member of Parliament (MP), The History of Parliament: British Political, Social and Local History provides a wealth of accurate, in-depth data, revealing the alignment of both.

All Presidents held senior government offices, the first was a Royalist aristocrat; of the remaining 10, 8 were Royalist or Tory MPs, 2 of whom were falsely imprisoned by the House of Commons, 2 were Whig MPs, while 4 were elevated to the Lords. The institution was Royalist aligned 1662–1680, Tory aligned 1680–1695 and Whig aligned 1695–1703, which reflects changes in Parliament and State.

This study establishes that the early Royal Society was not an apolitical institution and that the political alignment of Presidents and institution continued in later eras. Furthermore, it demonstrates how the election or appointment of an organisation’s most senior officer can be used to signal its political alignment with government and other organisations to serve various ends.

This paper aims to explore how historical context influences the content and selection of rhetorical legitimation strategies. Using case study method, this paper will focus on how insurance companies and labor tried to defend their legitimacy in the context of enactment of Medicare in the USA. What factors influenced the strategic (rhetorical) decisions made by insurance companies and labor unions in their institutional work?

The study is empirically grounded in archival research, involving an analysis of over 9,000 pages of congressional hearings on Medicare covering the period 1958–1965.

The authors show that rhetorical legitimation strategies depend significantly on the specific historical circumstances in which those strategies are used. The historical context lent credibility to certain arguments and organizations are forced to decide either to challenge widely held assumptions or take advantage of them. The authors show that organizations face strong incentives to pursue the latter option. Here, both the insurance companies and labor unions tried to show that their positions were consistent with classical liberal ideology, because of high respect of classical liberal principles among different stakeholders (policymakers, voters, etc.).

It is uncertain how much the results of the study could be generalized. More information about the organizations whose use of rhetorics the authors studied could have strengthened our conclusions.

The practical relevancy of the revised paper is that the authors should not expect hegemony challenging rhetorics from organizations, which try to influence legislators (and perhaps the larger public). Perhaps (based on the findings), this kind of rhetorics is not even very effective.

The paper helps to understand better how organizations try to advance their interests and gain acceptance among the stakeholders.

In this paper, the authors show how historical context in practice influence rhetorical arguments organizations select in public debates when their goal is to influence the decision-making of their audience. In particular, the authors show how dominant ideology (or ideologies) limit the options organizations face when they are choosing their strategies and arguments. In terms of the selection of rhetorical justification strategies, the most pressing question is not the “real” broad based support of certain ideologies. Insurance company and labor union representatives clearly believed that they must emphasize liberal values (or liberal ideology) if they wanted to gain legitimacy for their positions. In existing literature, it is often assumed that historical context influence the selection of rhetorical strategies but how this in fact happens is not usually specified. The paper shows how interpretations of historical contexts (including the ideological context) in practice influence the rhetorical strategies organizations choose.

Global brands have become increasingly vulnerable to external disruptions that have negative spillover effects on consumers, business and brands. This research area has recently garnered interest post-pandemic yet remains fragmented. The purpose of this paper is to recognize the most impactful exogenous brand crisis (EBC) and its affective and behavioural impact on consumers.

In Study 1, we applied repertory grid technique (RGT), photo elicitation method and ANOVA comparisons, to identify the most significant EBC, in terms of repercussions on consumer purchases. In Study 2, we performed collage construction and content analysis to ascertain the impact of the identified significant crisis (from Study 1) on consumer behaviour in terms of affective and behavioural changes.

Study 1 results reveal Spread-of-diseases and Natural disaster to be the most impactful EBC based on consumer’s purchase decisions. Study 2 findings uncover three distinct themes, namely, deviant demand, emotional upheaval and community bonding that throws light on the affective and behavioural changes in consumer behaviour during the two significant EBC events.

The collated results of the two studies draw insights towards understanding the largely unexplored conceptualisation of EBC from a multi-level (micro-meso-macro) perspective. The integrated framework drawn, highlight the roles and influences of different players in exogenous brand crisis management and suggests future research agendas based on theoretical underpinnings.

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study which identifies the most important EBC and explicates its profound impact on consumer purchase behaviour, providing critical insights to brand managers and practitioners to take an inclusive approach towards exogenous crises.

The conventional project delivery (CPD) approach has been reported in the literature as the most widely used project delivery method in the construction industry globally compared to other delivery methods. However, researchers and practitioners have argued that the approach, specifically during the production of design documentation under the CPD, lacks certain capabilities that ensure quality and enhance project delivery. Therefore, this study aims to use the Ghanaian construction industry to identify the capabilities required of the CPD in practice, particularly during the production of design documentation.

The study design follows a pragmatist philosophy and uses mixed methods based on a deductive approach. Data collection involved a questionnaire survey, followed by semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data analysis used descriptive and inferential statistics, whereas qualitative data analysis used content analysis with the assistance of IBM SPSS and QSR Nvivo 12 Pro.

Findings indicate that there should be incentives for producing good design documentation quality; mandatory coordination of design documentation; improving collaboration among designers; and allowing contractors to make input during the design stage.

The results indicate the need for the identified capabilities to be introduced in the CPD approach to improve design documentation quality.

This study offers a significant insight into the specific capabilities that are required of the CPD approach in practice particularly, in the production of design documentation

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is popular for many applications including the production of photocatalysts. This paper aims to focus on developing of 3D-printed photocatalyst-nano composite lattice structure. Digital light processing (DLP) 3D printing of photocatalyst composites was performed using photosensitive resin mixed with 0.5% Wt. of TiO₂ powder and varying amounts (0.025% Wt. to 0.2% Wt.) of graphene nanoplatelet powder. The photocatalytic efficiency of DLP 3D-printed photocatalyst TiO₂ composite was investigated, and the effects of nano graphite powder incorporation on the photocatalytic activity, thermal and mechanical properties were investigated.

Methods involve 3D computer-aided design modeling, printing parameters and comprehensive characterization techniques such as structural equation modeling, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and mechanical testing.

Results highlight successful dispersion and characteristics of TiO₂ and graphene nanoplatelet (GNP) powders, intricate designs of 3D-printed lattice structures, and the influence of GNPs on thermal behavior and mechanical properties.

The study suggests applicability in wastewater treatment and environmental remediation, showcasing the adaptability of 3 D printing in designing effective photocatalysts. Future research should focus on practical applications and the long-term durability of these 3D-printed composites.