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In this paper we investigate why the process of structural change in Brazil was growth accelerating before 1980 and why it was growth reducing after this year.

We investigate the causes of this change in behavior using the shift-share decomposition method.

The results indicate that in the first period there were high productivity gains as result of improvement in economic fundamentals such as the quality of capital and of labor and innovations. In this way, reallocation of workers between sectors, that is part of the process of structural change, was an inducer of economic growth. However, after 1980, mainly between 1991 and 2011, sectors that achieved productivity gains did so by reducing labor, which was absorbed by sectors with poor performance in terms of productivity growth. Furthermore, factors such as the deindustrialization that developed countries have been undergoing, the international situation, the stage of Brazilian economic development and its possible premature deindustrialization contributed to a growth reducing structural change.

Our differential to the matter is applying the shift-share methodology without combining any of the ten sectors analyzed, adopting a slightly different time frame than similar studies and presenting the shift-share results in a graphically manner in addition to the traditional numbers. By representing graphically how much each of the ten sectors is contributing to the structural change in the economy we are emphasizing the specificities of each of these sectors instead of just considering the aggregated view like manufacturing industry versus other industries or modern services versus traditional services.

The purpose of the study is to analyze and measure the impact of disruption in demand which causes the bullwhip effect. The bullwhip effect impacts the performance of firm. Just like everything else, covid has had an impact on the disruption of supply chain too leading to the need of measuring the bullwhip effect of select Indian sectors. The comparison on bullwhip effect is drawn in pre- and during covid era in major sectors. The study helps to understand, analyze and measure the impact of covid and its challenges to supply chain.

The empirical study is carried out on five major select Indian sectors which have the largest market capitalization in Indian economy, namely, FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods), automobile, utility, consumer durable and IT (information technology). The disruption in the supply chain is measured in terms of bullwhip effect. The novel metric ratio of bullwhip effect is computed which is based on demand–supply mismatch and analyzed based on 10 years of observations. The data is analyzed twice, first from 2011 to 2019 (pre-covid era) and second from 2019 to 2021 (during covid era). Each time, Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) sectoral indices are used to compute the bullwhip ratio, and empirical data is collected using Prowess. The firms listed in BSE represent most of the sector. Such panel data helps us to analyze inter- and intraindustry bullwhip effect. The changes in the bullwhip effect for various BSE listed firms are analyzed pre- and during covid era. These changes are specifically studied at the manufacturer end of the supply chain. Later regression analysis is performed to study the changes required in production based on the demand. The various strategies that cause or mitigate the impact of covid in intraindustry can be derived from the study. The disruption in production is analyzed based on the disruption in demand and profit before interest and tax (PBIT).

In pre-covid era, the percentage of demand disruption was low in select sectors but not exactly zero. Covid caused the disruptions in supply chain across the globe which resulted in bullwhip effect in Indian sectors too. Yet some of the sectors were able to cope better with the situation as compared to others. In the present study, same is analyzed statistically, and results are derived for practical significance.

The empirical data is having the observations of past 10 years to analyze the pattern of demand disruption in the firms and hence the sectors. The impact of covid is studied on performance, which is analyzed in terms of PBIT. The impact of other factors (political, social, marketing policies, etc.) that may cause disruption in the supply chain of a firm is not considered in the study.

Study is unique, as it measures disruption and provides a peerless way to study the inter- and intrasectors. To analyze the impact of bullwhip effect on sector performance, it is very much required to first measure the bullwhip; this measure of bullwhip as a ratio of the slopes of demand and supply is a novel approach. The study emphasizes that the impact of covid is not the same among the firms, and hence among the sectors. Also, it is found that the impact of such adversities can be mitigated, and performance of firm can remain intact in turbulent times too.

The purpose of this study is to identify the business strategies that entrepreneurs have formulated to establish the business with the intention of scaling up in the information technology (IT) sector in Chile, given that they have managed to scale up sustainably at an average annual rate of 73.3% and an average annual employee growth rate of 37% for four consecutive years after an establishment period of 25 months.

Three methodological steps were used to identify which strategic initiatives are relevant to the establishment of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on the path to scaling up. The first part consisted of identifying the literature and defining the research propositions and research questions. The second part was to prepare, collect and analyse the data to conduct the research by applying, transcribing, reviewing and coding the sources of evidence to explore how SMEs are able to develop strategic initiatives for the start-up process. The final stage was to validate the research proposal to identify potential strategic initiatives identified during the multi-case study.

As a result of the data analysis and empirical findings, three deliberate strategic initiatives were identified: staying engaged with customers, delivering successful business solutions and articulating social capital. However, in crisis situations, entrepreneurs readjust their strategies based on their management skills and an emergent strategic initiative was identified as securing the financial structure and revolutionising change. While this research was not designed to identify personal attributes, it did highlight the importance of adaptation and learning as a skill to drive the business model for scaling up during the establishment of their business.

It is clear that the study focused on Chile and cannot be replicated in other regions or sectors due to the characteristics of the sample itself, but it provides empirical evidence that there are cycles prior to scale up that need to be understood. The findings were empirically validated during the establishment phase, but the deliberate and emergent strategic initiatives that consolidated the SME to prepare for its scale-up process are not evident in the theory.

The IT sector will continue to grow and change after the pandemic, and the global economy will use more digital systems, creating new ways of working with the use of IT. This context will impact on SMEs where strategies, whether deliberate or emergent, will need to be part of the new business models, and therefore, caution should be exercised when using the results of this study. Public and private institutions should educate and guide entrepreneurs for the potential scaling up of their SMEs without having to wait 42 months, according to Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2021-2022 (Hill et al., 2022). Scaling up can begin as early as 25 months after establishment, breaking the paradigm of the theory that the SME must be established in a period of 3.5 years. This period cannot be generalised as business opportunities in the IT sector are faster. The research also contributes by reporting that contingency planning is relevant during the establishment phase.

Educational institutions and the public sector have made efforts to change business cultures regarding the importance of strengthening entrepreneurship, but teaching the emergent strategies that often challenge SME creation is not yet widespread in educational formats. This is a challenge not only for institutions but also for entrepreneurs trying to anticipate the constant changes in the global economy. This research provides an opportunity to create more dynamic business models with more conscious risk planning.

Although the literature has confirmed the findings, this research has provided a pre-scaling picture that links these two important stages on the axis of deliberate and emergent strategies. The findings confirm the importance of correctly embedding five strategic initiatives for the establishment of the SME if it is to continue on its journey towards business scale-up. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence in emerging economies on how entrepreneurs have found the right path to scale-up.

This study aims to examine how women entrepreneurs in Kazakhstan's male-dominated sectors utilize the concept of positionality to navigate and redefine gender norms, focusing on their engagement with entrepreneurial masculinities and femininities. It explores the transformative potential of their strategic actions on gender dynamics within the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Employing qualitative research through 27 in-depth interviews, this study adopts constructivist grounded theory to delve into how women entrepreneurs interact with gender norms within their entrepreneurial context. This approach highlights the dynamic interplay between gender norms and the strategies employed by women entrepreneurs to navigate these challenges.

The findings reveal that women entrepreneurs actively employ and navigate entrepreneurial masculinities and femininities as strategies to challenge traditional gender roles. Their approaches vary from conforming to, challenging and creatively redefining the gendered expectations encountered in their entrepreneurial journey. This demonstrates their agency in reshaping gender norms and contributing to the diversity of gender performances within the domain of entrepreneurship.

While focused on Kazakhstan, the study's findings suggest broader implications for understanding gender dynamics in entrepreneurship across different cultural contexts. Future research could extend this inquiry to varied sociocultural settings, employing post-structuralist and ethnographic methodologies to further explore the performance of gender roles and the negotiation of belonging in entrepreneurial contexts.

By foregrounding the concept of positionality, this study enriches the dialogue on gender dynamics within entrepreneurship, offering fresh perspectives on the agency of women entrepreneurs in male-dominated sectors. It illustrates how gender identities and performances are not fixed but are actively constructed and negotiated, contributing to the evolving landscape of entrepreneurial masculinities and femininities.

Operational excellence (OpEx) is a proven philosophy focusing on continuous improvement in processes and systems for superior performance and efficiency. It plays a crucial role in the energy sector, acting as a catalyst for safety, customer satisfaction, sustainability and competitiveness. This research aims to assess OpEx methodologies in Oman’s energy sector, examining methods, approaches, motivations and sustainability.

This study applies qualitative analysis methodology, involving interviews with 18 industry experts, from the energy sector in a sizeable energy country.

The analysis revealed a growing demand, particularly, in the oil and gas industry, driven by emerging business needs. Qualitative data analysis has identified 10 themes such as implemented methodologies, motivation drivers, deployment approaches, sustainability factors, benefits and challenges. Additionally, new themes emerged, including influencers to start OpEx, resource requirements, enablers for successful OpEx and systems.

This research was limited to Oman and the findings drawn from Omani energy companies may have limited applicability to energy companies in other regions. Therefore, if these findings were to be used, the validation of the findings in relation to other countries should be conducted, to ensure the validity of the context and outcome.

These findings contribute to understanding OpEx dynamics in the Omani energy sector, offering valuable insights for effective utilisation and organisational goal achievement. Furthermore, the study offers valuable insights on how to effectively employ OpEx initiatives in the energy sector to achieve their goals and create value. It addresses the lack of knowledge, offers a framework for successful OpEx implementation, bridges the theory-practice gap and provides insights for optimal utilisation.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first empirical study on assessing OpEx methodologies in the energy sector, and therefore it serves as a foundation for many future studies. The study provides a theoretical foundation for the OpEx methodologies in terms of organisational readiness for successful OpEx implementation.

This study aims at stirring up the existing research conducted in the field of creative economy (CE) and also in the context of Industry 5.0. CE encompasses all the creative industries/businesses which form a major part of the knowledge-based economy. The functionalities of these setups, their global trends and developments are to be assessed for a better understanding of its present circumstances and its prospective opportunities by augmenting Industry 5.0 and its core principles. This provides a comprehensive illustration to enhance the economic, social, creative and sustainable performances of the creative industry. In addition, the study also seeks to identify the dynamics of creative units and how it could highly contribute to the glorification of the creative and cultural history in the Indian economic backdrop.

The study adopts a systematic literature review process to fulfill the research objective. Four critical databases in Scopus such as Emerald Insight, Springer Link, Sage Publications and Taylor and Francis have been chosen for the review process. Following the critical literature review process, the chosen articles from each database have been retrieved for an exhaustive analysis within a time frame of 2013–2023 to evaluate the research evolution on the subject area.

The paper identified various research dimensions and perspectives of the researchers in the area of study. This gives a platform to extensively evaluate the capabilities and functionalities of the sector for strategy building and enhancing returns from the sector.

As the methodology was restricted to top 5 articles from 5 important databases, the study was limited to only those articles and the other open-access peer-reviewed articles/journals/databases have not been considered which is a major limitation. Alongside, as the time frame was restricted for a period of 10 years and only English language papers were chosen, prior study has not been considered, which is also a key limitation to the study.

Policymakers, i.e. government and institutions, can understand the existence and contribution of the CE in different geographical regions for a specified period of time. This helps them understand the new revolution, Industry 5.0, and how they could merge their concepts to bring innovations in the sector and support in building sustainable cities in the emerging economies.

As the paper works on bringing out the viewpoints of multiple authors and research works, it is considered to be a novel study as none of the previous studies, especially systematic literature review works, have been done only in high-quality journals of Scopus database. Therefore, the study holds high-quality information which can be significantly used by creative business units.

The purpose of this study is to examines the relationship between doom-scrolling and employee performance among Generation Z working in the information technology (IT) sector in India.

The study followed a quantitative research approach with a descriptive research design. A purposive sampling technique is used in the study. A sample of 393 Generation Z employees of the IT at the locations in and around the Chandigarh region of northern India was considered in the study. The data were collected primarily through a survey questionnaire and analyzed through structural equation modeling.

The findings of the study reveal the significant impact of doom-scrolling on employee performance among the Gen Z of the IT sector in India.

The present study has measured the direct impact of doom scrolling on employee performance. However, the possibilities of other factors such as work stress and work-life balance as mediators cannot be ruled out for an indirect relationship between doom scrolling and employee performance.

The findings of the study state that doom scrolling has a significant impact on the employee performance of Gen Z employees in the IT sector of India. Such findings will be an insight into the other service sector of India such as health care and hospitality in recognizing the pattern of behavior followed by Gen Z employees toward social media, technology and job performance.

The findings will be imperative to Gen Z and other segments of the population of society also in understanding the role of addiction to social media and technology can be disruptive.

The study is useful in understanding the role of addiction to social media and technology can be disruptive. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is the first of its kind to understand how doom scrolling significantly affects employee performances in the IT sector of India.

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.

In the contemporary period, numerous businesses undergo significant adjustments, such as evaluating critical components of the corporate operations and relying on technology to keep operations running while conforming to an ever-changing set of norms and new tactics. The present study aims to (1) explore the relationship between Industry 4.0 (I4.0) tools and their impact on organizational performance and (2) find evidence supporting the moderating role of remote working and organizational agility (OA) in enhancing organizational performance.

The study employed the quantitative research method, and the data were collected from individuals working in different Asian IT firms using the previously established questionnaire. The data were examined using SPSS v22. Different statistical tests have been performed to find the relationship among constructs.

This study uncovers that I4.0 tools impact organizational performance, especially in the IT sector, with a particular emphasis on the moderating influence of remote work and OA. I4.0 tools encompass pivotal components such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data (BD), cloud computing (CC) and Internet of Things (IoT) indeed augment organizational performance. It can be referenced that I4.0 tools play the role of a driving force that equips organizations with the knowledge to augment their performance.

Companies should encourage remote work and use I4.0 technology to support and manage it. Enabling people to work from any location, lowering the requirement for physical infrastructure and enabling a more flexible and responsive organizational structure can increase OA. In conclusion, firms in Asia may increase the performance and agility using I4.0 technology. Organizations may innovate by putting money into these technologies, encouraging remote work and creating an innovative culture.

In this dynamic and technologically advanced environment, every industry is forced to look for latest tools, i.e. I4.0, tools to augment the performance. It has been concluded that I4.0 tools are “better practices” for boosting organizational performance; hence, the findings benefit firms working in the IT sector. The verdicts of this research can assist organizations in making decisions regarding the implementation of I4.0 tools.

To the best of the authors' knowledge, no specific study could be found in which the relationship among these constructs had been investigated earlier in the IT sector. This research work acts as value addition to the literature as it illustrates technological advancements may increase organizational performance, especially in Asia. This research work adds to the body of knowledge by amplifying the effect of latest technologies on organizational performance, via remote work and OA.

Emotions, understood as evolving mental states, are pivotal in shaping individuals“' decision-making, especially in ambiguous information evaluation, probability estimation of events, and causality analysis. Public–private partnership (PPP) projects represent a confluence of “economic–environmental–social” dimensions, wherein stakeholder behavior follows the sequential progression of “cognition–emotion–action.” Consequently, comprehending the effects of emotional shifts on stakeholder's decision-making processes is vital to fostering the sustainability of PPP projects.

The paper utilizes rank-dependent expected utility and evolutionary game theory to systematically examine the influence of emotional factors on stakeholders' behavior and decision-making processes within PPP projects. The paper integrates three emotional state functions—optimism, pessimism and rationality—into the PPP framework, highlighting the intricate interactions among the government, private sector, surrounding public and the media. Furthermore, the paper amalgamates the evolutionary pathways of environmental rights incidents with the media's role. Through equilibrium analysis and numerical simulation, the paper delves into the diverse interplay of emotions across different phases of the environmental rights incident, assessing the impact of these emotions on the evolutionary game's equilibrium results.

Emotions significantly influence the microlevel decisions of PPP stakeholders, adapting continually based on event dynamics and media influences. When the private sector demonstrates optimism and the surrounding public leans toward rationality or pessimism, the likelihood of the private sector engaging in speculative behavior escalates, while the surrounding public refrains from adopting a supervisory strategy. Conversely, when the private sector is pessimistic and the public is optimistic, the system fails to evolve a stable strategy. However, when government regulation intensifies, the private sector opts for a nonspeculative strategy, and the surrounding public adopts a supervisory strategy. Under these conditions, the system attains a relatively optimal state of equilibrium.

The paper develops a game model to examine the evolutionary dynamics between the surrounding public and private sectors concerning environmental rights protection in waste incineration PPP projects. It illuminates the nature of the conflicting interests among project participants, delves into the impact of emotional factors on their decision-making processes and offers crucial perspectives for the governance of such partnerships. Furthermore, this paper provides substantive recommendations for emotional oversight to enhance governance efficacy.