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Smart contracts are self-executing computer programmes that have the potential to be used in several applications instead of traditional written contracts. With the recent rise of smart systems (e.g. Internet of things) and digital platforms (e.g. blockchain), smart contracts are gaining high interest in both business and academia. In this work, a framework for smart contracts was proposed with using reputation as the system currency, and conducts currency mining through fulfilling the physical commitments that are agreed upon.

A game theory model is developed to represent the proposed system, and then a system dynamics simulator is used to check the response of the blockchain with different sizes.

The numerical results showed that the proposed system could identify the takeover attacks and protect the blockchain from being controlled by an outsider. Another important finding is that careful setting of the maximum currency amount can improve the scalability of the blockchain and prevent the currency inflation.

This work is proposed as a conceptual framework for supply chain 4.0. Future work will be dedicated to implement and experiment the proposed framework for other characteristics that may be encountered in the context of supply chain 4.0, such as different suppliers' tiers, different customer typologies and smart logistics applications, which may reveal other challenges and provide additional interesting insights.

By using the proposed framework, smart contracts and blockchains can be implemented to handle many issues in the context of operations and supply chain 4.0, especially in times of turbulence such as the COVID-19 global pandemic crisis.

This work emphasizes that smart contracts are not too smart to be applied in the context of supply chain 4.0. The proposed framework of smart contracts is expected to serve supply chain 4.0 by automating the knowledge work and enabling scenario planning through the game theory model. It will also improve online transparency and order processing in real-time through secured multitier connectivity. This can be applied in global supply chain functions backed with digitization, notably during the time of the pandemic, in which e-commerce and online shopping have changed the rules of the game.

The handicraft industry has been contracting in recent times because of external competition and a preference for foreign-made crafts by consumers. Kiliim, ¹ an Egyptian social enterprise and lifestyle brand, has initiated the process of revival needed in the industry with modern designs of the traditional crafts (local bed covers, curtains, bedding, rugs, bathmats, cushion, throw pillows dining and living cloths). This case provides an analysis of the company, beginning with how the idea of the kilim product was conceived and the dilemma they are currently facing. Although Kiliim, with various kilim product offerings, has made significant inroads in the consumer market, it must continue to adopt innovative strategies to sustain its survival in the market. With globalisation rapidly changing the dynamics of market entry and penetration, indigenous organisations must be innovative with their product and service offerings. Suggestions are made for the sustainability of the indigenous craft industry in Egypt and Africa.

The purpose of this paper is to examine consumer intentions toward carpooling as a collaborative consumption practice. The paper uses the theory of planned behavior (TPB) in studying consumer intentions toward carpooling. It extends the theory to add personal norms as a major component in examining consumer intentions. It also adds two main motivational factors for collaborative consumption, which are economic benefits and sustainability.

This study is a conclusive descriptive study using surveys. The research sample consists of 500 respondents from millennials. The study uses structural equation modeling to analyze the survey results.

Results showed that subjective norms and attitudes had the most significant impact on intentions toward carpooling, followed by perceived behavioral control (PBC) and personal norms. Economic benefits and sustainability also showed a significant impact on attitudes toward carpooling practice. Measurement and structural models showed a good model fit.

The paper provides original data on consumer intentions toward carpooling as a type collaborative consumption behavior using the TPB with the inclusion of personal norms. The research also contributes to the growing nuances of sustainability in the context of the sharing economy. The study is considered the first of its kind to combine the TPB, personal norms and motivators of collaborative consumption, including economic benefits and sustainability, to examine their impact on intentions toward carpooling.

Conspicuous consumption and sustainable consumption are commonly understood as being in contradiction with each other. Yet, scholars have recently become increasingly interested in examining positive relationships between these forms of consumption. The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize the synergies and contradictions between sustainable and luxury consumption and proposing whether and how conspicuous motives can foster a shift towards sustainable consumption in newly industrialized countries in general and Egypt in particular.

This paper is a conceptual note, intended as a starting point and acting as an eye-opener regarding the values inherent in both conspicuous and sustainable consumption and the potential influence that conspicuous motivations could have on the latter.

The paper discusses the possibilities for and limitations of conspicuous motives to foster sustainable consumption in newly industrialized countries in the Middle East. The adoption of westernized lifestyles, spreading in Middle Eastern countries, can represent a venue for motivating sustainable consumption behaviours as a means of status distinction. On the other hand, the trickle-down effect and the preconditions of visibility and exclusiveness pose risks on promoting sustainable consumption by addressing conspicuous motives.

The paper suggests that the synergistic interplay between conspicuous and sustainable consumption, as well as barriers and motivations underpinning both constructs, needs to be empirically researched, while factoring in the cultural specifics of the countries under study, as cultural nuances can influence the dynamics of interaction between conspicuous and sustainable behaviours.

Given the salience of the relationship between luxury and sustainable consumption and the focus of most studies on early-industrialized countries, insights regarding the possible influences of conspicuous motives on sustainable consumption in newly industrialized countries are warranted. With the scarcity of research examining the ambiguous relationship between conspicuous and sustainable consumption in newly industrialized countries, this paper contributes by providing insights about the conditions that can help conspicuous motives promote sustainable consumption in newly industrialized countries.

The main aim of this study is to integrate the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to examine consumers' intention to advocate for sustainable brands, whilst incorporating the moderating role of pro-environmental self-identity. Consumer sustainability orientation is also added as an antecedent for attitudes to determine the degree to which consumers' personal convictions and attitudes toward sustainability impact their attitude toward sustainable brands. The importance of using the TPB to study online brand advocacy lies in the accumulated evidence that shows that this theory is useful in explaining most kinds of social behaviors.

Quantitative research with the use of web-surveys is employed to test the research hypotheses with a total sample size of 536 respondents. Millennials have been chosen for the current paper to be studied.

Results of the study showed that attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control (PBC) were positively related to consumers' advocacy intentions. The findings of this study demonstrated that the TPB is applicable to measuring consumers' advocacy intentions. In addition, the results indicated that two dimensions of sustainability orientation, economic and social orientation, are significant predictors of attitudes. The study also found that pro-environmental self-identity does not moderate the relationship between the TPB core components and online brand advocacy.

This study is considered the first to employ the TPB as a theoretical foundation to test the antecedents of online brand advocacy (OBA) in relation to sustainable brands with the inclusion of consumer sustainability orientation as a predictor of attitudes with respect to the three dimensions of sustainability and the moderating effect of pro-environmental self-identity.

This research aims to provide an empirical assessment of consumer sentiment towards corporate sustainability practices in the context of developing countries, specifically Egypt.

A survey was deployed to measure the importance of corporate sustainability activities to consumers.

The results demonstrate that consumers are concerned with all the measured dimensions of corporate sustainability practices, yet some of the dimensions are more critical to them than others.

By providing an overview of how consumers' purchase behavior is affected by corporate sustainability practices, this research contributes to knowledge on understanding more about sustainable consumer behavior in developing countries, which is scarce. Moreover, this research goes further by segmenting sustainable consumers into groups based on their sustainability concerns.

The main research attempts guiding questions about management research agendas had been relevance questions versus rigor questions. Researchers have also attempted to set management research agendas in particular sectors. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no research, however, has addressed the infrastructural and foundational questions of what moral priorities and ethical principles should guide the future development of management research. Because the Islamic theological approach is a “transcendental values integration” approach, it presents a potentially viable source of reference particularly for scholars interested in ethical philosophical paradigmatic approaches. Islamic literature has presented guiding principles as to how to balance priorities through the Jurisprudence of Priorities (Fiqh Al-Awlawiyyat). The purpose of this exploratory conceptual paper is to synchronize the Islamic background literature on the jurisprudence of priorities with management research development and agendas. The research is exploratory in nature.

The paper is conceptual, merging Islamic literature with management research for the development of a framework to potentially guide management researchers in prioritizing their research agendas.

The research resulted in the conceptualization of a framework aiding researchers in the prioritization of their research agendas.

The research has implications for management scholars who are interested to prioritize their research projects and agendas. The research presents a schematic diagram and guiding framework through which scholars can reflect on their choice of research topics.

The research is also relevant to funding agencies as they devise the funding priorities in the management field.

This paper addresses the unique and foundational question of what moral priorities and ethical principles should guide the future development of management research. The authors build on a religious-philosophical approach, drawing on the Islamic jurisprudence of priorities as a literature base. The authors, therefore, address the key principles of responsible research regarding how it can be relevant on the infrastructural level to society and how the benefit to key stakeholders should be tackled. To the authors’ knowledge, this was not done in previous literature.

The current study is exploring factors affecting social and sharing behavioral intentions. The paper proposes a new theory, the consumer social behavior theory, which aids in understanding social behaviors. This is through the convergence of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and norm activation theory (NAT) to foster the understanding of sharing and social behaviors. Religiosity, as a cultural and psychological factor, along with five major predictors of sharing practices are also incorporated. These predictors are economic benefits, sustainability, enjoyment, trust and difficulties in sharing practices.

The current study takes a new route through proposing a new theoretical contribution and developing a new theory termed consumer social behavior theory (CSBT) to be commonly used in social behavioral contexts.

The CSBT is an output of integrating two prominent theories in pro-social and pro-environmental contexts. It is found that integrating both theories help in thoroughly examining behavioral intentions. Religiosity is found to significantly impact intentions towards social behaviors, yet no study examined its role in sharing and social behaviors contexts.

This study is contributing to and enriching the sharing economy research domain through new theoretical developments. A theory adaptation for TPB and NAT was conducted to advance a thorough understanding of sharing and social behavioral intentions. This work is considered the first of its kind to develop an integrated view for sharing and social behaviors.

Years after the 2011 uprising Egypt, it seems that the country’s non-Islamist parties are still included in the political game. After significant alterations in their political sphere by mid-2013 at the advent of the Muslim Brother exclusion and the subsequent discrediting of Salafi al-Nour party, non-Islamist parties took clear part in the mobilization for presidential elections (2014, 2018) and competed for legislative seats in 2015. Nonetheless, it is difficult to expect them to turn into long-term key political players with clear-cut ideological postures, unique platforms and strong grass root mobilization. With the exception of the electoral gains scored by numbered parties like Free Egyptians’ party and Nation’s Future in 2015 legislative elections, these parties seem to be lagging behind esp. in terms of their popular base; who became winners at the advent of the radical exclusion of the MB from July 2013 onwards.

This paper is based on archival research and guided by basic assumptions of rational choice institutionalism, mainly game-theoretic versions of the approach. It is divided into four sections, three of them are chronological and the last one is thematic.

Egypt’s non-Islamists engaged in the post-2011 political sphere, with strong Islamist rivals crippling their political chances in the first two years following the 2011 uprising. They surely capitalized on the exclusion and discrediting of the latter, but they suffered lack of ideological clarity and fragmentation from 2011 onwards with no enough evidence these weaknesses were surpassed after Islamists were “out of their way”. The only strand of non-Islamist parties which came out as “game winners” were those possessing the resources and enjoying overt “friendly” relations with al-Sisi regime. Nonetheless, internal conflicts inside key secularist parties shed light on their capacity to turn into long-term players in Egypt’s political sphere.

Very few papers were published on Egypt’s secularists parties after the 2011 uprising from the perspective of the alteration that occurred in their political environment affecting their political weight and gains. More generally, literature on non-ruling parties in authoritarian contexts mostly reduce these parties to secondary roles allocated by ruling regimes. The paper seeks to overcome both shortages.