Search results

When new technologies become available and cultures adopt them, the result can be either convergence, cultures becoming more similar as a result, or divergence, when cultures adopt technology in different ways that maintain or even further accentuate their differences. An analysis of full‐service national Web portals from different countries, typically offering a search engine, directories of links on a set of selected topics, news items (including weather, sports, entertainment, and stock market results), advertisements and shopping, and free e‐mail, shows evidence of both trends. While most national portals closely resemble the basic structure of Yahoo!, the original free full‐service portal, there are also differences in appearance and features offered that can be attributed to cultural variations based on Hofstede’s framework.

In today's increasingly globalized world, foreign direct investment (FDI) is a hotbed for discussion. Numerous studies have been undertaken regarding FDI, its determinants and benefits, but very few works provide importance to the effect of political risk on the inflow of FDI. Some papers introduce institutional or governance issues in determining FDI inflow, but a comprehensive framework in this respect is non-existent. With this end in view, the authors take 146 countries worldwide over a period of 1984-2009 and then classify countries as OECD or non-OECD members to see whether there is any difference in the nature of the effect. The study keeps other possible determinants of FDI – market size, growth rate of real GDP, trade openness, infrastructural facilities as control variables while considering the effect of underlying political risk factors in deterring the FDI.

This paper looks at the effect of political risk on FDI by using a systematic approach of factor analysis, in reducing the number of variables into their underlying factors and then generating factor scores. Then it uses a panel regression approach combined with factor analysis to examine which particular aspect of political risk contributes more towards deterring FDI inflow.

The empirical results of this study refute the conventional notion that government failure is the primary contributing factor for poor FDI inflow. Rather, cultural conflict and the attitude of the partner country towards the host country are found to be mostly responsible for deterring FDI inflow. The result holds significantly even after controlling for traditional determinants regardless of whether it is an OECD member country or not.

It is not just governance failure but the cultural factors and development partners' attitude about the country which mostly determines FDI inflow.

This is the first paper which combines the factor analysis in a panel regression framework to examine the impact of political risk on FDI inflow.

The time required for a certain task to be performed normally reduces on its frequent completion, as more units are produced over time, it is expected to have an increase in the total worker’s output performance. Learning curve (LC) is a mathematical representation to estimate the time of tasks which occurs repeatedly. The parameter prediction is considered a major disadvantage from which LC suffers. The purpose of this paper is to investigate grey systems theory as a method for the standard time.

The proposed method starts with data which are obtained by traditional time study and then, models LC for an assembling activity of Electrogen Company. The paper studies the grey evaluation method based on triangular whitenization weight functions which includes two classes: endpoint triangular whitenization functions and center-point triangular whitenization functions. The grey system results are compared with those of the LC.

The results show that the standard time given by grey systems theory is closer than the standard time given by LC to standard time with 100 per cent performance level.

Scheduling problems are complex and uncertain, and it is very rare for such systems to be exactly determined in all their complexity. According to grey systems theory, the job processing time can be considered as the object that extension is definite but intension is uncertain. Consequently, grey systems theory with its focus on the uncertainty problems of small samples and incomplete information is proposed in the paper.

This paper aims to gauge the feasibility of workflow technology as a potential solution to facilitating citizen participation in policy‐making processes. The gaps in and future direction of a current workflow models to be used to automate policy‐making processes are to be discussed.

A thorough review on the principles and philosophies of policy‐making processes and process models is performed to extract the core constructs of the processes. This follows critical analysis of existing workflow models to identify gaps of the models to be used to support policy‐making processes. An e‐participation perspective is also taken to identify additional modelling constructs that are required when a large number of citizens is involved in a workflow task for opinion gathering.

While workflow technology has been adopted in the public sector, the use of the technology is mostly limited to supporting administrative business processes, leaving the potential to automate policy‐making processes. There are some studies that take a life‐cycle approach for policy making and they can be the starting‐point of applying workflow technology to policy‐making process automation. The application of workflow technology to policy‐making processes is expected to facilitate the participation of citizens in these processes through the automatic delivery of relevant policy issues into citizens' lives. A new type of workflow model is required to reflect factors specific to the public sector, including rules for role resolution, considering large‐scale citizen participation and modelling constructs to penetrate into citizens' everyday lives for proactive stimulation for e‐participation.

The analysis is based on a literature review, and empirical data collection could complement the analysis results of the paper. This is included in the future research agenda.

The findings provide policy makers with a stimulus for adopting workflow technology in the public sector. Gap analysis and future directions of a workflow model for policy‐making processes are expected to be informative for any practitioners who are intending to develop workflow management systems in the public sector.

This paper is one of the first efforts to gauge the potential of using workflow technology from an e‐participation perspective to engage a wide spectrum of stakeholders, including citizens, in policy‐making processes.

Sukuk restructuring primarily aims at offering a debtor more latitude, in form and time, to settle his obligations. To meet Shari’ah requirements of transferring assets to Sukuk holders in asset-based Sukuk, the originator usually transfers the beneficial ownership to the issuer special purpose vehicles (SPV). However, in asset-backed Sukuk, the originator sells the underlying asset to an SPV and Sukuk holders do not have recourse to the originator in the event of defaults. Among some key unresolved Shari’ah issues in this regard is whether a change of contract necessitates entering a new contract. Other related issues that conflict with the tenets of Shari’ah are: (1) Sukuk structuring on tangible assets and debts; (2) receiving the full title by the Sukuk holders to the underlying assets in the event of default in case of securities that are publicized as asset backed; (3) Sukuk’s similarity with interest bearing conventional bonds: (a) capital guarantee by the originator or third party, (b) the originators’ promise to repurchase Sukuk at face value upon their redemption, and (c) providing internal and external credit enhancement. The Shari’ah-compliance of the above-mentioned clauses and structures of Sukuk remain debated among the Shari’ah scholars. Based on some specific cases, this study examines the Shari’ah viewpoint on sukuk restructuring and potential solutions to these unresolved Shari’ah issues in light of the past and recent declaration of some Sukuk defaults as non-Shari’ah complaints. Undoubtedly, resolution of these and other unresolved issues pertaining to Sukuk defaults can help strengthen the confidence of investors in Islamic capital market structures.

This study aims to determine whether the communication of Universities in Madrid (Spain) on social networks through their official channels has caused positive results in students’ perceptions of their trust in university institutions during the first semester of the 2020–2021 term and to measure whether the implementation of happiness management strategies in the communication within university governance affected students’ happiness levels, as well as on the recognition of their belonging to the university.

With an exploratory-correlational approach and a quantitative study, this study conducted a statistical-descriptive analysis based on the premise of a general linear regression model with correlations between the variables, using a data collection instrument, whose construct and content validity was previously assessed by experts, which was answered by 564 students of the Degrees in Communication and Marketing from the Complutense University of Madrid, University of La Laguna, and ESERP Business and Law School. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin test and Bartlett’s test of sphericity were implemented to analyze the correlation between variables; Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and Pearson and Spearman’s coefficients were also used.

Those students who used social networks to receive news from university institutions about the COVID-19 pandemic deem these channels official, sound and credible. Similarly, the use of official information from university institutions on social networks increases students’ happiness levels.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first studies aiming to provide scientific evidence of the relationship between happiness management and university governance. This research’s practical implications lead to attributing added value to these types of means for the university governance that seeks students’ happiness.

The paper seeks to attempt to solve a decision‐making problem for breeding target character shown as an interval number.

A new comprehensive evaluation method is proposed based on similarity‐difference theory and interval number theory. Data from Winter Wheat Group I Variety Regional Test in Henan Province in 2009‐2010 were analysed using the proposed method.

The results showed that Zhou 99233 was a good variety; Yuxhan No. 7, An 05‐28, Xun K8, Jinyumai 378 and Zhoumai 18 were better ones; 08 luo 36,and Xuke 718 ordinary ones, and others worse ones. Based on this, the feasibility of the method was discussed. It showed that the proposed method had some obvious merits, such as simple arithmetic, convenient operation, flexible and practical, fast and effective.

The application of a live example indicated that its evaluation effect was satisfactory.

The paper succeeds in solving a decision‐making problem for breeding target character shown as an interval number.

This study aims to examine the relationship of Indonesia’s Sharia Stock Index (ISSI) firms on environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosure. This study is interesting because ISSI firms are supposed to comply with Islamic values as this has been reflected in good corporate governance activities, demonstrating responsibility to others and participating in preserving nature/environmental activities.

The authors use sample firms that are listed on the Indonesia Shariah-compliant Stock Index (ISSI) from 2011 to 2020, which also published sustainability reports.

The study found that sharia firms are positively related to ESG disclosure. The authors also found that ESG disclosure of sharia firms is more pronounced in the reporting section of general, economic, environmental and social. Other findings suggest differences in the segments reported in the COVID and pre-COVID periods. This result is also robust by conducting a self-selection bias test with Heckman’s two-stage regression and Coarsened Exact Matching regression.

For policymakers, these results indicate that different characteristics of firms can affect ESG disclosure, and economic conditions will determine which sectors are disclosed the most.

This study provides empirical evidence that Indonesian Shariah-compliant stock index firms carried out their mission to disclose more information about their environmental and social responsibilities and governance issues.

The major purpose of this study is to investigate the role of Industry 4.0 in circular supply chain management (CSCM). The study also identifies variables that positively influence circular performance of a supply chain and examines the relationships among them.

This research uses a novel mixed-method exploratory methodology with sequential design. To understand the relationships among the enablers and the role of Industry 4.0 in circular performance of supply chain, a qualitative method (interpretive structural modeling) was utilized. Following the qualitative phase, a questionnaire based quantitative study was conducted and the hypothesized mediating relationships were evaluated through smart-PLS structural equation modeling tool.

The findings of interpretive structural modeling (ISM) model revealed the hierarchical relationships among the enablers of circular supply chain management based on their relative importance. The variables were clustered in three groups of driver, dependent and linkage variables. The results of the structural model indicated that Industry 4.0 play a mediating role between the driver and dependent variables that influence circular performance in a supply chain.

The research offers practical insights for supply chains moving in the direction of zero waste by highlighting the important variables that require actions from different stakeholders. The research also reveals the importance of integrating Industry 4.0 technologies in restorative and regenerative cycles of circular supply chain.

The originality of the research stems from the scarcity of research on circular supply chain management. The authors argue about the critical role that Industry 4.0 can play in achieving circularity in supply chains.