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Supply chains are increasingly incorporating social perspectives into their activities. It is often argued that social initiatives in supply chain management (SCM) are a response to external pressures. However, it is still undetermined whether these initiatives can improve economic performance. Additionally, it is proposed that digital transformation in supply chains, also described as Smart Supply Chain, can support social performance. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the association between digital transformation, social performance in SCM and economic performance.

The study is based on a survey of 473 companies in Brazil, a country where social needs create high pressures on companies to respond to the country’s challenges. The data collected underwent testing using ordinary least squares regression and bootstrapping techniques to examine the mediation effects between Smart Supply Chain, social performance and economic performance.

The findings indicate that digital transformation supports social performance. Additionally, adopting social initiatives helps to increase firm performance in the context of an emerging economy, while social initiatives mediate between digital transformation and firm performance.

This paper provides a new perspective on the social side of supply chains by demonstrating the close relationship between digital transformation and social engagement initiatives. It argues that aligning digital transformation strategies and technologies with social performance is crucial for companies to establish stronger connections with stakeholders.

In the past decade, against increasing global inequality, higher education has grappled with increased demands for social justice, transformation and decolonisation. While a lot of research in South Africa has focused on the (im)possibilities of fostering racial, gendered, socio-economic and cultural change, the connection of such change to questions of sustainability has been less explored. The purpose of this paper is to specifically explore the agency of academics to foster transformative initiatives for sustainability within the context of institutions historically serving under-represented populations.

Using a qualitative methodology, this paper highlights the importance of considering sustainability in processes of transformation. This paper is specifically interested in how academic faculty and those in assigned leadership positions view their agency in relation to promoting transformation for sustainability at the institutional level. Drawing on data generated from semi-structured interviews with 13 participants at an historically Black university in South Africa, this paper details academics' and leaders’ experiences and perceptions of their agency.

This study reveals the adverse interactional dynamics within higher education institutions, which negatively impact academics’ participation as key agents in change processes. Positional and identity challenges faced reveal the persistence of colonial and apartheid legacies of racism, sexism, Afrophobia and xenophobia – which casts a shadow on possible trajectories of transformation and sustainability. This has serious implications for the common good, given South Africa's regional import for knowledge production and decolonisation within universities; its key role in the African 2063 Agenda; and the wider global Sustainable Development agenda.

This study highlights insufficient engagement with the sustainability of transformation efforts within the context of South Africa. This study also emphasises the relation between transformation imperatives and racial, socio-economic, gender and epistemic justice imperatives of sustainable development.

Social movements are not monolithic entities. Activists and organizations disagree about the goals of the movement and the tactics to achieve these goals, including their framing tactics. Cultural sociologists have questioned the idea that tactical choice is rationally and strategically oriented, arguing that tactics are morally and emotionally grounded in the activists' lives. We follow this insight, though suggesting that activists make constant efforts to experience their action as rational, claiming a strategic status and a sense of efficacy for their lines of action. By studying framing resonance disputes in interactions between animal rights activists and mass media in south Brazil, we found that, to make their tactics accountable and justifiable, activists mobilize different folk theories on social transformation which allow their actions to be experienced as the best means to achieve the movement's ends.

This article delves into the antecedents of business performance. The main aim of this study is to analyze the effect of knowledge transformation on business performance in firms in the tourism industry and how cognitive and structural social capital heterogeneously moderate this relationship.

The empirical study was conducted on a sample of 300 firms from the tourism industry in Arequipa-Perú. The analysis was performed by means of partial least squares structural equation modeling, using the Smart PLS software.

Our findings show that knowledge transformation is key factor for increasing business performance. The results also highlight the significance of interorganizational relationships in this effect and the importance of analyzing each dimension of social capital separately. Thus, it is observed that cognitive social capital enhances the relationship between knowledge transformation and business performance, while (Sari and Indriani, 2023) structural social capital hinders it.

The findings assist practitioners in developing a shared culture, values and goals with their contacts to improve business performance. Furthermore, firms should establish bridging ties with external agents to avoid be stuck in excessively dense networks. Relationships with institutions can act as a bridging agent.

This paper analyses the unresolved question of how knowledge transformation affects the business performance of companies in the tourism sector as well as how different dimensions of social capital influence in this relationship. Addressing these two critical, but as yet unresolved questions, this study draws on absorptive capacity and social capital theories as an overarching framework to present a conceptual model that integrates both theories in order to analyze the effect of knowledge transformation on business performance in tourism firms and the role of structural and cognitive capital on this relationship.

The purpose of this study is to understand the factors responsible for social media fan engagement and experience. The research study also attempts to analyze the significance of adopting digital strategies with a fan-centric approach for sports organizations.

The authors conducted 18 semi-structured interviews with managers in different sports organizations and fans of various popular sports leagues and clubs in India. The authors used a qualitative exploratory approach by applying coding and thematic analysis to arrive at findings and conclusions.

The responses led to the emergence of three major themes comprising effective planning, harnessing fan participation and boosting the quality of experience. Building on these themes, the authors recommended the “PRIME” model for sports organizations.

As this study explores the growing importance of fan engagement from the top three sports leagues in India, future researchers can focus on obtaining data from multiple countries and multiple leagues to enhance fan engagement's generalizability. Also with the growing popularity of eSports, the scope of the present study may be expanded based on eSports.

The authors' study acts as an eye-opener for managers revealing that to get active participation from fans, sports organizations will have to be active in social media initiatives. In addition to this, the authors also propose the PRIME model, which elaborates on the aspects of Planning social media programs, Regularization of content creation, increased Interaction with the fan base, Motivation through rewards and Enriching fan experience for effectively harnessing fan engagement and experience.

In the pandemic era, engaging with fans on social media can enable sports organizations to thrive. The authors suggest a “PRIME” model which can aid sports managers in effectively harnessing fan engagement and experience for the managers of sports organizations. The model can also be applied beyond the sports context in anchoring customer engagement and experience through the social media of other business organizations.

This study aimed to (1) elucidate the results of a social outcomes assessment and socio-spatial return analysis of a social innovation village (SIV) program in Thailand, (2) develop a social return on investment (SROI) tool for a digital learning platform of cultural heritage and (3) propose the application of an SROI calculator for policy decision-making.

SROI methodology was applied to analyze data from a sample of 110 individuals from the SIV in the Tha Ruea community, Nakhon Phanom province, Thailand, which is renowned for musical instrument making, to assess the social innovation objectives.

Improvement in the grassroots economy led to increased income, translating to assessment outcomes and social values within the tourism community. Social and digital media platforms link physical and digital spaces to facilitate interactive learning and online tourism in the community.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic led to a pronounced economic decline, especially in the tourism sector, the results only partially capture the actual benefits of SROI. To address the challenge of adapting the ecosystem of local tourism into the alternative market, training programs are recommended, including upskilling and new-skilling courses offered by state agencies, to support this technological trend.

This research illustrates how an integrative platform between digital technology and cultural heritage can address the significant shift in tourism behavior and promote a new era of cultural heritage tourism in virtual and physical spaces.

Based on the transformative learning theory, this paper analyses a French women-only training programme (WOTP) that aims to develop women’s soft skills in their professional contexts. This paper aims to focus on the process of personal transformation, the collective dimensions and the unexpected effects of the transformation.

This paper used a mixed qualitative design that mainly combines a qualitative two-step study of 47 women to assess their personal changes in terms of self-confidence, self-efficacy and assertiveness. This paper used 13 semi-structured interviews to explore the perceived changes in-depth.

The analysis shows that beyond “fixing their lack of skills” – including self-limiting behaviours, low feelings of self-efficacy and difficulty claiming one’s place – a WOTP can trigger a transformational learning experience at the individual level and can modify the surveyed women’s attitudes and behaviours at work. The results also highlight the collective dimension of transformation and, to some extent, an avenue for a societal transformation.

One can state that these WOTPs may positively contribute to human resources development in organisations, and that they may be considered a relevant practice in the move to promote women and gender diversity in organisations.

The findings reveal that, at their individual levels, these women may become agents of change by influencing and acting in their professional lives. The results stress that training women may contribute to organisational changes in terms of gender diversity. These findings contribute to the enrichment of the transformative learning theory by developing the collective and societal dimensions.

This paper aims to explore the intricate relationship between social capital, faith and prison-leaver resettlement, emphasising how penal voluntary sector organisations (PVSOs) aid prison-leavers in their resettlement and desistance journeys, following incarceration.

Employing a combination of narrative and thematic analysis, data was collected from 20 prison-leavers in England through semi-structured interviews. Purposive and snowball sampling was used to recruit participants from various community-based resettlement settings.

Thematic analysis revealed the emergence of faith in various iterations in facilitating desistance, Transforming Rehabilitation failure, identity transformation of the prison-leaver, the role of social capital in effective resettlement and the importance of PVSOs. In particular, the findings demonstrate the vital role of a “Faith Anchor”, defined in this paper as a trust-based relationship with an individual or spiritual entity, in facilitating desistance. This paper argues the need to recognise and fully integrate social capital building, faith and specialised support from PVSOs, as essential components of successful offender resettlement and desistance journeys.

The study considers the connection between faith, social capital and offender resettlement. Although demonstrating the role of faith in positive change and community engagement, there are limitations. Primarily, by exclusively recruiting participants through PVSOs, it might overlook varied resettlement experiences. Additionally, measuring desistance is complex and is limited by some academic views that it centres around abstinence. Although small-scale saturation was reached; generalisation should be approached with caution. Notably, post-Transforming Rehabilitation, the human cost of resettlement gaps became evident. Future research could benefit from a longitudinal lens, tracing desistance beyond initial PVSO interactions and offering richer, longitudinal insights.

Significance of “faith anchors”: A “faith anchor” aids the desistance process. Integrating faith in resettlement offers emotional support for prison leavers. Value of social capital: It is pivotal for offender resettlement. Positive social networks are key for successful reintegration. Role of PVSOs: They provide vital resettlement support. Enhanced collaboration can optimise assistance for prison leavers. Addressing current system shortcomings: Rectifying the effects of Transforming Rehabilitation ensures holistic support, catering to prison leavers’ needs. Concept of “faith exchange”: Merging faith and support offers tailored resettlement approaches, fostering effective reintegration.

The study underscores the social implications of effective offender resettlement strategies. The integration of “faith anchors” and social capital aids in the personal rehabilitation of prison leavers and also supports community cohesion. By acknowledging faith as indictive to building trust-based relationships, communities can reduce the stigma associated with former offenders, promoting inclusivity and understanding. Additionally, the essential role of PVSOs highlights the value of community-driven initiatives in supporting reintegration. A combined approach that combines faith, social capital and community support can reshape societal perspectives on desistance, encouraging a more inclusive and empathetic approach to offender reintegration.

The insights gained contribute to the evolving discourse on prison-leaver resettlement and desistance and uniquely highlight the potential of a combined approach between social capital, faith and voluntary sector support, in achieving desistance goals. The term “faith exchange” emerges from this study as an original conceptual contribution, accentuating the relationship between faith and support in resettlement and desistance.

Researchers from different disciplines have advocated for the incorporation of Systems Thinking in higher education in various fields such as environmental studies, engineering, economics and management. Nevertheless, educational experiences that seek to integrate the systems approach and citizenship education are not numerous and have not been sufficiently documented. This research paper presents classroom research aimed at understanding how Systems Thinking and citizenship education are articulated within a general education course.

The research was designed using Grounded Theory within an exploratory-descriptive approach. To collect data, the following techniques were used: participant observation, focus group and documentary analysis. The data analysis was carried out through the constant comparative method in its open, axial, selective and theoretical contrast coding phases.

The data analysis highlights the potential of Systems Thinking within the context of Citizenship Education as a comprehensive set of cognitive, affective and methodological tools. Moreover, it sheds light on the pedagogical practices, the teaching strategies and the type of socioemotional interactions in the classroom that are key elements in promoting citizenship attitudes, ideas and behaviors.

The research underscores the importance of a systemic vision of education that explicitly incorporates social-emotional learning and experiences of citizen participation beyond the classroom where students can build new knowledge from first-hand interactions with processes of social transformation.

The literature review explores how multidisciplinary approaches based on critical pedagogy and participatory research can provide frameworks for equitable partnerships and genuine participation in educational design and research practices. Additionally, the essay aims to expand understandings of equitable engagement within educational research and design based on principles from critical pedagogy.

The essay draws from diverse literature in the learning sciences, health informatics, industrial design, disability studies, ethnic studies, rehabilitation science, and to a lesser extent HCI research to understand how critical pedagogy and participatory research methods can provide useful frameworks for disabled peoples' equitable engagement and genuine participation in educational research and design. The literature reviewed in the paper concern topics such as participatory approaches to community development with disabled adults, the implementation of university-initiated community partnerships, participatory research with students and disabled people, and the importance of culturally-responsive research practices. The design literature in this review explores various arenas such as the co-design of assistive technologies with disabled children and adults and the design of curricula for students with and without disabilities. This review focuses on research practices that engender disabled peoples' participation in educational research and design, with focus on developing multidisciplinary frameworks for such research.

The literature review concludes that participatory research methods and critical pedagogy provide useful frameworks for disabled peoples’ participation in educational design and research practices. Critical pedagogy and participatory design allow for the genuine participation of disabled people in the research process.

Emphases on collaboration and collective knowledge-building in social transformation are present in scholarship concerning critical pedagogy, participatory research, and disability studies. However, these connections have been routinely underexplored in the literature. This paper aims to underscore these integral connections as a means to build solidarity between disabled and other marginalized people.

The connections between participatory research methods, critical pedagogy, and disability studies have been previously underexplored. The literature review proposes a combined approach, which has the potential to radically transform multiple realms of research beyond the learning and information sciences.