Search results

Religious tourism is a form of tourism where people of a particular faith travel to visit places of religious significance in their faith. Previous research into the various aspects of religious and spiritual tourism (RST) has been noticeably extended. The purpose of this study is to perform systematic mapping to provide trends and classification regarding the recent publications in the area of RST.

This study collected 181 papers from five scientific databases, from which 122 were selected to be classified according to six properties: research type, research focus, research method, investigated religion, publication type and time.

The analysis of these data resulted in a map of the research field, which was presented under three perspectives: the distribution and trends over time of each classification property and the relationship between them. Besides the visual map, the full list of classified papers is available. The results showed that the number of publications is increasing every year, which shows a growing interest in this field. Moreover, the primary research focuses were destination, demand and marketing. Top three journals were found to be International Journal of Tourism Research, Tourism Recreation Research and Journal of Heritage Tourism. Furthermore, evaluation research, solution proposals and opinion papers were the main research types in the area. In addition, the majority of studies focused on Christianity and Islam. Finally, survey, discussion paper, interview and case study were the predominantly used research methods.

The mapping study delivers the first systematic summary of RST research.

The aim of the study is to systematically map the articles published in the area of organic food value chain. Many articles have been published in various domains of organic food value chain, but no significant study has been found related to the systematic mapping of literature.

This study relies on secondary data. Articles from Scopus and Google Scholar databases between January 1, 1990, and July 10, 2021, have been considered. On the basis of inclusion criteria, 56 articles have been analysed in this systematic mapping study.

This study describes the geographical coverage, the methodologies used, sector/industry-specific context of the articles and scope the for future research. Five clusters were identified through co-occurrence analysis: (1) “organic agriculture and sustainable value chain” (2) “organic farming and food value chain,” (3) “organic value chain and sustainable development,” (4) “organic value chain and environmental impact” and (5) organic value chain and profitability.

The study considers only articles published in Scopus and Google Scholar with some specific keywords related to the value chain and organic food industry. Future studies are encouraged by considering a wide range of keywords with a larger data set.

To the best of the author's knowledge, this study is the first to have a systematic mapping of literature on the organic food value chain.

The purpose of this paper is to map research literature on all aspects of refugee health in Europe (2015–2019): by research domain, study design, targeted population, type of setting, host country, journal title. This will help to identify recent research trends in the field, provide policymakers with useful source of information and help researches to target important gaps in evidence.

WHO (with other international agencies) has developed strategic documents and produced technical guidance, which formulate priority issues of refugee health in Europe. These documents state the need for relevant information and research data to support effective decision-making at all levels of health care systems. Although recent bibliometric analysis of global migration health research (2000–2016) concluded that 25.4% of retrieved documents were about refugees and asylum seekers, still there remain critical gaps in the knowledge base on a wide range of determinants of health service delivery and access for refugees and asylum seekers in the WHO European Region. Mapping review design was chosen as it maps and categorizes existing literature from which to commission further reviews and/or primary research by identifying gaps in research literature. Search strategy was developed and searches were executed in six databases: PubMed Medline; Scopus; ProQuest (Thesis and Dissertations); Cochrane Library; BASE; eLibrary (Russian journal articles).

Mapping review revealed that although research in some domains of refugee health was growing (mental health, infectious diseases, access to health care), there are still gaps in evidence in many important aspects: maternal and reproductive health, NCD, nutrition and economic evaluations. Most of 1,291 retrieved studies used observational or quasi-experimental design (75%), while very few were experimental studies (1.8%). Secondary research constituted a significant portion of retrieved publications: systematic reviews and meta-analysis – 8%, other reviews with systematic approach – 16%.

Detailed mapping of research by a combination of setting, population and research domains and comparison of results with those from previous decades and with planned trials and systematic reviews.

The purpose of this paper is to map and discuss the overall characteristics of international research on school-based sexuality education, published in academic journals, with a particular focus on the framing of non-conservative approaches including sexuality education research targeting young pupils 6-12 years of age.

The paper draws upon the methodology of systematic research mapping and presents a broad overview of research on sexuality education in a school setting for pupils aged 6-16. The authors searched the leading bibliographic databases in the field, i.e., ERIC, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, Australian Education Index, British Education Index and Education Research Complete, using the search terms “sexuality education” and “school” and “children” or “adolescents.” The mapping focused on articles published in peer-reviewed journals in English, German, Danish, Swedish or Norwegian, in the period 2000-2016.

Out of 3,769 papers identified in the search process, a total of 576 papers were found to meet the inclusion criteria of the mapping. The mapping portrays a research landscape that is diverse and nuanced in terms of contextual, theoretical and methodological approaches, but also characterized by limitations. The findings point to the clear dominance of research on schools in English-speaking countries, conceptual research is scarce, and school-based sexuality education aimed at the youngest children seems to be neglected. The mapping identifies gaps in the literature that justify a call for more research from diverse sociocultural, political and geographical contexts, more conceptual research using social theory, and more research focusing on the potentials and challenges linked to sexuality education for younger pupils.

This paper offers a rare, if not the first, comprehensive overview of research on school-based sexuality education including a focus on younger school children 6-12 years of age.

A large number of systematic reviews (SRs) studies have been performed in the cloud computing field, demonstrating miscellaneous outcomes and utilizing different approaches. Accordingly, a meta-review of cloud SRs is needed to appraise the results of such studies and create an integrated understanding. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

A tertiary study was conducted using a systematic method to analyze SRs including two stages: searching and screening the SRs and thematic synthesis of results. As a qualitative data management tool, Nvivo software was used to support the research process, for data coding and synthesis.

First, by searching electronic sources between the year of 2011–2016, out of a total of 142 identified articles, 94 articles were included according to pre-determined criteria, of which 76 articles were approved after qualitative evaluation. In the second stage, identifying the research themes, a map of the concepts and issues related to each theme was drawn up. The analysis shows that the quality of articles has improved but can be further enhanced using methodological guidelines as well as supporting tools. The research has focused more on the technical aspect, although there is an equal demand for synthesizing of cloud governance concepts.

This is the first tertiary study which presents the main research themes and concepts of cloud SRs in form of thematic maps by using the thematic synthesis and SR methods. This paper also provides some recommendations to improve reviews after evaluating the quality of papers. This study can support reviewers for future SRs in the field and also helps practitioners and managers to have a better understanding of different aspects of cloud computing.

Transition into modernity takes very different roads, depending on the sequencing of bureaucracy and democratic regime. This is demonstrated by comparing Sweden and Greece. At an early stage of the long-term modernisation of Swedish society, due to early penetration of the internal territory and before the extension of suffrage and political modernisation, a number of state organisations were established at the interstices between state and society, creating direct relations between the state and society. The impressive Lantmäteriet, the organisation of tax authorities, the establishment of authorities for registering the population and the Tabellverket are typical illustrations of such organisational structures. Such organisations functioned as social mechanisms that elucidated society making it legible and thus strengthened the infrastructural capacity of the state. In Greece, where the state was built after political modernisation, the establishment of similar organisations proved to be more difficult. Although there is evidence that similar Swedish practices were known in Greece to be possible paths, they were not chosen. The establishment of a land registry system, for instance, was discussed in the decades prior to the 1871 land reform. On other issues, such choices could not be materialised given opposition or political counter-mobilisation to abolish the reforms after they were approved by parliament. These reform efforts were rather short-lived or countered by new reforms and exemptions, creating an ambiguous labyrinth of regulations of state–society relations and a state without the capacity to intervene in society and implement logistically political decisions throughout the realm. On the whole, the state remained a distant entity, mostly a distrusted one, and relations between the state and society were mediated by parties and by social and kinship-based networks.

The globalisation of supply chains has contributed to modern slavery by degrading labour standards and work practices. The inherent difficulties involved in monitoring extremely fragmented production processes also render workers in and from developing countries vulnerable to labour exploitation. This research adopts a benchmark methodology that will help examine the inherent modern slavery challenges.

This study examines how the benchmark model, including governance, risk assessment, purchasing practice, recruitment and remedy of victims, addresses supply chain modern slavery challenges. The proposed hypotheses are tested based on the reoccurring issues of modern slavery in global supply chains.

Estimations suggest that modern slavery is a growing and increasingly prominent international problem, indicating that it is the second largest and fastest growing criminal enterprise worldwide except for narcotics trafficking. These social issues in global supply chains have drawn attention to the importance of verifying, monitoring and mapping supply chains, especially in lengthy and complex supply chains. However, the advent of digital technologies and benchmarking methodologies has become one of the existing key performance indicators (KPIs) for measuring the effectiveness of modern slavery initiatives in supply chains.

This review provides an understanding of the current situation of global supply chains concerning the growing social issue of modern slavery. However, this includes various individual specialities relating to global supply chains, modern slavery, socially sustainable supply chain management (SCM), logistic social responsibility, corporate social responsibility and digitalisation. Furthermore, the review provided important implications for researchers examining the activities on benchmarking the effectiveness of the existing initiatives to prevent modern slavery in the supply chains.

The study aims to map the links between Industry 4.0 (I-4.0) technologies and circular economy (CE) for sustainable operations and their role to achieving the selected number of sustainable development goals (SDGs).

The study adopts a systematic literature review method to identify 76 primary studies that were published between January 2010 and December 2020. The authors synthesized the existing literature using Scopus database to investigate I-4.0 technologies and CE to select SDGs.

The findings of the study bridge the gap in the literature at the intersection between I-4.0 and sustainable operations in line with the regenerate, share, optimize, loop, virtualize and exchange (ReSOLVE) framework leading to CE practices. Further, the study also depicts the CE practices leading to the select SDGs (“SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation,” “SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy,” “SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure,” “SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production” and “SDG 13: Climate Action”). The study proposes a conceptual framework based on the linkages above, which can help organizations to realign their management practices, thereby achieving specific SDGs.

The originality of the study is substantiated by a unique I-4.0-sustainable operations-CE-SDGs (ISOCES) framework that integrates I-4.0 and CE for sustainable development. The framework is unique, as it is based on an in-depth and systematic review of the literature that maps the links between I-4.0, CE and sustainability.

As a part of adaptive and complex system thinking, geographic information systems (GIS) are beneficial particularly for transportation projects, where uncertainty is frequent. Accordingly, this paper aims to examine the utilization of GIS in line with adaptive and complex system thinking, as the basis of the methodical formulation of perceived gaps within the integrated transportation planning (ITP) specifically for the mega transportation projects. Such a framework is undertaken, as the mega transportation projects although may seem straightforward, however, are problematic and require more consideration than the traditional triple bottom line factors. Using the Sydney Metro as the case study, the outcome demonstrates the significance of the fourth separate dimension of engineering into the aforementioned bottom-line factors.

The research examines the utilization of adaptive and complex system thinking, as the basis of the methodical formulation of perceived gaps within the ITP. The use of Sydney’s Metro project is a novel example of the proposed methodical formulation and its empirical assessment and provides a better understanding of the use of mapping and planning tools for mega transportation projects.

Aptly, using the developed conceptual framework, this research further validates the inclusion of a separate engineering dimension with the usual triple bottom line factors. Such inclusion is paramount in responding to the existing ITP gaps found within the current literature.

This research uses GIS and ITP process to support the aforementioned adaptive and complex system thinking. This, in turn, is used as the basis of a methodical formulation framework in dealing with mega rail transportation infrastructure. To support such a proposition, Sydney Metro is examined as the basis of a case study.

We embarked on a case study to explore one organization’s experiences with radical change for the purpose of uncovering how they achieved success. The organization we examined was Honeywell Inc. in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. From the interview data, we were able to devise a set of ten lessons to help others transform successfully. Two important lessons stand out above the rest. First, execution of a carefully developed change plan separates the high performers from less successful BPR projects. Second, recognition that dealing with change is difficult and complicated is not enough. Top management should make change management a top priority and communicate the change vision across the organization.