Search results

1 – 10 of 815
Article
Publication date: 20 May 2024

Melanie Simms

The paper uses key themes from Fox’s writing to reflect on the wave of public sector industrial action that developed in the UK since the early 2020s: specifically the relevance…

Abstract

Purpose

The paper uses key themes from Fox’s writing to reflect on the wave of public sector industrial action that developed in the UK since the early 2020s: specifically the relevance of (1) radical pluralism, (2) historical context, (3) understanding the effects of high inflation and (4) (a breakdown of) trust relations.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws primarily on evidence from broad public debate but is informed by discussions held with senior union leaders both for a research project and in delivering development training.

Findings

Radical pluralism is used as a lens through which to understand declining trust in institutions of pluralist collective industrial relations in the UK public sector, arguing that current developments need to be understood in historical context. An analysis of the industrial action in the early 2020s highlights the ways that a period of high inflation can stress institutions of collective employment regulation, rendering visible the limits of conventional, pluralist industrial relations.

Research limitations/implications

The paper could be extended by more detailed empirical data collection, both in the UK and other national institutional contexts.

Practical implications

Unions need to more consistently focus on issues of power. A stronger focus on power might identify the limitations of pluralist institutions of collective regulation and embed a commitment to building union influence to challenge those existing structures in favour of mechanisms to build workers' power more broadly.

Social implications

Understanding these disputes as, at least in part, being about the limits to and undermining of trust in collective institutions that regulate work and employment allows us to better understand the forces at play and potential outcomes of these disputes.

Originality/value

The paper makes three key contributions: first, applying Fox’s work in a practical way to contemporary UK industrial relations; second, extending his analyses to public sector industrial relations and third, arguing that power needs to be more centrally located within union objectives in order to reshape industrial relations to radical pluralist ends.

Details

Employee Relations: The International Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0142-5455

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 4 April 2024

Omar Al-Ubaydli

This paper aims to address two fundamental questions: (1) How has Bahrain's industrial policy evolved during the 21st century? and (2) what factors contribute to this evolution?

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to address two fundamental questions: (1) How has Bahrain's industrial policy evolved during the 21st century? and (2) what factors contribute to this evolution?

Design/methodology/approach

Utilizing secondary data, this paper identifies key decision-makers responsible for economic policy in Bahrain and delineates the evolution of Bahrain's industrial policy throughout the 21st century. Subsequently, it employs a series of interviews with elite civil servants engaged in the formulation and implementation of Bahrain's economic policies to understand the reasons behind the observed changes.

Findings

Since assuming the role of Crown Prince in 1999, Sh. Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa has been the key economic decision-maker in Bahrain. During the 21st century, Bahrain has shifted away from decisions closely aligned with the Washington Consensus towards those more in line with classical industrial policy. Interviews reveal that the private sector's underperformance in job creation, coupled with fiscal pressures, has driven this departure from the Washington Consensus. Moreover, the early successes of the interventionist Saudi Vision 2030 and Bahrain's own success in technocratically managing the COVID-19 pandemic have accelerated this transition.

Practical implications

Insights into the determinants of Bahrain's industrial policy can guide policymakers in refining future strategies. Recognizing the positive role of intellectual developments in academic economics literature becomes crucial for informed decision-making.

Originality/value

This paper fills a gap in the existing literature by providing answers to its research questions, particularly considering the significant changes witnessed in Bahrain's industrial policy post-pandemic.

Details

Journal of Business and Socio-economic Development, vol. 4 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2635-1374

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 August 2024

Zaid Jaradat, Ahmad AL-Hawamleh and Allam Hamdan

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s dedicated pursuit of technological modernization positions it as a forefront leader in integrating advanced systems, aligning smoothly with the…

Abstract

Purpose

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s dedicated pursuit of technological modernization positions it as a forefront leader in integrating advanced systems, aligning smoothly with the ambitious goals outlined in Vision 2030. The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of integrating enterprise resource planning (ERP) and business intelligence (BI) systems on decision-making processes within the industrial sector of Saudi Arabia.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a quantitative research design, this study uses a bootstrapping approach and partial least squares structural equation modeling to meticulously analyze data collected from Saudi industrial firms.

Findings

The research reveals favorable relationships among infrastructure readiness, data quality, security and access control, user capabilities, user training and the integration of ERP and BI. These positive associations collectively affirm the overarching positive impact of ERP and BI integration on decision-making processes within the industrial sector.

Practical implications

The study underscores the strategic imperative of aligning organizational practices with the identified characteristics to fully unlock the potential benefits of ERP and BI integration in the Saudi Arabian industrial sector.

Originality/value

This study contributes significantly to the existing literature by delving into the integration of ERP and BI in the industrial sector and its nuanced impact on decision-making processes, specifically in the context of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – an area that has not been extensively studied.

Details

Digital Policy, Regulation and Governance, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-5038

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 September 2024

Yuge Yang, Maxwell Fordjour Antwi-Afari, Muhammad Imran and Liulin Kong

The relationships between transformational leadership (TL), organizational climate (OC) and project performance have been investigated by previous studies, but no review of…

29

Abstract

Purpose

The relationships between transformational leadership (TL), organizational climate (OC) and project performance have been investigated by previous studies, but no review of existing studies has systematically analyzed the effects of TL and OC on project performance in the industrial revolution (IR) 5.0 era. Therefore, this study aims to conduct a systematic literature review on the effects of TL and OC on project performance in IR 5.0, and to identify mainstream research topics, research gaps and future research directions.

Design/methodology/approach

To do this, a total of 53 included journal articles were obtained after initially retrieving 648 documents from the Scopus database by following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. It consists of four main steps, namely, identification of documents, screening, eligibility and included articles. In addition, science mapping analyses were conducted for keyword co-occurrence and document analyses, which aided in identifying the mainstream research topics, research gaps and future research directions.

Findings

The results report the annual publication trends, keywords and document analyses. Furthermore, a detailed qualitative discussion highlighted four mainstream research topics including TL in project management; the relationship between TL, OC and innovation; safety climate; and OC in project management. Moreover, this review study identified four research gaps and future research directions aligned with the mainstream research topics. They include: longitudinal investigations and multinational corporation surveys in TL; scope and longitudinal data in innovation; mono-method bias and universality of safety climate; and more comprehensive analyses of OC.

Originality/value

This review study would contribute to not only advancing the effects of TL and OC on project performance in IR 5.0, but also enabling project managers to understand TL or OC issues to improve project performance.

Details

Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology , vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1726-0531

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 February 2024

Zeeshan Mahmood, Zlatinka N. Blaber and Majid Khan

This paper aims to investigate the role of field-configuring events (FCEs) and situational context in the institutionalisation of sustainability reporting (SR) in Pakistan.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the role of field-configuring events (FCEs) and situational context in the institutionalisation of sustainability reporting (SR) in Pakistan.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses insights from the institutional logics perspective and qualitative research design to analyse the interplay of the institutional logics, FCEs, situational context and social actors’ agency for the institutionalisation of SR among leading corporations in Pakistan. A total of 28 semi-structured interviews were carried out and were supplemented by analysis of secondary data including reports, newspaper articles and books.

Findings

The emerging field of SR in Pakistan is shaped by societal institutions, where key social actors (regulators, enablers and reporters) were involved in the institutionalisation of SR through FCEs. FCEs provided space for agency and were intentionally designed by key social actors to promote SR in Pakistan. The situational context connected the case organisations with FCEs and field-level institutional logics that shaped their decision to initiate SR. Overall, intricate interplay of institutional logics, FCEs, situational context and social actors’ agency has contributed to the institutionalisation of SR in Pakistan. Corporate managers navigated institutional logics based on situational context and initiated SR that is aligned with corporate goals and stakeholder expectations.

Practical implications

For corporate managers, this paper highlights the role of active agency in navigating and integrating institutional logics and stakeholders’ expectations in their decision-making process. For practitioners and policymakers, this paper highlights the importance of FCEs and situational context in the emergence and institutionalisation of SR in developing countries. From a societal point of view, dominance of business actors in FCEs highlights the need for non-business actors to participate in FCEs to shape logics and practice of SR for wider societal benefits.

Social implications

From a societal point of view, dominance of business actors in FCEs highlights the need for non-business actors to participate in FCEs to shape logics and practice of SR for wider societal benefits.

Originality/value

This paper focuses on the role of FCEs and situational context as key social mechanisms for explaining the institutionalisation of SR.

Details

Qualitative Research in Accounting & Management, vol. 21 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1176-6093

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 30 August 2024

Ioan Mihangel Charnley-Parry, Elias Keller, Ivan Sebalo, John Whitton, Linden J. Ball, Beth Helen Richardson and John E. Marsh

Nuclear energy is a contested topic, requiring trade-offs in energy independence, ethicality and uncertainty. Anthropogenic climate change complicates these decisions further…

Abstract

Purpose

Nuclear energy is a contested topic, requiring trade-offs in energy independence, ethicality and uncertainty. Anthropogenic climate change complicates these decisions further, with nuclear energy competing with other low-carbon and sustainable energy sources. Decisions about nuclear energy’s role, as part of a sustainable energy system, must be made in cooperation with all stakeholders. However, it is unclear how the public is involved in these decisions in the UK. This study aims to address this gap, exploring the degree to which public participation has occurred in the UK.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper conducted a scoping review of public participation in UK nuclear energy decision-making in the context of sustainable energy transitions, where the government retains and promotes nuclear energy as part of a sustainable energy system. Following a systematic literary search, this paper reviewed 28 academic and grey literature documents.

Findings

Public participation has primarily been conducted as consultations rather than active participation. There is limited evidence that consultations have meaningfully contributed to politically and socially responsible (i.e. individuals and groups working together for community benefit) decision-making, with public opinion on nuclear energy’s role being divided and is influenced by how it is framed.

Originality/value

Social aspects of nuclear energy development have historically received less attention than environmental and economic elements; the role of engagement and participation is relatively rare. Modern literature reviews in this context are largely absent, a gap this paper originally contribute to. This paper suggest ways in which how effective, inclusive engagement process could contribute to a fairer, responsible decision-making process and energy system in the UK.

Details

Journal of Responsible Production and Consumption, vol. 1 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2977-0114

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 7 May 2024

Morteza Ghobakhloo, Mohammad Iranmanesh, Masood Fathi, Abderahman Rejeb, Behzad Foroughi and Davoud Nikbin

The study seeks to understand the possible opportunities that Industry 5.0 might offer for various aspects of inclusive sustainability. The study aims to discuss existing…

2536

Abstract

Purpose

The study seeks to understand the possible opportunities that Industry 5.0 might offer for various aspects of inclusive sustainability. The study aims to discuss existing perspectives on the classification of Industry 5.0 technologies and their underlying role in materializing the sustainability values of this agenda.

Design/methodology/approach

The study systematically reviewed Industry 5.0 literature based on the PRISMA protocol. The study further employed a detailed content-centric review of eligible documents and conducted evidence mapping to fulfill the research objectives.

Findings

The advancement of Industry 5.0 is currently underway, with noteworthy initial contributions enriching its knowledge base. Although a unanimous definition remains lacking, diverse viewpoints emerge concerning the recognition of fundamental technologies and the potential for yielding sustainable outcomes. The expected contribution of Industry 5.0 to sustainability varies significantly depending on the context and the nature of underlying technologies.

Practical implications

Industry 5.0 holds the potential for advancing sustainability at both the firm and supply chain levels. It is envisioned to contribute proportionately to the three sustainability dimensions. However, the current discourse primarily dwells in theoretical and conceptual domains, lacking empirical exploration of its practical implications.

Originality/value

This study comprehensively explores diverse perspectives on Industry 5.0 technologies and their potential contributions to economic, environmental and social sustainability. Despite its promise, the practical evidence supporting the effectiveness of Industry 5.0 remains limited. Certain conditions are necessary to realize the benefits of Industry 5.0 fully, yet the mechanisms behind these conditions require further investigation. In this regard, the study suggests several potential areas for future research.

Details

Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Administration, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-4323

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 May 2024

Alice Garner, Mary Leahy, Anthony Forsyth and Renee Burns

This article examines the role the Australian Trade Union Training Authority (TUTA) played in international education through the provision of trade union courses and exchanges…

Abstract

Purpose

This article examines the role the Australian Trade Union Training Authority (TUTA) played in international education through the provision of trade union courses and exchanges. We consider how an investigation of trade union networks contributes to a richer understanding of international education linkages.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on research conducted for an Australian Research Council (ARC)-funded project: Trade union training: reshaping the Australian industrial landscape (ARC LP180100500). This research involved a critical analysis of 60 semi-structured oral history interviews and textual archives, including the official records held by the National Archives of Australia and papers held by the Noel Butlin Archives, the Australian Council of Trade Unions and in private collections.

Findings

TUTA was established primarily as a national union training organisation, but from its inception, it also acted as a hub for the development of regional and international labour networks. The nature of TUTA’s work placed it at the intersection of international trade union and educational domains. Although there were some points of contact with formal international programs (e.g. Japan–Australia and Kellogg Foundations, the Colombo Plan and US Department of Labour exchanges schemes), the specific contribution of TUTA is overlooked in the educational exchange literature. The role of TUTA is revealed through institutional connections and individual experiences.

Research limitations/implications

Further research is required to gain a deeper understanding of the impact of TUTA from the perspective of former participants in international TUTA course and current and former trade unionists in the Asia–Pacific.

Originality/value

This article builds new knowledge by examining the connections forged in the Asia–Pacific region at the intersection of trade union and educational networks, an area often overlooked in the literature on educational exchange.

Book part
Publication date: 30 September 2024

Hassan Sadeghi Naeini and Mahdiyeh Jafarnejad Shahri

Nowadays, product and service design play a crucial role in people’s daily life and marketing settings; however, both of the product and service design process have always been…

Abstract

Nowadays, product and service design play a crucial role in people’s daily life and marketing settings; however, both of the product and service design process have always been affected by various factors, including the growth of technology, economic tensions and endemic and pandemic health challenges. Undoubtedly, the importance of service and product design is increasing in the near future, and these changes are also associated with customers' experience. In this regard, some factors have a prominent place such as customer preferences, marketing improvement, technology push-marketing pull and different aspects of sustainability. Since the development of product–service systems (PSSs) should be based on the requirements and needs of users on the one hand, and environmental and technological considerations on the other hand, the role of product and service designers in the context of presenting creative and innovative ideas is important. The mentioned features are known as the main pillars of industrial design. Industrial design as an integrated science of art and technology concerns customers' experience, user experience (UX) design, innovative design, customer-oriented service development and so on. Industrial design make value not only for customers but also for producers. Besides, some new designscape may develop by industrial design considerations. In this chapter, authors explain the industrial design scope towards customer experience orientation in service design, enhance the experiencescape, design thinking (DT), PSS approaches and sustainability.

Details

Marketing and Design in the Service Sector
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83797-276-0

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 January 2024

Małgorzata Pink, Barbara Kiełbasa, Vojtěch Tamáš, Fernanda Maria Dos Santos Maria Pereira, Juan C. Santamarta, Noelia Cruz Pérez, Joselin S. Rodríguez-Alcántara and Lidia Luty

This study aims to diagnose the perception, knowledge, awareness and position of the bioeconomy in university education and research.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to diagnose the perception, knowledge, awareness and position of the bioeconomy in university education and research.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is based on a questionnaire survey conducted at universities in Poland, the Czech Republic, Spain and Portugal (n = 464). The questionnaire consisted of open-ended, dichotomous and Likert-type questions. Variable frequency distribution methods and the non-parametric chi-square test were used to test the independence of the characteristics. The Cramer’s V contingency coefficient was used to determine the degree of dependence between the variables.

Findings

The researched academic community is dominated by a traditional approach to the bioeconomy, which relates to agriculture and ecological aspects. Respondents believe in the positive environmental impacts of the bioeconomy, while less often being aware of its importance from a socio-economic perspective. Insufficient teaching and research in the field of the bioeconomy can be widely observed. The presumed link between the existence of a bioeconomy strategy at national level and awareness of the bioeconomy was not confirmed.

Research limitations/implications

The limited sample, the narrow geographical scope of the study does not allow for a comprehensive analysis of the topic. Another limitation is the lack of representativeness of the results in relation to all university representatives in the countries studied and the uneven composition of the samples.

Originality/value

This study fills the knowledge gap about the status of the bioeconomy in European academic communities by analysing its perception among both teachers and students of social, natural and applied sciences.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 25 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

1 – 10 of 815