Digital Context Research Articles

THE ESSENCE OF RISK IN THE CONTEXT OF DIGITALISATION (the case of service companies)

Abstract. Digitalisation, which has become an integral part of modern business, opens up new horizons and opportunities for enterprises in the service sector. However, along with increased digital transformation, new types of risks arise carrying both potential threats and opportunities for development. The purpose of this work is to identify the main risk factors and aspects that arise as a result of the digitalisation of service enterprises, as well as to reveal opportunities that can be adopted to manage these risks. The impact of digitalisation on the efficiency of business processes, interaction with customers, information security and data management in service enterprises is analysed. The author considers innovative approaches and strategies that enterprises can use to manage and reduce risks arising in the context of digital transformation.

‘Commensal scenes’: Problematizing presence in restaurants in the digital age

As guests’ norms and behaviours are rapidly evolving in the digital world, explicitly problematizing commensality, a term designating the social aspects of eating with others, is needed in hospitality contexts. This article introduces the "commensal scene" concept, applying Social presence theory to redefine commensality in dining settings amidst digital-age transformations. Challenging traditional views of physical co-presence, it explores the multi-spatial, multi-levelled dynamics of being 'with others' in both physical and digital contexts. The model allows for a deeper understanding of how digital media reshapes presence beyond mere spatial factors. It highlights the evolving nature of guest behaviours and norms, focusing on the interplay between different communication mediums and responsive social spaces. This innovative approach offers new insights into emerging commensal practices, proposing a framework for designing relevant dining experiences in a digitally-influenced world.

Los Biomas digitales en el entorno de Discord

For the purposes of this text, digital biomes are conceptualized as a diversity of resources and communities based on information needs in the online digital context. The research work aims to describe the characteristics of digital biomes from the environment of two thematic sites created by enthusiasts, organizations and initiatives in Discord, in order to know what information resources are collected and used by online communities. Having as a theoretical framework a Luhmannian perspective due to the fact that it is a disciplinary reference to analyze the complexity of certain contexts that display partially visible dynamics. The research methodology has a digital nature with a qualitative approach focused on obtaining data. According to the results in the two thematic sites focused on the practice and learning of the English language, sections are presented where it is possible to find and share information resources that aim to respond to the information needs of users who access the sites. themes, known on Discord as servers.

Digital trading networks and competitive advantage in a buyer-seller network

PurposeFirms embedded in networks of relations are theorized through Gnyawali and Madhavan’s (2001) (G&M) structural embeddedness model to gain competitive advantage from topological characteristics. Empirical studies to support their theory have never been executed in full. Our study provided a full empirical test of their model in a digital trading network to achieve a higher degree of certainty that those network structural characteristics can have a major impact on the degree to which certain firms lead to competitiveness in a digital trading network environment.Design/methodology/approachTo examine how firms respond in competitive situations, we chose the hyper-active digital trading network, eBay as our empirical context. We used eBay auction data to analyze how the network characteristics of eBay resellers impact their competitive behaviors.FindingsOur study found strong support for the G&M model of competitiveness. We offer explanations for where support was not as strong as the Gynawali and Madavan theory proposes.Research limitations/implicationsOur research is limited by our chosen context and findings in support of part of G&M model. Future studies in other digital contexts are needed to enhance the modeling of network topologies and further study the impacts of network density and structural autonomy on competitive action.Practical implicationsOur study suggests that managers proceed cautiously in forming partnerships, weighing circumstances where the firm can find itself with increased information power and avoiding, to the greatest extent possible, situations where the playing field is roughly equal.Social implicationsTheory-making in this domain has begun as well as initial empirical testing. Much more needs to be accomplished, though, before embeddedness modeling can be thought of as being well established.Originality/valueThe G& M Model of competitiveness is an SNA explanation of why some competitive units succeed and others do not. Our study is the first, full blown empirical analysis of the theory.

Two forms of customer involvement and new product development performance in the digital context: The moderating role of new product development stage

Customer involvement plays a critical role in firms' new product development (NPD), especially in the digital context. Prior research has distinguished between two forms of customer involvement: customers as an information source (CIS) and customers as co-developers (CIC). We build on this stream of literature and investigate the impact of CIS and CIC on firms’ NPD performance in the digital context by considering both the benefits and costs of these two forms of customer involvement. Furthermore, we explore the moderating role of NPD stage. Based on survey data collected from 263 informants, we show that whereas CIS has a positive effect on NPD performance, CIC has an inverted U-shaped relationship with NPD performance. More interestingly, the positive relationship between CIS and NPD performance is more pronounced in the ideation stage than in the product development stage, and the inverted U-shaped relationship between CIC and NPD performance is steeper in the product development stage than that in the ideation stage. In our additional analyses, we further divide the NPD stage into four stages and found similar results as our main analyses. Our study enriches the customer involvement literature and offers practical implications regarding whether, how, and when to involve customers in the NPD process.

Fabric perceptions in digital contexts: exploring the correlation between certainty and accuracy

As the fashion industry increasingly adopts digital platforms, fashion designers face challenges in digitally exploring and selecting fabrics. This transition underscores the complexities in digitally capturing fabrics. Extending our previous research, this study specifically examined the relationship between designers' certainty and their perceptual accuracy in digital fabric evaluations because uncertainty can diminish confidence in digital assessments, leading to an over-reliance on physical samples and slowing digital progress. The research employed a comparative analysis, engaging designers in both digital and physical fabric evaluations. The objectives of this study were: to evaluate the precision of digital fabric representations against physical assessments; to assess designers' psychological certainty and its correlation with assessment accuracy; and to identify fabric attributes that are most prone to misrepresentation digitally. The findings indicated that there is no direct correlation between evaluation accuracy and psychological certainty. Notably, for drapability, digital evaluations exhibited both high levels of certainty and accuracy, implying potential enhancements in digital representations of other textile attributes. The results of this study will contribute to the development of advanced digital fabric evaluation systems that can accurately replicate the physical fabric experience, thus ensuring a high level of certainty. This, in turn, will enhance the reliability and effectiveness of fabric selection on digital platforms.

Operational Performance Evaluation of Iron and Steel Industry in China under the Background of Digital Transformation – An Application of Data Envelopment Analysis

This paper aims to study the operating performance of iron and steel enterprises under the background of digital transformation, using the DEA-Malmquist model to carry out static and dynamic analysis of the data from 2018 to 2022, which is divided into four parts. Generally speaking, most of the selected companies have good operational performance, but there is still room for improvement. This paper aims to establish a more comprehensive and objective evaluation system that aligns with the actual development of the steel industry, in order to fulfill the operational performance assessment needs of listed steel enterprises within the context of digitalization.

Images, clusters and types – Making sense of (large) image corpora and related practices in and with digital media

In November 2021, the Visual Communication Division of the German Communication Association (DGPuK) celebrated its 20th anniversary at the University of Trier with a one-year pandemic delay. Marion G. Müller, Katharina Christ and Christof Barth organized an excellent conference to mark the occasion and to reflect on past and current trends, topics, and challenges in visual communication research. Resuming the thematic scope of the division’s first conference held in Hamburg in 2000, the conference focused on “The power of images – Images of power. On visual political communication in digital contexts.” While analyses of press photography in the tradition of political iconology were the main approaches twenty years ago, the program of the anniversary conference demonstrated diversified thematic foci and methodological approaches. The presentations examined a broad range of visual digital media and visual communication exerted by various actors ranging from the press to politicians to activists and citizens. Concurrently, we also saw a considerable diversity concerning methodological approaches and a rising influence of computational methods for analyzing the increasingly large numbers of images in digital media environments. With the panel “Image type / image cluster analysis as an approach to analyzing large numbers of images in online environments,” a discussion on diverse methodological approaches and their potentials and challenges among our members started. After the conference, we decided to open up our internal discussion and reach out to international colleagues working on similar questions. The long-term result is this Thematic Section on diverse methods for structuring image data corpora drawing on different traditions of visual analysis.

Analysis of Determinant Factors Customer Loyalty Towards Brand in The Telecommunication Industry With The Digitalization Paradigm

The goal of this research is to determine whether company parties have implemented engagement strategies in the current digital context. This research uses a qualitative marketing research approach. We used a digital platform for the initial data collection stage. The analysis then continued with the creation of a textual corpus. A deep understanding of consumer engagement with brands can help companies build stronger relationships with consumers, create greater value for brands, and maintain a competitive advantage in the marketplace. By paying attention to emotional, cognitive, and behavioral dimensions, companies can develop more holistic and effective strategies for managing consumer engagement and strengthening their brand positioning. Research results reveal that consumers actively seek knowledge and information to enhance their decision-making about brands and products. Mobile telecoms have well-implemented Customer Brand Engagement strategies, but they also need to have a proactive approach in dialogue with customers to maintain their engagement. This means that in addition to understanding and responding to consumer needs and desires, companies also need to be proactive in communicating with customers to strengthen their relationship and engagement with the brand. According to a careful analysis of the lexical units in cluster one, the majority come from Twitter. Cluster two highlights the comparisons that consumers make regarding the technical characteristics of products and services with those of various competitors. Meanwhile, cluster three shows that consumers are increasingly looking for personal services that can meet their needs. Cluster four warns management about loss phenomena that are specific to certain areas or regions. Finally, Cluster Five allows management to understand that consumers are currently less involved in innovative services such as payments via smartphone.

Digital ethnography: A qualitative approach to digital cultures, spaces, and socialites

This paper introduces principles for the application and challenges of small data ethnography in digital research. It discusses the need to incorporate ethics in every step of the research process. As teachers and researchers within the digital humanities, we argue for the value of a qualitative approach to digital contents, spaces, and phenomena. This article is relevant as a guide for students and researchers whose studies examine digital practices, phenomena, and social communities that occur in, through, or in relation to digital contexts.

A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Inquiry into Higher Education Educators' Engagement with Technology for Facilitating Higher Order Thinking Skills

Adopting a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, this study delves into the lived experiences of higher education (HE) educators who utilise digital technology to enhance Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS). Grounded in the philosophical frameworks of Heidegger (1927/1962) and Gadamer (1960/1975) and employing an adaptation of van Manen’s (2014) Methodology of Phenomenology, this research provides an in-depth emic perspective on how educators experience the use of digital tools to foster students’ HOTS. The study engages a diverse, international cohort of twelve HE educators from Australia, Canada, India, the UK, and the USA, covering key disciplines relevant to contemporary business schools.The study aims to enhances understanding of the intricate relationship between digital technology and educators' experiences in fostering HOTS. By exploring these experiences through an existential lens, it addresses ethical, cognitive, and affective dimensions. The findings resonate with insights from Beard (2018) and Hare (2022), affirming technology's dual role in education, as encapsulated in the 'pharmakon' concept, originally articulated by Derrida (1972) from his reading of Plato’s Socrates. This principle illustrates technology's capacity to serve both as a remedy and a poison, a duality further explored in digital contexts by Kern (2014) and Adams (2017). For example, while digital technologies promote connectivity and collaborative learning—serving as a remedy to traditional educational limitations—they can also lead to cognitive overload and superficial engagement, exemplifying its 'pharmakon' effect in supporting HOTS development.By focusing on educators' lived experiences through a phenomenological lens, the research illuminates how educators adeptly navigate the complexities and opportunities presented by digital tools. The findings underscore the necessity for a critical and nuanced understanding of technology's role in shaping educational practices and outcomes and advocates for a balanced, reflective approach to technology integration when supporting HOTS development. The study offers grounded insights to inform pedagogical strategies for HOTS development in the digital era.

From Craftsmanship to Connectivity

Apprenticeship is a long-valued form of workforce learning. Historical models of craft apprentices learning a trade from a master have prevailed for centuries. In more recent eras, apprenticeship programs have proliferated in industrial sectors and are now facing a revival in corporate settings (Fuller & Sigelman, 2017; Federal Reserve Bank, 2019). However, corporate programs today face different challenges than earlier renditions. Specifically, programs today must enable learning outcomes in a digital context, as professional work today increasingly involves digital or hybrid working environments. Much of the existing literature on apprenticeship focuses on the nature of the craft apprenticeship or the specific features of cognitive apprenticeship within a developmental relationship. Given the rapidly growing number of modern corporate apprenticeship programs, it is essential to understand how learning happens in these dynamic environments. This paper analyzes interview data and five participant case studies to examine a modern corporate apprenticeship program at a multinational consulting firm. The program is a full-time and fully paid learning and working experience for non-degree candidates. It operates in 40 cities across the United States and has enrolled over 2,000 apprentices. Apprentices have formal and informal learning experiences throughout the program, including on-the-job learning. They also work in geographically dispersed teams via a hybrid workplace that is predominantly virtual. Emic themes reveal that digital tools afford apprentices access to a broader networking environment, level up independently, engage in informal betterment with experienced others, and participate in shared discovery and problem-solving with peers. However, situated learning in a project context and strong relationships with various experienced others are equally essential to the digital tools. Drawing upon epistemic lenses of learning that consider how technologies enable learning across multiple activities, environments, and relationships, these findings paint a picture of how apprentices collaboratively engage in value-generating activities as mediated by technology and engage in networked learning.

IP Development Strategy for Traditional Scenic Spots in the Digital Era

With the advent of the digital era, traditional scenic spots in China are facing transformation. Through a questionnaire survey analyzing the current tourism situation of visitors, this article identifies issues such as outdated tourism products, high prices, lack of innovative entertainment activities, and poor service quality. To address these problems, this article proposes a traditional scenic spot IP development strategy based on the digital context, including innovative digital products, implementing intelligent pricing strategies, upgrading digital entertainment, improving service quality, and innovative promotional strategies. The aim is to rejuvenate traditional scenic spots, inject new vitality into their tourism industry, and enhance visitor satisfaction.

Emergent Gameplay, Emergent Essaying

Within our current post-internet landscape of Web 2.0, in which we exist as intermedial beings, I propose Emergent Essaying as a connective term, merging the milieu of game design with hybrid creative writing approaches. Emergent Gameplay is ‘a game design term that refers to video game mechanics that change according to the player’s actions’. Emergent Essaying utilises gameplay techniques to invite more open, playful, and changeable modes of thinking, encouraging multiplicity and fluidity over fixed thought. Expanding upon creative theorists Lisa Robertson and Anne Carson’s approach to the verb ‘essaying’ as an act of trying, in this digital context I conceive of Emergent Essaying as an act of playful reimagining from both writer/designer and reader/player, in which the essay is more narrative based. I combine game design techniques with the approaches to digital work adopted by indie writers to inform my own practice as a cross-form, cross-genre writer, as reflected both in this paper, and via a link to a digital-born, creative iteration of this work, enacting Emergent Essaying. In this updated version of the paper from 2021, I address the benefits of understanding Emergent Essaying through the lens of performance, and interrogate how this feeds into pedagogical approaches for creative practitioners.

Tilt in esports: Understanding the phenomenon in new digital contexts

Tilt is a state of frustration leading to poor performance in poker players, but despite widespread adoption of the term in the gaming community, nascent esports (electronic sports) research has yet to establish a definition of tilt. The rapid growth of the esports industry has sparked demand for research that expands knowledge on psychological factors in gaming, especially the application of performance-oriented improvements for competitive gamers. Our qualitative approach explored the construct of tilt and how it manifests in esports, including generating the first clear definition of tilt as it applies to this context. Thematic analysis of interviews with six industry experts defined tilt as a state of indignation and frustration resulting in inhibited decision-making, as well as identifying several esports-specific contexts that trigger or mitigate tilt. Themes diverge noticeably from the problem gambling contexts in which tilt definitions originated, answering the recent call for more context-specific athlete-orientated research. Our findings provide the first definition of tilt bespoke to esports and marks an important conceptual foundation for this emerging research area. The definition will also inform evidence-based practice as coaches and psychologists search for new ways to improve athlete performance in the highly competitive world of esports.

Why and when does digital business strategy help manufacturers generate value co-creation with different stakeholders?

PurposeThis study aims to clarify why and when digital business strategy (DBS) helps manufacturing firms generate value co-creation (VC) with different stakeholders in the digital context of China. This study considers external network capability (ENC) and internal network capability (INC) as mediation mechanism, and strategic flexibility (SF) as theoretical boundary.Design/methodology/approachQuestionnaires were used and filled out by executives from manufacturing firms. The manufacturing samples from 289 different fields in China were used for hypothesis testing, and the structural equation model was the main analytical method.FindingsThis study found that DBS of manufacturing enterprises has a positive impact on VC. Specifically, DBS affects firm-partner VC and firm-consumer VC through the indirect positive effect of ENC, and affects firm-employee VC through INV. The positive effects of ENC on firm-partner VC and firm-consumer VC, as well as INC on firm-employee VC, are weak at high (or low) SF, and are strongest at moderate SF.Practical implicationsThis study provides manufacturing firms with practical insights into why and when they can implement DBS to generate VC, with a particular emphasis on the weighted role of SF.Originality/valueThis study spotlights gaps in the literature on why and when manufacturing firms can reap the benefits of DBS, focusing on one important business outcome – VC. The authors clarify the mediating role of differences in ENC and INC, as well as the inverted U-shaped moderating role of SF.

Impact of Influencer Marketing and User-Generated Content on Millennials\' Purchase Decisions

Abstract: In the digital era, influencer marketing and user-generated content (UGC) have significantly transformed marketing strategies, particularly affecting millennials' purchasing decisions. This research delves into the impact of these digital marketing strategies on millennials, focusing on the importance of trust, authenticity, and the integration of influencer marketing with UGC. Influencers, due to their perceived credibility and relatability, play a pivotal role in shaping consumer behavior, but their influence depends heavily on the authenticity of their endorsements. Similarly, UGC contributes to shaping consumer perceptions through genuine expressions of consumer experiences, highlighting the value of transparency and community in digital marketing. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, analyzing the responses of millennials to influencer marketing and UGC, and presents an integrated view of how these strategies influence purchasing decisions. The findings underscore the necessity for brands to forge authentic partnerships with influencers, emphasize storytelling, and actively engage with and promote UGC to resonate with millennials. Integrated marketing campaigns that effectively blend the persuasive power of influencers with the authenticity of UGC have been shown to generate curiosity, trust, and excitement among millennials, although skepticism remains a challenge due to concerns over authenticity. This research contributes to the evolving landscape of digital marketing strategies, offering insights into the complex web of influences that shape millennials' consumer behavior. It highlights the need for marketers and brands to navigate the intricacies of trust, authenticity, and community engagement in a digital context, providing a roadmap for effectively leveraging influencer marketing and UGC to engage the millennial audience.

Constitutional Safeguards for Digital Rights and Privacy

The digital rights and privacy protections are emerging human rights concerns in the digital age. Uzbekistan's newly enacted constitution provides a general framework for civil liberties, but lacks specificity regarding digital contexts. This research examines the effectiveness of Uzbekistan's constitutional safeguards for digital rights and privacy, and identifies potential areas for improvement. The aim is to ensure robust protections aligned with international norms. A qualitative methodology analyzes constitutional provisions, legislation through doctrinal review and phenomenological approaches. Results reveal significant gaps in areas like data protection, consent requirements, and oversight of state surveillance compared to frameworks like the EU's GDPR. Recommendations include constitutional amendments explicitly guaranteeing digital rights, an independent data protection authority, enhanced enforcement mechanisms, and legal reforms codifying principles of data minimization and individual control over personal information. Implementing such measures is crucial for Uzbekistan to uphold digital rights, promote trust in the digital ecosystem, and contribute to preserving human dignity and autonomy in the digital era.

PERAN DESAIN PEKERJAAN DALAM MENINGKATKAN EFEKTIVITAS KINERJA KARYAWAN DI ERA DIGITALISASI

In the era of continuous digitalization, job design has emerged as a key factor in enhancing employee performance effectiveness. This literature review explores the role of job design in the new context of a workplace transformed by technology. With a focus on how digitalization can be both an enabler and a disruptor, this article synthesizes recent research to identify the most substantial elements of job design that influence employee performance. The study includes an analysis of job design dimensions such as autonomy, task variety, task identity, and feedback, all of which have been disrupted by digital changes. By combining various theories and empirical studies, this article proposes a comprehensive framework that integrates classic job design principles with the demands and opportunities created by the digital era. The findings indicate that progressive adaptation of job design can strengthen employee engagement and organizational resilience to change. Furthermore, this article identifies research gaps and recommends directions for future studies on job design in an ever-changing technological era. In conclusion, a deep understanding of the interaction between job design and performance effectiveness in a digital context is essential for the development of responsive and sustainable human resource strategies.

Review of research on digital translanguaging among teachers and students: A visual analysis through CiteSpace

The pervasive use of digital technologies in different scenarios has led to an increasing number of empirical studies on digital translanguaging. Following the emergence of the global pandemic and its huge impact on the education sector, attention to translanguaging among teachers and students in the digital context has reached a new height. This systematic review provides scholars with a current overview of research on digital translanguaging among teachers and students by analysing research backgrounds, the methodologies used, and the research themes of interest, supported by the software CiteSpace, to visualise the structure of existing research. A search of five databases identified 32 empirical studies on digital translanguaging among teachers and students, published from 2015 to 2022. The findings reveal that research on digital translanguaging for teachers and students is characterised by two distinct directions: one focused on teaching and learning, and the other on social purposes. More specifically, the former direction encompasses three subthemes: digital translanguaging pedagogy, the effects of digital translanguaging practices on English language writing, and translanguaging practices in digital multimodal composing. The implications of these findings for future research directions and pedagogical practice are discussed.