Propositions For Future Research Research Articles

Where next for manufacturing productivity research? Propositions based on exploratory empirical investigation

Purpose The purpose of this research is to develop empirically grounded propositions for further research into UK manufacturing productivity.Design/methodology/approach Interviews were conducted with managers from strategic, tactical and operational levels from four manufacturing sectors to produce case studies. A modified strategic alignment theory framework was used to code, compare and contrast narratives on perceived productivity antecedents, definitions, compatibility with the definition from the UK Office for National Statistics, and vertical alignment issues within and across cases.Findings It was found that different key antecedents can facilitate and/or prevent strategic vertical alignment. Discussion reveals complex nuances in perceptions of manufacturing productivity and using the modified strategic alignment theory/productivity antecedent framework.Originality/value In revealing the alignment or otherwise of productivity definitions at different levels within the firm, the paper reveals nine propositions for future research including definitions, skills, metrics, performance measurement systems, people and system-centric perspectives, the value-added perspective of productivity and the role of innovation.

Thriving at Work: State of the Art and Looking Towards to Enhanced Employee Well-Being in the Future

Growing recognition of the importance of employee well-being and sustainable work environments has seen research on employee thriving flourish in recent years. Thriving is facilitated by a sense of learning and vitality, contributing significantly to employee development and well-being. The paper offers a comprehensive overview of the past, present, and future of research on thriving at work using bibliometric techniques. The in-depth literature review employs document citation analysis, bibliographic coupling, and thematic mapping, utilising data from the Web of Science database to present an inclusive overview of existing literature. A meticulous review led us to identify research streams, existing gaps, and potential areas for future exploration in the study of thriving at work. We outline key research trends and gaps, suggesting future research directions from various theoretical and contextual perspectives. Our contribution to the thriving literature is grounded in the use of bibliometric methods to ensure objectivity and detail in the review process. We also offer detailed future research propositions along with practical implications aimed at benefiting both scholars and the wider community by shaping the future of a sustainable workforce.

Pathophysiology and Prevention of Ventriculostomy-Related Infections: A Review.

This qualitative review aims to summarize current knowledge on ventriculostomy-related infection (VRI) pathophysiology and its prevention. VRI generally occurs at day 10, mainly because of Gram-positive cocci, after a cerebrospinal fluid leak. Skin microbiota and biofilm seem to play a major role in VRI pathogenesis. Colonization of external ventricular drain by biofilm is universal and occurs quickly after catheter insertion. However, pathogens from the skin are more often associated with VRI than commensal bacteria. A review of proposed preventive measures shows that none has proven to be fully efficient. Periprocedural and prolonged systemic prophylactic antimicrobials have not shown to prevent VRIs and may promote the emergence of more resistant or pathogenic strains. Antimicrobial and silver-impregnated external ventricular drains, although promising, have not demonstrated preventive effects and may modify bacterial ecology. These results are consistent with the proposed pathophysiology. Finally, we will present a few propositions for future research that may help in improving our knowledge and thus better prevent VRIs. Until then, given the available data, limiting the duration of ventricular drainage may be the most attainable option to prevent VRIs.

Infrastructure Transitions in Southern Cities: Organising Urban Service Delivery for Climate and Development

Rapidly growing cities in the Global South are characterised by high levels of vulnerability and informality and are expected to bear a disproportionate share of the costs of a changing climate. The confluence of climate change impacts, inequitable urbanisation processes, and under-development emphasise the need for accelerated urban transitions in Southern cities, yet mainstream theories of urban sustainability transitions have been shown to be insufficient for such contexts. This is particularly relevant with regard to urban infrastructure: While mainstream urban theory tends to regard infrastructure as static, centralised, and heavily engineered, infrastructure configurations in cities of the Global South are often heterogeneous, comprising multiple dynamic social and material flows. Drawing on theory from Southern Urbanism and empirical data of unorthodox infrastructures from 14 cities, this article assesses the potential challenges posed by applying a key transitions framework—namely the Multi-Level Perspective—in Southern contexts. The article closes by suggesting a set of theoretical propositions for future conceptual and empirical research that could advance transitions literature more broadly, and highlights the need for all cities to pursue inclusive service delivery models that are responsive to the complex and shifting landscape of climate impacts.

Mapping global value chain, production network, and commodity chain literature using scientometrics: an integrative resilient value chains model based on a review of the literature

Purpose Global value chains (GVCs) are facing unprecedented pressures arising from structural changes in the global economy and exogenous shocks including military conflicts and the aftermath of COVID-19. Considering the importance of value chain analysis in the current environment, the purpose of the study is to provide an up-to-date overarching global value chain literature review study that offers suggestions for research and practice to ensure resilient value and supply chains. Design/methodology/approach The authors provide a comprehensive review of literature of the value chain, commodity chain and production network research based on a systems overview of 5,628 publications to identify the extent of research on vulnerabilities and resilience of value chains globally and gaps therein. To provide the systems overview, the authors use scientometric content co-occurrence analysis methods to analyze and identify gaps within the existing literature. Findings Based on this overarching review of the literature, the authors identify gaps in the literature primarily related to the issue of unpreparedness of value chains to exogenous shocks. The authors suggest future research directions and propose an integrative model along with recommendations for restructuring value chains for resilience amidst exogenous shocks. Originality/value This study carries out an overarching study of interdisciplinary GVC literature in the age of geopolitical and societal challenges and is thus able to offer holistic insights and propositions for future research.

Sustainable Development of Platform Enterprises: A Synthesis Framework

Enterprises are the most important core organizations of the country and modern society, and their growth has always been a focal point in the theoretical field. This paper aims to focus on the sustainable development of platform enterprises by exploring the mechanism of platform growth. Thus, this paper reviews the literature and analyzes the challenges faced by platform enterprises during the four stages of birth, expansion, leadership, and self-renewal, as well as the strategies they have adopted. The main aims of this paper are to help understand the growth process of platform enterprises and identify three key points that need to be addressed for sustainable growth, including the disadvantages of resource externalities, the importance of the restructuration of business models, and the urgency of fulfilling social responsibility. To address the exogenous nature of resources, platform enterprises should pay attention to the initiative of complementors, the distribution of benefits, and ecological orchestration. The impact of technology, especially artificial intelligence, on business models and the application of technology to restructure business models should be given attention. It is also necessary to pay attention to how platform enterprises undertake their social responsibilities. A synthesis framework with seven propositions for future research has been proposed.

Evaluating ChatGPT-4's historical accuracy: a case study on the origins of SWOT analysis.

In this study we test ChatGPT-4's ability to provide accurate information about the origins and evolution of SWOT analysis, perhaps the most widely used strategy tool in practice worldwide. ChatGPT-4 is tested for historical accuracy and hallucinations. The API is prompted using a Python script with a series of structured questions from an Excel file and the results are recorded in another Excel file and rated on a binary scale. Our findings present a nuanced view of ChatGPT-4's capabilities. We observe that while ChatGPT-4 demonstrates a high level of proficiency in describing and outlining the general concept of SWOT analysis, there are notable discrepancies when it comes to detailing its origins and evolution. These inaccuracies range from minor factual errors to more serious hallucinations that deviate from evidence in scholarly publications. However, we also find that ChatGPT-4 comes up with spontaneous historically accurate facts. Our interpretation of the result is that ChatGPT is largely trained on easily available websites and to a very limited extent has been trained on scholarly publications on SWOT analysis, especially when these are behind a paywall. We conclude with four propositions for future research.

Reducing food loss through sustainable business models and agricultural innovation systems

PurposeThis study aims to explore how sustainable business models (SBM) can be developed within agri-innovation systems (AIS) and emphasize an integration of the two with a systemic understanding for reducing food loss and value loss in postharvest agri-food supply chain.Design/methodology/approachThis study conducted longitudinal qualitative research in a developing country with food loss challenges in the postharvest supply chain. This study collected data through multiple rounds of fieldwork, interviews and focus groups over four years. Thematic analysis and “sensemaking” were used for inductive data analysis to generate rich contextual knowledge by drawing upon the lived realities of the agri-food supply chain actors.FindingsFirst, this study finds that the value losses are varied in the supply chain, encompassing production value, intrinsic value, extrinsic value, market value, institutional value and future food value. This happens through two cumulative effects including multiplier losses, where losses in one model cascade into others, amplifying their impact and stacking losses, where the absence of data stacks or infrastructure pools hampers the realisation of food value. Thereafter, this study proposes four strategies for moving from the loss-incurring current business model to a networked SBM for mitigating losses. This emphasises the need to redefine ownership as stewardship, enable formal and informal beneficiary identification, strengthen value addition and build capacities for empowering communities to benefit from networked SBM with AIS initiatives. Finally, this study puts forth ten propositions for future research in aligning AIS with networked SBM.Originality/valueThis study contributes to understanding the interplay between AIS and SBM; emphasising the integration of the two to effectively address food loss challenges in the early stages of agri-food supply chains. The identified strategies and research propositions provide implications for researchers and practitioners seeking to accelerate sustainable practices for reducing food loss and waste in agri-food supply chains.

A systematic literature review of Auditing Practices research landscape and future research propositions using bibliometric analysis

A systematic literature review of Auditing Practices research landscape and future research propositions using bibliometric analysis

Resource allocation in healthcare entrepreneurial ecosystems: the strategic role of entrepreneurial support organizations

PurposeInnovation management in the healthcare sector has undergone significant evolutions over the last decades. These evolutions have been investigated from a variety of perspectives: clusters, ecosystems of innovation, digital ecosystems and regional ecosystems, but the dynamics of networks have seldom been analyzed under the lenses of entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs). As identified by Cao and Shi (2020), the literature is silent about the organization of resource allocation systems for network orchestration in EEs. This article investigates these elements in the healthcare sector. It discusses the strategic role played by entrepreneurial support organizations (ESOs) in resource allocation and elaborates on the distinction between sponsored and nonsponsored ESOs in EEs. ESOs are active in network orchestration. The literature explains that ESOs lift organizational, institutional and cultural barriers, and support entrepreneurs' access to cognitive and technological resources. However, allocation models are not yet discussed. Therefore, our research questions are as follows: What is the resource allocation model in healthcare-related EEs? What is the role played by sponsored and nonsponsored ESOs as regards resource allocation to support the emergence and development of EEs in the healthcare sector?Design/methodology/approachThe article offers an explanatory, exploratory, and theory-building investigation. The research design offers an abductive research protocol and multi-level analysis of seven (sponsored and nonsponsored) ESOs active in French healthcare ecosystems. Field research elaborates on semi-structured interviews collected between 2016 and 2022.FindingsThis article shows explicit complementarities between top-down and bottom-up resource allocation approaches supported by ESOs in the healthcare sector. Despite explicit originalities in each approach, no network orchestration model prevails. Multi-polar coordination is the rule. Entrepreneurs' access to critical technological and cognitive resources is based on resource allocation modalities that differ for sponsored versus nonsponsored ESOs. Emerging from field research, this research also shows that sponsored and nonsponsored ESOs manage their roles in different ways because they confront original issues about organizational legitimacy.Originality/valueBeyond the results listed above, the main originalities of the paper relate to the instantiation of multi-level analysis operated during field research and to the confrontation between sponsored versus nonsponsored ESOs in the domain of healthcare-related innovation management. This research shows that ESOs have practical relevance because they build original routes for resource allocation and network orchestration in EEs. Each ESO category (sponsored versus nonsponsored) provides original support for resource allocation. The ESO's legitimacy is inferred either from the sponsor or the services delivered to end-users. This research leads to propositions for future research and recommendations for practitioners: ESO managers, entrepreneurs, and policymakers.

Transformative experiences in tourism: where, when, with whom, and how does tourists' transformation occur?

Travel experiences have the potential to induce significant changes in tourists. This perspective paper aims to delineate directions for understanding the where, when, with whom, and why of transformative experiences in tourism, proposing future research directions across various dimensions of this multifaceted topic. The Transformative Experience Diagram is presented as a guide to addressing questions about where, when, with whom, and why travel transformation occurs. These propositions are grounded in a literature review spanning various disciplines, along with authors' quantitative and qualitative studies on the process of travel transformation and discussions with experts from diverse fields. Additional data, gathered from semi-structured interviews with people who previously had transformative travel experiences, inform the discussion on key questions of travel transformation and support the propositions for future research. In addition to conceptualizing the process of tourist transformation and proposing a framework for future research, this perspective paper has the potential to influence tourism management practices by guiding the design of experiences that trigger tourists' transformation, positively impacting personal growth, and enhancing the wellbeing of travelers.

Workplace Well-being From Development of Consciousness Through Purposeful Leadership

This paper constructs a model for enhancing workplace well-being (WB) from development of consciousness (DC), through purpose driven leadership (PL). A morally higher and ethical organizational purpose can help facilitate the accomplishment of higher purposes of the individuals, leading to greater engagement, fulfilment, and well-being in the organization. This paper reviews 20 theories of leadership based on the inner domain of leaders, 10 scales of WB, and five perspectives on PL, and relates them all to DC. It also describes V-theory of transcendence to support DC through multiple practices and help the leadership in developing their higher purpose. The paper finally presents some propositions for future research on the model, and implications for practice.

Masstige marketing in 2023 and beyond: An introduction to the special issue on masstige marketing

AbstractThe recent interest of marketers in adopting masstige strategy is a testimony to its potential. But, the dialogue on masstige among research community is not befitting its requirement. This special issue was launched to address this pressing demand towards masstige research. This special issue serves the masstige theory with eight rigorous research papers covering utmost relevant varied aspects of masstige. Papers in this special issue establish the relevance of masstige strategy for hitherto less explored aspects like services, old‐age consumers, short‐ and long‐term happiness, and so forth. Novel insights are offered along with future research propositions for masstige research. Our aim of this special issue is well addressed by generating and advancing interest of scholars towards masstige and thereby extending the current horizons of masstige research.

Unlock the potential: Unveiling the untapped possibilities of blockchain technology in revolutionizing Internet of medical things-based environments through systematic review and future research propositions

The Internet of Medical Things (IoMTs) has rapidly gained popularity recently, and the need for self-health assessment and the resulting reduction in treatment waiting periods have sped up the usage of IoMTs. Unfortunately, the growing usage of IoMTs has also brought up issues that have unintended effects, including a lack of data management, an unsafe network environment, privacy and security concerns. To address the problems with IoMT applications, distributed ledger technology, which forms the basis of blockchain technology (BCT), has emerged as a practical solution. The utility of BCT to support IoMT-based settings has been demonstrated by academic research. However, no analysis of the literature has been performed to comprehend BCT performance in IoMT scenarios. Therefore, the present study offers a thorough literature review of 182 studies on the use of BCT in an IoMT environment, drawn from 70 pioneering journals included in the WoS database. It also outlines recommendations for future research areas. This study adds to the body of literature in three main ways using a mix of bibliographic and content analysis. It starts out by outlining the structure of how BCT works in an IoMT setting. Secondly, it provides a roadmap that takes into account the factors that might aid in BCT proliferation in IoMT situations. Thirdly, the paper outlines the prerequisites for BCT's effective adoption and use in an IoMT environment. The implications of the recognized clusters and the factors influencing the properties and outcomes of BCT are covered in the article's conclusion. This is the first effort to investigate BCT's function within the context of the IoMT environment; this has become crucial since BCT has developed popularity in IoMT contexts. The article highlights many aspects that may help to improve comprehension of this important issue by utilizing the provided outline as a guide and identifying major knowledge gaps.

Learning design thinking well: organizing (introductory) workshops for optimal participant experience

A better understanding of the implementation of design thinking (DT) as a means to increase the assimilation of its practices is an important concern for R&D and innovation managers because more frequent use of DT practices raises organizational innovative capabilities. Introducing DT practices in workshops is a common, but also challenging approach to learning DT. Participants often have little to no prior encounters with the tools, techniques and principles used to practice DT and often mistrust or misinterpret the DT concept after a bad experience during the first exposure. For that reason, a suboptimal experience in introductory workshops can prevent or reduce the assimilation of DT practices. This study investigates how participant experience during first exposure as a vital precursor to the assimilation of DT practices can be improved via the organization of introductory workshops. We examine flow as the core experience measure in a quantitative‐inductive, quasi‐experimental study of two 3‐day DT workshops and compare periods with step‐by‐step acquisition of DT practices under guidance, periods of flexible, independent application of DT practices and periods of recovery. Our research employs a segmented time series analysis on more than 1100 real‐time observations collected with the experience sampling method (ESM). This study contributes to the scarce empirical research on improving the implementation of DT practices by indicating that a positive initial experience depends on workshop length, the logic of guided periods, the combination of guided and unguided periods, timing and type of recovery, as well as on team formation. Our results lead to five organizing principles, which can be used as testable propositions for future research, as well as in the planning and execution of (introductory) DT workshops.

The Impact of Intangible Capital on Firm Profitability in the Technology and Healthcare Sectors

The aim of the present study is to assess the impact of structural capital intensity and utilization on firm profitability in an international setting: the European Union countries, plus Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The indicators are calculated based on financial data downloaded from the Refinitiv Eikon database. Two financial ratios are used as proxies for the intensity and utilization of structural capital. The balanced panel consists of 625 companies from 25 countries, over the period from 2013 to 2022. The panel includes financial information on two industries that are considered innovation-oriented, namely technology and healthcare. Alternative model specifications are proposed to test the robustness of the basic model, including dynamic models (with lagged dependent variables). The present study indicates that a higher proportion of structural capital (intangible assets, excluding goodwill) is a negative factor for company profitability in the technology and healthcare sectors. There is no indication that a more intense use of intangible assets and more investments in R&D positively contribute to company profitability in the respective industries, for a large sample of listed companies. A higher proportion of intangible assets, as reported in financial statements, is possibly related to inefficiencies in the management of structural capital. The inverse relationship between profitability and investments in intangible assets is likely due to failures in cost accounting. Limitations and future research propositions are provided in the conclusions.

Power in the supply chain: a state-of-the-art literature review and propositions from the perspective of gender differences

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the existing literature on firms’ power through the lens of the supply chain and highlights some gaps that could be covered by future research.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a systematic framework-based review combining the insights of the antecedents, decisions and outcomes (ADO) and theories, contexts and methods (TCM) frameworks. The review was carried out using a sample of 108 articles published between 1984 and 2022 in 25 prestigious journals.FindingsThe ADO framework maps out the state of the art of the antecedents of power (i.e. sources and types of firm power), the decision to use power and the effect that exercising power over other firms may have on firm performance and the quality of inter-firm relationships. In addition, this framework highlights factors that mediate or moderate the decision to exercise power and the factors that mediate or moderate the outcomes of exercising power or power asymmetry. The TCM framework provides insights into the theories, contexts (i.e. countries, industries, level of analysis and sources of data) and methods used by the existing literature. The content analysis using the aforementioned frameworks provides the basis to elaborate propositions for future research on power in the supply chain from the perspective of gender differences.Research limitations/implicationsThis systematic literature review offers a comprehensive guide for researchers to understand the antecedents, decisions and outcomes of firm power in the supply chain, as well as the TCM used in the literature. The content analysis using frameworks provides a road map to investigate the proposed factors that might moderate the decision to exercise power and the outcome of exercising power or power asymmetry from the perspective of gender differences. In addition, based on content analysis, the authors make propositions about TCM that could be applied in future research.Practical implicationsFrom a practical perspective, this systematic literature review may help managers to better understand the sources and consequences of their firm’s power. This would allow managers to make better decisions when negotiating with their supply chain parties, which could potentially lead to better performance for their firms and the whole supply chain.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to conduct a comprehensive systematic literature review of the different dimensions of firms’ power in the supply chain.

Mapping the terrain of HRM practices: a bibliometric expedition and future research propositions

Mapping the terrain of HRM practices: a bibliometric expedition and future research propositions

A Systematic Literature Review of AI-Driven Communication: Foundations, Trends and Future Research Propositions

A Systematic Literature Review of AI-Driven Communication: Foundations, Trends and Future Research Propositions

A study of key factors that influence and enable patient empowerment: A systems approach

AbstractGlobal crises have forced the healthcare sector to advance the way they practise. Patient empowerment has emerged as one of the solutions to face these challenges. Nevertheless, patient empowerment is still lacking for accepted conditions, making it difficult to effectively promote within the healthcare system. This study aims to systemically map the concept of patient empowerment using principles of systems thinking with the Boardman Soft Systems Methodology that enables a graphical visualization (i.e., Systemigrams). This includes levels of patient empowerment and their relationship with other concepts such as health literacy, health providers, self‐management, patient characteristics and healthcare outcomes. This study contributes to the literature by (a) articulating a set of conditions to enable patient empowerment, (b) identifying the key concept that might influence the level of patient empowerment and (c) providing guidance and propositions for future research that can promote and further study patient empowerment.