COVID-19 Global Crisis Research Articles

Transformation of the business event industry during the pandemic: The case of the exhibition industry in Croatia

The exhibition and business events industry has felt the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic most directly, as evidenced by the mass cancellations of business events, i.e., their transformation into virtual or hybrid forms. The paper analyses to what extent the pandemic has influenced all aspects of Croatian business events and the exhibition industry. It conveys the results of the Global Recovery Insights 2020 study undertaken by UFI, and the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (hereinafter UFI) as well. Despite some weakening trends present in many countries and large markets, the industry is still a highly impactful one, particularly economically. To compare global occurrences and behaviour trends with the national practice, expectations, and future behaviour, we researched exhibitors at trade fairs in Croatia. The research results revealed that the crisis has accelerated the transformation of the exhibition and business events industry in terms of recognizing the benefits of digitalization, but also identified a paradox: reinforcing the desire and preference of exhibitors for live events. Socialization and the social aspect of networking, i.e., face-to-face meetings and communication remain an irreplaceable need, both for the exhibition and events industries in Croatia, which is analogous to global trends. Virtual, and especially hybrid events, have the potential to enhance user experience and attract a new, digitally native generation of users. Even though live events are still the first choice for exhibitors and sponsors, the hybrid mode is here to stay. Therefore, the global COVID-19 crisis emphasizes the need for redesign of the business event and exhibition industry business model, as well.

How to fight the COVID-19 global crisis

Global leaders are facing the undesirable crisis of coronavirus spreading toward human beings as a scientific puzzle. The study aims to assess the global crisis due to unwanted pandemic disease and how to overcome it predominantly. The study uses a literature review method and collects data from existing resources. The research has made a decisive contribution to fighting coronavirus in people worldwide with dynamic health policy and secure technology. From the results of the study, tthe virus is a man-made remote sensing program but some scientists remained mysterious. Coronavirus is a global threat extremely through misusing processed radio frequency at a certain distance. The study has become the foremost societal and scientific concern of bringing the global leaders together to find a unique solution to the global pandemic. Keywords: Coronavirus; global crisis; radiofrequency; policy.

Supplemental Material for Rapid Transition to Telepsychology: Health Service Psychology Trainee Responses Amidst a Global Covid-19 Crisis From an Ecological Perspective

Supplemental Material for Rapid Transition to Telepsychology: Health Service Psychology Trainee Responses Amidst a Global Covid-19 Crisis From an Ecological Perspective

Impact of COVID-19 Crisis on Knowledge Management Practices in Sultanate of Oman

This research was conducted with the aim of identifying various changes made to knowledge management (KM) practices implemented by organizations in the Sultanate of Oman following the onset of the COVID-19 crisis. Further, the study focused on identifying the impact of those changes on various aspects of human resources management. Snowball and purposive sampling techniques were used to collect relevant data from 110 line managers in various organizations in the Sultanate of Oman. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-squared and post-hoc tests. The Bonferroni correction method was adopted to reduce the risk of Type I error. The findings indicated that organizations started utilizing an inside-out approach to KM after the COVID-19 crisis began, shifted KM process from manual to computer-based and spending from conventional to e-KM activities. Key finding is that the organizations demonstrated an increased dependency on internal knowledge sources. In addition, line managers began measuring the effectiveness of KM practices, a metric which had been mostly neglected in the pre-pandemic period. Perceived benefits of these changes included increased employee motivation and engagement, increased employee learning and job-related skill, along with an enhanced knowledge-sharing culture across the organization. Important measures taken to mitigate the perceived negative impact of these changes, or enhance the perceived positive impact, included consistent persuasive communication with employees and identifying alternate financial resources to support KM activities. This research contributes to the field of KM and projects it as a supportive discipline to effective crisis management. Findings of this research can help in identifying the areas of training and improvements in the KM framework. This research is global and topical in nature as it relates to the e-KM practices during the ongoing global COVID-19 crisis and portrays the changing e-learning scenario in the organizations in Oman, one of the prominent countries in the middle east and represents the middle east regional culture and economy.

Discovering the technology evolution pathways for 3D printing (3DP) using bibliometric investigation and emerging applications of 3DP during COVID-19

Additive manufacturing (AM) is advantageous in terms of lower carbon emissions, less material-wastage, mobility of digital design, product customization and simpler supply chain management. Moreover, during the global COVID-19 crisis, a robust and IT-driven manufacturing technology was highly required to cope with the peak demands of medical and basic emergency supplies. 3D printing (3DP) enabled the manufacturers to fulfill the deficiencies of healthcare equipment for medical professionals and patients throughout the world. In this paper, some emerging applications and challenges incurred by 3D printing during COVID-19 were briefly summarized. 3D printed PLA-based biodegradable mask filters, medical face shields, respiratory protective equipment and 3D bioprinted tissue models for COVID research are some significant contributions of AM. In this paper, a CiteSpace based bibliometric investigation of 3DP-related literature was conducted, to identify the technology evolution pathways for 3D printing, using the data retrieved from Web of Science and published between 1986 and 2021. The main contributing forces including countries, journals, institutions and subject areas were determined. Knowledge clusters were established to identify networks of the most prolific keywords and documents. In addition, a hierarchical knowledge foundation and hotspots of 3DP were recommended for future research. It was revealed that the policy support of the USA, China, England and Germany was significantly favorable for the development of 3DP research. This article provides insights into the COVID-based applications of 3DP and the research dynamics of this field, which can help in the decision-making process to incorporate innovative and emerging technologies in the AM industry.

Technostress, Work Performance, Job Satisfaction, and Career Commitment of Teachers amid COVID-19 Crisis in the Philippines

The perception of technostress in education constantly increasing to unprecedented levels is not new. However, in novel situations like the global COVID-19 crisis, technostress and its influence on important teaching facets deserve a revisit. This paper focuses on the association of technostress on the sample characteristics and organizational performance variables of the teachers in the context of emergency distance education brought by the COVID-19 crisis. Following a mainly correlational research design, 2,272 teachers from Mindanao, Philippines were taken as a sample. The data collected through adapted instruments were treated using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results showed that the teachers experience moderate level of technostress, very high levels of work performance and job satisfaction, and high level of career commitment. It was further revealed that technostress and its four sets significantly differed across age, gender, marital status, and teaching experience. Lastly, it was found out that technostress has a significant negative relationship with work performance. The practical implications of these outcomes on the professional development of the teachers in the context of emergency distance education are discussed at the end of the study.

Editorial

This new issue is an example of our journal’s ongoing commitment to interdisciplinary dialogue, cutting-edge approaches, and the rethinking of mobilities. It also features authors at various stages of the academic career, from promising graduate students pursuing new venues to senior international scholars. We are extremely proud of the range of topics covered and the energy that flows through the issue. It starts with a theoretical inquiry into a concept that is central and critical to our lives and to our field: immobility. Noel Salazar revisits some of his previous work and invites us to rethink the “relational and experiential qualities” of what he rightly labels an “ambiguous concept.” Salazar masterfully builds upon language and our concrete and practical experiences of immobility, from mundane life to the new normal of the global COVID-19 crisis, to call on us to pay attention and give intention to the concept of immobility. His article reads as an invigorating manifest for studying and researching immobility as a meaningful, dynamic, and processual spectrum rather than as residual or as an antithesis of mobility.

Role of perceived corporate social responsibility in the nexus of perceived cause-related marketing and repurchase intention in emerging markets

PurposeThis study aims to evaluate the impact of perceived cause- related marketing (perceived-CRM) on the repurchase intention (CRIN). Besides, brand image (BIMA) and customer satisfaction (CSAT) connect this relationship as mediating variables. Especially, the role of perceived corporate social responsibility (perceived-CSR) contributed to this nexus between perceived-CRM and BIMA, perceived-CRM and CSAT in emerging economies.Design/methodology/approachThe paper follows a quantitative approach. Based on a comprehensive literature review on perceived-CSR, perceived-CRM , BIMA, CSAT and repurchase intention, the authors evaluate the impact of those constructs on repurchase intention in an emerging market. The study sample was composed of 395 responses covering customers of consumer goods. The study uses the Smart PLS-SEM version 3.3.2 to analyze the data.FindingsThe findings revealed significant contributions to the extant CRM literature in some ways. This study's outcomes contribute to extending the existing literature on CRM and CSR. Specifically, the extension focuses on the mediating and moderating effects of BIMA, CSAT and perceived-CSR, respectively, in the relationship between perceived-CRM and CRIN. Moreover, the novelty of this study lies in providing a new approach to the influence of perceived-CRM on CRIN, with the mediating of BIMA, CSAT and moderating effects perceived-CSR integrated into a conceptual model.Practical implicationsFrom a management perspective, the contribution of this study plays a very important role in strategic planning to enhance competitive advantage and improve business performance on a sustainable basis. This sustainability is founded on an insight into how changes in contextual factors affect the perception and consumer behavior of millennials in fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) market, especially in a context of Covid-19 global crisis. It is important to emphasize that genuineness and transparency in all activities and communications are a prerequisite in today's sensitive context. The application of acquired insight into practice will help businesses operating in the consumer sector improve brand reputation and CSAT. As a result, this leads to enhanced competitive advantage of the business in the market, improved market performance and ultimately to an improvement in the overall performance of the enterprise.Originality/valueThis is the first study that explores the moderating role of perceived CSR on the nexus between perceived-CRM with brand image (BIMA) and CSAT to the best of our knowledge. Besides, the study also discovers the mediating role of BIMA and CSAT between perceived-CRM and repurchase-intention in an emerging economy. Findings in this study provided additional evidence to the increasingly important roles of perceived-CRM and perceived-CSR in creating win-win relationships with customers, aiming to solve specific social causes jointly. Further, the perceived-CRM and perceived-CSR mechanisms help businesses enhance their intangible assets and competitive advantages through enhanced BIMA and stronger CRIN. In the current context, the business environment is changing rapidly due to many factors that lead to increased competition at a global level. Therefore, improving competitive advantage is a mandatory condition for businesses to survive and develop sustainably.

TRUMP, BOLSONARO, AND THE FRAMING OF THE COVID-19 CRISIS

In the aftermath of the global COVID-19 crisis, whereas many world leaders enacted swift lockdown orders and robust testing regimes to preserve public health and to speed up economic recovery, Donald Trump in the United States and Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil responded to outbreaks by publicly downplaying the significance of the crisis and argued that overly restrictive health measures would create too sizable an economic risk. These two presidents have done much to weaken democracy and trust in government. In this article, we examine the extent to which two institutions in each country––federalism and the party system––impacted the ways in which they framed the COVID-19 crisis and policy responses to it in 2020, especially during the first months of the pandemic. Our evidence suggests that each of these institutions provided opportunities for both leaders to reconstruct public understandings of the crisis while deflecting blame for negative public-health outcomes.

Flexing the Leadership Muscle: An International Study of Entrepreneurial Resilience in Rural Communities During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 global crisis and the ensuing lockdown of large parts of society and economic life has been an exogenous shock to society (Kuckertz et al., 2020). It is predicted the impact on the small business sector is likely to be severe (Fairlie, 2020). The findings of this international qualitative study offer a first-hand and real-time account of the adversity encountered by small rural businesses during the first lockdown in the COVID-19 pandemic and insight into how their leaders exercised resilience. Drawing upon the evidence from 38 small business entrepreneurs and four business support organizations, the data pointed out three main challenges in terms of adversity relating to business model change, information flow and sense-making, and weak strategy. The study also brings new insight into five leadership practices and behaviors that help exercise entrepreneurial resiliency: personal and business experience of crises, positive mindset, personal faith, learning and leading, and relationships.

China’s bilateral and minilateral relationship with Latin America and the Caribbean: the case of China–CELAC Forum

ABSTRACT Drawing on Qin Yaqing’s notion of relational power, this article analyses how, why and through what mechanisms Chinese international initiatives diffuse Chinese ideas and practices and facilitate the projection of its power in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). In an era of crisis of multilateralism and neoliberal globalization and confronted with the global COVID-19 crisis, Chinese cooperation with a politically fragmented region that has for long been dominated by the United States has involved the deployment of bilateral, minilateral and multilateral relationships from the foundation of the China–CELAC Forum and the extension of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to embrace LAC up until the relaunching of the Health Silk Road. Adaptive processes of multilevel cooperation and the projection of soft power contribute to the emergence of a hybrid geopolitical landscape.

Physical activity, resilience, emotions, moods, and weight control, during the COVID-19 global crisis

ObjectivesThis study aimed at exploring the relationships between physical activity, weight control, and psycho-social aspects of the COVID-19 lockdown, which have characterized the Israeli population’s behavior during the COVID-19 global crisis.DesignCross-sectional survey research.MethodsParticipants included 1855 men and women aged 18 and above, from different regions in the country and representing different sectors. They were recruited through the social media in a “snowball” sampling, and filled out a self-administered six-part survey: Demographic background, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), the positive and negative affect scales (PANAS), the Conor and Davidson resilience scale, a questionnaire for measuring depressive symptoms, and questions regarding weight change based on the Israeli National Health and Nutrition (MABAT) survey.ResultsRoutine physical activity (PA) was reported by 76.3% of the participants before the lockdown, 19.3% stopped exercising during this period, and 9.3% began exercising during the lockdown. The participants who were physically active during the lockdown period reported a higher level of resilience and positive feelings, and a lower level of depression, compared with those who were not physically active.People who were physically active during the lockdown maintained their weight compared with those who were inactive. Concerning weight change, 44.8% of the respondents maintained their weight, and a higher percentage of people reported weight gain than those who reported weight loss.ConclusionsContinuous PA before and during the COVID-19 lockdown were associated with higher resilience and positive emotions, and depressive symptoms, in people aged 18 and above. Although a causal link cannot be established, in light of the results of the present study, encouraging physical activity may contribute to improving mental health and a sense of self-efficacy, as well as to maintaining weight during a crisis.

The social responsibility of data visualisation in a time of pandemic

In a time of pandemic, media platforms and outlets have a social responsibility to make complex data more accessible, understandable and usable. To this end, health organisations and government officials have made extensive use of data visualisations to manage the global COVID-19 crisis. Motivating people to make the necessary behavioural changes, however, requires data to be presented in an appropriately engaging manner. This paper describes effective ways to present data and how to turn complex raw data into actionable insights.

Searching for urban mobilities futures. Methodological innovation in the light of COVID-19.

The global Covid-19 crisis reveals the very nature of the mobilized and interconnected risk society. Media discourse, everyday talk, science and arts process daunting questions such as Can we live a “normal” life, again?, What exactly will happen when the Corona pandemic becomes less dangerous? Can business, public and everyday life go back to how they used to be?These questions open up possibilities to rethink current forms of urban planning. In many ways this needs sophisticated methodologies for scenario building and modelling the possible paths for cities, collaboration, innovation, and creativity in finding appropriate solutions able to cope with pandemic situations.2 See Traditional and up to now functional divisions of labour and disciplinary boundaries between stakeholders need to be re-assessed.From 2014 to 2016 the authors conducted the explorative research project ‘Mobilities Futures and the City’ aiming to investigate the potentials of combining the methodology of future workshops with art-based co-creation approaches in order to create storylines about the future of cities and mobilities. The methodological approach developed in the project was tested in two 5-day future workshops, in Denmark and Germany respectively. Against the backdrop of the Covid-19 situation, the article presents the methodological parts of the project since it has innovative potential with respect to urban planning and rethinking the relations of mobilities and the city. The paper documents results from the workshops and discusses them towards lessons learned for transdisciplinary approaches in urban mobility planning.

Keywords: Militarism

Using the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) maritime exercises as an example, this keywords entry explores the concept of militarism and seeks to understand ideologies of justified violence in relation to the structure of settler colonialism and the logics of white supremacy. Using three brief reflections from RIMPAC 2020, I examine how militarism sustains, and is sustained by, racial hierarchies and colonial power. I also draw links to the Covid-19 global crisis and the Black Lives Matter movement, demonstrating how the impacts of militarism, like a disease, extend far beyond what are usually identified as militaries, infecting all aspects of society.

COVID‐19 and the uncertain future of HRM: Furlough, job retention and reform

The article argues that job retention should be a central aim and practice of human resource management (HRM). Set against the global COVID‐19 crisis, theoretical insights are drawn from strategic HRM planning and the economics of ‘labour hoarding’ to consider the potential benefits of workforce furloughing. Furlough has been supported in the UK by the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, which represents a novel, but temporary, state‐led shift from the UK's market‐orientated restructuring regime. We argue that the withdrawal of state‐financed furlough may mean a quick return in UK firms to the management of redundancy. Yet, if the crisis is to generate any benefit it must create the conditions for a more collaborative HRM that delivers for workers as well as business, with job retention as a core priority. While change in this direction will mean confronting deep‐rooted challenges—such as job security, good work and worker voice—such change remains vital in creating better and healthier workplaces.

Modernizing the Language Laboratory

This study investigates the ways in which synchronous and asynchronous activities create an online language laboratory that mediates second language (L2) learning for 188 L2 university participants over a 6-week period. Completion of tasks and pre-, post-, and weekly surveys were analyzed. Statistical analyses were run on self-rated questions while coding was complete on open-ended questions. Quantitative results revealed significant differences when comparing pre- and post-surveys on questions regarding L2 skills and knowledge while qualitative results indicated that participants had preferences between the technology tools used during the treatment. Although the physical language lab has become almost non-existent, this study suggests that L2 instructors should provide opportunities where L2 learners can expand their language skills outside of the classroom through the creation of an online language laboratory. This laboratory has the ability to transform L2 students' language learning as well as be very valuable in today's classroom given the current COVID-19 global crisis.

Pac. Biosciences of California, Inc. v. Oxford Nanopore Techs., Inc. United States Court of Appeals of the Federal Circuit, 2021 996 F.3d 134

Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc. (PacBio) sued Oxford Nanopore Technologies, Inc. and Oxford Nanopore Technologies, Ltd. (collectively, Oxford), accusing Oxford of infringing several of its patents, including U.S. Patent Nos. 9,546,400 and 9,772,323. The patents describe and claim methods for using technology to sequence DNA and other nucleic acids. A jury found all asserted claims infringed but also determined that they are invalid under 35 U.S.C. 112 for lack of enablement. The district court denied PacBio's motion for judgment as a matter of law (and for a new trial) on enablement. The district court also denied PacBio's request that the court grant a new trial because of Oxford's improper remarks during opening, remarks that included references to the potential applications of its accused products to the then-emerging global COVID-19 crisis. PacBio argued that the remarks caused prejudice that could not be remedied by the curative instruction the district court gave at PacBio's request. On appeal, the Federal Circuit affirmed. Regarding enablement, the court noted that it is not enough that relevant artisans knew how to perform some nanopore sequencing'' before the priority date of the patents, and that the jury had substantial evidence of non-enablement of the full claim scope. Notably, PacBio had no evidence of actual reduction to practice of its own that would undermine Oxford's evidence of non-enablement. As PacBio acknowledged, its reduction to practice was constructive only, i.e., took the form of its description in patent applications, without any accompanying real-world reduction to practice. The Federal Circuit did not see a basis for disturbing the district court's assessment that there was an insufficient likelihood that the improper opening remarks had an adverse impact on the ultimate verdict to justify a new trial in this case.

Practising through the pandemic

Practising psychotherapy online during Covid-19; uncertainties and crisis management; after effects of lockdown; trauma and its effects on autonomic nervous system; how we regulate. This article consists of my work during the global Covid-19 crisis and to address the consequences of it on mental health.

Solar Powered Smart Dry Hand Sanitizer Dispenser Machine with Level Monitoring System

Corona virus disease (Covid-19) is endangered in the world. Since the WHO declared it a pandemic and many cities are in lockdown, people have been unable to get out of their homes and thousands of people have already lost their lives. With the outbreak of the global Covid-19 crisis, hand washing and hygiene have become an absolute necessity in daily affairs. The Automatic Mist Based Sanitizer Distribution System is a very useful resource with level monitoring in the fight against corona virus. This contactless delivery system helps clean dry hands regardless of clean surfaces and helps reduce the spread of cross-contamination.