Scholarly Contributions Research Articles

Surfing the AI waves: the historical evolution of artificial intelligence in management and organizational studies and practices

Purpose This paper aims to explore the historical evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) in management and organizational studies and practices, highlighting the cyclical patterns of technological advancements, scholarly contributions and organizational adoptions. Design/methodology/approach This paper proposes a wave metaphor and related framework to capture the dynamic and cyclical nature of AI’s evolution into theory and practice. This paper accessed relevant scholarly sources about AI’s technological and practical development over the decades. Findings This study uncovers the recurring misalignments between technological advancements, scholarly contributions and organizational adoptions by identifying five distinct waves in AI history – symbolic AI, the AI Winter, the machine learning renaissance, the big data era and the emerging phase of human–AI collaboration. Each wave reflects distinct challenges and opportunities, providing insights into how management theory and practices shaped and have been shaped by AI. This framework also highlights the role of theory-practice misalignment – both as a barrier and a driver of progress – in shaping the trajectory of AI’s integration into management and organizational studies. Originality/value This work challenges linear views of technological progress and emphasizes the interplay (and misalignments) between scholarly contributions and practice. For academics, it offers comprehensive research directions for investigating AI in management and organization studies. For practitioners, it provides guidance on navigating technological adoptions.

Narrative Inquiry in Language Teaching and Learning Research (Second Edition)

Within the diverse range of methodological choices available to researchers, especially those who find their research orientation leaning towards the qualitative research paradigm, narrative inquiry has emerged as a significant yet understated focus for 21st-century applied linguists, undergraduate students, and postgraduate scholars working on their investigations into language teaching and learning experience. This seemingly new methodological development in applied linguistics has drawn its inspiration primarily from sociological and psychological literature (Barkhuizen, Benson, & Chik, 2014) and thanks to the inspiring work of Connelly and Clandinin (1990) and has eventually transitioned into many other domains, including social sciences and humanities (Connelly & Clandinin, 1990; Lieblich, Tuval-Mashiach, and Zilber, 1998; Pinnegar & Daynes, 2007; Riessman & Speedy, 2007; Webster & Mertova, 2007), even though narrative inquiry has been practiced before (Clandinin & Rosiek, 2007). With the increasing scholarly contributions and published empirical research, narrative inquiry has evolved into a vital and multifaceted methodology that, while rooted in sociological and psychological foundations, has gained widespread recognition across various disciplines, particularly in applied linguistics, as an optimal investigative route for exploring lived experience of language teaching and learning.

Bibliometric Analysis of Circular Economy & Consumer Behaviour

This study conducts a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of 1,520 articles indexed in Scopus from 2015 to 2024, examining the evolving research landscape on the relationship between the Circular Economy and consumer behaviour. The primary objective is to map the scientific network and contributions within this domain. The analysis highlights a significant increase in research interest, with 2022 and 2023 recording the highest publication output, amounting to 124 articles. Among the leading contributors, R. Mugge stands out for making substantial scholarly contributions, while Delft University of Technology emerges as the most affiliated institution in this field.

South African Geography educators’ contributions to Geography Education: A perspective from the 35th International Geographical Congress, Dublin City University, Ireland, August 2024

A key responsibility of academic scholarship is to contribute to and further develop the field of enquiry. This paper offers a critical qualitative reflection on how South African Geography Education (GE) scholars are contributing to and advancing the field of enquiry from the perspective of the International Geographical Congress (IGC). This event, held every four years, is the largest gathering of geography scholars and researchers in some 43 commissions, one of which is GE, in the world. The two-part analysis provides an overview of who is producing knowledge and where it is being produced in the Global North and Global South. This is followed by a thematic analysis of the abstracts of the South African papers. The findings affirm the scholarly contribution our scholars are making to the field individually and in collaboration with colleagues and postgraduate students. Secondly, the findings reveal an unevenness in terms of who is contributing, and it highlights constraining factors impeding participation. The paper concludes by making some tentative propositions on a future research agenda that may help to advance the field and how constraining factors may be addressed so that we cultivate a stronger, more inclusive, Global South voice in the field.

Danger of Misinformation and Science Denial: Background, Modern Examples, Future Action

ABSTRACTAnti‐science beliefs, including science denial and belief in pseudoscience, pose a serious risk to human societies. This introductory article presents an overview of the dangers of these anti‐science beliefs for a special issue of the Journal of Social Issues on how they impact the behavioral and social sciences. After providing a broad overview of some of the dangers of science denial and pseudoscience, we summarize the contributions of scholars to this special issue who explore a wide range of factors that contribute to the problem and provide suggestions for how scientists can better communicate and apply their research findings in a “post‐truth” world.

Rajiv Banker’s lasting impact on data envelopment analysis

Abstract This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of Professor Rajiv Banker’s significant impact on the field of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Through an extensive review of his scholarly contributions, we explore three major clusters within DEA research: (1) Returns-to-Scale (RTS) and Most Productive Scale Size (MPSS), (2) Statistical Inference in DEA, and (3) Contextual Analysis. Banker’s pioneering research has significantly advanced DEA methodologies, addressing fundamental challenges related to scale efficiency, statistical robustness, and the influence of contextual variables on performance. His work has bridged theoretical developments and practical applications, influencing diverse fields such as economics, finance, and management science. By examining citation trends and bibliometric data, we trace the evolution and enduring relevance of his contributions, highlighting key papers that have shaped the trajectory of DEA research. This paper also discusses the evolution of DEA models and approaches, including the integration of stochastic elements and second-stage analyses. In recognising Banker’s lifetime dedication to DEA, we celebrate his lasting legacy and his transformative influence on both the academic community and practical implementations of DEA worldwide.

Dynamic resonance: unpacking Ghanaian traditional knowledge through proverbs for modern socio-environmental innovation

Traditional knowledge reflects the essence of a community, embodying its truths and ancestral lineage. Preserving this knowledge is vital for maintaining identity and cultural roots. However, viewing it as the sole marker of ethnic ancestry overlooks other factors, such as genetics and the interplay of beliefs and practises. Beliefs and practises, shaped by cumulative wisdom, represent a dynamic core of traditional knowledge influenced by geography, experiences, cultural encounters, and resource availability. Tradition is not static but evolves with time, adapting to the needs of the era. Thus, it is essential to critically evaluate traditional knowledge within its temporal context to distinguish sustainable practises from those that may hinder progress. This paper examines select traditional knowledge embedded in proverbs from two Ghanaian ethnic cultures, Akan and Ewe, through the lens of 21st-century sustainable practises. The focus is to demonstrate that whilst some traditional knowledge endures, others align with modern skills like creativity, innovation, critical thinking, and collaboration—key to socio-environmental sustainability. The paper begins by appreciating Ghanaian traditional knowledge and its practical applications in daily life. It then presents a selection of proverbs with their interpretations, followed by a critical review guided by 21st-century benchmarks with the aid of ChatGPT 4.0 and Gemini 1.5 pro language modelling Artificial Intelligence (AIs) after authentication of the selected proverbs by language experts who are also vested in Ghanaian proverbs. The analysis highlights the nuanced fabric of traditional knowledge, identifying some proverbs that remain relevant and adaptable for daily usage in educational and industrial organisations to elicit 21st-century competencies. The paper concludes with recommendations for scholarly contributions and educational initiatives grounded in traditional knowledge. These initiatives aim to foster sustainable, innovative practises that meet contemporary needs, bridging cultural heritage and modernity.

Bias in Peer Review of Forensic Psychiatry Publications.

Bias can vitiate the quality and credibility of a mental health professional's forensic evaluations as well as scientific and scholarly contributions to the forensic process in forensic psychiatry publications. Our attention here is on this latter influence of bias, although the genres of bias identified here can as well occur in forensic practice and writings. Attention is given to multiple forms of bias in peer review: ad hominem, ideological, confirmatory, hindsight, the halo effect, gender, publication, conflict of (financial) interest, political, religious, nationality or country of origin, esthetic or linguistic, racial or ethnicity, and herding. No doubt much bias in peer review goes undetected and no absolute purification process exists. Nonetheless, as with almost any problem, the first step toward a remedy is recognition.

Mapping One Decade of Identity Studies: A Comprehensive Bibliometric Analysis of Global Trends and Scholarly Impact

This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of identity studies over the past decade, focusing on global trends and scholarly impact. Identity is defined as a dynamic concept that reflects how individuals and groups construct their sense of self within diverse social, cultural, and political contexts. Using the Scopus database, this research analyzed 18,399 publications from 2013 to 2024, spanning multiple disciplines such as sociology, anthropology, and digital cultural studies. This study identified leading authors, collaboration patterns, and thematic evolutions within identity research, highlighted through citation analysis and network visualization. The findings reveal significant contributions from Western countries, particularly the United States and the United Kingdom, in shaping the global discourse on identity. Key topics frequently explored include social identity, cultural identity, and the influence of globalization. Additionally, emerging themes such as identity in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and racial disparities are highlighted. This bibliometric analysis provides insights into global collaboration, research productivity, and the intellectual contributions of prominent scholars. Utilizing R software and the Bibliometric package, this study offers a deep understanding of the dynamics of identity research and suggests future directions to further explore the formation, negotiation, and expression of identity in an increasingly globalized world.

The three waves of visual literacy

Silos are an undeniable and unavoidable reality of knowledge production, particularly within academia. For those who choose to navigate between disciplinary boundaries, as opposed to within them, it is not uncommon to find similar concepts developing in parallel in two or more completely different fields of study. These silos tend to be not just disciplinary, but temporal, leading to the unintentional reinvention of concepts and the dismissal of already existing and potentially valuable scholarship. These silos can also be exacerbated by language or even personal agendas. In the face of this reality, it would be naive to assume a concept so seemingly intuitive as visual literacy would have escaped such silos. Although the documented history of visual literacy spans over eight decades and across several disciplines, a dominant narrative obscures portions of the whole history. By shedding light on the contributions of scholars and practitioners who have championed it from distant or occluded timelines, we get a fuller picture of the history of visual literacy and, potentially, a broader vantage point from where to explore it further. This article attempts to contextualise and reconcile the timelines (both the better-known and the more hidden) in a single chronology and to discuss the patterns that emerge from this exercise.

THE INDEPENDENTISATION OF AFRICAN HISTORIOGRAPHY

This paper explores the evolution of African historiography within the broader context of global history, highlighting its significance as an academic discipline. The introduction underscores the critical role of history in understanding human agency and change, particularly in the context of Africa's colonial past, which has often been narrated through a Eurocentric lens. The methodological framework employed is comparative, examining African and non-African scholarly contributions, focusing on case studies that illustrate the diversity of perspectives in African historiography. Through a thorough analysis of pioneering figures such as Carl Christian Reindorf, alongside contemporary scholars like Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o and Molefe Asante, the study reveals how indigenous narratives and oral histories have increasingly challenged established Eurocentric interpretations. Key findings indicate that despite the progress made in reclaiming African narratives, significant gaps remain within the historiographical tradition, primarily due to historical marginalisation. The paper further discusses the necessity of integrating digital history into African historiography, suggesting that such an approach can enhance accessibility and engagement with diverse historical narratives. This research advocates for an expanded understanding of African history as an essential component of global historiography, emphasising the importance of incorporating multiple methodologies and voices to construct a more comprehensive and nuanced historical narrative.

Cutting-Edge Progress in Aqueous Zn-S Batteries: Innovations in Cathodes, Electrolytes, and Mediators.

Rechargeable aqueous zinc-sulfur batteries (AZSBs) are emerging as prominent candidates for next-generation energy storage devices owing to their affordability, non-toxicity, environmental friendliness, non-flammability, and use of earth-abundant electrodes and aqueous electrolytes. However, AZSBs currently face challenges in achieving satisfied electrochemical performance due to slow kinetic reactions and limited stability. Therefore, further research and improvement efforts are crucial for advancing AZSBs technology. In this comprehensive review, it is delved into the primary mechanisms governing AZSBs, assess recent advancements in the field, and analyse pivotal modifications made to electrodes and electrolytes to enhance AZSBs performance. This includes the development of novel host materials for sulfur (S) cathodes, which are capable of supporting higher S loading capacities and the refinement of electrolyte compositions to improve ionic conductivity and stability. Moreover, the potential applications of AZSBs across various energy platforms and evaluate their market viability based on recent scholarly contributions is explored. By doing so, this review provides a visionary outlook on future research directions for AZSBs, driving continuous advancements in stable AZSBs technology and deepening the understanding of their charge-discharge dynamics. The insights presented in this review signify a significant step toward a sustainable energy future powered by renewable sources.

International Conference Proceedings on Law and Emerging Technologies

The International Conference on Law and Emerging Technologies, held on 15 January 2025, brought together legal scholars, policymakers, and technology experts to explore the evolving intersection of law and digital innovation. Convened and edited by Naeem AllahRakha, the conference focused on critical issues such as AI in judicial decision-making, cybersecurity risk management, smart cities, online labor relations, and ethical dilemmas of autonomous systems. Experts discussed how digital transformation can advance gender equality in public administration and examined the legal frameworks governing smart contracts and digital transactions in e-government. The conference proceedings, published by the International Journal of Law and Policy, reflect a diverse range of perspectives on ensuring legal adaptability in an era of rapid technological advancements. Through in-depth discussions and scholarly contributions, the event aimed to foster innovative regulatory approaches that balance technological progress with ethical and legal considerations, shaping the future of law in the digital age.

Leaving the Institution: Academic Women and Retirement

ABSTRACT Only relatively recently have significant numbers of women been able to have academic careers and develop a sense of academic identity that encompasses scholarly contributions to their discipline. The literature has traced the progress and accomplishments of academic women and has now begun to consider the transition to retirement. Arguably, the institution that shaped academic identity is powerful in the decision to retire and permeates life in retirement. We explore this affective relationship through oral histories with 32 academic women, focusing on the decision to retire and how women narrate the academic self. The decision to retire was multi-faceted reflecting personal circumstances, such as health or caring responsibilities, but inseparable from institutional contexts that were often negative. Women often spoke of relentless demands of their institutions and their tiredness. Many remained critical of their institution after retiring while continuing unpaid academic activity, particularly research. While retirement was usually a continuation of academic identity, this was sometimes rejected for new endeavours. Leaving behind performative expectations, in retirement many women academics found greater space for pleasure and fulfilment.

Beyond Synthesis: Elevating Scholarly Contributions in the Age of AI

Beyond Synthesis: Elevating Scholarly Contributions in the Age of AI

Southern Lights: Framing Horizontality in Scientific Networks

Several critical events have helped us refocus on our lives and review our relationship with reality. The COVID-19 pandemic and climate change have had a significant impact on our lives and our scholarship. More recently, the introduction of Artificial Intelligence has the potential to reorganize how we learn and write. In this special section, we advocate for the importance of horizontal dialogues through and for globalscientific networks with a special focus on scholarly contributions from the Global South to confront current challenges. Unequal relations considered inherent to North-South collaborations are still shaping the theoretical frameworks. This special section is an attempt to overcome this uneven and also dichotomous way of relating to North-South scientific collaborations. Global South serves as a decolonial end of a pluriverse of epistemic subjects. It is regarded as a process consisting of deconstructing labels, homogeneity, sameness, and dichotomies. Such a view is in contrast with the trendy labels Global South and decoloniality have acquired in the last decade in the scientific enterprise. This special section directs us to three authors’ articles from the Global South to illustrate the emergence of new ideas. The papers raise concerns related to territoriality, methodological shifts, and the ontological turn. The value and usefulness of the term Global South is important to distinguish it from the reference to subalternity and contexts of vulnerability and poverty.

A new approach to compare the scientific impact of scholars

ABSTRACT Purpose Generally, the scientific comparison has been done with the help of the overall impact of scholars. Although it is very easy to compare scholars, but how can we assess the scientific impact of scholars who have different research careers? It is very obvious, the scholars may gain a high impact if they have more research experience or have spent more time (in terms of research career in a year). Then we cannot compare two scholars who have different research careers. Many bibliometrics indicators address the time-span of scholars. In this series, the h-index sequence and EM/EM’-index sequence have been introduced for assessment and comparison of the scientific impact of scholars. The h-index sequence, EM-index sequence, and EM’-index sequence consider the yearly impact of scholars, and comparison is done by the index value along with their component value. The time-series indicators fail to give a comparative analysis between senior and junior scholars if there is a huge difference in both scholars’ research careers. Design/methodology/approach We have proposed the cumulative index calculation method to appraise the scientific impact of scholars till that age and tested it with 89 scholars data. Findings The proposed mechanism is implemented and tested on 89 scholars’ publication data, providing a clear difference between the scientific impact of two scholars. This also helps in predicting future prominent scholars based on their research impact. Research limitations This study adopts a simplistic approach by assigning equal credit to all authors, regardless of their individual contributions. Further, the potential impact of career breaks on research productivity is not taken into account. These assumptions may limit the generalizability of our findings Practical implications The proposed method can be used by respected institutions to compare their scholars impact. Funding agencies can also use it for similar purposes. Originality/value This research adds to the existing literature by introducing a novel methodology for comparing the scientific impact of scholars. The outcomes of this research have notable implications for the development of more precise and unbiased research assessment frameworks, enabling a more equitable evaluation of scholarly contributions.

Seeing beyond words: nanotechnology in hepatocellular carcinoma - a bibliometric study.

Nanotechnology has increasingly been applied in the diagnosis and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) over the past two decades. This study aims to explore the utilization of nanotechnology in HCC through a bibliometric analysis, identifying key themes, trends, and contributions in this field. The study utilized VOSviewer and CiteSpace software to perform a bibliometric analysis, evaluating scholarly contributions related to nanotechnology in HCC. The analysis focused on co-occurrence network relationships, publications, citations, and contributions from various entities and authors. The analysis revealed a total of 2,968 articles, with China and the USA being the most prominent contributors in terms of publications and citations. Notable contributions were made by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and authors Gao Jie and Li Yan. LLOVET JM emerged as the most co-cited author, indicating a leadership role in the field. The "International Journal of Nanomedicine" was identified as the leading publisher, while "Biomaterials" ranked highest in citations. The research mainly focused on drug delivery systems and apoptosis, highlighting significant advancements in utilizing nanotechnology for HCC treatment. This bibliometric study underscores the critical role of nanotechnology in advancing the diagnosis and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, with a particular emphasis on drug delivery and apoptosis. The findings highlight the contributions of key countries, institutions, and authors, reflecting the global effort and collaboration in this rapidly evolving field.

Study Hotspot and Trend in the Field of Shear Wave Elastography: A Bibliometric Analysis from 2004 to 2024.

The objective of this study was to comprehensively review the literature on Shear Wave Elastography (SWE), a non-invasive imaging technique prevalent in medical ultrasound. SWE is instrumental in assessing superficial glandular tissues, abdominal organs, tendons, joints, carotid vessels, and peripheral nerve tissues, among others. By employing bibliometric analysis, we aimed to encapsulate the scholarly contributions over the past two decades, identifying key research areas and tracing the evolutionary trajectory of SWE. For this study, we selected research articles related to SWE published between 2004 and March 2024 from the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC). We utilized sophisticated bibliometric tools, such as CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and SCImago Graphica, to analyze the trends in annual publications, contributing countries and institutions, journals, authors, co-cited authors, co-cited references, and keywords. Our analysis yielded a total of 3606 papers. China emerged as the leading country in terms of publication output, with a strong collaborative relationship with the United States. Sun Yat-Sen University was identified as the institution with the highest number of publications. The keyword "transient elastography" was the most prevalent, with "acoustic radiation force" being a focal point in the initial stages of SWE research. Recently, Contrast-enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS) has emerged as a new research focus, signaling a potential direction for future research and development. The global research landscape for SWE is projected to expand continuously. Future research is likely to concentrate on the integrated application of SWE and CEUS for diagnostic purposes, along with exploring the clinical utility of multimodal ultrasound that synergistically combines SWE with other ultrasound technologies. This bibliometric research offers a comprehensive overview of the SWE literature, guiding researchers in their pursuit of further exploration and discovery.

Intent to Leave Associated More Strongly with Workplace Belonging Than Leadership Behaviors of Supervisor in Women Health Care Professionals.

Background: The attrition of health care professionals from institutions has historically been high, with reports of higher rates in women than men. High attrition jeopardizes the institution's financial stability, quality of patient care, and scholarly contributions to advancing health care. The disproportionate loss of women reduces the diversity of perspectives and skills needed to meet patient needs. Attrition risk has been demonstrated to relate to both the leadership behaviors of supervisors and the sense of belonging in the workplace. Toward informing health care institutions about strategies for curtailing high attrition, we sought to assess the relative strength of the association of attrition risk with leadership behaviors of supervisors versus workplace belonging. Methods: Attendees of a continuing education course on women's leadership skills in health care were surveyed about the intent to leave (ITL) their institution within 2 years, perceived leadership behaviors of their supervisor, and experiences of workplace belonging. Dimensions of workplace belonging were identified by factor analysis. The strength of association of ITL with supervisor's leadership behaviors and each workplace belonging dimension was analyzed in a multivariable ordinal logistic regression model. Results: Women comprised 94% of survey participants. In the regression analysis, lower ITL was associated strongly with more frequent experiences of institutional culture supporting workplace belonging, modestly with more favorable perceptions of supervisor's leadership behaviors, and not with frequency of experiences of interpersonal relationships supporting workplace belonging. Conclusions: An institutional culture that supports workplace belonging is particularly important for reducing attrition risk in health care professionals. For health care institutions seeking to improve retention of its professionals and women in particular, our findings point to investing in a culture of workplace belonging that involves a diverse workforce, an environment in which its professionals feel heard, supported, and empowered and are provided strong career advancement opportunities.