Systems Perspective Research Articles

Manure contribution to rural livelihoods at farm and landscape levels: a systemic approach in semi-arid Central Tunisia

ABSTRACT Manure valorization through on-farm use or market transactions is an ancient and widespread practice in the mixed crop-livestock systems of the semi-arid areas of North Africa. While research has long focused on the manure contribution to soil fertility at the plot level, little has been done concerning livelihood conditions. The present paper aims to assess the contribution of manure use and exchange on the livelihoods of rural communities using an original dataset collected in 2021 among 150 farmers in Central Tunisia. This analysis is carried out within the analytical agroecology framework combined with factor analysis methods. Results showed that manure use and valorization differ along the watershed, from a socioeconomic perspective in small farms operating under rainfed tree-pastoral systems, to an environmental and agronomic perspective in the mixed rainfed-irrigated systems downstream. Manure flow analysis confirmed that on-farm manure balance is positively correlated to economic wealth. However, the manure fluxes questioned the environmental sustainability of the vulnerable zones. Its use and management could significantly impact livelihood discrepancies in the future, with the increasing of demand and use of manure in more favorable zones such as irrigated lands at the detriment of the rainfed zones.

Neither Employment nor Self‐Employment: Avenues Towards Functional Platform‐Mediated Work Systems

ABSTRACTDigital labour platforms are contested because they create work relationships that neither fall into the category of traditional employment nor fulfil the criteria of freelance work due to platforms’ heavy interference in the work process. Although existing research has elucidated different pathways for improving the working conditions of platform workers, we develop an employment relations perspective on platform‐mediated work systems building on David Marsden's theory of employment systems. On the basis of an assessment of the psychological, economic and legal contracts underlying platform‐mediated work, we discuss the limited functionality of these contracts in their ability to control opportunism among platforms, workers and clients. Our analysis contributes to existing debates by providing a theoretically informed framework for analysing the design of platform‐mediated work systems and their consequences for the participating parties. Our insights add nuance to the platform regulation debate by going beyond the question of worker classification towards understanding the organizational and institutional elements of the work system that need to be redesigned and supported by appropriate institutional safeguards. An employment systems perspective also allows for reflection on the economic, societal, sectoral and strategic conditions that could drive such changes.

Construction of Spatially Separated Acid-Base Sites inside and outside Metal-Organic Framework Nanocrystals for Efficient Cascade Reactions.

The development of acid-base catalysts for one-pot cascade reactions remains challenging because of the inherent incompatibility of inorganic acid and base active sites. Here, we introduced an innovative approach that employs spatial separation to construct separated inorganic acid-base sites, achieving sequence control of acid-base cascade reactions. The as-prepared bifunctional catalyst applied metal-organic framework (MOF) nanocrystals as spatial separators, with the inside microcavities loaded with 1 nm inorganic polyoxometalate acid H3PMo12O40 clusters (NENU-5) and the outside crystal surface covered with basic CuCo layered double hydroxide (CuCo-LDH) nanosheets. By applying the resultant NENU-5@CuCo-LDH catalyst to cascade deacetalization-Knoevenagel condensation, over 99% of the benzaldehyde dimethyl acetal (BDMA) was transformed into the final benzylidene cyanoacetate (BCA) with a 99% yield at 80 °C and solvent-free conditions. Compared to the random NENU-5+CuCo-LDH, the NENU-5@CuCo-LDH with spatially separated acid-base sites indicated a higher reaction rate due to the designed reaction sequence and the shorter mass transfer pathway. Moreover, this hierarchical structure showed inherent shape selectivity and extraordinary stability. This study introduces spatial separation to address the incompatibility issue between inorganic acid and base active sites, offering novel perspectives for acid-base systems.

Long-term recovery of compacted reclaimed farmland soil in coal mining subsidence area

During the reclamation process of coal mining subsidence areas, mechanical compaction hinders the rapid recovery of reclaimed mine soil (RMS) functions to their pre-mining levels. To optimize reclaimed farmland management, which can promote the recovery of compacted soils, this study aims to explore the key factors and underlying mechanisms affecting RMS recovery from a systemic perspective using complex network theory (CNT). Soil samples from reclaimed farmland at different recovery stages (0, 2, 6, 12, 16, and 22 years) and adjacent non-subsided cultivated soils (NCS) were collected at a depth of 0 ∼ 20 cm in the eastern plains mining region of China. Twenty-four soil indicators were measured, and their evolution over RMS recovery was analyzed. CNT was employed to systematically analyze the complex network relationships among these indicators, identifying key factors and underlying mechanisms affecting RMS recovery. The results indicated that compaction led to soil macroaggregate (MA) destruction, mineralization losses of organic carbon and nitrogen, reduced microbial activity, degraded soil fertility, and increased complexity and disorder in the relationships among soil indicators. Re-cultivation had a positive effect on the recovery of RMS. After 22 years of cultivation, significant improvements in soil structure were observed, with MA increasing by 30.95 % (P < 0.05). Based on this, organic carbon gradually accumulated, with soil organic carbon (SOC) increasing by 250.94 % (P < 0.05). Microbial abundance similarly improved, with total microbial biomass (TB) increasing by 123.07 % (P < 0.05). Soil fertility was also enhanced, with alkali-hydrolyzed nitrogen (AN), available phosphorus (AP), and available potassium (AK) increasing by 125.96 %, 304.84 %, and 61.90 %, respectively. However, RMS indicators and system structure remained distinct from those of the NCS. The first approximately 12 years after re-cultivation represented a critical period during which soil structure improvements drove RMS functional recovery, with a focus on MA recovery. Increasing particulate organic carbon (POC) accumulation is an effective strategy to promote aggregation in compacted RMS. Microbially mediated carbon–nitrogen cycling emerged as a crucial driver of the gradual recovery of the RMS system after re-cultivation.

Research on the High-Quality Development of Agricultural Supply Chain Financial Ecosystem Empowered by Science and Technology

A systematic perspective on agricultural supply chain finance can offer fresh insights into its development. The high-quality development of the agricultural supply chain finance ecosystem is crucial for the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas and the realization of agricultural power. Based on the current state of development of this ecosystem, this paper identifies several bottlenecks, such as insufficient policy and technical support in the macro-environment system, weak incentives for independent circulation within the industrial environment system, and inadequate motivation for stakeholders to participate in the micro-environment system. To address these issues, this paper proposes that the visualization, digitalization, and authenticity characteristics of the “blockchain + Internet of Things” technology architecture can effectively resolve these bottlenecks. Additionally, targeted strategies are suggested to promote the high-quality development of the agricultural supply chain finance ecosystem.

Bouncing back from life's perturbations: Formalizing psychological resilience from a complex systems perspective.

Experiencing stressful or traumatic events can lead to a range of responses, from mild disruptions to severe and persistent mental health issues. Understanding the various trajectories of response to adversity is crucial for developing effective interventions and support systems. Researchers have identified four commonly observed response trajectories to adversity, from which the resilient is the most common one. Resilience refers to the maintenance of healthy psychological functioning despite facing adversity. However, it remains an open question how to understand and anticipate resilience, due to its dynamic and multifactorial nature. This article presents a novel formalized framework to conceptualize resilience from a complex systems perspective. We use the network theory of psychopathology, which states that mental disorders are self-sustaining endpoints of direct symptom-symptom interactions organized in a network system. The internal structure of the network determines the most likely trajectory of symptom development. We introduce the resilience quadrant, which organizes the state of symptom networks on two domains: (1) healthy versus dysfunctional and (2) stable versus unstable. The quadrant captures the four commonly observed response trajectories to adversity along those dimensions: resilient trajectories in the face of adversity, as well as persistent symptoms despite treatment interventions. Subsequently, an empirical illustration, by means of a proof-of-principle, shows how simulated observations from four different network architectures lead to the four commonly observed responses to adversity. As such, we present a novel outlook on resilience by combining existing statistical symptom network models with simulation techniques. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Using State Space Grids to Quantify and Examine Dynamics of Dyadic Conversation

ABSTRACT This paper illustrates how to implement state space grid analysis for analyzing the back-and-forth multi-turn dynamics that manifest in dyadic conversations. In doing so, we contribute to a dynamic dyadic systems perspective that seeks to advance theories about individual and relational antecedents and outcomes of interpersonal communication through the articulation and study of dyadic interaction dynamics. We first review state space grid terminology, data requirements, visualizations, and quantifications, and how the use of state space grid analysis maps to conversation-related research questions. We then illustrate the application of state space grids to the examination of dyadic support conversations; specifically, we demonstrate how this method can be used to derive parameters that operationalize the use of or movement in the state space and to examine between-dyad differences in movement through the state space. Empirically, we found that conversation behavior flexibility was related to characteristics of the dyadic relationship but not to support receiver outcomes, and that our operationalizations of conversation attractors were related to neither relational characteristics nor support receiver outcomes. We conclude with a discussion of theoretical, methodological, and practical issues that researchers can consider when using state space grids in the analysis of conversation dynamics.

Paved with good intentions: From digitalization to carbon neutrality

Researchers and practitioners have promoted digitalization as a crucial tool for achieving carbon neutrality. In this paper, we argue that for digitalization to positively impact carbon neutrality, several essential supporting conditions are required. Using the Georgescu-Roegen/Daly ecological production function approach, we argue that digitalization alone a) will not necessarily lead to dematerialization, partly because it tends to economize on labor rather than other, less sustainable production factors, and partly because it requires a material- and energy-intensive infrastructure; b) will result in both quantitative and qualitative output expansion rather than substituting existing products and services with more sustainable alternatives; and c) will not promote carbon-conscious corporate governance practices. We suggest that a systemic perspective is necessary to analyze the complex relationships between digitalization and carbon neutrality.

Sustainability and Systems Thinking: a Case Study on HP Inc

Objective: The objective of this study is to describe the sustainable impact actions of HP Inc. and relate them to General Systems Theory, emphasizing a viable systemic and circular production ideal that generates socioeconomic and environmental benefits from a minimal impact perspective. Theoretical Framework: The foundation of this research essentially consists of the General Systems Theory proposed by Bertalanffy, which, combined with complementary concepts and literature such as Industrial Ecology and Systemic Thinking, serves as a basis for analyzing HP Inc.'s production process. Method: This is an exploratory study, for which bibliographic research was conducted to provide a theoretical basis on the topics of sustainability and General Systems Theory. Subsequently, based on the knowledge acquired and official documents made available by the company, HP's production process and its relationship with the previously examined literature were analyzed. Results and Discussion: The results show that HP is a multinational corporation with a sustainable and social impact policy aimed at goals such as zero carbon emissions, a fully regenerative economy, a primarily renewable energy matrix, digital equity, and the effective practice of the circular economy, which ensures ease of repairs, maintenance, and product longevity. Therefore, it is concluded that the company has a feedback system, which not only ensures minimal socio-environmental impact but also demonstrates alignment with systems theory, supporting the implementation of social and sustainable measures. Research Implications: The research demonstrates, from a systemic perspective, how a circular production system, together with other sustainable impact actions, is a viable reality already being applied today, potentially serving as an example for other companies in operation. Originality/Value: The study is relevant as it not only exposes the feasibility of a circular and regenerative economy, such as that of HP Inc., but also reflects how General Systems Theory and systems thinking can be key perspectives for analyzing this scenario.

Digital CRM in Nagpur's Primary and Secondary Schools: A Health Systems Approach to Enhancing Student Wellbeing in the Digital Transformation Era

Over the last couple of years, a significant increase in the use of educational technologies has changed the ways of student relationships and students’ well-being management. This study aims at establishing the extent and nature of utilization of Digital CRM system in primary and secondary schools in Nagpur from a health systems perspective, and the effects on students health. The research explores the effectiveness of the adopted digital CRM platforms to enhance more friendly, effective communication, and to create supportive mental and physical health student centred programs. The study utilizes survey questionnaires and short interviews with school administrators, teachers and students to determine the extent in which the digital CRM systems are effective and the difficulties encountered in the learning environment. Other relevant areas of interest include improvement in the services available to students, parents and strengthening of efficient mechanisms of collecting student health data for policy formulation. The details will describe the implication of the future digital CRM tools on the present issues related to the Nagpur students’ needs and the implications of health systems integration among schools. Based on this study it is suggested that digital CRM can greatly enhance the capacity of the school to support and respond to students’ needs through timely interventions, accessible collaboration communication, and a positive school climate. However, the program maintains several difficulties which have the potential to hinder valuable implementation: Data protection issue; Training of the system for the stakeholders; and Resource issues. Based on integrating the concepts of digital CRM with health systems the following recommendations for development of student’s wellbeing in the conceptual normal of digital transformation have been formulated by this research for the policymakers, educators, and technology suppliers.

Contactless Service: Artificial Intelligence Applications of Airports

Airports are an essential part of the airline value chains. Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are widely used at airports; they utilize two technologies: face detection and recognition. The study examines how passengers' performance expectancy and emotions affect satisfaction and willingness to adopt the AI service of passengers via familiarity. Based on the AI device, it uses acceptance and socio-technical systems perspectives; participants who adopted the AI service in airports in Beijing, Taipei, and Singapore who have the potential to use AI service usage experience more than three times; 387 completed questionnaires. A satisfaction model was analyzed using the partial least squares approach; this study used purposed sampling to collect data based on the passenger volume analysis by those airports, and 387 completed questionnaires were analyzed. With the rise of AI innovation services in airports, passengers can quickly complete boarding procedures through AI innovative services. The research findings point out that passengers' performance expectancy and emotions positively affect familiarity with AI services for passengers. AI innovations provide a service change driver for and have the potential to replace human tasks and intelligence and analytics applications at airports. AI services are a powerful tool for airports to serve their passengers efficiently, and airports will collaborate with airlines to serve passengers with AI.

Green Sourcing: Supplier Assessment and Selection Practices across Industries

Background: Over the last years, the assessment and selection of suppliers, based on the environmental performance of their products/services and their operations, has reached paramount importance and attracted the interest of many researchers and practitioners. Based on the prevailing perspective of supplier selection as a purely decision-making problem, this interest has been channeled towards the development of decision-support methods and tools. Other broader issues, such as whether there are converging or diverging green supplier evaluation and selection organizational processes across industries has not been addressed. Methods: Here, for the first time, we address this question by adopting a systems perspective and by considering green supplier evaluation and selection as an organizational sub-process of the broader sourcing process. We use activity theory to represent green supplier evaluation and selection as two interconnected activities, each comprising a set of organizational practices. Based on this representation, we developed a research instrument to carry out empirical research in a sample of 80 companies from five industries (pharmaceuticals, food processing, aquaculture, construction materials, waste management and recycling) in Greece. Results: The results of the survey suggest that green supplier evaluation and selection practices do not fully converge, but there are differences across industries. Conclusions: The cultural and historical context of industries influences the adoption of specific environmental supplier evaluation and selection practices.

Les genres littéraires participent de domaines: en relisant Croce, Frye et McLuhan

Literary Genres Are Parts of Fields: Reading Croce, Frye and McLuhan. Literary critics widely apply the notion of genre to literary works; the use of the notion of field is far less frequent. This application of the notion of genre is defined as a tool to code literary works and to subsume the many variants of coding under specific names – the names of genres. The notion of literary genre and its realities are relativistic; they do not succeed in accounting for literary works’ singularities and similarities. Any systematic use of literary genres in criticism ends with inconsistent views of what is supposed to be the whole of literary genres. Genette’s notion of ‘architext’ illustrates this impasse. The notion of field – here translated in French by ‘domain’ and specified by the expression ‘domaine de sens’ (field of sense) – enables critics and readers to align views on singularities and similarities, to reject any systematic perspective and to outline literary works’ differences, proximities and conti nuities. The notion of ‘domaine de sens’ deprives references to constant kinds of forms/ genres of theoretical and practical usefulness. Literary works are constant because they are texts. As texts, they require no coding to be identified as literary. They just ‘appear’ to be works when they are linked to fields of sense, i.e. linked to the discourses and semantics of the place and time of their writing or reading. These discourses and semantics may include literary genres. Fields of sense are innumerous and change according to the place and time of works’ writing and reception, and each field of sense eventually comprises many works. Fields of sense explain literary works’ proximities and chains across time. Croce’s, Frye’s and McLuhan’s theses about literary genres support the aforementioned argument.

Technological progress: Interconnectedness, innovation systems, and technology delivery systems the case of Indian electric vehicles

The electric vehicle (EV) technological supply chain progresses when demand (pull) aligns with supply (push) to perform as a technology delivery system. Actors, institutions, and networks interconnect the technological supply chain with innovation as responses to external pressures to produce and deliver technology products/services. The literature separately examined the progress from a delivery perspective (linking the demand and supply network) and a systems perspective that examines technological change as a socio-technical system. Technological progress requires changes aligning push and pull or one feeding into the other. The ‘motors of innovation’ that shape the innovation system are used in systems dynamics modeling linking technological changes and progress. This study uses ‘motors of innovation’ to combine the two perspectives and uses interconnectedness to examine the alignment of push and pull and the resulting delivery phenomena. The phenomena require studying it in its settings with diverse heuristic and analytic views. Therefore, this study uses case study methodology and selects multiple Indian EV cases comprising all vehicle segments in a government direct market scenario. It makes two contributions to technological progress: one defines the combined delivery and systems perspective and includes interconnectedness. The other is moving knowledge to a broad scope and expertise and striving for interconnectedness with other systems. Further insights are possible with cases that display better technological progress, as findings noted poor interconnectedness with limited technological capability and infrastructure.

Case Study on the Inherent Mechanisms Driving Industrial Innovation through Data Empowerment

In the context of the profound integration of big data, artificial intelligence technologies, and industries, both data resources and digital technologies became crucial pillars supporting the development of industrial innovation. They played key roles in enhancing the innovation capabilities of industries. In this regard, the present study employed the specific case of the intelligent brain of the Taizhou Machine Tool Industry. Utilizing grounded theory, the research integrated relevant data through coding analysis and category extraction to construct a comprehensive theoretical model of the intrinsic mechanisms driving industrial innovation through data empowerment. The study revealed that the realization of data-empowered industrial innovation followed a logical path of 'data resource services data capability spillover industrial innovation achievement.' Specifically, data empowerment operated across three dimensions: industrial resources, production, and ecology, effectively propelling the realization of industrial innovation. From a systematic perspective, this research analyzed the intrinsic mechanisms of data-empowered industrial innovation, deepening the theoretical understanding of industrial innovation. In the context of past industrial digitization transformation, these findings provided valuable insights for guiding industrial innovation development.

The impact of Blockchain adoption on supply chain performance: evidence from food industry

The food supply chain (FSC) constantly needs to address persistent challenges such as information asymmetry, low transparency, food quality and authenticity, and unnecessary waste. Blockchain is perceived as a promising solution to overcome these FSC challenges. Existing literature captures a conceptual understanding of various aspects of Blockchain for FSC, such as how the technology can enhance transparency, efficiency, and food authenticity. However, a quantitative assessment of the overall impact of Blockchain adoption on the FSC operational performance is still missing. This study combines empirical and analytical approaches to investigate the evident research gap. Under the lens of systems thinking and System Dynamics (SD) modelling perspective, the study collected questionnaire and interview data to develop different FSC models for evaluating the impact of Blockchain on key operational performance metrics. The findings indicated that Blockchain positively affects inventory level and lead time in the immediate term, and cost in the long term. The results also warn that forgoing inventory buffers can come with the cost-of-service level. This study provides quantitative evidence of the positive influence of Blockchain on the FSC. This research contributes by extending the understanding of Blockchain's implications on broader supply chain performance from a systems perspective.

The Well-Being of Doctoral Students in Education: An Ecological Systems Perspective.

This study aims to explore the factors that influence the well-being situation of doctoral students in education from a qualitative perspective and draws on the ecological systems theory as an overarching framework. A total of 18 doctoral students in education from 3 universities in Hong Kong were interviewed. In line with the ecological systems theory, individual influential factors may embed and interact with all layers of systems (i.e., the microsystem, the mesosystem, the exosystem, the macrosystem, and the chronosystem) surrounding the doctoral students that hinder or boost their well-being, respectively. These six main areas of concern were identified from a thematic analysis of participants' responses. The study highlighted several salient influential factors of doctoral students' well-being, such as coping strategies, social relations, and their living and cultural environment. An interactive effect among specific factors, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and social movements, was also identified. Findings provide theoretical insights and offer recommendations for improving doctoral students' well-being.

Social-Ecological Urbanism as a Research Perspective to Analyse Transportation Inequalities in the Region of Łódź, Poland

The systems perspective enables the understanding of complex transformations which take place in urban regions. Social-ecological urbanism is an analytical methodology that integrates the systems perspective and unpacks relationships between the social-ecological and socio-technical subsystems of urban regions. In this article, we look for the most suitable approach to analysing the transformations of a tramway system and its impacts on public transportation inequalities in the metropolitan region of Łódź, Poland. As a departure point, we use the classic methods of communicative planning theory. The presented method uses a detailed case study analysis that carefully follows all the activities, stakeholders, and processes. We complement this approach by looking at the ongoing transformations of transportation equity through the lens of socio-ecological urbanism and by analysing the stakeholders’ roles and attitudes within the process. Our analysis indicates the role of public participation in the process, which affected and strengthened the transformations. This approach is greatly enhanced by the application of the social-ecological urbanism framework, with its analysis of services performed by various system components. Understanding their specific roles helps in planning future redevelopment. Our key finding is the necessity of combining communicative planning methods with strategic planning of the systems transformation process.

On-device Training: A First Overview on Existing Systems

The recent breakthroughs in machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) have catalyzed the design and development of various intelligent systems over wide application domains. While most existing machine learning models require large memory and computing power, efforts have been made to deploy some models on resource-constrained devices as well. A majority of the early application systems focused on exploiting the inference capabilities of ML and DL models, where data captured from different mobile and embedded sensing components are processed through these models for application goals such as classification and segmentation. More recently, the concept of exploiting the mobile and embedded computing resources for ML/DL model training has gained attention, as such capabilities allow (i) the training of models via local data without the need to share data over wireless links, thus enabling privacy-preserving computation by design, (ii) model personalization and environment adaptation, and (iii) deployment of accurate models in remote and hardly accessible locations without stable internet connectivity. This work summarizes and analyzes state-of-the-art systems research that allows such on-device model training capabilities and provides a survey of on-device training from a systems perspective.

Environmental and economic dynamics of the Galician fishing sector and compared perceptions of the agents involved in the value chain

ABSTRACT This case study analyses and compares the perceptions of agents that participate in different productive and commercial processes of the fishing activity (such as small-scale fisheries, distant-water fisheries and processing and commercialisation companies). It focuses on the regional level (Galicia, NW Spain) and considers sustainability, governance and socioeconomic aspects from the perspective of socioecological systems. Results show similarities and differences in agents’ perceptions related with specific aspects and problems relevant to each group, intersectoral relations and sustainability issues. In this sense, agents share a positive perception of the sustainability objectives proposed by international organisations, as well as concerns about the uncertainty linked to globalisation processes. However, they differ in their evaluation of some specific regulatory measures. Regulatory policies could consider this information in order to achieve a greater degree of complicity and compliance by fishers and other agents of the value chain.