Capital Technology Research Articles

From tenants to subscribers: Digital experiments in residential rent extraction

Rent relations from landed property are increasingly being leveraged for experimentation with new forms of value capture via digital technologies. Inspired by platform corporations, real estate actors are constantly trialling innovations for deepening and extending residential rent extraction. This paper sheds light on these mounting experiments using the case of co-living, a real estate sector with a strong elective affinity to corporate capitalist technology. First, it documents attempts to optimise the rent-generating potential of real estate assets themselves via spatial surveillance and dynamic pricing. Second, it highlights efforts to establish forms of techno-economic enclosure beyond the limits of buildings via housing memberships and subscriptions. In so doing, the paper contributes to an emerging body of literature on the intersection between digital and residential rentierism.

A Study on Influence of Select Variables on Mediation of Green Information Technology Capital in Mining Industry

A Study on Influence of Select Variables on Mediation of Green Information Technology Capital in Mining Industry

Real Subsumption of Art to Capitalist Technical Reproducibility. Walter Benjamin and Bolívar Echeverría on Technology, Politics and Utopia under Capital

<p>The objective of the present article is to analyse the examination carried out by Walter Benjamin on the transformation of art and the aesthetic experience in his work The Work of Art in the Age of its Mechanical Reproducibility. The analysis will be conducted departing from Bolivar Echeverría’s reception of Benjamin’s essay -that is informed by Karl Marx’s Theory of Subsumption- with the aim of precising and potentiating Benjamin’s critique to capitalist technology and stimulating the discussion on the post-capitalist technological alternatives. In addition to presenting the essential ideas of Benjamin’s argument on the modern technique of artistic production and the modern technique of production of goods in general, alternating them with Echeverría’s interpretations in which he remarks the critical utopian potential within them, the critical conceptual convergence between Walter Benjamin and Karl Marx around the analysis of the essence of modern technique and its historicity, is presented.</p>

How the Locus of Uncertainty Shapes the Influence of CEO Long-term Compensation on Information Technology Capital Investments

Firms must allocate resources effectively to cope with uncertainty, which can manifest as a disruption and an opportunity. Although information technology (IT) is a means to cope with uncertainty, chief executive officers (CEOs) may not always support IT investments due to the risky nature of IT, especially when facing uncertain conditions. While prior research suggests that CEO long-term compensation positively incentivizes IT investments, little is known about how different loci of uncertainty impact this relationship. To address this research gap, we study how firm-specific uncertainty and competitive uncertainty shape the influence of CEO long-term compensation on a firm’s IT capital investment. Drawing on agency theory and prospect theory, we develop two hypotheses. First, we hypothesize that firm-specific uncertainty and competitive uncertainty positively moderate the influence of CEO long-term compensation on firm IT capital investment. Second, we hypothesize that competitive uncertainty has a stronger positive moderating effect than firm-specific uncertainty on the influence of CEO long-term compensation on firm IT capital investment. Our analysis of secondary longitudinal data from 2000 to 2007 of 357 public firms in the United States supports our hypotheses. In exploratory analyses, we found that CEO long-term compensation results in a higher risk-oriented dominant logic in the firm, particularly in conditions of firm-specific uncertainty and competitive uncertainty, with competitive uncertainty having a stronger positive moderating effect. These findings uncover risk-oriented dominant logic as a theoretical mechanism that explains how CEO long-term compensation positively influences firm IT capital investment in uncertain conditions. We also conducted exploratory analyses using a different secondary dataset of 286 U.S. public firms from 2004 to 2019 to consider firm investments in transformative IT applications and found support for our theory. This finding triangulates our results across different time periods and different types of IT investments. This study contributes to theory and practice by providing a nuanced understanding of boundary conditions surrounding CEO long-term compensation, and decisions CEOs make vis-à-vis IT capital investments.

‘AgTech’ and the restructuring of agrifood labour regimes: Digital technologies, migrant labour and the intensification of production in the UK glasshouse sector

AbstractThis article examines the challenges surrounding the adoption of robotic automation and ‘AgTech’ in glasshouse agrifood production and considers ways in which growers and technology capital are seeking to transform the organisation of work at the point of production because of digital technological interventions. The article does so by examining the deployment by growers of ‘AgTech’ in the glasshouse agrifood sector in the context of the labour regime centred around seasonal migrant labour supply in the UK. The article makes three main contributions. Conceptually it centres technological transformation of the workplace within the context of wider labour regimes. Second, it argues that transformations of the labour process at the point of production through the introduction of ‘AgTech’ are one response by growers to labour supply shortages. Third, it examines the attempts by grower capital to intensify and fragment the nature of work as a result of the introduction of ‘AgTech’.

Narrative Review: Human Capital, Technology Capital, Digital Capabilities in Organizational Performance SMEs in the Era of Digitalization

Narrative Review: Human Capital, Technology Capital, Digital Capabilities in Organizational Performance SMEs in the Era of Digitalization

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION POTENTIAL: THE ROLE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN BUSINESS

Purpose: The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into business operations has become a pivotal driver of innovation and efficiency. This research paper explores the multifaceted landscape of AI implementation in businesses, examining the benefits of AI implementation. Theoretical Framework: The methodology adopted for this research comprises Semi-structured interviews with six key stakeholders’ executives, AI project managers, and digital transformation staff. Six additional globally businesses were chosen for case studies based on AI adoption maturity and digital transformation performance. Additionally, a qualitative content study of AI and digital transformation literature was conducted. Results and Discussion: The study revealed that as businesses continue to integrate AI, a balanced approach considering workforce implications is crucial to realizing the full potential of AI. The study also found out that the adoption of Artificial Intelligence in business is a nuanced process shaped by a confluence of factors. Organizational leadership, culture, resource availability, perceived benefits, regulatory considerations, data security, technology evaluation, and workforce readiness all play intricate roles. Thus, a holistic understanding of these factors empowers organizations to navigate the complex space of AI adoption, unlocking its transformative potential. Research Implications: The study's findings have many practical implications to businesses adoption of AI. AI, managers must promote innovation and adaptability. AI implementation requires human and technology capital. To reduce AI risks, legal and data security measures must be followed. To prepare employees for an AI-enabled workplace, organizations should adopt comprehensive training and development programs. Businesses may overcome AI implementation challenges and capitalize on its disruptive potential by addressing these five pragmatic elements. Originality and Value: This study contributes to the literature by offering insights into the nuanced landscape of AI adoption in businesses, emphasizing the crucial role of workforce considerations. It provides a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted factors shaping AI implementation. The relevance and value of this research are evidenced by the holistic approach and contributes valuable guidance for organizations navigating the complexities of AI adoption, fostering innovation and efficiency while prioritizing workforce integration.

Keeping time with digital technologies: From real-time environments to forest futurisms

Forests are zones of multiple temporalities. They keep time and are constituted through time-keeping practices. Digital technologies of environmental monitoring and management increasingly organise forest temporalities. This article considers how emerging techno-temporalities measure, pace, and transform forest worlds while reproducing and reconfiguring longer durations of colonial and capitalist technologies. We draw together scholarship on political forests, digital media temporalities, and anti-colonial and Indigenous thinking to analyse the politics of time that materialise through digital technologies and shape what forest pasts, presents, and futures are senseable and possible. In particular, we trace the socio-technical production of the ‘real-time’ as a temporal register of experiencing, knowing, and governing forest environments. Analysing a real-time deforestation alert system in the Amazon, we consider how these temporalities valorise immediate, continuous forest data that can be mobilised for understanding and protecting forests, while simultaneously glossing over durational colonial and capitalist framings of forests that rely on dispossession, extraction, and enclosure. The second half of the article turns to Indigenous futurisms and artistic and socio-political uses of digital platforms that rework forest temporalities. By analysing these multiple and sometimes contradictory temporalities, we suggest that these practices and interventions can challenge dominant timelines and their inequities through pluralistic and redistributive configurations of temporality, land, and data sovereignty.

Renewable energy consumption and its impacts on agriculturalization under climate neutrality targets

Improvements in energy efficiency, cost savings, and environmental advantages are possible effects of adopting and using renewable energy in agriculture. However, whether renewable energy consumption (REC) has any impact on agricultural productivity is a research question that this analysis tries to answer. Previous research neglected to consider the influence of REC on agriculture. The primary objective of the analysis is to analyze the role of REC in sustainable agriculture in Asia, America, Africa, and Europe with the help latest econometric technique of the CS-ARDL model. The findings show that REC and technological capital (TC) improve long-run agriculturalization in the full sample, Asia, Africa, America, and Europe. The results infer that a 1% increase in REC causes agriculturalization to boost by 1.512% in the full sample, 1.254% in Asia, 1.654% in Africa, 0.897% in America, and 1.325% in Europe. In addition, financial development favorably influences long-run agricultural productivity in the full sample, Africa, America, and Europe, and population growth only impacts agricultural productivity in the long run. In contrast, the long-run agricultural productivity is negatively impacted by environmental pollution globally and in Asia. On the other hand, in the short run, TC positively impacts agricultural productivity in all samples, while other short-run estimates are insignificant in most samples. These findings suggest that renewable energy utilization may lead to more effective and resilient agricultural systems by supplying clean and dependable electricity, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, and supporting sustainable resource management.

Vademecum of artificial intelligence tools applied to the teaching of languages

A qualitative documentary research of software and multimedia artificial intelligences was chosen to enable the ontological understanding of the object of study that aims to explore the potential for learning through Artificial Intelligence (AI). Besides, it is shown how AI, as a novel component within the digital education landscape, contributes to educational technological capital. In light of our research area, the focus is on determining how AI can be harnessed to enhance the development of communicative competence. This entails identifying and categorizing AI tools relevant to language didactics. The sample size for this study is 120 AI applications, sourcing and compiling data on AI tools from specialized websites. This sample serves as a paradigm justifying a mixed-method study capable of combining quantitative and qualitative data.The variables supporting this study consider four characteristics related to the specific typify of the digital tool in the pedagogical context. The first aspect pertains to the classification of generative AI tools with potential educational use. AI tools enriches and enhances the dimensions of learning underscoring the urgent need for literacy in this technology. The second variable was linked to the Pedagogical Competences of Teachers and the areas. The category in language education pertains to educators' ability to create, adapt, and employ digital resources that enhance language teaching and learning. The third and fourth identify the skills related to language learning. In the context of learning environments with AI tools, it is essential to contemplate the role of linguistic competence as subordinate to communicative competence.

From Cybercrime to Digital Balance: How Human Development Shapes Digital Risk Cultures

This article examines configurations of digital concerns within the European Union (EU27), a leading hub of innovation and policy development. The core objective is to uncover the social forces shaping technology acceptance and risk awareness, which are essential for fostering a resilient digital society in the EU. The study draws upon Bourdieu’s concept of capital to discuss technological capital and digital habitus and Beck’s risk society theory to frame the analysis of individual and national attitudes towards digital risks. Utilizing Eurobarometer data, the research operationalizes technological capital through proxy indicators of individual socioeconomic status and internet use, while country-level development indicators are used to predict aggregated national risk perception. Article contributions rely on individual- and country-level statistical analysis. Specifically, the study reveals that digital concerns are better predicted at a national level rather than individual level, being shaped by infrastructure, policy, and narrative rather than by personal technological capital. Key findings highlight a positive and a negative correlation between digital advancement with cybersecurity fears and digital literacy, respectively. HDI and DESI are relevant country-level predictors of public concerns, while CGI values are not. Using cluster analysis, we identify and interpret four digital risk cultures within the EU, each with varying foci and levels of concern, which correspond to economic, political, and cultural influences at the national level.

Digital Readiness and Economic Growth: Analyzing the Impact of DESI Scores on GDP in European Countries

This study investigates the impact of the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) on Gross Domestic Product (GDP) across European countries, incorporating control variables such as Industrial Production, Employment, Inflation, and Investment. The research employs panel regression analysis of data from 22 European nations from 2017 to 2022, focusing on DESI components like Human Capital, Connectivity, Integration of Digital Technology, and Digital Public Services. The study's findings reveal significant correlations, with specific emphasis on the positive influence of Human Capital and Integration of Digital Technology on GDP, while showing an unexpected negative correlation with Digital Public Services. This research contributes to the understanding of the complex relationship between digital readiness and economic performance, offering valuable insights for policy development and economic planning in the era of digital transformation.

Firm digital investments and capacity utilisation: A perspective of factor inputs

Data resources empower traditional inputs and promote capacity utilisation. Previous research has proven the positive role of digitisation on capacity utilisation from the perspectives of information asymmetry and technological innovation, but there is still a lack of theoretical foundation. This study proposes a model of the impact of information and communications technology capital on capacity utilisation. We empirically test the relationship between firms' digital investments and capacity utilisation using the data of Chinese manufacturing-listed companies from 2007 to 2021. First, an inverted U-shaped feature exists between firm digital investments and capacity utilisation, and the main mechanisms are the ‘cost effect’, ‘capital allocation effect’ and ‘labour input effect’. Second, firms' bargaining power, industrial technology density and regional market development influence capacity utilisation when firms engage in digital investments. Third, narrowing the digital gaps within industries and regions and increasing investments in artificial intelligence, big data and digital technology applications can enhance the non-linear impact of firm digitisation on capacity utilisation. Fourth, digital transformation can resist the negative impact of external shocks on capacity utilisation to some extent. Our research provides theoretical and practical support to facilitate the high-quality development of firms.

Conditioning factors for the scientific productivity of undergraduate students of health sciences at a private Peruvian University: A cross-sectional analytical study

Background The objective of this study was to determine the conditioning factors for scientific research productivity in university students of health sciences. Methods A cross-sectional analytical observational study was conducted. The study population was 4104 students enrolled during the 2021-I semester in the Faculty of Health Sciences of a private Peruvian university. A sample size of 400 students was determined and a stratified probability sampling was used. The variables were measured through surveys. The dependent variable was scientific research productivity, and the independent variables were institutional culture, knowledge management and technological capital. Summary measures are reported according to the type of variable. The chi-square test with a significance level of p<0.05 was applied to assess the association between the variables of interest. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed using the Stepwise method. Prevalence ratios (PR) with their respective 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were calculated. Results From the total of 400 students, 74.5% were male, 57.25% were aged between 18 and 27 years, 17% belonged to the school of human medicine and 72% were in their sixth year of studies. Scientific research productivity was associated with management commitment (PR=1.493; 95%CI: 1.077–2.068, p=0.015), sense of personal growth (PR=1.632; 95%CI: 1.041–2.558; p=0.024), recognition by the university (PR=1.385; 95%CI: 1.012–1.896; p=0.043), strategic alliances (PR=1.422; 95%CI: 1.032–1.959; p=0. 03), having research proposals (PR=1.522; 95%CI: 1.114–2.08; p=0.009), dissemination of results obtained (PR=1.542; 95%CI: 1.12–2.122; p=0.01), availability of human resources (PR=1.591; 95%CI: 1.165–2.173; p=0.004), access to equipment and software (PR=1.482; 95%CI: 1.061–2.069; p=0.018) and to laboratories (PR=1.438; 95%CI: 1.047–1.974; p=0.024). Conclusion It is concluded that the research productivity of undergraduate students of health sciences is low. It is necessary to strengthen research promotion measures in universities for the control and monitoring of students’ scientific participation.

Do hospital data breaches affect health information technology investment?

Data breaches are a financial and operational threat to hospitals. In this study, we examine the association between a data breach and information technology capital and labor investment. In this retrospective cohort study, we used American Hospital Association data from 2017 to 2019 and an unbalanced panel of hospitals with 6751 unique hospital-year observations. The breached group had 482 hospital-years, and the control group had 6269 hospital-years. We estimated the association between data breaches, information technology capital, and labor investment using the average treatment effect with propensity-score matching. From 2017 to 2019, hospitals experienced more hacking and information technology incidents but fewer thefts and losses. We found that hospital data breaches were associated with a 66% increase in employed information technology staff and a 57% increase in outsourced information technology staff. Breaches were not associated with information technology operating expenses and information technology capital expenses. Higher information technology labor investment due to the remediation of data breaches is an added cost to the healthcare system. Hospitals and policymakers should consider initiatives to improve cybersecurity and protect patient data.

ONE HUNDRED NAZI SCREENS: INTERFACES AND THE STRUCTURE OF U.S. WHITE NATIONALIST DIGITAL NETWORKS ON TELEGRAM

The “Alt-Right,” a white nationalist online coalition, has collapsed amidst a revolution in digital governance termed the “regulatory turn.” Nevertheless, the regulatory turn remains incomplete because white nationalists utilize graphical user interface (GUI) design to subvert public stewardship. Why have some former Alt-Right platforms collapsed while others have grown despite increased scrutiny? The field’s account is currently limited to social media networks and rooted in positivist methods, lending a static conception of white nationalist networks that is slow to recognize cultural shifts. This paper fills the gap by comparatively critiquing the interfacing affordances of Telegram, an instant messaging app that functions as an "ideological safe harbor" for U.S. white nationalists with content aggregation, blogging, and activist use-cases. I apply interface critique to index how the manipulation of graphical user interfaces allows white nationalists to frame their browsing as a technology of mastery over and against the regulatory turn. I argue that Telegram networks coopt the enclave public, exploiting an ideology of decentralization to mystify the leverage held by white nationalist developers over their users. This occlusion redirects white masculine anxieties against publicity to justify an intensified racist fanaticism and the exportation of violence against racial, religious, and gendered outsiders. White interfacing frames GUI design as a capitalist technology that weaponizes the racist and sexist logic of the “average user” to secure the reproduction of reactionary platforms. This project furthers Internet research by developing a theory of the interface as an ideological mirror of production.

Are environment-related technologies key to unlock the path towards sustainable development: An econometric analysis

The objective of this study is to investigate the correlation between energy intensity and environment-related technology in industrialized countries. By utilizing panel data from 23 countries over a span of 32 years (1990–2021), this research aims to contribute to the comprehension of the role of green innovation in sustainable development. The study employs the Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence, and Technology model while controlling for variables including population growth, gross domestic product in purchasing power parity, Information and Communication Technology capital deepening, renewable energy consumption, and green innovation represented by research and development expenditure on environment-related technology. The results of the analysis, employing panel unit root tests, cross-sectional dependence tests, and a Method of Moments quantile regression, reveal that green innovation has a positive influence on diminishing energy intensity, with a more substantial impact at higher quantiles. Moreover, ICT capital deepening is determined to have a positive and noteworthy effect on reducing energy intensity. The findings of this study offer valuable insights for policymakers in their endeavours to accomplish sustainable development goals.

Technology acquisition following inventor exit in the biopharmaceutical industry

In technological acquisitions, a “focal” firm aiming to appropriate the technological knowledge of another “alter” firm faces information asymmetries in imperfect strategic factor markets. Little is known about whether the mobility of people between the firms may reduce this information asymmetry and contribute to an increased likelihood of an acquisition. To investigate this question, we argue that for an actively acquiring firm, inventor-exit to an alter firm increases the likelihood of acquisition because it helps identify an acquisition target. In addition, since an acquiring firm is more likely to have information about a potential target with more technological capital, inventor-exit is less likely to reduce information asymmetries and to increase chances of an acquisition. Based on an analysis of acquisitions between firms in the period between 1993 and 2010 in the global biopharmaceutical industry, we find support for these arguments. For an active acquirer firm, inventor exit increases the likelihood of acquisition of the alter (hiring) firm by 335% as compared to an acquisition of randomly selected alter firm. Moreover, the positive effect of inventor–exit on the likelihood of acquisition is negatively moderated by the technological capital of the alter firm. A policy implication is to treat non-compete clauses with caution because they may impede the reduction of information asymmetry that follows from inventor-exit and reduce the likelihood of some acquisitions eventually.

Toward green growth in China: The role of green finance investment, technological capital, and renewable energy consumption.

In recent times, the concept of green growth has emerged, which has a critical part to play in controlling the environmental impact of economic activities. In this analysis, we have explored three determinants of green growth: green finance investment, technological capital, and renewable energy. Moreover, this study focuses on the asymmetric impact of green finance investment, technological progress, and renewable energy on green growth in China during the period spanning from 1996 to 2020. To get the asymmetric short and long-run estimates across various quantiles, we have employed the nonlinear QARDL. The long-run estimates attached to a positive shock in green finance investment, renewable energy demand, and technological capital are positively significant at most quantiles. While, the long-run estimates attached to a negative shock in green finance investment, technological capital, and renewable energy demand are insignificant at most quantiles. In general, the findings suggest that the rise in green financial investment, technological capital, and renewable energy demand positively impacts green growth in the long run. The study offers a range of significant policy recommendations that can contribute to the advancement of sustainable green growth in China.

Sustainable and circularity in the decentralized hybrid solar-bioenergy system.

The sustainable development goals (SDGs) are fundamental to circular economy, climate action, sustainable digital environment initiatives that addresses the higher need of shifting towards fully sustainable and renewable energy systems. The decentralized power system has been applied and interconnected to the system and accounting to the renewable energy mix, energy storage and distribution. A decentralized hybrid renewable energy system can be of much help in providing a deficit of power between energy generation and demand where a single renewable energy system is not sustainable and reliable. The aim of this study was to characterize the biomass, perform the biomethane potential test of the biomass, select suitable bio-digester using multi-criteria decision analysis, carry out simulation-modelling of the solar-anaerobic digestion system in achieving energy self-efficiency with the development of the dynamic models that of climatic condition, social-economic and technology feasible. The performance of the system was designed and optimised to get maximum output power and mitigation of the environment at a lower cost. The performance was analysed based on present cost, locally availability, environmentally friendly, cost of energy on the local tariffs, load satisfaction, fuel consumption savings, operation and maintenance cost, human and technology capital and pollutants saving rates. The results showed major energy consummation from the solar-biodigester system, technology solutions that maximize energy efficiency and reduce the heat loss in the AD process. Waste to energy (WtE) technology coupled with the solar system could be viewed as key to sustainable, affordable and clean electricity generation.