Transfer, Diffusion and Adoption of Next-Generation Digital Technologies

The Internet of Things (IoT) is an international context that is in the process of massive development. The IoT has initiated new opportunities in the technological context and is one of the most central technological initiatives today. This study conducted a systematic review of the related literature examining theory-based empirical research on IoT adoption by consumers. Forty-three studies were identified between 2011 and 2023 in 20 different countries, mostly Malaysia, Turkey and India. The studies have mostly examined IoT adoption in smart homes, IoT adoption in the retail service industry (consumer shopping), and IoT adoption in healthcare and fitness wearable devices. The main theory that was used to examine the consumer adoption of IoT was the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The most examined constructs that were found to be significant in relation to behavioural intention were perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and trust. This research provides theoretical implementations for future researchers who are interested in examining the IoT adoption of consumers in different countries and different technological contexts.

Making the supply chain sustainable, practices aim to reduce the hazardous impacts of supply chain activities aimed at global pollution and global warming. However, the literature collected from Google Scholar has discussed how Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies can address the issue of sustainability in the supply chain by addressing resource efficiency, transparency, and energy consumption issues. The impact of each technology on sustainability is not discussed well, and how these technologies can be helpful to address sustainability issues in industries. Therefore, to fill this gap, the present paper aims to answer how these technologies can address sustainability issues. In the study, a novel framework is proposed that discusses how each technology of I4.0 can address the various sustainability issues in the supply chain. This study can help emerging economies and a novel contribution to the theory to understand the impact of I4.0 on the sustainable supply chain.

The emergence of “Industry 4.0” signifies a new industrial era, where various technologies converge to provide digital solutions. Industry 4.0 (I4.0), encompasses a range of digital technologies that profoundly impact manufacturing businesses. However, there is limited knowledge regarding how businesses utilize these technologies. This paper addresses the pillars of Industry 4.0, a crucial part of the next industrial revolution for Indian manufacturing industries aiming to become competitive smart factories in the global market. A survey of 73 Indian industries assessed their current technologies. Implementation criteria for Industry 4.0 in Indian industries were established based on the survey results. The findings reveal that customer satisfaction and quality are top priorities for Indian industries. While most industries have implemented Industry 3.0 practices, awareness and adoption of I4.0 still pose challenges, particularly for SMEs. This report analyzes the technological status of Indian industries, identifies the gap, and provides a roadmap for adopting Industry 4.0. Bridging this knowledge gap and embracing Industry 4.0 can enhance competitiveness, drive innovation, and meet the evolving demands of the global market. The transition to smart factories powered by Industry 4.0 unlocks new opportunities for India’s industrial sector, propelling it towards a prosperous future.

The purpose of this study is to review the literature of Internet of things research in the sustainability domain. We used keyword co-occurrence analysis to identify the newly emerging areas keeping ‘internet of things’ and ‘sustainability’ as central themes. The findings indicate energy management, smart cities, industry 4.0, artificial intelligence, smart water management, supply chain management, smart farming, and digital transformation as key emerging areas. Further, we found a strong connection between energy efficiency, IoT, and AI research. The study also highlights the usage of emerging technologies like blockchain, machine learning, digital twins, cyber-physical system, etc. contributing towards the sustainable development goals.

Smart city initiatives are often considered as solutions for overcoming several problems that modern cities are facing. Some of these problems refer to rapid urbanization, old infrastructure or the complexity of properly managing new technologies in cities. This complexity becomes even higher with the inclusion of sustainability and well-being. This paper examines the relationship between technology, sustainability, and well-being in the context of the smart city. The research methodology involves merging the IMD Smart City 2023 Index with the Happy City Index 2023 to identify the relation between “smartness” and “happiness”. The analysis reveals a correlation between smart city rankings and happiness rankings; however, with an important discrepancy between smart city performance and happiness when observing individual scores. Additionally, an analysis of scientific literature highlights the limited research emphasis on well-being and sustainability. The findings of the paper highlight the importance of further research in understanding the impact of technology on well-being and the need for a holistic approach that combines technology, sustainability, and well-being in the development of smart cities.

Industry 5.0 is a complex phenomenon emphasising integrating advanced technologies with human-centric principles to drive innovation and productivity. Industry 5.0 requires extensive technological, managerial and organisational capabilities to create value through the seamless interplay between humans and machines. Personalised, high-quality products are available faster and cheaper when human brains work harmoniously with mechanical muscles. The Cobot-human relationship is symbiotic, strengthening humans and machines to complete production processes.Considering how human agents will acquire the skills necessary to act autonomously and progress the techno-social revolution in an Industry 5.0 setting is critical. To be human-centric, resilient, and sustainable, industry 5.0 development is from the standpoint of distinct managers’ understandings of skills, roles, and responses. Insights from the pertinent academic literature and exploratory qualitative research techniques were used to establish critical managerial competencies for long-term contribution to humanity. Primary data collected through in-depth interviews with managers in 10 different automotive industries were analysed to highlight human-centricity, resilience, and sustainability factors, which can assist automotive industries in propagating Industry 5.0 usage.This study shall contribute to creating a paradigm shift that requires the management’s role to change from profit-centricity to human-centricity, thereby improving productivity.This study shall contribute to information system research and project management research. This research provides essential insights to business groups, policymakers, academics, and other stakeholders working to build the skills necessary for a sustainable business.

The emergence of Advanced Manufacturing Technologies (AMT) revolutionized the industrial landscape through a fusion of technologies (ranging from mechatronics to digital twins) so as to augment go-to-market strategies while reducing costs and increasing productivity. However, the implementation process of these technologies remains relatively unexplored in the technology management domain. To address this gap in research, an exploratory study involving 26 industry experts from the Automotive Industry has been undertaken. The present study aims to investigate the adoption patterns of AMT, specifically in the automotive sector. We employed Interactive Qualitative Analysis to systematically formulate a conceptual framework, classifying factors into drivers and outcomes contributing to successful technology implementation. Primary drivers identified are Competitive Advantage and Alliance Management, while primary outcomes include Return on Investment, Customer Satisfaction, and Project Efficiency. The AMT dimensions considered encompass 3D printing, CNC Machining, Robotics and Automation, Additive Manufacturing, Industry 4.0, and IoT and Smart Manufacturing. This analysis contributes to a deeper understanding of the crucial requirements for effectively implementing Advanced Manufacturing technologies in user industries be it for producing consumer or industrial goods.

In recent years, the significance of Environmental Performance in attaining organizational performance and sustainable development has been acknowledged. This paper seeks to discover whether and how institutional pressure can stimulate Environmental Performance, and examines how process innovation mediates this relationship, as well as the moderating effect of organizational climate, through amalgamating institutional theory and resource-based view (RBV). The proposed hypotheses are examined using the survey data from 206 firms working in mining industry in India, by partial least squares (PLS) approach. The results suggested that process innovation mediates the positive effects of institutional pressures on environmental performance, which results in improved organizational performance. Additionally, the moderating role of organization climate was also examined. This study provides the first empirical evidence of process innovation’s mediatory role between institutional pressures and environmental performance. Furthermore, it deepens our understanding of the contribution of organizational climate to the relationship between institutional pressure and environmental performance, with evidence derived from the mining industry of an emerging economy.

The development of technology such as big data, internet of things, cloud, 5G, artificial intelligence plays a significant impact on industries. This promotes the integration of physical and digital worlds and led to the growth of Digital Twins. Digital Twin is the virtual representation of the physical entity that spans its lifecycle, performs simulations and helps in decision making. In this paper, we will study the applications of digital twins in various industries. A systematic literature review is conducted by analyzing the literature from 2017 to 2023. The findings are the applications of digital twins in various industries like agricultural, healthcare, smart cities, automotive, infrastructure, energy and transport. The article concludes by highlighting the conclusions and challenges of the technology. Our study offers insights into how Digital Twin technology plays vital role in shaping various industries and challenges that must be overcome for their widespread adoption.

The fifth generation of wireless mobile technology (5G) is under deployment, with new capabilities and systems of value generation in the market. New services, market paradigms and stakeholders in 5G will likely necessitate a review of regulation of spectrum, telecom networks and infrastructure. Through an in-depth cross-country case study, this paper examines the regulation of telecom resources in 4 administrations that have successfully deployed 5G technology. Archival and current documentary data and information from subject-matter experts is analysed through thematic content analysis with three-tier coding, classification and thematization.The paper finds that successful roll-out of 5G is concomitant with strong signalling by telecom administrations of intent to support 5G through a clear policy and road map for spectrum availability, holding spectrum auctions, keeping spectrum prices reasonable, and moderating the terms of spectrum licence, methodology of assignment and types of property rights created. Further, there is a policy thrust for local infrastructure access for small cells, infrastructure sharing and simpler Rights of Way administration.There are few in-depth studies of different countries’ regulatory adaptation to 5G. The findings of this research are not exhaustive since 4 countries were studied. Nonetheless, they create a broad framework of themes and provide useful pointers to the common directions of 5G policy evolution, which could be a valuable guide to other countries embarking on 5G implementation.

In recent years, virtual reality (VR) technologies have made significant advancements and are now being explored for their potential applications in various fields, including education. This exciting development has sparked a growing interest in investigating the use of VR technologies to enhance learning experiences. VR offers a unique opportunity to create immersive and interactive environments that can transport students to places they may never have the chance to visit otherwise. By simulating real-world scenarios, VR can provide students with hands-on experiences and facilitate active learning. From exploring historical landmarks to conducting complex scientific experiments, the possibilities are endless.This research paper aims to investigate the use of VR technologies in the field of education, exploring their potential benefits, challenges, and implications. Through a comprehensive literature review and analysis, this study provides insights into the current state of VR in education, its applications, and its impact on learning outcomes. One of the key advantages of using VR in education is its ability to engage students on a deeper level. Traditional teaching methods often struggle to capture and maintain students’ attention, but VR has the potential to captivate learners by making education more interactive and enjoyable. The findings reveal that VR technologies have the potential to enhance student engagement, facilitate immersive learning experiences, and improve knowledge retention. However, challenges such as cost, accessibility, and technological limitations must be addressed to ensure widespread adoption and integration of VR in educational settings. Furthermore, By creating an environment where students can actively participate in their learning process, VR helps foster curiosity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.. The research concludes by highlighting the future prospects of VR in education and suggesting areas for further research.

This paper explores the adoption of 5G and future networks as a means of improving social inclusion. The paper outlines the cost dilemma associated with future networks (currently a barrier to the pervasive access required for social inclusion) and indicates that new business models and sector structure will need to be put forth. The authors posit that network as a service (NaaS) on shared spectrum is a viable and practical solution. Preliminary problem formulation research demonstrates that a transition to new sector structure will be met with strong resistance by incumbent mobile network operators as the sector at large have a vision of incremental change. To study how this transition will best be enabled, the phenomenon is viewed through the theoretical lens of Innovation Systems. Bergek and colleagues (2008) develop a means of examining Technology Innovation Systems (TIS) while (Geels, 2004) provides a tool to understand how innovation systems emerge and transition over time. Based on these two theories, a research framework is presented to guide future studies on this topic.

AI chatbots have become increasingly important in various industries, especially with the rise of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies. Chatbots engage with customers, address common inquiries, and perform specific tasks. The tourism and travel industry uses AI chatbots to enhance customer service for travellers. However, there is a lack of comprehensive research on the adoption of AI chatbots by the customers in tourism sector. To bridge this research gap, the present study utilizes the theoretical lens of Roger’s diffusion model to investigate the factors that impact the adoption of AI chatbots in the tourism and travel industry. The study employs a quantitative research approach with a cross-sectional design and collects data from 495 frequent travellers through random sampling technique using Google forms. The analysis of the data is conducted using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) approach. The study findings show that relative advantage and trialability have a positive impact on adoption of AI chatbots. Compatibility, complexity and observability remain to be hindering factors for its adoption. Trust significantly moderated the relationship between adoption intention and their actual usage. This paper provides valuable and distinctive perspectives for executives, practitioners, and managerial-level employees within the tourism sector, as well as for system designers and creators of AI chatbot technologies.

The viability of virtual tourism (VT) as a feasible alternative or interim solution has been heavily debated considering the growing interest in virtual reality (VR) tourism and its relevance. There is, however, no information on how to keep visitors satisfied with VT, enhance their contentment, and turn good experiences into genuine travel ambitions. This paper presents a conceptual model that blends the uses and gratifications theory with the innovation diffusion theory to understand the drivers of VR tourism. The main objective is to explore the factors related to innovation diffusion and gratification that contribute to tourist satisfaction and authentic experience in VT. The study also attempts to find out how satisfaction and authentic experience affect the desire to go to suggested places. Furthermore, the study looks at the function of connection to nature as a moderator in the link between satisfaction and on-site destination intention. The PLS-SEM analysis was used to evaluate the model on a sample of 285 respondents. The findings show that variables related to innovation diffusion, uses, and gratifications have a considerable impact on visitor satisfaction and authentic experience. Furthermore, as compared to authentic experience, visitor satisfaction has a larger effect on the intention to visit the place. However, as the amount of connection to nature grows, the favourable effect of VT satisfaction on on-site tourist intention increases. This study adds to the uses and gratifications theory and the innovation diffusion theory, giving significant insights for tourism practitioners and management looking to improve visitor satisfaction and authentic experience with VT and other attractions.

Electric vehicles (EVs) play a critical role in mitigating emission of greenhouse gas and focusing on issue of global warming. Transitioning conventional transportation to EVs has been driven by recent developments in digital technology. Several nations are actively advocating adoption of EVs as part of their sustainable development goal efforts. Nevertheless, EVs are essential, its adoption rate is quite minimal. This research paper seeks to identify factors affecting users’ decisions to purchase electric bikes (e-bikes) in India. The study used analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to identify factors and its priorities. Using a survey-based methodology, data was gathered from a sample of 31 users who had recently purchased an e-bike. The analysis discovered that technological factors and financial factors are identified as most significant factors while planning to purchase e-bike, along with psychological and enthusiasm factors. Study offers insights for e-bike manufacturers and marketers on successfully targeting and appealing to customers based on their priorities and preferences in India.

The influence of digital influencers (DIs) on consumer purchase intention has been widely examined in the luxury brands context. However, there remain a noticeable gap in literature concerning the impact of DIs on consumer willingness to purchase hyper-local brands. The current study aims to address this gap. We develop a conceptual model using source credibility theory and examine the influence of DIs credibility components (i.e., expertise, trustworthiness, and similarity) on consumers perception towards brand (i.e., advertising trust) and purchase intention. To test the model, we employed structural equation modelling (SEM) using a sample of 110 social media users in India. We found out DIs expertise, trustworthiness and similarity significantly affect purchase intention. However, only similarity is positively affecting advertising trust, which subsequently influence purchase intention. Implications, limitations and future research directions are also discussed.

The Electric Vehicle (EV) technology is believed to be the most effective to reduce dependency on petrol and diesel vehicles and thereby achieve clean environmental objectives. In pursuit of achieving emission net zero by 2070, central government and state governments are putting substantial efforts to drive the EV technology growth in India. The central and state governments in India through various schemes such as Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME-II), Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLI), Swapping policy for batteries, Special Electric Mobility Zone, and subsidies such as tax rebate on EVs. Yet the complete switch to the EVs from petrol and diesel vehicles, still has significant technology and supply chain barriers. This research paper identifies the risks and barriers with respect to supply chain, technology, finance, and policy for the growth of EV technology in India. The research paper using an Interpretive Structural Model (ISM) demonstrates the critical supply chain barriers. Based on the analysis carried out in this research paper, the barriers such as availability of battery packs, raw materials, charging network, and interoperability of batteries are the most critical supply chain barriers to implementing EV technology in India. The research findings will enable policymakers to develop a sustainable EV supply chain in India and in similar developing countries.

The hospitality and tourism (H&T) sectors are experiencing a dynamic shift towards adopting innovative technologies under the pretext of Industry 5.0. To gauge users’ readiness for these technologies, Technological Readiness (TR) is employed, comprising of four dimensions: innovativeness (INN), optimism (OPT), insecurity (INS), and discomfort (DIS). However, the literature highlights various inconsistencies in incorporating TR while examining user perceptions of technologies in the H&T domain. Thus, to help circumvent the fragmented findings, a meta-analysis is carried out examining TR and its outcome variables by analyzing 56 correlation pairs from 20 studies using CMA V3 software. The findings indicate that TR, conceptualized across its four dimensions, is a significant factor in the technology acceptance model (TAM). Further, the integration of TR with TAM (TRAM) is best complimented by the inclusion of satisfaction in assessing users’ intentions towards H&T technologies. Notably, the motivating dimensions of TR (INN & OPT) exhibit stronger effect sizes, while the contrary is true for the inhibiting dimensions (INS & DIS).

In the intricate interplay of nature and technology, an imperative arises to synergize innovation with ecological stewardship. This research seeks to harmonize technology and environmental conservation, focusing on improving forest fire detection and prediction by answering three major research questions. The research combines Deep Learning, Edge Computing, and the Internet of Things (IoT) to enhance its applicability in various landscapes. The approach blends Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs) to process data from strategically placed sensors, including satellite images, UAVs, drones, weather data, terrain information, historical fire records, and real-time sensor readings. Unlike traditional methods, this study emphasizes edge computing for rapid on-site data analysis to minimize latency. It calls for proactive strategies, empowered by technology, to mitigate devastating fires and protect the environment. The outcomes showcase the potential of this integration, offering a promising solution to combat forest fires and maintain the delicate balance of nature and its ecosystems.

In the era of Industry 4.0 the collaborative robots (also known as cobots) are seen to have immense potential to be integrated into manufacturing systems. They demonstrate the potential to revolutionize the way automation is integrated into workplaces through encapsulation of human expertise and robotic precision. However, the deployment of cobots in the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are still in the nascent stage. While the extant literature primarily highlights the generic difficulty of MSMEs in adopting the Industry 4.0 technologies due to lack of resource and capabilities, this study specifically explores the contextual requirement of cobots. In the first stage, the enablers and barriers are identified from an extensive literature survey. Subsequently, using structured interviews with domain experts, steps to operationalize these enablers and barriers are delineated. Considering the inputs from the inputs from the domain experts, a stepwise implementation framework is put forward. The proposed framework considers three broad stages: (1) ideation stage (2) implementation stage and (3) review stage. The outcome of this study finds relevance for decision makers involved in managing and consulting the collaborative robot implementation projects.

Fake news poses a severe threat to brands in the digital era. Despite an escalating crisis, the combination of factors that dictate belief in fake news remains unclear. To this purpose, we evaluate the expanding corpus of fake news articles that discuss the impact on brands and deliver crucial insights through a first-of-its-kind methodological fusion of meta-synthesis and qualitative comparative analysis. Preliminary analysis reveals a set of four themes that induce belief in fake news. The envisaged plan for qualitative comparative analysis seeks to unpack the combinatorial effect of factors driving belief in brand-related fake news. This would serve as the basis for formulating propositions to guide empirical advancements in the field.

Many organizations are in the process of adopting big data analytics (BDA) to make data driven decisions. In this work, we have used a variant of CRISP-DM and broken-down processes into sub-processes, meanwhile also integrating critical success factors in the framework. We have validated our framework to understand BDA adoption via a case study of a big data analytics firm, referred to as ABC in this study. ABC helps large farmers to make farming decisions based on BDA. We conducted in-depth interviews with the Data science team of ABC to validate our framework. In terms of critical success factors, costing, project planning, adoption strategy, identification of business problems, project team formation, data management, training, change management and final preparation were identified as important by ABC for BDA projects. In addition, ABC also considers maintenance, evaluation of business objectives and overall project management critical that were not part of our model. We have incorporated these in our framework. Our research contributes to the growing body of knowledge on BDA adoption, offering valuable insights specific to the agricultural sector and emphasizing the challenges and opportunities posed by the substantial volume and variety of data in this domain.

The purpose of the research was to study what ails Servitization. It was also an endeavor to study if there is an optimized level of servitization for which customers tend to pay maximum price premium. A thematic literature review, followed by qualitative research involving in-depth interviews, adopting an inductive approach was used as methodology. It was found that servitized products command a price premium, but the preferred level of servitization is 20–40% at which the price premium peaks (10–20%), beyond which customers do not prefer servitization. Brand Equity of service provider, Location of service provider and Quality of service provider, emerged as the three salient attributes that contributed towards willingness to pay for servitized products.

This article presents a communication-cooperation-collaboration (Three-C) based framework of social cloud that incorporates a socio-technical perspective. One might look at the variety of reported views and perspectives on the social cloud and see that it can serve as a special kind of computing paradigm. But, the overall concept of the social cloud is muddied by so many divergent perspectives discussed in the literature. Therefore, there is no clarity and unified view of the social cloud. Our effort unifies the concept of social cloud, making it easier to see its promise and offering a path towards its continued development and deployment in enterprise and academia. Further, this article discusses social cloud implications in business settings.

This paper is part of a funded research grant into how financial regulation in the US has evolved. For almost one hundred years the regulators have attempted to manage evolving trading activities and security types. Ever since the Wall Street crash of 1929 rules have been defined and then changed as the Global Recession and World War 2 constrained market growth. Change can be seen following the introduction of computers in the 1960’s, as trade volume and order types grew. Not only did automation require new controls, it also required a paradigm shift in how these new products could be traded. This paper explains how the market has changed to provide the foundations on which today’s trading systems operate. This now poses real problems, as regulators argue whether crypto-assets are securities or derivatives, and who should govern them. The absence of clear mandates has fueled criminal behavior by some crypto firms.

Research productisation is a critical process that aims to transform innovative research outcomes into marketable products or services, bridging the gap between academia and commercialization. This study focuses on tracing the journey of four research-based startups and identifying the factors contributing to their success. Drawing on literature review and collaboration with the Technology Transfer Office (TTO) of IIIT Hyderabad, several hypotheses are formulated, including the impact of founders’ educational background, the reputation of the educational institute, the co-founding team’s network and experience, sources of support received, market understanding, and the involvement of stakeholders. Through interviews with startups, primary data is gathered and carefully analyzed, leading to interesting observations. Thirteen factors contributing to the success of research-based startups are identified, categorized into TTO and enabler support, Technology and Product, Market Validation, and Founder’s Background. Additionally, the study highlights the role of different stakeholders in the startup ecosystem and identifies distinct phases in the research productisation journey. While these phases may not always be sequential or present in every startup, they provide valuable insights into the overall process. This research provides valuable knowledge for promoting innovation, entrepreneurship, and knowledge transfer from academia to industry, ultimately fostering successful research productisation.

Non-fungible token (NFT) trading has gained prominence; hence, determining whether people are interested in investing in NFTs is critical. The current study expands on the theory of trying by considering two significant elements when discussing adopting new technology in emerging economies: general self-confidence and cynicism. Primary data was collected from 281 respondents who had experience exploring NFT marketplaces. Structural equation modeling was applied to analyze data collected through structured questionnaires. The findings reveal that NFT investments are determined by trying attitude toward NFTs, which in turn is determined by attitude toward success and attitude toward failure. Both attitudes are significantly influenced by general self-confidence and cynicism. However, the attitude towards the process was found to be insignificant. The study can significantly contribute to investment strategies, providing essential guidelines to facilitate NFT exchange and allowing investors to diversify their portfolios.

Recommender Systems (RS) are computer-based tools that use Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms to make product or service recommendations to users. A recommendation algorithm is usually applied to predict users’ tastes and preferences based on their behavioral characteristics. RS has gained the attention of e-retailers and managers connected to e-business. This research aims to provide a holistic and deep understanding of RS concerning its current progress and future scope. Hence, the goal of the study is to review the various trends and developments that have taken place in the field of RS in the last decade. Also, it outlines the key future scope and its application in various domains. For this purpose, a comprehensive and systematic literature review has been conducted using recently developed Scientific Procedures and Rationales for Systematic Literature Reviews (SPAR-4-SLR). A total of 60 journal articles and conference proceedings published from 2010 to 2022 under top publishers have been selected. The extant literature has been scrutinized and research gaps have been identified. Furthermore, this paper also envisions the future of RS, which may broaden the horizon for new research directions in this field.

The ecological consequences of cryptocurrency mining have been a topic of debate since the inception of blockchain technology. The widely used proof-of-work (PoW) mining technique, which requires a significant amount of energy, has raised concerns about the long-term environmental sustainability of cryptocurrencies. However, the perspectives of crypto miners have been largely underrepresented in these debates. This study used the Values-Belief-Norms (VBN) framework to explore how cryptocurrency miners perceive the potential environmental effects of PoW mining. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with twelve crypto miners from South Africa (5), Argentina (2), the United States (1), Australia (1), Taiwan (1), France (1), and Switzerland (1). The results indicate that crypto miners’ values, environmental worldviews, and convictions about the value of cryptocurrency and PoW mining significantly influence their environmental attitudes. The findings of this study shed light on the attitudes and viewpoints of crypto-miners and the implications of their beliefs regarding the mining process. This not only contributes the perspectives of crypto miners to the discussion on the ecological effects of cryptocurrencies, but it also offers policymakers insights into how people perceive the environmental consequences of their actions.

This study aims to understand grocery retailers’ acceptance and use of mobile salesforce automation (SFA). SFA deployment in a sales organization is time-consuming, costly, and does not necessarily improve salespeople’s performance. Recent disruptions caused by the pandemic and the fast escalation of sales costs have prompted organizations to extend SFA deployment to grocery retailers through mobile SFA. There are limited SFA studies on understanding SFA acceptance and use in grocery retailers, as the focus was on the salespeople. A model is developed by integrating the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) and the Innovation Resistant Theory (IRT) with modifications to study mobile SFA technology acceptance and use by grocery retailers. The model also captures the flow experience of grocery retailers when using the mobile SFA. A case study was used in this study by involving Coca-Cola and their mobile SFA deployment to grocery retailers in Malaysia. It is a quantitative cross-sectional survey targeting grocery retailers from urban and sub-urban/rural regions. Data collected will be analyzed using partial least square (PLS) structural equation modeling (SEM). Findings from this study allow organizations to validate and predict mobile SFA technology acceptance and use by grocery retailers and to re-think their mobile SFA technology investment and deployment strategies.

Every industrial business in the modern day strives to become technology-driven, for both survival and expansion. With the availability of new generational technology platforms and low-code tooling, technological manifestations are becoming increasingly decentralized. The two emerging forms of business led autonomous technology deployments are Shadow-IT and Business-managed IT. While Shadow-IT is constructed in secret without the knowledge of central IT team, Business-managed IT is a split-governance model built in collaboration with the IT organization. Common governance is required to ensure that IT investments are efficient, secure, and compliant. Despite being aware of Shadow-IT’s limitations, businesses are unable to upgrade them to better models due to a lack of a simple toolkit that can act as a guidelight. This paper’s goal is to present a framework that can fill this gap and illustrate precise steps for a business unit to make a transition to a business-managed IT model suitable to its technological capability. Based on extensive research and case study analysis, the paper captures insights about different forms of autonomous IT investments, proposes a framework to advocate an appropriate business-IT partnership model for a business unit, and finally solicits the opinions of eminent business executives from diverse industries to confirm its applicability. The framework will act as a guide not just for the initial transition, but also evolution of the partnership model as the business’s technological capabilities grow over time.

Electric vehicles (EVs) are rising fast to prominence as a key component of the effort to meet sustainable energy goals. The research and mass manufacturing of new energy vehicles, especially electric vehicles, offer several benefits over conventional energy vehicles, such as zero exhaust emissions, zero pollution, cleanliness, and low cost. As a result, more and more nations are paying attention and placing importance over the development of EV-fleet, but EV sales are still a modest part of all vehicle sales. The protruding reason highlighted by the literature and researchers is underdeveloped charging infrastructure. To get the most out of an EV, an appropriate charging station with optimum configuration needs to be placed in a specific location with all the infrastructure to make it supportive and sustainable hotspot for EVs. This study aims to identify all the factors that needs to be considered while selecting a location for setting up a sustainable charging station for EVs in semi-urban areas. A deeper understanding of factors is explored, using interpretive structural modelling (ISM) and MICMAC analysis. A total of 17 factors are considered for the analysis which are crucial in developing the configurations for an EV charging station. The outcomes of the paper will support the policymakers to locate, determine and decide the suitable locations, and configuration for constructing EV charging stations and escalate the EV adoption.

Marketing among retailers involves various modes of information supply such as brochures, direct mail, newspapers, advertisements on radio, event marketing, social media marketing, e-commerce portals, etc. Retail marketing has its significance and contribution in effectively solving doubts of consumers and boosting sales. To make an effective consumption of green products among consumers, it is necessary to make their respective retailers aware of green marketing practices. The present study tried to analyse the significant modes of information supply and their contribution in generating awareness for green FMCG retailers of Gujarat; to identify the most contributing mode of information supply; and to build a communication model using MRT for generating awareness about green marketing practices with special ref-erence to FMCG retailers of Gujarat. A convenience sampling descriptive research design is adopted in Gujarat with a semi-structured schedule to collect data among 100 FMCG retailers of Gujarat. The data collected is analyzed using Frequency Distribution and Multiple Regres-sion. After analysing the effectiveness of various modes of information supply, the results derived that majority of the retailers are unaware of green marketing practices. The results emphasized upon unreached communication. The MRT model for richer green communication proposed in the findings of the study can help in fulfilling the communication gap between stakeholders and can contribute in generating awareness regarding green marketing practices. MRT suggests that advertisement, social media and face-to-face communication via whole-salers /dealers are the richer medias’ and have significant impact upon awareness for green marketing practices.

The advancement in internet technology has firmly entrenched social media as an indispensable aspect of daily life. Social networking communities have evolved into a profoundly relevant space for marketers. Nowadays, social media offers a diverse array of features that actively engage users in buying and selling products and services. Live streaming, particularly, has gained remarkable popularity among social media influencers and businesses alike. Companies are increasingly investing time and resources into captivating consumers through social media live streaming rather than traditional offline methods. In recent years, many researchers have delved into this domain, identifying various theories/models and factors that influence consumers’ adoption of this technology. This study synthesizes these models and factors, conducts weight analysis and sheds light on various limitations to guide future investigations. The study's findings reported that SOR model is the most adopted model in this domain therefore trust, enjoyment, and uncertainty are some key predictors of purchase intention. Moreover, it is important to acknowledge limitations such as geographical constraints, methodological challenges, and the use of purchase intention as a proxy for actual behaviour that shapes this research.

Selection of a cloud service provider (CSP) is an important decision for businesses that make long-term investments. Notably, this process is a complex decision that involves assessing multiple criteria where more than one condition jointly may dictate the decision. In addition, the selection decision can be explained with more than one equally effective configuration of conditions. Moreover, the causal configurations for predicting the rejection of a CSP are unique and may not mirror opposites of the causal configurations of the selection of a CSP. Prior studies commonly apply traditional regression-based linear modeling techniques and thus far, these techniques do not fully capture the complexity of CSP selection but rather identify the individual and isolated effects of the conditions. This study fills the gap by proposing a new configuration framework, which posits that CSP selection does not depend on individual conditions, but on their specific configurations. The configurational model has been validated using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis method. The results suggest three configurations to select and reject a CSP in conjunction with the implications to research and practice.

Obesity and diabetes are more common than ever. In particular, young adults aged 18–25 are becoming more susceptible to obesity through the abundance of fast food, the popularity of online gaming and other factors. This combination often leads to unhealthy lifestyles. For treatment or prevention of these unhealthy behaviors, lifestyle apps have shown to have big potential. Current lifestyle apps mainly focus on monitoring activity and eating patterns but keep a rather passive stance when it comes to changing users’ behavior. Gamification could help greatly to actively change users’ behavior and thus, encouraging healthy lifestyles. Some current lifestyle apps use gamification methods such as goals or sometimes even achievements to some extent. This motivates the user to change certain behaviors such as walking 5000 steps a day. Gamification has proven to be advantageous for changing user behavior, but gamification is broad and there is little to no research done on what sort of gamification works best. This research aims to fill that gap by researching the suitability of different gamification methods in lifestyle applications for users between 18–25. The research is done alongside plans for a lifestyle application against obesity and diabetes so the gamification methods will be evaluated according to these plans. Main requirements are fivefold: lifestyle apps have to be fun and personalized; the social and mental health side of lifestyle apps are not well represented; lifestyle apps are too static; and last but not least all interviewees state that that they have to be easy to use.