Bridging theory and practice in the humane entrepreneurship domain: insights from small and medium Italian enterprises

PurposeHumane entrepreneurship (HumEnt) has been theoretically proposed as a new model of entrepreneurship supporting the idea of an enlarged entrepreneurial strategic posture. The aim of paper is to frame humane entrepreneurial orientation's (HEO) characteristics by showing how firms apply the HumEnt approach, and to offer suggestions to build an HEO measurement scale.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts a case study approach, focusing on five Italian small and medium enterprises (SMEs).FindingsThe study (1) identifies which are the characteristics of HEO strategic posture in the enterprises under examination;(2) shows that entrepreneurs' personal values and credos are fundamental to having an HEO strategic posture adopted;(3) provides indications on the development of a measurement scale through a discussion of emerging HEO themes.Originality/valueThe value of the study is that emerging themes of HEO strategic posture was derived from the analysis of five Italian SMEs. Entrepreneur's personal values have been proven to be relevant in the implementation of HEO. Based on the emerging HEO themes, the study contributes to the literature opening the way toward the building of an all-encompassing HEO measurement scale.

Applying Smart Tourism Management in Vietnam after Covid-19 pandemic: A qualitative research

COVID-19 has caused a global disaster never seen before. One of the worst damaged industries has been tourism. To propose a solution for these sites, the available literature, and advice on recovering tourism after the COVID-19 crisis were examined and arranged in an integrated smart tourism destination framework. This paper aims to develop new forms of tourism, especially smart tourism in Vietnam, where the information technology industry is flourishing. This main content was based on case studies about smart tourism in Korea and Taiwan. Besides the traditional forms of tourism, smart tourism will develop in Vietnam in the future. The result showed that modern technology had become an essential method in improving tourists' satisfaction and efficiency in transactions related to travel. Furthermore, it will have contributed to changing the face of tourism in many countries worldwide. © 2023, SRAC - Romanian Society for Quality. All rights reserved.

Towards Digital Transformation: A Case Study to Identify and Mitigate COVID-19 in the Retail Industry

The purpose of this research is to demonstrate how retailers have used the digital transformation to mitigate the negative effects of COVID-19. As this research aims to understand a real-life phenomenon for which there is very limited knowledge, we created the opportunity to empirically explore the digital transformation in the retail industry during COVID-19 pandemic. In general terms, the research follows a qualitative, descriptive, and exploratory case study design. The results have shown that retailers should focus on technological innovations, adapt their business models, manage their distribution channels, and strengthen their customer-centric strategy. Moreover, it is necessary to emphasize that while smart retail is gradually standing out in the sector, there are also some factors that have not been overcome, such as lack of digital culture, training, and digital leadership. Despite these identified difficulties, the adoption of a digital strategy will allow a differentiating, safe and secure shopping experience, which today is one of the decisive factors for the survival of companies. The COVID-19 pandemic had social and economic effects in all industries – retail was no exception. In turn, the digital technologies already used by companies began to contribute to retailers being able to respond more quickly to customer needs, having been fundamental in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this research is one of the first to explore this topic, bringing new contributions to theory and managerial practice. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Blurred lines: the timeline of supply chain resilience strategies in the grocery industry in the time of Covid-19

To anticipate, adapt and respond to, and recover from disruptions, firms need to enhance supply chain (SC) resilience. The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 represented a unique opportunity to investigate it empirically. This study focuses on the exploration of the resilience strategies adopted to deepen their temporal characteristics and contribute to developing the current understanding of proactivity and reactivity, something that needs to be further investigated. Multiple-case study research was conducted considering 21 Italian companies in the grocery industry. Results show that with the outbreak of the pandemic, companies adopted a set of 21 strategies that spanned five resilience categories: redundancy, flexibility, agility, collaboration, and innovation. To explain the temporal characteristics of the identified resilience strategies we propose an original taxonomy that elaborates the previous theory by introducing two new dimensions related to the strategies' timing ("when?” and "how long?”). Each dimension can be complemented with other sub-dimensions that explain the design and activation of resilience strategies, and their utilisation and availability. The proposed taxonomy broadens the narrow view offered by existing research on the temporal dimension of resilience, as multiple layers are needed to disentangle the temporal characteristics of different strategies. It also provides an original viewpoint on interpreting the strategies' proactivity or reactivity as their boundary is increasingly blurred. Lastly, the study opens up to future investigations of the antecedents of the design and utilisation/activation of resilience strategies, as companies could rethink their managerial decisions based on the continuous evolution of their operating environment.

Supply networks for extreme uncertainty: a resource orchestration perspective

Purpose: Disasters are growing in frequency and scale, unmasking the systemic vulnerabilities of modern supply chains and highlighting the need to understand how to respond to such events. In the context of an extreme event such as the COVID-19 pandemic, this research focuses on how networks of organizations leverage their combined resources and capabilities to develop, manufacture and deliver new products outside their traditional markets. Design/methodology/approach: Following a theory elaboration process, the authors build on resource orchestration theory to develop data collection and analysis protocols to support a multi-case study research design. This research investigates four cases of newly formed networks that emerged in four different countries – Colombia, Italy, the United States and the United Kingdom–in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings: These four networks in the investigation share common characteristics in terms of motivation and approach, creating patterns from which theoretical generalizations are developed into a series of propositions regarding the process of network-level resource orchestration under extreme uncertainty. Practical implications: The research shows how networks and the organizations within them can streamline processes, swiftly build new relationships and develop a balanced risk management approach to extreme uncertainty. Originality/value: This research contributes to theory by extending the resource orchestration model to a network level and showing how extreme uncertainty can lead to the emergence of networks and alter the motivations and goals of the member organizations, allowing them to be more responsive. © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited.

A national qualitative investigation of the impact of service change on doctors' training during Covid-19.

BACKGROUND: The Covid-19 crisis sparked service reconfigurations in healthcare systems worldwide. With postgraduate medical education sitting within these systems, service reconfigurations substantially impact trainees and their training environment. This study aims to provide an in-depth qualitative understanding of the impact of service reconfiguration on doctors' training during the pandemic, identifying opportunities for the future as well as factors that pose risks to education and training and how these might be mitigated. METHODS: Qualitative parallel multi-centre case studies examined three Trusts/Health Boards in two countries in the United Kingdom. Data were collected from online focus groups and interviews with trainees and supervisors using semi-structured interview guides (September to December 2020). A socio-cultural model of workplace learning, the expansive-restrictive continuum, informed data gathering, analysis of focus groups and coding. RESULTS: Sixty-six doctors participated, representing 25 specialties/subspecialties. Thirty-four participants were male, 26 were supervisors, 17 were specialty trainees and 23 were foundation doctors. Four themes described the impact of pandemic-related service reconfigurations on training: (1) Development of skills and job design, (2) Supervision and assessments, (3) Teamwork and communication, and (4) Workload and wellbeing. Service changes were found to both facilitate and hinder education and training, varying across sites, specialties, and trainees' grades. Trainees' jobs were redesigned extensively, and many trainees were redeployed to specialties requiring extra workforce during the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: The rapid and unplanned service reconfigurations during the pandemic caused unique challenges and opportunities to doctors' training. This impaired trainees' development in their specialty of interest, but also presented new opportunities such as cross-boundary working and networking.

Crisis, reflection, and change: Faculty experience of the transition to online education during the COVID-19 pandemic

This study explores the experience of university faculty undergoing a process of educational change. The specific change studied was the crisis implementation of online education due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. This study posed the research question: How did faculty members at an international university in Asia perceive, react to, and implement an acute change from face-to-face to online course delivery during a global pandemic? To answer that question, this study used a qualitative case study design that design included four cases. Each case involved a professor at the university who had been teaching when the university shifted to online education in Spring 2020 and who was still teaching there in Fall 2021. The theoretical framework for the project combined two models: Hall and Hord's (1979) Stages of Concern (SoC) model and Borton's (1970) model of reflection. Borton's model includes three steps: "What?" "So What?" and "Now What?" In the theoretical framework for this study, the "What?" step includes the SoC, the "So What?" step examines how faculty reflected on these concerns, and the "Now What?" step looks at how this reflection may have prompted pedagogical change. In contrast to other studies on faculty-level implementation of online education, demographic and most contextual factors did not seem to influence faculty experience with the innovation. Instead, faculty response was shaped the concerns that they felt at the personal, management, and consequence stages that shaped their response. Concerns at the consequence stage prompted the most reflection and the greatest pedagogical change. Additionally, a theme running through several stages was that of the image of ideal teaching (Manouchehri & Goodman, 2020). Faculty's ability to make online education comport with their images of effective pedagogy was a powerful driver of their experience with the implementation of this innovation. Implications include the importance of professional development for effective online pedagogy and the inclusion of adjunct faculty in change interventions. Additionally, change leaders in higher education are encouraged to leverage faculty images of effective pedagogy to design effective interventions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Business Resilience as Strategy for Survival and Pandemic Recovery of Selected Engineering Construction Companies in Thailand

This study examined the business resilience practices of engineering construction companies in Thailand as their strategy for survival and pandemic recovery. It also looked into the profile of the key informants and investigated their experiences on their business resilience practices. It also looked into the support strategies of engineering associations in Thailand for their members to enable them to survive during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was conducted in Thailand, and it applied the case study research design. Findings show that some dimensions of business resilience are being practiced by engineering firms. The Thai engineering associations revealed that their members are shifting to digitalization, and they offered them technical webinars. It can be concluded that the selected Thai engineering construction firms practice business resilience. It is recommended that the engineering construction companies in Thailand should adopt the innovative business resilience strategies proposed in this study. © ASCE.

Let the buyer beware: how network structure can enable (and prevent) supply chain fraud

PurposeSupply chain fraud is a significant global concern for firms, consumers and governments. Evidence of major fraud events suggests the role of supply chain structures in enabling and facilitating fraud, as they often involve several parties in complicated networks designed to obfuscate the fraud. This paper identifies how the structural characteristics of supply chains can play an important role in enabling, facilitating and preventing fraud.Design/methodology/approachThe research follows a theory elaboration approach. The authors build on structural holes theory in conjunction with a multiple case study research design to identify new concepts and develop propositions regarding the role of network structure on supply chain fraud.FindingsThis research shows how structural holes in a supply chain can create advantages for unscrupulous firms, a role we call tertius fraudans, or the cheating third. This situation is exacerbated by structural ignorance, which refers to the lack of knowledge about structural connections in the network. Both structural holes and structural ignorance can create information gaps that facilitate fraud, and the authors propose solutions to detect and prevent this kind of fraud.Originality/valueThis paper extends structural holes theory into the domain of fraud. Novel concepts including tertius fraudans, structural ignorance and bridge collapse are offered, alongside a series of propositions that can help understand and manage structural supply chain fraud.

There and back again. Examining the development of employee commitment during a prolonged crisis.

To effectively function and adapt in crises, healthcare organizations rely on the skills and commitment of their workforce. Yet, our current understanding of how employees' workplace commitment is affected by and evolves throughout the course of a crisis remains limited. In this paper, we explore the commitment of hospital staff to an important workplace target, the COVID-19 crisis response, and show how this commitment develops over time. We report on an exploratory case study of hospital staff in a heavily hit region of the Netherlands. We conducted interviews with hospital executives, management, medical and support staff to uncover the issues hospitals faced in recruiting staff to provide COVID-19 care throughout the first and second wave of the crisis. Our findings suggest that while staff initially exhibited high levels of commitment to aiding in the crisis effort, staff were perceived to exhibit lower levels of commitment in the second wave, complicating the provision of COVID-19 care. We unveil three contributing factors to this shift, namely: competing demands, energy depletion and a lack of support and appreciation. Our findings suggest that while staff were initially willing to dedicate themselves and take responsibility for the crisis effort, as their other more stable commitments became more salient in the second wave, their willingness to dedicate limited resources to the crisis effort decreased. In our discussion, we examine the implications of our findings for the literature on workplace commitment, and advance our understanding of employee workplace commitment during crises.

“CoVid” Analysis using Online-Based Problem-Solving Approach on Informatics Mathematics Subject

During the COVID-19 pandemic, lecturers carry out online learning and this condition also force student to learn independently. One alternative solution given is online-based problem-solving approach. This approach are suitable implemented in the mathematics Informatics course. The Approach challenges students to be able to express every result of thinking, transform information into various forms of representation, as well as the ability to adapt to online learning during this pandemic. This research is case study research that aims to analyse the Communication Skills, Visual thinking, and Adaptability (COVid) of students in the mathematics informatics course through Online-Based Problem-Solving Approach. This course examines combinatorics and pigeon holes principle. This lesson is useful in the context of making software that requires certain calculations and logic. The subjects of this study were second semester students of the 2020/2021 academic year at the Informatics Study Program at Univeritas Cokroaminoto Palopo. Data was collected by using assignments, questionnaires, and interviews to obtain valid data. The results show that only a few students are able to express every result of thinking, transform information into various forms of representation, as well as the ability to adapt to online learning during this pandemic. © 2021 Institute of Physics Publishing. All rights reserved.

Teaching as a system: COVID-19 as a lens into teacher change.

In the spring of 2020, schools and universities around the world were closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The relative lockdown affected more than 1.5 billion learners as teachers and students sheltered at home for several weeks. As schooling moved online, teachers were forced to change how they taught. In the research presented here, we focus on university mathematics professors, and we analyze how their practice, knowledge, and beliefs intertwine and change under these circumstances. More specifically, the context of the pandemic and the relative lockdown provides us with the experimental basis to argue that the new practice affected both knowledge and beliefs of mathematics teachers and that practice, knowledge, and beliefs form a system. Being part of a system, the reactions to change in practice can be of two types, namely, the system as a whole tries to resist change, or the system as a whole changes - and it changes significantly. The research presented here proposes a model for describing and analyzing what we called a teaching system and examines three cases that help to better depict the systemic nature of teaching.

Using medical reality television as a technology-enhanced learning strategy to provide authentic patient care experiences during clinical placements: a case study research investigation.

BACKGROUND: Over the last decade, the use of technology-enhanced learning (TEL) has rapidly expanded and diversified. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a growing demand for distance and online learning strategies to support and even replace learning experiences previously afforded by clinical placements and clerkships. An intriguing but under-researched modality is the use of medical reality television to provide authentic experiences of patient care. This strategy does not feature in published medical educational literature, though promising research is emerging from other disciplines. METHODOLOGY: A programme of learning using medical reality television clips to facilitate case-based learning was developed according to the principles of 'anchored instruction', a technology-based educational theory. Clips were taken from the UK television show '24 hours in A&E'. Medical students' learning experiences were investigated using a qualitative approach addressing the following research questions: - What is the perceived emotional experience of medical students when watching reality television in an educational context? - How do medical students relate their experience of watching reality television in a formal educational setting to their perceived learning needs in the clinical environment? A case study research methodology was adopted within the interpretivist paradigm. Data were triangulated from semi-structured interviews with students and non-participant observation of the teaching session. Field notes and transcripts were analysed through an inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS: In response to the medical reality television, a diverse range of emotions were expressed including: excitement, amusement, concern, nervousness, sadness and joy. Students identified gaps in their clinical knowledge such as interpreting results, practical aspects of prescribing and end of life care. Key themes were increased student engagement and a promotion of holistic care practices. DISCUSSION: Students perceived reality television as a highly realistic and relatable medium and an enjoyable, memorable way to contextualise learning from the classroom to real life, a finding mirrored in previous studies in other fields. The high degree of emotion expressed may explain the improved subjective memorability of the cases. CONCLUSION: Medical reality television offers a unique means of engaging students by providing authentic experiences of patient care and should be valued alongside other technology-enhanced learning strategies.