9782 research outputs found
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From information asymmetry to transparency: blockchain-enabled digital transformation in manufacturing supply chains
No full textPurpose – Blockchain serves as a vital technology for digital transformation within manufacturing supply chains through its improved security and transparent tracking capabilities. Blockchain technology emerges as a promising solution for supply chain stakeholders who face ongoing information asymmetries and trust deficits amidst growing demands for sustainable practices and ethical sourcing from consumers and regulators. This paper aims to explore the potential of blockchain technology to improve transparency within supply chain operations, particularly in the Australian electrical manufacturing industry. Design/methodology/approach – This research uses a multimethod research design encompassing three phases: Phase 1, a comprehensive literature review; Phase 2, semistructured interviews; and Phase 3, a case study to explore the application of distributed ledger technology for secure real-time supply chain activity monitoring. Findings – The results suggest that integrating blockchain with Internet of Things technologies and sensor-based data leads to substantial improvements in data integrity while reducing fraud risks and enabling more efficient supply chain actor collaboration. Practical implications – Manufacturing firms can benefit from our research findings, which provide actionable steps for using blockchain to achieve sustainable operations and improved efficiency. The authors offer strategic guidance for firms to develop supply chains that ensure transparency and resilience, along with alignment to environmental, social and governance goals. Originality/value – The study advances digital supply chain transformation research by showing how blockchain serves as an essential technology to improve transparency and trust while boosting performance in manufacturing supply chains
Cross-market Volatility Transmission and Correlation Dynamics Between Real Estate and Financial Markets: Evidence from India
No full textThis study investigates the volatility spillovers and dynamic conditional correlations (DCCs) among the Nifty Realty Index, Indian government bonds, commodities index and exchange rate, utilizing Baba–Engle–Kraft–Kroner (BEKK)–generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH) and DCC–GARCH models. The results indicate that the real estate sector plays a pivotal role in propagating shocks, particularly during periods of heightened uncertainty such as the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical conflicts. The findings highlight short-term volatility spillovers, underscoring the interrelation between the real estate market and commodity prices, as well as macroeconomic stability. The results correspond with recent research indicating increased interconnection and heightened housing market volatility during adverse conditions. These observations have significant implications for policymakers and investors, underscoring the need for targeted macroprudential measures, portfolio diversification and hedging strategies to mitigate systemic risk in the Indian financial system. This study examines the impact of the real estate sector on financial market dynamics, thereby expanding the existing literature on cross-market volatility spillovers and laying the groundwork for future research on the effect of real estate on asset pricing and economic stability.JEL Codes: C58, G10, G1
Women Workers in the Informal Sector in the People’s Republic of China
No full textThe informal economy is significant in developing countries for several reasons, ranging from providing jobs to transitioning into the formal economy. The case of China is no different. Despite being the world's second-largest economy, China remains a developing country. While workers in the informal sector suffer from several constraints, including a lack of job guarantees, random layoffs, to seasonal employment, women workers suffer more in the informal sector. China has made several strides in ensuring that women constitute a major part of the labour force, and the efforts for the inclusion of women post the establishment of the People's Republic of China go back to Mao Zedong's slogan of ‘women hold up half the sky.’ Despite the strides, women in China, particularly in the informal sector, continue to suffer from several constraints, which include wage differentials, unsafe environments, higher workloads in cases, and so on. A major challenge to measuring Chinese women's contributions to the informal economy lies in the fact that there is no formal definition of the informal economy in China. Given China's economic slowdown and aging population, the top leadership of the country has urged Chinese women to focus primarily on their reproductive functions. This chapter tries to outline the hurdles women workers face, particularly in the informal sector. It uses primary and secondary data sources, not just from Chinese sources but also from international organizations. The chapter investigates, through findings of empirical studies, the gendered implications of informal employment in China. It follows an inductive line of reasoning to outline the plausible implications for the Chinese economy if the trend of hurdles for women workers in the informal sector is to continue. This paper investigates, through the findings of empirical studies, the nature of work and employment conditions for those who work in the community services sector and the gender implications for those engaged in informal employment
Can indigenous political representation improve forest conservation? India’s experience
Full text linkCan political representation by indigenous communities – often seen as stewards of forests – help enhance forest conservation? Or would indigenous political control over forests catalyse greater extraction for revenue gains? Does the level of representation matter? This paper addresses these under-researched questions, drawing on India’s multi-layered enactments which granted Scheduled Tribes political representation, and hence influence over local resources including forests, in constituencies reserved for them in state assemblies and village councils. Taking Chhattisgarh state as an example, geospatial technologies are used for accessing forest cover, village boundaries, and village characteristics, to compare the state’s 20,000-odd villages across diverse reserved and unreserved categories, over almost two decades, 2001–2019. It differentiates between Assembly Constituency (AC) reservations and PESA (Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas) reservations – the former at the assembly level, the latter at the village council level – and between delimitation time periods. Over 2001–2019, village area under forest cover is found to have increased by almost 240,000 ha for the 10,554 ever-reserved villages, constituting four times the increase in never-reserved villages. Also, over 2009–2019, regression analysis (using different specifications) shows that relative to never-reserved villages the likelihood of an increase in percentage village area under forest cover was significantly greater in solely AC reserved villages, but significantly lower in solely PESA villages. Rural non-village forests also improved under AC reservation. This suggests a policy win–win for assembly-level representation in promoting both social inclusion and conservation. Divergent interests could, however, stymie village-level outcomes, needing additional incentives to conserve. These results also hold lessons for other countries with large forest areas and substantial indigenous populations
Enhancing digital resiliency of supply chain under the umbrella of industry 4.0 technologies: a hybrid analytical analysis of enablers
No full textIn the post-pandemic period, global supply chain (SC) operations are increasingly affected by geopolitical tensions, rising inflation, and logistical difficulties. Organizations located in different regions continue to struggle with SC disruptions, facing challenges related to planning and operational stability. One of the major challenges is developing an SC that remains stable during disruptions, fulfills customer demands, and contributes to overall business expansion. But, at the same time, SC faces increasing disruptions due to global complexities, demand volatility, and sustainability pressures. Therefore, organizations are adopting digital technologies in their operations to enhance resilience by anticipating risks, responding quickly, and ensuring continuity of operations. The knowledge of SC is still limited in the Industry 4.0 (I4.0) context. Therefore, this study initially investigates the role of I4.0 technologies to reshape supply chain resiliency (SCR), with a focus on enhancing agility and ensuring long-term sustainability within evolving market conditions. The study highlights key factors required to develop SCR. Further, the study uncovers the inter-dependencies, relationships, and priority of factors by using a hybrid approach. It is found that top management support is the most critical factor in building SCR. The present study contributes to the existing literature on SCR by providing novel insights into the theory, managerial implications, practical applications, and policy considerations for developing SCR
AI-Driven Water Management: Transforming Conservation Strategies Through IoT Integration
No full textGrowing urbanization has intensified the exploitation of natural resources, leading to the current climate crisis. One of the most exacerbating issues is extreme pressure on rivers and other water bodies. Traditional approaches to water management with laboratory methods are costly and time-consuming. However, with the emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), natural water resources management seems to have a promising future. IoT exchanges real-time data and communicates the same within its interconnected devices, while AI handles and analyzes large amounts of data through machine learning (ML), deep learning, and expert systems. Integration of AI and IoT enables the collection of granular data and draws actionable insights through advanced analytics. IoT-supported sensors, water meters, and communication networks can monitor several quality parameters such as water levels, pressure, flow, and turbidity. Further, AI can be used to process data streams from IoT devices to offer anomaly detection, predictive maintenance, and optimised resource allocation. The present chapter attempts to outline how IoT and AI integration can be leveraged for water sustainability efforts. It explores emerging trends in freshwater resource conservation, while offering avenues for future research and policy development
From margins to mainstream: Branding indigenous beverages through gastronomic tourism in emerging economies
No full textIndigenous alcoholic beverages remain underexplored in tourism research despite their cultural and economic potential, especially in developing economies where global brands dominate consumption. This exploratory study investigates how such beverages can be repositioned as experiential assets within gastronomic tourism, using Kerala’s toddy as a case study. A mixed-method approach was employed, combining machine learning–based clustering of Instagram images, focus group validation, and conjoint analysis with domestic tourists. Variables were first identified from experiential tourism and consumer behaviour literature and then refined through image clustering and focus group discussions to ensure grounding in both theory and real-world perceptions. The findings reveal that authentic village settings, cultural immersion, and local food pairings are the strongest drivers of tourist appeal, while sustainability considerations—though valued—play a supporting role. Based on these insights, a hierarchical framework for branding indigenous alcoholic beverages was developed, positioning place authenticity as the foundation. The study contributes by integrating digital visual analytics with consumer choice modelling, offering a replicable approach for future research in indigenous beverage tourism. It provides actionable insights for policymakers, entrepreneurs, and tourism operators aiming to revitalise local beverages while preserving cultural heritage and fostering community-based development
Post-consumer Textile Waste Recycling Ecosystem: A Bibliometric Analysis, Framework and Strategy
No full textTextile recycling is a critical approach to reduce the waste, especially landfills and ensures sustainability in the textile industry. Recently, it has garnered significant attention with the increased efforts of sustainable fashion practices. This paper aims to enhance the previous studies by incorporating new findings and presenting a more thorough literature overview of post-consumer waste recycling in the textile and apparel industry. The main aim of this study is to comprehensively investigate the research on post-consumer waste recycling, using an integrated approach of systematic literature assessment and bibliometric analysis of 239 research papers. This work addresses the current research prospects and challenges, detailing the interrelations among the prominent themes within each category and clarifying how each category impacts the others, to provide a thorough understanding of post-consumer textile research. Our work indicated areas for additional investigation and illustrated how bibliometric analysis and systematic literature reviews might be used to enhance comprehension of intricate research domains
Shaping Entrepreneurial Creativity and Innovation Through Human-AI Cognition
No full textArtificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping entrepreneurial dynamics in modern times by fostering creativity, innovation and strategic decision- making. The current study examines the contribution of AI tools and technologies in the enhancement of entrepreneurial creativity and innovation. The data- driven insights provided by AI helps in automating cognitive processes and supporting idea generation. The qualitative and conceptual analysis of literature done using NVivo 14 software coding generated five themes for the study. Idea generative support of AI, cognitive intelligence, fostering innovation, human- AI’s ethical alignment and entrepreneurial ecosystem readiness for AI. These themes helped identify the ways AI tools such as Machine Learning, natural language processing, generative AI models etc., support entrepreneurs in ideation, development, decision- making and implementation
Politics of Joint Forest Management: A Sociological Study of Co-management from Tropical Dry Forest Regions of Ajodhya Pahar, West Bengal
No full textCommunity forest management is a phase of transition between absolute state control and a renewal of community control over the forestland that has become possible with the enactment of the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006. Joint Forest Management (JFM), which used to have a robust presence in West Bengal, has been facing increasing challenges from the forest-dwellers who wish to implement the FRA (2006) in the state, despite the multiple hurdles placed by the forest bureaucracy and the state government. The article studies the status of the JFM programme in the Ajodhya Pahar Hill range of West Bengal, in the backdrop of the years-long resistance of the Adivasi forest-dwellers to the proposed Turga Pumped Storage Project (TPSP). Based on an ethnographic study conducted in Ajodhya Pahar in multiple phases between 2019 and 2024, the article claims that the deteriorating relationship between the forest-dwelling communities and the Forest Department had already weakened the JFM structure in Ajodhya Pahar, to which the nascent popularisation of the FRA (2006) added further complexities. The article further argues, despite rejecting the Forest Department, that the idea of boundaries and encroachment within the JFM structure has persisted in the activities of the Forest Rights Committees (FRCs), and has eventually become incorporated in the growing Adivasi assertion for implementing the FRA (2006) in the region