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The Use of DEA for ESG Activities and DEI Initiatives Considered as “Pillar of Sustainability” for Economic Growth Assessment in Western Balkans
No full textData envelopment analysis (DEA), which is frequently used in efficiency analysis, has also been applied to the measurement of entrepreneurial efficiency for the attainment of desired values of macroeconomic indicators (such as the objectives of sustainable economic growth). For this application, DEA takes into account the economic, environmental, and social impact of entrepreneurship as the three dimensions of sustainability. This paper aimed to investigate the potential for a scalable (in diversity, equity, and inclusion dimensions) DEA application in sustainable entrepreneurship performance (SEP) assessment through three channels (assessing SEP without ESG activities; ESG→SEP; ESG (DEI)→SEP) and present an empirical study related to economic growth assessment and its environmental, social, and governance (ESG), and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) determinants across selected Western Balkans (WB) and European Union (EU) companies, based on the use of the proposed scalable DEA. It highlights how crucial a scalable nonparametric approach to macroeconomic efficiency analysis is and provides a more comprehensive perspective to the researchers on this issue. This study used a non-oriented DEA model with variable return-to-scale in a group of 60 WB and 60 EU companies, all of which adopted ICT/Blockchain (BC) technologies (the 11 ESG metrics). The annual corporate data was collected for seven years from 2017 until 2023. We projected the selected data to three country particularities (mass acceptance, adoption, and implementation of ICT/BC; mass labor force return from overseas; and ethnic, cultural, and religious particularities) and performed statistical analysis. Our findings estimate the influence of these three particularities on economic growth potential. In all countries’ cases, we found a statistically sound (significant, positive) correlation between ESG and SEP’s economic growth quality performance. Particularly, when corporate social and DEI initiatives mediate (channel III), SEP’s economic growth gains the best performance (+18%) in countries with ethnic, cultural, and religious particularities (BiH, NM), a +17% in countries enjoying massive labor force return from overseas (AL) and performs well in quality (particularly in the innovation and integrity) SEP performance success dimensions (all WB and EU countries). The proposed scalable DEA shows clearly, by performing an empirical analysis, which modern business (adopting ICT/BC) is the most effective in achieving sustainability projected to country particularities, helping corporate management to improve economic growth efficiency.4357259
Leveraging deep learning methods to enhance hydrological predictions and model interpretability
No full textThe growing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, along with the mounting challenges posed by climate change, make hydrological models that incorporate cutting-edge technologies and innovation vital for sustainable water management strategies and efficient flood detection systems.This paper investigates the effectiveness of deep learning models, specifically Temporal Fusion Transformer (TFT), Transformer, and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), using a linear model as baseline, for predicting water levels using meteorological data as covariates.Hourly data from three weather stations (Aminteo, Vevi, Zazari) spatially distributed in the catchment were used to forecast water levels, for the next 24 hours, of the Amintas stream.The study employs key evaluation metrics, including Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE), and Kling-Gupta Efficiency (KGE), to assess model performance.Results reveal satisfactory outcomes across all models, with the Temporal Fusion Transformer (TFT) model demonstrating superior performance in RMSE, MAPE, NSE, and KGE metrics.The discussion underscores the models' ability to outperform linear models by extracting hidden information from weather data.The goal of this paper is to enhance water level prediction capabilities in the face of climate-induced hydrological challenges by leveraging advanced deep learning models and innovative techniques.16SETN 2024: Proceedings of the 13th Hellenic Conference on Artificial Intelligenc
Exploring Historical Monuments and Learning History through an Augmented Reality Enhanced Serious Game
No full textTheoretical subjects, such as history, usually do not attract the interest of students and as a result educational games and serious games that use augmented reality (AR) are increasingly used as a means of supporting education. It is believed that these games can make the lesson more engaging and contribute to improving student performance. However, relevant research is limited. The present research presents the AR-enhanced serious game “Exploring Ancient Greece” that aims at supporting 10- to 14-year-old students in learning the history of Ancient Greece. It consists of three levels that include: a presentation of archaeological sites with AR that gives students the chance to explore places of historical interest; a trivia game that includes an AR presentation of a monument or piece of art somewhere in the physical surroundings of the students; and an escape room where the player is trapped in an archaeological site and tries to solve riddles to find the exit. To evaluate the game, an empirical study was conducted involving students between the ages of 10 and 14 who answered knowledge questions before and after playing the game, completed a questionnaire including questions based on the System Usability Scale (SUS), as well as questions for evaluating their experience, and answered oral questions. Based on the results of this study, students improved their knowledge of history, evaluated the game positively and stated that they prefer the use of serious games and AR in education.1415655
Unlocking the power of employee word-of-mouth to recruit young talent within university settings
No full textPurpose
Our study, based on signaling and social identity theories, explores how companies develop employer brand strategies through university partnerships and employee-centered practices. We also identify key factors that encourage employees to share positive word-of-mouth, enhancing the company’s appeal to potential and current talents.
Design/methodology/approach
Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling, we analyzed a sample of 687 employees from various industries in Greece.
Findings
In our research, we highlight the role of employees' affective commitment in generating positive word-of-mouth recommendations for their company, as a desirable employment destination through interactions within their alma mater universities. This commitment, tied to their understanding of the company’s employer brand and their perceptions of its pre-recruitment practices, fosters a positive employer image among potential candidates. Our study confirms that leveraging employees as brand ambassadors enhances a company’s appeal to younger generations.
Practical implications
Companies should prioritize cultivating employees' affective commitment and facilitate interactions between employees and young candidates at their alma mater universities. It is crucial to ensure that employees understand the company’s employer brand both during their experience as candidates and as employees. By understanding the factors influencing employees' willingness to act as brand ambassadors, organizations can strengthen their employer image and attract younger candidates.
Originality/value
Our findings enhance the understanding of employee word-of-mouth dynamics, offering insights to improve pre-recruitment HR practices aimed at attracting students and recent graduates. By emphasizing employees' perceptions and actions regarding their social interactions at alma mater universities and their employer brand awareness, we can add value to employee-centric pre-recruitment strategies. Designed and implemented by employers, these strategies aim to attract emerging talent through universities.Η μελέτη εξετάζει πώς οι εταιρείες αναπτύσσουν αποτελεσματικές στρατηγικές employer branding μέσα από συνεργασίες με πανεπιστήμια και πρακτικές που επικεντρώνονται στους εργαζομένους, αξιοποιώντας το θεωρητικό πλαίσιο του signaling και της social identity theory. Αναλύοντας δείγμα 687 εργαζομένων από διάφορους κλάδους στην Ελλάδα μέσω PLS-SEM, η έρευνα αναδεικνύει τον καθοριστικό ρόλο της συναισθηματικής δέσμευσης των εργαζομένων στη δημιουργία θετικού word-of-mouth για τον εργοδότη τους. Η δέσμευση αυτή —η οποία συνδέεται με την κατανόηση του employer brand και την εμπειρία των εργαζομένων από τις προ-προσληπτικές πρακτικές της εταιρείας— ενισχύει την εικόνα του εργοδότη ως ελκυστικού προορισμού στα πανεπιστήμια αποφοίτησής τους. Τα ευρήματα επιβεβαιώνουν ότι οι εργαζόμενοι λειτουργούν ως αποτελεσματικοί brand ambassadors, ενισχύοντας την ελκυστικότητα της εταιρείας σε νεότερες γενιές. Πρακτικά, οι εταιρείες οφείλουν να καλλιεργούν τη συναισθηματική δέσμευση και να ενθαρρύνουν δομημένες αλληλεπιδράσεις εργαζομένων με φοιτητές και αποφοίτους, ενισχύοντας την προ-προσληπτική στρατηγική προσέλκυσης ταλέντων.4591701171
Social media in accounting research: A review and future research agenda
No full textIn recent years, accounting scholars have shown growing interest in utilizing social media (SM) for research. Using a structured literature review of 86 articles, this study aims to reconcile insights from diverse literature to understand the current trends in SM accounting research and propose an agenda for future studies. Our findings reveal that SM accounting research is still at an early stage despite the increase of articles in recent years. In particular, we find that most studies focus on (publicly listed) corporate use of SM (mostly Twitter and Facebook) to disseminate financial and non-financial information in the North American and European regions. However, there is still a limited understanding of how SM interactions among various parties may push for greater transparency in different forms of organizations and in countries where stakeholder interests are less protected. While SM studies use system-oriented (such as institutional, legitimacy, and stakeholder theories) and economic-based theories, most studies only use SM as an empirical platform and rely on empirically developed arguments without reference to explicit theories. Finally, we identify common research themes and suggest promising avenues for future accounting research.5410059
Economic policy uncertainty as an indicator of abrupt movements in the US stock market
No full textA two regime switching model is developed in an attempt to relate expected US stock market returns to deviations from fundamentals and to Economic Policy Uncertainty (EPU). The analysis is based on monthly data that cover the period from January 1900 to October 2022 and the EPU index is used as an explanatory variable. The findings suggest that the US stock market spends most of the time in a low-volatility regime, periodically switching to a high-volatility regime during times of financial instability. In an attempt to examine the forecasting ability of the model, out-of-sample probabilities of a crash and a boom are estimated recursively. The results provide evidence that our model is able to depict periods of abrupt movements in the US stock market. Finally, the estimated model and the associated probability of a crash are used to develop and evaluate a proposed trading strategy, in order to analyse the financial usefulness of the model. A simple simulation reveals that our trading rule produces statistically significant abnormal returns and manages to outperform the simple buy-and-hold strategy for the period before the Covid-19 crisis.949310
Digital skills in vocational education and training: Investigating the impact of Erasmus, digital tools, and educational platforms
No full textThis study investigates the impact of various educational and social factors on the digital skills of vocational education and training (VET) students, emphasizing the significance of continuous skill development in the digital age. Utilizing structural equation modeling (SEM), the paper analyzes data from 382 adult VET students in Greece, examining the effects of Erasmus program participation, daily computer use, educational platforms, and social network engagement on digital competencies. The findings reveal that participation in Erasmus programs and the use of educational platforms significantly enhance students’ digital skills, highlighting the value of international experiences and digital learning tools in VET. Conversely, daily computer use alone does not significantly impact digital skills, suggesting that structured and purposeful digital tool integration is essential for skill development. The study also underscores the positive role of social networks in improving content management skills, advocating for their strategic use in educational settings. These results demonstrate the need for targeted digital literacy initiatives within VET programs to prepare students for modern labor market demands. The research contributes to the theoretical understanding of digital skill acquisition and offers practical insights for educators and policymakers to enhance VET curricula, fostering economic and social progress through improved digital literacy.88841
Information systems and strategy-as-practice in the digital era: an artificial neural network model for SMEs
No full textImproving small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs’) operations requires a combination of digital transformation and IS. Every business is working harder than ever to obtain a competitive edge and boost consumer satisfaction as the global economy heats up. Therefore, picking the right IS results in a competitive edge, faster communication, the ability to store and retrieve more accurate data, decreased costs, and greater customer value. Prior researchers have ignored the importance of IS strategizing in selecting and implementing appropriate IS as per situation, instead focusing on the impact of digital transformation practices on SMEs’ performance and critical factors that impact IS adoption. Given the lack of formal processes and strategic planning, the application of strategy-as-practice is fruitless. This prevents management from gaining a long-term competitive advantage through IS planning. In this study, we investigate how strategic processes and practices affect IS success. Data was obtained from 294 information technology managers from Greek SMEs. Both the Artificial Neural Network model and the Structural Equation Model (SEM) were used to examine the data. The study's findings indicate that top-level management should be educated on the strategic application of IS planning to boost competitive advantage. Additionally, the manager is in charge of selecting the right IT infrastructure in order to harmonize the organization's strategy and structure. The results help managers prioritize duties and understand the value of IS planning in this area.2433
Digital entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship education: a review of the literature
No full textPurpose: Continuous advances in digital technology and business models digitalization have decisively altered the entrepreneurial landscape redefining the aims and the requirements of entrepreneurial education to suit the new digital reality in entrepreneurship. The purpose of this study is to shed light in a neglected niche in the intersection between digital entrepreneurship (DE) and entrepreneurship education and outline DE education as field of research. Given that the interdisciplinary growth of DE research outpaces instructional designs in terms of required knowledge and skills, it is important to document how entrepreneurship education responds to the ongoing integration of emerging digital technologies with the entrepreneurial process. Moreover, the introduction of a DE education conceptual framework would facilitate the discussion on theoretical and practical implications and promote new conceptualizations in future research, new educational approaches and new curriculum designs. Design/methodology/approach: A concept-driven, semi-structured developmental literature review methodology, based on grounded theory and reinforced with increased systemization, was used for the identification and analysis of peer-reviewed articles. Previous literature reviews were used to define the search keywords. The articles from three databases were carefully selected, based on protocol and strict eligibility criteria. The papers in the final set were classified in four primary dimensions, synthesized from several sub-streams of research. Each sub-stream highlighting a different view of DE education emerged through open, axial and selective coding of articles. The combined perspectives of these dimensions resulted in a new DE conceptual framework. Findings: Thematic interrelation between the studies examined, revealed an ample view of the various schools of thought in the research field, offering also a better understanding on how entrepreneurial education addresses the practical requirements of digital entrepreneurship. A four dimensional conceptual framework produced highlights pedagogy and learning, success factors and barriers, behavioral approach and ecosystems as the current trends of research. Also, directions for future research are proposed. Practical implications: The classification framework proposed can serve as a roadmap for entrepreneurship educators seeking efficient pedagogical practices focused on the transfer of knowledge and training on the new skills required by DE and motivate future researchers aiming to propose novel educational interventions. Originality/value: Although digital entrepreneurship research has gained significant momentum in recent years, little attention is paid to its increased educational requirements. The body of knowledge develops in an uncontrolled and fragmented manner, and the systematic study of the field from an educational perspective was missing. This study offers a representative picture of the topic, highlights current trends of research, synthesizes literature from different disciplinary origins, provides linkages between unconnected streams of research and points out research gaps. Finally, it proposes a conceptual framework to circumscribe DE education as a field of study and serve as a basis to help future research move forward.302-327730
Virtual reality and gamification in education: a systematic review
No full textThis study aims to analyze the use of virtual reality and gamification in education by examining the existing literature. In addition to virtual reality, this study focuses on gamified virtual reality learning environments which refer to virtual reality learning environments that integrate gamification elements and mechanisms. Based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement, a systematic literature review was carried out. No limitations were set regarding educational level, type of study, subject, and publication year. The related articles were retrieved from 5 databases (ERIC, Google Scholar, IEEE, SCOPUS, and Web of Science). A total of 112 articles were included, 16 research questions were explored, and a thematic analysis was conducted. To evaluate the quality of the articles included, the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) was used. According to the findings, gamification and virtual reality support several pedagogical theories and approaches. Their adoption to and integration into education can enrich and transform traditional teaching and learning and were assessed positively by students and teachers. Gamification elements significantly affected students’ achievements. In comparison to traditional learning environments, gamified virtual reality learning environments were more motivating, engaging, and interactive and offered more opportunities for personalized and collaborative learning. Through the realistic and interactive experiences offered, students’ immersion and social presence can be enhanced, knowledge acquisition can be improved, and material comprehension can be facilitated. Positive changes in student attitude, behavior, and mentality as well as improved cognitive, physical, and social–emotional development were observed. When using learning environments that integrate both virtual reality and gamification, students’ learning outcomes, motivation, engagement, and self-efficacy were increased. Additionally, students’ academic performance, active involvement, and satisfaction were improved. Students’ curiosity, imagination, focus, and interest were enhanced and their skills and competences were developed. Finally, gamified virtual reality emerged as an effective educational tool that can improve learning at all educational levels, subjects, and contexts.7231691178