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Item Open Access Comparative life-cycle assessment of novel steel section design with wire arc additive manufacturing(Springer, 2025-02-22) Arrè, Lidiana; Pagone, Emanuele; Laghi, Vittoria; Martina, Filomeno; Palermo, Michele; Lazou, Adamantia; Meskers, Christina; Olivetti, Elsa; Diaz, Fabian; Gökelma, MertolAdditive manufacturing, particularly Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM), is emerging as a promising technology in the construction sector due to its potential to reduce environmental impacts. Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a crucial methodology for evaluating the environmental footprint of products and processes that can be carried out from raw material extraction to the end of production, commonly referred to as “cradle-to-gate” analysis. This study focuses on the environmental impact of 3D-printed steel elements using WAAM technology for construction applications. Specifically, the conventional production of Circular Hollow Section (CHS) steel components was compared with the innovative production of Tubular Sandwich Section (TSS) steel components using WAAM. The analysis provides a comparison of the carbon footprint associated to both production methods, highlighting in detail the emission factors associated with each step of the WAAM production. The results highlighted that WAAM not only offers design and structural benefits to build complex-shaped geometries but also contributes to more sustainable construction practices with a lower “cradle-to-gate” carbon footprint due to the reduced material consumption associated with material efficiency.Item Open Access Circular economy in post consumption network: the role of re-commerce groups in social media platforms(Elsevier, 2025-03) Xie, Ying; Arman, Saleh Md; Su, ChangThe success of the circular economy transition depends on the involvement of all stakeholders. However, research on consumer participation in the circular economy is limited. This study identifies the micro-level dynamics of the circular economy within the post-consumption network, mainly focusing on re-commerce operations. Through exploring re-commerce networks in 20 countries and a statistical analysis of factors influencing sales performances on Facebook, this research aims to identify the primary elements influencing re-commerce activities on Facebook and their role in promoting circular economy. This study uses grounded theory and a mixed-methods approach, combining literature reviews and interviews, to explore the impact of re-commerce on the circular economy. Based on the research findings, this research develops four propositions to promote future research on post-consumption networks in the circular economy context.Item Open Access Risk assessment for digital transformation projects in construction Enterprises: an enhanced FMEA model(Elsevier, 2025-05-15) Li, Tangzhenhao; You, Jianxin; Aktas, Emel; Dong, Yongxin; Yang, MiyingThe digital transformation of the construction industry is crucial for advancing global digital economies, but it involves significant risks that require a standardized and robust assessment methodology. This paper presents an enhanced Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) model that integrates the Multiple Attribute Border Approximation Area Comparison (MABAC) method with Grey Relational Analysis (GRA). Unlike previous approaches, this integration aligns grey relational changes with border approximation vector components, capturing both positive and negative correlations between modes. This enhances the prioritization process by distinguishing failure modes that may amplify or mitigate each other’s impact, leading to more precise risk assessments and mitigation strategies. The model also employs interval numbers instead of crisp numbers to reduce information loss from decision-making ambiguities caused by heterogeneous expert evaluations. Applied in a real-life case study, the improved model effectively accommodates biases and hesitations in expert decision-making, enhancing the accuracy and reliability of risk assessments in digital transformation projects. The findings highlight the model’s potential as a comprehensive and reliable framework for identifying, prioritizing, and mitigating risks in the digital transformation of the construction industry.Item Open Access Transitioning to artificial intelligence-based key account management: a critical assessment(Elsevier, 2025-04) Prior, Daniel D.; Marcos-Cuevas, JavierResearch suggests that Artificial intelligence (AI) use for sales and marketing activities improves firm performance. Underpinning these AI applications are datasets that reflect large volumes of sales transactions and interactions with a broad range of customers. Conversely, key account relationships involve deep and focused engagements with a small number of strategically important customers at multiple levels, and this has important implications for AI data inputs and uses. Whether AI is appropriate or relevant to key account management (KAM) is currently unclear. In this paper, we critically evaluate AI applications for KAM. The paper highlights the amenability of a firm’s KAM capabilities to AI and evaluates the opportunities and challenges that AI-based KAM offers. The paper also outlines a set of moderating factors likely to affect the impact of AI on KAM and provides a conceptual model to better understand the potentially transformative effects of AI on KAM. The paper concludes with a set of theoretical and managerial implications of AI-based KAM and develops a comprehensive research agenda to contribute to the further exploration of AI-based KAM.Item Open Access Public debt and income inequality in times of austerity: dynamic panel evidence(Taylor and Francis, 2025-12-31) Okeke, Angela; Alexiou, ConstantinosThis paper examines the relationship between public debt levels and income inequality during periods of fiscal consolidation (austerity). Specifically, it investigates two key questions: (a) whether high public debt during fiscal adjustments exacerbates income inequality, and (b) whether the composition of these adjustments influences the debt–inequality link. To address these issues, we apply a panel threshold methodology using annual data from 16 OECD countries over the period 1980–2019. Our findings reveal that public debt significantly affects income inequality, with the impact intensifying during fiscal adjustments, particularly at moderate debt thresholds (30–60%). Furthermore, when comparing the effects of tax-based versus spending-based adjustments, the evidence shows that tax-based consolidations tend to produce more persistent negative effects on income inequality.Item Open Access Evaluating mobile-based data collection for crowdsourcing behavioral research(Springer, 2025-04) Esch, Dennis T.; Mylonopoulos, Nikolaos; Theoharakis, VasilisOnline crowdsourcing platforms such as MTurk and Prolific have revolutionized how researchers recruit human participants. However, since these platforms primarily recruit computer-based respondents, they risk not reaching respondents who may have exclusive access or spend more time on mobile devices that are more widely available. Additionally, there have been concerns that respondents who heavily utilize such platforms with the incentive to earn an income provide lower-quality responses. Therefore, we conducted two studies by collecting data from the popular MTurk and Prolific platforms, Pollfish, a self-proclaimed mobile-first crowdsourcing platform, and the Qualtrics audience panel. By distributing the same study across these platforms, we examine data quality and factors that may affect it. In contrast to MTurk and Prolific, most Pollfish and Qualtrics respondents were mobile-based. Using an attentiveness composite score we constructed, we find mobile-based responses comparable with computer-based responses, demonstrating that mobile devices are suitable for crowdsourcing behavioral research. However, platforms differ significantly in attentiveness, which is also affected by factors such as the respondents’ incentive for completing the survey, their activity before engaging, environmental distractions, and having recently completed a similar study. Further, we find that a stronger system 1 thinking is associated with lower levels of attentiveness and acts as a mediator between some of the factors explored, including the device used and attentiveness. In addition, we raise a concern that most MTurk users can pass frequently used attention checks but fail less utilized measures, such as the infrequency scale.Item Embargo Breaking barriers with disability inclusion: brand activism as a catalyst for social sustainability in fashion(Springer Nature, 2024-12-29) Lee, Zoe; Alwi, Sharifah Faridah Syed; Gambetti, Rossella; Henninger, Claudia E; Alevizou, Panayiota; Ryding, Daniella; Goworek, HelenBrand activism is an emerging strategy aimed at fostering social sustainability in fashion. Despite efforts in inclusivity concerning diverse races, colours, and body shapes in model representation, fashion’s approach to authentic disability inclusion remains lacking. Often, portrayals of disabled models evoke sympathy, deviating from fashion’s aspirational ideals. This chapter seeks to delve into successful fashion marketing strategies that genuinely incorporate disabilities. By examining the convergence of brand activism and authentic disability inclusion, it aspires to dismantle barriers and cultivate an inclusive culture, thereby elevating social sustainability.Item Open Access Digital transformation as a catalyst for resilience in stock price crisis: evidence from a ‘New Quality Productivity’ perspective(Springer, 2025-12-31) Chen, Shunru; Alexiou, ConstantinosThis study explores the impact of digital transformation on stock price crash risk using Chinese A-share listed enterprises from 2011 to 2022. Leveraging the TF-IDF algorithm and deep learning models, it contextualizes digital transformation within China's “new quality productivity” framework, which prioritizes technological innovation over traditional productivity drivers. The findings reveal that digital transformation significantly reduces stock price crash risk, particularly in labor and capital-intensive sectors, by enhancing market transparency and decreasing information asymmetry. Furthermore, the integration of digital transformation with the “new quality productivity” framework amplifies this protective effect, with pronounced benefits for large firms and those covered by analysts or research reports. Conversely, smaller firms or those without such coverage experience a smaller impact. By demonstrating how advanced digital technologies bolster operational agility and investor confidence, this study highlights the critical role of digital transformation in fostering resilience and stabilizing stock prices during crises.Item Open Access Impact-driven scholar, reflective practitioner, or pracademic? Conceptualizing hybrid roles to bridge the research-practice gap in HRM(Elsevier, 2025-06-01) Lau, Annica; Haist, Joshua; Hewett, RebeccaBridging the gap between theoretical concepts relating to human resource management (HRM) and practical application of research insights is essential for creating important, relevant, and therefore high impact management theories about work and organizations. Pracademics, who actively participate in both research and practice activities, cross boundaries between domains, so play a critical role in bringing theories into practice. However, the role of pracademics is conceptually underdeveloped and ambiguous, limiting our understanding of how actors engage in bridging the research-practice divide. We propose a continuum of research-practice roles, recognizing that hybrid roles are often fluid in nature. We explain how hybrid professionals hold different identities; as impact-driven scholars, reflective practitioners, or pracademics. These roles have implications for individuals' activities, identity work, career, and collaboration. Drawing on three contemporary challenges in HRM, we illustrate how hybrid professionals can align HRM theory and practice and help close the research-practice gap. As well as theoretical and managerial implications, we also highlight implications of the continuum of roles for policy makers and funders.Item Open Access Dark and bright repercussions of COVID-19 pandemic on international business: a systematic literature review and future research agenda(Emerald, 2025-12-31) Khan, Huda; Khan, Zaheer; Wood, GeoffreyPurpose As a global pandemic of historically significant scale, COVID-19 and its impact on global business activities have gained significant scholarly attention in the international business (IB) domain. This study aims to review and consolidate the IB research findings on the COVID-19 crisis, considering both the literature on the dark and bright repercussions for firms. Design/methodology/approach The authors systematically reviewed and synthesized a sample of 87 scholarly articles published in major IB journals from 2019 to 2022. Findings This review paper highlights the important domains – including global value chains, digitalization and varieties of functional areas – that have been substantially affected due to the widespread disruptions caused by the pandemic. This study also discusses future avenues for extending the work on the dark and bright sides of crisis management. Originality/value Applying the overarching concept of the bright and dark sides of the COVID-19 pandemic, the authors developed a framework that highlights the important knowledge gaps and points to future research directions. This review also suggests the salient methodological and contextual avenues potentially suited for future IB research on the pandemic and similar crises.Item Open Access Rapid decarbonization requires industrial efficiency(Springer, 2025-01-31) Yang, Miying; Evans, SteveThe potential of effciency to support decarbonization is underestimated and overlooked relative to more expensive and intensive actions. Implementing resource and energy effciency strategies in industry could deliver rapid and cost-effective decarbonization.Item Open Access Female FTSE Board Report 2016: Women on boards - taking stock of where we are(2016-12-31) Sealy, Ruth; Doldor, Elena; Vinnicombe, SusanItem Open Access The Female FTSE Board Report 2018: Busy going nowhere with the female executive pipeline(2018-03-31) Vinnicombe, Susan; Doldor, Elena; Sealy, RuthThis year we see two different pictures emerging in terms of women’s representation on FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 corporate boards. Since October 2017 the percentage of women on FTSE 100 boards has increased from 27.7% to 29%, meaning that if the current pace continues it is possible to reach the targeted 33% by the end of 2020. In total 264 women hold 305 directorships on FTSE 100 boards. The percentage of female Non-Executive Director (NED) positions is at the all-time high of 35.4%, whilst the percentage of female executive positions has flatlined at 9.7%. On a positive note, seven women hold a Chair position and 18 hold Senior Independent Directorships. A further 85 women hold 95 Chair roles on the various committees across FTSE 100 boards. In contrast, the percentage of women on FTSE 250 boards has only increased marginally from 22.8% in October 2017 to 23.7%, the percentage of female executive directorships has dropped from 7.7% to 6.4% and the number of all male boards has increased to ten. These present challenging conditions for meeting the 33% target in 2020.Item Open Access The Female FTSE Board Report 2022: What works?(2022-12-31) Vinnicombe, Susan; Tessaro, MichelleThere has been a continued increase in the number of women on corporate boards. The percentage of women on FTSE 100 boards is 40% and the parallel percentage for FTSE 250 boards is 39%, meaning that FTSE 100 boards have already met the target set by the Women Leaders Review for 2025 and FTSE 250 are on the cusp of meeting it. Overall, women hold 413 directorships across FTSE 100 boards - the increase in women coming primarily as usual from female Non -Executive Directorships (NEDs). The number of women in Executive Directorships (EDs) has increased marginally from 31 to 36. A similar pro昀椀le emerges for FTSE 250 companies where women hold 752 directorships, of which 705 are NED and only 47 are EDs. There has been no change in the number of women EDs for the past three years. As in previous years there continues to be a wide variance between the top and bottom companies, indicating the downside of voluntary targets over mandatory quotas.Item Open Access The Female FTSE Board Report 2017: Women on Boards: Back on track?(2017-03-31) Vinnicombe, Susan; Sealy, Ruth; Humbert, Anne LaureThis year we have seen the percentage of women on FTSE 100 boards rise to almost 28% (27.7%) after a year of stagnation. Over the past 12 months, turnover of board directors has been low (12.5%), but the proportion of new appointments going to women has hit the target of at least 1:3. This means that we could be within reach of 33% women on FTSE 100 boards by 2020 as long as the momentum is maintained. Progress continues also on the FTSE 250 which has risen to almost 23% (22.8%). Here there needs to be a greater push in order to meet the target of 33% by 2020. The percentage of women holding FTSE 100 non-executive (NED) positions is at an all-time high of 33.3%, but the percentage of women holding executive directorships remains low at just under 10%. This year six women hold chair positions and a further 14 hold Senior Independent Directorships on the FTSE 100.Item Open Access The Female FTSE Board Report 2019: moving beyond the numbers(2019-07-11) Vinnicombe, Susan; Atewologun, Doyin; Battista, ValentinaThis year we see a more encouraging picture emerging in terms of the number of women on FTSE boards. Over the past 12 months the percentage of women on FTSE 100 boards has increased from 29% to 32%, so the 33% target set for 2020 is well in sight. In total 292 women hold 339 directorships on FTSE 100 boards. The percentage of female non-executive directors (NEDs) is at the all-time high of 38.9%, whilst the percentage of female executives remains worryingly low at 10.9%. There is also progress on the FTSE 250 boards with the percentage of women directors rising from 23.7% to 27.3% this year and the number of all male boards dropping to three, but still, three is too many. The percentage of female NEDs is now 32.8% but the percentage of female executivedirectors (EDs) remains low at 8.4%.Item Open Access Female FTSE Board Report 2024: 25 years on - milestones and misses(2024-12-31) Vinnicombe, Susan; Tessaro, Michelle; Battista, ValentinaThis year we see continuing progress in the appointment of women to Non-Executive Directorships on FTSE 350 boards. The percentage of women in total on FTSE 100 boards now sits at 43.4% and on FTSE 250 boards is 42.4%, thus on average both sets of companies have met the target set by the Women Leaders Review. In total, women hold 450 directorships across FTSE 100 boards. The percentage of female Non-Executive Directors (NEDs) stands at 49%, in comparison with the percentage of female Executive Directors (EDs) which is 20.3%. The latter is at an all time high and is explained by the increase of female Chief Finance Officers (CFOs) in an active market for new CFOs. Women hold 793 directorships across the FTSE 250 boards. The percentage of female NEDs is very similar to the FTSE 100 at 49.3%, thus there is now parity of men and women in NED roles across FTSE 350 companies. Following the target set by the Women Leaders Review of appointing at least one woman to one of the top four roles (CEO, CFO, Chair and SID), there has been a push to appoint women into the ‘softest’ of those roles, the SID role, where we now see gender parity across both FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 boards. The percentage of women in ED roles across FTSE 250 boards has slipped further since our last report to 11.8%. The gap between the percentage of women in ED roles and NED roles across FTSE 250 boards has grown over the past three years (30%, 33% and 37%). Companies seem to have taken their focus off the big prize of getting more women into the top executive leadership rolesItem Open Access The Female FTSE Report 2008: A Decade of Delay(Cranfield School of Management, 2008) Sealy, Ruth; Vinnicombe, Susan; Singh, Val2008 marks our tenth index and report with a slight, incremental increase ofdirectorships held by women on the FTSE 100 corporate boards, bringing the totalnumber to 131. Ten years ago there were only 66 women on the FTSE 100 boards.The most meaningful increase has occurred in the 39 companies that now each havetwo or more women on their boards.Item Open Access Sustainable e-grocery home delivery: an optimization model considering on-demand vehicles(Elsevier, 2025-03) Tudisco, Vittoria; Perotti, Sara; Ekren, Banu Yetkin; Aktas, EmelThe e-grocery sector has experienced a significant boost since the COVID-19 pandemic, dramatically changing consumer buying behaviours. As demand for faster and more efficient delivery options grows, e-grocery retailers face increasing pressure to optimize home delivery operations. Collaborations with third-party logistics providers (3PLs), although still overlooked, have emerged as promising, offering operational flexibility and environmental benefits. This work introduces an optimization model that supports the design of an on-demand delivery fleet conjunctly with delivery routings and schedules, while considering both cost and environmental impact. To this aim, a vehicle routing problem with time windows (VRPTW) is extended to incorporate on-demand fleet design and three different objective functions embodying a cost-efficient, an environmentally-effective and a cost-environmental balanced perspective respectively. Numerical experiments based on an Italian case study show that prioritizing environmental objectives reduces emissions by over 90%, with marginal increases in annual costs. Besides, on-demand vehicles enable flexibility that facilitates the adoption of sustainable delivery options without requiring challenging investments such as delivery fleet. Several contributions are provided: insights into using on-demand vehicles are proposed; a mathematical model jointly optimizing fleet design and delivery routing and scheduling, while considering both costs and environmental objectives, is developed and its practical application is demonstrated using real-world data. The findings highlight the significant impact of environmental considerations on fleet composition and operational efficiency, offering actionable strategies for e-retailers to reduce emissions while maintaining service quality.Item Open Access Muslim employees’ religious and intersectional identities as sources of discrimination: how deeper understanding can improve managerial practice(Emerald, 2025-01-09) Gottardello, Debora; Cascón-Pereira, Rosalía; Anderson, DeirdrePurpose: This study aims to explore how intersecting identities shape experiences of workplace discrimination faced by Muslim employees in Catalonia, Spain. We seek to understand the interplay of religion, ethnicity, gender and age in their employment experiences in order to improve managerial practices. Design/methodology/approach: The research employs a qualitative approach, conducting in-depth interviews with 39 diverse Muslim employees in Catalonia through convenience and snowball sampling to support an intersectional analysis. Findings: Findings reveal that Muslim employees navigate a workplace environment where their experiences of discrimination are shaped by intersecting identities including religion, age, gender and ethnicity which become salient at various stages of their careers, prompted by HRM practices such as recruitment, selection and promotion. Their experiences as recipients of these practices illuminate the complex ways in which intersecting identities shape the experiences of discrimination. The study reveals the hiding of their religious identity, giving up on traditional career paths, seeking social support from other Muslims and emphasizing privileged identities, to deal with discrimination. Originality/value: This study deepens understanding of the complexity of religious identity in minorities and explores its role in workplace discrimination. In particular, the research sheds light on the psychological impact in the form of feelings of guilt and shame which arise from coping strategies such as concealing religious markers which are adopted by these employees in response to organizational and managerial practices. Lastly, the paper stresses the need for intersectional approaches in order to improve effectiveness of HR policies and managerial practices.