The transformative and evolutionary approach of omnichannel in retail companies: insights from multi-case studies in Portugal

PurposeOmnichannel implementation in retail requires business transformation and faces several operational barriers. This research discusses how omnichannel has been implemented, in a managerial perspective, and how integration of operations has overcome the identified transformative barriers.Design/methodology/approachThe authors followed a multi-case study approach, with observation and interviews with managers of four big retail companies in Portugal.FindingsThe results suggest that retail companies have overcome the barriers to implement omnichannel models through the integration of information technology (IT), the accomplishment of organisational changes and the optimisation of customer feedback, achieving positive business indicators, namely increased sales.Research limitations/implicationsThe conclusions of the paper provide valuable information to help companies to design the process of channel's integration in order to overcome the transformative constraints of omnichannel. However, those conclusions emerge from Portuguese case studies of retail companies, and a generalised discussion should consider the contextual diversity of consumer expectations, cultural user experiences in retail and the maturity of digital transformation and omnichannel implementation stage in each country.Originality/valuePrevious studies had characterised the items of omnichannel retail, fulfilment processes, the benefits of channels' integration in customer experience, satisfaction and loyalty and had identified barriers for its implementation. Considering the existence of different stages of omnichannel implementation, this paper explores how retail companies increment omnichannel operations, overcome transformative barriers and achieve the omnichannel benefits, through the whole involvement of the organisation system, the customer approach and the business model, besides the technology integration.

Contextual diversity in telephone interpreting: Voices from healthcare interpreters in Scotland

This study conducted in Scotland focuses on the contextual factors that shape healthcare interpreters’ performance when they interpret over the telephone. It draws on the findings of two focus groups (n = 5 and 7) conducted in a Scottish urban area in 2017 among healthcare interpreters with experience in telephone interpreting (TI). The participants shared their experiences in TI as they related to issues that include (1) the impact of different equipment used by interpreters and clients respectively and (2) the interpreting strategies and techniques deployed in TI. Another issue that emerged from the focus groups was work–life balance. Judging by their contributions, healthcare interpreters are influenced by a multitude of factors when they interpret over the telephone, some of which have been accorded sufficient significance in the literature. Among the less-discussed factors are the specific kind of equipment used by healthcare providers and the policy of the interpreter’s employer regarding the use of mobile phones. The participants’ input suggests that they respond to the challenges of TI linked to the use of certain technologies with assertiveness and creativity, although they may not be fully aware of the consequences of some of their behaviours. This article highlights the value of focus groups in exploring diversity in a situated practice.

Does narrator variability facilitate incidental word learning in the classroom?

Recent studies have revealed that presenting novel words across various contexts (i.e., contextual diversity) helps to consolidate the meaning of these words both in adults and children. This effect has been typically explained in terms of semantic distinctiveness (e.g., Semantic Distinctiveness Model, Jones et al., Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology, 66(2), 115, 2012). However, the relative influence of other, non-semantic, elements of the context is still unclear. In this study, we examined whether incidental learning of new words in children was facilitated when the words were uttered by several individuals rather than when they were uttered by the same individual. In the learning phase, the to-be-learned words were presented through audible fables recorded either by the same voice (low diversity) or by different voices (high diversity). Subsequently, word learning was assessed through two orthographic and semantic integration tasks. Results showed that words uttered by different voices were learned better than those uttered by the same voice. Thus, the benefits of contextual diversity in word learning extend beyond semantic differences among contexts; they also benefit from perceptual differences among contexts.

Exploring digital sustainability of/through Estonia’s e-residency: Africa’s case and the importance of culture for sustainability

Purpose This paper aims to take the lead from the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 9 and 10 – foster “resilient infrastructures and inclusive innovation” and “reduce disparities of opportunities, income and power” – as key for digital sustainability. Moving beyond existing research, here this paper conceptualise “digital sustainability” as a framework for analysing the sustainability of digital services. Design/methodology/approach Combining different works, this paper identifies five dimensions: social, economic, institutional, environmental and technical. The framework is then tested on Estonia’s e-residency program, of which, in this way, this paper explores the potential digital sustainability. By allowing anyone to run location-independent businesses as if virtually in Estonia, the e-residency program aligns to what SDGs 9 and 10 prescribe in terms of socio-economic inclusiveness and inclusive innovation. As such, the program is particularly valuable for citizens from developing countries in that it gives them access to European markets. Hence, to explore e-residency’s digital sustainability, this paper focuses on the experiences of African e-residents. Findings In-depth interviews highlight a series of criticalities involving one or more dimensions of the framework. This is because of the program having a global outreach by default but not accommodating contextual diversity by design. Originality/value Suggestions for improving the program are provided, alongside the recommendation to also include the cultural dimension into the conceptualisation of digital sustainability.

Learning from knowledge co-production research and practice in the twenty-first century: global lessons and what they mean for collaborative research in Nunatsiavut

An increasing need for novel approaches to knowledge co-production that effectively and equitably address sustainability challenges has arisen in the twenty-first century. Calls for more representative and contextual co-production strategies have come from indigenous communities, scientific research forums, and global environmental governance networks. Despite calls to action, there are no systematic reviews that derive lessons from knowledge co-production scholarship to interpret their significance through the lens of a specific sociopolitical and cultural context. We conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed and grey literature on knowledge co-production published from 2000 to 2020. Using a hybrid inductive and deductive thematic analysis, we identified two conceptual themes—guiding principles and approaches—to structure the synthesis and interpretation of 102 studies. We found that knowledge co-production studies often converged on four interrelated principles: recognition of contextual diversity bounding knowledge co-production, preemptive and intentional engagement with indigenous knowledge holders, formation of shared understanding of the purpose of knowledge co-production, and empowerment of knowledge holders throughout the co-production cycle. These principles manifested in multiple approaches for interpreting, bridging, applying, and distributing power amongst diverse knowledge systems rooted in different epistemologies. We filter these findings through the social–ecological context that frames an ongoing knowledge co-production project with Inuit communities in Nunatsiavut, Canada: the Sustainable Nunatsiavut Futures Project. Our review suggests that emerging forms of knowledge co-production principles and approaches yield immense potential in diverse contexts. Yet in many regions, including Nunatsiavut, principles alone may not be enough to account for systemic and contextualized issues (e.g., colonization and data sovereignty) that can present roadblocks to equitable sustainability science in the twenty-first century if left unaddressed.