Blockchain adoption in supply networks: a social capital perspective

Purpose This study aims to contribute to the early but fervent debate on blockchain and supply networks by proposing a novel theoretical perspective on blockchain adoption grounded on social capital theory. In particular, it seeks to answer the following question: what is the role of social capital in shaping the decision to adopt blockchain in supply networks? Design/methodology/approach Multiple case-studies, based on interviews performed with managers of eight firms, were used. Findings The social capital theory emerged as an additional but necessary lens to investigate blockchain implementation in supply networks. The intuitions proposed highlighted the importance of managers’ sensemaking for investigating technology adoption. Relational capital emerged as a necessary but not sufficient condition to adopt blockchain in supply networks. In addition, it is argued a relationship between competitive opportunities at the firm level and the idea to adopt the blockchain. The opportunity to act as “Tertius Gaudens” or as “Tertius Iungens” information brokers in supply networks should severely affect firms’ proneness toward the adoption of blockchain solutions. Originality/value This is one of the first studies in the literature investigating blockchain adoption in supply networks from a social capital perspective. It introduces new issues to the debate related to the role of blockchain in the supply chain by discussing the role of goal misalignment and competitive advantage, which emerged as crucial for shaping the decision to adopt blockchain in supply networks.

The tourism industry’s reaction to existential disruption – The role of normative, cognitive and relational expectations during recovery

COVID-19 led to the hibernation of tourism activities globally, causing substantial economic loss and putting at risk the survival of many tourism businesses. At the same time, the reduction in travel activity led to an immediate and unprecedented reduction of global carbon emissions. Many academics argue that the tourism industry should be rebuilt in a more sustainable way post-COVID-19. Based on the sociological theory on response to disruption, the present study provides initial empirical evidence that long-lasting environmental benefits are unlikely to result from the pandemic. Recovery guidelines issued by the UNWTO and six member-based industry associations from different geographical locations and representing different types of tourism businesses form the basis of the empirical analysis. Member-based industry associations represent key information brokers during the pandemic; they convey information and advice to their member businesses. The result of the content analysis indicates the dominant impact of normative expectations, which exclusively focus on re-establishing the pre-COVID-19 status. While there is little indication that cognitive expectations – which view the pandemic as an opportunity to transform business operations to be more environmentally sustainable – will be leveraged. This stands in stark contrast to the collective hope that the tourism industry will become more sustainable after the pandemic.

Measuring Infopreneurial Intentions of Library and Information Science Graduating Students

The purpose of the study anchoring this chapter was to measure the extent to which the students from the Department of Library and Information Science had intentions to venture into infopreneurship after graduating with their Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Library and Information Science. Using a mixed-method design, data were collected from a population of 45 students through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Findings revealed that the majority (25) students intended to pursue infopreneurship as information consultants, information brokers, researchers, information literacy assistants, writers, and proofreaders. The study concluded that infopreneurship could be a panacea to the unemployed information science graduates in Zimbabwe. Since the field of infopreneurship is unique and under-researched, the study recommends the creation of a community of practice of infopreneurs who research, share ideas, collaborate, and make the field of infopreneurship robust and efficient in creating employment opportunities for information science graduates.

The public’s trust and information brokers in health care, public health and research

Purpose Nations such as the USA are investing in technologies such as electronic health records in order to collect, store and transfer information across boundaries of health care, public health and research. Health information brokers such as health care providers, public health departments and university researchers function as “access points” to manage relationships between the public and the health system. The relationship between the public and health information brokers is influenced by trust; and this relationship may predict the trust that the public has in the health system as a whole, which has implications for public trust in the system, and consequently, legitimacy of involved institutions, under circumstances of health information data sharing in the future. This paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach In this study, the authors aimed to examine characteristics of trustors (i.e. the public) that predict trust in health information brokers; and further, to identify the factors that influence trust in brokers that also predict system trust. The authors developed a survey that was administered to US respondents in 2014 using GfK’s nationally representative sample, with a final sample of 1,011 participants and conducted ordinary least squares regression for data analyses. Findings Results suggest that health care providers are the most trusted information brokers of those examined. Beliefs about medical deceptive behavior were negatively associated with trust in each of the information brokers examined; however, psychosocial factors were significantly associated with trust in brokers, suggesting that individual attitudes and beliefs are influential on trust in brokers. Positive views of information sharing and the expectation of benefits of information sharing for health outcomes and health care quality are associated with system trust. Originality/value This study suggests that demonstrating the benefits and value of information sharing could be beneficial for building public trust in the health system; however, trust in brokers of information are variable across the public; that is, knowledge, attitudes and beliefs are associated with the level of trust different individuals have in various health information brokers – suggesting that the need for a personalized approach to building trust.