Behavioural Intention Determinants of Augmented Reality Technology Adoption in Supermarkets/Hypermarkets

In this paper, the adoption of Augmented Reality, as one of the emerging and intriguing digital technologies, has been investigated. This research uses the extended Unified Theory on Acceptance and Use of Technology framework to analyze these factors. The student population respondents' data about Augmented Reality adoption was collected. The student population has been chosen due to the highest probability of accepting new technologies. The research results show a positive and significant performance expectancy and enjoyment, while effort expectancy showed a negative and significant impact on the behavioural intention dependent variable. These research results can be used for the potential development of Augmented Reality apps in the retail industry and the academic implications of the connections between variables in the UTAUT framework.

Data Harmonization for Heterogeneous Datasets: A Systematic Literature Review

As data size increases drastically, its variety also increases. Investigating such heterogeneous data is one of the most challenging tasks in information management and data analytics. The heterogeneity and decentralization of data sources affect data visualization and prediction, thereby influencing analytical results accordingly. Data harmonization (DH) corresponds to a field that unifies the representation of such a disparate nature of data. Over the years, multiple solutions have been developed to minimize the heterogeneity aspects and disparity in formats of big-data types. In this study, a systematic review of the literature was conducted to assess the state-of-the-art DH techniques. This study aimed to understand the issues faced due to heterogeneity, the need for DH and the techniques that deal with substantial heterogeneous textual datasets. The process produced 1355 articles, but among them, only 70 articles were found to be relevant through inclusion and exclusion criteria methods. The result shows that the heterogeneity of structured, semi-structured, and unstructured (SSU) data can be managed by using DH and its core techniques, such as text preprocessing, Natural Language Preprocessing (NLP), machine learning (ML), and deep learning (DL). These techniques are applied to many real-world applications centered on the information-retrieval domain. Several assessment criteria were implemented to measure the efficiency of these techniques, such as precision, recall, F-1, accuracy, and time. A detailed explanation of each research question, common techniques, and performance measures is also discussed. Lastly, we present readers with a detailed discussion of the existing work, contributions, and managerial and academic implications, along with the conclusion, limitations, and future research directions.

Rainbows amid Downpours: University Students’ Goals in Learning English during Digital Experiments

University students are susceptible to the constantly shifting online milieu during the pandemic. Linguistic isolation can present more difficulties as students lack authentic social communication in classes online. This study examined the hopes and goals of university students in their English learning course during emergency remote learning. Third Year Pre-Service teachers of a state university in the Philippines served as participants in this study. Through content analysis of 28 student-responses of the English Modules, the research findings demonstrate the significance of hopes and goals of the university students in learning English during the pandemic. Amidst the digital experiments, students portray hopes and goals of developing their pedagogical skills in English and broadening their linguistic skills despite linguistic isolation. Students' goals in the course are to improve their language skills, develop in-depth knowledge in English, achieve better grades, and become effective potential teachers. As they aim to achieve those goals amid metaphorical downpours, university students reflect on the purpose of the course to equip them for lifelong learning that may develop ethical value, morality, and sense of vocation in their chosen profession. Despite having to confront the difficulties of learning online, their hopes and aspirations spark a burning desire to engage in intellectual and linguistic battles in learning English during pandemic and post-pandemic. Academic implications include for teachers to integrate authentic assessments for experiential language learning and for students to sketch a visual career plan outlining how students may achieve their goals as future educators.

AI-based audit of fuzzy front end innovation using ISO56002

Purpose This paper aims to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) audit tool for auditing text-based evidence and determine its efficiency and effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach A manual audit checklist and an AI audit tool are developed with fuzzy front-end (FFE) from Innovation Management System Standard (IMSS) as the audit scope, First, a manual audit of five organisations is conducted to determine their compliance scores. The transcripts of the audit are recorded which are used by the AI audit tool to assign compliance scores for the same organisations. The effectiveness and efficiency of the AI audit tool are determined by comparing their results with the manual audit. Findings This paper demonstrates the development of the FFE AI audit tool which led to 92% improved efficiency while being 95% effective compared to a human auditor. Practical implications The publication of new financial and non-financial standards (such as ISO56002: IMSS) have implications for internal auditing (IA). The scope of IA must expand to include new standards while remaining efficient. Emerging technologies, such as AI help achieve this. Even though the use of AI in financial auditing is widely studied, it has not received similar attention in non-financial auditing. This paper develops a non-financial AI audit tool to audit an essential component of the IMSS, the FFE of innovation and determine its efficiency and effectiveness. Originality/value The study develops an FFE AI audit tool for the first time. The methodology used has practical and academic implications for the use of AI in non-financial auditing.

NOBEL PRIZE IN CHEMISTRY, 2020: THOUGHTS AND IMPLICATIONS

Nobel Prize is considered to be the most prestigious prize in the world of academics. Its influence is felt even in non-academic world. This year the Nobel prize in Chemistry was shared by Dr. Emanual Charpentier and Dr, Jennifer Dudna for their invention of the method of gene slicing using CRISPER-CAS 9. The prize has several social, economic, academic implications apart from the obvious scientific implications. This prize being awarded for development of technology, has some added issues of patenting, cost, misuse related to it. These topics are interesting for people interested in science, specially to youngsters who are interested in science. KEYWORDS: Science, Nobel prize, CRISPER.

Macro-level Criminological Perspectives and School Delinquency: A Meta-analysis

School delinquency in public elementary, middle, and high schools has decreased in recent years, but is still a major issue that has negative mental health and academic implications for adolescents. Although research has focused on both individual-level and school-level explanations of school delinquency, it is not yet clear which macro-level criminological perspectives best explains it. Using 656 effect sizes nested within 75 studies and 30 unique datasets, this study addresses two questions using meta-analytic methods: Which macro-level criminological perspectives explain between-school differences in delinquency? Are effect sizes invariant across samples and research design? Results indicate that only concentrated disadvantage and social cohesion are significantly related to school delinquency. With the exception of concentrated disadvantage, effects are homogenous. This suggests that some school-level explanations are useful and future research should not exclude these factors. Practical implications suggest that improving social cohesion in schools may be more effective at preventing violence than target-hardening efforts.

The traditional Italian Universities' reaction to the pandemic emergency: The role of the intellectual capital

PurposeThe lockdown imposed to avoid the increase in the number of infections caused by the pandemic emergency declared in January 2020 has unavoidably compromised the normal functioning of the Universities. They have been forced to stop the operation of their traditional student-oriented activities. In this light, the present work aims to analyse how traditional Italian Universities continue to deliver services to their students during the emergency.Design/methodology/approachQualitative explorative research was done. The paper used a multiple case study focused on two main public universities located in Rome (Italy). The data was collected using action research with participant observation. The activities observed before and during the health emergency are those related to the second mission and their services.FindingsUntil the pandemic emergency arose, in the organizations analysed, the work was done traditionally. When the lockdown started the main instruments adopted to teach and provide the related services to students were the digital tools. Therefore, these devices represent how these organizations could immediately react to face the challenge arising from the impossibility to physically meet the students while continuing to support them in their educational path. Based on the findings obtained these universities fall into the “corporate entrepreneurship” definition.Research limitations/implicationsThe present work has managerial and academic implications. The academic implications can be summarized in two main points: the work (1) promptly analysed the changes necessary to overcome the problematics caused by the pandemic emergency; (2) contributes to the debate concerning the transfer of knowledge using digital tools and their relevance on the intellectual capital. One of the limits of the work is that only two Italian traditional universities are analysed and that the study focuses on universities located in a same city.Practical implicationsOn the other hand, in referent to managerial implications, this paper highlights how the corporate entrepreneurial view could be useful to support an inspected challenge that could happened in a certain historical period. Therefore, a real implementation of the entrepreneurial concepts is preferred.Originality/valueThe paper discussed an original and contemporary topic not yet investigated since it refers to the Universities' reaction to the pandemic emergency in 2020, with the focus on their ability to maintain the intellectual capital value and give more points that could be investigate in the future, as, e.g. a selection of more than three traditional universities or with a comparative case study, useful in highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the decisions taken in different contexts, considering: (1) telematic universities and traditional universities; or (2) universities located in other countries. Another future line of enquiry could be to focus the analysis on the effective quality of the MOOCs applied at the universities' activities, using the students' opinions obtainable through OPIS (Rilevazione Opinione degli Studenti) or through direct interviews.

Agricultural co-operatives participating in supply chain integration in China: A qualitative comparative analysis

Agro-food supply chain integration (ASCI) plays a growingly important role in the stable and sustainable development of agriculture. However, it is challenging for core firms to integrate the small-scale and scatted farmers due to complex transaction processes and volatile relationships in China. Agricultural co-operatives are organizations that unite farmers’ power and help them achieve economic benefits. Our research focuses on ASCI from the perspective of co-operatives. A comprehensive cooperative framework, including trinity co-operatives and trinity federations, is conducted to figure out the position and process of agricultural co-operatives in ASCI, while QCA provides detailed collaborative patterns for agricultural co-operatives to adopt. Results show that agricultural co-operatives can achieve high economic and social/environmental performance when participating in ASCI. This study further completes the ASCI literature and offers many managerial and academic implications to co-operatives’ members and policy-makers.

Longitudinal association between sleep features and refractive errors in preschoolers from the EDEN birth-cohort

Refractive errors are common, especially in children and adolescents, leading to global health issues, academic implications and economic costs. Circadian rhythm and sleep habits may play a role. The study included 1130 children from the EDEN birth-cohort. Data were collected through parental questionnaires at age 2 and 5 for sleep duration and timing, and at age 5 for refractive error. At 5 years, 20.4% were prescribed glasses (2% for myopia, 11.9% for hyperopia and 6.8% for unknown reason). Children slept on average (SD) 11h05/night (± 30 min) and 10h49/night (± 48 min) at age 2 and 5, respectively. Average bedtime and midsleep was 8.36 pm (± 30 min), 2.06 am (± 36 min), and 8.54 pm (± 30 min), 2.06 am (± 24 min) at age 2 and 5, respectively. A U-shaped association was observed between sleep duration at age 2 and eyeglass prescription at age 5. Later midsleep and bedtime at age 2 were associated with an increased risk of eyeglass prescription at age 5. Associations became borderline significant after adjustment for confounding factors. Sleep duration and timing at age 2 were associated with subsequent refractive errors in preschoolers from general population. Sleep hygiene might be a target for refractive errors prevention.

Effects of Retailers’ Corporate Social Responsibility on Retailer Equity and Consumer Usage Intention

This study focused on corporate social responsibility (CSR) to examine how retailers can distinguish themselves in the market and attain sustainability. It thus investigated the correlation between CSR, retailer equity, and consumer usage intention to explain the role of CSR activities. For this study, data were gathered from 357 customers who were doing business (i.e., shopping) with retailers, and they were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results indicated that retailers’ CSR activities had a positive effect on retailer equity, which then had a significant positive effect on customer usage intention. The results further showed that consumers observe retailer equity when they experience its CSR activities, which increased their intention to shop with the retailer. The findings indicated that retailers’ CSR was an attractive factor making retailers stand out in the market, and attain sustainability, and that CSR improved both retailer equity and customer usage intention. This study has academic implications in that it finds a brand-new outcome variable of retailers’ CSR, such as retailer equity. In addition, it also has practical implications in managing and developing retailers’ CSR as an important marketing strategy.