This study investigates critical success factors crucial for the effective implementation of blockchain-based smart contracts in supply chain management. Through qualitative content analysis of expert interviews, diverse perspectives from industry professionals and blockchain technologists were synthesized. The findings emphasize critical dimensions such as technological infrastructure, stakeholder collaboration, regulatory compliance, data privacy, security, organizational culture, and change management. These factors collectively form a comprehensive framework essential for successful adoption. This research offers valuable guidance for organizations aiming to integrate blockchain-based smart contracts into supply chain operations. The insights derived from eight expert interviews provide strategic direction for practitioners, policymakers, and academics navigating the complexities of blockchain and smart contract technology in supply chain ecosystems.
The study focused on identifying the drivers of users' intention to continue using mobile money services and examining the moderating role of perceived security. The study employed Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling to analyze 341 responses. The findings show that system, information, and service quality influence perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. Additionally, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, security, and convenience drive users' intention to continue using mobile money services. However, user satisfaction does not influence users' intention to continue using mobile money services. Moreover, the study found that perceived security moderates the relationship between user satisfaction and intention to continue using mobile money services. The findings validate previous studies while also extending the existing literature on mobile money services. Furthermore, the study provides theoretical and managerial implications for mobile money service providers, the government, and the academic community.
Shaping IoT for digital enterprises involves integrating smart devices into business processes to achieve operational efficiencies and drive innovation. The importance of IoT modeling in enterprise decision-making cannot be overstated as it enables companies to identify potential problems, optimize processes, and make informed decisions based on data-driven insights. This paper provides a descriptive overview of IoT modeling for digital enterprises and how decision analysis can be improved by using data generated by IoT.
Digital transformation has caused an abrupt change to business processes and practices whereby small and big businesses are developing business model innovation (BMI). Big data analytics is seen as one of the suitable technologies to offer business model innovation solutions and also as a strategy to improve business operations and performance in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). This study thus reviewed literature on the adoption of big data analytics, with a view to highlight how this technology can support the development of big data business model innovation applicable to SMEs. The study revealed that big data analytics has the potential to enhance SMEs' business processes, practices, performance, and to respond to their increasingly competitive environment. It is therefore recommended that SME owners and managers should adopt and implement technologies such as big data analytics to support business innovation processes as that could sustain organizational performance and improve their innovative and dynamic capabilities.
Almost all quality improvement methods require data collection and analysis to solve quality problems. The combination of six sigma and agile creates a six sigma agile methodology that aims to reach quality levels according to the Six Sigma requirements of 3.4 defects per million measurements. In order to achieve these objectives, it is necessary to know the industry well and implicitly the product or the analysed process. Thus, the correctness of these analyses depends on the collection of the data that will be analysed. The use of data analysis methods at each stage, especially in the measurement and analysis stages, is critically important for making strong decisions. The purpose of this article is to present the added value of the integration of six sigma and agile methodologies for IT projects. Thus, the integration of the two methodologies will lead to faster decision-making without the risk of an increase in the number of failures.
Frameworks support the realization of goals. Information management is essential in all sectors in today's environment. It is essential to establish an information management framework to guide the realization of the goal of information management in different sectors. Information Management Frameworks (IMFs) are scanty and are designed for specific contexts leading to difficulty in thinking when developing and evaluating IMFs in sectors that want to streamline their information management practices. Documented IMFs were reviewed to establish elements of an underlying information management framework. The findings show that people, processes & practices, technology, budget, leadership, facilities and facilitation, and rules & regulations are essential elements.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been the catalyst for innovative thought within the Sweeter the Juice winery and wine bar. As a result of the pandemic, sales and revenue were reduced by 90%. With this pandemic came a surplus of safety guidelines, shortages in products, and delays on impending shipments. The brief period towards the beginning of the pandemic where both the state and federal governments mandated quarantine and shelter-in-place orders drastically impacted revenue, clientele, and organizational operations. The organization engaged a management consultant to help in the creation of an adaptive technology leadership and marketing strategy. This paper looks at management consulting-driven action research to influence the world of practice through the exploration of real-world organizational interventions focused on the development of electronic entrepreneurial solutions.
The reliance on IT in day-to-day organization activities raises concern about how to deal with its increasing complexity. Managing IT necessitates implementing IT governance to realize the benefits of IT use. However, there is a lack of suitable frameworks to implement IT governance. For higher institutions of learning (HILs) in Uganda, the case is not different; hence, there is need to provide a framework to implement IT governance in Uganda's HILs. This paper therefore applies design science research principles to evaluate a framework for implementing IT governance in HILs in the context of Uganda. It was mainly achieved using a previous study in this environment as a basis. Framework evaluation was conducted using case study and expert opinion methods. Contrarily, the evaluation criteria was based on the framework understandability, ease of use, usefulness, and completeness. Results from the evaluation showed the framework satisfactorily implements IT governance in Uganda's HILs.
The purpose of the study is to find out Information Technology challenges facing by practicing auditors using measurement variables used in the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model. This research study has adopted the sequential mixed method research in which the exploratory qualitative study is conducted with the qualified practicing auditors across Kerala to identify various Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software using in their audit firms. The results of this exploratory study are then empirically tested with the 321 respondents from qualified practicing-auditor accountants in Kerala using Structural Equation Modelling-Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS). The findings reveal that there is a significant and positive relationship between variables used in the UTAUT model with practicing auditors. Thus, the results suggest that all the four constructs from UTAUT (performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions) seem to be predominantly significant factors influencing practicing auditors.
Companies should embrace innovation and introduce new products to succeed in the competitive business environment. The objective of the study is to underline the importance of innovation and new product development for company growth and to analyze the different approaches adopted by companies in innovation. Companies should develop a culture of innovation. The different approaches to innovation include customer-centered innovation, team-based innovation, and systematic innovation. Companies should realize the necessity of investing more in innovation and new product development during turbulent times and to target individuals at the bottom of the pyramid with innovation. The discussions will equip both academicians and practitioners to understand the different approaches in innovation better. Practicing managers may implement effective strategies and initiatives in their organizations to do better innovation and to achieve business excellence.
The role of the digital economy is undoubtful these days, with new digital services and technologies appearing regularly, creating new products, and digitalizing others. With the technology exploring new limits, the growth tendency of this economy is clear, and more incumbents will face serious competition, which can’t be ignored. Several of these startups have untapped markets that are not being addressed, exploring that disruption leads to more innovative solutions that will likely lead to better services for people and organizations. Those startups might, though, move up the ladder and take away the market from those incumbents; with this work, we aim to analyze the role of digital economies in market disruption through the lenses of a case study and understand to what extent that case is looking at disrupt an existing market
Organizations should have a focus on new product development and innovation to succeed in the competitive business environment. The objective of the study is to understand how organizations manage new product development and innovation and try to integrate innovation in all processes. The methodology adopted is a conceptual analysis of various aspects of new product development and innovation in organizations. Organizations should understand the importance and relevance of innovation and should be ready to incorporate innovation in all processes. They may adopt different approaches viz. customer-centred approach, team-based approach, and systematic approach towards new product development and innovation. Organizations should understand how to achieve success in new product development and should adopt different strategies and initiatives. Academicians may analyze the various approaches towards innovation. Practicing managers will realize the importance of innovation. They will realize how to manage innovation and achieve business excellence in the long run.
Companies and businesses operate in an uncertain business environment. The environment is more turbulent during a recession or an economic downturn. Investments done by firms are directly affected by such uncertainties. Recession and economic downturn make it uncertain and risky for firms. Firms worry that the returns will not be commensurate with the investments done. Nevertheless, there are firms which develop strategies, undertake initiatives, and invest during such tough times. Various strategies and initiatives adopted by companies and businesses to survive and even to excel during such tough times are discussed. The advantages and disadvantages of adopting those strategies and initiatives are discussed. The study focuses on firms which implemented strategies to overcome recession and established themselves in the minds of customers. Firms and practitioners will benefit from the study and will be able to identify the most effective strategies and initiatives to be adopted to achieve excellence during an economic downturn.
It is imperative for companies to focus on innovation and new product development. Companies require generating effective ideas for new products. The objective of the study is to understand the various aspects related to idea generation in new product development. The methodology adopted is a conceptual analysis of the various aspects of idea generation. Companies adopt two approaches viz. top-down idea generation and bottom-up idea generation. They validate the ideas generated and employ different market research tools viz. observation of customers; conducting interviews of customers, employees, and experts; analysis of the competition; and crowdsourcing for idea generation and usage of multiple methods for idea generation. Academicians may suggest approaches, market research tools, and multiple methods which are effective in idea generation and validation. Practicing managers will understand the importance of generating new ideas for products. They may apply different approaches and tools which are effective in generating and validating effective ideas.
Companies require understanding the innovation imperative and the importance of managing innovation in organizations. The objective of the study is to analyze the importance of innovation and managing innovation in organizations. The methodology adopted is a conceptual analysis of the various aspects of the innovation imperative and managing innovation in organizations. The innovation imperative may focus on incremental innovation, new-to-the-world innovation, and new product launches and failures. Companies adopt approaches towards managing innovation viz. departments in charge of current offerings, new product departments, innovation centres, venture teams, communities of practice, and cross-functional teams. Innovative companies adopt initiatives for managing innovation. Academicians may suggest better and effective models for managing innovation in organizations. Practicing managers may realize the importance of innovation in company growth, evaluate the approaches and initiatives adopted by companies towards managing innovation, and suggest effective approaches and initiatives.
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the urgent need for the Nigerian Government to embrace digital economy at all cost. Countries with digitised economy have been able to easily adopt to the challenges that the pandemic has brought, such as eLearning for the education sector and e-business for the business sector. Although, this innovation comes along with a lot of cyber-attacks by cybercriminals resulting for the need to establish adequate cybersecurity measures. Nigeria has gravely felt the impact of the COVID-19, businesses have been shut, countries have shut their borders, thus making it impossible for Nigerian Government/Businesses to access other country's products most especially China. The paper reviews the digital economy of some developed nations and their cybersecurity measures to sustain this innovation. The study further highlights how digital economy has contributed to the Gross Domestic product of most Nations, thus serving a means of diversification for most nations.
This paper aims to explore the economic impact of mobile banking on rural Bangladesh. It also tries to detect the rural people’s perception about this new financial phenomenon. To meet the goals this study involves both quantitative and qualitative investigation. To get the quantitative data a survey was conducted by a set questionnaire where 300 people from three villages participated. In the qualitative part, semi-structured in-depth interviews of 60 mobile bank users were conducted. Applying grounded theory and hermeneutics approaches, this study finds that since the service of mobile banking is easy and fast, rural people adopted it quickly and it affects positively in the socio-economic development in rural Bangladesh. Its impact on employment creation, business, savings behavior, remittance, expenditure, and agriculture is found good. However, it is also found that the mobile banking services are helping the criminals to do illegal economic activities such as forgery.
Digital financial inclusion is an issue which needs to be addressed in today's era. Its impact, reach and outcome were obvious at the time of corona. This paper highlights the significance of digital literacy and financial literacy and shows how the lack of these two can act as a roadblock in achieving digital financial inclusion along with demographic barriers. This paper highlights the factors relevant to achieve digital financial inclusion. For this primary data was collected from the respondents of the age group 18-60 having an education from intermediate to post graduate level coming from rural to metro regions working in an unorganized, contractual, self-job having an income base of 10000-40000. It was seen that digital and financial illiteracy varies along with education, income and regional boundaries. Financial and digital illiteracy was evident among many respondents due to lack of access, usage, aptitude and application. Proper financial training and knowledge can be a solution to this problem.
Platform enterprises operate in the platform business model, which is very different from traditional enterprises. Therefore, the legal regulation of mutual monopoly of Internet platform enterprises has become more complex. Facing the monopoly phenomenon in the platform economy market, we must have appropriate policies to deal with it and alleviate the problem of unfair resource allocation under incomplete market competition. This essay briefly analyses the corresponding policy of platform monopoly in different jurisdictions. From the antitrust experience of the United States and China, it can be concluded that preventing market monopoly is the primary goal to deal with platform monopoly. From the EU's antitrust experience, it can be supposed that preventing data monopoly is a vital goal to deal with platform monopoly. Through the combination of Anti-market monopoly and Anti-data Monopoly policies, we can appropriately deal with the platform's market monopoly, stimulate the platform's economic vitality, and create more economic value for the market.
