This paper reports on research with a broad objective to examine the relationship between two organizational entities, the formally structured organization and informal organizational structures, in a changing operational environment, more specifically during military deployments. The paper draws on organizational and complexity paradigms; based on empirical evidence obtained through qualitative techniques, it describes mechanisms that enable a symbiotic relationship between these two organizational structures in a complex operational landscape. Substantive findings provide insights into the dynamics of the interactions between these structures and illuminate the relationship between three enabling factors – accountability, responsible autonomy, and command and control arrangements – that need to be considered to fully exploit the strengths inherent in both formal and informal structures. Based on these findings, a model for enhancement of organizational agility in response to changes in a complex operational environment is described. The model is predicated on feedback and mutual adjustment of the organization, institution and individual through sensemaking; it illustrates the dynamic nature of interactions that are required for such a response.

Aim/Purpose: This study aims to develop a descriptive typology to better identify leadership toward creativity in virtual work in different types of companies. Background: The study empirically explores how leadership toward creativity occurs in virtual work and uses the theoretical lenses of creativity-conducive leadership and heterarchy to generate a typology. Methodology : A multiple qualitative case study design, interpretivist approach, and abductive analysis are applied. Data is collected by interviewing 21 leaders and employees face-to-face in four companies in the ICT sector and one business advisor company. Contribution: The empirical evidence of this study enriches the understanding of leadership toward creativity in virtual work and contributes to the limited empirical knowledge on leadership that stimulates a virtual workforce to achieve creativity. Findings: The four different types of companies in the typology utilize various transitions toward leadership creativity in virtual work. The trend in leadership in the existing virtually networked business environment is toward the “collective mind” company, which is characterized by shared values, meaningful work, collective intelligence, conscious reflection, transparency, coaching, empowering leadership by example, effective multichannel interaction, and assertiveness. The findings empirically support applying a heterarchy perspective to lead a virtual workforce toward creativity and promote leaders who are genuinely interested in people, their development, collaboration, and technology. Recommendations for Practitioners: The typology helps professionals realize the need to develop leadership, communication, interaction, learning, and growth to foster creative interaction and improve productivity and competitiveness. Recommendation for Researchers: This study enables researchers to more rigorously and creatively conceptualize the conditions and relationships in leadership that facilitate creativity in virtual work. Impact on Society : The findings highlight humanistic values for developing leadership. The study strengthens the view that collective creativity in virtual work cannot emerge without virtual and physical interaction in appropriate spaces and caring for each other. Future Research: Future studies may focus on other fields, industries, networks, roles of materialities, and employees in fostering creativity and on theory development. Longitudinal studies are advisable.

Aim/Purpose: The topic of this study is the ICT-enabled transformation of car dealerships to regional providers of sustainable mobility (e.g., car sharing). Background: Car dealerships offer specific conditions that enable a sustainable mobility offer, based on individual motorized transport like car sharing. This is especially useful in small towns or rural areas where people’s mobility is strongly dominated by private cars, and public transport coverage is limited. However, these new mobility services are combined services with the need of a deep integration of information systems, and these services are not yet related to car dealerships and customer acquisition has to be supported. Methodology: An empirical study with an inductive approach was chosen. The study consists of interviews with three focus groups of different stakeholders of car dealerships. Within the frame of the research project, “ReCaB – Regional Car-Balancing” a qualitative research approach was chosen. Within a design science approach the existing SusCRM architecture was adapted based on the elaborated requirements. Contribution: A software architecture is proposed, where Customer Relationship Management (CRM) components to market new sustainable mobility offers are vital parts and existing information systems of car dealerships are integrated. Findings: The basic feasibility of the establishment and customer acceptance has been demonstrated, at least in the area of car sharing within ReCaB. The execution in the car sharing field has already started and a number of car dealerships are already bringing their own offers to market. Major findings for the SusCRM architecture have been elaborated in a design science approach in the national German research project “Showcase for electro mobility”. Recommendations for Practitioners: There is still no fully functional prototype developed for this specific use case and evaluated in the car dealership environment. An implementation only, based on own efforts, is difficult for car dealerships because of the dealership’s lack of know-how as well as tight IT budgets. However, this approach appears particularly successful in rural areas where public transport services are heavily declining. For full implementation, the presented ICT support is imperative. Recommendation for Researchers: The research on the retailer level, especially in combination with a digital trans-formation by the use of ICT systems, is still fragmentary. Research in this area that both addresses sustainability goals on a general level and supports economical goals on the company level of automotive retailers would be useful. Impact on Society: Creation of sustainable offers as a substitute or supplement for mobility based on their own car is a promising way to reduce negative effects of mobility. Enhancement of the mobility of the people in rural areas is leading to a more active lifestyle by reaching the leisure facilities, workplaces and educational institutions in a sustainable manner. Future Research: In terms of the fast changing mobility landscape, especially on a technical level with the development of autonomous vehicles and digitalization of entire businesses new solutions are becoming accessible, that have to be integrated in further research.

Aim/Purpose: This study aims to investigate the relationship between the knowledge management (KM) process and the performance of construction companies. The ultimate goal is to promote better efficiency and competitive advantage in the construction industry by making the best use of knowledge. Background: While attention to KM is currently on the rise, as shown by the number of studies conducted, research on KM in the construction industry of Indonesia is still very rare. However, organizational learning as the implementation of KM provides an opportunity to improve the construction industry, and thus there is an urgency to conduct research on this topic. Methodology: This study lasted for three months and used the survey method, with 100 questionnaires distributed to contractors of grade 6 and 7 on the islands of Java and Borneo in Indonesia. A total of 54 returned questionnaires were deemed complete and eligible for further analysis. Data analysis was performed using the structural equation modeling method with partial least squares (SEM PLS). Contribution: This study helps to measure the relationship value of the KM process and company performance. Findings: The results of this study indicate that the process of KM has a significant and positive influence on company performance, and there is a positive interaction in the process of KM and company performance as well. Recommendations for Practitioners: Construction companies need to perceive that activities undertaken in a construction project should always be assumed to be a KM process in order to make strategic and effective decisions that can result in improvements to customers, finance, internal business, learning, and growth. Recommendation for Researchers: Research on the KM process and information technology needs to be developed more, so that construction companies can apply this knowledge to explore problems and create solutions, resulting in methods to facilitate efficiency and effectiveness. Impact on Society: This paper helps to understand that KM activities provide initial benefits and guidance for companies that want to apply KM. Future Research: Innovative and new ideas to cultivate the KM process in the construction industry need to be explored and developed to improve the implementation.

Aim/Purpose: This study investigates the research profile of the papers published in Interdisciplinary Journal of Information, Knowledge, and Management (IJIKM) to provide silhouette information of the journal for the editorial team, researchers, and the audience of the journal. Background: Information and knowledge management is an interdisciplinary subject. IJIKM defines intersections of multiple disciplinary research communities for the interdisciplinary subject. Methodology: A quantitative study of categorical content analysis was used for a thematic analysis of IJIKM. One hundred fifty nine (159) papers published since the inauguration of the journal in 2006 were coded and analyzed. Contribution: The study provides synopsized information about the interdisciplinary research profile of IJIKM, and adds value to the literature of information and knowledge management. Findings: The analysis reveals that IJIKM disseminates research papers with a wide range of research themes. Among the research themes, Organizational issues of knowledge/information management, Knowledge management systems/tools, Information/knowledge sharing, Technology for knowledge/information management, Information/knowledge application represent the five main research streams of IJIKM. The total number of papers on organizational issues of knowledge/information management increased from 16% to 28% during the past 6 years. Statistical method was the most common research methodology, and summarization was the most common research design applied in the papers of IJIKM. The paper also presents other patterns of participant countries, keywords frequencies, and reference citations. Recommendations for Practitioners: Innovation is the key to information and knowledge management. Practitioners of information and knowledge management can share best practices with external sectors. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers can identify opportunities of cross-disciplinary research projects that involve experts in business, education, government, healthcare, technology, and psychology to advance knowledge in information and knowledge management. Impact on Society: Information and knowledge management is still a developing field, and readers of this paper can gain more understanding of the dissemination of the literature of information and knowledge management involved in all relevant disciplines. Future Research: A longitudinal study could follow up in the future to provide updated and comparative information of the research profile of the journal.

Aim/Purpose: This study examines the influence of ambidextrous knowledge sharing in industrial clusters on innovation performance from the perspective of knowledge-based dynamic capabilities. Background: The key factor to improving innovation performance in an enterprise is to share knowledge with other enterprises in the same cluster and use dynamic capabilities to absorb, integrate, and create knowledge. However, the relationships among these concepts remain unclear. Based on the dynamic capability theory, this study empirically reveals how enterprises drive innovation performance through knowledge sharing. Methodology: Survey data from 238 cluster enterprises were used in this study. The sample was collected from industrial clusters in China’s Fujian province that belong to the automobile, optoelectronic, and microwave communications industries. Through structural equation modeling, this study assessed the relationships among ambidextrous knowledge sharing, dynamic capabilities, and innovation performance. Contribution: This study contributes to the burgeoning literature on knowledge management in China, an important emerging economy. It also enriches the exploration of innovation performance in the cluster context and expands research on the dynamic mechanism from a knowledge perspective. Findings: Significant relationships are found between ambidextrous knowledge sharing and innovation performance. First, ambidextrous knowledge sharing positively influences the innovation performance of cluster enterprises. Further, knowledge absorption and knowledge generation capabilities play a mediating role in this relationship, which confirms that dynamic capabilities are a partial mediator in the relationship between ambidextrous knowledge sharing and innovation performance. Recommendations for Practitioners: The results highlight the crucial role of knowledge management in contributing to cluster innovation and management practices. They indicate that cluster enterprises should consider the importance of knowledge sharing and dynamic capabilities for improving innovation performance and establish a multi-agent knowledge sharing platform. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers could further explore the role of other mediating variables (e.g., organizational agility, industry growth) as well as moderating variables (e.g., environmental uncertainty, learning orientation). Impact on Society: This study provides a reference for enterprises in industrial clusters to use knowledge-based capabilities to enhance their competitive advantage. Future Research: Future research could collect data from various countries and regions to test the research model and conduct a comparative analysis of industrial clusters.

Aim/Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the impact of innovation management and learning orientation as the mechanisms playing the role of an intermediate relationship between entrepreneurial leadership and organisational performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Kuwait. Background: SMEs are currently among the principal economic instruments in most industrialised and developing countries. The contribution of SMEs can be viewed from various perspectives primarily related to the crucial role they play in developing entrepreneurial activities, employment generation, and improving innovativeness. Developing countries, including Kuwait and other countries, in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), have recognised the key role played by SMEs as a strong pillar of growth. Consequently, many governments have formulated policies and programmes to facilitate the growth and success of SMEs. Unfortunately, the organisational performance of SMEs in developing countries, particularly in Kuwait, remains below expectations. The lagged growth could be due to a lack of good managerial practices and increasing competition that negatively impact their performance. Numerous researchers discovered the positive effect of entrepreneurial leadership on SMEs’ performance. However, a lack of clarity remains regarding the direct impact of entrepreneurial leadership on SMEs’ performance, especially in developing countries. Therefore, the nexus between entrepreneurial leadership and organisational performance is still indecisive and requires further studies. Methodology: This study adopted a quantitative approach based on a cross-sectional survey and descriptive design to gather data within a specific period. The data were collected by distributing a survey questionnaire to Kuwaiti SMEs’ owners and Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) via online and on-hand instruments. A total of 384 useable questionnaires were obtained. Moreover, the partial least square-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) analysis was performed to test the hypotheses. Contribution: The current study contributed to the existing literature by developing a moderated mediation model integrating entrepreneurial leadership, innovation management, and learning orientation. The study also investigated their effect on the organisational performance of SMEs. The study findings also bridged the existing significant literature gap regarding the role of these variables on SMEs’ performance in developing countries, particularly in Kuwait, due to the dearth of studies linking these variables in this context. Furthermore, this study empirically confirmed the significant effect of innovation management and learning orientation as intermediate variables in strengthening the relationship between entrepreneurial leadership and organisational performance in the settings of Kuwait SMEs, which has not been verified previously. Findings: The study findings showed the beneficial and significant impact of entrepreneurial leadership and innovation management on SME’s organisational performance. The relationship between entrepreneurial leadership and SMEs’ organisational performance is fundamentally mediated by innovation management and moderated by learning orientation. Recommendations for Practitioners: The present study provides valuable insights and information regarding the factors considered by the government, policymakers, SMEs’ stakeholders, and other authorities in the effort to increase the organisational performance level and facilitate the growth of SMEs in Kuwait. SMEs’ owners or CEOs should improve their awareness and knowledge of the importance of entrepreneurial leadership, innovation management, and learning orientation. These variables will have beneficial effects on the performance and assets to achieve success and sustainability if adopted and managed systematically. This study also recommends that SMEs’ entrepreneurs and top management should facilitate supportive culture by creating and maintaining an organisational climate and structure that encourages learning behaviour and innovation mindset among individuals. The initiative will motivate them towards acquiring, sharing, and utilising knowledge and increasing their ability to manage innovation systemically in all production processes to adapt to new technologies, practices, methods, and different circumstances. Recommendation for Researchers: The study findings highlighted the mediating effect of innovation management on the relationship between entrepreneurial leadership (the independent variable) and SMEs’ organisational performance (the dependent variable) and the moderating effect of learning orientation in the same nexus. These relationships were not extensively addressed in SMEs of developing countries and require further validation. Impact on Society: This study aims to influence the management strategies and practices adopted by entrepreneurs and policymakers who work in SMEs in developing countries. The effect will be reflected in the development of their firms and the national economy in general. Future Research: Future research should investigate the conceptual research framework against the backdrop of other developing economies and in other business settings to generalise the results. Future investigation should seek to establish the effect of entrepreneurial leadership style on other mechanisms, such as knowledge management processes, which could function with entrepreneurial leadership to improve SMEs’ performance efficiently. In addition, future studies may include middle and lower-level managers and employees, leading to more positive outcomes.

Aim/Purpose: This study examined the relationship between critical success factors (CSFs), perceived benefits, and usage intention of Mobile Knowledge Management Systems (MKMS) via an integrated Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Information Systems Success Model (ISSM). Background: This study investigates the CSFs (i.e., Strategic Leadership, Employee Training, System Quality, and Information Quality) that impact the usage intention of KMS in mobile contexts which have been neglected. Since users normally consider the usefulness belief in a system before usage, this study examines the role of perceived benefits as a mediator between the CSFs and usage intention. Methodology: A survey-based research approach in the Malaysian semiconductor industry was employed via an integrated model of TAM and ISSM. At a response rate of 59.52%, the findings of this study were based on 375 usable responses. The data collected was analyzed using the Partial Least Squares with SmartPLS 3.0. Contribution: This study contributes to the body of knowledge in the areas of mobile technology acceptance and knowledge management. Specifically, it helps to validate the integrated model of TAM and ISSM with the CSFs from knowledge management and information system. In addition, it provides the would-be adopters of MKMS with valuable guidelines and insights to consider before embarking on the adoption stage. Findings: The findings suggest that Employee Training and Information Quality have a positive significant relationship with Perceived MKMS Benefits. On the contrary, Strategic Leadership, System Quality, and Perceived User-friendliness showed an insignificant relationship with Perceived MKMS Benefits. Additionally, Employee Training and Information Quality have an indirect relationship with MKMS Usage Intention which is mediated by Perceived MKMS Benefits. Recommendations for Practitioners: The findings are valuable for managers, engineers, KM practitioners, KM consultants, MKMS developers, and mobile device producers to enhance MKMS usage intention. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers would be able to conduct more inter-disciplinary studies to better understand the relevant issues concerning both fields – knowledge management and mobile computing disciplines. Additionally, the mediation effect of TAM via Perceived Usefulness (i.e., perceived MKMS benefits) on usage intention of MKMS should be further investigated with other CSFs. Future Research: Future studies could perhaps include other critical factors from both KM and IS as part of the external variables. Furthermore, Perceived Ease of Use (i.e., Perceived User-friendly) should be tested as a mediator in the future, together with Perceived Usefulness (i.e., perceived MKMS Benefits) to compare which would be a more powerful predictor of usage intention. Moreover, it may prove interesting to find out how the research framework would fit into other industries to verify the findings of this study for better accuracy and generalizability.

Aim/Purpose: ************************************************************************ After its investigation, the Research Ethics, Integrity, and Governance team at RMIT University found that the primary author of this paper breached the Australian Code and/or RMIT Policy and requested that the article be retracted. ************************************************************************** This paper aimed to examine the influence of ethical and transformational leadership on employee creativity in Malaysia’s private higher education institutions (PHEIs) and the mediating role of organizational citizenship behavior. Background: To ensure their survival and success in today’s market, organizations need people who are creative and driven. Previous studies have demonstrated the importance of ethical leadership in fostering employee innovation and good corporate responsibility. Research on ethical leadership and transformational leadership, in particular, has played a significant role in elucidating the role of leadership in relation to organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). In this study, we have focused on ethical and transformational leadership as an antecedent for enhancing employee creativity. Despite an increase in leadership research, little is known about the underlying mechanisms that link ethical leadership and transformational leadership to OCB. Because it sheds light on factors other than ethical leadership and transformational leadership that influence employees’ extra-role activity, this research is relevant theoretically. OCB may have a mediating function between ethical leadership and transformational leadership style and employee creativity because it is associated with the greatest outcomes, but empirical research has yet to prove this. So, one of the study’s goals is to add to the hypotheses about how ethical leadership style and transformational leadership affect employee creativity by using an important mediating variable – OCB. Methodology: This study adopted a quantitative approach based on a cross-sectional survey and descriptive design to gather the data in a specific period. A convenient sampling approach was used to gauge 275 employees from Malaysia’s PHEIs. To test the hypotheses and obtain a conclusion, the acquired data was analyzed using the partial least square technique (PLS-SEM). Contribution: The study contributes to leadership literature by advancing OCB as a mediating factor that accounts for the link between ethical and transformational leadership and employee creativity in the higher education sector. Findings: According to the research, OCB has a substantial influence on the creativity of employees. Furthermore, ethical leadership boosted OCB and boosted employee creativity, according to the research. OCB and employee creativity have both been demonstrated to benefit greatly from transformational leadership. Further research revealed that OCB is a mediating factor in the link between leadership styles and creative thinking among employees. Recommendations for Practitioners: Higher education institutions should focus on developing leaders who value transparency and self-awareness in their interactions with followers and who demonstrate an inner moral perspective in addition to balanced information processing to ensure positive outcomes at the individual and organizational levels. Higher education institutions should place a priority on hiring leaders that exhibit ethical and transformational traits to raise awareness of these leadership styles among employees. Recommendation for Researchers: The new study also adds significantly to the body of knowledge by examining the relationship between ethical and transformational leadership and the creativity of the workforce. It aimed to identify the relationship between transformational leadership style and individual creativity in higher education by examining the mediating influence of OCB. Impact on Society: Higher education institutions should devise strategies for developing ethical and transformative leaders who will assist boost OCB and creativity within their workforce. Students and faculty in higher education can benefit from these leadership methods by learning to think in more diverse ways and by developing thought processes that lead to a larger pool of innovative ideas and solutions. As a consequence, employees who show creative behavior may be effectively managed by leaders who utilize ethical and transformational leadership styles and motivate them to show OCB that allow them to solve creative problems creatively. Future Research: A mixed-methods approach should be used in future research, and this should be done in public institutions in developing and developed nations to put the findings to use and generalize them even further. Future research will be able to examine other mediators to learn more about how and why ethical and transformational leadership styles affect PHEI employees’ creativity.

Aim/Purpose: Acquisitions play a pivotal role in the growth strategy of a firm. Extensive resources and time are dedicated by a firm toward the identification of prospective acquisition candidates. The Indian manufacturing sector is currently experiencing significant growth, organically and inorganically, through acquisitions. The principal aim of this study is to explore models that can predict acquisitions and compare their performance in the Indian manufacturing sector. Background: Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) have been integral to a firm’s growth strategy. Over the years, academic research has investigated multiple models for predicting acquisitions. In the context of the Indian manufacturing industry, the research is limited to prediction models. This research paper explores three models, namely Logistic Regression, Decision Tree, and Multilayer Perceptron, to predict acquisitions. Methodology: The methodology includes defining the accounting variables to be used in the model which have been selected based on strong theoretical foundations. The Indian manufacturing industry was selected as the focus, specifically, data for firms listed in the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) between 2010 and 2022 from the Prowess database. There were multiple techniques, such as data transformation and data scrubbing, that were used to mitigate bias and enhance the data reliability. The dataset was split into 70% training and 30% test data. The performance of the three models was compared using standard metrics. Contribution: The research contributes to the existing body of knowledge in multiple dimensions. First, a prediction model customized to the Indian manufacturing sector has been developed. Second, there are accounting variables identified specific to the Indian manufacturing sector. Third, the paper contributes to prediction modeling in the Indian manufacturing sector where there is limited research. Findings: The study found significant supporting evidence for four of the proposed hypotheses indicating that accounting variables can be used to predict acquisitions. It has been ascertained that statistically significant variables influence acquisition likelihood: Quick Ratio, Equity Turnover, Pretax Margin, and Total Sales. These variables are intrinsically linked with the theories of liquidity, growth-resource mismatch, profitability, and firm size. Furthermore, comparing performance metrics reveals that the Decision Tree model exhibits the highest accuracy rate of 62.3%, specificity rate of 66.4%, and the lowest false positive ratio of 33.6%. In contrast, the Multilayer Perceptron model exhibits the highest precision rate of 61.4% and recall rate of 64.3%. Recommendations for Practitioners: The study findings can help practitioners build custom prediction models for their firms. The model can be developed as a live reference model, which is continually updated based on a firm’s results. In addition, there is an opportunity for industry practitioners to establish a benchmark score that provides a reference for acquisitions. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers can expand the scope of research by including additional classification modeling techniques. The data quality can be enhanced by cross-validation with other databases. Textual commentary about the target firms, including management and analyst quotes, provides additional insight that can enhance the predictive power of the models. Impact on Society: The research provides insights into leveraging emerging technologies to predict acquisitions. The theoretical basis and modeling attributes provide a foundation that can be further expanded to suit specific industries and firms. Future Research: There are opportunities to expand the scope of research in various dimensions by comparing acquisition prediction models across industries and cross-border and domestic acquisitions. Additionally, it is plausible to explore further research by incorporating non-financial data, such as management commentary, to augment the acquisition prediction model.

Aim/Purpose: This paper aims to empirically quantify the financial distress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on companies listed on Amman Stock Exchange (ASE). The paper also aims to identify the most important predictors of financial distress pre- and mid-pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge toll, not only on human lives but also on many businesses. This provided the impetus to assess the impact of the pandemic on the financial status of Jordanian companies. Methodology: The initial sample comprised 165 companies, which was cleansed and reduced to 84 companies as per data availability. Financial data pertaining to the 84 companies were collected over a two-year period, 2019 and 2020, to empirically quantify the impact of the pandemic on companies in the dataset. Two approaches were employed. The first approach involved using Multiple Discriminant Analysis (MDA) based on Altman’s (1968) model to obtain the Z-score of each company over the investigation period. The second approach involved developing models using Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) with 15 standard financial ratios to find out the most important variables in predicting financial distress and create an accurate Financial Distress Prediction (FDP) model. Contribution: This research contributes by providing a better understanding of how financial distress predictors perform during dynamic and risky times. The research confirmed that in spite of the negative impact of COVID-19 on the financial health of companies, the main predictors of financial distress remained relatively steadfast. This indicates that standard financial distress predictors can be regarded as being impervious to extraneous financial and/or health calamities. Findings: Results using MDA indicated that more than 63% of companies in the dataset have a lower Z-score in 2020 when compared to 2019. There was also an 8% increase in distressed companies in 2020, and around 6% of companies came to be no longer healthy. As for the models built using ANNs, results show that the most important variable in predicting financial distress is the Return on Capital. The predictive accuracy for the 2019 and 2020 models measured using the area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) graph was 87.5% and 97.6%, respectively. Recommendations for Practitioners: Decision makers and top management are encouraged to focus on the identified highly liquid ratios to make thoughtful decisions and initiate preemptive actions to avoid organizational failure. Recommendation for Researchers: This research can be considered a stepping stone to investigating the impact of COVID-19 on the financial status of companies. Researchers are recommended to replicate the methods used in this research across various business sectors to understand the financial dynamics of companies during uncertain times. Impact on Society: Stakeholders in Jordanian-listed companies should concentrate on the list of most important predictors of financial distress as presented in this study. Future Research: Future research may focus on expanding the scope of this study by including other geographical locations to check for the generalisability of the results. Future research may also include post-COVID-19 data to check for changes in results.

Aim/Purpose: This study investigates the relationship between Electronic Word-of-Mouth (EWOM), Information Adoption, and the stock investment of Vietnamese investors. Background: Misinformation spreads online, and a lack of strong information analysis skills can lead Vietnamese investors to make poor stock choices. By understanding how online conversations and information processing influence investment decisions, this research can help investors avoid these pitfalls. Methodology: This study applies Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to investigate how non-professional investors react to online information and which information factors influence their investment decisions. The final sample includes 512 investors from 18 to 65 years old from various professional backgrounds (including finance, technology, education, etc.). We conducted a combined online and offline survey using a convenience sampling method from August to November 2023. Contribution: This study contributes to the growing literature on Electronic Word-of-Mouth (EWOM) and its impact on investment decisions. While prior research has explored EWOM in various contexts, we focus on Vietnamese investors, which can offer valuable insights into its role within a developing nation’s stock market. Investors, particularly those who are new or less experienced, are often susceptible to the influence of EWOM. By examining EWOM’s influence in Vietnam, this study sheds light on a crucial factor impacting investment behavior in this emerging market. Findings: The results show that EWOM has a moderate impact on the Information Adoption and investment decisions of Vietnamese stock investors. Information Quality (QL) is the factor that has the strongest impact on Information Adoption (IA), followed by Information Credibility (IC) and Attitude Towards Information (AT). Needs for Information (NI) only have a small impact on Information Adoption (IA). Finally, Information Adoption (IA) has a limited influence on investor decisions in stock investment. We also find that investors need to verify information through official sites before making investment decisions based on posts in social media groups. Recommendations for Practitioners: The findings suggest that state management and media agencies need to coordinate to improve the quality of EWOM information to protect investors and promote the healthy development of the stock market. Social media platform managers need to moderate content, remove false information, prioritize displaying authentic information, cooperate with experts, provide complete information, and personalize the experience to enhance investor trust and positive attitude. Securities companies need to provide complete, accurate, and updated information about the market and investment products. They can enhance investor trust and positive attitude by developing news channels, interacting with investors, and providing auxiliary services. Listed companies need to take the initiative to improve the quality of information disclosure and ensure clarity, comprehensibility, and regular updates. Use diverse communication channels and improve corporate governance capacity to increase investor trust and positive attitude. Investors need to seek information from reliable sources, compare information from multiple sources, and carefully check the source and author of the information. They should improve their investment knowledge and skills, consult experts, define investment goals, and build a suitable investment portfolio. Recommendation for Researchers: This study synthesized previous research on EWOM, but there is still a gap in the field of securities because each nation has its laws, regulations, and policies. The relationships between the factors in the model are not yet clear, and there is a need to develop a model with more interactive factors. The research results need to be further verified, and more research can be conducted on the influence of investor psychology, investment experience, etc. Impact on Society: This study finds that online word-of-mouth (EWOM) can influence Vietnamese investors’ stock decisions, but information quality is more important. Policymakers should regulate EWOM accuracy, fund managers should use social media to reach investors, and investors should diversify their information sources. Future Research: This study focuses solely on the stock market, while individual investors in Vietnam may engage in various other investment forms such as gold, real estate, or cryptocurrencies. Therefore, future research could expand the scope to include other investment types to gain a more comprehensive understanding of how individual investors in Vietnam utilize electronic word-of-mouth (EWOM) and adopt information in their investment decision-making process. Furthermore, while these findings may apply to other emerging markets with similar levels of financial literacy as Vietnam, they may not fully extend to countries with higher financial literacy rates. Hence, further studies could be conducted in developed countries to examine the generalizability of these findings. Finally, future research could see how EWOM’s impact changes over a longer period. Additionally, a more nuanced understanding of the information adoption process could be achieved by developing a research model with additional factors.

Aim/Purpose: This paper intends to answer the question regarding the extent to which political postings with value differences/similarities will influence the level of implicit knowledge sharing (KS) among work colleagues in organizations. More specifically, the study assesses contributors’ responses to a workmate’s publicity about politics on social media platforms (SMP) and their eagerness to implement implicit KS to the co-worker. Background: Previously published articles have confirmed an association between publicity about politics and the reactions from workfellows in the organization. Moreover, prior work confirmed that workers’ social media postings about politics may create unfavorable responses, such as being disliked and distrusted by workfellows. This may obstruct the KS because interpersonal relations are among the KS’s essential components. Therefore, it is imperative to assess whether the workfellows’ relationship affected by political publicity would impede the KS in the office. Methodology: Data was gathered using the vignette technique and online survey. A total of 510 online and offline questionnaires were distributed to respondents in Indonesian Halal firms who have implemented knowledge-sharing practices and have been at work for no less than twelve months in the present role. Next, the 317 completed questionnaires were examined with partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Contribution: Postings about politics on SMP can either facilitate or impede the level of KS in organizations, and this research topic is relatively scarce in the knowledge management discipline. While previously published articles have concentrated on public organizations, this research centers on private firms. Moreover, this work empirically examines private companies in Indonesia, which is also understudied in the existing literature. Findings: The outcomes confirm that perceived political value similarity (PPV) in a co-worker’s social-media publicity has a significant and indirect influence on contributors’ eagerness to perform implicit/tacit KS. Further, colleague likability and trustworthiness significantly influence the level of KS among respondents. As PPV significantly forms colleague likability, likability strongly and positively shapes trustworthiness. Recommendations for Practitioners: The study shows that political publicity significantly affects implicit knowledge sharing (KS). As a result, managers and leaders, particularly those in private firms, are strengthened to instruct their staff about the ramifications of publicity embedded in employees’ SMP postings, particularly about political topics, as it may result in either negative or positive perceptions amongst the staff towards the workmate who posts. Recommendation for Researchers: As this study focuses on examining KS behavior in a large context, i.e., Indonesia Halal firms that dominate the Indonesian economy, and the fact that much polarization research focuses on society at large and less on specific sectors of life, it is important and interesting for researchers to conduct similar studies in a specific workplace as political agreements and disagreements become so important and consequential in everyday lives. Impact on Society: This article makes the implication that a person’s personality can influence how they react to political posts on SMP. It is difficult for the exposers to know the personality of each viewer of publicity in daily life. Workers’ newfound knowledge can motivate them to use SMP responsibly and lessen the probability that they will disclose information that might make their co-workers feel or perceive anything unfavorably. Future Research: There is a need for further studies to examine if the results can be applied to different locations and organizations, as individuals’ behaviors may vary according to the cultures of society and firms. Furthermore, future research can take into account the individual characteristics of workers, such as hospitability, self-confidence, and psychological strength, which may be well-matched with future work models. Future research may potentially employ a qualitative technique to offer deeper insights into the same topic.

Teacher-student relationships are vital for academic and social development of students, for teachers’ professional and personal development, and for having a supportive learning environment. In the digital age, these relationships can extend beyond bricks and mortar and beyond school hours. Specifically, these relationships are extended today while teachers and students communicate via social networking sites (SNS). This paper characterizes differences between teachers (N=160) and students (N=587) who are willing to connect with their students/teachers via Facebook and those who do not wish to connect. The quantitative research reported here within is based on data collection of personal characteristics, attitudes towards Facebook, and perceptions of teacher-student relationship. Findings suggest differences in characteristics of the two groups (willing to connect vs. not willing to connect) within both populations (teachers and students). Also, in both populations, those who were willing to connect, compared to those who were not willing to connect, present more positive attitudes towards using Facebook for teaching/learning and are more opposed to a banning policy of student-teacher SNS-based communication. We also found that students who were willing to connect showed a greater degree of closeness with their teachers compared to those who were not willing to connect. This study may assist policymakers when setting up regulations regarding teacher-student communication via social networking sites.

Objective: Evaluate the effectiveness of distance learning courses for the purpose of interdisciplinary continuing education in Speech Pathology and Dentistry. Methods: The online course was made available on the Moodle platform. A total of 30 undergraduates participated in the study (15 from the Dentistry course and 15 from the Speech Pathology course). Their knowledge was evaluated before and after the course, in addition to the user satisfaction by means of specific questionnaires. The course was evaluated by 6 specialists on the following aspects: presentation and quality of the content, audio-visual quality, adequacy to the target public, and information made available. To compare the obtained results in the pre- and post-course questionnaires, the test Wilcoxon was carried out, with a 5% significance level. Results: the teaching/learning process, including the theoretical/practical application for the interdisciplinary training, proved to be effective as there was a statistically significant difference between the pre- and post- course evaluations (p<0.001), the users’ satisfaction degree was favorable and the specialists evaluated the material as adequate regarding the target public, the audio-visual information quality and the strategies of content availability. Conclusion: The suggested distance-learning course proved to be effective for the purpose of Speech Pathology and Dentistry interdisciplinary education.

Teaching object-oriented programming to students in an in-classroom environment demands well-thought didactic and pedagogical strategies in order to guarantee a good level of apprenticeship. To teach it on a completely distance learning environment (e-learning) imposes possibly other strategies, besides those that the e-learning model of Open University of Portugal dictates. This article analyses the behavior of the students of the 1st cycle in Computer Science while interacting with the object-oriented programming (OOP) discipline available to them on the Moodle platform. Through the evaluation of the level of interaction achieved in a group of relevant selected actions by the students, it is possible to identify their relevancy to the success of the programming learning process. Data was extracted from Moodle, numerically analyzed, and, with the use of some charts, behavior patterns of students were identified. This paper points out potential new approaches to be considered in e-learning in order to enhance programming learning results, besides confirming a high level of drop-out and a low level of interaction, thus finding no clear correlation between students’ success and the number of online actions (especially in forums), which reveals a possible failure of the main pillar on which the e-learning model relies.

This study attempts to present the variety of possible uses for iPads, in the learning process. The objective is to evaluate a unique implementation model that was tried out at a teacher training college in Israel. The methodology is based on a qualitative research paradigm. The findings show that students’ use the iPads in various contexts: (a) for ongoing personal use; (b) for planning lessons; (c) for active integration in the classroom; and (d) for reading and developing content and games. These findings are summarized in a chart that shows the different uses as levels in a hierarchical taxonomy. Analysis of the iPad’s pedagogical uses may shed light on the various skills students need to acquire in order to become teachers in 21st century. In addition, understanding the various iPad uses and their frequency can affect decision-making at the level of policy in the field of implementation of the use of mobile technologies in educational institutions.

This study examined a professional development program designed to support Civics teachers in their efforts to promote empathy among Israeli Jewish students towards Israeli Arabs. The design rationale for the program is that teachers should experience empathic processes themselves before supporting their students in such an endeavor and that meaningful empathic processes can occur online if activities are properly designed. All phases of the program were designed to support teachers to participate as part of an online community of practice. Sixty Jewish teachers participated in two iterations of the design study. Refinements were made in the second iteration to provide teachers with explicit definitions of empathy and specific instructions for reflection. Findings indicate that these changes were reflected in higher degrees of empathic responses among teachers. Teachers also indicated that being a part of an online learning community contributed to the learning process they experienced during the program. We interpret this as a first step in enabling teachers to assist their students to develop a more empathetic approach toward the minority group and conclude with a discussion of recommended design principles for promoting such an approach.

Aim/Purpose: To examine how positive/negative message framing – based on peripheral cues (regarding popularity, source, visuals, and hyperlink) – affects perceptions of credibility of scientific information posted on social networking sites (in this case, Facebook), while exploring the mechanisms of viewing the different components. Background: Credibility assessment of information is a key skill in today's information society. However, it is a demanding cognitive task, which is impossible to perform for every piece of online information. Additionally, message framing — that is, the context and approach used to construct information— may impact perceptions of credibility. In practice, people rely on various cues and cognitive heuristics to determine whether they think a piece of content is true or not. In social networking sites, content is usually enriched by additional information (e.g., popularity), which may impact the users' perceived credibility of the content. Methodology: A quantitative controlled experiment was designed (N=19 undergraduate students), collecting fine grained data with an eye tracking camera, while analyzing it using transition graphs. Contribution: The findings on the mechanisms of that process, enabled by the use of eye tracking data, point to the different roles of specific peripheral cues, when the message is overall peripherally positive or negative. It also contributes to the theoretical literature on framing effects in science communication, as it highlights the peripheral cues that make a strong frame. Findings: The positively framed status was perceived, as expected from the Elaboration Likelihood Model, more credible than the negatively framed status, demonstrating the effects of the visual framing. Differences in participants' mechanisms of assessing credibility between the two scenarios were evident in the specific ways the participants examined the various status components. Recommendations for Practitioners: As part of digital literacy education, major focus should be given to the role of peripheral cues on credibility assessment in social networking sites. Educators should emphasize the mechanisms by which these cues interact with message framing, so Internet users would be encouraged to reflect upon their own credibility assessment skills, and eventually improve them. Recommendation for Researchers: The use of eye tracking data may help in collecting and analyzing fine grained data on credibility assessment processes, and on Internet behavior at large. The data shown here may shed new light on previously studied phenomena, enabling a more nuanced understanding of them. Impact on Society: In an era when Internet users are flooded with information that can be created by virtually anyone, credibility assessment skills have become ever more important, hence the prominence of this skill. Improving citizens' assessment of information credibility — to which we believe this study contributes — results on a greater impact on society. Future Research: The role of peripheral cues and of message framing should be studied in other contexts (not just scientific news) and in other platforms. Additional peripheral cues not tested here should be also taken into consideration (e.g., connections between the information consumer and the information sharer, or the type of the leading image).

Aim/Purpose: This paper investigates the factors contributing to student IT self-leadership in online education using an exploratory study. Specifically, our goal was to understand whether the instructors’ transformational IT leadership and the students’ personal innovativeness with IT contributed to student IT self-leadership. Background: The study was conducted in an online course. While today’s students are expected to be IT natives, they still lack the skills to find and learn technologies on their own. This is problematic for both online education and students’ future careers. Directed-teaching methods are not appropriate to solve this kind of problem, a more constructivist teaching method is appropriate. We recommend that instructors adopt transformational IT leadership to set norms around technology use, to be role models in using online course technologies with utmost knowledge, and to encourage and support the students in their use of IT. Methodology: An exploratory research is conducted with 46 students in an online management information systems course at a public university. The data were analyzed using PLS structural equation modeling technique. Contribution: This paper introduces the unique concepts of student IT self-leadership and instructors’ transformational IT leadership by adapting concepts from the self-leadership and transformational leadership theories. IT self-leadership refers to the ability to intentionally influence one’s own thinking, feeling, and actions toward the use of IT to reach one’s work and life goals. To increase IT self-leadership, students should try new technologies as much as possible. Instructors should set up norms about trying new technologies, troubleshooting one’s own issues, and play a supportive and encouraging role, rather than employing directed-teaching methods. Findings: IT self-leadership skills are the ability to intentionally influence one’s own thinking, feeling and actions towards the use of IT to reach one’s work and life goals. The findings show that instructors’ transformational IT leadership as well as students’ innovativeness with IT contributes to students’ IT self-leadership. Recommendations for Practitioners: Practitioners may consider exhibiting transformational IT leadership skills including (1) giving encouragement about IT use, (2) fostering trust, (3) encouraging thinking about IT problems in new ways, (4) being clear about their values about IT by practicing what they preach in their IT use, and (5) inspiring students by being highly competent in IT. Potential ways that the instructors can exhibit these skills are discussed in the paper. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers are recommended to include IT-self leadership of both students and instructors in their investigations on learning success. Furthermore, the inclusion of transformational IT leadership in new studies of teaching and learning success is recommended. Impact on Society: This paper includes students as part of the solution to challenges students face in online courses rather than treating them like passive recipients of educational changes. Thereby, it helps teachers and students to work together for a better solution to educational disruptions. Future Research: Studies should be conducted to determine other antecedents and outcomes of IT self-leadership. Research is needed on specific ways practitioners can increase their IT transformational leadership. While this paper introduced how the instructor of the exploratory study provided transformational IT leadership, more than one way of reaching each goal was practiced. Future research should test the connection between each transformational IT leadership behavior presented here and its outcome.