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Purpose: This study aims to conduct a literature review on factors that influence the implementation and design of performance measurement systems in nonprofit organizations. Design/methodology/approach: The research strategy is conceived through a literature review focused on the analysis of authorship, supported by bibliometric techniques such as citation, co-citation and co-authorship social networks. Findings: Models and theories proposed for measuring performance in non-profit organizations are being researched, starting to form an intellectual structure related to performance measurement systems and nonprofits. Three main research topics have been given more attention: strategic performance and public service performance, health-care performance and nonprofit operations strategy and performance measurement. Research limitations/implications: The study is limited to scientific journal papers and could benefit from the addition of new sources of information such as conference papers, books and standards. The body of knowledge of this topic could also benefit from an in-depth investigation through a comprehensive review of models and theories, as a proposal for a future research agenda. Practical implications: As practical applications are identified, groups of researchers in different countries and subjects that can generate research agendas, scientific communities used to investigate issues related to performance in nonprofit activities. Originality/value: Performance measurement in nonprofit organizations is a topic of study that has been receiving considerable attention in recent years, to the point that the literature is revealing specific models for measuring performance in this type of organizations. Particular models and theories are being conceived, specializing existing models and theories related to performance measurement and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: For over 15 years, Mental Health First Aid™ (MHFA) has successfully been delivered in Wales, United Kingdom, with growing interest in the MHFA programme and increasing course attendees. Trainers, aware of the need for support, know the importance of MHFA being accessible for different communities and learner groups. MHFA has always focused on increasing mental health literacy. One marginalised group, with lower mental health literacy than the general population, is Deaf people, a group with increased risk of mental health problems. This paper aims to provide insights about why Deaf people are twice as likely as hearing people to experience mental health problems. Design/methodology/approach: During this paper, the authors have used four focal points i) exploring situational contexts for Deaf people; ii) reasons why Deaf individuals are at greater risk of mental health problems; iii) the authors explore a project, "Hear Deaf", and implementation of MHFA Wales by Deaf MHFA trainers; and iv) initiatives to influence and impact on policymakers. Findings: During the project, nine MHFA courses were delivered to Deaf communities across different locations in Wales, often with information and advertisements circulated directly to Deaf communities through Deaf clubs, resulting in 120 Deaf people trained. The authors conclude with their own reflections as a researcher and an MHFA who work predominantly with Deaf communities. Originality/value: This paper provides a discussion on the specific risks for Deaf people around mental health and the importance of mental health promotion programmes for Deaf communities. Further research is needed regarding the impact of MHFA on Deaf populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: HIV or AIDS remains invisible and dismissed by most South Asians living in Canada as HIV or AIDS issues are perceived as an offshoot of Western lifestyle linked with drug use and promiscuity. This paper aims to look into how people living with HIV or AIDS (PLWHA) cope with prejudice and stigma. Design/methodology/approach: To guide this research, a constructivist grounded theory approach was adopted as the theoretical and methodological framework. The authors reached the participants through a Toronto-based group that works with PLWHA. The authors chose their respondents in a snowball method and interviewed them both in person and online. Findings: This paper identifies how South Asian immigrants and refugees/refugees with HIV or AIDS claimants are vulnerable to discrimination in Canada due to the following factors, which include but are not limited to: a lack of information about HIV and AIDS incidence in the community; and the Canadian health system's inability to respond appropriately to the lack of information. Practical implications: HIV service engagements should take place within the context of a constellation of local traditions, or standardized expectations of patient engagement with HIV services can be counterproductive. Originality/value: It is critical that governmental action prioritizes increasing public understanding of stigma. To minimize the consequences of HIV-related discrimination and stigma, misconceptions about HIV transmission must be debunked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The study examines the mediating role of accounting information quality (AQ), a proxy for firms' information risk, in firms' business strategy and the cost of equity (COE) nexus to highlight how AQ provides a mechanism through which a company's business strategy affects its COE. Design/methodology/approach: The research study utilises data from 12,100 firm-year observations of United States (US) non-financial firms from 2001 to 2017, drawn from multiple databases, and employs the bootstrapping method of mediation analysis to test the indirect effect of AQ on the business strategy–COE relationship. The authors rely on Miles and Snow's two pure business strategy typologies, prospectors and defenders and use innate accrual quality and implied COE models to measure AQ and COE, respectively. Findings: The results suggest that AQ partially mediates the relationship between business strategy and COE. The authors document that while innovative-oriented prospector firms have a lower AQ and a higher implied COE, efficiency-oriented defenders are associated with a higher AQ and lower COE. The higher (lower) COE of prospector (defender) firms is observed to be partly due to their lower (higher) AQ. The results indicate that while the idiosyncratic risk implied in firms' strategic orientation can directly influence their COE, the business strategy implications on firms' COE can be indirect through their AQ, a source of information risk. Research limitations/implications: Due to data limitation, it was not possible to measure all possible methods of measuring implied COE. Practical implications: The paper highlights the role of firm's business strategy in pricing decisions by investors. Originality/value: The paper contributes to the existing literature by providing evidence that AQ, a proxy for information risk, is a mechanism through which business strategy affects firms' COE. The authors thus complement extant literature to empirically test the information risk effect inherent in strategic orientation on security pricing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a research paper which examines the factors towards effective supply chain partnering (SCP) across two organizations of different origins (Company A and Company B). The paper also investigates the importance of information flow, organizational linkage, supply chain infrastructure, and resource sharing in the SCP. The findings of the study reveal that firms confirm a positive relationship between the degree of resource sharing and organizational linkage. The findings also reveal the importance of the SCP to support supply chain process and to deliver high-quality service.

Purpose: This collaborative paper (working together) describes collaborative practice development and research by and with people from the learning disabilities community. This paper aims to show some of the activities which supported the collaborative practice development and research to show and encourage others to do more collaboration. The paper format is based on a previous collaborative paper published in the Tizard Learning Disability Review (Chapman et al., 2013). Design/methodology/approach: The collaborative practice development and feasibility study [1] focuses on an intervention called Keep Safe. This is an intervention for young people with learning disabilities who are 12 years and older and have shown "out-of-control" or harmful sexual behaviour. Findings: The paper gives examples of activities of the Keep Safe Advisory Group in planning, doing and thinking about Keep Safe development and feasibility. The authors list some good things and some difficulties in collaborating. They look at which parts of Frankena et al.'s (2019a) Consensus Statement on how to do inclusive research were done, which ones were not, and why. Social implications: The paper ends with some thoughts about collaborating with people from the learning disabilities community: for people with learning disabilities, practitioners and researchers. Originality/value: The paper is original in its illustration of collaborative practice development and research and measuring the activities against the inclusive research consensus statement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to revisit the disastrous DaimlerChrysler AG takeover episode from 1998 to 2007 in order to arrive at a more comprehensive explanation of this and other merger and takeover failures based on institutional theory. Design/methodology/approach: The case study is based on various secondary sources of information and on the insights that one of the authors gained from working for 14 years in various positions for Daimler-Benz and DaimlerChrysler. Findings: DaimlerChrysler failed because top management made mistakes in trying to globalize the company. They were unable to realize possible synergies between the two companies, which brought complementary resources into the merger. Furthermore, they did not account for the institutional embeddedness of strategies when they adopted lean production globally, diffused the production system developed in Germany to other parts of the world and tried to implement a global stock enlisted in New York and Frankfurt. The underlying theoretical framework is relevant for other merger and acquisition cases. It features institutional embeddedness, path dependency and institutional arbitrage. Originality/value: The paper develops an institutional perspective on DaimlerChrysler and on cross-border merger and acquisition failure more generally. The perspective is organized around the varieties-of-capitalism approach. This contribution is important because there is increasing dissatisfaction with the dominant explanation of cross-border merger and acquisition failure, which is based on the allegedly failed management of culture "clashes." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper offers a review of national and local planning policies towards warehouse development within the UK. Design/methodology/approach: The first sections of the paper provide a description of the simple method of enquiry and sources of information used in the paper, outlines of the main factors driving the demand for warehousing space in the UK, and of the nature, scale and operation of modern warehouses, and a short review into the limited literature published to date, on town planning and on how it has influenced warehouse development. This is followed by an examination of some of the planning issues associated with warehouse development, two mini-case studies of how these issues are perceived and played out, a discussion of some of the issues raised in this examination and the mini-case studies. Findings: Town planning policies were traditionally seen as a restraint on the development of warehousing but while current national and local planning policies make little explicit reference to warehousing, they have often been cited in support of new warehouse development because such policies emphasise the importance of supporting economic growth and fostering the conditions in which businesses can invest and expand. Research limitations/implications: The paper has a number of limitations, not least that its source material is drawn from the Internet, and in that no primary data were collected from warehouse developers, warehouse operators, local planning officers or local authority councillors, and that the geographical coverage was limited. Originality/value: The paper offers an accessible review of the current town planning issues associated with warehouse development in the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to update the core data set of self-neglect safeguarding adult reviews (SARs) and accompanying thematic analysis. The initial data set was published in this journal in 2015 and has since been updated annually. The complete data set is available from the author. The second purpose is to reflect on the narratives about adult safeguarding and self-neglect by focusing on the stories that are told and untold in the reviews. Design/methodology/approach: Further published reviews are added to the core data set, drawn from the national SAR library and the websites of Safeguarding Adults Boards (SABs). Thematic analysis is updated using the domains used previously, direct work, the team around the person, organisational support and governance. SAR findings and recommendations are also critiqued using three further domains: knowledge production, explanation and aesthetics. Findings: Familiar findings emerge from the thematic analysis and reinforce the evidence-base of good practice with individuals who self-neglect and for policies and procedures with which to support those practitioners working with such cases. SAR findings emphasise the knowledge domain, namely, what is actually found, rather than the explanatory domain that seeks to answer the question "why?" Findings and recommendations appear to assume that learning can be implemented within the existing architecture of services rather than challenging taken-for-granted assumptions about the context within which adult safeguarding is situated. Research limitations/implications: A national database of reviews completed by SABs has been established (www.nationalnetwork.org.uk), but this data set remains incomplete. Drawing together the findings from the reviews nonetheless reinforces what is known about the components of effective practice, and effective policy and organisational arrangements for practice. Although individual reviews might comment on good practice alongside shortfalls, there is little analysis that seeks to explain rather than just report findings. Practical implications: Answering the question "why?" remains a significant challenge for SARs, where concerns about how agencies worked together prompted review but also where positive outcomes have been achieved. The findings confirm the relevance of the evidence-base for effective practice, but SARs are limited in their analysis of what enables and what obstructs the components of best practice. The challenge for SAR authors and for partners within SABs is to reflect on the stories that are told and those that remain untold or untellable. This is an exercise of power and of ethical and political decision-making. Originality/value: The paper extends the thematic analysis of available reviews that focus on work with adults who self-neglect, further reinforcing the evidence base for practice. The paper analyses the degree to which SARs answer the question "why?" as opposed simply to answering the question "what?" It also explores the degree to which SARs appear to accept or challenge the context for adult safeguarding. The paper suggests that SABs and SAR authors should focus explicitly on what enables and what obstructs the realisation of best practice, and on the choices they make about the stories that are told. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to identify human rights violations of patients during the early periods of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana by investigating the experiences of people on how health-care professionals discharged their responsibilities during the time in question. Design/methodology/approach: Explanatory design of the mixed methods approach was adopted, with the intention of collecting both quantitative and qualitative data sequentially, and then integrating the results at the interpretation stage. The approach enriched the quality of data collected as it offered the advantage of shedding light on the primary motivations and reasons for attitudes and behaviours and helped to provide an in-depth understanding of how individuals interpret the happenings around them and their experiences. Thus, although some amount of quantitative method was used in the data collection, the core of this paper is based on the qualitative interpretations. Findings: The study reveals that health-care professionals, especially those in the Tema Metropolis, undermined certain fundamental human rights of patients during the early period of the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes failure to provide information to patients about treatment options and potential risks of medications; failure to seek the informed consent of patients before performing medical procedures; denial of access to medical files of patients for transfer; and inability or failure to provide medical ambulances services to patients on time. Originality/value: Although many publications on human rights dimensions and health protective issues on COVID-19 pandemic are available on a global scale, still little information pertaining to experiences of individuals with health-care professionals during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in Ghana through the lens of patient's rights exists. This paper, therefore, fills an important gap in health-care management information, critical for policy decision-making processes regarding patient's rights in times of pandemic control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Current and predicted continued dramatic increases in international migration and ethnocultural diversity of older adult cohorts pose challenges for health care services. Review studies on ethnoculturally diverse older adults and health care show a lack of focus on their service use experiences. This study aims to report a meta-ethnography that addresses this knowledge gap through answering the review question: How do ethnoculturally diverse older adults who are immigrants experience health careservices? Design/methodology/approach: The authors applied a seven-phase method of meta-ethnography to guide the review. The authors conducted two literature searches (April 2018 and June 2020) in MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, Sociological Abstracts and Abstracts in Social Gerontology that yielded 17 papers eligible for review. Findings: "There's always something positive and something negative" is the overarching metaphor for answering the review question. Findings highlight positive and negative tensions within ethnoculturally diverse older adults' health care use experiences of understanding and being understood, having trust in providers and the health care system, having needs, preferences and resources met and desire for self-care over dependency. The majority of experiences were negative. Tipping points towards negative experiences included language, fear, provider attitudes and behaviours, service flexibility, attitudes towards Western and traditional health care and having knowledge and resources. Originality/value: The authors propose concrete actions to mitigate the tipping points. The authors discuss policy recommendations for health care system changes at the micro, meso and macro service levels to promote positive experiences and address mainstream service policy inequities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: It is over 20 years since the publication of the Wanless Report, "Securing our Future Health: Taking a Long-Term View". The Wanless Report argued that the National Health Service (NHS) would survive in its current form only if the population became "fully engaged" with it. Design/methodology/approach: In this discussion paper, the authors explored what "fully engaged" meant to Wanless, what it might mean now (allowing for the impact of the anti-vaxxer movement) and what policymakers could do to enhance public engagement. Findings: Although the Wanless Report neatly fitted into other long-term thinking about the NHS, it was unique in that it built economic models to predict the costs and impact of different patterns of NHS performance. Wanless predicted that people's poor levels of health would put considerable pressure on the NHS. This pressure could swamp efforts to meet healthcare targets and improve health outcomes, despite its sizeable investment of money. Wanless set out three possible scenarios for public engagement with the NHS: solid progress, slow uptake and fully engaged. Practical implications: The authors pose questions for policymakers and practitioners. Would a reboot of the Wanless approach be worth the effort for policymakers? If yes, how would it differ from the original? The NHS faces the whole of society; could it be the vehicle for engaging the anti-vaxxer public with the truthfulness of medical science, and will it be this, that is, Wanless' enduring legacy? Originality/value: The exploration of the Wanless Report is complicated (at least for the time being) by the rise of the anti-vaxxer movement's resistance to health promotion and mistrust of part of the NHS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to give a comprehensive review and synthesis of automated textual analysis of corporate disclosure to show how the accuracy of disclosure tone has been incremented with the evolution of developed automated methods that have been used to calculate tone in prior studies. Design/methodology/approach: This study have conducted the survey on "automated textual analysis of corporate disclosure and its impact" by searching at Google Scholar and Scopus research database after the year 2000 to prepare the list of papers. After classifying the prior literature into a dictionary-based and machine learning-based approach, this study have again sub-classified those papers according to two other dimensions, namely, information sources of disclosure and the impact of tone on the market. Findings: This study found literature on how value relevance of tone is varied with the use of different automated methods and using different information sources. This study also found literature on the impact of such tone on market. These are contributing to help investor's decision-making and earnings and returns prediction by researchers. The literature survey shows that the research gap lies in the development of methodologies toward the calculation of tone more accurately. This study also mention how different information sources and methodologies can influence the change in disclosure tone for the same firm, which, in turn, may change market performance. The research gap also lies in finding the determinants of disclosure tone with large scale data. Originality/value: After reviewing some papers based on automated textual analysis of corporate disclosure, this study shows how the accuracy of the result is incrementing according to the evolution of automated methodology. Apart from the methodological research gaps, this study also identify some other research gaps related to determinants (corporate governance, firm-level, macroeconomic factors, etc.) and transparency or credibility of disclosure which could stimulate new research agendas in the areas of automated textual analysis of corporate disclosure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide some empirical findings on the predicaments of lawyers' anti-money laundering (AML) compliance in Malaysia and the rationales for such predicaments. Design/methodology/approach: This paper adopts a qualitative research in which the primary data are obtained from seven case studies involving legal firms within the Klang Valley, Selangor, Malaysia, which is triangulated with the data from the Central Bank and the Malaysian Bar Council. Findings: The authors contend that despite the vulnerability of their profession to money laundering, the level of awareness of the AML obligations amongst Malaysian legal practitioners is rather minimal. Also, the imposition of obligations upon them in policing their clients and regulating money laundering is not only onerous but also contrary to the ethics of their profession. Originality/value: This paper fills the gap in providing the empirical evidence on lawyers' compliance to their statutory AML obligations in Malaysia. Also, this paper could be a useful source of information for practitioners, academicians and students. It could also be a beneficial guide for policymakers for any possible future amendments to the law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to summarize peer-reviewed journal articles on national cultures and electronic word of mouth (eWOM) behavior, identify the main findings and patterns among those studies and discuss research gaps that need to be addressed in the future. Design/methodology/approach: A systematic review process was utilized to analyze peer-reviewed journal articles on both eWOM and national cultures. The main research questions were defined, then proceeded by the identification of exclusive and inclusive criteria to search for relevant articles, which were further filtered based on abstracts and full texts, and then scrutinized for main findings and major variables such as countries, cultural variables and data collection methods. Findings: An analysis of 52 papers shows that national cultures, primarily Hofstede's dimensions, influence the willingness of individuals to share eWOM, how they write eWOM and the extent to which they use eWOM to make decisions. Although the reviewed studies have provided insightful implications for marketing theory and practice, the present paper has identified a number of important questions that warrant future research attention. Originality/value: eWOM is continually being employed as a popular source of information for consumers throughout different countries to make their purchase decisions. However, eWOM behavior differs from country to country due to national cultures, and managers' eWOM strategies that work in one country may not be applicable in another. Therefore, there has been an increasing interest in this topic. Nevertheless, it remains unclear which subjects have been addressed and what areas are yet to be investigated. This paper presents a comprehensive review of how national cultures affect eWOM behavior by drawing upon prior research and provides directions for future research contributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Research objects, such as datasets and classification standards, are difficult to be incorporated into a document-centric framework of citations, which relies on unique citable works. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorder (DSM)—a dominant classification scheme used for mental disorder diagnosis—however provides a unique lens on examining citations to a research object, given that it straddles the boundaries as a single research object with changing manifestations. Design/methodology/approach: Using over 180,000 citations received by the DSM, this paper analyzes how the citation history of DSM is represented by its various versions, and how it is cited in different knowledge domains as an important boundary object. Findings: It shows that all recent DSM versions exhibit a similar citation cascading pattern, which is characterized by a strong replacement effect between two successive versions. Moreover, the shift of the disciplinary contexts of DSM citations can be largely explained by different DSM versions as distinct epistemic objects. Practical implications: Based on these results, the authors argue that all DSM versions should be treated as a series of connected but distinct citable objects. The work closes with a discussion of the ways in which the existing scholarly infrastructure can be reconfigured to acknowledge and trace a broader array of research objects. Originality/value: This paper connects quantitative methods and an important sociological concept, i.e. boundary object, to offer deeper insights into the scholarly communication system. Moreover, this work also evaluates how versioning, as a significant yet overlooked attribute of information resources, influenced the citation patterns of citable objects, which will contribute to more material-oriented scientific infrastructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This purpose of this paper is to discuss some of the problems that exist with Google Scholar, particularly regarding content spam and citation spam. Design/methodology/approach - The paper provides an analysis of how Google Scholar has been duped by real but manipulated documents and reference lists, as well as by fake documents and references. Details of research regarding the duping of Google Scholar is presented and a possible solution is offered. Findings - Researchers showed how easy it was to dupe Google Scholar. In one case, the researchers added invisible words to the first page of one of their conference papers (using the well-known white letter on white screen/paper technique), and modified the content and bibliography of some of their already published papers, then posted them on the web to see if Google Scholar would bite, i.e. would improve their rank position, and increase the number of citations that the targeted papers received, and the number of papers published by the authors. Google Scholar did bite. While the size of Google Scholar kept growing at an impressive rate, the intellectual growth of the Google Scholar software has been stunted. Originality/value - The paper makes the point that the best move from Google Scholar would be to realise that the existing metadata created by competent human indexers, cataloguers, librarians and other information professionals for tens of millions of scholarly documents is far superior to the parser's results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to provide a historical understanding of the unemployment context experienced by the New Zealand population during the Great Depression, which might have caused people to commit financial crimes, such as fraud, to survive. Design/methodology/approach: The main source of information is narratives from newspaper articles published by 42 newspapers from 1931 to 1950 that explore New Zealanders' experiences during declined economic conditions. Findings: During the period studied, New Zealanders suffered because of various challenges, mainly unemployment. The government's response was criticised by the people who used the newspapers as a medium to unleash their frustration about the fairness of unemployment relief for the unemployed and taxation of those who were employed. Some people who struggled in between jobs, as well as some who found themselves being disadvantaged, turned to deviant behaviour such as fraud. The fraudsters might be thought of as the victims of the day, committing a crime of survival, not a crime of choice. Research limitations/implications: This research promotes more historical studies to enrich fraud-auditing literature. The lack of detailed information reported in the newspapers during this period limits making specific links to individual circumstances. Originality/value: Fraudsters have always been perceived as responsible for their destinies, but a wider social and political context is rarely examined in fraud cases. The period chosen for this paper represents the extreme condition in which the elements of motive, opportunity and rationalisation are all interwoven into one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a novel and simple method for the exclusion of self-citation from h-index values, the b-index. The study shows the equality of the new index to the integer value of the external citation rate to three quarters and multiplied by their h-index. It points out that the b-index value does not require extensive analysis of individual papers' self-citation rates for production and reveals the largest numerical decreases when compared to the h-index for high self-citers. It also demonstrates the dependence of h-index and b-index difference on the Zipfian relationship exponent and on the external citation of the author.

Purpose: Previous research has indicated that trusts are used to commit various economic crimes, but limited studies examine the exact method of how trusts are abused. This paper aims to determine how trusts are abused to conceal assets in insolvency and divorce proceedings. Apart from discussing how fraudulent trusts are evaluated by South African courts, two court cases will also be analysed to determine how trusts have been abused in the past to conceal assets in insolvency and divorce proceedings. Design/methodology/approach: The methodology used is a literature study, predominantly using court cases and relevant statutes as the primary sources of information. The difference between a sham and alter ego trust is discussed, whereafter two court cases are dissected to identify how trusts have been abused to conceal assets. Findings: The study found that trusts can be abused in different ways to conceal assets in insolvency and divorce proceedings. This can vary from the way the trust is established to the way the trust is used. But trusts are particularly susceptible to abuse when there is no separation between the ownership and enjoyment of trust assets, and the trust lacks independent trustees. Originality/value: The research finding can be used to better understand how trusts are abused in divorce and insolvency proceedings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to establish a fundamental and comprehensive understanding of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) by identifying and structuring common characteristics within a taxonomy. NFTs are hyped and increasingly marketed as essential building blocks of the Metaverse. However, the dynamic evolution of the NFT space has posed challenges for those seeking to develop a deep and comprehensive understanding of NFTs, their features and their capabilities. Design/methodology/approach: Utilizing common guidelines for the creation of taxonomies, the authors developed (over 3 iterations), a multi-layer taxonomy based on workshops and interviews with 11 academic and 15 industry experts. Through an evaluation of 25 NFTs, the authors demonstrate the usefulness of the taxonomy. Findings: The taxonomy has 4 layers, 14 dimensions and 42 characteristics, which describe NFTs in terms of reference object, token properties, token distribution and realizable value. Originality/value: The authors' framework is the first to systematically cover the emerging NFT phenomenon. This framework is concise yet extendible and presents many avenues for future research in a plethora of disciplines. The characteristics identified in the authors' taxonomy are useful for NFT- and Metaverse-related research in finance, marketing, law and information systems. Additionally, the taxonomy can serve as an information source for policymakers as they consider NFT regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide to scientific researchers and academic students some subsidies related to information reliability that may be used during information search and retrieval for academic research based on the author’s experience as a university librarian and interdisciplinary researcher. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is composed of a brief conceptualization of the term information reliability, followed by a practical guide containing three processes for obtaining reliable information: knowledge of bibliometric indicators, evaluation of sources of information and analysis of the content of recovered publications. Findings – Currently, there are few publications about information reliability that target the practical and effective learning of academic researchers and students, based on the experience of librarians who work directly with bibliographic search and training based on scientific literature. Social implications – The great demand of questions submitted by academic users on how to obtain reliable information shows the need for a paper like this to clarify them. Originality/value – This paper shares best practices for search and discovery of information reliability, which are based on experiences that are not commonly addressed in the literature, and presents processes covering the bibliometric indicators, information sources and publication contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss how venture capital institutions can use their syndicated investment network to help listed companies to achieve better performance in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activities. Design/methodology/approach: This paper builds a fixed effect unbalanced panel regression model to study the impact of venture capital network on the M&A performance of listed companies. Findings: Evidence indicated that the stronger the information resource acquisition ability of venture capital institutions in the network, the better the listed company's M&A performance supported; the stronger the information resource control ability of venture capital institutions in the network, the better the listed company's M&A performance supported; the higher the participation of venture capital institutions, the more significant the positive impact of information resource acquisition and information resource control abilities on M&A performance in the network. Research limitations/implications: The data in this paper are from China's Growth Enterprise Market (GEM), other markets may be considered in the future research studies. Practical implications: The research conclusions of this paper affirm the positive role played by venture capital institutions through syndicated investment in eliminating information asymmetry in M&A of invested companies. The information resource acquisition and control abilities and participation degree of the venture capital network have positively promoted the M&A performance of the invested enterprises. Originality/value: The conclusions of this paper not only provide useful supplements to existing research literature on venture capital network functions and corporate M&A but also have certain guiding value for venture capital institutions and start-ups to better use venture capital practices to improve their capabilities and performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Drawing insights from the culture-centered approach (Dutta-Bergman, 2004; Dutta, 2007), the purpose of this paper is to explore the meanings of, experiences with, and information sources for antibiotics among at-risk yet understudied populations in urban and economic margins in the Global South.Design/methodology/approach Given the exploratory purpose of this paper, it used qualitative approach specifically focus group discussions with mothers, guardians and female senior citizens from Manila, Philippines.Findings Antibiotics had multiple meanings – from purposes and modes of acquisition to side-effects. Experiences with antibiotics were not only tied to financial difficulties, but also in administering antibiotics to children or wards and managing side-effects. Furthermore, medical doctors were the most accessed and preferred sources of antibiotics-related information.Originality/value To date, this paper is one of the few to argue that knowing the conditions into which antibiotics are situated in the Global South is critical for strengthening global public health campaigns and policies against antimicrobial resistance a and reducing global health inequity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to report a study of how research literature addresses researchers' attitudes toward data repository use. In particular, the authors are interested in how the term data sharing is defined, how data repository use is reported and whether there is need for greater clarity and specificity of terminology. Design/methodology/approach: To study how the literature addresses researcher data repository use, relevant studies were identified by searching Library Information Science and Technology Abstracts, Library and Information Science Source, Thomas Reuters' Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus. A total of 62 studies were identified for inclusion in this meta-evaluation. Findings: The study shows a need for greater clarity and consistency in the use of the term data sharing in future studies to better understand the phenomenon and allow for cross-study comparisons. Furthermore, most studies did not address data repository use specifically. In most analyzed studies, it was not possible to segregate results relating to sharing via public data repositories from other types of sharing. When sharing in public repositories was mentioned, the prevalence of repository use varied significantly. Originality/value: Researchers' data sharing is of great interest to library and information science research and practice to inform academic libraries that are implementing data services to support these researchers. This study explores how the literature approaches this issue, especially the use of data repositories, the use of which is strongly encouraged. This paper identifies the potential for additional study focused on this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explores how the national aspiration of “universal access” to information compares with what is actually happening in practice. Outlines some of the issues which emerge in the debate over access versus holdings, and presents some data from Cranfield University to shed some light on it. The Library and Information Commission’s 20-20 Vision Statement (1997) has rightly emphasized that libraries “provide universal access to the products of the human mind”. This has been echoed by the Library Association’s manifesto statement (1997) that “information is the lifeblood of a democratic society”, and more recently the Labour Government’s commitment to a Freedom of Information Act. The Commission’s statement uses the phrase “universal access” which implies that UK citizens will not be denied access to information by price or other barriers erected by the multiplicity of bodies involved in its provision. What I now wish to explore is how these national aspirations square with what is happening at the library coal face where the emphasis is inevitably on meeting the information needs of the key client groups that a specific library is intended to serve. However, the Anderson Report (Joint Funding Councils’ Libraries Review, 1994) and the subsequent LINC/SCONUL Anderson conference (Wressell and associates, 1997) both reinforced the view that “it is neither feasible nor desirable to expect each institution’s library to provide for all the research needs of its staff and students”. This statement of course can be applied to the entire UK library sector but as we move away from local holdings we need to be clear about a number of issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the use of information resources in the research papers of the graduate students in Library and Information Science (LIS) at Kuwait University. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology chosen for this paper is the bibliometric method by way of citation count of the references found in the literature review papers of LIS graduate students at Kuwait University by identifying the preferred form of publications, retrieval method, time span, subject distribution, and the most cited journals. Findings – It is shown that the majority of students used journal articles, web pages, and books as the most preferred form of resources. Their preferred method of retrieval was the printed format. Time span of the most used citations is from three to ten years. They mostly used traditional library journals such as Bulletin of MLA, Library Review, The Electronic Library, Library Management, and College and Research Libraries. Research limitations/implications – The quantity and quality of citations were reviewed and approved by the student advisor, and the sample was drawn from a population of 74 papers based on the availability of original papers. Originality/value – The findings in this paper provide important insights for the academic library administration to take appropriate measures to achieve a higher level of awareness and skill by the users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose — The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the issues of social and digital exclusion and inclusion arising from the development of a digitalised society. It aims to highlight the significance of this for the study of information systems by describing the context for this special issue, outlining a number of previously under-researched areas, giving an overview of the papers chosen for this special issue and describing future directions for research that recognise non-users and marginal users as important actors in designing and evaluating systems in use. Design/methodology/approach — The paper sets the scene by discussing the impact of mass involvement in digital culture on the field of information systems and analyses each paper, suggesting ways in which they relate to the chosen themes and drawing conclusions from this discussion. Findings — The papers chosen address thematic issues, theoretical foundations, methodological issues, empirical studies and reflections on inclusion and exclusion from the digital society. Originality/value — The paper highlights the growing interest in engagement with the digital culture in the information systems discipline and enables reflection on barriers and opportunities for developing research across boundaries of disciplines, cultures, organizations and accepted topics. It indicates that information systems researchers have an ethical responsibility to consider the impacts of innovations on the least powerful in society as well as the more privileged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - This paper aims to provide a general overview, to be followed by a series of papers focusing on the analysis of pros and cons of the three largest, cited-reference-enhanced, multidisciplinary databases (Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science) for determining the h-index. Design/methodology/approach - The paper focuses on the analysis of pros and cons of the three largest, cited-reference-enhanced, multidisciplinary databases (Google Scholar, Scopus and Web of Science). Findings - The h-index, developed by Jorge E. Hirsch to quantify the scientific output of researchers, has immediately received well-deserved attention in academia. The theoretical part of his idea was widely embraced, and even enhanced, by several researchers. Many of them also recommended derivative metrics based on Hirsch's idea to compensate for potential distortion factors, such as high self-citation rates. The practical aspects of determining the h-index also need scrutiny, because some content and software characteristics of reference-enhanced databases can strongly influence the h-index values. Originality/value - The paper focuses on the analysis of pros and cons of the three largest, cited-reference-enhanced, multidisciplinary databases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose — To provide a broad overview of the history of the journal Program: electronic library and information systems and its contents over its first 40 years. Design/methodology/approach — Analysis of content from the original published material, as well as from abstracting and indexing publications and from minutes of Editorial Board meetings. Findings — The publication has grown from modest beginnings as a newsletter for UK university librarians to a respected refereed journal with a wide international readership. Originality/value — An analysis of the content of articles published on computer systems in libraries and information units over the last 40 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aimed to investigate reading format preference of undergraduate students with regard to various categories of information sources and use of social media information sources for academic and non-academic activities. Design/methodology/approach: An exhaustive literature review was carried out in a very well organised way using total 56 publications which include 48 research papers, four conference papers, two books and two reports, which were selected for analysis on the basis of prescribed data schema and adopting the inclusion and exclusion criteria matching with the research objectives of the study. Findings: Undergraduate students preferred text books in print format for passing the exams, and use of search engines and Internet sites were rated as the most crucial source for the academic information. In particular, Wikipedia, YouTube and Blogs were the most frequently used social media information sources by undergraduate students for their academic activities. However, Facebook and Twitter were most prominently used for social interaction. Research limitations/implications: The population of the study was restricted to the homogenous group of users, i.e. undergraduate students to examine their choices and preferences for their academic and non-academic activities. Further research studies may be conducted covering the more diverse and heterogeneous user group of postgraduate students and research scholars of different disciplines. Originality/value: Generally, many previous research studies depicted users' preference for print and electronic media format without paying special attention on the usage of a variety of information sources by user groups. However, the present study is a value addition to the existing literature which emphasised the use of various categories of information sources, particularly by undergraduate students in print and digital format for different purposes in the digital environment. A major shift from the use of print media to digital media to social media information sources by undergraduate students for their academic and non-academic activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to explore the possibilities in using such national, statutory data sets for evaluating change and the challenges of understanding service patterns and outcomes in complex cases when only a limited view can be gained using existing data. The discussion also explores how methodologies can adapt to an evaluation in these circumstances. Design/methodology/approach: This paper examines the use of data routinely collected by local authorities (LAs) as part of the evaluation of innovation. Issues entailed are discussed and illustrated through two case studies of evaluations conducted by the research team within the context of children's social care in England. Findings: The quantitative analysis of LA data can play an important role in evaluating innovation but researchers will need to address challenges related to: selection of a suitable methodology; identifying appropriate comparator data; accessing data and assessing its quality; and sustaining and increasing the value of analytic work beyond the end of the research. Examples are provided of how the two case studies experienced and addressed these challenges. Research limitations/implications: • Quasi-experimental methods can be beneficial tools for understanding the impact of innovation in children's services, but researchers should also consider the complexity of children's social care and the use of mixed and appropriate methods. • Those funding innovative practice should consider the additional burden on those working with data and the related data infrastructure if wishing to document and analyse innovation in a robust way. • Data, which may be assumed to be uniform may in fact not be when considered at a multi-area or national level, and further study of the data recording practice of social care professionals is required. Originality/value: The paper discusses some common issues experienced in quasi-experimental approaches to the quantitative evaluation of children's services, which have, until recently, been rarely used in the sector. There are important considerations, which are of relevance to researchers, service leads in children's social care, data and performance leads and funders of innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to study a circular economy business model that offers services with embedded information exchange capabilities to extend product life through maintenance and repair. Information exchange has been identified as a critical factor in advancing the principles of a circular economy, and this research was conducted to illustrate how information exchange can facilitate maintenance and repair. Design/methodology/approach: The study has a case study approach of collecting data through semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. Findings: Information exchange on what and when to do something engages end-users in maintenance and facilitates learning. For repair, the problem description and possible solutions are information that must be exchanged. Both types of information exchange are facilitated by simple tech solutions relying on known and inexpensive technology (e.g. e-mail service, video call and text messaging). Research limitations/implications: The study contributes to the organisational development and knowledge management fields with novel insights on how information exchange and circular economy are related and can be facilitated. Practical implications: The study provides insights for companies looking for solutions on how to generate revenue from services and reduce resource consumption. The findings of the study suggest that the development of circular business models does not always require expensive high-tech solutions. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is unique as it is empirically based on insights into how information exchange can extend product life through the use of simple digital tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to analyze the effects of web communities vs company websites in providing tactile information considering different types of product in terms of touch diagnosticity (low- vs. high-touch products). Design/methodology/approach: Three experimental studies were conducted to examine the effect of online information sources (i.e. web communities vs. company websites) in providing tactile information on consumer responses, considering the moderation role of product type in terms of touch diagnosticity (low- vs. high-touch products, Study 1), the moderating role of type of information (tactile vs. generic, Study 2a); and the moderating role of need for touch (NFT) (Study 2a and 2b). Findings: While previous research converges on the idea that the provision of a written description of tactile properties deriving from the product usage is particularly effective for products for which tactile information is diagnostic and for individuals high in NFT, the results demonstrated that the presence (vs. the absence) of the description of the tactile properties provided by web communities (vs. company websites) matters for those products for which touch is not diagnostic and for individuals low in NFT. Practical implications: The findings have particular relevance for emerging brands intending to commercialize their products in the digital environment. These companies should be present in web communities to describe a product's tactile characteristics, especially if not diagnostic. Originality/value: This paper significantly contributes to a better understanding of a little studied area, namely, consumer responses toward haptic compensational strategies providing haptic cues (e.g. written description of tactile information along with pictures of products) aiming at compensating for the absence of touch, underlining the differential influence of online sources of tactile information on consumer responses across different types of products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: A broader challenge of co-creating digital solutions with patients addresses the question how to apply an open-access digital platform with trusted digital health information as a measure to transform the way patients access and understand health information. It further addresses use this for adherence to treatment, risk minimization and quality of life throughout the integrated patient journey. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the early steps in towards progress to co-creating the digital solution. Design/methodology/approach: To coordinate the co-creation process, the authors established a multiphased plan to deep-dive into user needs and behaviors across patient journeys, to identify nuances and highlight important patterns in stakeholder and end-user segment at various stages in the patient's journey. Findings: A set of tools was designed to serve as a human-centered compass throughout the lifecycle of the project. Those tools include shared objects; personas, user journeys, a set of performance indicators with related requirements – all those tools being consistently refined in ongoing co-creation workshops with members of the cross-functional stakeholder groups. Originality/value: In this study, a multidisciplinary, public-private partnership looked at integrated digital tool to improve access, understanding and adherence to treatment for diverse groups of patients across all stages of their health journeys in a number of countries including European Union (EU) and United States of America (USA). As a result of this work, the authors attempt to increase the possibility that the improved availability and understanding of health information from trusted sources translates to higher levels of adherence to treatment, safer use of medication (pharmacovigilance), better health outcomes and quality of life integrated in the patient's journey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Sourcing intermediaries, commonly known as agents or trading companies, represent a useful organisational solution for assisting companies to manage supply risks and to overcome the liability of foreignness. However, the landscape of global business is experiencing rapid and fundamental changes, which leads us to ask whether intermediaries will continue to play a role in global sourcing. This paper aims to understand how sourcing intermediaries ensure a lasting position in the changing setting of global sourcing and information sharing. Design/methodology/approach: This paper investigates the operations of both Chinese and Nordic (Finnish and Swedish) intermediaries in sourcing from China by analysing qualitative data collected over a period of four years. Findings: Through the lens of information asymmetry, this paper identifies four distinct informational roles that are used by intermediaries to reduce information asymmetry between suppliers and buyers located in different countries. The paper also examines intermediaries' signalling activities under these roles in a cross-border triad. Originality/value: The paper contributes to the scientific debate on the usefulness of intermediaries by underlining intermediaries' informational advantage, which provides a new explanation for the survival of intermediaries in a rapidly changing business context. Additionally, this study contributes to research on intermediation strategies by empirically examining both Chinese and Western intermediaries, highlighting the importance of institutional contexts in affecting intermediaries' informational roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]