Hasil untuk "Business records management"

Rosalie L. Tung, A. Verbeke

J. Kapferer, V. Bastien

Jens J. Hunhevicz, D. Hall

Blockchain and other forms of distributed ledger technology (DLT) provide an opportunity to integrate digital information, management, and contracts to increase trust and collaboration within the construction industry. DLT enables direct peer-to-peer transactions of value across a distributed network by providing an immutable and transparent record of these transactions. Furthermore, there is potential for business process optimization and automation on the transaction level, through the use of smart contracts, which are code protocols deployed on supported DLT systems. However, DLT research in the construction industry remains at a theoretical level; there have been few implementation case studies to date. One potential reason for this is a knowledge gap between use-case ideas and the DLT technical system implementation. This paper aims to reduce this gap by 1) reviewing and categorizing proposed DLT use cases in construction literature, 2) providing an overview of DLT and its design options, 3) proposing an integrated framework to match DLT design options with desired characteristics of a use case, and 4) analysing the use cases using the new framework. Together, the use case categories and proposed decision framework can guide future implementers toward more connected and structured thinking between the technological properties of DLT and use cases in construction.

Gal Engelberg, Konstantin Koutsyi, Leon Goldberg et al.

Identity Security Posture Management (ISPM) is a core challenge for modern enterprises operating across cloud and SaaS environments. Answering basic ISPM visibility questions, such as understanding identity inventory and configuration hygiene, requires interpreting complex identity data, motivating growing interest in agentic AI systems. Despite this interest, there is currently no standardized way to evaluate how well such systems perform ISPM visibility tasks on real enterprise data. We introduce the Sola Visibility ISPM Benchmark, the first benchmark designed to evaluate agentic AI systems on foundational ISPM visibility tasks using a live, production-grade identity environment spanning AWS, Okta, and Google Workspace. The benchmark focuses on identity inventory and hygiene questions and is accompanied by the Sola AI Agent, a tool-using agent that translates natural-language queries into executable data exploration steps and produces verifiable, evidence-backed answers. Across 77 benchmark questions, the agent achieves strong overall performance, with an expert accuracy of 0.84 and a strict success rate of 0.77. Performance is highest on AWS hygiene tasks, where expert accuracy reaches 0.94, while results on Google Workspace and Okta hygiene tasks are more moderate, yet competitive. Overall, this work provides a practical and reproducible benchmark for evaluating agentic AI systems in identity security and establishes a foundation for future ISPM benchmarks covering more advanced identity analysis and governance tasks.

Cecil Pang, Hiroki Sayama

Modern business environments demand continuous reconfiguration of cross-functional processes, yet most enterprise systems remain organized around siloed departments, rigid workflows, and hard-coded automation. Meanwhile, large language models (LLMs) demonstrate strong capabilities in interpreting natural language and synthesizing unstructured information, but they lack deterministic, auditable execution of complex business logic. We introduce Autonomous Business System (AUTOBUS), a system that integrates LLM-based AI agents, predicate-logic programming, and business-semantics-centric enterprise data into a unified neuro-symbolic architecture for executing end-to-end business initiatives. AUTOBUS models a business initiative as a network of interrelated tasks with explicit pre- and post-conditions, required data, evaluation rules, and API-level actions. Enterprise data is organized as a knowledge graph, whose entities, relationships, and constraints are translated into logic facts and foundational rules that ground reasoning and ensure semantic consistency. Core AI agents synthesize task instructions, enterprise semantics, and available tools into task-specific logic programs, which are executed by a logic engine that enforces constraints, coordinates auxiliary tools, and produces deterministic outcomes. Humans specify task instructions, define and maintain business semantics and policies, curate tools, and supervise high-impact or ambiguous decisions, ensuring accountability and adaptability. We detail the AUTOBUS architecture, the structure of AI-generated logic programs, and the human-AI collaboration model and present a case study that demonstrates accelerated time to market in a data-rich organization. A reference implementation of the case study is available at https://github.com/cecilpang/autobus-paper.

R. Summerlin, W. Powell, E. Fukuda

This study investigates whether perception of product quality positively mediates the relationship between interactivity and purchase intention and whether the relationship between interactivity and perception of product quality is moderated by cost such that higher-priced items strengthen the relationship. Differences between those consumers purchasing personally or as a business were considered. Three hundred and forty-nine participants experienced a simulated environment within a real-world retail website they had previously shopped at. Results from a questionnaire were analysed using moderated mediation regression analysis. The hypothesized theoretical model was supported for individual consumers with results indicating that the effect of interactivity on purchase intention is mediated by product quality, and this indirect effect is moderated by cost. No such result was found for business consumers. This research demonstrates a notable difference between purchasing behaviours of business and individual consumers when considering interactivity and perception of product quality.

Ludwig Stage, Julia Dahlberg, Dimka Karastoyanova

In the world of science new technology have opened up the possibility to rely on advanced computational methods and models to conduct and produce scientific research. An important aspect of scientific and business workflows is provenance - which refers to the information describing the production, history or lineage of an end product, which can also be data, digitalized processes and other not tangible artifacts. While there are already systems, tools and standards to capture provenance of data and workflows the provenance of adaptations/changes in workflows has not been addressed yet. In this paper we carry out a literature review to establish the state of the art on this topic and present our methodology and findings. Our findings confirm that provenance of adaptation has not been addressed adequately in the fields of business and scientific workflows. The two fields also have different motivation for recording the lineage of data or processes. While scientific workflows are interested in reproducibility and visualization, business workflows solutions are indirectly connected to compliance, exception handling and analysis. The adaptive nature of workflows in both fields is not reflected in the research on process provenance yet, as our results show. The use of standard provenance standards is also not wide spread.

Roozbeh Roshanak, Alireza Rousta, Mahmoud Ahmadi Sharif et al.

Abstract The purpose of the current research is the mixed effect of marketing on blockchain technology with the mediating role of perceived usefulness in the customers of Bank Melli Iran in Tehran. The research method is applicable in terms of purpose, and descriptive-survey based on the method of data collection. The statistical population of this research is all the customers of the Bank Melli Iran in Tehran in 2023. For this purpose, according to Cochran's formula, 384 people were selected as the sample size, 420 questionnaires were distributed among the customers of the Bank Melli Iran in Tehran by a simple random method, and 393 questionnaires were collected. The data collection tool of this research is a questionnaire. The validity of the research tool has been confirmed by performing the confirmatory factor analysis technique. The reliability of the current research questionnaire was measured by calculating Cronbach's alpha coefficient, which was 0.815. Also, to analyze the data, structural equation modeling method using Smart-PLS3 software has been used. The research results indicate that senior management support, supply chain integration, and innovation capability have a significant impact on blockchain technology. Also, supply chain risk has not affected blockchain technology. Finally, the role of the marketing mix on perceived usefulness is demonstrated. Also, the perceived usefulness is affective on blockchain technology. Extended Abstract                                           Introduction Blockchain is used for various technology concepts related to databases of value exchange, security and identity among others. Blockchain technology is very important for business today. This technology is constantly evolving. Leading companies in the field of information and communication technology use blockchain technology because of its high security (Akbari Ganjeh et al., 2022). In today's era, experts have called blockchain technology the second internet, which is capable of transforming a large number of current patterns. One of the sectors that can use blockchain is the banking industry. Blockchain is a developing technology and is actually a place in the web world that records the data and information of a group of people in files, but this information is not available in a single place, and people from different parts of the world trade and communicate to each other without any records. Also, the information stored in the blockchain is a digital collection of decentralized records that is not maintained by any person or organization (Ekramifard et al., 2020). The banking industry is the most important industry in the world. Today, banks in advanced countries act as professional consultants, experts in increasing the financial resources of companies, and collecting and exchanging the necessary information for their customers, and they are considered one of the economic drivers of every country. In modern banking, there are various components that affect the process of mobilizing monetary resources of banks and financial institutions. Determining and identifying the degree of influence and the type of connection of these components with the success of banks in mobilizing monetary resources is a very important issue. Today, the position and conditions of financial institutions and banks are different from each other, and it is possible that the factors affecting the provision of monetary resources are different even for each branch of a banking group, which has caused a close competitive atmosphere between them. Therefore, in this research, we tried to answer this question: what role does the marketing mix have on blockchain technology with the mediating role of perceived usefulness? Theoretical Framework Ahmadi et al., (2022) carried out a research titled marketing future research in the banking industry with a focus on blockchain technology. The findings showed that the drivers of marketing researchers' interest in digital financial technologies and blockchain and the development of decentralized banking had the highest priority and were selected for scenario planning. Hosseingholipour & Einabadi (2022) in a research addressed the effects of international sanctions on the international banking interactions of Iranian companies on the blockchain platform. The results showed that international sanctions in the international banking interactions of Iranian companies can be presented as an opportunity in the context of blockchain, and by using blockchain, international banking interactions can be implemented and managed in a more effective way. Da Silva & Moro (2021) in a research addressed blockchain technology as a factor of consumer trust: literature analysis using the method of texts. Their findings indicate the relationship between some blockchain features such as tracking and privacy with customer trust. For this reason, marketing, social and economic researchers are advised to focus on the use of blockchain to improve consumer trust. Ali, Ally & Dwivedi (2020) performed a systematic and analytical review of articles related to blockchain technology in the financial services industry. The proposed classification framework of this research has three components: financial advantages, challenges, and functions enabled by blockchain. Methodology The current research is an applicable research which has been implemented by descriptive-survey method of causal type. The statistical population of the research is the customers of Bank Melli Iran in Tehran in 2023; and to determine the number of samples, since the size of the population is unknown, Cochran's formula will be used to determine the sample size. Therefore, according to Cochran's formula for the unknown population size, the number of samples was 384 people, in which data have been quantitatively analyzed. It has also been analyzed using SPSS and Smart-PLS3 software. In order to collect and measure data, a 43-item questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale (1-completely disagree, 2-disagree, 3-I have no opinion, 4-agree and 5-completely agree) was used. Also, its validity has been confirmed by professors and experts, and its reliability by Cronbach's alpha coefficient.   Discussion and Results The results of the analysis of demographic variables, Cronbach's alpha coefficient value and composite reliability for each construct, the values ​​of factor loadings between constructs and the average extracted variance of the research variables, the results of the coefficient of determination and the Stone-Geisser coefficient for the endogenous construct, the output of the software in the effectiveness coefficients, the software output in significant coefficients and the impact coefficients, the value of the test statistic and the results of the research hypotheses and anti-value values ​​and effect intensity of mediating variables were given. Conclusion The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of marketing mix on blockchain technology with the mediating role of perceived usefulness, on the basis of which 7 hypotheses were investigated, and the effect of all factors on blockchain technology was confirmed except for the fourth hypothesis: the impact of supply chain risk on blockchain technology. Based on the first research hypothesis: marketing mix has a significant effect on perceived usefulness. This hypothesis has been confirmed based on statistical analysis. In other words, it can be predicted that if the marketing mix of Bank Melli Iran customers in Tehran is improved, their perceived usefulness will also increase. Therefore, since the marketing mix has an effect on perceived usefulness, they should pay special attention to indicators such as product marketing, price marketing, channel marketing, advertising activities, and individual image. In line with the result obtained in this hypothesis, Lin, Wang & Hwang (2010) showed that marketing mix affects perceived usefulness. Based on the second hypothesis of the research: the support of senior management has a significant impact on blockchain technology. This hypothesis has been confirmed based on statistical analysis. In other words, it can be predicted that if the support of the senior management of Bank Melli Iran customers in Tehran is improved, the use of blockchain technology will also increase. Therefore, since senior management's support has an impact on blockchain technology, they should pay special attention to indicators such as attention and active response, confirmation of access to resources, willingness to accept risks, and motivating employees. In line with the result obtained in this hypothesis, Wong et al., (2020) showed that top management support affects blockchain technology. Based on the third hypothesis of the research: supply chain integration has a significant impact on blockchain technology. This hypothesis has been confirmed based on statistical analysis. In other words, it can be predicted that if the integration of the supply chain of Bank Melli Iran customers in Tehran is improved, the use of blockchain technology will also increase. Therefore, since the integration of the supply chain affects blockchain technology, they should pay special attention to indicators such as understanding the needs of employees, information sharing, cooperation and coordination and strategic alliance, public and private partnerships, and sharing knowledge and innovation. In line with the result obtained in this hypothesis, Chiarini, Belvedere & Grando (2020) showed that supply chain integration affects blockchain technology. Based on the fourth research hypothesis: supply chain risk has a significant impact on blockchain technology. This hypothesis, based on statistical analysis, has not been confirmed. In other words, it can be predicted that if the supply chain risk of Bank Melli Iran customers in Tehran increases, the use of blockchain technology will not change. Therefore, since supply chain risk does not affect blockchain technology, it is necessary to pay attention to indicators such as delays in delivery and selection of products, storage capacity and inappropriate delivery, demand fluctuations, poor forecasting, labor shortages, closures, and price fluctuations. Contrary to the result obtained in this hypothesis, Wang et al., (2020) concluded in their research that supply chain risk has a positive and significant relationship with blockchain technology. Based on the fifth hypothesis of the research: innovation capability has a significant impact on blockchain technology. This hypothesis has been confirmed based on statistical analysis. In other words, it can be predicted that if the innovation ability of Bank Melli Iran customers in Tehran is improved, the use of blockchain technology will also increase. Therefore, since the ability to innovate affects blockchain technology, it is necessary to pay special attention to indicators such as using innovative techniques, regular improvement in operations, adopting innovative and technical solutions, using standard and simple operations, and protecting against risks. In line with the result obtained in this hypothesis, Wang et al., (2020) showed that innovation ability affects blockchain technology. Based on the sixth hypothesis of the research: perceived usefulness has a significant impact on blockchain technology. This hypothesis has been confirmed based on statistical analysis. In other words, it can be predicted that if the perceived usefulness of Bank Melli Iran customers in Tehran is improved, the use of blockchain technology will also increase. Therefore, since perceived usefulness affects blockchain technology, they should pay special attention to indicators such as obtaining information, saving money, being helpful, and being useful. In line with the result obtained in this hypothesis, Lin, Wang & Hwang (2010) showed that perceived usefulness affects blockchain technology. Based on the seventh hypothesis of the research: there is a significant relationship between the marketing mix of blockchain technology and the mediating role of perceived usefulness. This hypothesis has been confirmed based on statistical analysis. In other words, it can be predicted that if the marketing mix of Bank Melli Iran customers in Tehran is improved, the use of blockchain technology with the role of mediating perceived usefulness will also increase. Therefore, since the marketing mix has an effect on blockchain technology with the mediating role of perceived usefulness, they should pay special attention to indicators such as product marketing, price marketing, channel marketing, advertising measures, and the image of a person. In line with the result obtained in this hypothesis, Lin, Wang & Hwang (2010) showed that marketing mix affects blockchain technology with the mediating role of perceived usefulness.

Flavius Cosmin DARIE

This study aims to examine the complex relationship between leadership styles, organizational performance, and employee retention across different economic systems. Furthermore, it seeks to illustrate how different leadership approaches impact organizational dynamics within different economic contexts. Employing a mix of case study and qualitative methodologies, the research investigates the multiple organizations in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, utilizing a structured analysis on the collected data. The methodology is designed to capture the nuanced ways in which leadership influences key organizational outcomes, including employee loyalty and organizational efficacy. The findings suggest that transformational leadership universally enhances organizational performance and employee retention, yet the effectiveness of leadership styles is significantly shaped by cultural and economic factors. In conclusion, this research paper indicates that adaptable, context-aware leadership is crucial for navigating the complexities of global economic systems, highlighting the need for leaders to tailor their approaches according to the environment in which it operates.

mojtaba hamzeh, freydoon rahnamay roodposhti, bahman bani mahd et al.

Abstract This study aims to investigate the effect of technostress on the intention to use blockchain technology and audit quality of audit firms. The research method is applicable in terms of its purpose, quantitative in terms of implementation, and descriptive-correlational in terms of nature and method. The population of the present study includes all auditors who are members of the Iranian Society of Certified Public Accountants. The statistical population is members of the Iranian Society of Certified Public Accountants, and the sample size was determined as 436 people based on Morgan table, selected by simple random sampling method. A standard questionnaire based on a 5-point Likert scale was used to collect research data. The content validity of the tool was confirmed by specialists and experts, and Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability were used to measure the reliability of the tool. By distributing the questionnaire, the validity of the tool was measured with three methods: construct validity (external model), convergent validity (AVE), and divergent validity. The AVE value for all variables must be greater than 0.5. SPSS and PLS software were used to analyze the data. The results of the study indicate that technostress has a positive and significant effect on auditors’ intention to use blockchain. This study also shows that technostress also has a positive and significant effect on audit quality. Introduction The accounting profession, especially the audit field, has been greatly influenced by recent technological developments. Factors such as stakeholder pressure, big data and digital information, automation of entry-level procedures, and the integration of technology into accounting processes have all affected the way the accounting profession performs its tasks (Smith, 2018). Another factor that has recently emerged and has the potential to impact the audit field is blockchain technology (Price, 2016; Smith, 2018). Blockchain technology helps coordinate information and exchange information and facilitates the transformation of accounting information systems functions into a more proactive role (Smith, 2018). Continuously uploading operational and financial information to a blockchain platform helps accounting professionals analyze information in real time (Banham, 2017; Al Shbail, Alshurafat, et al., 2023; Al Shbail, Salleh, et al., 2023; Taha et al., 2023). This continuously uploaded information is also verified by other members of a blockchain network, which increases the credibility of such information (Banham, 2017). Comprehensive integration of blockchain technology allows for the development of the audit process and covers current gaps in audit procedures (aminpoor et al.,2023, Dai & Vasarhelyi, 2017). However, according to studies, if technological tools such as blockchain technology are not properly integrated, the accounting profession can be disrupted (Smith, 2018). In other words, the adoption of new technological tools in the workplace, such as blockchain technology, may cause employees to experience what is called “technostress” (Fischer & Riedl, 2017). Studies on technostress have examined the impact of five related dimensions (technostress triggers) on job outcomes, including: 1) technical invasion, 2) technical overload, 3) technical insecurity, 4) technical complexity, and 5) technical uncertainty (Chandraet al., 2019; Srivastava et al., 2015). These studies have examined how technostress affects employee productivity (Hwang et al., 2018) and end-user satisfaction (Tarafdar et al., 2010). They have also examined the impact of social overload on individuals resulting from the use of social networking services (Alshurafat, Al Shbail, et al., 2023; Jaradat et al.,2022; Maier et al., 2015; Mansour, Alzyoud, et al.,2023; Sbaih et al., 2022) and the impact of technology characteristics, technology dependence, and cognitive elements (such as self-efficacy) on workers experiencing technostress (Ayyagari et al., 2011; Lee et al., 2014). Hwang and Cha (2018) examined the impact of technostress on organizational commitment. Accordingly, the question arises: what effect does technostress have on the intention to use blockchain technology and the audit quality of audit firms? Theoretical foundations Technostress and audit quality Technostress can directly negatively affect audit quality. Auditors in audit firms may be subject to information stress and technological anxiety due to their continuous exposure to advanced technologies such as audit software and blockchain systems, which reduces their ability to accurately analyze financial data and provide accurate reports. In other words, various dimensions of technostress, including technological anxiety, technological uncertainty, and information stress, can reduce accuracy, increase the likelihood of error, and slow down auditors' decision-making speed (Hwang et al., 2018). Technostress and Blockchain Adoption The use of technology in supervisory and control systems, including auditing, like other systems in societies, is growing at a very fast pace. Meanwhile, auditing has been, is, and will be significantly influenced by control and information technologies in the past, present, and future. Research conducted in the past shows that today's revolution and change in technology in the workplace is accompanied by the emergence of professional stress (Alshurafat et al., 2023). The most important of these problems and complications is mental tension and stress caused by the use of technology, which is referred to as technostress. Other similar terms include technophobia and fear of technology. More clearly, technostress is a modern problem caused by the inability to adapt to technology and is actually a combination of performance anxiety, information overload, role conflict, and organizational factors (Sumiyana et al., 2020). Technostress is the result of a new and increased fear related to equipment and can effectively increase stress in auditors. Because in addition to being unfamiliar with it, they are asked to add the use of this new technology to their daily work, which leads to the imposition of double and repetitive stress that is harmful. Technostress has five different dimensions: feeling pressured, engaging with technology, technological complexity and the need to acquire a lot of information, feeling insecure in using technology, and uncertainty in using technology due to constant changes (smith, 2020). Hartin et al. (2024) in the study "Factors Affecting the Use of Blockchain Technology in Supply Chain Management" using expert interviews and grounded theory analysis found that factors such as trust, efficiency, cost, control, privacy, and scalability affect the potential of blockchain; and knowledge, collaboration, and regulations play a moderating role. Cader et al. (2024) in the study "The Impact of Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence on Audit Quality: Evidence from Turkey" using data from 300 respondents and the PLS-SEM method concluded that the use of blockchain and artificial intelligence improves audit quality, facilitates fraud detection, and strengthens the trust of investors and regulators. Research Methodology This study is applicable in terms of purpose, and descriptive-correlational in terms of method. The population of the present study includes all auditors who are members of the Iranian Society of Certified Public Accountants. The sample size was determined as 436 people based on Morgan's table, considering that the statistical population is 3754 auditors who are members of the Iranian Society of Certified Public Accountants. A standard questionnaire and a five-point Likert scale were used to collect data. The findings from the Cronbach's alpha test and composite reliability to measure the reliability of the research tool are reported in Table 2. To examine the validity of the tool, content validity (expert opinion survey) was used and its validity was confirmed. Then, by distributing the questionnaire, the validity of the tool was measured with three methods: construct validity (external model), convergent validity (AVE), and divergent validity. The AVE value for all research variables must be greater than 0.5. In order to test the research hypotheses, structural equation modeling was used in the context of smart pls2 statistical software. Research findings The research findings showed that technostress, as a psychological and organizational factor, plays an important role in the behavior and performance of auditors in audit firms. The results indicate that the pressures arising from new technologies not only affect the intention to use blockchain technology, but also affect the quality of the audit. These findings are consistent with the theoretical foundations presented in previous studies and show that technostress as a key factor can significantly change the motivation and professional performance of auditors. Discussion and Conclusion The data analysis of this study showed that technostress as a psychological and organizational factor plays an important role in the behavior and performance of auditors in audit firms. The results indicate that the pressures arising from new technologies not only affect the intention to use blockchain technology, but also affect the quality of the audit. These findings are consistent with the theoretical foundations presented in previous research and show that technostress as a key factor can significantly change the motivation and professional performance of auditors (Alshurafat et al., 2023; Sumiyana et al., 2020). The research findings showed that technostress has a negative and significant effect on auditors' intention to use blockchain technology. In other words, the greater the level of pressure and anxiety caused by technology, the more auditors' willingness to accept and use blockchain decreases. These results are consistent with previous studies, such as Taherdoost et al. (2018); Sumiyana et al. (2020), in that it has been shown that technological anxiety and information pressure can reduce individuals' motivation to adopt new technologies. Auditors under technostress are usually concerned about the complexity of technology and its constant changes, and this concern can cause resistance to learning new technologies. Studies by Hwang et al. (2018) show that technostress leads to a decrease in users' self-confidence and creates hesitation in using technology tools. Therefore, the findings of this study emphasize that technostress management, continuous training, and providing organizational support can reduce the negative effect of technostress on the intention to use blockchain technology and increase auditors' motivation to use new technologies. In addition, from the perspective of technology acceptance theory (Davis, 1989), negative attitudes towards technology and its associated stress can reduce the behavioral intention to use technology. This finding is also consistent with studies by To et al. (2021), which have shown that technological stress and pressure can affect the behavior of accounting information systems users. The findings show that technostress reduces concentration, increases audit errors, and slows down data analysis speed; which is consistent with the findings of Hwang et al. (2018).

Masahiro Watanabe, Naoshi Uchihira

Digital transformation (DX) has recently become a pressing issue for many companies as the latest digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, can be easily utilized. However, devising new business models is not easy for compa-nies, though they can improve their operations through digital technologies. Thus, business model design support methods are needed by people who lack digital tech-nology expertise. In contrast, large language models (LLMs) represented by ChatGPT and natural language processing utilizing LLMs have been developed revolutionarily. A business model design support system that utilizes these technologies has great potential. However, research on this area is scant. Accordingly, this study proposes an LLM-based method for comparing and analyzing similar companies from different business do-mains as a first step toward business model design support utilizing LLMs. This method can support idea generation in digital business model design.

Haoyan Wu, Zhijie Li, Brian King et al.

Supply chains (SC) span many geographies, modes and industries and involve several phases where data flows in both directions from suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, retailers, to customers. This data flow is necessary to support critical business decisions that may impact product cost and market share. Current SC information systems are unable to provide validated, pseudo real-time shipment tracking during the distribution phase. This information is available from a single source, often the carrier, and is shared with other stakeholders on an as-needed basis. This paper introduces an independent, crowd-validated, online shipment tracking framework that complements current enterprise-based SC management solutions. The proposed framework consists of a set of private distributed ledgers and a single blockchain public ledger. Each private ledger allows the private sharing of custody events among the trading partners in a given shipment. Privacy is necessary, for example, when trading high-end products or chemical and pharmaceutical products. The second type of ledger is a blockchain public ledger. It consists of the hash code of each private event in addition to monitoring events. The latter provide an independently validated immutable record of the pseudo real-time geolocation status of the shipment from a large number of sources using commuters-sourcing.

L. Ocampo, Venus Acedillo, Alin Mae Bacunador et al.

Ghulam Qadar Butt, Toqeer Ali Sayed, Rabia Riaz et al.

The transfer of information is a demanding issue, particularly due to the presence of a large number of eavesdroppers on communication channels. Sharing medical service records between different clinical jobs is a basic and testing research topic. The particular characteristics of blockchains have attracted a large amount of attention and resulted in revolutionary changes to various business applications, including medical care. A blockchain is based on a distributed ledger, which tends to improve cyber security. A number of proposals have been made with respect to the sharing of basic medical records using a blockchain without needing earlier information or the trust of patients. Specialist service providers and insurance agencies are not secure against data breaches. The safe sharing of clinical records between different countries, to ensure an incorporated and universal medical service, is also a significant issue for patients who travel. The medical data of patients normally reside on different healthcare units around the world, thus raising many concerns. Firstly, a patient’s history of treatment by different physicians is not accessible to the doctor in a single location. Secondly, it is very difficult to secure widespread data residing in different locations. This study proposed record sharing in a chain-like structure, in which every record is globally connected to the others, based on a blockchain under the suggestions and recommendations of the HL7 standards. This study focused on making medical data available, especially of patients who travel in different countries, for a specific period of time after validating the required authentication. Authorization and authentication are performed on the Shibboleth identity management system with the involvement of patient in the sanction process, thereby revealing the patient data for the specific period of time. The proposed approach improves the performance with respect to other record sharing systems, e.g., it reduces the time to read, write, delete, and revoke a record by a noticeable margin. The proposed system takes around three seconds to upload and 7.5 s to download 250 Mb of data, which can contain up to sixteen documents, over a stable network connection. The system has a latency of 413.76 ms when retrieving 100 records, compared to 447.9 and 459.3 ms in previous systems. Thus, the proposed system improved the performance and ensured seclusion by using a blockchain.

Guohui Guan, Zongxia Liang, Yi Xia

This paper investigates the optimal management of an aggregated defined benefit pension plan in a stochastic environment. The interest rate follows the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck model, the benefits follow the geometric Brownian motion while the contribution rate is determined by the spread method of fund amortization. The pension manager invests in the financial market with three assets: cash, bond and stock. Regardless of the initial status of the plan, we suppose that the pension fund may become underfunded or overfunded in the planning horizon. The optimization goal of the manager is to maximize the expected utility in the overfunded region minus the weighted solvency risk in the underfunded region. By introducing an auxiliary process and related equivalent optimization problems and using the martingale method, the optimal wealth process, optimal portfolio and efficient frontier are obtained under four cases (high tolerance towards solvency risk, low tolerance towards solvency risk, a specific lower bound, and high lower bound). Moreover, we also obtain the probabilities that the optimal terminal wealth falls in the overfunded and underfunded regions. At last, we present numerical analyses to illustrate the manager's economic behaviors.

Armin Asaadi, Armita Atrian, Hesam Nik Hoseini et al.

Project managers play a crucial role in the success of projects. The selection of an appropriate project manager is a primary concern for senior managers in firms. Typically, this process involves candidate interviews and assessments of their abilities. There are various criteria for selecting a project manager, and the importance of each criterion depends on the project type, its conditions, and the risks associated with their absence in the chosen candidate. Often, senior managers in engineering companies lack awareness of the significance of these criteria and the potential risks linked to their absence. This research aims to identify these risks in selecting project managers for civil engineering projects, utilizing a combined ANP-FMEA approach. Through a comprehensive literature review, five risk categories have been identified: individual skills, power-related issues, knowledge and expertise, experience, and personality traits. Subsequently, these risks, along with their respective sub-criteria and internal relationships, were analysed using the combined ANP-FMEA technique. The results highlighted that the lack of political influence, absence of construction experience, and deficiency in project management expertise represent the most substantial risks in selecting a project manager. Moreover, upon comparison with the traditional FMEA approach, this study demonstrates the superior ability of the ANP-FMEA model in differentiating risks and pinpointing factors with elevated risk levels.

Hokey Min

Burkan Hawash, Umi Asma’ Mokhtar, Zawiyah M. Yusof et al.

The primary function of an electronic records management system (ERMS) is to support organisations in providing effective records management services by enabling efficient remote access to the organisations’ records. This helps the organisation to continue running during emergency events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The need to study ERMS for accessing records remotely has increased dramatically, due to the increase in daily use. The situation arising from the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the need for implementing proper digital systems, such as ERMS, to enable efficient work processes and enhance business continuity. An ERMS has the potential to allow organisations to create records and workflows off-site. During a pandemic, the ability to structure processes digitally helps in maintaining operations remotely. This study aims to provide a narrative review of the ERMS literature with an emphasis on explaining the primary components of ERMS that act as enablers for the implementation of the system in the oil and gas sector of developing countries. The current study proposes ERMS roles and responsibilities that could enhance business continuity. The authors use a qualitative narrative review and analyse the literature related to this study and its findings. The results show that, in cases of risk or crises, staff members need to have easy access to their records and documents to remain productive. An ERMS allows professionals to remain active and work off-site. Thus, ERMS play a significant role in protecting an organisation’s content through the monitoring and control over who has authorisation to access its records.

I Made Wardana, I Putu Gde Sukaatmadja, Ni Wayan Ekawati, Ni Nyoman Kerti Yasa, I Putu Astawa, Made Setini

Several administrative areas in Bali are not ready for an effective spatial regulation for the tourism industry resulting in large-scale land conversion, including changes in productive agricultural land for tourism and other industrial needs. These changes allow environmental damage that threatens the performance and sustainability of tourism in Bali. The purpose of this study was to investigate the seven factors of ecotourism success, and their impacts on quality tourism experiences and sustainable tourism. The research was conducted in Bali by taking 200 samples from four village samples. The analysis used was Structure Equation Modeling (SEM) assisted by the Partial List Square (PLS) application. The results show that the research model yielded feasible Goodness of Fit. The results also show that ecotourism as a source of income was unable to support economic and infrastructure development. Community involvement had no significant impact on conservation efforts. Conservation had no impact on ecotourism performance. Services did not have any an impact on tourism performance. Thus, ecotourism as a source of income, community involvement, conservation and services as successful factors in improving ecotourism performance are strategic management priorities to build quality tourism experiences and sustainable tourism.

Kien Pham Van, Phong Nguyen Dinh, Tung Tran Anh et al.

There are many studies on the effectiveness by employing management systems and this paper tries to point out the critical components that embodied the obstacles on system deployment on the context of the emerging markets in Viet Nam. The study is conducted as an exploratory research project which uses a quantitative approach to gain insight and information of the businesses in question. The data was collected via a survey questionnaire derived from experts and focus groups. The findings of this study indicated the significant role of organizational factors such as employee participation and communication, demonstrating they were critical mediators in the given context. Upon completion of the research, we advanced the study of these factors that directly and indirectly affect the success of PMS implementation throughout the empirical approach on Vietnamese firms.