Search Results (628)

This essay examines generative AI (GenAI) through the lens of invisible labor, arguing that its significance for women’s leadership lies in its potential to recognize and redistribute routine forms of support work that have historically remained feminized, undervalued, and unseen. Referencing Judy Brady’s I Want a Wife and Ira Levin’s The Stepford Wives, the paper situates contemporary GenAI assistants within a longer history of gendered service, showing how professional success has long depended on hidden infrastructures of care, coordination, and administrative maintenance. The essay argues that GenAI might offer valuable assistance to women leaders when used deliberately as a bounded, supervised, and accountable collaborator rather than a frictionless servant. Ultimately, the paper contends that GenAI becomes most valuable when it makes support more visible, legitimate, and more equitably distributed. Full article

Regardless of the quality of national doctoral support initiatives, sustained improvement in doctoral education depends on institutions’ ability to translate these models into contextually appropriate, locally meaningful practices. This study investigates the Rising Doctoral Institute (RDI) project and explores how its transfer across five U.S. research institutions catalyzed change within their respective doctoral student support systems on its first implementation cycle. Guided by Kezar’s Change Macro Framework and implementation research, the study analyzed data collected during the transfer process, including pre- and post-implementation focus groups with Collaborating Institutional Leaders (CILs) and a post-training outcome survey measuring CILs preparedness. Findings show that while local RDI implementations preserved the program’s core elements, they adapted timing, structure, and delivery to suit specific institutional conditions. Two implementation models emerged: a concentrated pre-semester workshop and a distributed academic-year series. These initial iterations primarily catalyzed first-order change by creating new support structures for doctoral transition, peer connection, and sensemaking. However, preparedness for deeper cultural change remained limited. These findings suggest that contextual transfer can drive change when implementation strategies prioritize adaptation and local leadership. However, sustained second-order change requires a more deliberate focus on mentoring, advising, and institutional culture. Full article

Background: Although green supply chain management (GSCM) has been widely examined, prior studies have often treated it as a homogeneous construct and have paid limited attention to how different types of GSCM practices operate in logistics firms. This study addresses this gap by distinguishing between technical GSCM practices and behavioral GSCM practices and examining how both dimensions influence organizational performance through green innovation culture (GIC). Methods: Drawing on data from a cross-sectional survey of 426 logistics practitioners involved in supply chain, operations, and sustainability-related functions in Guangzhou, China, the study tested the proposed model using structural equation modeling (SEM). Results: Both technical and behavioral GSCM practices positively influence GIC, with behavioral practices having a stronger effect. GIC significantly improves organizational performance. Technical and behavioral GSCM practices also directly enhance organizational performance, indicating partial mediation. The indirect effect of behavioral GSCM practices through GIC is stronger, suggesting that behavioral governance is especially important for developing an innovation-oriented green culture. Conclusions: The study advances GSCM and green innovation literature and suggests logistics firms can achieve more sustainable performance improvements by combining technological upgrading with leadership support, employee involvement, stakeholder collaboration, and an innovation-oriented green culture. Full article

This paper proposes a conceptual framework for strengthening school quality assurance through knowledge management to support sustainable education. Drawing on the international priorities of the OECD and UNESCO, the study positions school self-evaluation as a central quality-assurance mechanism that can promote continuous improvement, accountability, equity, and better learning outcomes. Methodologically, the study adopts a quantitative research design to collect data from 978 teachers across 20 schools in Hong Kong. Exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modelling were employed to identify the latent variables and validate the conceptual framework. Results show that effective quality assurance depends on both formal procedures and the school’s capacity to create, share, and use knowledge. Key knowledge management enablers include visionary leadership, professional autonomy, bureaucratic control, information technology infrastructure, and a collaborative culture of knowledge sharing. Within this model, professional autonomy and knowledge sharing link management conditions to evidence-informed reflection, planning, and improvement. The framework is situated in the context of Hong Kong schools while offering broader relevance for education systems seeking sustainable development. The study concludes that sustainable school self-evaluation is driven primarily by teacher professional autonomy (β = 0.738, total effect = 0.795), with knowledge sharing functioning as a critical mediating mechanism that transmits the effects of visionary leadership (indirect β = 0.343) and enabling bureaucratic control (indirect β = 0.103) into evaluation quality. IT infrastructure does not exert a significant direct effect on SSE (β = 0.056, p = 0.098), indicating that technological provision is a necessary but insufficient condition for evaluation effectiveness in the Hong Kong context. Full article

As part of the European Erasmus+ IM-PRO-IN-DE project, this article evaluates a qualification course in instructional design for digital learning, with particular attention to Universal Design for Learning (UDL), creative thinking and inclusive education. The study adopted a mixed-methods design, combining quantitative questionnaire data with qualitative open-ended responses and trainer observations. Twelve higher-education students participated in the course evaluation. The results show positive perceptions of the relevance of the training, especially regarding leadership, collaborative work, digital assessment and the pedagogical use of technologies. At the same time, several participants reported only partial gains in their understanding and application of UDL, indicating the need for more applied activities, structured case studies and sustained communities of practice. The article, therefore, contributes a project-based empirical evaluation of teacher preparation for inclusive digital learning, while acknowledging the limits of a small, single-course, self-report study. Full article

Industrial systems such as lean practices, quality systems, workplace safety, and organisational culture are often managed as separate systems; however, in practice, they are interdependent. This study presents a preliminary survey instrument (CiE II) to assess organisational conditions commonly associated with effectiveness in manufacturing systems. A multi-stage refinement process was applied to an initial 107-item survey using pilot data (n = 127) collected from engineering students with work-integrated industry experience. The methodology combined exploratory factor analysis, item response theory, and thematic analysis to improve both statistical and conceptual coherence. The resulting instrument comprised 28 items, making it more suitable for industrial deployment. Analysis of responses (N = 127) identified three common facets that support lean, quality, safety, and culture. These are (i) Integrated Quality and Workflow Management (α = 0.960), referring to workers perceptions that quality standards exist and that they are resourced to meet them; (ii) Safe and Collaborative Work Culture (α = 0.901), referring to perceptions of behavioural norms and that workers will be treated fairly within the team; (iii) Supportive Leadership and Professional Growth (α = 0.852), referring to perceptions that management supports workers’ ongoing professional development. The potential benefit is the provision of a candidate survey that economically covers four key domains of relevance for manufacturing organisations. This has the potential to allow cross-domain correlations and larger-span regression models that integrate the four domains. Full article

The development of modern high-energy astrophysics has been deeply intertwined with advances in particle detector technology. Guido Barbiellini Amidei (1943–2024) played a pivotal role in bridging experimental particle physics and astrophysical observation. His scientific career spanned over four decades, from early electron–positron collider experiments at ADONE and LEP (DELPHI) to space-based missions such as AGILE, Fermi, and PAMELA. This memorial paper reviews the evolution of high-energy astrophysics as a detector-driven science, highlighting key domains where Barbiellini left an indelible mark: gamma-ray astronomy, cosmic-ray physics, and antimatter studies. We discuss his personal contributions to silicon tracking, calorimetry, data analysis, and his leadership in international collaborations. The conceptual impact of his interdisciplinary approach is examined, and future perspectives in the observation of the high-energy universe are outlined, recognizing that the path forward is built on the foundations he helped lay. Full article

Indigenous food systems are increasingly threatened by climate change, socio-economic transformations, and reduced access to traditional lands and resources, contributing to disproportionately high levels of food insecurity among Indigenous peoples. Despite growing recognition of Indigenous food systems within sustainability research, limited attention has been given to Indigenous food system governance across different contexts. This study examined: (1) how Indigenous food systems vary across continents; (2) the key characteristics of Indigenous food system governance; and (3) how these characteristics are expressed within Sri Lankan Vedda communities. A systematic literature review of 143 publications from Web of Science and Scopus was conducted alongside a multi-sited case study involving 114 semi-structured interviews across six Vedda communities in Sri Lanka. Findings revealed continental variations in food sourcing, food sources, food use, and harvesting practices. Eight interconnected governance characteristics were identified: co-management, leadership, participatory research, partnerships, social networks, mutualism, collective action, and religious/cultural dimensions. Evidence from Sri Lankan Vedda communities demonstrated that strong leadership, social cohesion, and collaborative partnerships enhanced food security and resilience, whereas weakened governance structures and limited external support contributed to food insecurity. The study highlights the importance of strengthening Indigenous self-governance to support sustainable Indigenous food systems. Full article

Indigenous students continue to experience persistent educational inequities shaped by colonial histories, assimilationist schooling structures, and the marginalization of Indigenous knowledge systems. Although social–emotional learning (SEL) is widely promoted as foundational to student well-being and academic success, dominant SEL frameworks often reflect Eurocentric assumptions that overlook Indigenous understandings of relationality, land, identity, healing, and collective responsibility. In alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), this study examines how SEL and teacher professional development can be reimagined through Indigenous and Local Knowledge (ILK). Using a qualitative collaborative ethnographic design integrated with a structured literature synthesis, the study drew on two years of community-engaged research involving collaborative focus group dialogues, community interactions, and sustained relational engagement with Native teachers, Elders, cultural leaders, and community practitioners (N = 20). Thematic analysis revealed five interrelated themes: culturally grounded SEL frameworks, structural barriers and equity-driven strategies, culture as prevention and healing, schoolwide conditions that sustain belonging and identity, and alignment between Indigenous-centered SEL and SDG 4. Findings highlight the importance of cultural identity, ceremony, storytelling, Elder mentorship, talking circles, land-based learning, relational accountability, and community partnerships in supporting meaningful SEL. The findings also reveal tensions between Indigenous relational approaches to SEL and dominant educational systems shaped by standardization, accountability pressures, and assimilationist schooling structures. The study advances a conceptual model showing how Indigenous-centered SEL, mediated through relational teacher professional development, can support culturally sustaining, healing-centered, equity-oriented, and sovereignty-affirming educational outcomes aligned with SDG 4. In addition to contributing to SEL scholarship, the study offers implications for teacher education, educational policy, and school leadership seeking to advance culturally sustaining and community-responsive educational systems. Full article

The core objective of the concentrated and contiguous protection of traditional villages is to achieve the large-scale preservation and sustainable development of cultural heritage. Elucidating their spatial distribution characteristics and the underlying driving mechanisms serves as a fundamental prerequisite for the effective implementation of conservation practices. Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and the optimal parameter-based geographical detector (OPGD) model, this study quantitatively analyzes the spatial distribution and formation mechanisms of traditional villages in southern Shanxi. The results indicate that traditional villages in southern Shanxi exhibit a “one belt, three cores” spatial agglomeration pattern. This pattern emerges from the nonlinear coupling of multiple factors, including natural environment, socio-economic conditions, and historical and cultural elements, among which historical and cultural factors serve as the most prominent driver. The factor detection q-value for cultural heritage density (X18) reached 0.45, and it exhibited a significant synergistic enhancement effect with natural environmental and socio-economic factors. Interaction detection reveals that the explanatory powers of bivariate interactions are generally stronger than that of individual factors, with the synergistic effect between slope (X4) and annual mean temperature (X9) being the most pronounced (q = 0.56). Based on these findings and emphasizing the pivotal role of historical and cultural factors, this study proposes a four-dimensional collaborative governance framework—“cultural leadership, spatial support, institutional safeguards, and social synergy”. This framework aims to provide theoretical foundations and practical pathways for the concentrated and contiguous protection of traditional villages in intra-provincial cultural regions. Full article

Students’ agency and assets are increasingly recognized as central to advancing equitable educational opportunities and fostering a sense of community belonging in graduate STEMM education. However, a key question remains: where and how can students’ assets and agency be translated into forms of institutional engagement and change? We argue that course innovation and proactive pedagogy are critical sites for creating such opportunities. This article presents a case study of the design and implementation of a graduate-level JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) course. Drawing on retrospective course records from 2021 to 2025, this study demonstrates how course innovation and proactive pedagogy can foster community building while bridging students’ knowledge and skill development to institutional engagement. Within this course, proactivity, understood as a future-oriented and intentional process, emerged as a shared theme within major domains of the course design and implementation: (1) application process, (2) interdisciplinary collaboration and community building, (3) mentoring circles, (4) evaluation, and (5) supported capstone projects that help learners practice navigating institutions and leading change with the community. The course creates opportunities for institutional change, positions students as partners in reform, and translates their assets and insights into sustained institutional practices. By making the “how” of institutional change visible, this case offers generalizable, actionable design principles for curriculum reform in graduate STEMM education. Full article

Background/Objectives: Despite ongoing innovation, few interventions—including Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS)—are successfully integrated into routine care. Understanding the process through which innovations are implemented is therefore essential for advancing practice and research. In perinatal settings, evidence on how CDSS implementation unfolds and which strategies support adoption, scale-up, and sustainment remains limited. This study aimed to understand the implementation process, key determinants and implementation strategies of a shared antenatal psychosocial CDSS (i.e., the Born in Belgium Professionals [BIB-Pro]) implemented in a real-world, cross-sectoral perinatal care setting. Methods: A qualitative exploratory case study was conducted between January and March 2025. Data included semi-structured interviews with all seven implementation agents, document analysis of the implementation plan. Directed content analysis was applied using the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment (EPIS) framework to categorise contextual determinants and the ERIC taxonomy to classify implementation strategies. Data were synthesised across the four EPIS phases. Results: The implementation process unfolded across all EPIS phases, showing a shift in responsibility from the policy level to the implementation team and healthcare organisations. Implementation was shaped by key determinants across multiple levels: (1) the bridging functions by the BIB-Pro implementation agents connecting policy, innovation, and organisational practice; (2) the system-level leadership and funding by the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance that enabled initiation and sustainability; and (3) the multilevel stakeholder involvement and inter-organisational collaboration across care settings. In addition, the personal attributes of implementation agents—accessibility, active listening, adaptability, and persistent follow-up—were also identified as relevant factors in the implementation process. Across the implementation process, a broad range of implementation strategies was identified. The most prominent ERIC strategies were developing stakeholder interrelationships, evaluative and iterative strategies, engaging stakeholders, training and educating stakeholders, and providing interactive assistance. Barriers encountered during the implementation process included fragmented care networks, inconsistent regional referral structures, legal uncertainties, and variable digital readiness. In response to these challenges, implementation strategies were applied to support collaboration, clarify procedures and provide targeted support. Conclusions: This study provides insight into how a CDSS was introduced, scaled, and sustained across complex multiple Belgian perinatal care settings. Strong bridging functions, stakeholder interrelationships, iterative evaluation, and system-level support were key factors throughout the implementation process. Across all phases, stakeholder interrelationship strategies and evaluative and iterative strategies were the most prominent and consistently applied, supporting stakeholder engagement and sustained use of the platform. These findings offer actionable guidance for implementing digital tools in multi-organisational and multi-level contexts within perinatal care and other healthcare settings. Full article

This research synthesizes a more than a decade of empirical and conceptual research on Industry 4.0 technologies with circular economy ecosystem in the European context. The shifting from linear to circular economy requires adoption of I4.0 technologies in particular Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and Virtual Reality (VR). Yet current scholarship on circular economy ecosystems (CEE) remains theoretically fragmented. To address this gap, we conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) of 94 peer-reviewed journal articles (2010–2025) using the Web of Science (WoS) database following the PRISMA protocol by deploying theories, contexts, methods (TCM) framework and thematic analysis. We developed a comprehensive framework based on addressing key barriers e.g., diverse expectations of stakeholders, resistance to change, sustainable leadership challenges, lack of digitally enabled-capabilities and institutional pressure with the help of important enablers such as AI capabilities, collaboration with stakeholders, frugal innovation and supportive government policies. Our findings contribute to the emerging discourse on how combining digital technologies with circular economy practices can support the development of low emission manufacturing systems, in line with current zero-emission policy goals in the European Union. This review contributes fragmented literature by highlighting theoretical, contextual and methodological gaps as previously disparate perspectives to help align and move research forward. This research contributes to SDG 9- “Industry, innovation and infrastructure” and SDG 12 “Responsible Consumption and Production”. Full article

Three-dimensional (3D) path planning for Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) in typical marine operating conditions presents high-dimensional, non-convex optimization challenges due to undulating seabed topography, underwater threat sources, and coupled multi-physical constraints. Existing studies lack multi-strategy collaborative optimization mechanisms specifically designed for UUV 3D marine navigation constraints, thereby hindering the simultaneous achievement of real-time performance, safety, and energy efficiency in path planning. This paper first develops a comprehensive multi-dimensional cost function based on the dynamic characteristics of UUV underwater 3D navigation, operational rules for typical marine operating conditions, and safe navigation requirements through mathematical modeling, thereby formally transforming the UUV 3D path planning problem in typical marine operating conditions into a multi-constrained nonlinear global optimization problem. To address this challenge, an Adaptive Cooperative WMA (ACWMA) is proposed. The key improvements include: (i) an adaptive parameter switching and Lévy flight disturbance mechanism to balance exploration and exploitation capabilities; (ii) an optimal value leadership strategy to accelerate convergence; and (iii) a team collaborative learning mechanism to enhance population optimization efficiency. Algorithm benchmark performance is validated using the CEC 2017 standard test suite, while comparative and ablation experiments are conducted in multi-gradient complex marine 3D scenarios. The statistical significance of the algorithm performance improvement is verified using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. The proposed ACWMA achieves a significant performance improvement of 8.71% over the suboptimal WMA in terms of core performance metrics and generates low-energy-consumption 3D paths that satisfy multiple constraints. These findings provide valuable engineering insights for 3D path planning in UUV autonomous operations within typical marine operating conditions. Full article

This study examines the leadership skills of business executives and the skills considered important for employees in the tourism and cultural sectors in Crete, Greece. The findings show that the sample is concentrated mainly in Heraklion and Chania, where there is a strong presence of hospitality and food service businesses. The most important leadership skills identified are professional competence, integrity, and problem-solving, while for employees, the most significant skills are communication, collaboration, responsibility, and professionalism. Overall, the findings indicate that the effective operation of businesses depends both on high-quality leadership and on the strong soft skills of their human resources. Full article