Search Results (23)

Natural disasters are increasing in frequency and intensity, causing escalating humanitarian crises and complex housing challenges globally. Traditional post-disaster housing solutions often fall short, being slow, costly, and ill-adapted to specific community needs. This study addresses these limitations by proposing an innovative, technology-driven model for post-disaster housing that integrates parametric design with 3D printing. The objective is to develop a flexible and adaptable system capable of providing both immediate temporary shelter and evolving permanent housing solutions. In this study, the methodology of the proposed model for post-disaster housing solutions is structured around three main phases: the development of the theoretical framework, the parametric design process, and the implementation phase. In the first phase, a comprehensive literature review and conceptual analyses were conducted to examine the concept of disaster, post-disaster housing approaches, and advanced technologies, thereby establishing the conceptual foundation of the model. In the second phase, parametric modeling was carried out for a modular system using algorithmic design tools such as Grasshopper; the model’s applicability across various scales and its flexibility were analyzed. In the final phase, material selection and digital prototyping of the gridal system were undertaken using 3D printing technology to evaluate the model’s feasibility for rapid on-site production, assembly, and disassembly. The model prioritizes user participation, modularity, and configurability to ensure rapid response and socio-cultural sensitivity. Findings indicate that this integrated approach offers substantial benefits, including accelerated construction, reduced labor and material waste, enhanced design flexibility, and the use of local, sustainable materials. This research highlights the transformative potential of advanced manufacturing in providing resilient, user-centered, and environmentally sustainable post-disaster housing, advocating for governmental financial support to overcome adoption barriers and foster broader implementation. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed and intensified structural tensions surrounding work−life balance, precarity, and gender inequalities in academia. This paper examines the spatial, temporal, and emotional disruptions experienced by early-career and precarious researchers in Italy during the first national lockdown (March–April 2020) and their engagement in remote academic work. Adopting an exploratory and qualitative approach, the study draws on ten narrative video interviews and thirty participant-generated images to investigate how structural dimensions—such as gender, class, caregiving responsibilities, and the organizational culture of the neoliberal university—shaped these lived experiences. The findings highlight the implosion of boundaries between paid work, care, family life, and personal space and how this disarticulation exacerbated existing inequalities, particularly for women and caregivers. By interpreting both visual and narrative data through a sociological lens on gender, work, and organizations, the paper contributes to current debates on the transformation of academic labor and the reshaping of temporal work regimes through the everyday use of digital technologies in contemporary neoliberal capitalism. It challenges the individualization of discourses on productivity and flexibility and calls for gender-sensitive, structurally informed policies that support equitable and sustainable transitions in work and family life, in line with European policy frameworks. Full article

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital transformation is reshaping labor markets, emphasizing creativity as a core competency in entrepreneurship education. Large Language Models (LLMs) provide personalized learning experiences through natural language processing (NLP), enhancing real-time feedback and problem-solving skills. However, research on how LLMs foster creativity in entrepreneurship education remains limited. This study analyzed the technical characteristics and educational impact of LLMs, focusing on their applications in entrepreneurship education and their role in fostering creativity-driven learning environments. Specifically, it explores the educational effects of LLMs, their integration into entrepreneurship education, and the ways in which they enhance learners’ creative thinking. A systematic literature review using the PRISMA methodology was conducted to analyze existing studies. Findings suggest that LLMs improve self-efficacy, cognitive engagement, and creative problem-solving, supporting entrepreneurship education in areas such as business model development, market analysis, and multicultural communication. Despite these benefits, concerns remain regarding over-reliance, ethical risks, and the need for critical thinking frameworks. This study proposes a hybrid model integrating LLMs with traditional pedagogies to maximize creativity. Future research should explore long-term effects, cross-cultural applications, and ethical challenges to ensure responsible implementation. Full article

The rapid development of urbanization has led to a continuous migration of rural labor to cities, while also facilitating the widespread adoption of digital technologies in both urban and rural areas. The existing literature predominantly focuses on the negative impact of labor outflow on rural collective action, with insufficient research addressing how to mitigate these adverse effects. By using the social–ecological systems framework, and based on survey data from 131 villages across 14 cities in Guangxi, China, this study finds that digital technologies can alleviate the negative impact of labor outflow on irrigation collective action. The relationship between labor outflow, irrigation collective action, and the use of digital technologies is particularly evident in villages located in non-plain regions, those with distinctive cultural resources, high collective economic income, and restructured planning, and where technological advancements have been promoted. The findings of this study highlight a beneficial relationship between the phenomena of labor outflow and the diffusion of digital technologies, both of which are consequences of urbanization. This suggests that issues arising from urbanization can also be addressed and resolved through urbanization itself. The conclusions offer a new perspective for understanding the interactions between variables in social–ecological systems and provide a reference for developing countries to find suitable paths for combating rural decline and achieving sustainable rural development amidst rapid urbanization. Full article

Customer relationship management (CRM) has become a critical strategy for higher education institutions (HEIs) to enhance student engagement, institutional efficiency, and digital transformation. Despite its growing adoption, the evolution of CRM research in HEIs, including key contributors, dominant themes, and emerging trends, remains underexplored. This study conducts a bibliometric analysis of Scopus-indexed publications (2014–2024) to map the intellectual landscape of CRM research in higher education. Using Biblioshiny with Bibliometrix version 4.0 and VOSviewer version 1.6.20, this study analyzes publication trends, influential authors and institutions, keyword networks, and thematic developments. The findings indicate a transition from early research on service quality and academic reputation to advanced themes such as AI-driven CRM strategies, multi-channel communication, and social media analytics. While the United Kingdom, India, and Indonesia emerge as leading contributors, gaps persist in cross-cultural CRM applications, the integration of emerging technologies, and the development of standardized evaluation frameworks. This study contributes to CRM scholarship by mapping research trajectories, identifying underexplored areas, and offering actionable insights for future studies. It highlights the expanding role of CRM beyond student engagement, encompassing education quality, labor market, employment growth, technological progress and AI-driven decision-making. These findings emphasize the need for interdisciplinary approaches and robust academic performance to maximize CRM’s strategic potential in higher education. Full article

Skills are one of the main themes in academic and labor environments. Nowadays, digital, green, and social and cultural skills are the key to achieving sustainable practices and sustainable development goals. Therefore, this study aims to characterize the current and future needs of digital, green, and social and cultural skills for the tourism and hospitality sectors. This was a quantitative study, with an online survey applied to students, teachers, and professionals. It was a convenience sample with 150 participants. Data were analyzed statistically with IBM SPSS version 28.0. Our results suggested that students, professionals, and trainers value digital, green, and social and cultural skills. With reference to digital skills, all participants considered themselves having an intermediate or advanced level of proficiency. All the participants considered themselves having an intermediate or advanced level of green skills. Regarding social and cultural skills, all the participants considered themselves having an advanced level of proficiency. Therefore, professionals reported higher levels of proficiency in all skills. In the same way, in the tourism sector, we observed higher proficiency levels of skills. To summarize, educational, sectorial, and entrepreneurial sectors recognize the relevance of digital, green, and social-cultural skills for the tourism and hospitality industry. With these skills, the sector will be more prepared to implement sustainability practices and achieve sustainability goals. Additionally, entrepreneurs should value these skills in professionals, and education institutions should integrate the development of these skills into their curricula. Full article

Geospatial technologies enable accurate and detailed documentation of cultural heritage sites. They allow for the creation of digital representations of these sites that can be shared with interested audiences. Given the above, this paper presents the possibility of using archival data to reconstruct the topography of two German labor camps, Dyhernfurth I and II, which operated during World War II. To perform this task, multi-source archival data was obtained and interpreted. These data came from various sources: archives, historical institutes, and museums. The results of the study were presented to the staff of the Gross-Rosen Museum, who anticipated the possibility of using the proposed tools in the management of other labor camps. The proposed methodology can be replicated at other locations and easily implemented by other martyrdom museums involved in the preservation of cultural heritage. Full article

The rapid advancement of digital technology has enabled digital transformation across various sectors, including construction. The construction industry has long been associated with conventional, labor-intensive practices that can adversely influence the entire construction process. However, this culture is changing as key players in the sector are progressively identifying and embracing the vast opportunities and associated benefits of using digital tools and technologies to improve the performance and outcomes of the overall project lifecycle. To this end, this study uses the Delphi technique to identify 70 factors that contribute to the digital transformation of the construction industry, categorizing them into five groups: management, design, technology, policy, and infrastructure. Delphi analysis is used to examine the critical success factors for digital transformation identified in the literature and rate their importance during the preconstruction, construction, and facility management phases. Furthermore, this research results in the introduction of the Digital Transformation Level of Readiness Framework (DTRLF) to help facility management firms, clients, organizations, contractors, and designers comprehend the implementation of digital transformation within their respective domains and support decision-makers in establishing action to adapt related technologies in their respected project phases. Full article

The objective of this research is to analyze how family farming contributes to food sovereignty; the Guarainag parish of the Paute canton in the province of Azuay-Ecuador is taken as a case of study. This work responds to the necessity to explain the elements that impact food sovereignty in the existing food crisis in Latin America and specifically in Ecuador in search of self-sufficiency for healthy food products and people’s own local culture. For this purpose, a Food Sovereignty Index was constructed through ten quantitative and qualitative indicators. The research has a correlational and explanatory scope; quantitative methods were used to measure food sovereignty through a binary logit regression model, which provided an answer to the hypothesis of the research, which consisted of testing the influence of family farming on food sovereignty. Furthermore, to collect the information, a survey was applied to 372 small farmers with the support of digital mapping and the Kobol Tulboox software version 1.27.3. The result was a Food Sovereignty Index of 59.79%, which, according to the scale used, places the territory in a high average. In addition, the hypothesis was verified, concluding that there is a direct relationship among the following elements of family farming such as number of household members, family labor, group of products, type of animals, tillage technology, natural fertilizer, and altitudinal levels with food sovereignty. For future research, it is recommended that the variable of climate change has to be incorporated in order to observe its impact on food sovereignty. Full article

The contemporary discourse focuses on the Fourth Industrial Revolution and its impact on companies. The research is based on a quantitative questionnaire survey of 101 business leaders in Hungary and on 54 in Austria. It was considered important to analyze these two neighboring countries, which have similar histories and cultures but different industrial and economic advantages in terms of labor costs/skills and technology. The aim of our study is to assess how ready companies are for Industry 4.0 and what key factors they take into account when implementing Industry 4.0 initiatives. To complement our quantitative analysis, we conducted four semi-structured interviews with two Hungarian and two Austrian CEOs. Based on both the quantitative and qualitative survey, we conclude that there are relevant differences in digital maturity between the two countries at both macro and micro levels, with Hungarian companies lagging behind Austrian companies in the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies. Hungarian managers were most concerned with achieving higher profits from the adoption of an Industry 4.0 strategy, while Austrian companies were most concerned with improving their market position. Our analysis also revealed the main areas where Hungarian and Austrian companies show similar performance and improvements in line with Industry 4.0. Full article

In the European Union, over 28 million people work through more than 500 available digital platforms, and it is estimated that by 2025, this number will reach 43 million. However, we lack up-to-date and sufficient data on employed individuals, as platforms practice a policy of non-disclosure of data. This paper focuses on the so-called location-based platforms and specifically the figure of the rider, understood as the individual who, through a commercial or labor relationship with a company, performs tasks such as the delivery of goods to end customers. By conducting 143 surveys and 15 in-depth interviews with riders, we identified a series of characteristics that allow us to analyze this archetype of contemporary work–digital relations and delve deeper into relevant questions related to this figure, which have to do with the modality linked to the performance of their activity (self-employed or salaried), the levels of job satisfaction with respect to their activity, or the strategies for work or personal conciliation. Specifically, we focus on those discourses that refer to the characteristics of flexibility and autonomy inherent to this type of work, analyzing a heterogeneity of discourses that explain, on the one hand, a situation of precariousness and, in other cases, a job opportunity and a self-employment strategy, introducing the idea of flexi-vulnerability understood as a concept that captures the dual nature of flexibility and vulnerability experienced by individuals who work as self-employed in the so-called “gig” economy. Full article

The challenge of this century is without a doubt to counter global warming. Land management, agriculture, and forests are responsible for 23% of total greenhouse gases (GHGs). In developing countries, such as those in African territories, where economic capacities are sometimes small and socio-cultural and linguistic perceptions are different, this requires a transition that is just and respectful of local culture and language, while at the same time helping to create labor conditions that respect gender and minors. This article describes a socio-technical ecological transition in the cocoa chain production in Côte d’Ivoire, which is not only the world’s leading producer of cocoa beans (45%) but also one of the African countries most prone to deforestation. Linguistic and multicultural aspects come together in Côte d’Ivoire, where more than 70 local languages are spoken. Intelligent digital approaches, agroecological issues, new methods, and sociocultural questions are embedded in a context of collaboration and co-creation, a living lab approach, to ensures sharing and co-creation among NGOs, farmers, companies, and researchers. A framework of socio-technical transition is presented, and this research aims to not only achieve the goals of a just ecological transition and reduce carbon footprint and deforestations but also to create diverse labour conditions, gender respect and inclusion. Full article

The Bukchon area in Seoul boasts a high density of Hanok, the traditional Korean architecture representing the region. Because the Hanok facade plays a vital role in the streetscape formation, we must record it in terms of social, cultural, historical, artistic, and scenic values. However, recording the facade of an existing Hanok building through drawing or image information is time consuming and labor intensive, and therefore costly. Further, its digital conversion is inherently difficult. This study proposes the use of deep learning to identify the form elements that comprise the Hanok facade. Three-dimensional modeling was performed on 405 well-preserved Hanok facades in the region, and 2808 items of image data were created under similar conditions and at differing angles. Labeling was performed on the shape elements of the Hanok facade, and a methodology was established to identify the facade elements using MASK R-CNN. The type of roof, windows, the lower part of the outer wall, and the design were identified with high accuracy. Full article

In this article, we reflect on how practices of children’s consumer culture interfere with the exercise of rights by children who are consumers and producers of content on digital platforms. It is our aim to offer a communicational perspective to a broader discussion on the processes of child socialization within the scope of digital culture. So, this article intends to highlight some of the challenges for the exercise of children’s digital citizenship based on the Brazilian experience. It also aims to insert Brazilian research in the international debate on children’s rights on the internet. To carry out this discussion, we mobilize theoretical and empirical studies produced in Brazil and map national legal framework that supports the notion of digital citizenship for children. The theoretical effort of this work has pointed out at least two dynamics that explain the way in which the logics of consumption permeate the exercise of the rights of active children on social network platforms: the appropriation of the right to freedom of speech in order to enable child labor, and the conversion of the right to information into processes of publicizing brands in children’s daily lives. We conclude that although Brazil offers a set of legal systems that guarantee the right of children to communication, the exercise of digital citizenship faces a series of challenges. In this sense, public policies which target children in the online ecosystem are needed so that they can participate in this environment without losing their protection guarantees. Full article

Digital nomadism is emerging as a growing segment of the labor force. It is an insightful framework for understanding work during the pandemic and perhaps into the post-pandemic era because it construes work to be related to the notion of space, time and the instrumentality of work. The present study is about how people understand, relate, and make sense of their work during the early phase of the pandemic lockdown in 2020. The study will report difficulties that arise from work digitalization during the lockdown, and the study conceived the various dimensionality of work to cope with work challenges. Semantic network analysis (SNA) was used to aid the analysis of the contents from four European countries. One hundred and sixty respondents are interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. The words and word pairs from the SNA resulted in keywords identified for the four countries. There are common word hubs between the countries, such as hubs revolving around the meaning of ‘time’ and ‘meeting’. However, there are also unique hubs such as ‘task’, ‘office’ and “colleagues”. The results provide a cross-cultural comparison of how people adopted to work change. The organization of the word pairs in the network provided the narratives. Full article