Search Results (319)

This study explores the emergent dynamics of knowledge sovereignty within organisations following data breach incidents. Using qualitative analysis based on Benoit’s image restoration theory, this study shows that employees do more than relay official messages—they actively shape information governance after a cyberattack. Employees adapt Benoit’s response strategies (denial, evasion of responsibility, reducing offensiveness, corrective action, and mortification) based on how authentic they perceive the organisation’s response, their identification with the company, and their sense of fairness in crisis management. This investigation substantively extends extant crisis communication theory by showing how knowledge sovereignty is shaped through negotiation, as employees manage their dual role as breach victims and organisational representatives. The findings suggest that employees are key actors in post-breach information governance, and that their authentic engagement is critical to organisational recovery after cybersecurity incidents. Full article

This study investigates how Greek professionals formulate upward requests and simultaneously manage rapport and workplace identity within hierarchical exchanges. The data comprise 400 written requests elicited through a discourse–completion task from 100 participants, supplemented by follow-up interviews. Integrating pragmatic perspectives on request mitigation with Spencer-Oatey’s Rapport-Management model and a social constructionist perspective on identity, the analysis reveals a distinctive “direct-yet-mitigated” style: syntactically direct head acts (typically want- or need-statements) various mitigating devices. This mitigation enables speakers to preserve superiors’ face, assert entitlement, and invoke shared corporate goals in a single move. Crucially, rapport work is intertwined with identity construction. Strategic oscillation between deference and entitlement projects four recurrent professional personae: the deferential subordinate, the competent and deserving employee, the cooperative team-player, and the rights-aware negotiator. Speakers shift among these personae to calibrate relational distance, demonstrating that rapport management functions not merely as a politeness calculus but as a resource for dynamic identity performance. This study thus bridges micro-pragmatic choices and macro social meanings, showing how linguistic mitigation safeguards interpersonal harmony while scripting desirable workplace selves. Full article

As digital transformation progresses, schools are increasingly confronted with psychosocial challenges such as technostress, digital overload, and unequal participation in digital (learning) environments. This article investigates the conceptual relevance of digital well-being for school development, particularly in relation to social inequality. Despite growing attention, the term remains theoretically underdefined in educational research—a gap addressed through a theory-driven review. Drawing on a systematic search, 25 key studies were analyzed for their conceptual understanding and refinement of digital well-being, with a focus on educational relevance. Findings suggest that digital well-being constitutes a multidimensional state shaped by individual, media-related, and socio-structural factors. It emerges when individuals are able to successfully manage the demands of digital environments and is closely linked to digital inequality—particularly in terms of access, usage practices, and the resulting opportunities for participation and health promotion. Since the institutional role of schools has thus far received limited attention, this article shifts the focus toward schools as key arenas for negotiating digital norms and practices and calls for an equity-sensitive and health-conscious perspective on school development in the context of digitalization. In doing so, digital well-being is repositioned as a pedagogical cross-cutting issue that requires coordinated efforts across all levels of the education system, highlighting that equitable digital transformation in schools depends on a critical reflection of power asymmetries within society and educational institutions. The article concludes by advocating for the systematic integration of digital well-being into school development processes as a way to support inclusive digital participation and to foster a health-oriented digital school culture. Full article

In the context of global e-commerce platform supply chains dominated by Alibaba and Amazon, power reconfiguration among tripartite stakeholders (platforms, manufacturers, and retailers) remains a critical yet underexplored issue in supply chain contract design. To analyze the strategic interactions between platforms, manufacturers, and retailers, as well as how platforms select the contract format within a tripartite supply chain, this study proposes a Stackelberg game-theoretic framework incorporating participation constraints to compare fixed-fee and revenue-sharing contracts. The results demonstrate that revenue-sharing contracts significantly enhance supply chain efficiency by aligning incentives across members, leading to improved pricing and sales outcomes. However, this coordination benefit comes with reduced platform dominance, as revenue-sharing inherently redistributes power toward upstream and downstream partners. The analysis reveals a nuanced contract selection framework: given the revenue sharing rate, as the additional value increases, the optimal contract shifts from the mode RR to the mode RF, and ultimately to the mode FF. Notably, manufacturers and retailers exhibit a consistent preference for revenue-sharing contracts due to their favorable profit alignment properties, regardless of the platform’s value proposition. These findings may contribute to platform operations theory by (1) proposing a dynamic participation framework for contract analysis, (2) exploring value-based thresholds for contract transitions, and (3) examining the power-balancing effects of alternative contract formats. This study offers actionable insights for platform operators seeking to balance control and cooperation in their supply chain relationships, while providing manufacturers and retailers with strategic guidance for contract negotiations in platform-mediated markets. These findings are especially relevant for large e-commerce platforms and their partners managing the complexities of contemporary digital supply chains. Full article

This paper analyses how strategic interactions between actors influence the development of circular economy (CE) initiatives in food systems. Using a case study from Saint-Hyacinthe, a mid-sized and agri-food technopole in Québec (Canada), we investigate how cooperation, competition, and power asymmetries shape CE adoption across the supply chain. Drawing on game theory and a typology of management dynamics, the study identifies four patterns: negotiated management, constrained leadership, hierarchical relationships, and competitive behaviour. Empirical data were collected through two collaborative workshops involving public, private, and community-based actors, resulting in 244 coded entries across 12 boards. These allowed us to assess actors’ interests, attitudes, and capacities in relation to CE strategies at upstream, midstream, and downstream stages. The results show that strategies aligned with dominant interests and existing capacities are more likely to be supported, while those requiring structural change are tolerated or marginalized. Findings highlight the role of incentive mechanisms, institutional flexibility, and coordination in enabling more transformative circular initiatives. By adopting a stage-sensitive perspective, this study also fills a gap in the literature by examining how actor dynamics differ across upstream, midstream, and downstream segments of the food system, contributing to CE research by applying game theory to actor configurations and interaction dynamics in food systems. It calls for further exploration of interdependencies and contextual conditions that either facilitate or hinder the emergence of effective, inclusive, and systemic CE transitions. Full article

The equitable use and distribution of shared water resources is a topic of renewed regional debate in Latin America, especially given the recent review of the Binational ITAIPU Treaty between Brazil and Paraguay. Building more equitable and transparent agreements in this context requires an understanding of the historical trends of negotiations. This study analyzes five decades of negotiations on the shared use of water resources in the Paraná River Basin, drawing on interviews with former negotiators and officials from Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. The complex interaction between internal dynamics and geopolitical factors in establishing state-owned transboundary hydroelectric plants is highlighted. Based on these findings, we propose a conceptual framework that identifies the key elements to consider when negotiating strategic resources at national and regional levels. This study, extending beyond the Paraná basin, offers an applicable model for managing other shared natural resources, providing useful insights into negotiation strategies for transboundary resource and infrastructure management. Full article

Security in public spaces has long been the subject of debate and extensive experimentation. With the exponential growth in risks (both expected and unexpected) that public spaces are exposed to, further exacerbated by the pandemic crisis, urban security management increasingly conflicts with the right to social interaction in space. To avoid creating overly controlled spaces that are unsuitable for generating sociality and spontaneous interactions, and which often reproduce discriminatory social dynamics, while at the same time ensuring users’ awareness of being in a safe environment, it is necessary for all three dimensions of public space security—policy, design, and governance—to converge. This study focuses on governance, exploring how security management shapes public life and how it can align with planning that supports vibrant, spontaneous interaction. Using a multi-method qualitative approach, including a critical literature review, EU policy analysis, and empirical research from the Horizon Europe SAFE CITIES project, the study introduces two tools: the Security and Vulnerability Assessment (SVA) framework and the Atlas for Safe Public Spaces Design. These were tested in pilot sites, including the Gorizia-Nova Gorica cross-border square. Results support a governance model integrating “security by design,” which aligns with Foucault’s view of governance as adaptable to uncertainty and flow. This mixed-method approach allowed for a comprehensive examination of the governance dynamics shaping urban security, ensuring that the study’s conclusions are grounded in theoretical insights and practical implementation, though necessarily limited in generalizability. By framing security as a process of negotiated governance rather than a set of technical constraints, the study offers a conceptual contribution to urban security discourse and practical guidance for planning secure, inclusive public spaces. Full article

Political polarization in the United States has made conversations across ideological divides increasingly difficult to navigate. This study explores how students at a regional university in the southern U.S. experience and manage these challenges. Based on in-depth interviews with 30 students from diverse social and political backgrounds, we identify four key conversational strategies: disengagement, negotiation, context adaptation, and information processing. Rather than viewing these as surface-level techniques, we argue they represent deeper identity management processes aimed at reducing the social and cognitive risks of political disagreement. Drawing on Self-Categorization Theory and Identity Control Theory, we show how these strategies reflect efforts to maintain identity coherence and manage relational stakes when political identity becomes salient. Our findings suggest that while these strategies may help students avoid conflict in the moment, they may also limit deeper engagement across divides. We conclude by discussing the implications of these findings for dialog practice, highlighting the importance of fostering tolerance for identity discomfort and helping students rediscover the common bonds that unite them across political differences. Full article

Background/Objective: Sustained exercise adherence among older adults is essential for healthy aging but remains challenging due to psychological, social, and economic barriers. This study aimed to investigate how perceived exercise barriers, financial burden, constraint negotiation mechanisms, and social support influence exercise adherence among adults aged 50 and older by integrating behavioral economics, constraint negotiation theory, and social cognitive theory. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 1000 community-dwelling older adults in South Korea using a convenience sampling method. Participants were recruited from community centers, senior welfare facilities, and public health clinics in urban and suburban areas. Data collection was conducted between 11 January and 21 April 2024, using both online (Qualtrics) and offline (paper-based) surveys. Participants completed validated instruments measuring perceived exercise barriers, financial burden, constraint negotiation mechanisms (including financial management and social support mobilization), perceived social support, and behavioral exercise adherence. The final sample used for analysis included 974 individuals (mean age = 60.24 years, SD = 6.42). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to assess direct, mediating, and moderating effects. Additional exploratory analyses (ANOVA and t-tests) examined subgroup differences. Results: SEM results showed that perceived exercise barriers (β = –0.352, p < 0.001) and financial burden (β = –0.278, p < 0.001) were negatively associated with exercise adherence. Constraint negotiation mechanisms (β = 0.231, p < 0.001) and perceived social support (β = 0.198, p < 0.001) were positively associated. Mediation analyses revealed that constraint negotiation strategies partially mediated the relationships between perceived barriers and adherence (indirect β = 0.124) and between financial burden and adherence (indirect β = 0.112). Moderation analysis confirmed that social support buffered the negative effects of financial and psychological barriers. Conclusions: Exercise adherence in later life is shaped by the dynamic interplay of structural constraints, behavioral strategies, and social reinforcement. Interventions should combine financial support with socially embedded structures that promote behavioral planning and peer accountability to sustain long-term physical activity among older adults. Full article

The financial valuation of professional football players is influenced by multiple factors that evolve throughout a player’s career. This study examines these determinants using Gradient Boosting Machine Learning models, segmented by three age categories and three playing positions to capture the dynamic nature of player valuation. K-fold cross-validation is applied to measure accuracy, with results indicating that incorporating a player’s projected future potential improves model precision from an average of 74% to 84%. The findings reveal that the relevance of valuation factors diminishes with age, and the most influential features vary by position—shooting for attackers, passing for midfielders, and defensive skills for defenders. The study adopts a dynamic segmentation approach, providing financial insights relevant to club managers, investors, and stakeholders in sports finance. The results contribute to sports analytics and financial modeling in sports, with applications in contract negotiations, talent scouting, and transfer market decisions. Full article

Background/Objectives:Breast and cervical cancer screening programs are essential for early detection and timely treatment, yet participation rates remain suboptimal. Within a patient-centered care approach, engagement is increasingly viewed as a dynamic and emotionally grounded process. The literature conceptualizes three phases of engagement in healthcare decision-making: ‘recruit’, ‘retain’, and ‘sustain’. When these phases intersect with the structured pathway of cancer screening, they generate specific meaning-making challenges that shape how women relate to prevention and care. This study adopts the lens of Iterative Situated Engagement (ISE) to explore how women experience and negotiate these challenges, differentiating them across the three engagement phases. Methods: A theory-driven qualitative design was adopted. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 40 women aged 25–69 years participating in public breast and cervical cancer screening programs. Thematic analysis was conducted using the Framework Method. Results: In the ‘recruit’ phase, engagement was driven by Cancer Risk Monitoring, Self-care Motivation, Fear of Death Management, and Coincidence. The ‘retain’ phase emphasized Trust in Healthcare Providers, Accessibility of Services, Recurrent Invitations, and Informal Result Previews. About the ‘sustain’ phase, Continuity of Healthcare Providers, Driving Best Practices Dissemination, Flexible Organization of Healthcare Services, and Shorter Waiting Times for Results were highlighted as key factors in maintaining engagement over time. Conclusions: Women’s engagement in cancer screening emerges as a dynamic, multi-phase process shaped by psychological, emotional, and organizational levels. These findings contribute to the development of the ISE conceptual proposal, which frames participation as an iterative, situated, and meaning-making trajectory. Strengthening personalized health communication and improving the coordination of primary care services could enhance sustained participation in screening programs, supporting strategies to reduce health disparities and promote preventive practices. Full article

The purpose of this research is to examine how relationships between corporate control environments and stakeholders mediate the different dimensions of pressure on auditor independence. In France, two (joint) auditors are required by law for listed companies. In this context, we analyze the experiences of higher-echelon professionals of audit firms, controllers, and managers who could elucidate the essence of pressure on auditor independence in their lived environment. An interpretative approach and empirical analysis were adopted for this study to expand on the literature and proffer an answer to the following research question: How does the relationship between a control environment and a stakeholder mediate the pressures on auditor independence? Interviews involved seven participants, mainly higher-echelon professionals of Big Four firms, as well as two members of auditee organizations, and a member of an audit committee. In addition, the narratives from the documents gathered from the EU audit legislation implementation database constitute our data corpus. Thematic coding was used to organize the results. The findings reveal that control environment best practices and down-to-earth corporate governance policies, participated in by both auditors and audited organizations, cushion the pressures on auditors. This, in turn, presents a positive and significant impact on auditor independence. Overall, the dimensions that mediate the pressures on auditors are as follows: the consciousness of pressure in itself; the reputation and experience of the audit firm; and the interactions between the auditors and corporate governance. Other factors include the cordiality of the relationship between the auditor and corporate management and the resulting healthy end of the negotiation between auditors and auditees. This study contributes to the theory and practical discussion of the relationships between the corporate control environment, corporate governance, auditing, and pressure on auditor independence. Full article

This article assesses the importance of two tax controversies in conditioning market access in fifteenth-century Bruges. It looks at diplomatic posturing on the management of this market and the conditions for partaking in its trade. The theory of ‘signalling’ is applied to highlight diplomatic stances and reveal the reasoning behind policy decisions including reprisals, taxes, and boycotts hitherto absent in the literature. Diplomatic, urban legal, and fiscal sources are consulted to reveal what the Castilians and Catalans, sizeable and organised merchant communities in Bruges, perceived as an existential threat to their trade—the ‘fiscalisation’ of market access. This article takes a comparative approach, employing the theory of signalling to determine the strategies of the various actors involved and their efficacy. The Duke of Burgundy and his administration emerge from this story as the prime agent in determining this equilibrium, with the Castilians and Catalans bringing their diplomatic and economic leverage to bear to prevent it. The city of Bruges, as lobbyist and interlocutor, was involved throughout attempting to find a balance between its many merchant communities. These cases offer historical insights into strategies of negotiation when the economic stakes are high. Full article

Non-EU international students encounter considerable challenges in social integration, cultural adaptation, and emotional well-being within UK higher education. Despite this, the role of internet memes as a form of participatory digital media in mediating these experiences has not been extensively studied. This paper examines how non-EU students at a British university utilise memes to manage cross-cultural identity and daily stressors. Employing an Experience-Centred Design (ECD) approach, our qualitative research involved 20 participants through digital cultural probes, semi-structured interviews, and co-design workshop. We discovered that memes serve a dual role: they provide emotional bridges that foster a sense of belonging through shared humour, yet they also risk exclusion due to cultural opacity. We introduce the concept of “negotiated humour”, which requires cross-cultural explanation and reduces comedic spontaneity but enhances intercultural understanding. Furthermore, we identify a continuum of meme usage that reflects different phases of acculturation, ranging from expressing frustrations to creating hybrid cultural expressions. This study contributes to cross-cultural adaptation theory by highlighting memes as boundary objects in identity negotiation. We suggest design implications for culturally sensitive platforms, such as contextual footnotes, and institutional interventions like meme-based orientation activities to exploit humour’s potential for fostering inclusive dialogue. Our research highlights how transient digital humour can provide deep insights into identity, community, and the complex dynamics of cross-cultural adaptation. Full article

Effective project management depends on a deep understanding of the human attributes that influence project success. This study aims to quantify the causal relationships between human resource variables in order to establish a prioritisation criterion for workforce allocation in industrial projects. Traditional statistical models often overlook the multidimensional nature of these factors, limiting their effectiveness in complex planning contexts. To address this, the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory method is used to assess and prioritise the key competencies required of project personnel. The analysis is based on an extensive literature review of management and industrial project studies, combined with data collected from experienced managers through structured questionnaires. Respondents assessed how different human resource attributes interact and influence each other. The results show that personal motivation, innovation, education, work–life balance, flexibility and adaptability are dominant causal factors. Stakeholder relations, conflict management, negotiation skills, objectivity and impartiality are more reactive. This study is differentiated in that it analyses a complex network of 400 influence relationships, providing a more comprehensive perspective than previous research. By integrating a structured decision-making approach, the results contribute to both the academic literature and practical applications, supporting more effective workforce planning and improved performance in industrial projects. Full article