Search Results (11)

While large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT, Claude, and DeepSeek are evaluated based on their accuracy and truthfulness, “hallucinations” betray underlying structural limitations. These results are not simply incorrect answers, but statistical resonances; they are instances where models stabilize into statistically significant (though semantically unfounded) response patterns. Current frameworks fail to accommodate contextual semantics, experiential time, and intentionality as key dimensions for effective experience-based decision-making in complex digital spaces. This article presents an integration paradigm offered by the theory of uncertainty and incompleteness of information, extended by the Sophimatics approach with 2D complex time (t = t + i·t₀) and Super Time Cognitive Neural Network (STCNN) that provides both memory management, imagination enhancement, and creativity generation as computational primitives. By integrating probability with plausibility, credibility, and possibility, our model reconsiders the issue of evaluating the reliability of LLM results as a problem that goes beyond traditional probabilistic approaches. Accepting that hallucinations are an emerging phenomenon of resonance between statistical distributions, we suggest an extended probability method in which these resonances can be mitigated and directed towards a coherent cognitive understanding. The paper places this approach in the broader perspective of digital transformation at the information systems level and its implications for AI reliability, explainability, and adaptive decision-making in post-generative AI. Intuitive scenarios are described, based on the inclusion of complex time and Sophimatics in theoretical modelling, illustrating how prediction, historical-contextual adoption, and resistance to paradoxical or contradictory information are strengthened. The results point to this paradigm as a springboard for reliable, human-aligned AI capable of enabling digital transformation in sectors such as healthcare, finance, and governance. Full article

In 1973, British musician, social anthropologist, and ethnomusicologist John Blacking published his seminal work, How Musical is Man? In this book, Blacking describes his 1950s ethnographic study of the Venda people in South Africa, which explores how humans develop and interact with music. For this transcendent autoethnography, I transform Blacking’s book title into a transcendent research question and ask, “How musical is God?” Springboarding off four of Blacking’s principles, I answer this question from the perspective of a Christian and music educator who believes the Bible is the foundation of truth. I explore the mystery of God, humans, and music by referring to the account of the creation in Genesis 1 and 2 and other related verses in the Bible. The exploration encompasses the sonic order wisely created by God, the cognitive system that reflects humans as God’s image bearers, how music is structured reality for things unseen and necessary for faith, and beauty as a God-ordained component for rest. I conclude the paper by answering, “How musical is God?” by reconciling my response to biblical truth in the Christian tradition. Full article

Urban airports are typically large infrastructures with significant cultural, economic, and ecological impacts; meanwhile, abandoned airports are common worldwide. However, there is limited knowledge regarding transformation strategies for the renewal of abandoned airports and their surrounding regions in historically and culturally rich areas. We use Beijing’s Nanyuan Airport as a case study, combining the historic urban landscape approach, land use and land cover change, and counterfactual simulations of land use patterns to construct a comprehensive analytical framework. Our framework was used to analyze the long-term land use patterns of the study area, determine its value, and improve perception from a macro- and multi-perspective. We discovered that the traditional knowledge and planning systems in the study area have largely disappeared, but Nanyuan Airport’s impact on the surrounding land use patterns is unique and significant. By considering the characteristics and mechanisms of land use in the study area, we aimed to find a balance point between the historical context and future potential. As such, we propose optimized recommendations with the theme of connection and development engines. Our findings supplement the planning knowledge of relevant areas and provide a springboard for interdisciplinary research in landscape planning. Full article

Earth Observation (EO) is widely recognized as a powerful tool for Climate Change and Sustainability Education (CCSE); however, the uptake of EO data in schools is still limited due to technical, motivational, or informational barriers. A major factor for the exploitation of EO in schools is the availability of curriculum-relevant pedagogical content that is attractive and personally meaningful to learners. Here, we examine whether an EO-based learning scenario developed for primary schools and implemented by EO novice teachers and students, based solely on written instructions, can serve as an effective entry point for incorporating EO into schools and addressing CCSE objectives. Our study showed that: (a) cloud-based EO tools are suitable for EO-novice teachers and students, who quickly become familiar with them and grasp basic EO concepts; (b) the combined use of EO-based and place-based learning helps students bridge the local and the global perspective of Climate Change (CC) impacts; (c) EO-based educational material stimulates students’ interest for satellites and EO technology; (d) the phenomenon-based approach grabs students’ attention, provokes their curiosity, and acts as a springboard for scientific inquiry on CC impacts; and (e) our scenario’s learning approaches promoted teachers’ upskilling and intra-school collaboration. Full article

The present study aims to examine profiles of design thinkers in a teacher education programme during technology-enhanced teaching/learning in face-to-face and distance modes. Additionally, it investigates how the design thinking (DT) profiles are related to students’ interpersonal and evaluative skills, as well as how DT profiles predict the level of use of technology. A total of 307 undergraduate students participated in this study. Hierarchical and k-means cluster analysis were adopted to identify the DT profiles, whereas multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) was run to study how the DT profiles were related to respective students’ levels of interpersonal and evaluative skills. Subsequently, the individual profiles of all components of DT were examined for group differences using cross-tabulations. Multinomial logistic regressions were run to examine relationships among DT profiles, interpersonal and evaluative skill levels and use of technology. Based on these analyses, three major findings were obtained. These are as follows: (1) Three distinctive DT profiles were revealed underlying a new extensively validated DT mindset. Low importance was given to team learning and knowledge transfer, which points to the lack of behavioural uncertainty; (2) DT profiles differed significantly in their metacognitive perspectives of interaction- and individual-centred tasks, as well as evaluative skills of monitoring, critical thinking and reflection; (3) Interaction-oriented design tasks involving target use of varied technologies were seen to further enhance socialization, facilitate dialogue and reflection, create an immersive experience and aid the understanding and internalization of tacit knowledge. These findings represent a step toward closing critical gaps in the theory and practice of DT and serve as a springboard for instructors and researchers to develop customized metacognitive instructional support for students in technology-enhanced environments for effective knowledge transfer. Full article

Wearable technologies are often indicated as tools that can enable the in-field collection of quantitative biomechanical data, unobtrusively, for extended periods of time, and with few spatial limitations. Despite many claims about their potential for impact in the area of injury prevention and management, there seems to be little attention to grounding this potential in biomechanical research linking quantities from wearables to musculoskeletal injuries, and to assessing the readiness of these biomechanical approaches for being implemented in real practice. We performed a systematic scoping review to characterise and critically analyse the state of the art of research using wearable technologies to study musculoskeletal injuries in sport from a biomechanical perspective. A total of 4952 articles were retrieved from the Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed databases; 165 were included. Multiple study features—such as research design, scope, experimental settings, and applied context—were summarised and assessed. We also proposed an injury-research readiness classification tool to gauge the maturity of biomechanical approaches using wearables. Five main conclusions emerged from this review, which we used as a springboard to propose guidelines and good practices for future research and dissemination in the field. Full article

The Uppsala model explains the traditional internationalisation process of multinational enterprises (MNEs), which gradually begin to internationalise from countries with smaller psychic distances. However, in the turbulent global economy, an increasing number of MNEs from emerging markets (EMNEs) adopts a more radical and aggressive approach, strategically using international expansion as a springboard to enter an overseas market and radiate surrounding countries and regions. By combining the springboard perspective and the Uppsala model, we analyse a series of processes from EMNE’s first entry into an overseas market to the successful localisation and expansion of international business. This radical model of international expansion has not been thoroughly studied. This empirical study aims to address this research gap by using a qualitative method and an in-depth case study. This paper conducted a semi-structured interview with 16 expatriates, executives, and middle-level managers from the case company in 2016. As one of the few single case studies that systematically studies the internationalisation process of EMNEs and provides first-hand empirical evidence, it contributes to practice and provides a contextual reference for EMNEs. Full article

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationship between home country institutions and cross-border merger and acquisition (M&A) motives of MNEs from the Asia-Pacific region, with a focus on the role of regulatory quality and dynamics. We empirically examine how M&A motives are affected by elements related to risk of the institutional environment of the acquiring firm’s home country regulatory quality over time. The study is grounded in the general theory of springboard MNEs, and the institutional views of cross-border operations, namely the institutional escapism and institutional fostering perspectives. Using data on over 700 cross-border M&As of European firms by Asia-Pacific MNEs in 2007–2017, we analyze the rationales for these deals and their relationship to the institutional characteristics of the buyers’ home countries including regulatory quality and voice and accountability. We found that the quality of home country regulatory environment is significantly related to domestic firms’ motivation for international M&As. However, the significance and sign of the effects differ for different types of motives and over time. Our findings contribute to the literature on general versus emerging MNE-specific internationalization theories (particularly the theory of springboard MNEs) by expounding on the types and dynamics of cross-border M&A motives. Full article

The so-called “Traffic Light Index” (TLI) is a meta-sustainability label aimed at condensing the information provided by existing sustainability labels into an overarching message on food products’ environmental footprints. Such an overarching message is critical to reduce the confusion caused by existing labels and to foster more sustainable dietary habits among consumers. While research shows that the TLI is a viable and effective choice, its actual development and implementation are impeded by debates between relevant stakeholders in the European food system. This study examines those debates and adopts a multi-stakeholder perspective to address the following question: How do different stakeholder groups involved in the discussion towards a meta-sustainability label inhibit the adoption of the TLI label? Exploratory interviews with representatives from non-governmental organizations, social enterprises, academia, multi-national corporations, and governmental organizations show that each stakeholder group (1) adopts either optimistic or skeptical attitudes towards the TLI label, (2) perceives different types and magnitudes of barriers to its adoption (i.e., cognitive, methodological, and processual), and (3) proposes solutions to overcome those barriers that are either of an entrepreneurial or risk-averse nature. Findings further reveal that multi-stakeholder interactions influence attitudes and thereby inhibit or favor TLI adoption. Hence, entrepreneurial (vs. risk-averse) solutions proposed by optimistic (vs. skeptical) stakeholders may alter the attitudes of skeptical (vs. optimistic) stakeholders and the barriers they perceive to TLI adoption. By responding to calls for holistic approaches towards food labelling, our study shows how the diversity of stakeholders’ perceptions towards the TLI inhibits its adoption. We propose a theoretical framework and a set of propositions that can serve as springboards for policy ideas to propel progress in food labelling for environmental sustainability. Full article

Food poverty is just one example of a global challenge where the Arts and Humanities perspective risks being judged at worst to have no relevance at all, and at best to be included as no more than an accessible tool to facilitate public engagement and awareness-raising. How therefore can Arts and Humanities scholars articulate the value of their work in such a way that researchers in other fields are persuaded not only that it brings something new to their understanding of the issues, but that to tackle such questions without this input would leave a significant methodological gap in developing the pathway to research impact? The present discussion takes as its central case study an analysis of the strategies at play to tackle the question of food poverty in French filmmaker Agnès Varda’s 2000 film, Les Glaneurs et la glaneuse [The Gleaners and I]. It then uses this analysis as a springboard to explore how, as Arts and Humanities scholars, we might begin to translate better our methodologies and the unique power of our objects of study to disciplines which tend to dominate research on food security, poverty and sustainability or indeed other challenge-based research. To this end, the present discussion seeks to decipher the power of this methodology in terms of the unique capacity for ‘affect’ of the work of art, and ultimately argues for the essential contribution of Arts and Humanities researchers as ‘brokers’ for movement building and social change. Full article

International mergers and acquisitions (M&As) have been increasingly used by emerging market enterprises (EMEs) as a springboard for strategic assets to overcome latecomer disadvantages and build sustainable competitive advantages. While current literature only focuses on the M&As’ impacts on acquirers, little is known about the impacts of EMEs’ international M&As on their external stakeholders, such as rival firms. Based on the longitudinal data covering 325 large international M&As completed by Chinese public manufacturing firms during 2009–2015, empirical results show that international M&As at the industry level have significant negative influence on the sustainable performance of acquirers’ rivals, and these negative relationship will be accentuated when the international M&As are horizontal M&As, when rivals are carrying out cost leadership strategy, and when those M&As are completed in the high-tech industry. This study enriches the literature of international M&As and the economic pillar of sustainability by pushing current research toward rival’s perspective and denotes that firms need to consider the potential negative impact on the sustainability of their outside stakeholders (e.g., other firms and whole industry). It also generates practical implications for firms to actively deal with potential negative effects of competitors’ international M&As on their sustainable performance, especially those players in the high-tech industry. Full article