The Impact of Perceived Benefits on Blockchain Adoption in Supply Chain Management

Globalization has prompted enterprises worldwide to increasingly seek the optimal supply chain configuration. However, outsourcing, shortened product life cycles, and a reduced supply base severely weaken supply chain risk tolerance. With the emergence of blockchain, enterprises see an opportunity to mitigate supply chain risks. The purpose of our research is to explore supply chain managers' intention to adopt blockchain technology from the perspective of supply chain risk management. Using a survey sample of 203 managers in China and the USA, we explored the impact of four perceived benefits of blockchain technology on supply chain risk resistance by extending the technology acceptance model. The results show that the traceability, transparency, information sharing, and decentralization of blockchain can enhance the perceived usefulness of blockchain in supply chain resilience and responsiveness, and the ability to withstand disruption risks and supply and demand coordination risks encountered in the supply chain, thus promoting the adoption of the technology. In addition, the relationships between supply chain resilience and blockchain technology adoption and between supply chain responsiveness and blockchain technology adoption are more salient for managers with high levels of uncertainty avoidance.

CSR crises from the consumers' perspective: a multidimensional typology and future research agenda

Purpose>The purpose of this paper is to develop a multidimensional corporate social responsibility (CSR) crisis typology from the consumers' perspective and to provide an agenda for future research.Design/methodology/approach>Basic content-related dimensions for characterizing CSR crises from the consumers' perspective are derived from a review of relevant static crisis typologies. Different types of consumer responses to negative CSR information are derived from various theoretical approaches. Dynamic process models of corporate crises are reviewed to assign various types of consumer responses to different crisis phases. Linking both static and dynamic approaches leads to a comprehensive consumer-oriented typology of CSR crises that is illustrated with examples.Findings>A CSR crises typology is developed based on three consumer-related dimensions: the extent to which the company is attributed blame by consumers;the amount of perceived damage potential;and the perceived CSR relevance of the crisis situation. The combination of these dimensions results in eight different crisis types. For each of these crisis types, different forms of consumer responses are assigned that prevail in the so-called potential, latent and manifest crisis phase.Research limitations/implications>Future research could address the empirical review of the crisis typology presented, its refinement by considering various consumer and stakeholder segmentation approaches and the advanced dynamic analysis of CSR crises by including stakeholder characteristics that impact the diffusion of CSR-related negative publicity.Practical implications>The results of this paper support early crisis detection and effective crisis management by identifying relevant target variables for crisis communication.Originality/value>The typology developed enables a broad spectrum of CSR crises to be classified, including those that have been neglected in previous systematization approaches, such as CSR-related tensions, general sustainability crises and product-harm crises. Due to its theoretical foundation, this paper also contributes to a clearer demarcation of existing CSR crisis constructs.

Developing a Quality 4.0 Maturity Index for Improved Business Operational Efficiency and Performance

Purpose: Technological advances and increased environmental turbulence require a transition in quality management. The study aimed at developing a Quality 4.0 maturity index for improved business operational efficiency and performance. Methodology/Approach: This conceptual paper introduces a theoretical business evaluative model that allows an integrated analysis of technology-driven, quality management dimensions. The model is based on theoretical and empirical information and describes Quality 4.0 business analysis by a theoretical central business dimensional concept, formal statistical analytical methods and uses these data to assign a maturity index score to the business. Findings: The study builds the Quality 4.0 maturity index following the analysis of seven continuous quality improvement dimensions. The maturity of these dimensions in the business is assessed with a five-point maturity level. The effectiveness of the index should be confirmed with fit as covariation and a composite score for the level of Quality 4.0 maturity. Research Limitation/Implication: The research is based on theory and has not been validated with empirical data. It is recommended that a validation study be conducted based on the approach and guidelines provided in the paper. Originality/Value of paper: The study helped develop a theoretical aspect of total quality management during an era of the fourth industrial revolution. It also aimed at practically benefiting a business by focussing on improved business capacity and capability to mitigate the environmental turbulence associated with pandemics. The paper provides novel work, as it describes one of the first Quality 4.0 maturity index models that may be used to improve business.

A Propidium Monoazide (PMAxx)-Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR) for the Detection of Viable Burkholderia cepacia Complex in Nuclease-Free Water and Antiseptics

Pharmaceutical products contaminated with Burkholderia cepacia complex (BCC) strains constitute a serious health issue for susceptible individuals. New detection methods to distinguish DNA from viable cells are required to ensure pharmaceutical product quality and safety. In this study, we have assessed a droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) with a variant propidium monoazide (PMAxx) for selective detection of live/dead BCC cells in autoclaved nuclease-free water after 365 days, in 0.001% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX), and in 0.005% benzalkonium chloride (BZK) solutions after 184 days. Using 10 μM PMAxx and 5 min light exposure, a proportion of dead BCC was quantified by ddPCR. The detection limit of culture-based method was 104 CFU/mL, equivalent to 9.7 pg/μL for B. cenocepacia J2315, while that of ddPCR was 9.7 fg/μL. The true positive rate from nuclease-free water and CHX using PMAxx-ddPCR assay was 60.0% and 38.3%, respectively, compared to 85.0% and 74.6% without PMAxx (p < 0.05), respectively. However, in BZK-treated cells, no difference in the detection rate was observed between the ddPCR assay on samples treated with PMAxx (67.1%) and without PMAxx (63.3%). This study shows that the PMAxx-ddPCR assay provides a better tool for selective detection of live BCC cells in non-sterile pharmaceutical products.

A Second Chance

There are a few factors, including building a circular economy. "Since the Industrial Revolution, ... we have built supply chains, built whole industries, which are ... linear," said Sandy Rodger, who is researching the circular economy at Cranfield University. According to research by McKinsey & Co., regular collaboration between organizations and suppliers results in greater profitability and growth, and lower operating costs.8 It also promotes supply chain resilience.9 Forward progress The pandemic has made it painfully clear just how delicate supply chains can be. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), staffing shortages have intensified supply issues.

Neuroscience and CSR: Using EEG for Assessing the Effectiveness of Branded Videos Related to Environmental Issues

The majority of studies evaluating the effectiveness of branded CSR campaigns are concentrated and base their conclusions on data collection through self-reporting questionnaires. Although such studies provide insights for evaluating the effectiveness of CSR communication methods, analysing the message that is communicated, the communication channel used and the explicit brain responses of those for whom the message is intended, they lack the ability to fully encapsulate the problem of communicating environmental messages by not taking into consideration what the recipients’ implicit brain reactions are presenting. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effectiveness of CSR video communications relating to environmental issues through the lens of the recipients’ implicit self, by employing neuroscience-based assessments. For the examination of implicit brain perception, an electroencephalogram (EEG) was used, and the collected data was analysed through three indicators identified as the most influential indicators on human behaviour. These three indicators are emotional valence, the level of brain engagement and cognitive load. The study is conducted on individuals from the millennial generation in Thessaloniki, Greece, whose implicit brain responses to seven branded commercial videos are recorded. The seven videos were a part of CSR campaigns addressing environmental issues. Simultaneously, the self-reporting results from the participants were gathered for a comparison between the explicit and implicit brain responses. One of the key findings of the study is that the explicit and implicit brain responses differ to the extent that the CSR video communications’ brain friendliness has to be taken into account in the future, to ensure success. The results of the study provide an insight for the future creation process, conceptualisation, design and content of the effective CSR communication, in regard to environmental issues.