ABSTRACT
Even though the COVID-19 epidemic caused many problems for global supply chains, it also created opportunities that helped get people interested in cleaner production, sustainability, and business practices that are good for the environment again. This study seeks to examine the pandemic's opportunities for enhancing green supply chain management (GSC-management) and Sustainable environmental-performance by exploring the link between the uncertainty-anxiety of the pandemic, GSC-management, and Sustainable environmental-performance and inspecting the moderating effect of novel technology adoption like big-data analysis capabilities (BDA) and blockchain technologies (BCT) on this relationship. A questionnaire of 517 managers of SMEs in Egypt was used to test and analyze hypotheses with the PLS-SEM method. The findings show that the uncertainty-anxiety of the pandemic improves GSC-management significantly. Also, BDA moderates the link between the uncertainty-anxiety of the pandemic and GSC-management. However, BCT does not moderate that direct link. Also, GSC-management positively affects a firm's sustainable environmental-performance. In addition, GSC-management significantly mediates the correlation between the uncertainty-anxiety of the pandemic and sustainable environmental-performance. The study's findings have massive implications for how SMEs will be managed during COVID-19. Also, it contributes to the theory by using the Social cognitive theory to show how the uncertainty-anxiety of the pandemic positively affects the GSC-management practices and how the dynamic capabilities theory explains the innovative technologies moderating effect of such relationship. • Uncertainty-anxiety of the pandemic improves GSC-management significantly. • BDA moderates uncertainty-anxiety and GSC-management relationship. • BDA does not moderate uncertainty-anxiety and GSC-management relationship. • GSC-management improves firms' sustainable environmental-performance. • GSC-management mediates uncertainty-anxiety and environmental-performance. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Cleaner Production is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)
ABSTRACT
Blockchain is a technology based on a chain of interconnected blocks containing transaction history and user data. Blockchain permitted the creation of crypto-currency. Among its advantages: decentralization, transparency, and integrity. This technology has increased especially with the advent of covid19 with the accentuation of the wave of digitalization. Classic finance systems felt overwhelmed by events and tried to catch up with this new wave, by creating their crypto-currency, and embarking on this new world of digital finance where regulation and control are non-existent. Many central banks see the introduction of central bank digital currencies (MDBC) as a response to these challenges. But the phenomenal expansion of these crypto-currencies could present risks in terms of transmission of monetary policy, monetary creation, and financial stability. In this work, we will present the blockchain, the evolution of crypto-currency, and the reaction classic finance systems to this wave of digitalization of transactions, and especially to an absence of regulation. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
ABSTRACT
In this paper, we describe the successful implementation of a virtual learning environment for an immersive blockchain workshop that was designed to increase awareness, cultivate collaboration, and build technical knowledge in Blockchain technologies for participants in minority-serving academic engineering and computer science communities. In the pre-covid world, the authors meticulously designed an immersive two-day technical workshop on Blockchain technologies for engineering and computer science communities in efforts to increase awareness and cultivate interdisciplinary collaborations among researchers at an historically black university. When the covid-19 pandemic disrupted our lives on a global scale, the authors contemplated canceling the event completely. However, understanding the significance of Blockchain as an emerging technology and knowing how important this knowledge is to the advancement of education in minority communities, the authors made the executive decision to host a completely virtual workshop event. The primary goals of the virtual Blockchain workshop did not change. They were: (1) to provide an immersive environment for participants to learn about Blockchain technologies;(2) to cultivate networking and collaborations among faculty and students in Blockchain;and (3) to stimulate interest and awareness of Blockchain and Fintech research in engineering and computer science departments at the minority-serving institution (MSI). However, the authors had to rethink and redesign a completely virtual, online event. How can we make the learning environment engaging? How can we make the learning environment collaborative? How can we ensure that instruction is effective and meaningful for participants? How can we recruit students to participate in this informal online educational enrichment activity? These were some of the questions that the authors considered when redesigning the Blockchain workshop. The workshop redesign included three main design elements: a leadership team;an immersive blockchain curriculum design, and fun and engaging enrichment activities including online games and a networking café. The program success was determined using seven key indicators such as (1) the total number of registrants;(2) the number of attendees who completed the 1st session and earned badge;(3) the number of attendees who received two badges at the end of the workshop;(4) number of attendees who were able to network with one another either in-person or in virtual breakout rooms;(5) percentage of faculty participants who have intentions to incorporate Blockchain into their instructional design;(6) percentage of faculty participants who have intentions to incorporate Blockchain into their research efforts;(7) percentage of participants whose interest in Blockchain increased as a result of this workshop. Based on the results, target achievements were met or exceeded in all performance metrics except two, key indicators 3 and 5. Evidence suggests that these targets were not met due to hardware installation issues and faculty engagement. The main contribution of this work is the discovery of how to pivot from in-person learning to effective online learning through the design, adaptation and implementation of educational enrichment workshops in a virtual academic setting post the covid-19 pandemic. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2022.
ABSTRACT
Blockchain is a technology based on a chain of interconnected blocks containing transaction history and user data. Blockchain permitted the creation of crypto-currency. Among its advantages: decentralization, transparency, and integrity. This technology has increased especially with the advent of covid19 with the accentuation of the wave of digitalization. Classic finance systems felt overwhelmed by events and tried to catch up with this new wave, by creating their crypto-currency, and embarking on this new world of digital finance where regulation and control are non-existent. Many central banks see the introduction of central bank digital currencies (MDBC) as a response to these challenges. But the phenomenal expansion of these crypto-currencies could present risks in terms of transmission of monetary policy, monetary creation, and financial stability. In this work, we will present the blockchain, the evolution of crypto-currency, and the reaction classic finance systems to this wave of digitalization of transactions, and especially to an absence of regulation. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
ABSTRACT
Counterfeiting drugs has been a global concern for years. Considering the lack of transparency within the current pharmaceutical distribution system, research has shown that blockchain technology is a promising solution for an improved supply chain system. This study aims to explore the current solution proposals for distribution systems using blockchain technology. Based on a literature review on currently proposed solutions, it is identified that the secrecy of the data within the system and nodes' reputation in decision making has not been considered. The proposed prototype uses a zero-knowledge proof protocol to ensure the integrity of the distributed data. It uses the Markov model to track each node's 'reputation score' based on their interactions to predict the reliability of the nodes in consensus decision making. Analysis of the prototype demonstrates a reliable method in decision making, which concludes with overall improvements in the system's confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The result indicates that the decision protocol must be significantly considered in a reliable distribution system. It is recommended that the pharmaceutical distribution systems adopt a relevant protocol to design their blockchain solution. Continuous research is required further to increase performance and reliability within blockchain distribution systems.
Subject(s)
Blockchain , Confidentiality , Pharmaceutical Preparations , Reproducibility of Results , TechnologyABSTRACT
Social distancing is the only preventive nonpharmaceutical measure to limit the transmission of Coronavirus disease (covid-19). By reducing the closeness and frequency of human physical gatherings and maintaining adequate distance among the individuals can minimize the spread of disease. IoT and AI revolutionary domain technologies can support in implementing and measuring minimum social distancing set-up by using the smart application. Though Smart City and Smart parking System are innovative, smart, and safe practices for end-users, the outbreaks of COVID-19 have revealed limitations of the existing deployments. Hence timely enforcements, framework, and architecture have to be developed accordingly. The focus of this paper is to provide a practical model where emerging blockchain technology is enforcing in finding many solutions and dealing with the problems in maintaining social distancing at smart parking in such pandemic outbreaks. The research aims to provide an architecture and framework in developing such applications using for smart parking concerning important issues and challenges of privacy and cybersecurity in implementing social distancing in practice. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.