Fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA): Guidelines for research practice in Information Systems and marketing

The path of depression in rural children: A fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis across multiple provinces in China

OBJECTIVES

This study explores the combinations of conditional variables contributing to depressive symptoms in rural children.

METHODS

We analyzed data from 715 children from a rural mental health database, conducting detailed follow-up investigations on 129 children in Zhejiang and Henan provinces. We used fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) and regression analysis to identify causal pathways leading to depression.

RESULTS

The results indicate that depression in rural children does not stem from a single, necessary condition but arises from multiple factors. Our findings highlight significant contributions from both maternal and paternal involvement. Specifically, maternal involvement, combined synergistically with peer support and problematic behaviors, as well as paternal involvement, together with peer support and anxiety, significantly affects depressive outcomes. Additionally, anxiety and strong peer relationships independently have a substantial impact on these outcomes. Effective mitigation strategies involve active parental engagement and robust peer support, reducing the influence of risk factors such as problematic behaviors and anxiety.

LIMITATIONS

The generalizability of the results is limited by cultural and geographical variations. The study also does not account for all potential factors influencing depression in rural children.

CONCLUSION

Depression in rural children results from multiple interacting factors. Tailored interventions addressing these specific combinations are recommended.

Synergistic pathways for health investment and economic development in China: a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis

Background

System coordination is an effective way to achieve high-quality development, and the debate on the interaction between health investment and economic development is still ongoing. To strengthen previous research and offer feasible advice and references for relevant stakeholders, we provide empirical evidence for exploring intersystem coordination and enhancement pathways using data from China.

Methods

Based on the data published by the National Bureau of Statistics of China, the current status of the interaction and coordination between health investment and economic development in China was measured by calculating the comprehensive evaluation index, relative development degree, and coupling coordination degree. Subsequently, a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis method was introduced to explore pathways for enhancing system interaction and coordination.

Results

There are obvious inter-provincial and regional differences between health investment and economic development in China. Provinces in the west and north are lagging in economic development, while provinces in the east and south are lagging in health investment. There is a clear synergy between health investment and economic development, and there is still much room for improving the degree of coupling coordination between systems. The five conditional configurations derived from the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis yield three pathways for enhancing system coordination: a health expenditure-driven path, an economic development-driven path, and a balanced health investment and economic development-driven path.

Conclusion

Health expenditure is sufficient for high coordination, and the level and equity of investment in health expenditure should be improved. The gross regional product is a necessary and sufficient condition for high coordination, and consideration must be given to strengthening the regional economic support capacity. Health investment and economic development can drive the coordinated development of the system in a balanced way. This enlightens us to give full play to the positive synergy between health investment and economic development based on promoting the benign interaction of subsystems.

One year of COVID-19: A longitudinal study of individual and relational factors of psychological adjustment of individuals living in a romantic relationship in Portugal during the COVID-19 pandemic

This longitudinal study explored the impact of COVID-19 on individuals in romantic relationships. The sample spans three waves: first confinement (n = 52), deconfinement (n = 49), and second confinement (n = 26). The study tested sociodemographic factors, psychological adjustment (anxiety, depression, stress, well-being), COVID-19 threat perception, dyadic coping, and relationship quality. Results from repeated measures ANOVA and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) models revealed a decline in anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms, coupled with improved relationship quality over time. Well-being and dyadic coping remained stable, while COVID-19 threat perception increased. QCA models emphasized the predictive power of initial mental states (anxiety, depression, stress, and well-being at W1) on subsequent adjustment. Notably, shorter relationship duration, healthcare worker status, and not having children, when combined with prior mental states, explained increased symptoms and diminished well-being. The study underscores the significance of addressing these factors in individuals navigating romantic relationships during the pandemic.

The multidimensional influence structure of college students' online gamified learning engagement: A hybrid design based on QCA-SEM

In the post-epidemic era, gamification is widely recognized for its potential to enhance the asynchronous nature of college students' online learning interactions and mitigate efficiency deficits. However, the intrinsic structure and core conditions influencing online gamified learning engagement remain unclear. The challenge lies in understanding the mechanisms through which gamification alters learning behaviors. This study employs fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (FSQCA) for core condition identification and robustness testing, innovatively combining it with structural equation modelling (SEM). Drawing on the extended technology acceptance model (TAM) theory, this research delves deeply into the structural relationships that influence student engagement in online gamified learning. The evaluation reveals that immersive experience and habit are core conditions fostering high engagement among college students in online gamified learning. A lack of immersive experience leads to non-high engagement results. Structural equation modelling confirms the mediating role of immersive experience and habit in the effects of performance expectations and perceived fun in student engagement. Furthermore, the study substantiates the moderating influence of learning style on perceptual factors and normalizing elements and describes an interactive relationship between perceived behavioral control, subjective norms, and online gamification behavior. This research extends our understanding of perceptions, norms, and structural factors within a gamified learning environment. It uncovers the mechanisms of engagement from perception to normalization factors, highlighting the positive bidirectional influence of subjective cognition and objective factors on gamified learning and emphasizing the moderating role of learning style between perceptual factors and normalization elements. These findings provide a solid foundation for future research and practice in online gamified learning.

The configuration path of the balanced compulsory education resources supply in the context of equal rights to rent and purchase: Based on the fsQCA analysis of 31 cities in China

Equal rights to rent and purchase affects the supply of compulsory education resources. How to promote the balanced compulsory education resources supply in the context of equal rights to rent and purchase is currently a hot issue amongst government and society. To achieve such balance, conducting research in the context of equal rights to rent and purchase becomes crucial. However, existing research has yet to provide sufficient explanations for the differentiated paths for realizing the balanced compulsory education resources supply in practice. This study uses 31 cities in China as case samples and jointly applies fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis and the 'technology-organization-environment' (TOE) framework. The findings are summarized as follows. Firstly, the balanced compulsory education resources supply in the context of equal rights to rent and purchase is affected by six key technological, organizational, and environmental factors. Namely, data co-construction and sharing, technological infrastructure, attention allocation, government information disclosure, policy support for equal rights to rent and purchase, and level of urban economic development. Secondly, the linkage matching of technological, organizational and environmental conditions forms diversified configurations that drive the balanced compulsory education resources supply in the context of equal rights to rent and purchase. These configurations include the 'organization' driving model, 'technology-environment' driving model, 'technology-organization-environment' driving model, and 'technology-organization' driving model. Finally, eastern, central and western China are driven by different configuration paths. Amongst them, eastern China has relatively good basic conditions at the technological, organizational and environmental levels. The combination of different conditions can drive the balanced compulsory education resources supply in a 'different paths lead to the same destination' manner. Although the development in central China is somewhat restricted, the radiation and impetus from eastern China, in combination with the different conditions in central China, can drive the balanced compulsory education resources supply. Western China shows no advantages at the technological, organizational and environmental levels. Faced with restrictions in organizational and environmental conditions, the government in western China should develop the necessary technological conditions to drive the balanced compulsory education resources supply.

To Speak Up or Not to Speak Up, Organisational and Individual Antecedents That Undergird This Behaviour in Resource Constrained Region

AIM

To examine the organisational (i.e., perceived organisational support and psychologically safe environment) and individual (i.e., value, belief and norm) antecedents that strengthen healthcare workers' speaking-up behaviour in a developing economy.

DESIGN

The study uses a cross-sectional design to gather the same data from healthcare workers within the Ashanti Region of Ghana.

METHODS

The data collection happened between 15 June and 30 August 2023. A sample of 380 healthcare workers was selected from 20 facilities in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. A configurational approach, a fussy-set qualitative comparative analysis, was used to identify the configurations that caused high and low speaking-up behaviour among the study sample.

RESULTS

The study results reveal that whereas four configurations generate high speaking-up behaviour, three configurations, by contrast, produce low speaking-up behaviour among healthcare workers.

CONCLUSION

Results suggest that in so far as organisational support systems which take the form of a psychologically safe environment and perceived organisational support are vital in relaxing the hierarchical boundaries in a healthcare setting to improve healthcare workers' speaking-up behaviour, the individual value-based factors that take the form of values, beliefs and norms are indispensable as it provides the healthcare workers with the necessary inner drive to regard speaking-up behaviour on patient safety and care as a moral duty.

IMPACT

Healthcare workers' speaking-up behaviour is better achieved when organisational support systems complement the individual norms, values and beliefs of the individual.

REPORTING METHOD

Adhered to Strengthening Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

No patient or public contribution.

Unable to comply with regulations: How deterrent and social learning factors contribute to workplace safety violation

BACKGROUND

Workplace safety violation is a significant challenge for global enterprises. However, prior studies have generated inconsistent findings, which calls for a holistic framework to reveal the complex causality between antecedent conditions and workplace safety violations in high-risk industries.

OBJECTIVE

By embracing deterrence theory and social learning theory, this study aimed to examine how punishment (i.e., perceived punishment certainty and perceived punishment severity), shame (i.e., perceived shame certainty and perceived shame severity) and coworker safety violations (CSV) combine into configurational causes of employee safety violations (ESV).

METHODS

A two-wave sampling approach was used to obtain 370 usable samples from various high-risk industries in China. The confirmatory factor analysis was performed to test construct validity, and an emerging fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was conducted to explore the complex causality between ESV and its multiple antecedents.

RESULTS

The fsQCA results indicate that no single antecedent condition is necessary for predicting high ESV, but three distinct configurations of multiple antecedents equivalently lead to high ESV. Among all configurations, a lack of perceived punishment severity, a lack of perceived shame certainty and severity, and high CSV play important roles in explaining ESV.

CONCLUSIONS

This study represents a pioneering endeavor utilizing fsQCA to explore how different combinations of punishment, shame and social learning antecedents contribute to high ESV, which goes beyond previous research focusing on antecedents independently and offers new insights into interconnected antecedents of ESV and their complex causality.

The factors driving industrial integration: A fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis

The integration of modern service and advanced manufacturing industries represents deep industrial reform and profound change in quality concepts, mechanisms, and practices. Integrating these two industries is important for achieving high-quality development and is an area of interest for policymakers and academia. This study analyzes the data of 11 regions in 2021 in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area using the fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis method from the configuration perspective. This study explores the effects of multiple factors, such as economic efficiency, technological innovation, and the policy environment, on improving the coupling coordination level of the modern service and advanced manufacturing industries, and analyzes the path selection of industrial integration development. Overall, economic efficiency, technological innovation, and policy environment factors are not necessary conditions for the integration development of the modern service and advanced manufacturing industries. The multiple impacts of economic efficiency, technological innovation, and policy environment form a multi-restructuring path that drives the integration of the two industries. Owing to the economic development level and resource endowment of different regions, the path dictating the degree of integration between the two industries varies by region. From a holistic perspective, all regions should strive to coordinate the multiple conditions of economic efficiency, technological innovation, and policy environment to break through objective constraints such as the government's conditions and external environment based on their own organizational conditions and resource endowments. Additionally, all regions should strengthen exchanges, cooperation, and integration mechanisms and implement complementary development and distinctive development in core cities in the Greater Bay Area. The results clarify the factors affecting industrial convergence in the Greater Bay Area, enriching existing research methods and laying a foundation for a decision-making theory of industrial integration development.

Digital transformation in college libraries: The effect of digital reading on reader service satisfaction

In the pursuit of digital transformation, college libraries have increasingly embraced the promotion of digital reading as a critical initiative. While numerous studies have delved into the strategies employed by college libraries in their digital transformation endeavors, there remains a lack of research elucidating the direct influence of digital reading on reader service satisfaction within these institutions. Drawing upon the service quality model, this paper aims to address this gap by examining the multifaceted influence of digital reading on reader service satisfaction in college libraries. By examining the various dimensions of digital reading services, this study employs the fsQCA approach to uncover specific combinations that contribute to heightened levels of reader service satisfaction. The results reveal three distinct configurations that can explain the high level of reader service satisfaction. By elucidating these critical relationships, this research not only provides a contribution to the research regarding the evolving role of college libraries but also provides practical insights for college libraries aspiring to realize digital transformation by promoting digital reading.

The impact of multiple discrimination on labor misallocation of China: Based on fsQCA method

Discrimination in the labor market hinders efficient labor allocation, impeding socio-economic health. With the rapid population aging in China, addressing multifaceted discrimination to enhance labor allocation efficiency emerges as a crucial area of research. To explore the relationship between five types of discrimination (age, gender, hukou, educational background, and occupation) and labor misallocation, this paper based on intersectionality theory, employs the fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) method to conduct a configurational analysis of data from China. The research findings indicate that none of the five forms of discrimination can be deemed a necessary condition for achieving high-level labor misallocation. The study identifies five distinct pathways of multiple discrimination to form high-level labor misallocation, which can be classified into four interaction modes: age-hukou, gender-hukou, gender-occupation, and age-gender-educational background. Meanwhile, there are four configuration paths for the absence of labor misallocation. This study reveals the intricate mechanisms by which multiple forms of discrimination contribute to labor misallocation in China's labor market, and provides valuable insights for addressing employment discrimination and improving the efficiency of labor allocation.

Users' willingness to adopt metaverse drawing on flow theory: An empirical study using PLS-SEM and FsQCA

As a rapidly developing information technology in recent years, the metaverse has significantly transformed how we live, learn, and work. In order to accelerate the use of metaverse technology and promote users' acceptance of the metaverse, this study constructs an integrated model based on flow theory and use and satisfaction theory, to further explore the factors affecting users' acceptance of the metaverse. A total of 265 valid questionnaires were obtained through a situational questionnaire survey. Considering the limitations of a single analysis technique, we use two methods to analyze the data. Among them, the symmetric PLS-SEM method is mainly used to analyze the effects of single variables, while the asymmetric fsQCA method is used to analyze the combined effects of variables. The PLS-SEM results manifest that flow experience, perceived risk, and personal innovation directly influence users' acceptance of the metaverse, while perceived cost has no effect. Simultaneously, interactivity, presence, and social presence indirectly affect users' acceptance of the metaverse, while informativeness and enjoyment have no indirect effect. Significantly, fsQCA unveiled five configurations resulting in a high user acceptance of the metaverse, as well as six configurations leading to a negative acceptance. The complementary findings from PLS-SEM and fsQCA offer valuable insights for both theoretical understanding and practical implementation.

Study on the path of high-quality development of the construction industry and its applicability

Exploring the influencing factors and enhancement paths of high-quality development of the construction industry is crucial for promoting sustainable development of the construction industry. Based on the concepts of "five development", this paper takes the construction industry data of 29 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) in China as a sample, utilizes comprehensively the combination method of NCA and fsQCA to build a high-quality development driving model of the construction industry, and explores the coupling effect of factors, like the level of scientific and technological innovation, structural degree, precast building model, external market vitality, resources, and environment, on the development of the industry, revealing the path of high-quality development of the construction industry and analyze its applicability. These findings demonstrate that: (1) The level of scientific and technological innovation, the degree of structure, and the vitality of the external market are the core conditions, and a single factor does not constitute the necessary conditions for the high-quality development of the construction industry; (2) There are three paths for the high-quality development of the construction industry, among which the number of representative cases of linkage development led by openness innovation coordination is the largest, and has strong applicability; (3) There are two non-high-quality development paths in the construction industry, and there is a non-simple opposition relationship with the three high-quality development paths in the construction industry.

Enhancing post-training evaluation of annual performance agreement training: A fusion of fsQCA and artificial neural network approach

This study aims to enhance the post-training evaluation of the annual performance agreement (APA) training organized by the Bangladesh Public Administration Training Centre (BPATC), the apex training institute for civil servants. Utilizing fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) and artificial neural network (ANN) techniques within Kirkpatrick's four-stage model framework, data were collected from a self-administered questionnaire survey of 71 in-service civil servants who participated in the APA training program. This study employs an asymmetric, non-linear model analyzed through a configurational approach and ANN to explore interrelationships among the four Kirkpatrick levels namely, reaction, learning, behavior, and results. Findings indicate that trainees were satisfied across all levels, identifying a non-linear relationship among these levels in post-training evaluation process. The research highlights that "learning skills" are most significant in the APA post-training evaluation, followed by behavior, results, and reaction. Theoretically, this research advances Kirkpatrick's model and adds to the literature on public service post-training evaluation. Practically, it recommends prioritizing strategies that address cognitive barriers to enhance training effectiveness. This study's innovative approach lies in its concurrent use of fsQCA and ANN methods to analyze the success or failure of APA-related trainees, offering alternative pathways to desired outcomes and contrasting traditional quantitative methods that provide a single solution. The findings have practical implications for public service training institutions and bureaucratic policymakers involved in capacity development, guiding the creation of more effective in-service training courses for public officials. The methodology and analysis can be applied in other contexts, allowing bureaucratic policymakers to replicate these findings in their learning institutes to identify unique configurations that lead to successful or unsuccessful training outcomes, adopt effective strategies, and avoid detrimental ones.

Explanatory factors of polydrug use in mid-late teens and the relevance of information sources: Correlational and configurational assessment in Tarragona (Spain)

Background

Substance use among adolescents is a public health problem, and the simultaneous use of multiple substances aggravates this problem. Although the facilitators of specific substance use in adolescents have been widely investigated, polydrug use is a less common topic. Likewise, the role that the origin of the information available to adolescents regarding substance use plays in relation to polydrug use is practically unexplored.

Objectives

This work analyzed the relevance of the origin of the information sources available to adolescents regarding substance use, among which we distinguished those that were monitored (or supervised) by public agencies from those that were unmonitored (or unsupervised) in the consumption of more than one substance. As control variables, we considered three individual factors and four environmental factors. The relevance of these sources was analysed from a dual perspective: on the one hand, their statistical relevance was measured, and on the other hand, how they combined with the control variables was analysed to identify risk and risk-free profiles in substance poly-drug use.

Methods

This paper utilized a sample of N = 573 adolescents aged ≥17 years. This sample was collected from a survey administered in the spring of 2023. We examined the impact of unmonitored information sources (peers, siblings, and the Internet) and supervised sources (school, parents, and media) on the combined consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis. Additionally, we took three individual factors (gender, early onset of alcohol, and tobacco use) and four environmental factors (parental control, alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis use among peers) into account as control variables. Initially, we conducted a regression analysis to adjust for the impact of these factors on polydrug use. Subsequently, we employed a fuzzy set qualitative analysis (fsQCA) to investigate how predictor factors combined with the formation of adolescent profiles associated with polydrug consumption and nonconsumption.

Results

Unmonitored information sources were associated with a greater incidence of poly consumption, with ORs of 1.703 and p values of 0.004. However, the protective effects of regulated information sources remained ambiguous. Among the variables positively linked with of polydrug use, are female sex (OR = 1.329, p = 0.0076), early alcohol consumption (OR = 4.680, p < 0.0001), and early tobacco consumption (OR = 3.242, p < 0.001) were the most important. Peer drinking (OR = 1.556, p = 0.0187) and peer cannabis use (OR = 1.351, p = 0.0226) were also significantly correlated. The use of the fsQCA made it possible to identify the profiles of adolescents associated to polysubstance use and non-use. The conditions of the configurations that explained use were characterized by an early onset of the joint consumption of tobacco and alcohol. The profile of non-consuming adolescents is that of adolescents whose peers do not use tobacco or cannabis and who have parental control and monitored sources.

Beyond regression: Unpacking research of human complex systems with qualitative comparative analysis

This study underscores the effectiveness of Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) when compared to conventional regression analysis (CRA) in the investigation of complex human systems. Utilizing historical secondary cross-national data from Lipset & Man (1960) spanning 18 countries, where CRA may be impractical, the research emphasizes the superior performance of QCA, specifically utilizing both crisp set QCA and fuzzy set QCA. The dataset includes variables such as democracy survival and its precursors, such as gross national product per capita, urbanization, literacy rate, and industrial labor force. In contrast to conventional regression results indicating an insignificant relationship between democracy survival and its antecedents, crisp set QCA identifies two distinct combinations of antecedents associated with high levels of democracy survival, albeit with limited solution coverage. Meanwhile, fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) reveals five combinations of antecedents linked to robust democracy survival, providing adequate solution coverage and consistency. These findings suggest that fsQCA excels in capturing the intricacies of real-life scenarios in human complex systems, offering more robust empirical solutions compared to crisp set QCA and conventional regression. As a result, researchers may find value in integrating fsQCA into their new projects focused on human complex systems.

Fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis of factors affecting the use of e-cigarettes among college students in Guangdong province

INTRODUCTION

In recent years, e-cigarettes as an emerging tobacco product have been favored by college students. Our study aims to explore the factors affecting the use of e-cigarettes among college students and to put forward feasible suggestions for effectively controlling the use of e-cigarettes among college students.

METHODS

The participating students were from three undergraduate and three specialized colleges in Guangdong Province, surveyed from January to March 2022. The Fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) method was used to analyze the influence mechanism and path of five antecedents: self-efficacy, social environment, cognition, sales environment, and negative outcome expectation, on the use of e-cigarettes. The fsQCA used in this study is a novel research methodology that combines the strengths of qualitative and quantitative analyses, through which we can determine which conditions are essential to the outcomes that lead to e-cigarette use among college students, and which combinations of conditions are more important than others.

RESULTS

The interaction of self-efficacy, social environment, cognition, sales environment, and negative outcome expectation, affected college students' use of e-cigarettes. Through the fsQCA method, it was found that self-efficacy alone constitutes a necessary condition for college students not to use e-cigarettes. There are four possible pathways for college students not to use e-cigarettes, with higher self-efficacy, correct cognition, and a healthy social environment influencing the most important combination of conditions for college students to use e-cigarettes.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of e-cigarettes by students in Guangdong Province is the result of the synergistic effect of multiple factors. Tobacco control action suggestions focus on improving students' self-efficacy and paying attention to the combination of different factors to achieve more effective tobacco control.

Navigating board dynamics: Configuration analysis of corporate governance's factors and their impact on bank performance

This research utilizes the fsQCA technique to investigate how a combination of corporate governance conditions or factors collectively influences the performance of banks. Examining key elements such as board size, busy directors, independent directors, CEO duality, and women on the board, the research employs data collected from the annual reports of 30 banks spanning from 2010 to 2020. The necessary condition analysis (NCA) underscores that no individual condition or factor is indispensable for the ultimate outcome. Nevertheless, the sufficiency analysis reveals distinct solutions, each representing a unique set of conditions or factors sufficient to generate the outcome. The study concludes that the relationship between corporate governance characteristics and bank performance is complex and multifaceted, with neither ROA nor ROE reliant on a singular input condition or factor. The theoretical contributions of the findings align with or partially support various theories and propositions within the realm of corporate governance. Notably, the application of fsQCA contributes to enhance the methodological understanding of corporate governance studies in existing literature.

How policy promotes the integration of culture and tourism? A fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis based on the Policy Instrument Theory

Crafting pertinent policies to facilitate the high-level integration of culture and tourism has now become a vital agenda within the current discourse in China. However, relatively little is known about the actual implementation of various policies to achieve a high-level integration, especially how combinations of policy instruments are deployed in the process of realization. Based on the Policy Instrument Theory, this study uses fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis on a sample of 31 provincial administrative regions in China to investigate the influence of typical policy instruments on the integration level of tourism and culture. The results show that each single policy tool is not necessary for high-level integration of culture and tourism. On the contrary, only through an organic combination of different policy tools can affect the integration level. This study also summarizes five policy instrument configurations, which can be grouped into four driving modes of culture-tourism integration: the environment-driven supply-demand coordination mode, supply-driven demand-environment coordination mode, supply-driven mode, and supply-driven environment coordination mode. This study considerably provides critical theoretical and practical insights into the integration of culture and tourism from the perspective of governmental policies.

The influence of visual marketing on consumers' purchase intention of fast fashion brands in China-An exploration based on fsQCA method

Under the rapid development of e-commerce, offline brick-and-mortar stores have been severely impacted. However, the importance of the visual, sensory and even psychological experience in the apparel industry makes offline stores still irreplaceable. The impact on consumers' visual experience cannot be ignored and is a significant influencing factor in determining consumers' psychological change and purchase intention. Especially for fast fashion brands which pursue low costs, visual marketing strategies is a cost-effective marketing tool to enhance the visual experience. In this paper, by adapting SOR theory and using fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) research method, 15 fast fashion apparel brands and 374 valid questionnaires are adapted in China to explore not only the influence of individual dimensions in visual marketing on consumers' purchase intention, but also the action of multi-dimensional combinations. The research finds that: (1) there are two driving paths for high consumers' purchase intention. The first path is a combination of high clarity of arrangement and low display density; the second path is a combination of low light intensity, high clarity of arrangement, high tonal harmony and high window appeal. (2) There are also two paths that drive non-high consumers' purchase intentions, and they are asymmetrically related to the paths that drive high consumers' purchase intentions. The findings of this study help to provide direction and suggestions for offline visual marketing strategies of fast fashion apparel brands to increase consumers' psychological perception and purchase intention through a range of visual presentation techniques.

Justice at the Forefront: Cultivating felt accountability towards Artificial Intelligence among healthcare professionals

The advent of AI has ushered in a new era of patient care, but with it emerges a contentious debate surrounding accountability for algorithmic medical decisions. Within this discourse, a spectrum of views prevails, ranging from placing accountability on AI solution providers to laying it squarely on the shoulders of healthcare professionals. In response to this debate, this study, grounded in the mutualistic partner choice (MPC) model of the evolution of morality, seeks to establish a configurational framework for cultivating felt accountability towards AI among healthcare professionals. This framework underscores two pivotal conditions: AI ethics enactment and trusting belief in AI and considers the influence of organizational complexity in the implementation of this framework. Drawing on Fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) of a sample of 401 healthcare professionals, this study reveals that a) focusing justice and autonomy in AI ethics enactment along with building trusting belief in AI reliability and functionality reinforces healthcare professionals' sense of felt accountability towards AI, b) fostering felt accountability towards AI necessitates ensuring the establishment of trust in its functionality for high complexity hospitals, and c) prioritizing justice in AI ethics enactment and trust in AI reliability is essential for low complexity hospitals.

Effectiveness evaluation of China's water resource tax reform pilot and path optimization from the perspective of policy field

The water resource tax reform played an important role in promoting sustainable development in China. Subsequent to the seven-year reform, the effectiveness evaluation of the policy in each pilot area and the exploration of the optimization path directly affected the promotion of water resource tax policy and the improvement of water use efficiency. Therefore, the theoretical framework of the water resource tax policy field was constructed to examine the mechanism of the three subsystems of policy scenario, policy orientation, and policy effect; fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was then used to evaluate and quantitatively compare the policy implementation effect and policy path in each pilot area, with emphasis put on three policy orientations, i.e., the decision and decomposition effect of policy goals, the selection and im plementation effect of policy tools, and the policy supervision and security effect. As shown by the research results: ① the water resource tax reform had effectively improved the efficiency of water resource utilization in the pilot areas; ② three pilot models of water resource tax policy had been extracted, namely the policy goal and tool-driven model centering on a single dimension of the policy field, the implementation-supervision dual drive model emphasizing the supervision and security effect of the policy, and the three-dimensional policy orientation linkage model that focused on the synergistic effect of the policy field; ③ strong heterogeneity existed in water resource tax policy implementation paths and effects in each pilot area. Accordingly, regional heterogeneity could be considered in the process of reform to construct institutionalized, precise, and differentiated reform implementation methods from the perspective of the policy field.

Impact of ecological presence in virtual reality tourism on enhancing tourists' environmentally responsible behavior

In an era where environmental conservation is increasingly critical, identifying pathways through which technological innovations like virtual reality tourism (VRT) can promote sustainable behaviors is vital. This study investigates the impact of 'ecological presence', a newly proposed sub-dimension of presence in VRT, on tourists' environmentally responsible behavior (TERB). Through structural equation modeling and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis of data from 290 participants, we unveil that ecological presence-defined as the authenticity and immersion of tourists in virtual ecological environments-significantly bolsters biospheric values, environmental self-identity, and personal norms. Additionally, our findings indicate that ecological presence in VRT indirectly promotes TERB, predominantly through the mediation of enhanced biospheric values and environmental self-identity. Notably, ecological presence, biospheric values, and environmental self-identity constitutes a sufficient condition for achieving a high level of TERB. This research highlights the potential of VRT as an innovative tool for tourism administrators to foster environmental stewardship, offering a novel approach to leveraging technology for conservation efforts.

Predicting nurses' safety compliance behaviour in a developing economy, using the theory of planned behaviour: A configurational approach

AIM

The study's main objective was to use a fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis to identify the configuration of recipes that predict nurses' safety compliance behaviour.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional design.

METHODS

A survey was used where questionnaires were collected from 285 nurses across four primary healthcare hospitals within the Ashanti Region, Ghana. The data collection happened between June 1 to August 2, 2022. A fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis was used to identify the recipes of psychological factors that determine nurses' safety compliance behaviour.

RESULTS

Results from the study suggest that the necessary configurations that explained nurses' safety compliance behaviour came from the presence of subjective norm, attitude, perceived behavioural control, perceived organizational support and negation of intention. The result highlights the need for safety protocols to be conscious of the interplay between nurses' assessment of self, social clues and perception of management care and support since such psychological factors must be considered concurrently to achieve the optimal safety compliance behaviour among nurses.

CONCLUSION

A health and safety protocol that fails to recognize the importance of psychological antecedents on subordinates' safety compliance behaviour could limit the safety policy's usefulness in bringing the appropriate behavioural change in nurses.

IMPACT

To date, no study has combined the antecedents of theory planned behaviour with perceived organizational support and cue to action to assess how they collectively predict nurses' safety compliance behaviour. Findings from the study suggest that nurses in primary health facilities inform their safety compliance behaviour by assessing self-capabilities, social signals from superiors and colleagues and perception of management support. Hospital administrators and nursing managers in sub-Saharan Africa may rely on these psychological forces to persuade nurses to develop positive safety compliance behaviour at the health facility.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

No Patient or Public Contribution.

Unravelling the asymmetric effects of procurement practices on firm performance: A complexity theory approach to complementing fsQCA with NCA

Current economic upheavals and supply chain uncertainty have threatened the profitability and sustainability of business organisations. Procurement has proved to be one of the strategies for enhancing firm performance without necessarily increasing revenue with its attendant increase in costs. However, rather than investigating the complex asymmetric relationship between procurement practices and firm performance (which this study advocates), past research engaged in a symmetric evaluation of the relationship between the phenomena. Accordingly, this study, using complexity theory, employs fsQCA and NCA on a sample of 150 respondents from private universities in Ghana to (a) identify different combinations of procurement practices, namely procurement planning, supplier partnership, contract management, and compliance, that lead to firm performance and (b) explore the necessity of these procurement practices (in kind and degree) for firm performance. Whereas the findings from fsQCA reveal three distinct combinations of procurement practices for high firm performance and further suggest that none of the procurement practices was necessary for firm performance, the NCA results suggest that two out of the four procurement practices investigated are necessary for firm performance and hence must be present in the causal recipes produced by fsQCA to guarantee that they lead to firm performance. The study offers pathways to firm performance through procurement practices and demonstrates how to complement fsQCA with NCA to ensure that causal recipes produced by fsQCA can produce the outcome.

Explaining demographic-destination preferences for cultural ecosystem services: A set-theoretic configurational analysis

Many fundamental studies on cultural ecosystem services (CES) and CES destination preferences still tend to focus on detecting the respective importance of destination attributes. However, this perspective needs more efforts on the fact that visitors always select a CES destination through a configurational consideration of its ecological and environmental attributes. Based on this consideration, 22 urban green spaces in Nagoya, Japan were studied, and a configurational model was developed by applying complexity theory and qualitative comparative analysis (QCA), to explain and better understand the causal patterns of CES quality and availability influencing demographic-CES destination preferences. The results showed that similar preference modes occurred between young adults and males who were very concerned about the time spent on transportation, and between older people and females who had multiple considerations regarding both CES quality and availability. Such findings on the demographic-destination preferences for CES could not only provide configurational insight into the relationships between destination attributes and travel preferences, but also help CES organizations develop multi-factor cooperative management for better CES provision.

Pathways to improving carbon emission efficiency in provinces: A comparative qualitative analysis based on the technology-organization-environment framework

Achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality are important issues for global climate governance. The study of carbon emission efficiency in China's provincial regions is of practical significance for the country to achieve carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals. Based on the framework of Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE), choosing technological progress, economic development, industrial structure, energy structure, energy prices, and carbon emission trading market as condition variables, collecting the panel data from 30 provinces in China from 2010 to 2020, the mixed study of Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA) and the fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) was used to explore the complex influence mechanism of carbon emission efficiency. The findings indicate: (1) none of the single conditions are necessary for the effect of carbon emission efficiency, but technology plays an important role in supporting the improvement of carbon emission efficiency. (2) There are four recipes for the improvement of carbon emission efficiency, which are summarized into four modes: Technology-Organization dual core modes, Environment core-Organization support modes, Technology-Organization-Environment linkage modes, and Organization core-Technology support modes. Among them, the recipe of Organization core-Technology support covers the largest number of provinces, indicating that for the developed provinces, it is necessary to accelerate technological innovation, make the deep integration of economic development and technological innovation, and promote the adjustment of the industrial structure, thereby improving the carbon emission efficiency (CEE). This study contributes to carbon emission efficiency literature by providing a new theoretical perspective based on the TOE analysis framework, and development strategies for provinces to optimize the combination according to their condition endowment.

Pathways to Improve Provision of Home and Community-Based Services-A Configurational Approach Based on a Fuzzy-Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis From China

Providing home and community-based services (HCBS) is critical for active and healthy aging. However, in China, the positive factors for improving HCBS provision are unclear, limiting its contribution to improving older adults' quality of life and promoting active and healthy aging. Therefore, this study examines the configurations that produce differences in HCBS and identifies multiple pathways for improving them and narrowing regional disparities. Using data from multiple datasets comprising 23 cases, we performed configuration analysis using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis. Four pathways producing high HCBS provision and three pathways producing low HCBS provision were found. Different combinations of the aging population, economic development, institutional support, financial support, and development of multiple stakeholders influence HCBS provision. Thus, measures based on the main factor characteristics should be implemented to improve the HCBS provision level.

Analysis of knowledge management process towards minimizing supply chain risks under the green technology: a direct and configurational approach

Adopting green technologies is crucial for a sustainable supply process and organization development. In this construct, the current study analyzes how green technology adoption (GTA) and knowledge management (KM) processes could minimize supply risk in large manufacturing companies. The current study utilizes research techniques based on the resource-based view and contingency theories to minimize supply chain risk. The present study selected green variables (learning, productivity, raw materials, and resource utilization) along with KM processes (acquisition, sharing, and utilization) to investigate these connections to achieve the research objective. The author collected the data (203) from manufacturing firms in Zhengzhou city and used PLS-SEM, fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to examine the study aims. The relationship between the adoption of green technologies and the KM process, which may reduce supply risk, was verified via PLS-SEM. fsQCA is employed as a combined strategy with green technology and the KM dimension to examine supply risk. The study results showed a significant correlation between the KM process's ability to reduce supply risk under the GTA. The results of the fsQCA specify the numerous dimensions of green implementation enablers, and the KM process produced superior results in terms of supply risk minimization. This research contributes to bridging gaps and understanding the interrelationship between green measurement and the supply risk process minimization. The current study provides practical and social justification for enlightening the relationship between GTA and the KM process, aiming to minimize the supply risk. Based on the study outcome and ground information, this study reported limitations and future research direction.

Spatiotemporal differences in and influencing factors of urban carbon emission efficiency in China's Yangtze River Economic Belt

Improving urban carbon emission efficiency (CEE) is vital to achieving the goal of urban carbon neutrality. However, the synergistic configurational effect of multiple influencing factors on CEE is not clear. Taking the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) as an example, this paper adopts the standard deviation ellipse and Dagum Gini coefficient method to investigate the spatiotemporal differences in urban CEE in the YREB, and using the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) method, it explores the configurational effect of CEE influencing factors from the system perspective. The main conclusions are as follows: first, the overall level of urban CEE in the YREB is low, with a certain polarization phenomenon. Second, the relative differences in urban CEE in the YREB show a fluctuating upward trend, and the regional differences mainly originate from the overlapping part between regions. Finally, the main CEE influencing factors do not act in isolation, they constitute a complex process of synergistic interaction, with complementary substitution and causal asymmetry.

Integrating the technology acceptance model for social media-based learning with authentic leadership development: symmetric and asymmetric modeling

Introduction

The growing trend of social media use has influenced all segments of society, including education, during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, authentic leadership is an emerging concept in positive psychology for dealing with emergencies in the digital era. The possibility of a relationship between the two was checked in preservice teachers studying in a teacher education department of a university in Pakistan. The conceptual framework of the study was built around teaching acceptance model (TAM) and Authentic leadership theory.

Methods

The survey method suited the aim of the research, and questionnaires aided us in gathering participant self-reporting responses. We conducted two surveys, and in between them, a course was taught online using social media as a teaching and learning platform. The survey results checked preservice teachers' positive intentions toward social media-based learning, and the post-course survey studied the development of Authentic leadership attributes among the preservice teachers. Technology acceptance was measured across three constructs: ease of use, usefulness, and positive intentions. The results also reported the development of three authentic leadership characteristics: ethics, self-regulation, and self-awareness.

Results and discussion

This study is among the pioneering studies integrating TAM (i.e., the acceptance of social media-based learning) with leadership theory (i.e., authentic leadership). It also adds a methodological contribution by combining symmetrical (i.e., partial least squares structural equation modeling) and asymmetrical (i.e., fuzzy set qualitative comparative technique) for data analysis. The study's findings are valuable for teacher education institutions, as they help prepare future teachers to become authentic leaders capable of addressing future crises by leveraging education through social media-based teaching and learning platforms.

Influence of digital ambidextrous capabilities on SMEs' transformation performance: The mediating effect of business model innovation

As the global digital transformation process accelerates, how SMEs can successfully achieve digital transformation is currently an important research question in the field of strategic management and a real-life dilemma that entrepreneurs need to address. This study classifies business model innovation into market-driven business model innovation and driving-market business model innovation based on market orientation theory. The relationship between digital ambidextrous capabilities, business model innovation and transformation performance is explored according to the paradigm of 'capability-behaviour-performance'. This study used SEM and fsQCA to analyze 289 questionnaires collected from middle and senior managers of Chinese SMEs. The results show that digital exploitation capability is positively associated with market-driven business model innovation, while digital exploration capability is positively associated with driving-market business model innovation. In particular, business model innovation plays a fully mediating role in the process of digital ambidextrous capabilities enhancing the transformation performance. Our findings shed new lights on the current debate surrounding the digital transformation of SMEs and will be instructive for both academics and business managers.

Exploring the Complex Relationships Between Factors That Affect Employee Cyberloafing Using a Novel Approach: Findings from Fuzzy-Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis

Cyberloafing is a workplace problem that has emerged over the past two decades and continues to be problematic as workers' schedules become more flexible and deterrents associated with being physically present in an office are unavailable. Understanding the complex conditions under which employees are more likely to engage in cyberloafing activity continues to be valuable for businesses. This study identifies and models seven conditions that influence cyberloafing and investigates how interconnected social and deterrence factors affect employees' cyberloafing behavior. With a cross-sectional random sample of 324 employees from 14 provinces in China, the necessary condition analysis is used to identify the necessary conditions for high cyberloafing, and the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative approach is conducted to explore the configurational impacts of multiple antecedent conditions on high cyberloafing. The results show that no single condition is necessary for a high level of employee cyberloafing and that three distinct configurations of multiple conditions equivalently contribute to high cyberloafing among employees. Among all configurations, high visibility of cyberloafing, a lack of certainty of formal sanctions, and a lack of reward for not cyberloafing play important roles in explaining employees' cyberloafing. This study is the first to use fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to explore how different combinations of social and reinforcement antecedents contribute to cyberloafing, which goes beyond existing research that explores antecedents independently and offers new insights into cyberloafing's interconnected antecedents and their complex causality.

Understanding consumers' intentions to purchase smart clothing using PLS-SEM and fsQCA

With the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT), smart clothing, which has enormous growth potential, has developed to suit consumers' individualized demands in various areas. This paper aims to construct a model that integrates that technology acceptance model (TAM) and functionality-expressiveness-aesthetics (FEA) model to explore the key factors influencing consumers' smart clothing purchase intentions (PIs). Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to analyze the data, complemented by fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). The PLS-SEM results identified that the characteristics of functionality (FUN), expressiveness (EXP), and aesthetics (AES) positively and significantly affect perceived ease of use (PEOU), and only EXP affects perceived usefulness (PU). PU and PEOU positively impact consumers' attitudes (ATTs). Subsequently, PU and consumers' ATTs positively influence PIs. fsQCA revealed the nonlinear and complex interaction effects of the factors influencing consumers' smart clothing purchase behaviors and uncovered five necessary and six sufficient conditions for consumers' PIs. This paper furthers theoretical understanding by integrating the FEA model into the TAM. Additionally, on a practical level, it provides significant insights into consumers' intentions to purchase smart clothing. These findings serve as valuable tools for corporations and designers in strategizing the design and promotion of smart clothing. The results validate theoretical conceptions about smart clothing PIs and provide useful insights and marketing suggestions for smart clothing implementation and development. Moreover, this study is the first to explain smart clothing PIs using symmetric (PLS-SEM) and asymmetric (fsQCA) methods.

Exploring necessary and sufficient conditions for carbon emission intensity: a comparative analysis

This research investigates the factors influencing carbon emission intensity in 94 countries during 2018 using two qualitative methods: necessary condition analysis (NCA) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). The study covers variables related to economics, human geography, energy, and institutions, showing significant variations among them. The NCA model identifies economic complexity and fossil energy consumption as necessary conditions for high-carbon emission intensity. On the other hand, the fsQCA model reveals sufficient conditions for both high- and low-carbon emission intensity, presenting different causal combinations of variables. For high-carbon emission intensity, nine causal solutions are identified, emphasizing the roles of economic growth, urbanization, fossil energy consumption, and institutional quality. Reducing carbon emission intensity requires addressing economic complexity and reducing reliance on fossil energy consumption. Policymakers should focus on sustainable economic development, environmentally friendly urbanization, and transitioning to renewable energy sources. This research's originality lies in its qualitative approach, going beyond traditional regression methods to explore necessary and sufficient conditions for carbon emission intensity. It offers valuable insights into the complex interplay of variables, providing multiple causal configurations for both high- and low-carbon emission intensity.

Built environment influence on the incidence of elderly pedestrian collisions in a medium-large city in southern Brazil: a spatial analysis

Trauma disproportionately affects vulnerable road users, especially the elderly. We analyzed the spatial distribution of elderly pedestrians struck by vehicles in the urban area of Maringa city, from 2014 to 2018. Hotspots were obtained by kernel density estimation and wavelet analysis. The relationship between spatial relative risks (RR) of elderly run-overs and the built environment was assessed through Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA). Incidents were more frequent in the central and southeast regions of the city, where the RR was up to 2.58 times higher. The QCA test found a significant association between elderly pedestrian victims and the presence of traffic lights, medical centers/hospitals, roundabouts and schools. There is an association between higher risk of elderly pedestrians collisions and specific elements of built environments in Maringa, providing fundamental data to help guide public policies to improve urban mobility aimed at protecting vulnerable road users and planning an age-friendly city.

The relationship between social capital and health from a configuration perspective: an evidence from China

BACKGROUND

The debate on the relationship between social capital and health is still ongoing. To enhance previous research, this study uses data drawn from China to analyse the situations in which social capital is related to good health and the various configurations that result in good health outcomes.

METHODS

Using the data of China Family Panel Studies, the conditions of age, gender, marriage, education, income, structural social capital and cognitive social capital were included to analyse the sufficient and necessary conditions for achieving good general health and their different configurations using the fsQCA method.

RESULTS

None of the listed conditions were prerequisites for excellent general health in terms of either their presence or their absence. The sufficiency analysis found 11 configurations with an average of 3-4 conditions per configuration; in no configuration was the condition of social capital present alone. Structured social capital and cognitive social capital exhibited negative states in configurations 1 and 2, respectively. The most prevalent factor in all configurations was the condition of age.

CONCLUSIONS

The relationship between social capital and health is both positive and negative, with cognitive social capital playing a larger role in the positive relationship than structural social capital. Social capital is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for health, and it must be combined with a variety of other factors to promote health. A variety of methods can be used to promote an individual's health, as different populations require different approaches to good general health, and no single pathway applies to all populations. In the Chinese population, an individual's age is a significant determinant of their health status.

How does social responsibility investment strategy contribute to hospitality firms' recovery from public health emergencies? The case of COVID-19 pandemic

Using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis, this paper explores which configurations of six dimensions of hospitality firms' corporate social responsibility (CSR) result in higher (or lower) levels of total factor productivity. We demonstrate that different categories of stakeholders and hospitality firms' dynamic capabilities complement each other under the framework of configurational theory. The result shows that: 1) The CSR dimensions of product quality, CSR communication, and environmental protection are critical to high levels of firm performance; 2) After the pandemic, hospitality firms should make investment in CSR communication and environmental protection a priority; 3) Hospitality firms' choice to invest in a specific combination of dimensions of CSR practice should depend on their overall level of corporate governance (high or low). This paper contributes to the strategic management and corporate governance literature by identifying the role of hospitality firms' governance on the linkage between CSR investment strategy and firm performance.

Fuzzy-Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) in Organizational Psychology: Theoretical Overview, Research Guidelines, and A Step-By-Step Tutorial Using R Software

Fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) is a method for assessing the effects of configurations of variables leading to an outcome. The recent growth of interest in this technique in organizational psychology is proving this method to be an important tool for addressing new and decisive research hypotheses. However, the effectiveness of fsQCA is dictated not only by its general principles, but also by how well these are understood and applied in the research community. Consequently, a guide that covers the fundamental ideas and tenets of the approach is required to aid the research community in its comprehension and practical application. The current study seeks to offer an understanding of FsQCA by providing: (a) A complete description of the method highlighting some of the most important theoretical-methodological aspects; (b) a perspective on the most used guidelines and recommendations, and (c) step-by-step instructions on how to carry out FsQCA in R using the QCA package. Data from 120 employees and supervisors derived from a company based in central Italy were used o best to illustrate how to carry out fsQCA. Codes for conducting the analyses from the QCA package for R accompany the tutorial and can be adapted to a new dataset.

Research on the influencing factors and improvement paths of digital trade development in the Yangtze River Economic Belt--Based on entropy-weighting TOPSIS and fsQCA method

While China's digital trade is developing rapidly, it is facing the problem of uncoordinated and uneven regional development. In order to explore countermeasures to bridge the differences in regional digital trade, this paper first measures the development level of digital trade in 11 provinces of the Yangtze River Economic Belt through entropy-weighting TOPSIS. Secondly, the fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis method was used to analyze the influencing factors and improvement paths of digital trade development in various provinces of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. The research results show that: first, the current development level of digital trade is gradually weakening from east to west, especially the development of digital trade in the Yangtze River Delta region is the best, showing a large regional imbalance and uncoordinated development. What's more, the market size and urbanization have the most significant impact on the development of digital trade. Finally, we examine the reliability of the results by sensitivity analysis, and find that our ranking results are robust. In the future, China should continue to actively promote the coordinated development strategy of regional economy and participate in international digital trade exchanges and cooperation, so as to promote the coordinated and high-quality development of digital trade.

Analysis of factors affecting the effectiveness of face-to-face marketing learning via TikTok, YouTube and video conferencing

After the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of virtual platforms, social networks and online applications has been totally modified by returning to face-to-face systems. The mandatory use of these tools in the period of social distancing has led to their extensive development. This paper analyzes the effects of the use of ICTs in a purely face-to-face environment. Therefore, it analyzes the factors that affect student satisfaction and effectiveness in marketing learning through the use of digital tools and online applications in face-to-face classes, and this analysis is from a dual perspective of user and learning dissatisfaction. Using a learner-centered approach in university classes, the use of the digital platform Blackboard, the digital tool YouTube and the social network TikTok in university marketing teaching is analyzed. The study is carried out on a sample of 327 university students of different levels. The analysis is performed through a mixed methodology using a symmetric (PLS-SEM) and non-symmetric (fsQCA) approach, allowing a better generalization of the results. In the measurement of effectiveness, both user assessment and student learning assessment are significative, the two being affected in a similar way. However, they are not related to each other, acting independently. Attitude is the construct that has the greatest impact on both types of satisfaction. Perceived enjoyment also exerts a notable influence, especially on learning satisfaction. The study presents one of the first post-pandemic approaches to the analysis of the effectiveness of technological tools (ICT tools) in the face-to-face setting of university marketing classes.

Responsible Digital Transformation for a Sustainable Society

In the ever-evolving area of digital transformation, following responsible and sustainable practices is essential. This editorial article discusses the importance of responsible digital transformation, emphasizing the need for academia, private and public organizations, civil society, and individuals to work together in developing digital business models that generate shared value while addressing societal challenges. The article highlights the emergence of corporate digital responsibility (CDR) and the shift from industry 4.0 to industry 5.0, which focuses on human-centric approaches and human-AI partnerships. Furthermore, it underscores the need for interdisciplinary research and systematic approaches encompassing various dimensions of sustainability. By integrating sustainable ICT principles into digital transformation initiatives, organizations can contribute to a more sustainable and responsible digital future. The suggestions in this paper, coupled with the nice research contributions included in the special issue, seek to offer a broader foundation to support responsible digital transformations for sustainable societies.

Influence analysis of green finance development impact on carbon emissions: an exploratory study based on fsQCA

Increasing environmental degradation has forced policymakers to include sustainability in the economic growth agenda. Green finance has attracted the attention of policymakers and the industry, but the impact of green finance on social and environmental sustainability has not been confirmed. This study uses the panel data of 34 Chinese provinces to investigate the relationship between green finance and environmental degradation. The fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) method is utilized to analyze the mixed effect of green finance on CO2 emissions. These factors include green innovation, green insurance, green investment, and industrial structure. The results show that exogenous demand factors, including green insurance and industrial structure, have auxiliary effects when endogenous demand factors, including green investment and green innovation, exist as the core antecedent conditions among green finance and environmental degradation. Finally, the policymakers should encourage financial technology to actively participate in environmental protection initiatives that promote green consumption while minimizing the systemic risks caused by financial technology.

The Polarizing Impact of Political Disinformation and Hate Speech: A Cross-country Configural Narrative

Information and communication technologies hold immense potential to enhance our lives and societal well-being. However, digital spaces have also emerged as a fertile ground for fake news campaigns and hate speech, aggravating polarization and posing a threat to societal harmony. Despite the fact that this dark side is acknowledged in the literature, the complexity of polarization as a phenomenon coupled with the socio-technical nature of fake news necessitates a novel approach to unravel its intricacies. In light of this sophistication, the current study employs complexity theory and a configurational approach to investigate the impact of diverse disinformation campaigns and hate speech in polarizing societies across 177 countries through a cross-country investigation. The results demonstrate the definitive role of disinformation and hate speech in polarizing societies. The findings also offer a balanced perspective on internet censorship and social media monitoring as necessary evils to combat the disinformation menace and control polarization, but suggest that such efforts may lend support to a milieu of hate speech that fuels polarization. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Mechanism of knowledge management process towards minimizing manufacturing risk under green technology implementation: an empirical assessment

Given the critical importance of green technology implementation (GTI) is important for production process improvement and an eco-friendly environment. The present study investigates the connection between GTI and the knowledge management (KM) process to minimize manufacturing risk. This research also validates that an assured combination of green implementation and KM can lead to minimizing manufacturing risk. The sample data (153) was taken from those manufacturing companies that utilize green technologies. Smart PLS 3.2.9 analyzes the relationship between certain variables of GTI and the KM process. Furthermore, fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) is used for a combined configurational approach to examine manufacturing risk minimization. The study's outcome validated that green implementation positively correlated with KM to minimize production risk. fsQCA approach, KM, and green implementation outcome indicated that production risks are minimized. This study contributes to bridging research gaps in the literature and advances understanding of the interrelationship between green implementation and KM processes to minimize manufacturing risk. In addition, research is vital to combine direct and configurational methodologies to highlight two distinct facets of green implementation and the KM process for minimizing manufacturing risk.

Open innovation: status quo and quo vadis - an analysis of a research field

Open innovation is now a widely used concept in academia, industry, and policy-making. According to the recent report “The Open Innovation Barometer”, released by the Economist, 90% of organizations have either adopted or are planning to implement key open innovation practices by opening up their organizational boundaries to collaborative innovation in the next three years (The Economist Group 2022). However, the social and economic changes imposed by the emerging processes of transition towards a more digital and sustainable society raise questions on how the open innovation field of studies is evolving to meet new, emerging needs. By combining bibliometric techniques and content analysis, this study illustrates how this research community has evolved in the last 12 years. More specifically, this study provides a descriptive analysis of the literature on open innovation, defines its knowledge structure, and illustrates a representative picture of the theoretical landscape. Our analysis shows that attempts to consolidate established topics and theoretical approaches in this field of studies go hand in hand with the emergence of new conversations about unexplored dimensions of open innovation. We conclude this article by outlining some avenues for future research on how to conceptualize, theorize, and research (methods and analytical techniques) open innovation.

Digitalization, entrepreneurship and competitiveness: an analysis from 19 European countries

In light of the economic situation resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, economists have claimed that an improvement in competitiveness can enhance economic growth. A greater degree of competitiveness allows the relevant actors to engage in entrepreneurial activity in new markets and to create market niches that promote job creation. Among the factors that can stimulate competitiveness, entrepreneurship and digitalization play relevant roles. Digital technologies have generated new business opportunities for entrepreneurs; likewise, digital entrepreneurship allows different entrepreneurs to connect via a platform, thus facilitating access to global markets with growth potential. The fundamental objective of this paper is to study the relationships among digitalization, entrepreneurship and competitiveness in light of the factors that influence the digitalization process. An empirical analysis of 19 European countries is conducted, and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis is used to obtain the combinations of economic and social variables that affect competitiveness and entrepreneurship. The results of the empirical analysis show that to stimulate entrepreneurial activity, a country must exhibit an environment that is favourable to digitalization as well as an investment in talent that allows the relevant actors to take advantage of the benefits of digital technologies.

Online reputation of agri-food companies and determining factors: an empirical investigation

In an increasingly technology-oriented society, companies should ensure not only that they have an Internet presence but also that they are conveying the right image. According to the resource-based view, online reputation is a key intangible asset for successful technological business change. The aim of this research is to analyze the online reputation of companies in the agri-food sector, identifying the factors that have an impact on it. For this purpose, fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis is used. The results show that online reputation is conditioned by legal form and attributes associated with the company website. Such attributes include website quality, the presence of information associated with corporate social responsibility, the use of a secure connection, and the sale of organic products. The results provide strategic guidelines for public and private decision makers to exploit the full potential of ICTs.

Is Policy the Necessary or Sufficient Driving Force of Construction and Demolition Waste Recycling Industry Development? Experience from China

Policies have long been considered the essential driving force in promoting construction and demolition waste (CDW) recycling. However, the policy instruments adopted in different economies have varied greatly, which contributes to the difficulty in quantitative discernment of their effect. This study aims to examine whether the holistic employment of policy measures determines the development of CDW recycling around China. To accurately measure the holistic adoption of CDW policies, this study assessed policy strength via a proposed three-dimensional evaluation model. The spatiotemporal differences in policy strength among the 52 sample cities were further defined using K-means clustering and the Gini coefficient. Next, the driving effect of policy on the initial establishment of CDW recycling industry practices was examined by event history analysis (EHA). Finally, fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was used to analyze the sufficiency and necessity of policy for the initial establishment of CDW recycling practices. The results indicated that the establishment of a first CDW recycling plant is only slightly correlated with policy measures, whereas it is highly correlated with the pilot city and per capita GDP. Furthermore, application of policy is neither a necessary nor sufficient condition for the establishment of a CDW recycling industry facility.