An evaluation of critical knowledge areas for managing the COVID-19 pandemic

Synergistic effect of pollution reduction and carbon emission mitigation in the digital economy

Synergetic control of environmental pollution and carbon emissions (SCEPCE) is essential to green development. The emergence of the digital economy has become a significant component in regional economic growth. Investigating the digital driving mode for SCEPCE in developing countries is crucial. This paper empirically analyzes the effect of establishing big data comprehensive experimental areas (BDCEAs) on air pollutants and carbon emissions using panel data of prefecture-level cities from 2009 to 2020 and the time-varying difference-in-differences method. The research found that (1) BDCEA inhibits pollution and carbon emissions, and the policy effect is sustainable. (2) The synergistic effect is significant, particularly in small and medium-sized cities and old industrial-base cities. The benefit of reducing pollution is only significant in the east. The effect of reducing CO₂ emissions is only significant in the west. (3) The pollution reduction effect of digital economic development has the characteristics of an increasing marginal effect, and the marginal effect of its carbon reduction effect is not apparent. (4) The technological innovation and energy efficiency improvement effects are effective mechanisms. This paper enriches the studies on the factors influencing SCEPCE, which will help to realize SCEPCE and the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature in developing countries. However, policy incentives and green development strategies must be fine-tuned to achieve global SCEPCE.

Knowledge integration for resilience among multinational SMEs amid the COVID-19: from the view of global digital platforms

Purpose

Multinational small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly participating in cross-border digital platforms – especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Accordingly, knowledge integration (KI) has become more and more important. In fact, it has been deemed by many as the key to organizational resilience. Given this burgeoning phenomenon, this study aims to explore a path for improving the resilience of multinational SMEs. Through this process, this study also finds a relationship between the KI processes associated with adopting global digital platforms and the resiliency of local–global businesses. Hence, in part, this paper also explores the effectiveness of all these mechanisms.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used the stepwise regression method in Stata 16.0 to analyze the direct effects of both horizontal and vertical KI processes on the resilience of local–global businesses. Additionally, t-tests were also used to compare the differences in coefficients between the mechanisms. The sample analyzed comprised data on multinational manufacturing SMEs in the Yangtze River Delta region of China who are using global digital platforms.

Findings

The KI processes of these firms, both horizontal and vertical, positively correlate to resilience. Horizontal KI processes more efficiently increase the resilience of global businesses, whereas vertical processes more efficiently increase the resilience of local businesses.

Originality/value

First, this study provides insights into how multinational SMEs can improve their resilience in a crisis. In addition to adding to the knowledge of KI processes, this expands the KM literature on pandemics. Second, by creating two KI processes based on global digital platforms and discussing their influence on resilience, this research deepens the understanding of affordance in the KM literature. Third, focusing on the KI research stream, the results shed light on how KI processes might occur and how firms develop their KI processes.

Improving Knowledge-Sharing Intentions: A Study in Indonesian Service Industries

Managers of service firms should improve the knowledge-sharing intentions among employees to obtain knowledge stored in them and use it to provide better services to customers. Across types of organizations, especially professional bureaucracies and operating adhocracies, one question is whether service firms can use the same information technology infrastructure strategy to improve workers’ knowledge-sharing intentions. To address this question, 347 respondents working in service industries participated in this study, and focus group discussions were conducted among representatives of those firms to produce better interpretations of statistical results. Findings suggest a weak but significant relationship between information technology infrastructure and knowledge-sharing intentions. While entering a new normal period after the COVID-19 pandemic, effective information technology infrastructures appear to represent a natural and ordinary facility. Despite operating in disparate organization types, managers in both professional bureaucracies and operating adhocracies should build trust and relationships with workers to increase knowledge-sharing intentions.

Early evidence of leadership skills and strategies in managing the impact of COVID-19 pandemic in the hospitality industry

Purpose

Given the critical consequences of the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis worldwide, displaying good leadership has been of utmost importance. Hospitality has been among the industries that have been hit the hardest by the pandemic, and it requires exceptional leadership skills unique to this crisis and sector. This multi-country study aims to contribute to the understanding of some of the most important skills and strategies that leaders in the hospitality industry may use to navigate the COVID-19 crisis effectively.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper employs a qualitative study. Semi-structured interviews are conducted with managers of international hospitality groups or local hotel chains in seven different countries.

Findings

The results show that positive thinking, decision-making, flexibility, divergent thinking, trust-building and communication skills have a positive impact on leadership effectiveness in the hospitality sector during the pandemic. Besides, saving payroll costs, elaborating contingency plans and leveraging from partners' strengths are highlighted as crucial strategies.

Practical implications

This paper provides hospitality professionals across borders preliminary insights and recommendations to manage the COVID-19 crisis.

Originality/value

Especially being one of the sectors that have been hit the hardest by the COVID-19 crisis worldwide, the dynamics and leadership requirements of the hospitality sector need further attention. The findings contribute to the literature by illustrating how managers have navigated the initial stages of the crisis in the under-researched hotel sector, and also by gathering evidence about the sector dynamics related to the early stages of this crisis.