5,815 research outputs found

    An empirical investigation of the relationship between integration, dynamic capabilities and performance in supply chains

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    This research aimed to develop an empirical understanding of the relationships between integration, dynamic capabilities and performance in the supply chain domain, based on which, two conceptual frameworks were constructed to advance the field. The core motivation for the research was that, at the stage of writing the thesis, the combined relationship between the three concepts had not yet been examined, although their interrelationships have been studied individually. To achieve this aim, deductive and inductive reasoning logics were utilised to guide the qualitative study, which was undertaken via multiple case studies to investigate lines of enquiry that would address the research questions formulated. This is consistent with the author’s philosophical adoption of the ontology of relativism and the epistemology of constructionism, which was considered appropriate to address the research questions. Empirical data and evidence were collected, and various triangulation techniques were employed to ensure their credibility. Some key features of grounded theory coding techniques were drawn upon for data coding and analysis, generating two levels of findings. These revealed that whilst integration and dynamic capabilities were crucial in improving performance, the performance also informed the former. This reflects a cyclical and iterative approach rather than one purely based on linearity. Adopting a holistic approach towards the relationship was key in producing complementary strategies that can deliver sustainable supply chain performance. The research makes theoretical, methodological and practical contributions to the field of supply chain management. The theoretical contribution includes the development of two emerging conceptual frameworks at the micro and macro levels. The former provides greater specificity, as it allows meta-analytic evaluation of the three concepts and their dimensions, providing a detailed insight into their correlations. The latter gives a holistic view of their relationships and how they are connected, reflecting a middle-range theory that bridges theory and practice. The methodological contribution lies in presenting models that address gaps associated with the inconsistent use of terminologies in philosophical assumptions, and lack of rigor in deploying case study research methods. In terms of its practical contribution, this research offers insights that practitioners could adopt to enhance their performance. They can do so without necessarily having to forgo certain desired outcomes using targeted integrative strategies and drawing on their dynamic capabilities

    Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Meets Deep Learning

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    This reprint focuses on the application of the combination of synthetic aperture radars and depth learning technology. It aims to further promote the development of SAR image intelligent interpretation technology. A synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is an important active microwave imaging sensor, whose all-day and all-weather working capacity give it an important place in the remote sensing community. Since the United States launched the first SAR satellite, SAR has received much attention in the remote sensing community, e.g., in geological exploration, topographic mapping, disaster forecast, and traffic monitoring. It is valuable and meaningful, therefore, to study SAR-based remote sensing applications. In recent years, deep learning represented by convolution neural networks has promoted significant progress in the computer vision community, e.g., in face recognition, the driverless field and Internet of things (IoT). Deep learning can enable computational models with multiple processing layers to learn data representations with multiple-level abstractions. This can greatly improve the performance of various applications. This reprint provides a platform for researchers to handle the above significant challenges and present their innovative and cutting-edge research results when applying deep learning to SAR in various manuscript types, e.g., articles, letters, reviews and technical reports

    Women’s occupational mobility in the Nigerian service sector through a radical feminist perspective

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    A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of Wolverhampton for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy.The impact of women’s contribution and participation in society and its economies has been theorised to contribute trillion dollars to global GDP. There is extensive research and literature that has contextualised and developed our understanding of the marginalisation of women in our societies to advocate for gender equality as the United Nations’ 5th Sustainable Development Goal of Gender Equality is also essential in achieving other sustainable development goals. To contribute to the growing empirical study within the context of Sub-Sahara Africa with a particular focus on Nigeria, this study investigates the impact of institutionalisation of organisational practices in the leadership experience and participation of women in the service sector. Through a radical feminist perspective, a deconstructive analysis of the Nigerian context was conducted on the culture of Nigeria and its influence on organisational culture and the adoption of leadership styles. Focus groups and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 31 women in the service sector in entry-level, middle-management and leadership positions across three industries: financial institutions, Information, Communication and Technology (ICT), and Higher Education. The findings revealed the relationship between the dimensions of institutional theory and women's experience. They shed light on the institutional void and the barriers to women’s occupational mobility and full economic participation. Most importantly, the outcome of this investigation documents critical recommendations for organisations, women, and NGOs to consider how to change cultural mindsets within the service sector. The call for organisations is to be deliberate in identifying barriers and initiating a strategy to tackle those barriers with a ten-part monitoring and evaluation toolkit

    Traditional Chinese State Ritual System of Sacrifice to Mountain and Water Spirits

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    This book focuses on the traditional Chinese ritual system of sacrifice to mountain and water spirits, a significant but largely overlooked sub-field of Chinse religious studies. This system mainly comprised the five sacred peaks, five strongholds, four seas, and four waterways, and was maintained for two thousand years in imperial China. As state ritual, it was constructed of by Confucian ritual culture, but in practice, it gradually interacted and integrated with various religious traditions, such as Daoism, Buddhism, and folk belief, especially in its local manifestation and dissemination. The eighteen great mountains and waters marked geographical and directional borders and territories modelled on the yin-yang and five-phase framework that helped shape Chinese people’s cosmographical understanding of the world. Together, they constituted a set of sacred spaces symbolizing the sanctioned political legitimacy of the imperium and functioning as the loca for communication with the divine, as well as the media between religion and its secular context, state ideology and local beliefs, or various ethnic groups. Through the discovery of a rich variety of historical sources, especially stele inscriptions preserved in the sacrificial temples, the contributors of the ten chapters in this volume examine the sacred peaks, strongholds, seas, and waterways respectively. While each of the chapters explores one or more perspectives, together they reveal the rich implications and ramification of the ritual system and present the first comprehensive study of this sub-field

    Convex Optimization for Machine Learning

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    This book covers an introduction to convex optimization, one of the powerful and tractable optimization problems that can be efficiently solved on a computer. The goal of the book is to help develop a sense of what convex optimization is, and how it can be used in a widening array of practical contexts with a particular emphasis on machine learning. The first part of the book covers core concepts of convex sets, convex functions, and related basic definitions that serve understanding convex optimization and its corresponding models. The second part deals with one very useful theory, called duality, which enables us to: (1) gain algorithmic insights; and (2) obtain an approximate solution to non-convex optimization problems which are often difficult to solve. The last part focuses on modern applications in machine learning and deep learning. A defining feature of this book is that it succinctly relates the “story” of how convex optimization plays a role, via historical examples and trending machine learning applications. Another key feature is that it includes programming implementation of a variety of machine learning algorithms inspired by optimization fundamentals, together with a brief tutorial of the used programming tools. The implementation is based on Python, CVXPY, and TensorFlow. This book does not follow a traditional textbook-style organization, but is streamlined via a series of lecture notes that are intimately related, centered around coherent themes and concepts. It serves as a textbook mainly for a senior-level undergraduate course, yet is also suitable for a first-year graduate course. Readers benefit from having a good background in linear algebra, some exposure to probability, and basic familiarity with Python

    Blockchain Technology: Disruptor or Enhnancer to the Accounting and Auditing Profession

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    The unique features of blockchain technology (BCT) - peer-to-peer network, distribution ledger, consensus decision-making, transparency, immutability, auditability, and cryptographic security - coupled with the success enjoyed by Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have encouraged many to assume that the technology would revolutionise virtually all aspects of business. A growing body of scholarship suggests that BCT would disrupt the accounting and auditing fields by changing accounting practices, disintermediating auditors, and eliminating financial fraud. BCT disrupts audits (Lombard et al.,2021), reduces the role of audit firms (Yermack 2017), undermines accountants' roles with software developers and miners (Fortin & Pimentel 2022); eliminates many management functions, transforms businesses (Tapscott & Tapscott, 2017), facilitates a triple-entry accounting system (Cai, 2021), and prevents fraudulent transactions (Dai, et al., 2017; Rakshit et al., 2022). Despite these speculations, scholars have acknowledged that the application of BCT in the accounting and assurance industry is underexplored and many existing studies are said to lack engagement with practitioners (Dai & Vasarhelyi, 2017; Lombardi et al., 2021; Schmitz & Leoni, 2019). This study empirically explored whether BCT disrupts or enhances accounting and auditing fields. It also explored the relevance of audit in a BCT environment and the effectiveness of the BCT mechanism for fraud prevention and detection. The study further examined which technical skillsets accountants and auditors require in a BCT environment, and explored the incentives, barriers, and unintended consequences of the adoption of BCT in the accounting and auditing professions. The current COVID-19 environment was also investigated in terms of whether the pandemic has improved BCT adoption or not. A qualitative exploratory study used semi-structured interviews to engage practitioners from blockchain start-ups, IT experts, financial analysts, accountants, auditors, academics, organisational leaders, consultants, and editors who understood the technology. With the aid of NVIVO qualitative analysis software, the views of 44 participants from 13 countries: New Zealand, Australia, United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Hong Kong, India, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, and South Africa were analysed. The Technological, Organisational, and Environmental (TOE) framework with consequences of innovation context was adopted for this study. This expanded TOE framework was used as the theoretical lens to understand the disruption of BCT and its adoption in the accounting and auditing fields. Four clear patterns emerged. First, BCT is an emerging tool that accountants and auditors use mainly to analyse financial records because technology cannot disintermediate auditors from the financial system. Second, the technology can detect anomalies but cannot prevent financial fraud. Third, BCT has not been adopted by any organisation for financial reporting and accounting purposes, and accountants and auditors do not require new skillsets or an understanding of the BCT programming language to be able to operate in a BCT domain. Fourth, the advent of COVID-19 has not substantially enhanced the adoption of BCT. Additionally, this study highlights the incentives, barriers, and unintended consequences of adopting BCT as financial technology (FinTech). These findings shed light on important questions about BCT disrupting and disintermediating auditors, the extent of adoption in the accounting industry, preventing fraud and anomalies, and underscores the notion that blockchain, as an emerging technology, currently does not appear to be substantially disrupting the accounting and auditing profession. This study makes methodological, theoretical, and practical contributions. At the methodological level, the study adopted the social constructivist-interpretivism paradigm with an exploratory qualitative method to engage and understand BCT as a disruptive innovation in the accounting industry. The engagement with practitioners from diverse fields, professions, and different countries provides a distinctive and innovative contribution to methodological and practical knowledge. At the theoretical level, the findings contribute to the literature by offering an integrated conceptual TOE framework. The framework offers a reference for practitioners, academics and policymakers seeking to appraise comprehensive factors influencing BCT adoption and its likely unintended consequences. The findings suggest that, at present, no organisations are using BCT for financial reporting and accounting systems. This study contributes to practice by highlighting the differences between initial expectations and practical applications of what BCT can do in the accounting and auditing fields. The study could not find any empirical evidence that BCT will disrupt audits, eliminate the roles of auditors in a financial system, and prevent and detect financial fraud. Also, there was no significant evidence that accountants and auditors required higher-level skillsets and an understanding of BCT programming language to be able to use the technology. Future research should consider the implications of an external audit firm as a node in a BCT network on the internal audit functions. It is equally important to critically examine the relevance of including programming languages or codes in the curriculum of undergraduate accounting students. Future research could also empirically evaluate if a BCT-enabled triple-entry system could prevent financial statements and management fraud

    The psychologisation of natal astrology in the twentieth century

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    This thesis discusses the idea that natal astrology was psychologised in the twentieth century through an examination of ‘psychological astrology’. It is the first in-depth exploration of psychologisation in the English-speaking world through textual analysis of astrology books. It takes as a starting point the argument from Wouter Hanegraaff that magic survived the disenchantment of the world due to a process of psychologisation, which broadly means that magic has adapted along psychological lines to become a different sort of magic to that previously found before the period characterised by disenchantment. The main reason for this adaptation is to acquire legitimisation from a subject, psychology, deemed to be scientific and acceptable in the modern world. The thesis asks whether the issues raised by Hanegraaff’s psychologisation thesis, and wider ideas on psychologisation, apply to the natal astrology of the twentieth century, focusing on the form known as psychological astrology. The question is tackled through textual analysis of the works of the three major astrologers identified by existing scholarship as having contributed to the twentieth century development of psychological astrology: Alan Leo (1860-1917), Dane Rudhyar (1895-1985) and Liz Greene (1946- ). Significant consideration is also given to the major psychological influence on Rudhyar and Greene: the psychologist Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961). Wider definitions of psychologisation considered include Christopher Plaisance’s extension of Hanegraaff’s work through his four-fold typology of psychologisation as applying to esoteric discourse. In exploring conceptions of psychologisation and modernity as presented within the works of the key psychological astrologers, the thesis demonstrates that the label of psychologisation may be partly applied to psychological astrology. However, this form of astrology does not represent a fully adapted, disenchanted form seeking legitimisation but is an adaptation for modern people for philosophical reasons and principally to maximise the use of astrology to enhance free-will and psychological development. In doing so it can be characterised as more enchanted than disenchanted

    24th Nordic Conference on Computational Linguistics (NoDaLiDa)

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