1,144 research outputs found

    Graduate Catalog of Studies, 2023-2024

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    Graduate Catalog of Studies, 2023-2024

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    Climate Change and Critical Agrarian Studies

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    Climate change is perhaps the greatest threat to humanity today and plays out as a cruel engine of myriad forms of injustice, violence and destruction. The effects of climate change from human-made emissions of greenhouse gases are devastating and accelerating; yet are uncertain and uneven both in terms of geography and socio-economic impacts. Emerging from the dynamics of capitalism since the industrial revolution — as well as industrialisation under state-led socialism — the consequences of climate change are especially profound for the countryside and its inhabitants. The book interrogates the narratives and strategies that frame climate change and examines the institutionalised responses in agrarian settings, highlighting what exclusions and inclusions result. It explores how different people — in relation to class and other co-constituted axes of social difference such as gender, race, ethnicity, age and occupation — are affected by climate change, as well as the climate adaptation and mitigation responses being implemented in rural areas. The book in turn explores how climate change – and the responses to it - affect processes of social differentiation, trajectories of accumulation and in turn agrarian politics. Finally, the book examines what strategies are required to confront climate change, and the underlying political-economic dynamics that cause it, reflecting on what this means for agrarian struggles across the world. The 26 chapters in this volume explore how the relationship between capitalism and climate change plays out in the rural world and, in particular, the way agrarian struggles connect with the huge challenge of climate change. Through a huge variety of case studies alongside more conceptual chapters, the book makes the often-missing connection between climate change and critical agrarian studies. The book argues that making the connection between climate and agrarian justice is crucial

    Blockchain Technology in Education: Opportunities, Challenges, and Beyond

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    Blockchain technology has gained significant attention for its decentralized, secure, transparent, and immutable characteristics. It has been adopted in various domains, including the financial and education sectors. This systematic review provides a comprehensive analysis of the opportunities, challenges, and future educational prospects of blockchain technology by examining published research from various disciplines. A bibliometric approach was adopted using R Studio. Datasets were sourced from the Scopus database, which included Scopusindexed articles from 2018 to 2022. The keywords “blockchain” and “education” were used to retrieve relevant articles. Specific criteria were applied to filter the literature sources, ensuring that our discussions focused on the applications and challenges of blockchain technology in education. We only considered articles written in English, specifically those published in proceedings and journals. The review identified that blockchain technology has the potential to transform education by enhancing data security, facilitating efficient verification and credentialing processes, and enabling peer-to-peer transactions. However, addressing challenges such as adoption, technical expertise, data privacy, security, and standardization is crucial. Therefore, the study concludes that implementing blockchain technology in education can yield significant benefits for future generations. These benefits include reducing the gap in global education and increasing transparency and accountability in the education sector

    Modern computing: Vision and challenges

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    Over the past six decades, the computing systems field has experienced significant transformations, profoundly impacting society with transformational developments, such as the Internet and the commodification of computing. Underpinned by technological advancements, computer systems, far from being static, have been continuously evolving and adapting to cover multifaceted societal niches. This has led to new paradigms such as cloud, fog, edge computing, and the Internet of Things (IoT), which offer fresh economic and creative opportunities. Nevertheless, this rapid change poses complex research challenges, especially in maximizing potential and enhancing functionality. As such, to maintain an economical level of performance that meets ever-tighter requirements, one must understand the drivers of new model emergence and expansion, and how contemporary challenges differ from past ones. To that end, this article investigates and assesses the factors influencing the evolution of computing systems, covering established systems and architectures as well as newer developments, such as serverless computing, quantum computing, and on-device AI on edge devices. Trends emerge when one traces technological trajectory, which includes the rapid obsolescence of frameworks due to business and technical constraints, a move towards specialized systems and models, and varying approaches to centralized and decentralized control. This comprehensive review of modern computing systems looks ahead to the future of research in the field, highlighting key challenges and emerging trends, and underscoring their importance in cost-effectively driving technological progress

    Blockchain Agency Theory

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    Longstanding assumptions underlying strategic alliances, such as agency theory, are actively being revoked by dynamics in the new economy. The mechanism of inter-firm cooperation is increasingly being altered by radical developments in blockchains and artificial intelligence among other technologies. To capture and address this shift, this review takes a problematisation approach and focuses wholly on the pertinence of agency theory. First, it begins by acknowledging the established corpus in the area before, second, appraising the seven long-held assumptions in the principal-agent relationship encompassing (1) self-interest, (2) conflicting goals, (3) bounded rationality, (4) information asymmetry, (5) pre-eminence of efficiency, (6) risk aversion and (7) information as a commodity. Third, to add a fresh perspective, the review proceeds to proffer seven assumptions to advance a novel ‘Blockchain Agency Theory’ that would better describe new attributes and relaxed agency behaviour in blockchain alliances. These counter assumptions are (1) common interests, (2) congruent goals, (3) unbounded rationality, (4) information symmetry, (5) smart contracts, (6) mean risk and (7) information availability. In the fourth part, the prior audience of principals and agents is appraised and this culminates into, fifth, a consideration of a new audience of blockchain agency in algocratic environments. Altogether, the seven new assumptions extend and provoke new agency thinking among scholars and blockchain practitioners alike

    Digital Innovations for a Circular Plastic Economy in Africa

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    Plastic pollution is one of the biggest challenges of the twenty-first century that requires innovative and varied solutions. Focusing on sub-Saharan Africa, this book brings together interdisciplinary, multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder perspectives exploring challenges and opportunities for utilising digital innovations to manage and accelerate the transition to a circular plastic economy (CPE). This book is organised into three sections bringing together discussion of environmental conditions, operational dimensions and country case studies of digital transformation towards the circular plastic economy. It explores the environment for digitisation in the circular economy, bringing together perspectives from practitioners in academia, innovation, policy, civil society and government agencies. The book also highlights specific country case studies in relation to the development and implementation of different innovative ideas to drive the circular plastic economy across the three sub-Saharan African regions. Finally, the book interrogates the policy dimensions and practitioner perspectives towards a digitally enabled circular plastic economy. Written for a wide range of readers across academia, policy and practice, including researchers, students, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), digital entrepreneurs, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and multilateral agencies, policymakers and public officials, this book offers unique insights into complex, multilayered issues relating to the production and management of plastic waste and highlights how digital innovations can drive the transition to the circular plastic economy in Africa. The Open Access version of this book, available at https://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license

    The importance of digitalization of services in hotels in the function of improving customer satisfaction

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    Дигиталне иновације и развој нових хотелских услуга су важне стратешке одреднице одрживог развоја хотелијерске привреде, пошто су тржишта засићена и клијенти бирају услуге из целог света на основу свог искуства и задовољства током целог животног циклуса корисника. Ова студија истражује задовољство корисника квалитетом дигиталних услуга хотела у Србији, очекивањима корисника и њиховим демографским утицајем на свеукупно задовољство. У истраживању су коришћени: преглед постојеће литературе о задовољству корисника и дигитализацији у хотелијерству, као и емпиријска истраживања, анкетирање 1036 корисника о њиховом задовољству дигиталним услугама у 41 хотелу (категорије 4 и 5 звездица) у Србији од септембра 2021. до средине априла 2022 године. Такође је спроведено истраживање у хотелима о њиховим улагањима у дигитализацију, као и процењени степен дигитализације који су достигли. Регресиона анализа и Ликертова скала од 5 нивоа су коришћени за валоризацију 91 индикатора истраживања. Према главним налазима може се закључити да на задовољство корисника највише утиче квалитет и ниво дигиталних хотелских услуга у време боравка гостију у хотелу. Истовремено, значајан утицај на свеукупно задовољство имају и очекивања корисника и демографске карактеристике: старост, пол, социјални статус, занимање и ниво образовања. Према резултатима, око 30% хотела у Србији је у последње три године инвестирало у дигитализацију, а већина њих је у фази делимичног коришћења дигиталних технологија у свом пословању, у дигитализацији услуга и маркетингу односа са корисницима. Може се закључити да постоји статистички значај дигитализације хотела у Србији. Овај рад има намеру да допринесе теорији маркетинга и сатисфакције и развоју хотелијерста. Резултати се такође могу користити као смерница за менаџмент хотела као провајдера услуга за унапређење квалитета услуга, комуникације на друштвеним мрежама и у развоју савременог маркетинг концепта за хотеле.Digitalne inovacije i razvoj novih hotelskih usluga su važne strateške odrednice održivog razvoja hotelijerske privrede, pošto su tržišta zasićena i klijenti biraju usluge iz celog sveta na osnovu svog iskustva i zadovoljstva tokom celog životnog ciklusa korisnika. Ova studija istražuje zadovoljstvo korisnika kvalitetom digitalnih usluga hotela u Srbiji, očekivanjima korisnika i njihovim demografskim uticajem na sveukupno zadovoljstvo. U istraživanju su korišćeni: pregled postojeće literature o zadovoljstvu korisnika i digitalizaciji u hotelijerstvu, kao i empirijska istraživanja, anketiranje 1036 korisnika o njihovom zadovoljstvu digitalnim uslugama u 41 hotelu (kategorije 4 i 5 zvezdica) u Srbiji od septembra 2021. do sredine aprila 2022 godine. Takođe je sprovedeno istraživanje u hotelima o njihovim ulaganjima u digitalizaciju, kao i procenjeni stepen digitalizacije koji su dostigli. Regresiona analiza i Likertova skala od 5 nivoa su korišćeni za valorizaciju 91 indikatora istraživanja. Prema glavnim nalazima može se zaključiti da na zadovoljstvo korisnika najviše utiče kvalitet i nivo digitalnih hotelskih usluga u vreme boravka gostiju u hotelu. Istovremeno, značajan uticaj na sveukupno zadovoljstvo imaju i očekivanja korisnika i demografske karakteristike: starost, pol, socijalni status, zanimanje i nivo obrazovanja. Prema rezultatima, oko 30% hotela u Srbiji je u poslednje tri godine investiralo u digitalizaciju, a većina njih je u fazi delimičnog korišćenja digitalnih tehnologija u svom poslovanju, u digitalizaciji usluga i marketingu odnosa sa korisnicima. Može se zaključiti da postoji statistički značaj digitalizacije hotela u Srbiji. Ovaj rad ima nameru da doprinese teoriji marketinga i satisfakcije i razvoju hotelijersta. Rezultati se takođe mogu koristiti kao smernica za menadžment hotela kao provajdera usluga za unapređenje kvaliteta usluga, komunikacije na društvenim mrežama i u razvoju savremenog marketing koncepta za hotele.Digital Innovation and new hotel services’ development are important strategic features to pledge sustainable growth for the hospitality industry, as markets are saturated and clients choose services from all over the world based on their experience and satisfaction during the whole customer life circle. This study attempts to investigate customer satisfaction associated with Serbian hotel digital services quality, customer expectations, and customers’ demographic impact. Methods used in the research, are a review of existing literature studies on tourist satisfaction, and digitalization in the hospitality industry, and empirical research. A survey was conducted using a questionnaire, among a total number of 1036 guests on their satisfaction with the digital services of the Serbian hotels (41 hotels of 4 and 5th-star categories) from the September of 2021 to April 2022. At the same time, another survey was provided on hotels on their investments in digitaization, as well as the assessed level of digitalization stage they have reached. Regression analysis, and Likert 5 level scale were used to valorize the survey results of indication. This study uses 91 indicators for measurement. The findings of this study concluded that the most influential on customer satisfaction is the quality and the level of digitalized hotel services at the time of guests' stay in the hotel. At the same time, the significant impact on overall customer satisfaction make also customers' expectations and demographic characteristics: age, gender, social and occupation status, and education level. According to results around 30% of hotels in Serbia have made investments in digitalization in the last three years, and most of them are at the phase of partly usage of digital technologies in their business operations, services digitalization, and customer relationship marketing. It can be concluded that there is a statistical significance of the digitalization of hotels in Serbia. This paper attempts to contribute to the theories of marketing and satisfaction and Serbian hospitality development. The results also can be used as a guideline for hotel management as service providers to improve their service quality, social networking, and in the development of a contemporary marketing concept for hotel
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