Denna studie undersöker internationaliseringsprocessen av e-handelsbolag med fokus på hur psychic distance, ett koncept som hanterar upplevda skillnader i bland annat språk, kultur och politik mellan olika marknader, spelar in i internationaliseringen. Syftet med studien är alltså att undersöka vad den befintliga litteraturen inom fältet för International Business studier säger om sambandet och vilken roll psychic distance spelar i internationaliseringen av e-handelsbolag. Detta kommer göras genom att besvara följande två forskningsfrågor: Vilken roll spelar psychic distance i e-handelsbolags internationaliseringsprocess? samt På vilket sätt har betydelsen av psychic distance förändrats i och med e-handeln? Studien baseras på teorierna kring psychic distance och nätverk från Uppsalamodellens internationaliseringsteorier, CAGE-ramverket samt e-handel och ”the virtuality trap” för att undersöka sambandet mellan dessa traditionella teorier och nya tekniska utvecklingar i form av e-handel. För att undersöka detta har en systematisk litteraturstudie baserad på 29 artiklar från fem olika journaler på fältet genomförts. Resultatet från denna analyserades sedan med hjälp av en tematisk analys för att identifiera mönster i materialet. Detta ledde fram till ett antal slutsatser och det konstaterades att psychic distance spelar en roll även i internationaliseringen av e-handelsbolag men inte riktigt samma roll som för traditionella bolag. Det konstaterades även att betydelsen av psychic distance har ändrats mycket i och med e-handeln och att även om teknik sägs minska avstånd så kan avstånden ändå inte helt elimineras. Slutligen konstateras att det finns mer att lära om psychic distance i e-handelssammanhang och att mer forskning på området är önskvärt. / This study examines the internationalization process of e-commerce companies with a focus on psychic distance, a concept that deals with perceived differences in, among other things, language, culture and politics in different markets and how this plays a role in internationalization. The purpose of the studies is to examine what the existing literature within the field of International Business studies says about the role psychic distance plays in the internationalization of e-commerce companies. This was done by answering the following two research questions: What role does psychic distance play in the internationalization process of e-commerce companies? as well as In what way has the meaning of psychic distance changed with e-commerce? The study is based on the theories around psychic distance and networks from the Uppsala model's internationalization theories, the CAGE-distance framework as well as e-commerce and the virtuality trap to examine the connection between these traditional theories and new technological developments in the form of e-commerce. To investigate this, a systematic literature review, based on 29 articles from five different scientific journals within the field of interest was conducted. The results from these were then analyzed using a thematic analysis to identify patterns in the material. This led to several conclusions, and it was established that psychic distance does plays a role in the internationalization of e-commerce companies, but not quite the same role as for traditional companies. It is also established that the meaning of psychic distance has changed a lot with e-commerce and that even though technology is said to reduces distance, the distance cannot be eliminated. Finally, it is established that there is more to learn about psychological distance in an e-commerce context and that more research in the area is desirable. This thesis is written in Swedish.

Logistics 4.0 suggests that increased automation can enhance performance, while Logistics 5.0 emphasizes the advantages of a modern workforce that combines humans and emerging technologies. However, the logistics industry needs a deeper understanding of human factors, an area that has been overlooked so far. To bridge this research gap, this dissertation investigated distracted driving behavior among individuals involved in transportation and logistics-based applications. This investigation employed both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Essay 1 focuses on a systematic literature review (SLR) that comprehensively analyzes published research on self-response studies regarding distracted driving behavior. The study identifies five overarching categories of distractions: (a) cell phone-related, (b) technology-related, (c) nontechnology-related, (d) psychological, and (e) personality. The findings underscore the substantial research conducted on self-reported distractions associated with cell phones and technology. Essay 2 employs the protection motivation theory (PMT) to develop hypotheses that predict the engagement of young drivers in texting while driving (TWD). In addition to TWD, the survey also included cognitive failure to examine the indirect effects of PMT on TWD within a mediation framework. The results, obtained through structural equation modeling with 674 respondents aged 18-25, indicate that several factors including response cost, threat vulnerability, cognitive failure, self-efficacy, and threat severity influence TWD behavior. Essay 3 investigates the influence of young drivers' respect for safety, neutralization techniques, and polychronicity on distracted driving behavior (DDB), based on the cognitive dissonance theory (CDT). The findings, drawn from 326 respondents aged 22-29 years, indicate that drivers who prioritize safety (respect for safety) are less likely to engage in DDB. Lastly, Essay 4 takes a survey-based approach to explore how factors such as respect for safety, polychronicity, and cognitive failure influence the likelihood of engagement in distractions among industrial operators, specifically forklift drivers, in warehouse and distribution centers (WDCs). The study's results indicate that cognitive failure has a negative impact on forklift drivers' distracted driving behavior, while polychronic tendencies help drivers avoid engaging in distracted behavior.

This dissertation investigates videoconference technology adoption by aging-in-place organizations to facilitate the social engagement of older adults. It comprises three studies that examine the initiation and coordination of technology adoption by aging-in-place organizations and addresses the factors associated with successful adoption of relational videoconference technology by older adults. The first study is a systematic literature review exploring the role of aging-in-place organizations in social engagement of older adults through videoconference technology. The second study is a survey of adult relatives and friends of older adults regarding videoconference technology adoption by older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic and their experience with facilitating resources. It applies technology adoption theory and a structural equation model to characterize the role of aging-in-place organizations. The third study is a pilot test of a new online platform called Circular that is designed to support social engagement of older adults. Through these studies, this research extends the existing body of knowledge regarding modes to facilitate adoption of relational technology by older adults and to empower senior centers and other aging-in-place organizations as they seek to socially engage the aging members of their communities.

Around 20% of the global water abstractions are originated by the industrial sector, while water demand overall will increase by 20–33% by 2050. Wastewater could provide an alternative source of water for industrial activities. There are not many studies exploring the potential of treated wastewater use under a private–public partnership (PPP), despite their potential of contributing to an effective integrated water management through the creation of inter-sectorial synergies. This paper aims therefore to provide a holistic overview of the main factors that affect the effectiveness of PPPs in using treated municipal wastewater in the industrial sector. Through a systematic literature review, the main barriers, drivers, industries and different applications of water use are analysed. Barriers and drivers are classified through the inductive Gioia method into seven categories. The results showed that economic and technical aspects related to the feasibility of the scheme were most prominent in the literature, while water availability seems to be central driving factor for such water reuse schemes. The conclusion of PPPs in water reuse, however, relies on the possibilities for such a partnership and on bridging the needs of the two parties, which entails effective communication through negotiation and information sharing. This paper is a first step to understanding how water circularity practices under an interconnected and sustainable urban environment can be facilitated and explored.

This study aims to explore the impact of negative life events on identity development through a qualitative systematic literature review and qualitative content analysis. The research seeks to understand how negative life events trigger identity crises and influence self-perception. Method: A systematic search was conducted in the PsycInfo and PubMed databases, resulting in the selection of 12 relevant studies for analysis. Themes were identified through qualitative content analysis to elucidate the effects of negative life events on identity. Results: The analysis revealed that negative life events can lead to both identity challenges and personal growth. The findings underscore the importance of supporting individuals experiencing identity crises for authentic identity development. Conclusion: Understanding the complexities of identity formation in the face of adversity is crucial for providing effective support and interventions. Further research in this area is essential for enhancing our knowledge of how individuals navigate identity development amidst negative life events.

The hospitality industry, with its dynamic business environment, has experienced unprecedented disruption and reconfiguration due to the emergence and success of sharing economy firms and online travel agencies. This turbulence calls for effective governance structures that can motivate managers to act in their shareholders' best interests. Despite the importance of effective corporate governance for firm performance and the topic receiving extensive scholarly attention in the management and finance literatures, there seem to be several gaps and mixed findings in the hospitality academic field. To facilitate scholarly advancement, identify gaps in the current knowledge base, and provide direction for future research, in the first essay I undertake a systematic review of research on corporate governance in the hospitality literature. Based on 115 peer-reviewed articles published since 1961, I identify 21 themes explored by scholars, and find that topics related to institutional ownership, executive compensation determinants, board size, and merger and acquisition (MandA) outcomes are commonly examined, whereas topics related to family ownership, debt, and regulation/law are seldom explored. This review contributes to the literature by taking stock of what we know and offering a one-stop-shop for scholars to understand and extend corporate governance literature published in the hospitality field. While evidence in the general business literature suggests that targets, instead of acquirers, are better off after the acquisition, limited studies in the hospitality industry have shown that both bidders and targets are better off after the merger, suggesting that MandAs are more successful in the hospitality industry than in other industries. In the second essay, I empirically examine whether this is indeed the case and what may explain the potential discrepancy in merger performance. Using a comparative study design and a comprehensive sample over 41 years, I find that overall acquirers gain from MandAs, and hospitality MandAs outperform non-hospitality MandAs. Bidders in the hospitality industry are more likely than non-hospitality bidders to acquire large, related targets, using an all-cash mode of payment. Except for industry relatedness, relative size, cash payment, and unlisted target are all positively related to merger performance. This study contributes to the literature by identifying several factors that can explain the differences in MandA performance between hospitality and non-hospitality firms. Despite the fact that MandAs are frequently pursued as a growth strategy in the hospitality industry, their effect on chief executive officer (CEO) compensation has not been systematically examined. Considering that CEO compensation is an important topic related to firm performance, management, and social responsibility, in the third essay I examine the relationship between MandAs and CEO compensation in a sample of hospitality firms consisting of 1,514 firm-year observations over a period of 27 years. The regression analyses find that CEO compensation is significantly higher in the year after large acquisitions; well-governed firms identified via tenure, the Entrenchment-index, and board independence pay their CEOs higher post-acquisition than poorly-governed firms; the fraction of equity-based compensation is unrelated to MandA propensity; and the fraction of cash-based compensation is negatively related to MandA propensity. The additional analyses indicate that CEOs are rewarded for positive stock returns but not penalized for negative stock returns, and even more so in well-governed firms after acquisition. This study finds that MandAs and corporate governance are determinants of CEO compensation and the form of CEO compensation matters to acquisition decisions in hospitality firms. The findings are of importance for shareholders and the board of directors to design compensation plans that align the interests of managers and shareholders. / Doctor of Philosophy / The hospitality industry, with its dynamic business environment, has experienced unprecedented disruption and reconfiguration due to the emergence and success of sharing economy firms and online travel agencies. This turbulence calls for effective governance structures that can motivate managers to act in their shareholders' best interests. Despite the importance of effective corporate governance for firm performance and the topic receiving extensive scholarly attention in the management and finance literatures, there seem to be several gaps and mixed findings in the hospitality academic field. To facilitate scholarly advancement, identify gaps in the current knowledge base, and provide direction for future research, in the first essay I undertake a systematic review of research on corporate governance in the hospitality literature, and find that topics related to institutional ownership, executive compensation determinants, board size, and merger and acquisition (MandA) outcomes are commonly examined, whereas topics related to family ownership, debt, and regulation/law are seldom explored. This review contributes to the literature by taking stock of what we know and offering a one-stop-shop for scholars to understand and extend corporate governance literature published in the hospitality field. In the second essay, I empirically examine whether MandAs are more successful in the hospitality industry than in other industries and what may explain the potential discrepancy in merger performance. I find that overall acquirers gain from MandAs, and hospitality MandAs outperform non-hospitality MandAs. Bidders in the hospitality industry are more likely than non-hospitality bidders to acquire large, related targets, using an all-cash mode of payment. Except for industry relatedness, relative size, cash payment, and unlisted target are all positively related to merger performance. This study contributes to the literature by identifying several factors that can explain the differences in MandA performance between hospitality and non-hospitality firms. In the third essay I examine the relationship between MandAs and CEO compensation in a sample of hospitality firms, and find that CEO compensation is significantly higher in the year after large acquisitions; well-governed firms identified via tenure, the Entrenchment-index, and board independence pay their CEOs higher post-acquisition than poorly-governed firms; the fraction of equity-based compensation is unrelated to MandA propensity; and the fraction of cash-based compensation is negatively related to MandA propensity. The additional analyses indicate that CEOs are rewarded for positive stock returns but not penalized for negative stock returns, and even more so in well-governed firms after acquisition. This study finds that MandAs and corporate governance are determinants of CEO compensation and the form of CEO compensation matters to acquisition decisions in hospitality firms. The findings are of importance for shareholders and the board of directors to design compensation plans that align the interests of managers and shareholders.

[pt] [Contexto] A importância das revisões sistemáticas da literatura (RSLs) para encontrar e sintetizar novas evidências para Engenharia de Software (ES) é bem conhecida, mas realizar e manter as RSLs atualizadas ainda é um grande desafio. Uma das atividades mais exaustivas durante uma RSL é a seleção de estudos, devido ao grande número de estudos a serem analisados. Além disso, para evitar viés, a seleção de estudos deve ser conduzida por mais de um revisor. [Objetivo] Esta dissertação tem como objetivo avaliar o uso de modelos de classificação de texto de machine learning (ML) para apoiar a seleção de estudos em atualizações de RSL e verificar se tais modelos podem substituir um revisor adicional. [Método] Reproduzimos a seleção de estudos de uma atualização de RSL realizada por três pesquisadores experientes, aplicando os modelos de ML ao mesmo conjunto de dados que eles utilizaram. Utilizamos dois algoritmos de ML supervisionado com configurações diferentes (Random Forest e Support Vector Machines) para treinar os modelos com base na RSL original. Calculamos a eficácia da seleção de estudos dos modelos de ML em termos de precisão, recall e f-measure. Também comparamos o nível de semelhança e concordância entre os estudos selecionados pelos modelos de ML e os revisores originais, realizando uma análise de Kappa e da Distância Euclidiana. [Resultados] Em nossa investigação, os modelos de ML alcançaram um f-score de 0.33 para a seleção de estudos, o que é insuficiente para conduzir a tarefa de forma automatizada. No entanto, descobrimos que tais modelos poderiam reduzir o esforço de seleção de estudos em 33.9 por cento sem perda de evidências (mantendo um recall de 100 por cento), descartando estudos com baixa probabilidade de inclusão. Além disso, os modelos de ML alcançaram em média um nível de concordância moderado com os revisores, com um valor médio de 0.42 para o coeficiente de Kappa. [Conclusões] Os resultados indicam que o ML não está pronto para substituir a seleção de estudos por revisores humanos e também pode não ser usado para substituir a necessidade de um revisor adicional. No entanto, há potencial para reduzir o esforço de seleção de estudos das atualizações de RSL. / [en] [Context] The importance of systematic literature reviews (SLRs) to find and synthesize new evidence for Software Engineering (SE) is well known, yet performing and keeping SLRs up-to-date is still a big challenge. One of the most exhaustive activities during an SLR is the study selection because of the large number of studies to be analyzed. Furthermore, to avoid bias, study selection should be conducted by more than one reviewer. [Objective] This dissertation aims to evaluate the use of machine learning (ML) text classification models to support the study selection in SLR updates and verify if such models can replace an additional reviewer. [Method] We reproduce the study selection of an SLR update performed by three experienced researchers, applying the ML models to the same dataset they used. We used two supervised ML algorithms with different configurations (Random Forest and Support Vector Machines) to train the models based on the original SLR. We calculated the study selection effectiveness of the ML models in terms of precision, recall, and f-measure. We also compared the level of similarity and agreement between the studies selected by the ML models and the original reviewers by performing a Kappa Analysis and Euclidean Distance Analysis. [Results] In our investigation, the ML models achieved an f-score of 0.33 for study selection, which is insufficient for conducting the task in an automated way. However, we found that such models could reduce the study selection effort by 33.9 percent without loss of evidence (keeping a 100 percent recall), discarding studies with a low probability of being included. In addition, the ML models achieved a moderate average kappa level of agreement of 0.42 with the reviewers. [Conclusion] The results indicate that ML is not ready to replace study selection by human reviewers and may also not be used to replace the need for an additional reviewer. However, there is potential for reducing the study selection effort of SLR updates.

[pt] Os impactos de desastres causam perturbações no fluxo das cadeias de suprimentos (CS) e afetam negativamente o desempenho das operações. Portanto, as empresas precisam implementar estratégias proativas e reativas eficazes para minimizar esses impactos. Esta tese visa contribuir para o desenvolvimento de CS preparadas e responsivas para lidar com os impactos dos desastres. A pesquisa adota os métodos de revisão sistemática da literatura e survey. Na fase de revisão, é possível destacar as análises descritivas através de uma análise bibliométrica, bem como a análise de conteúdo dos documentos. Os principais resultados são a elaboração de uma taxonomia, uma agenda de pesquisa e um framework. A taxonomia, especificamente, apresenta os principais impactos de desastre (ex.: instabilidade de preços) e as estratégias de contramedidas categorizadas em reativas (ex.: mercados virtuais) e proativas (ex.: digitalização). Os resultados da revisão são insights para o survey. Utilizando modelagem de equações estruturais com profissionais brasileiros, o modelo avalia se impactos de desastres afetam negativamente o desempenho de CSs e também o papel da digitalização e localização na minimização desses impactos. Em geral, os resultados indicam que há impacto negativo de desastres nas CS e que digitalização e localização têm efeito moderador na relação entre os principais construtos. Em pesquisas futuras, sugere-se a avaliação de outras estratégias proativas e também o desenvolvimento de modelos matemáticos para avaliar o tema. / [en] The impact of disasters causes disruptions in the flow within supply chains (SCs) and negatively affects operations performance. Therefore, companies need to implement effective proactive and reactive strategies to minimise the impacts caused by these events. This thesis aims to contribute to developing prepared and responsive SCs to deal with disaster impacts. The research adopts the systematic literature review and survey methods. In the review phase, it is possible to highlight the descriptive analyses of publications through a bibliometric analysis, as well as content analysis of the documents. The main results of this phase are the elaboration of a taxonomy, a research agenda, and a framework. The taxonomy, specifically, presents the main disaster impacts on SCs (e.g., price instability) and the respective countermeasure strategies that were categorised into reactive (e.g., virtual markets) and proactive (e.g., digitalisation). The results of the literature review are insights for the development of the survey. Using structural equation modelling on survey data from Brazilian professionals, the model assesses whether the impacts of disasters negatively affect SC performance and also the role of digitalisation and localisation in minimizing the impacts of disasters. In general, the research results indicate that there is a negative impact of disasters on the SCs and that digitalisation and localisation have a moderating effect on the relationship between the main constructs. The evaluation of other proactive strategies and the development of mathematical models to evaluate the topic are suggested as future research.

Yes / Blockchain operates on a highly secured framework, and its decentralized consensus has benefits for supply chain sustainability. Scholars have recognized the growing importance of sustainability in supply chains and studied the potential of blockchain for sustainable supply chain management. However, no study has taken stock of high-quality research in this area. To address this gap, this paper aims to provide a state-of-the-art overview of high-quality research on blockchain for sustainable supply chain management. To do so, this paper conducts a systematic literature review using a bibliometric analysis of 146 high-quality articles on blockchain for sustainable supply chain management that have been published in journals ranked “A*”, “A”, and “B” by the Australian Business Deans Council and retrieved from the Scopus database. In doing so, this paper unpacks the most prominent journals, authors, institutions, and countries that have contributed to three major themes in the field, namely blockchain for sustainable business activities, decision support systems using blockchain, and blockchain for intelligent transportation system. This paper also reveals the use of blockchain for sustainable supply chain management across four major sectors, namely food, healthcare, manufacturing, and infrastructure, and concludes with suggestions for future research in each sector.

[pt] Pesquisas no campo de Operações Humanitárias (Humanitarian Operations - HO) vem atraindo a atenção de acadêmicos e profissionais ao abranger o estudo de diversas ferramentas analíticas visando a melhora da resposta aos beneficiários. Diferentes estudos sugerem que a inserção de práticas e teorias tradicionais de logística e gestão de operações (Operation management – OM) - incluindo simulação, otimização, probabilidade e estatística - no contexto de desastres beneficiaria a cadeia de suprimentos humanitária. Uma vez que desastres são eventos complexos, graves e dinâmicos, com recursos humanos e materiais limitados, muitos stakeholders envolvidos e alto nível de incerteza de informação, a capacidade de gerir operações se faz necessária. Uma das técnicas mais comumente reconhecidas em OM é a simulação, sendo o método de Dinâmica de Sistemas (System Dynamics – SD) capaz de modelar representações simplificadas de realidades e obter informações valiosas sobre situações de complexidade dinâmica. O método fornece um conjunto de ferramentas, como mapeamento causal e modelagem de simulação, e permite avaliar os resultados de curto e longo prazo de decisões. Nesse contexto, a presente tese visa estudar a complexidade de HO através de SD. Para isso a tese conta com uma revisão sistemática da literatura (Systematic Literature Review – SLR) a fim de identificar o estado da arte, entregando uma taxonomia, um framework e uma agenda de pesquisa. Em seguida, duas operações são apresentadas, demonstrando a modelagem através de SD em contextos humanitários distintos e de alta relevância. A primeira operação estudada consiste na coleta e distribuição de doações para a população na base da pirâmide (Bottom of the Pyramid – BoP) do Rio de Janeiro, em meio a pandemia de COVID19. Realizamos uma survey e obtivemos 2155 respostas dos beneficiários. Os dados também foram obtidos diretamente com as organizações envolvidas na operação. Como resultado, demonstramos que aumentar o acesso a produtos de limpeza nas comunidades por meio de doações pode reduzir significativamente a transmissão do vírus SARS-CoV-2. Ademais, mostramos que as doações de alimentos podem aumentar a capacidade da população vulnerável de arcar com as necessidades, aliviando o estresse causado pela pandemia nesta parcela da população. Ademais, demostramos que quando todas as doações são na forma de vouchers/ dinheiro, a acessibilidade aumenta em 20 por cento em comparação com todas as doações físicas. Resultados que podem servir de base para formuladores de políticas ajudarem as comunidades vulneráveis, especialmente durante crises nas quais os recursos são escassos e devem ser explorados de forma eficiente. O segundo estudo consiste na operação do governo federal Brasileiro para receber, abrigar e interiorizar Venezuelanos no Brasil. Como o fluxo de Venezuelanos para o Brasil tem crescido e as consequências da pandemia se apresentam como uma preocupação com a capacidade da operação, a Operação Acolhida é modelada a fim de entender os gargalos de sua escalabilidade. Como resultado, demonstramos que: (i) o processo de interiorização é um gargalo, pois além da logística, é necessária a inserção socioeconômica dos Venezuelanos (por meio de vagas de emprego, por exemplo); (ii) a capacidade dos abrigos é um gargalo da operação, pois define uma fila de venezuelanos precisando de ajuda esperando para serem abrigados. / [en] Research in Humanitarian Operations (HO) has attracted the attention of academics and practitioners by applying analytical tools to improve response to beneficiaries. Different studies suggest that the integration of traditional practices and theories of logistics and operations management (OM) in the complex context of disasters would benefit the humanitarian supply chain. One of the most recognised techniques in OM is simulation, being System Dynamics (SD) a method capable of model simplified representations of realities and gain valuable insights into situations of dynamic complexity. In this context, this thesis aims to analyse the complexity of HO through SD. The thesis presents a systematic literature review (SLR) to identify the state of the art of the subject, delivering a taxonomy, a framework, and a research agenda. Then, two complex and dynamic operations are modelled through SD. The first operation involves collecting and distributing donations to the vulnerable population from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, we demonstrated that: (i) increasing access to cleaning products in communities can significantly reduce COVID-19 transmission; (ii) food donations can increase the population s affordability; (iii) accessibility increases by 20 percent in vouchers/cash donations compared to all in-kind donations. The second one is the Brazilian operation to receive, shelter, and internalise Venezuelans. Since the flow of Venezuelans to Brazil has grown and, the pandemic aftermath presents itself as a concern for the operation capacity, Operation Welcome is modelled to understand the bottlenecks for its scalability. As a result, we demonstrate that: (i) the internalisation process is a bottleneck as, in addition to logistics, it is necessary the socio-economical insertion (through job vacancies, for example); (ii) shelters capacity is an operation bottleneck, as it defines a queue of needing assistance Venezuelans waiting to be sheltered.