Mobile applications have become a ubiquitous part of daily life for millions of people. They have transformed the way in which we communicate, share information, do business, entertain ourselves, and manage many aspects of our lives from shopping and transport to holidays and healthcare. A study in the International Journal of Electronic Finance has looked at security issues associated with personal data processing in this interconnected landscape.

Ayush Goel and Gurudev Sahil of CHRIST (Deemed to be University) in Pune, Lavasa Campus, India, have delved into the complexities of data privacy and security, citing issues such as diverse data and sensors in mobile devices, the use of various identifiers, and the monitoring of consumers. One key concern raised is the struggle to enforce data protection regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rules, within the mobile application ecosystem. These pose significant challenges for developers and service providers where applications may not function as they nor even users would wish them to when they are designed to be fully compliant with GDPR requirements.

The challenges extend way beyond the technical aspects of mobile application development and implementation. They can have obvious legal repercussions and, of course, inherent issues of individual and corporate privacy. The new study acknowledges the benefits of mobile applications but also emphasizes the need for a stronger and yet somehow more flexible regulatory framework that will allow the applications to work as they should without comprising security and data protection and certainly without breaking any laws. While softer regulations are acknowledged for fostering innovation, the study warns that current approaches may fall short in addressing potential data misuse with a particularly alarming problem, data terrorism, being at the forefront of the team's concerns.

There is a delicate balance between the benefits of having various mobile applications available to legitimate users and ensuring that their fundamental rights are upheld, but also in precluding abuse, fraud, and the aforementioned data terrorism. The team suggests that regulators must design a constructive framework to address the various issues, allowing a balance between innovation and safeguarding users against data misuse to be put in place.

Goel, A. and Sahil, G. (2024) 'Growth of mobile applications and the rise of privacy issues', Int. J. Electronic Finance, Vol. 13, No. 1, pp.20–35.
DOI: 10.1504/IJEF.2024.135162

Research published in the International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business has taken a close look at the innovation dynamics within Baja California's flourishing wine and craft beer industries. The work focuses specifically on the impact good label design can have on marketing and sales.

The study by Mayer Cabrera-Flores, Creta Cota-Cota, Sialia Mellink Méndez, and Alicia León-Pozo of CETYS Universidad Ensenada in Baja California, Mexico, was prompted by the notable growth in these sectors, The findings, the team suggests, align with Hansen and Birkinshaw's 2007 model and shows a strong connection with product commercialization processes and strategies. The research drinks deeply from marketing innovation as outlined in the 2006 Oslo Manual.

The Oslo Manual, produced and published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), refers to a set of guidelines for collecting and interpreting data on innovation in the field of science, technology, and industry. It provides a framework for understanding and measuring innovation activities, enabling researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders to gather relevant and comparable information across different regions and industries.

One key aspect of this new analysis in IJESB involves the creation of a specialized instrument, developed and validated by graphic design experts. This tool serves as a comprehensive means to analyze various elements contributing to the innovation design of beer and wine labels, including materials, information presentation, the nuances of visual design, and the efficacy of persuasion in influencing purchase intention.

The team has tested their instrument's effectiveness through a detailed evaluation of regional wine and craft beer labels, using focus groups as the primary method of data collection. Ultimately, the significance of the study lies in its potential to deepen our understanding of the processes involved in stimulating creativity and innovation within Baja California's wine and craft beer industry and perhaps other regions. The detailed focus on product branding in label design uncovers the extent to which innovation in this area can shape brand perception and consumer behaviour. Fundamentally, investing in label design enhances persuasiveness, fostering market expansion and aligning with innovation efforts.

Cabrera-Flores, M., Cota-Cota, C., Mellink Méndez, S. and León-Pozo, A. (2024) 'Wine and craft beer in Baja California: an approach to innovation through label design', Int. J. Entrepreneurship and Small Business, Vol. 51, No. 1, pp.1–18.
DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2024.135217

In the world of healthcare artificial intelligence (AI), the SAMBIAS project from Casa di Cura Tortorella s.p.a. in Salerno, Italy, is an important case study. The project takes a pragmatic approach to data sharing, according to a paper in the International Journal of Managerial and Financial Accounting, focusing on a web-based platform designed to enhance the competitiveness of healthcare organizations, particularly in the context of machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) models.

SAMBIAS primarily addresses the need for abundant and reliable datasets in the healthcare domain. By using data from healthcare information systems, the platform can provide augmented sets of clinical situations, thereby contributing to more efficient performance within healthcare organizations.

This new study aligns well with earlier insights and emphasizes the importance of integrating innovative technologies in AI applications, especially in areas like radiology. The focus of the project is on the analysis of medical images using ML and DL models and represents an important step forward in data analysis from a clinical perspective.

Alessandra D'Amico of the Department of Radiology at Tortorella and colleagues point out that one key aspect is the role of AI in balancing high-quality medical treatment with operational efficiency within a healthcare organization. The work suggests that the ongoing debate about the validity and reliability of AI in the medical field will likely shift towards optimizing its use to enhance the overall effectiveness of global healthcare processes.

While the adoption of AI in healthcare is a potential source of competitive advantage for healthcare organizations, the study underscores the need to maintain a primary focus on patient health. The SAMBIAS project envisions a future where discussions about AI in healthcare move beyond the kind of scepticism and cynicism seen in the media hyperbole and reactionary observations to practical considerations about how to harness its potential for the ongoing of improvement in healthcare.

D'Amico, A., Di Capua, M., Di Nardo, E., Rosak-Szyrocka, J., Tortorella, G. and Festa, G. (2024) 'Competitive advantage in healthcare based on augmentation of clinical images with artificial intelligence: case study of the 'Sambias' project', Int. J. Managerial and Financial Accounting, Vol. 16, No. 1, pp.1–16.
DOI: 10.1504/IJMFA.2024.135364

Improvements to the Flower Pollination Algorithm (FPA) have been made to enhance the way in which we harvest wind energy for electricity generation. Details are published in the International Journal of Automation and Control.

Amoh Mensah Akwasi and Xie Wei of the South China University of Technology in Guangzhou and Otuo-Acheampong Duku of the School of Electrical Engineering at Wuhan University in Wuhan, China have planted the seed of a significant advancement in optimizing wind power generation by improving the FPA. This algorithm is widely used in engineering, optimization, and machine learning.

The FPA works by creating a bunch of possible solutions, figuratively each of these is a flower. Pollination leads to the transfer of genetic material to produce new plants, which are closer to the optimal solution. The process is repeated with each successive generation of flower solutions coming closer to the best possible solution to a given problem. While the algorithm has been effective for solving many problems its one-way movement towards the best solution can be a sluggish process.

The team's adjustments to the FPA involve adding a two-stage Luenberger observer controller, with a specific focus on improving wind power generation. This addition allows the algorithm to observe and adapt to both global and local pollination dynamics, significantly improving its efficiency over longer distances between solutions in the flowerbed, or rather, the "solution space".

From a technical standpoint, the Luenberger observer controller introduces a new structure, enabling the algorithm to move beyond its previous one-way approach. This change is designed to speed up solution convergence and improve efficacy.

The method allows the team to optimize the efficiency of wind turbines by adjusting their rotation speed based on the local and global best solutions obtained through enhanced FPA. Unlike traditional methods, the modified FPA introduces a dual-directional movement for pollinators, enhancing their search for optimal solutions. The team's simulations and tests show that the modified FPA significantly boosts wind turbine performance, increasing power output and stabilizing fluctuations.

This practical evolution underscores the importance of ongoing research and development into machine learning and bio-inspired algorithmic processes that can lead to innovative solutions in sustainable energy.

Akwasi, A.M., Wei, X. and Duku, O-A. (2024) 'Observer controller-based structure for a modified flower pollination algorithm for wind power generation', Int. J. Automation and Control, Vol. 18, No. 1, pp.53–86.
DOI: 10.1504/IJAAC.2024.135090

A recent in-depth examination of employee retention within the banking sector has revealed various actionable strategies that might be used to address this persistent challenge. The study, published in the International Journal of Business Information Systems, emphasizes the imperative of a nuanced approach to understanding the factors influencing retention rates, particularly at the specialist level.

The research by Unnar Theodorsson, Svala Gudmundsdottir, and Thorhallur Gudlaugsson of the University of Iceland in Reykjavik, shows that there are subtle variations between the banking landscapes of Iceland and Denmark.

The team explains how the findings underscore the need to undertake comprehensive talent management and strategic human capital to redress the shortages of specialists in the banking sector. This might entail a sustained commitment to investment in employees, such as improved continued professional development, active engagement in educational initiatives, inclusive communication practices, strategic recognition, and better promotion structures. Moreover, it would involve a more meticulous approach to managerial recruitment practices, focusing on the identification and cultivation of managerial talent.

One of the big challenges highlighted in the research is the banking sector's ongoing struggle to cultivate an environment conducive to retaining specialists. To surmount this, the study recommends sustained efforts in workforce planning, development, and financing. It suggests placing a heightened emphasis on leadership capabilities among those managers at the mid-level of the corporate hierarchy, a better approach to the recognition and acknowledgement of the efforts of employees, as well as fostering an improved working environment through inclusive and constructive communication.

The study also pinpoints key policy issues that are pivotal for successful retention initiatives, such as the establishment of transparent career progression plans, fair promotional procedures, a well-defined system for filling posts and carrying out employee transfers, as well as the empowerment of local management for effective governance. If these various insights are banked by the industry, then the researchers propose that ongoing studies be carried out to assess their long-term effects and to identify how they might be improved if problems come to light.

Theodorsson, U., Gudmundsdottir, S. and Gudlaugsson, T. (2023) 'Successful employee retention practices: characteristics found in Danish and Icelandic banks', Int. J. Business Information Systems, Vol. 44, No. 2, pp.161–179.
DOI: 10.1504/IJBIS.2023.134970

A study in the International Journal of Technology Management has looked at the notion of unlearning, forgetting, and relearning in the wake of organisational crises within industry. The work takes the Japanese electrical industry as a focus and looks at the triggers in a company's top management team (TMT) that affect performance.

Pingsong Qian and Akitsu Oe of Tokyo University of Science in Japan explored the TMT dynamics among more than two hundred listed companies. They used multiple linear regression analysis with a random-effects model to examine the data they obtained on those companies in this context.

Unlearning can be thought of as the deliberate discarding or modification of a companies knowledge base, practices, and strategies during a crisis. It involves a conscious effort to reassess and adjust established ways of thinking and operating with the aim of adapting to the challenges posed by the crises and potentially overcoming the problems and improving organizational performance.

The team found that TMT unlearning could indirectly enhance organizational performance by nudging the company's research and development (R&D) department into an unlearning phase. This R&D unlearning process seems to have a positive effect whereas neglectful loss or abandoning of knowledge, forgetting, as it were, simply had a negative impact. The inadvertent loss of insights and practices could not be a positive force in the same way as deliberate unlearning can be.

This work fills several gaps in our understanding of organizational learning and change. It goes beyond earlier studies that focused primarily on single-level unlearning and demonstrates how organizational forgetting and unlearning can positively influence TMT. The study also addresses a gap in empirical research by utilizing archival data, providing a solid foundation for identifying factors influencing unlearning and forgetting and their impact on organizational performance. Importantly, the work makes clear the distinction between those two often conflated terms – forgetting and unlearning. In practical terms, a company in decline must find a way to unlearn problematic knowledge and approaches and not simply forget or abandon them.

Qian, P. and Oe, A. (2024) 'The impact of organisational crisis on forgetting and relearning: an empirical study of unlearning in the Japanese electrical industry', Int. J. Technology Management, Vol. 94, No. 1, pp.135–155.
DOI: 10.1504/IJTM.2024.135262

A study in the International Journal of Services Technology and Management has investigated the effects of leadership style and organisational culture on innovation within companies. The research used qualitative interviews across diverse organizations in Sweden and Sri Lanka and suggests a nuanced relationship between leadership, organizational culture, and innovation and hints at how these might be nudged to boost innovation.

Ruzlin Akter, Shashiprabha Rathnayaka, and Zahra Ahmadi of the University of Gävle in Gävle, Sweden, surveyed six different organisations and found from their analysis of the results that specific organizational cultures, such as process- and job-oriented cultures, and certain leadership styles, like transactional leadership, can have either a positive or a negative effect on the development of innovation within those companies. However, they demonstrated that result-oriented, employee-oriented, and a pragmatic organisational culture when combined with transformational leadership can be much more effective in fostering innovation.

Of particular interest, in Sweden is that there can be a unique influence of organizational culture and leadership on specific companies as was found to be the case with one Swedish outlier when compared with its global counterparts. Indeed, whereas many companies have adapted their organizational cultures and leadership styles to enhance innovation, this outlier has adhered to a staid and traditional approach to management and organisational culture and has suffered the negative impact of such a stance on how well it innovates when compared with more forward-looking companies elsewhere.

From a managerial perspective, the team suggests that the study underscores the part leaders can play within a company as role models. Companies benefit, it seems from a management style that emphasizes openness, flexibility, appreciation of ideas, and the encouragement of employee creativity and empowerment.

These insights might be used to offer companies that are less innovative, but nevertheless aspirational, a practical approach to the identification of obstacles to innovation within their organisation. This could help them improve their management style by removing constraining processes, unlocking communication channels, improving transparency, and removing any culture of fear of change and mistakes. Such an approach should stand any company in good stead for becoming more competitive, more innovative, and making a greater contribution to the economy.

Akter, R., Rathnayaka, S. and Ahmadi, Z. (2023) 'The effect of leadership and organisational culture on organisational innovation', Int. J. Services Technology and Management, Vol. 28, Nos. 5/6, pp.360–388.
DOI: 10.1504/IJSTM.2023.135084

Research in the International Journal of Public Sector Performance Management has investigated workplace happiness and its impact on productivity within and outside the information technology sector in Delhi. Their findings shed light on the significant impact of workplace happiness on employee engagement and emphasize its universal relevance.

Sana Vakeel and Sunita Shukla of the ITS Engineering College and Vikas Singh of ITS – The Education Group, all in Greater Noida, India, statistical analyses such as Karl Pearson's correlation and regression methods to glean information from employees surveyed about their jobs and happiness. The analysis found that between a fifth and a quarter (23.7% variance) of employee engagement could be attributed to their happiness in the workplace.

This degree of statistical significance thus underscores the integral role of employee happiness in fostering organizational success. This points to a need for managers and employers to be aware of their employees' psychological well-being not only as part of an inclusive approach to employment but also for the benefit of the organisation's own well-being.

Interestingly, the positive correlation observed between workplace happiness and employee engagement holds true in both the IT sector and in other areas of work. The variance in the IT sector was 23.1 percent and slightly lower at 22.8 percent in the non-IT sector, although these two figures are close enough to suggest a universality of workplace happiness influencing employee engagement.

The team points out that the research corroborates earlier findings that looked at various other factors alongside happiness and job characteristics with regard to employee engagement. The results underscore the strategic importance of prioritizing workplace happiness for the mutual benefit of employee and employer. As businesses grapple with an ever-changing economic environment and a constantly shifting social landscape, it becomes increasingly important to consider factors such as employee happiness.

Vakeel, S., Shukla, S. and Singh, V. (2023) 'Impact of workplace happiness on employee engagement: a comparative study of IT and non-IT sector employees', Int. J. Public Sector Performance Management, Vol. 12, No. 4, pp.482–496.
DOI: 10.1504/IJPSPM.2023.135031

In the wake of a pandemic caused by an airborne pathogen, it is easy to forget that many other pathogens are transmitted through very different routes. For instance, many diseases that cause serious and sometimes lethal illness are transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces and thence to the nose and mouth, other orifices, or even cuts and wounds. Research in the International Journal of Advanced Intelligence Paradigms has looked at whether or not the Internet of Things (IoT) might be used to help combat the spread of disease commonly associated with poor lavatorial hygiene.

R. Giridhararajan, Ikram Shah, and S. Karthikeyan of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, the Armita University in Coimbatore, and colleagues Shriram K. Vasudevan of the K. Ramakrishnan College of Technology in Trichy, and S.N. Abhishek of the Cognitive Technology and Innovation Centre in Karnataka, India, point out that there are many remote locations with public toilet facilities. Such facilities may not necessarily come under conventional or frequent cleaning and maintenance schedules and so can be a source of hazardous pathogens.

In addition, there are also toilets at airports, railway stations, on ships, and other modes of transport to consider. While some may be regularly cleaned and well-maintained there is always the potential for this not to be the case and for a toilet to become a hub through which many people become infected with a given pathogen.

The team points out that microbes such as staphylococcus, escherichia, and streptococcus as well as norovirus and other viruses can cause serious health problems. Children, older people, and those with pre-existing health conditions may be most at risk of sickness and even death.

A frugal IoT-based system has now been developed by the team that could be used to monitor and help with the hygiene of lavatories. The system uses various sensor inputs, allowing real-time monitoring, data collection, and user feedback on lavatory conditions. Automated alerts generated by the system prompt necessary cleaning and maintenance as required. Such a system ensures quality levels can be maintained and reduces the burden from frequent cleaning to necessary cleaning where facilities have been used little. While, ideally, all lavatories would be cleaned frequently and thoroughly, where staff and budget are constrained, IoT monitoring could ensure that hygiene issues are addressed in a timely manner at well-used and toilets that have become unacceptably dirty while reducing the urgency of cleaning facilities that are little used and generally clean.

The researchers add that integrating machine learning into the system could improve efficiency still further by predicting usage and soiling patterns over time.

Giridhararajan, R., Vasudevan, S.K., Shah, I., Karthikeyan, S. and Abhishek, S.N. (2023) 'A system to prevent toiletry (lavatory)-based diseases such as norovirus, staphylococcus, escherichia and streptococcus through IoT and embedded systems', Int. J. Advanced Intelligence Paradigms, Vol. 26, No. 2, pp.158–170.
DOI: 10.1504/IJAIP.2023.135027

Research in the International Journal of Business Information Systems has used social network analysis to look at the most important and influential users utilising PGP (pretty good privacy) data encryption to reveal where there might be problems that could lead to compromise of data.

Victor Chang and Qianwen Ariel Xu of Teesside University, Middlesbrough UK, Lina Xiao of Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China, Anastasija Nikiforova of the University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia, Ben S.C. Liu of Quinnipiac University, Hamden, Connecticut, USA, point out that PGP is most commonly used in protecting email but there is the issue of ensuring that the encryption keys being used have not been forged and so are not vulnerable to snooping or hacking by malicious third parties.

The team used social network analysis tools to examine the online interactions of PGP users with a view to identifying putative threats and vulnerabilities in the system. The team conducted two analyses: first a traditional centrality analysis and secondly the less common K-means clustering analysis. The former allowed them to identify the key figures within the network based on higher centrality, which suggests greater influence over other users. The latter, more precise method, allowed them to find clusters of important users in order to give them a comprehensive picture of the overall community structure of the network.

The team found that there were a range of interaction patterns among PGP users, ranging from frequent to isolated interactions. However, those users with higher centrality, tended to be more frequent PGP users, making them potential targets for scrutiny. The K-means clustering algorithm highlighted influential users who might be perceived as targets by malicious third parties. It also hinted at the converse, where a seemingly influential and trusted user may not be entirely legitimate and may themselves be present and gaining widespread trust for nefarious purposes, such as forging illicit PGP keys for fraudulent, espionage, and other dishonest activities. The implications extend beyond PGP, offering a framework applicable to various domains such as business partnerships, supply chains, and criminal network studies.

Chang, V., Xiao, L., Nikiforova, A., Xu, Q.A. and Liu, B.S.C. (2023) 'The study of PGP web of trust based on social network analysis', Int. J. Business Information Systems, Vol. 44, No. 2, pp.285–302.
DOI: 10.1504/IJBIS.2023.134956