The Internet-of-Things (IoT) empowers remote monitoring and management of the performance of machines, vehicles, processes, etc., which facilitate service business models. However, companies in ...emerging and transitional economies, in particular, face challenges when applying IoT, not only related to the use of technology, but especially regarding the need for a new business model. The main goal of this paper is to better understand emerging IoT business models in Vietnam through identifying and interpreting business model design options and choices. The case studies and their commonalities are used to perform a morphological analysis and create a generic IoT business model providing business model alternatives for each of the four business model dimensions. The research provides insights into the commonalities and discrepancies of IoT-based business models. Also, it provides a novel application of morphological analysis to business model innovation to create a generic business model for IoT applications in emerging markets.
This review aims to provide a description of the recent advances in the preparation of polymer nanocomposites via mechanical milling. An assessment of possible future scenarios that could be created ...by the utilization of improved experimental methodologies and a deeper understanding of structure-property relationship is also provided. It is then reported, in a logical sequence, crucial information on five subjects: (i) the motivation of fundamental and applied research in the field of thermoplastic and thermosetting polymer nanocomposites, (ii) the mechanochemical response of polymeric substances to mechanical activation, (iii) the broad spectrum of experimental behaviours exhibited by the most studied classes of polymers, (iv) the methodology for the mindful utilization of mechanical processing to mix polymers and disperse heterophases, and (v) the physico-chemical approach to describing the kinetics of mechanically activated transformations. In addition, critical questions regarding the advantages and disadvantages of mechanical processing compared to more conventional dispersion methods are highlighted. Finally, the general trends in the current research are discussed, and possible future perspectives in this field are briefly described.
Chatbots have become common in marketing-related applications, providing 24/7 service, engaging customers in humanlike conversation, and reducing employee workload in handling customer calls. ...However, the academic literature on the use of chatbots in marketing remains sparse and scattered across disciplines. The present study combines morphological analysis and co-occurrence analysis to bring structure to this area and to identify relevant research gaps. Morphological analysis divides a problem into pertinent and clearly distinguishable components, namely dimensions (at an abstract level) and variants (at a concrete level). A Zwicky box (a cross-variant matrix of dimensions) is then constructed to identify future research opportunities. Here, the authors obtain 11 dimensions and 264 variants. To eliminate inconsistent configurations (i.e., combinations of variants across dimensions), they perform a cross-consistency assessment and identify potential research gaps. To increase objectivity in the selection of relevant gaps, the authors use VOSviewer software to conduct a co-occurrence analysis of the variants.
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•Arguments for the importance of diversity within scenario sets are developed.•The diversity of six global scenario sets is assessed.•Results show relatively good performance with ...regards to scenario set diversity.•There is a trade-off between covering the scenario space and redundancy.
Scenario development and analysis is an important methodological approach in the assessment of global environmental change. Scenarios are used to assess climate change and its impacts on societies, economies, and ecosystems, and identify, test, and improve policy responses to manage the negative consequences of a changing environment. Evaluation of scenarios, especially global scenarios widely used in the climate research and policy community, is therefore urgently needed. While the quality and usefulness of individual scenarios have been extensively examined through a wide array of criteria, standards for systematic evaluation of scenario sets are only emerging. Scenario diversity (i.e., diversity between individual scenarios in a set) has been advanced as a measure to assess the quality of global scenario sets. In this paper, we use scenario diversity analysis, a systematic and transparent quantitative method, to examine six major global scenario sets with regards to scenario set diversity. Results show that the assessed scenario sets show relatively good performance with regards to scenario set diversity. However, the use of classic methods for building scenario architectures and the number of scenarios included in a set raise important questions about the potential trade-offs between covering a bigger space of futures possibilities and adding redundancy to the scenario set.
Two electrolysis technologies fed with renewable energy sources are promising for the production of CO2-free hydrogen and enabling the transition to a hydrogen society: Alkaline Electrolyte (AE) and ...Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM). However, limited information exists on the potential environmental impacts of these promising sustainable innovations when operating on a large-scale. To fill this gap, the performance of AE and PEM systems is compared, using ex-ante Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), technology analysis and exploratory scenarios for which a refined methodology has been developed to study the effects of implementing large-scale sustainable hydrogen production systems. Ex-ante LCA allows modelling the environmental impacts of hydrogen production, exploratory scenario analysis allows modelling possible upscaling effects at potential future states of hydrogen production and use in vehicles in the Netherlands in 2050. A bridging tool for mapping the technological field has been created enabling the combination of quantitative LCAs with qualitative scenarios. This tool also enables diversity for exploring multiple sets of visions. The main results from the paper show, with an exception for the “ozone depletion” impact category, (1) that large-scale AE and PEM systems have similar environmental impacts with variations lower than 7% in all impact categories, (2) that the contribution of the electrolyser is limited to 10% of all impact categories results, and (3) that the origin of the electricity is the largest contributor to the environmental impact contributing to more than 90% in all impact categories, even when renewable energy sources are used. It is concluded that the methodology was applied successfully and provides a solid basis for an ex-ante assessment framework that can be applied to emerging technological systems.
•We compare the LCA impacts of alkaline and PEM electrolysers.•LCA is combined innovatively with futures scenarios.•The influence of electrolysers is negligible when compared to other stages of the life cycle per functional unit.•The orginin of the electricity remains the largest environmental contributor to the impact scores.
The threat of tetracycline antibiotics to the environment and human health is attracting widespread attention. The development of morphological analysis and quantitative techniques of multiple ...tetracyclines is of great significance for the evaluation of biochemical toxicity, wide-spectrum antibacterial property and degradation cycle between different tetracyclines. In this study, the white fluorescent Eu/Tb@CDs was synthesized and applied successfully to the identification and detection of the most widely used tetracycline antibiotics (tetracycline (TC), oxytetracycline (OC), chlortetracycline (CC) and doxycycline (DC)) with detection limits all below 1 nM. For the actual water samples with coexistence of the above 4 tetracyclines, their simultaneous morphology identification and accurate quantitative detection can also be realized through simple spectrometric measurement. In addition, the selective and competitive experiments have been carried out on the pollutants widely present in water, and the results have also confirmed that other pollutants could not interfere with the detection of the above 4 tetracyclines. It is undeniable that this work will conveniently and visually reveal the existence information and geographical distribution characteristics of different tetracycline antibiotics in the environment and their action mechanism on organisms.
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•The white fluorescent Eu/Tb@CDs has been synthesized by one-pot method.•The LOD of Eu/Tb@CDs towards TC, OC, CC and DC were all lower than 1 nM.•Arrays were constructed to identify and detect coexisting multiple tetracyclines.•A single probe can recognize and detect multiple tetracyclines simultaneously.
•We evaluate the relation of morphological awareness and reading comprehension.•Four potential mediators are proposed are tested in structural equation modeling.•Morphological awareness contributes ...directly and indirectly to reading comprehension.•Morphological decoding and morphological analysis are distinct indirect pathways.•Our findings inform on the mechanisms underlying the relation in children.
The relation between morphological awareness—defined as the awareness of and ability to manipulate the smallest units of meaning in language—and reading comprehension remains in need of specification. In this study, we evaluated four potential intervening variables through which morphological awareness may contribute indirectly to reading comprehension. We assessed word reading and vocabulary as well as children’s ability to read and analyze the meaning of morphologically complex words (morphological decoding and morphological analysis, respectively). Controls of phonological awareness and nonverbal ability were included in the model. Participants were 221 English-speaking children in Grade 3. Multivariate path analyses revealed evidence of two indirect relations and one direct relation between morphological awareness and reading comprehension. In the first indirect path, morphological awareness contributed to morphological decoding, which then influenced word reading and finally reading comprehension. In a second indirect path, morphological awareness contributed to morphological analysis, which contributed to reading comprehension. Finally, in a direct path, morphological awareness contributed to reading comprehension beyond all other variables. These findings inform as to the potential mechanisms underlying the relation between morphological awareness and reading comprehension in children.
•Morphology of Service Failure and Recovery in B2B markets is analyzed.•Eight dimensions and 62 variants are identified.•418 research gaps identified using a Variants Intersection Matrix.•Service ...failure modes and combinations of recovery mechanisms are highlighted.
The existing body of research on service failures and recoveries primarily deals with business-to-consumer markets, with relatively limited and scattered research on business-to-business (B2B) markets. The purpose of this paper is to review the existing literature on these failures and recoveries in B2B markets, conceptualize and develop a morphological analysis (MA) framework, and identify research gaps that point to future research possibilities. We present an MA framework based on a literature review of 114 papers on the ABDC/ABS/ Clarivate Analytics list. The MA framework, constructed with eight dimensions and 62 variants, reveals 418 distinct research gaps as an upper bound of opportunities for future research. The paper concludes by discussing the implications for future research.
The predominant focus of academic research on the sharing economy has been on Airbnb and Uber; to this extent, the diversity of business models ascribed to the sharing economy has not yet been ...sufficiently explored. Greater conceptual and empirical research is needed to increase understanding of business models in the sharing economy, particularly attributes that deliver on its purported sustainability potential.
We aimed to elaborate an improved sharing economy business modelling tool intended to support the design and implementation of sharing economy business models (SEBMs) with improved sustainability performance.
We used a structured approach to business modelling, morphological analysis, to articulate relevant business model attributes. Our analysis was informed by a narrative literature review of business and platform models in the sharing economy. We also iteratively tested, refined, and evaluated our analysis through three structured opportunities for feedback.
The output of the morphological analysis was a sharing economy business modelling tool for sustainability, with stipulated preconditions and descriptions of all business model attributes.
The sharing economy is not sustainable by default, so we must be strategic and deliberate in how we design and implement SEBMs. The sharing economy business modelling tool should be of interest not only to researchers and practitioners, but also to advocacy organisations and policymakers who are concerned about the sustainability performance of sharing platforms.
•The sharing economy is not sustainable by default.•Reviews existing sharing economy business model conceptualisations.•Proposes preconditions to scope business and consumption practices for improved sustainability performance by sharing platforms.•Conducts morphological analysis depicting and describing all relevant business model attributes.•Presents a sharing economy business modelling tool to overcome the design-implementation gap of sustainable business models.
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