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Article Citation - WoS: 11Citation - Scopus: 11Exploring Sectoral Diversity in the Timing of Organizational Blockchain Adoption(Emerald Group Publishing Ltd, 2022) Turhan, Cigdem; Akman, IbrahimPurpose Blockchain is a relatively new technology. Although it has a high potential to influence organizational strategies for adoption into respective operations, it has not been widely explored yet. This study aims to assess the sectoral diversity in the timing of organizational adoption of blockchain through selected organizational factors. Design/methodology/approach A survey was conducted based on a sample of 208 IT professionals. The data was collected using an instrument containing 17 questions. The existence of sector diversity was statistically analyzed using the Least Square Regression method. Findings The results indicate that, except for management support and perceived ease of use, all the other factors in the analysis significantly influence sector diversity in terms of blockchain adoption timing. Originality/value Although blockchain has received attention from researchers, to the best of the authors' knowledge, there is no published work in the literature that explores the organizational factors influencing sectoral differences in the timing of blockchain technology adoption. Therefore, our work is unique in the related literature since we present analyses for the diversity between public and private sectors by modeling the factors affecting the intentions for the timing of blockchain adoption as part of the organizations' IT infrastructure.Article Citation - Scopus: 1An Activity-Based Lessons Learned Model To Support Scheduling Decisions in Construction(Emerald Group Publishing Ltd, 2025) Yilmaz, Anil; Akcay, Emre Caner; Dikmen, Irem; Birgonul, M. TalatPurposeThe aim of this study is to develop an activity-based lessons-learned model that allows construction companies to capture, store, classify and reuse activity-related lessons learned (LL) from previous projects, thereby increasing the reliability of time estimates in scheduling.Design/methodology/approachScheduling is a knowledge-intensive process that requires the utilization of data and expert opinion elicitation from various levels of an organization in construction projects. This research consists of five successive steps: performing a needs analysis, proposing an activity-based lessons-learned process model, validating the proposed process model, developing a tool to apply the proposed model in a computer environment and testing the applicability of the tool. To implement the proposed model in practice, a web-based tool, namely the Construction Industry Scheduling with Activity-Based Lessons Learned Tool (ConSALL Tool), was developed. Its functionality was evaluated using black-box testing. The tool was then applied in a real construction project.FindingsResults show that ConSALL has the potential to improve scheduling decisions in construction projects by incorporating data and experience from previous projects. Findings from this research can be used to develop similar models and AI tools to foster activity-based learning in other project-based industries as well as the construction industry.Originality/valueThis paper presents an innovative approach to enhancing construction project scheduling by leveraging LL from past projects. The development and application of the ConSALL Tool demonstrate a practical implementation of the proposed model, providing a framework that can be adapted to other industries to improve project planning and execution.Article Citation - WoS: 10Citation - Scopus: 17Investigation of Employers' Performance Expectations for New It Graduates in Individual and Team Work Settings for Software Development(Emerald Group Publishing Ltd, 2018) Akman, Ibrahim; Turhan, CigdemPurpose - In general, software development work environments involve many different tasks and have high demands on efficiency and quality of performance at both individual and team levels, which depend on the competencies of employees. However, the literature does not provide satisfactory evidence as for the characteristics and competencies of individuals. Especially, the employers' expectations of new graduates have not been investigated in detail for different work environments. The purpose of this paper is to examine employers' expectancies regarding technical, personal and educational competencies among IT-graduated employees to provide a comparison between individual and team work settings. Design/methodology/approach - A survey approach was used for this purpose, and the research model was tested using multiple regression. Findings - The results revealed that significant diversity exists in individual and team work settings regarding employers' expectations for new graduates' competencies in terms of adapting to new software development methods and approaches, using time effectively and experience gained in undergraduate projects. Originality/value - The results of this study will yield insight to computer-related departments in curriculum development by providing a comparison between the varying competencies required in individual and team work settings from the employer's perspective. In the long run, the aim is to meet employers' demands of the new graduates' competencies, resulting in better individual and team performances in information technology companies, thereby leading to successful software development.Article Citation - WoS: 11Citation - Scopus: 13Exploring and Expanding Students' Success in Software Testing(Emerald Group Publishing Ltd, 2017) Mishra, Deepti; Ostrovska, Sofiya; Hacaloglu, TunaPurpose - Testing is one of the indispensable activities in software development and is being adopted as an independent course by software engineering (SE) departments at universities worldwide. The purpose of this paper is to carry out an investigation of the performance of learners about testing, given the tendencies in the industry and motivation caused by the unavailability of similar studies in software testing field. Design/methodology/approach - This study is based on the data collected over three years (between 2012 and 2014) from students taking the software testing course. The course is included in the second year of undergraduate curriculum for the bachelor of engineering (SE). Findings - It has been observed that, from the performance perspective, automated testing outperforms structural and functional testing techniques, and that a strong correlation exists among these three approaches. Moreover, a strong programming background does help toward further success in structural and automated testing, but has no effect on functional testing. The results of different teaching styles within the course are also presented together with an analysis exploring the relationship between students' gender and success in the software testing course, revealing that there is no difference in terms of performance between male and female students in the course. Moreover, it is advisable to introduce teaching concepts one at a time because students find it difficult to grasp the ideas otherwise. Research limitations/implications - These findings are based on the analysis conducted using three years of data collected while teaching a course in testing. Obviously, there are some limitations to this study. For example, student's strength in programming is calculated using the score of C programming courses taken in previous year/semester. Such scores may not reflect their current level of programming knowledge. Furthermore, attempt was made to ensure that the exercises given for different testing techniques have similar difficulty level to guarantee that the difference in success between these testing techniques is due to the inherent complexity of the technique itself and not because of different exercises. Still, there is small probability that a certain degree of change in success may be due to the difference in the difficulty levels of the exercises. As such, it is obviously premature to consider the present results as final since there is a lack of similar type of studies, with which the authors can compare the results. Therefore, more work needs to be done in different settings to draw sound conclusions in this respect. Originality/value - Although there are few studies (see e.g. Chan et al., 2005; Garousi and Zhi, 2013; Ng et al., 2004) exploring the preference of testers over distinct software testing techniques in the industry, there appears to be no paper comparing the preferences and performances of learners in terms of different testing techniques.Article Citation - WoS: 10Citation - Scopus: 14A 30-Year Journey of Hospitality and Tourism Research: a Comprehensive Topic Modeling Analysis(Emerald Group Publishing Ltd, 2024) Kurt, Senol; Assefa, Feven Zewdie; Tuzlukaya, Sule Erdem; Karatepe, Osman M.PurposeThe purpose of this study is to provide an overview of the research conducted on hospitality and tourism articles published in Q1 category journals from 1990 to 2023. This study also aims to measure the topic prevalence in selected journals throughout the years, their change over time and similarities of journals.Design/methodology/approachLatent dirichlet allocation algorithm is used as a topic modeling method to identify and analyze topics in hospitality and tourism research over the past 30 years.FindingsThe results of the study indicate that hospitality and tourism research has recently focused on topics such as employee behavior, customer satisfaction, online reviews, medical tourism and tourist experience. However, the results also indicate a negative trend in topics such as hotel management, sustainability, profession, economic growth and tourist destination.Practical implicationsThis study can be used to examine the evolution of research patterns over time, find hot and cold themes and uncover untapped or understudied areas. This can aid academics in their investigations and practitioners in making sound strategic decisions.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the existing literature by providing a new approach and comprehensive analysis of hospitality and tourism research topics. It delineates an overview of the progression of hospitality and tourism research over the past 30 years, identifies the trending topics and explores the potential impacts that these identified topics may have on future studies.Article The "Trickle-Across" Phenomenon: Consumption-Mimicking in Emerging Markets in a Stress Environment(Emerald Group Publishing Ltd, 2025) Gungordu Belbag, Aybegum; Deligonul, Seyda Z.; Uner, Mehmet Mithat; Cavusgil, S. TamerPurpose - This study conceptualizes a novel framework called the "trickle-across" phenomenon to understand how middle-class consumers in emerging markets adapt their consumer behavior during economic crises. Unlike the trickle-down model based on upward emulation, the study explores how risk and uncertainty drive consumers to mimic their in-group. Design/methodology/approach - The study employs a conceptual review approach, synthesizing the crisis literature on middle-class consumer behavior across emerging markets. It offers four novel propositions to explain the socio-psychological underpinnings of the shift in middle-class consumer behavior. Findings - Under normal, low-anxiety conditions, middle-class consumers seek upward mobility through aspirational consumption and class emulation, referred to as trickle-down theory. However, during crises, heightened risk anxiety triggers a shift from upward emulation to lateral mimicry, where individuals conform to the consumption norms of their immediate social cohort. Socio-cultural influences play a critical role in risk trivialization and adapting to economic hardships. Originality/value - The study proposes the trickle-across phenomenon as a defining pattern of middle-class consumer behavior in emerging markets during crises. It shifts the focus from aspirational models to cohort-based survival strategies and highlights how socio-cultural factors help middle-class consumers adapt to economic hardships and preserve identity. The framework provides new insights for marketers, policymakers, and scholars.Article Design Team Effectiveness and Architects' Personality Types(Emerald Group Publishing Ltd, 2025) Alan, Ece; Arditi, David; Gunaydin, Husnu Murat; Akcay, Emre CanerPurposeThe personalities of the design team members constitute one of the factors that influence team effectiveness. In this study, 223 members of the "American Institute of Architects" who are employed by the largest architectural design firms in the United States of America were categorized according to their personality types by using "The Enneagram Personality Type Model." Also, the respondents' opinions about eight team effectiveness outcomes were recorded in order to explore the relationship between team members' personality types and team effectiveness outcomes.Design/methodology/approachThe information was collected by a questionnaire where the first part included 144 pairs of statements that were used to identify respondents' personality types. The second part sought designers' opinions about the importance of eight team effectiveness outcomes rated on a Likert scale ranging from 1 to 5. The results were assessed by performing the Kruskal-Wallis test first and Dunn's post-hoc test with Bonferroni adjustment subsequently.FindingsThe findings highlight the significance of personality types in effective design teams. While Type 6 (loyalist and skeptic) and Type 3 (achiever and performer) architects prioritize team effectiveness the most, Type 7 architects (enthusiasts and epicureans) assign the lowest importance. However, the presence of Type 1 (reformist and perfectionist) and Type 8 (challenger and protector) architects within the same design team may involve challenges or conflicts.Originality/valueThe primary contribution of this study is that it is the first study in the construction management literature that utilizes The Enneagram of Personality Test to understand the relationship between team members' personality types and team effectiveness outcomes. This study is of direct relevance to practitioners and could be utilized in design team-building activities.Article Citation - WoS: 13Citation - Scopus: 13The Effects of Indoor Plants on Customers' Shopping Decisions in a Restaurant Environment(Emerald Group Publishing Ltd, 2020) Yildirim, Kemal; Yildirim Kaya, Nazli Nazende; Olmus, FerdiPurpose The purpose of this paper is to focus on the effects of indoor plants on customers' shopping decisions in the restaurant environment. Design/methodology/approach The assumption of the research is that there is a relationship between restaurants where indoor plants are used and the customers' shopping decisions (restaurant entry and purchase). A hypothetical study was performed to test this assumption that was based on the digital images of two different restaurants (restaurant with and restaurant without indoor plants) modelled in a virtual environment. The Likert scale questionnaire used in this study was completed by 335 participants. Findings Results indicated that restaurants designed with indoor plants had a more positive effect on the shopping decisions of participants than restaurants designed without indoor plants. The statistically significant results between evaluations of customers and their demographic backgrounds were determined. The male participants with a 26-35 age range showed more positive opinions about the plant designed restaurants than female participants with a 36-55 age range. Also, higher education graduate participants showed more positive opinions about the plant designed restaurant than secondary education graduate participants. Originality/value This paper reveals a significant relationship between restaurant design and shopping decisions. Results of the study suggest that retailers and designers may be able to make easily stores more appealing for customers by designing them with indoor plants.Article Citation - WoS: 23Does a Highly Standardized International Advertising Campaign Contribute To the Enhancement of Destination Image? Evidence From Turkey(Emerald Group Publishing Ltd, 2022) Uner, M. Mithat; Karatepe, Osman M.; Cavusgil, S. Tamer; Kucukergin, Kemal GurkanPurpose - Does a highly standardized international advertising campaign enhance destination image? Drawing evidence from Turkey's Home Global Image Campaign, the authors investigate this fundamental question. This would help the authors to understand whether there are significant differences in cognitive and affective image among tourist groups in Europe in a destination where there is a highly standardized international advertising campaign. Design/methodology/approach - Data collected from British, German, French and Italian tourists through the official Twitter account of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism (TMCT) were used to carry out the quantitative analysis. Analysis of variance test was performed to assess the differences in nationalities. The Scheffe test was also applied as a post hoc comparison. Findings - Cognitive image attributes such as "good value for money," "good climate," "interesting and friendly people," "beautiful scenery and natural attractions," "interesting cultural attractions," "appealing local food (cuisine)" and "hygiene and cleanliness" are found to be less favorable in the perceptions of French tourists than those of British, German and Italian tourists. British, German and Italian tourists perceive Turkey as a more pleasant destination than French tourists. Overall, the findings suggest that a highly standardized international advertising campaign fails to boost the destination image for all nationalities. Practical implications -The TMCT officials should use the adaptation strategy in international advertising campaigns since the findings denote that the "one-size-fits all" approach is problematic. The TMCT should support and promote environmental sustainability efforts and green hotel practices to attract more tourists and use them in different communication channels. Originality/value - Assessment of affective and cognitive destination images (differences) is still an unresolved issue in the destination management and marketing literature. It seems that there is no empirical study investigating the cognitive and affective image attributes of a destination based on standardization versus adaptation approaches. This paper makes a contribution to the current literature by demonstrating that using the same image campaign in different markets is a practice that fails to achieve the intended goals.Article Citation - WoS: 3Citation - Scopus: 3Prediction of Tourists' Intention Toward Domestic Vs International Destinations in Post-Covid Recovery: the Role of Covid-19, Future Anxiety and Solidarity(Emerald Group Publishing Ltd, 2024) Kucukergin, Kemal Gurkan; Ozekici, Yakup Kemal; Sahin, Gonca GuzelPurposeThis paper aims to investigate, upon taking into consideration both symmetric and asymmetric effects, how the economic and psychological impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, solidarity and future anxiety affect travel intention and the willingness to support a destination (WSD). Furthermore, the study sheds light on whether these relationships vary between domestic and international destinations.Design/methodology/approachThe data are collected from 379 potential tourists. To detect and analyze the symmetrical and asymmetric effects, the covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) and the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) are employed, respectively.FindingsIt is observed that, whereas only the effects of solidarity on travel intention and WSD differ in the CB-SEM, the fsQCA results include different recipes for the two groups.Originality/valueThere has not been much research done yet on the influence of future anxiety on tourists' decisions. Furthermore, it has not been thoroughly investigated whether solidarity has a different function for destinations within and outside of the country. In this respect, the study of both symmetric and asymmetric effects represents an important contribution to the literature.

