Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Hydrology Science and Technology

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Hydrology Science and Technology are now available here for free:

• Nonlinear multiple regression analysis for predicting seasonal streamflow using climate indices for New South Wales
• Application of deep learning algorithm in hydrometry
• A software for water pollution treatment technology evaluation by supporting customisable indicator systems for specific scenarios
• Probabilistic flood risk assessment using coupled hydrologic and 2D-hydraulic model in the Jhelum River, Northwest Himalayas
• A framework for the evaluation of MRP complex precipitation in a CORDEX-SA regional climate applied to REMO
• Artificial neural network for modelling the sediments accumulation in Es-Saada reservoir (North-Western Algeria)

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Environment, Workplace and Employment

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Environment, Workplace and Employment are now available here for free:

• Proactive environmental strategies and sustainable development: the role of green management in the high-tech manufacturing industry
• Quality of work life: an investigation of the work environment of small and medium enterprises
• The market sentiment and stock market: the case of social media stocks during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Comparison of machine learning methods using time series data: focusing on inverter data
• Investigating polarisation in critic and audience review scores via analysis of extremes, medians, averages, and correlations

European Journal of Industrial Engineering increases issue frequency

The European Journal of Industrial Engineering has announced that it will be increasing its publication frequency from six to eight issues per year from 2025 onwards.

Park and learn

Parking congestion at universities, particularly engineering colleges, is becoming a growing concern as student populations steadily rise while parking capacity remains the same. In many urban environments, including university campuses, drivers routinely face the frustration of searching for an available parking space, often leading to wasted time and increased stress. A study in the International Journal of Services and Operations Management has looked at how the parking issue might be addressed.

Rabih Monzer Firaoui, Jehad Basem Abu Shamleh, Bilal Marzouki, and Ibrahim Emad Elabed of the University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, Sharfuddin Ahmed Khan of the University of Regina, Canada, and Shahriar Tanvir Alam of the Military Institute of Science and Technology in Dhaka, Bangladesh, focused on a particular university’s engineering college where a significant increase in student enrolment over the past five years has meant its parking capacity has become overwhelmed. There is always congestion, especially during peak hours, and the researchers have turned to simulation techniques to see whether they could find a solution.

The researchers used a discrete-event simulation, which models real-world operations, to uncover the parking patterns at the campus. The approach can easily simulate such a complex system and identify inefficiencies. The team compared their simulation with real-world data and confirmed that it offered a reliable representation of the parking problem at the college. By incorporating real traffic and parking data from the campus, the team discovered that parking levels were typically at 70 percent capacity. However, the demand for parking spaces surged during peak hours, specifically between 08:00 and 09:30 because of the way lectures are scheduled. So even though there may well be enough parking spaces, congestion means that they are not filled efficiently. The obvious solution then is not to create more parking spaces but to adjust the college timetable to allow students, lecturers, and others to use the available spaces in a more efficient manner.

Parking congestion is, of course, a far more widespread issue, and the economic and psychological costs associated with it are enormous. Research indicates that drivers in crowded public parking areas can lose hours each year searching for parking spaces, leading to increased stress and lost productivity. Studies that can find solutions to this problem could feed into intelligent transport systems that incorporate sensors and real-time data analytics to optimize parking and improve traffic flow on campus and off.

Firaoui, R.M., Khan, S.A., Alam, S.T., Shamleh, J.B.A., Marzouki, B. and Elabed, I.E. (2024) ‘A simulation-based study to evaluate and improve university parking space’, Int. J. Services and Operations Management, Vol. 49, No. 3, pp.265–288.

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Business Environment

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Business Environment are now available here for free:

• The determinants of non-consumption of disposable plastic: application of an extended theory of planned behaviour
• Impact of marketing policies and strategies on the advancement of sustainable development goals: a systematic review
• Application of green HRM and its impact on environmental performance: a case of construction projects
• Determinants of entrepreneurship and self-employment for older people in Chile
• The journey of service quality to loyalty: a gender-based multigroup analysis in car-hailing service

Free sample articles newly available from European Journal of Industrial Engineering

The following sample articles from the European Journal of Industrial Engineering are now available here for free:

• Efficient hierarchical hybrid delivery in the last mile logistics
• An integrated two dimensional cutting stock and lot sizing problem with two criteria
• Optimising green vehicle routing problem - a real case study
• Data-driven imitation learning-based approach for order size determination in supply chains
• A survey on network design problems: main variants and resolution approaches
• Solving airline crew pairing problems through constraint partitioning

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Applied Decision Sciences

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Applied Decision Sciences are now available here for free:

• An optimisation model to design a maritime search and rescue system under uncertainty
• Comparative analysis of novel fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making methods for selecting fourth-party logistics service providers: a case study in the plastic resin industry
• Human rights disclosure and sustainable banking: evidence from Europe and implications for policy
• A two phase approach based on multi-objective programming and simulation for physician scheduling in emergency rooms
• An integrated fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making approach for prioritising strategies to drive the sustainable roll-on/roll-off port development: a case study of Thailand

Free sample articles newly available from Global Business and Economics Review

The following sample articles from the Global Business and Economics Review are now available here for free:

• Modelling stock market volatility using asymmetric GARCH models: evidence from BRICS stock markets
• A conceptual approach: relationship between crisis, resilience, and entrepreneurial actions
• Earnings management and bank funding
• Modelling long memory dependence structure using FIGARCH-copula approach - evidence from major Asian stock markets
• Debt-based financing: a case study of Malaysian Islamic banks
• A bibliometric analysis on foreign direct investment
• Efficiency level of zakat funds for the social sector and poverty alleviation in Indonesia

Free sample articles newly available from Electronic Government, an International Journal

The following sample articles from the Electronic Government, an International Journal are now available here for free:

• Measuring governments' online accountability
• Investigating the role of transformational leadership and TOE framework to adopt e-government in Indonesia: the case of village information system
• Moderating role of government policy in electronic government adoption among Algerian petroleum companies
• A comparative analysis of social media usage: the case of social media use by USA and Brazilian capital cities
• UTAUT and determinant factors for adopting e-government in Jordan using a structural equation modelling approach
• Critical path-dependencies affecting digital government innovation in low-income countries: a case study from Woredas in Ethiopia

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Technology Management

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Technology Management are now available here for free:

• Functional, hedonic, and social motivated consumer innovativeness as a driver of word-of-mouth in smart object early adoptions: an empirical examination in two product categories
• Globalisation or regionalisation of technological knowledge learning in multinational corporations
• A study on the influence of government subsidies on enterprises' innovative performance in Chinese patent-intensive industries
• Do carbon emissions trading pilots effectively reduce CO2 emissions? County-level evidence from eastern China
• The impact of three-dimensional printing technology investment on a low-carbon manufacturing supply chain, investigated through the Stackelberg game
• ICT-empowered rural e-commerce development in China: an adaptive structuration perspective
• How does product innovation affect the performance of university-industry collaboration? A dynamic knowledge transfer perspective
• Impact of green subsidies on green innovation of environmental service firms in China
• Impact of green technology innovation on carbon emissions: evidence from China's 276 cities
• Artificial intelligence and business applications, an introduction

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Wireless and Mobile Computing

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Wireless and Mobile Computing are now available here for free:

• Smart parking occupancy detection method using smart app
• Coordinated optimal dispatch of composite energy storage microgrid based on double deep Q-network
• An abnormal identification method for operation and maintenance personnel of intelligent power distribution room based on monitoring video stream
• Lightweight object detection algorithm for automatic driving scenarios
• Hybrid compression for LSTM-based encrypted traffic classification model
• Memory-efficient detection of large-scale obfuscated malware
• Online and offline hybrid teaching evaluation and monitoring system based on hierarchical analysis method and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation algorithm
• Metaheuristic-assisted deep ensemble technique for identifying sarcasm from social media data
• Low-level wind shear of wind field modelling and simulation
• Sentiment analysis method for e-commerce review on weak-label data and deep learning model
• Network life-time maximisation with low-power consumption by the usage of ANFIS-based technique in wireless sensor networks

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Sustainable Economy

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Sustainable Economy are now available here for free:

• Impact of economic openness on government size in India
• The impact of government expenditure on environmental degradation in MENA countries: an empirical investigation
• Influence of EU circularity indicators through fuzzy AHP approach
• How does market-based governance influence sustainable tax behaviour? Evidence from tax haven utilisation and tax avoidance
• Investigating the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis and pollution haven hypothesis in India: an ARDL approach
• Urban-rural unemployment and crime in India: a panel data analysis

Research pick: Chain, chain, chain - "Towards a blockchain-based music royalty system"

The international music industry is a multibillion-dollar enterprise that makes a few people a lot of money and lots of people very little. The companies seem to hold all the cards, taking the larger percentage of any profit that might be made. Independent songwriters and artists always struggled to reach the point where they might be compensated well for their work. Even the advent of streaming and download sites has not changed that much for the less well-known, where even a large number of “plays” on a streaming service might generate only a few dollars.

One issue is the perhaps deliberately outdated and convoluted systems that manage music royalties. The system is outmoded and leads to delays, errors, and even financial losses for many. A new system described in the International Journal of Student Project Reporting might address some of the issues. Yichen Jiang and Stephanos Matsumoto of Olin College of Engineering, in Needham, Massachusetts, USA, and Thitipong Bisch of the University of Zurich, Switzerland, describe the Trustworthy and Auditable Royalty Processor (TARP), which uses blockchain technology.

Blockchain is a secure, decentralized ledger system that was initially developed to underpin what we call digital, or “crypto”, currencies. Recently, however, the potential for other applications beyond money have been developed using blockchain technology. The TARP innovation could use blockchain to streamline the royalty payment process, ensuring that artists are paid faster and with fewer errors. By integrating blockchain with smart contracts, TARP provides a transparent, tamper-proof record of transactions that all parties can trace and audit, the team suggests. Such transparency is important in an industry prone to errors and even exploitation. The system could also preclude issues arising from inaccurate music file metadata, complicated international copyright laws, and the existence of multiple intermediaries.

The architecture of TARP is partly centralised so that one server performs verification tasks, but the royalty transactions themselves are handled using a blockchain. This “hybrid” approach ensures that while the verification process remains efficient, the core transactions are secure and auditable. The use of blockchain could reduce discrepancies and fraud, some of the most persistent and pressing issues in royalty distribution. Moreover, the system encourages the digitisation of music metadata so that tracking and managing rights could become much simpler, allowing timely compensation for music sales and streams for artists, publishers, and other rights holders.

Jiang, Y., Matsumoto, S. and Bischof, T. (2024) ‘Towards a blockchain-based music royalty system’, Int. J. 2, No. 2, pp.174–201.

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Managerial and Financial Accounting

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Managerial and Financial Accounting are now available here for free:

• Does the board of directors influence the likelihood and resolution of financial distress?
• 'One size fits all' in private banking: implications for the wealth and asset management industry
• Effect of corporate social responsibility on the stock price synchronicity in China
• Financial analysts' forecast accuracy, informativeness and its implications for market efficiency: evidence from an emerging market
• Exploring the impact of sustainability disclosure on the cost of equity capital in the hospitality and tourism industry

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Mobile Learning and Organisation

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Mobile Learning and Organisation are now available here for free:

• Smartphone apps for child sexual abuse education: gaps and design considerations
• Design and implementation of a breathing interaction system for autistic Thai children
• A profile of college students' mobile learning readiness: an integrative literature review of studies from 2007 to 2021
• Learning analytics and evidence-based K12 education in Japan: usage of data-driven services for mobile learning across two years
• Broad sense and narrow sense perspectives on the metaverse in education: roles of virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence and pedagogical theories

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Management and Decision Making

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Management and Decision Making are now available here for free:

• Applying SWARA approach and refined Kano model to classify and rank customer requirements, case study: automotive industry in Portugal
• Digital business case: scientific contributions for a digital framework from benefits realisation management
• A hybrid approach to evaluate employee performance using MCDA and artificial neural networks
• A hierarchical structure model for blockchain technology adoption
• A decision-support framework for evaluating supplier performance in the trial production stage of new car model development: a hybrid multi-criteria decision-making approach

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Management Concepts and Philosophy

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Management Concepts and Philosophy are now available here for free:

• Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences from 1969-2021: a bibliometric description
• Benefits using PDCA cycle of continuous improvement in manufacturing industry - a case study
• Systematic approach to the designing management objects: from concept to organisational structure
• A case study of safety, theft and vandalism on Digicel cellular sites at Trinidad and Tobago
• The factors of internet addiction among the students during COVID-19 using logistic regression
• Socio-economic analysis of: Dangar Pothar Gaon-II (Romai Gaon Panchayat), Lahowal, Dibrugarh District

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Mobile Communications

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Mobile Communications are now available here for free:

• Why do merchants continue to use mobile payment? A data-information-value perspective
• Social presence and experience economy: the effects of augmented and virtual reality in museums
• Political connections and firm performance: evidence from the mobile industry in Indonesia
• Technology-enabled subcultures among Chinese youths: smartphone addiction, virtual social capital, and ACGN addiction
• What influences our recall of the use of social media and smartphones? An exploratory study based on a sample of Chinese iPhone users
• Need factors and preoccupation among mobile social media users

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development are now available here for free:

• The role of circular supply chains in sharing economy: literature review and conceptual framework
• Environmental concerns and financial performance: evidence from the EU regulatory framework
• Integrating knowledge for environmental innovations in research centres: the key role of industry-based boundary spanners
• Does the adoption of circular economy principles impact the value proposition and performance of companies? Effects on the origin and sector of activity of the companies
• Sustainability in the food sector: a bibliometric and network analysis of the literature
• Evaluation of blockchain technology in the three dimensions of sustainability and sustainable development goals: a systematic literature review
• Editorial: Covid-19: effects and innovation for future sustainability

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Electronic Marketing and Retailing

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Electronic Marketing and Retailing are now available here for free:

• Beauty in the eyes of the beholder: a meta-analytic review of the effect of design atmospherics on shopping outcomes
• Differences in attitude and purchase intention for multisensory stimuli in online stores with decreasing product congruence in terms of super additivity and cross-modal correspondence
• Social media advertising and marketing performance of SMEs in Ghana: moderating roles of firm size and fear of missing out
• E-payment or cash on delivery: do e-retailers' ethics, trust, and value matter?
• Predicting consumers' intention to use OFD services during COVID-19 health emergency in the USA and the UK: an application of the S-O-R model
• Testing a structural model on consumers' fear of COVID-19, death anxiety, mental well-being and online shopping attitudes with a process macro

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Engineering Systems Modelling and Simulation

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Engineering Systems Modelling and Simulation are now available here for free:

• Artificial intelligence-based conference automation system involving image recognition
• Image quality estimation based on visual perception using adversarial networks in autonomous vehicles
• Hysteresis controlled single phase-VIENNA rectifier fed DC drive system with enhanced response
• An efficient fruit quality monitoring and classification using convolutional neural network and fuzzy system
• Study on optimisation of seismic performance of special-shaped column structure in residential buildings based on BIM technology
• Robust control of frequency considering operations of AC microgrid in islanded mode

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Electronic Banking

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Electronic Banking are now available here for free:

• Bibliometric analysis of digital payment systems
• Impact of digitalisation on customer experience management in retail banking
• A mediation model of users' continuous intention towards banker's chatbot - a technology acceptance model
• Factors influencing the intention to use mobile banking
• What drives customer preference for mobile wallet payments - evidence from India
• Does higher capital help to mitigate failure of digital technologies and systems in banks?

Research pick: No bridge too far for business - "University to MSMEs knowledge transfer in Indonesia"

A study of the bridges linking Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and universities in Indonesia suggests that knowledge transfer plays an important part in strengthening the competitiveness of such companies. In an economy shaped by digital disruption and economic uncertainty, the research, published in the International Journal of Economic Policy in Emerging Economies, shows that universities can help MSMEs adapt and thrive.

Lina Anatan of the Maranatha Christian University Bandung in Indonesia, surveyed more than 200 MSMEs in Indonesia and discovered that there is great demand for university collaborations. In particular, collaborations that advance digitalisation are high on the agenda. MSMEs in Indonesia contribute almost two-thirds of the gross national product and employ almost 97% of the domestic workforce. As such, their digital development is important for the growth of those companies as well as economic growth at the national level. However, despite these findings, it seems that many MSMEs struggle with adopting digital tools and refining their business strategies.

The research shows that the biggest incentive among MSMEs seeking university partnerships is the perhaps obvious need to boost their market share and profitability. Such companies often face barriers, such as a lack of access to investment capital, and this makes it harder for them to buy into new technology or invest in the research they might need to undertake to develop and expand. Universities can play a transformative role by providing invaluable knowledge, resources, and expertise. One must assume that there would be financial and intellectual rewards for academia, as well as the potential for their students and educators to be involved or even employed by the companies they assist.

The research suggests that there remain obstacles and that government intervention might assist through grants or community programmes. This will be increasingly important as Indonesia’s economy continues to develop, the strength of its MSMEs and their ability to adapt to digital disruption will depend on knowledge transfer and technological innovation.

Anatan, L. (2024) ‘University to MSMEs knowledge transfer in Indonesia’, Int. J. Economic Policy in Emerging Economies, Vol. 20, No. 5, pp.1–23.

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development are now available here for free:

• Evaluation of ecosystem sustainability in Changchun City, China based on improved emergy analysis and fuzzy clustering integration model
• Sustainability accounting and reporting: from theory to practice in a transition economy
• Assessing the determinants of perceived recycling inconvenience in South Korea
• Impact of environmental and economic determinants on life expectancy: a sustainable development exploration in Sino-Pak from 1965 to 2020
• Evaluating a tool for the practice of corporate social innovations: a survey of Brazilian companies
• Precise pollution control in new urban development areas: a case study from China

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Electronic Business

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Electronic Business are now available here for free:

• Blockchain technology, cryptocurrencies and transforming accounting fees
• Managing business using emerging technologies: an examination of firms' performance through big data and enterprise applications capabilities
• Charting the course: exploring the changing terrain of online shopping and future directions for research
• The continuous maturity analysis of Li Ning's brand marketing through Weibo, China
• Technostress and users of emerging technologies in knowledge-based professions - an Indian outlook

International Journal of Powertrains to invite expanded papers from 4th International Symposium on Control Engineering and Robotics (ISCER 2025) for potential publication

Extended versions of papers presented at the 4th International Symposium on Control Engineering and Robotics (ISCER 2025) (23-25 June 2025, in Shenzhen, China) will be invited for review and potential publication by the International Journal of Powertrains.

Prof. Alberto Camarero Orive appointed as new Editor in Chief of World Review of Intermodal Transportation Research

Prof. Alberto Camarero Orive from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid in Spain has been appointed to take over editorship of the World Review of Intermodal Transportation Research.

Research pick: Addressing advertisement avoidance - "Minimising display advertising avoidance on social media platforms – the role of exposure condition, personalisation, and personality traits"

Social media platforms are an important part of any online marketing campaign, but companies attempting to entice us with their wares face the constant challenge of how to design effective display advertisements that keep our attention when many people ignore or actively avoid such efforts.

Given that display advertisements represent almost half of the global advertising market, it is obvious that much of the money spent is by users that do not engage with them. Research in the International Journal of Electronic Marketing and Retailing has looked at the factors that contribute towards advertisement avoidance and how advertisers might address this problem more effectively.

Priscilla Teika Odoom of the Ghana Institute of Journalism and Raphael Odoom and Stephen Mahama Braimah of the University of Ghana Business School in Accra, Ghana have built upon a psychological model known as the stimulus-organism-response. This frames how we behave when confronted with external stimuli, such as online advertisements. It has long been known that user reactions to advertising can vary greatly, but this new research looks specifically at two key features of display advertisements: personalization and exposure conditions.

The researchers explain that personalization refers to the tailoring of advertisements based on an individual’s past behaviour, such as browsing history or previous interactions with the advertiser or its associates. Exposure condition refers to whether a user has control over when and how they view advertisements, or if the advertisements are imposed upon them, as is often the case with pop-up advertisements, for instance.

The researchers found that advertisements that are both personalized and shown in a way that allows the user to control the viewing experience are far less likely to be avoided as one might expect. However, the overall effect can be tempered by the user’s personality. For instance, extrovert consumers are, the team found, more likely to engage with well-personalized advertisements. Whereas those with higher levels of neuroticism tended to less responsive to advertisements, regardless of whether the ads were personalized or not. This difference complicates the task of creating a universal advertising strategy, because the advertisers will not tend to know the specific personality traits of their target audience.

Moreover, the team found that other psychological factors, such as scepticism and trust, can affect advertisement avoidance. Consumers who are sceptical of online advertising are more likely to avoid advertisements, especially if they feel the advertisements are not relevant or trustworthy. Conversely, users with a more favourable attitude toward online advertisements tend to engage more positively with them.

However, regardless of the psychological factors, advertisements that are novel or creative were found to be more likely to capture a user’s attention and reduce avoidance. If advertisers can identify personality traits among their prospects and at the same time develop new and creative campaigns that target users appropriately they are, the work suggests, more likely to succeed in their marketing efforts.

Odoom, P.T., Odoom, R. and Braimah, S.M. (2025) ‘Minimising display advertising avoidance on social media platforms – the role of exposure condition, personalisation, and personality traits’, Int. J. Electronic Marketing and Retailing, Vol. 16, No. 1, pp.104–132.

Free Open Access article available: "Enhancing power skiving tool longevity: the synergy of AI and robotics in manufacturing automation"

The following paper, "Enhancing power skiving tool longevity: the synergy of AI and robotics in manufacturing automation" (International Journal of Mechatronics and Manufacturing Systems 17(2) 2024), is freely available for download as an open access article.

It can be downloaded via the full-text link available here.

Prof. Zhixiang Hou appointed as new Editor in Chief of International Journal of Collaborative Engineering

Prof. Zhixiang Hou from the Changsha University of Science and Technology in China has been appointed to take over editorship of the International Journal of Collaborative Engineering.

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Data Mining and Bioinformatics

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Data Mining and Bioinformatics are now available here for free:

• Exploring the pharmacological mechanism of Artemisia annua herba based on network pharmacology
• Uncovering the intension of Alisma orientale decoction for treating vertigo: a perspective from network analysis
• A high precision recognition method for small area fingerprints based on machine vision
• An in silico approach to de novo design of anti-microbial peptide from inspirited Komodo dragon's original VK6 peptide
• A data mining method for biomedical literature based on association rules algorithm

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Business Governance and Ethics

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Business Governance and Ethics are now available here for free:

• The moderating role of CEO race on the relationship between CEO masculinity and company financial performance
• The ripple effect of organisational inclusiveness on perception of ethical climate - an empirical investigation
• Credit reporting agency stakeholder and CSR reporting linkages
• Social ties, group dynamics, and executive compensation: an integrative two-stage framework
• Is corporate governance relevant to firm performance? Evidence from Indian manufacturing companies
• Corporate governance in real estate investment trusts: a systematic literature review and ideas for future research

Research pick: Ship-shape alliances - "The role of strategic alliances in logistics performance of container shipping and transport firms"

Research in the International Journal of Shipping and Transport Logistics has examined how strategic alliances can boost the operational efficiency of container shipping and transport companies. Mpuon Joseph Akam, Eze Felix John, Odigbo Benedict Ejikeme, Joseph A. Anyadighibe, Eyo Itam Eyo, Enuoh Rebecca Oliver, and Samuel Etim Ndem of the University of Calabar, Nigeria, surveyed more than 505 management employees across more than companies in Nigeria and found that partnerships between shipping firms were able to transform logistics performance to the benefit of the businesses and their customers.

Strategic alliances are collaborative arrangements where firms work together toward shared goals while retaining their independence. These partnerships are increasingly seen as essential in the global shipping industry, which faces multiple complex logistics challenges. The new empirical work fills a gap in our knowledge of how such collaborations directly impact the day-to-day operations of shipping companies. The team found that alliances allowed companies to pool resources, spread risk, and build on each other’s expertise to enhance service delivery and streamline operations.

The study identified two types of alliance: collaborative and cooperative. In a collaborative alliance, the focus is on flexibility and adaptability, whereas in a cooperative alliance, the partners prioritize building trust and commitment. Both approaches can work well to improve the overall efficiency of operations by reducing internal conflicts and fostering an environment where all parties benefit.

Logistics processes such as container loading, unloading, and transportation scheduling are among the areas that can benefit the most from strategic partnerships. Improved collaboration leads to more reliable deliveries, better vessel scheduling, and fewer delays due to port congestion. Such improvements then translate into more reliable and cost-effective services for customers.

Akam, M.J., John, E.F., Ejikeme, O.B., Anyadighibe, J.A., Eyo, E.I., Oliver, E.R. and Ndem, S.E. (2024) ‘The role of strategic alliances in logistics performance of container shipping and transport firms’, Int. J. Shipping and Transport Logistics, Vol. 19, Nos. 2/3, pp.353–390.

International Journal of Powertrains to invite expanded papers from 7th International Conference on Information Science, Electrical and Automation Engineering (ISEAE 2025) for potential publication

Extended versions of papers presented at the 2025 7th International Conference on Information Science, Electrical and Automation Engineering (ISEAE 2025) (14-16 March 2025, Harbin, China) will be invited for review and potential publication by the International Journal of Powertrains.