Bussecon Review of Social Sciences

This paper aims to develop a critical approach to flight safety by assessing theoretical and empirical studies on fatigue risk factors in cockpit and cabin crew. This paper also builds a fundamental basis for managing fatigue risk factors in the aviation industry. The main contribution of the paper demonstrates the fact that primary and secondary fatigue risk factors in cockpit and cabin crew affect the level of job satisfaction, operational efficiency, and flight security.

With the negative effects of global financial crisis in 2008-2009 and recent Covid 19 pandemic, the need for stress management for individuals and business organizations is significantly increasing. However, the latest advances in digitalization and digital transformation of service companies are reshaping and redesigning the working conditions. This study aimed to explain how stress and burnout syndrome affects the individuals and business organizations. It is also aimed to maintain a theoretical perspective on burnout syndrome models. Main contribution of the paper to literature is its theoretical perspective with fundamental theories and models of burnout syndrome.

Organizational culture and firm performance are some of the most researched topics in management because of their importance to organizations. Many studies have explored the relationship between organizational culture and firm performance.  The aim of the study is to link organizational culture and firm financial performance and this link was explained by conducting a literature review. The paper investigated the linking organizational culture and financial performance and found that there are different types of organizational cultures and all of them affect the performance of organizations.

This study aims to identify the most influential blockchain types for potential implementation areas in the transforming mobility ecosystem, considering application area-specific needs such as transparency, transaction speed, scalability, energy usage, security, and operating cost. The study demonstrated the hybrid blockchain suitability for most of the 13 distinguished mobility applications, while private and consortium blockchains are found applicable based on the needs of specific use cases. A public blockchain is only found suitable for two of the use cases. Proof of Authority and Proof of Stake matches well with most use cases, while Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance and Proof of Work could be suitable in particular.

Cash(liquidity) management is at the heart of a firm’s financial management. It is a silver lining between the bankruptcy and the success story of a company. Therefore, this study intends to contribute some insights into cash management practices and how firms can use them to achieve sound financial performance. This study provides a comprehensive literature review on existing theories and cash management practices that are useful in decision making. After the analysis of the available literature, the study highlights important theories including trade-off theory (TOT), transaction model, precautionary measures, financial hierarchy, and cash flow theory. Furthermore, management practices such as stochastic cash management model, speeding up cash collections, centralization & decentralization of management, asset portfolio diversification, and cash disbursement are discussed.  The study suggests that a sound financial performance can be achieved through a hybrid approach and through adaptation and embracing innovations in cash management systems.

The current developments of geopolitical rivalry, pandemic disruptions, and techno-nationalism have led to a fundamental reconfiguration of the global economic order, creating strategic imperatives for the multinational enterprises (MNEs) that go beyond the traditional internationalization theory. This paper aims to contribute to the literature with a systematic review of the adaptation process of MNEs in the time of geopolitical fragmentation and deglobalization. We used PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) methodology to screen 200 initial records from Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and JSTOR databases, resulting in 47 peer-reviewed articles, mostly published in the last eight years (2018–2026), and a few seminal articles from the past 30 years of international business studies. The analysis of our themes indicates that there are six main strategic response clusters: (1) reconfiguration of the supply chain, including reshoring, nearshoring, and friend-shoring; (2) geopolitical risk management via real options and diversification; (3) a renewed focus on regionalization over global integration; (4) digitalization as a strategic buffer; (5) nonmarket strategies, such as political adaptation and lobbying; and (6) de-internationalization, including staged divestment. We combine these themes into an integrative conceptual framework by integrating the EDGES themes (Economic Systems, Digital Disruptions, Geopolitical Fracture, Environmental Sustainability, and Socio-Cultural Ideology) with firm-level dynamic capability responses and performance outcomes. We find certain gaps that are of critical importance: lack of micro-level empirical evidence, lack of MNE perspectives from the emerging markets, and limited integration of artificial intelligence and geopolitics. The review contributes to the international business theory and provides practical guidelines for the management of MNEs in an increasingly fragmented world economy.

This study aimed to examine the impact of the internal control system (ICS) on the performance of publicly traded Ghanaian commercial banks, within the context of the core components of the COSO integrated ICS. Accordingly, the study investigated employees' perceptions of the impact of the ICS components on financial performance-FP and non-financial performance-NFP and whether a significant relationship exists between these perceptions. In the study, the core components of the COSO’s ICS (control environment, risk assessment, control activities, information-communication, monitoring) were considered as independent variables, while FP and NFP of the banks were considered as the dependent variables. In line with the study's objective, the hypotheses were designed as follows: H1: The ICS has an impact on the FP. H2: The ICS has an impact on the NFP. Methodologically, a descriptive online survey method was used to collect data. The survey was sent to 113 managers and employees working in the internal control and audit departments of 23 listed Ghanaian banks, and 73 employees, representing 64.6%, provided voluntary feedback. Data were analyzed using SPSS-25. The survey, which was suitable for a 5-point Likert scale, included statements regarding COSO internal control components and FP and NFP. The study revealed that there were no differences in FP among the ICSs but there were differences in NFP among the ICS. The study concluded a statistically significant relationship between the ICS and FP overall. Additionally, compared to other components whose impact on FP was limited, the COSO Information-Communication component indicated the highest significant relationship with FP and the greatest positive impact, while the control activities component had an inverse effect on FP. Furthermore, the study also revealed a significant overall relationship between the ICS and NFP. In addition, compared to other components whose impact on NFP was much more limited, the COSO Information-Communication component showed the highest significant relationship with NFP and the highest positive impact on NFP. This study is considered to contribute to the literature and to investors, shareholders, policymakers, etc., by examining all factors together, such as the impact of COSO internal control components on FP and NFP, and the internal control and audit department staff at the headquarters and branches of listed Ghanaian commercial banks.

The integration of Big Data, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, the Internet of Things, Cloud Computing and Cybersecurity into aviation – is reshaping how airlines and Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) organisations create value, yet evidence on the gap between digital potential and at-scale implementation remains fragmented. This study examines how Aviation 4.0 technologies affect aviation operations, with a particular focus on MRO. A qualitative, mixed-methods design combines a systematic literature review, secondary evidence from an industry MRO digital survey, five semi-structured expert interviews (sales, data science, MRO operations, R&D innovation, and technology-provider management), and two technical case studies (neural networks for aircraft retirement and an AI-based digital twin for a Power Electronics Cooling System). Findings reveal that predictive maintenance is the dominant digital priority (prioritised by 56% of respondents), yet only 6% of MROs have scaled digital and analytics across the enterprise; over 80% cite data limitations and more than 70% cite organisational resistance as barriers. Field implementations in a focal MRO produced substantial measurable value, including $4.2M annual savings from an in-house planning platform and $6M additional revenue from an integrated quote-to-contract system. The study triangulates concept, practice and market evidence in a single crosswalk, clarifying where the Aviation 4.0 promise has materialised and where the principal barriers persist. Practically, this study provides MRO executives and policymakers with an evidence-based roadmap mapping conceptual potentials to realised implementations.

Arising carbon emissions and accelerating industrialization have intensified concerns regarding sustainable development in emerging markets. This study examines whether innovation functions as a direct mechanism for decarbonization and whether innovation-driven environmental dynamics follow the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) framework. Using panel data from emerging market economies over the period 2000–2020, the study applies fixed-effects estimation techniques to investigate both the linear and nonlinear effects of innovation on CO₂ emissions. Innovation is measured through research and development (R&D) expenditure, while industrialization, urbanization, trade openness, financial development, and ICT indicators are incorporated as control variables. The findings demonstrate that innovation significantly reduces CO₂ emissions, suggesting that technological advancement supports environmental sustainability through cleaner production systems and efficiency-enhancing mechanisms. However, the analysis does not support the existence of an innovation-driven EKC, as the nonlinear innovation term remains statistically insignificant. The study contributes to environmental sustainability literature by extending the EKC framework beyond conventional income-centered explanations and positioning innovation as a direct decarbonization mechanism in emerging economies. The findings further provide practical implications for policymakers seeking to accelerate low-carbon transitions through innovation-oriented industrial and technological policies.

The airline industry faces persistent profitability pressure stemming from high fixed costs, intense competition, and macroeconomic volatility. Since the entry of low-cost carriers (LCCs), ancillary revenue—defined as income generated from services and products supplementary to the core ticket—has evolved from a peripheral activity into a strategic financial pillar for both full-service and low-cost airlines. This study investigates the determinants of passenger willingness to pay (WTP) for à la carte ancillary services and identifies behavioural and demographic profiles that predict purchase frequency. Using a survey of 254 air travellers and a multi-method statistical approach (Chi-square tests, Mann–Whitney U tests, and Kruskal–Wallis with Bonferroni-corrected pairwise comparisons), six hypotheses are tested. The results demonstrate that (i) passengers familiar with à la carte services allocate significantly larger travel budgets to such services (p < .05); (ii) frequent travellers (>5 flights/year) are significantly more likely to purchase à la carte services (χ² = 8.44, p < .01); (iii) frequent-flyer programme (FFP) members purchase ancillary services at substantially higher rates (χ² = 9.70, p < .01); and (iv) contrary to common managerial intuition, short-haul passengers purchase à la carte services more frequently than long-haul passengers (χ² = 4.51, p < .05). Wi-Fi access is valued across all age cohorts without statistically significant differences. The findings extend the revenue management literature by empirically validating familiarity and loyalty-programme membership as the strongest behavioural predictors of à la carte WTP, and offer actionable guidance for targeted personalisation, segmentation, and dynamic pricing strategies. Implications for machine-learning-driven ancillary recommendation systems are also discussed in light of recent advances in offer management (2022–2025).