Abstract. Risk analysis of residential real estate investments requires careful analysis of certain variables (or determinants). Because real estate is a key sector for economic and social development, this risk analysis is seen as critical in supporting decision processes relating to buying or selling residential properties, partly due to the pressures caused by the current economic environment. This study aims to develop a conceptual reference model for risk assessment of residential real estate using fuzzy cognitive mapping. This fuzzy model allows cause-and-effect relationships between determinants to be identified and better understood, which in turn allows for better informed investment decisions. The results show that the use of cognitive maps reduces the number of omitted criteria and favors learning with regard to how the criteria relate to each other, holding great potential and versatility in structuring complex decision problems. Practical implications, strengths and weaknesses of our proposal are discussed.

Bank customer loyalty is becoming a priority concern for banking institutions, as a means of gradually increasing complementary margins and eliminating the lack of liquidity caused by the current economic climate. Following a top down process, this focus culminates at the branch level, where banks’ front office employees are seen as a driving-force for building customer loyalty. At the same time, however, the difficulty in identifying and operationalizing the factors or determinants that most contribute to creating and maintaining bank customer loyalty has long been recognized. In this sense, based on the integrated use of cognitive maps and measuring attractiveness by a categorical based evaluation technique (MACBETH), this study proposes a multiple criteria framework for bank customer loyalty measurement and management. The results show that our framework allows bank customers with higher rates of customer loyalty to be identified and, from a benchmarking perspective, indicates what best practices should be followed to boost long-term relationships. Implications for scholars and practitioners are discussed.

The development and use of information and communications technology (ICT) are growing at a rapid speed across the world. ICT has been the cause for new types of work arrangements, such as virtual organizations, virtual teams, teleworking, etc. Virtual teams provide organizations with competitive advantage by enabling them to hire talented people across the world and eliminating the need for physical availability in the office. However, one major issue hindering the productivity of the virtual team is knowledge sharing. The lack of proper knowledge sharing between team members may cause organizations to fail with regards to the implementation of successful strategies. The research into understanding knowledge sharing in virtual teams (VT) in the Middle East is lacking. While such studies have been done in the United States and Europe, the Middle East has been overlooked. In this study, the authors assume that there are some specific behavioral aspects of VT in the Middle East that create the need for specific scientific solutions. Accordingly, this study was conducted in the Middle East in order to gain scientific knowledge on the region’s specificity. The objective of this article is to create a model for the evaluation of the effect on knowledge sharing in virtual teams in the Middle East. For analysis, the selection of companies includes United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based companies in the IT industry whose businesses engage in VT. The results show that the following factors have a direct effect on knowledge sharing in VT: Culture, motivation, conflict, ICT, trust, and leadership. Conversely, the results do not demonstrate that language has any impact on knowledge sharing. The methodology used is as follows: Literature review, survey methods, and structural equation modeling.

Greater competition and the aftermath of the financial crisis have meant that banks are increasingly focused on improving service quality and achieving higher levels of customer loyalty. Doing so requires being able to identify, understand and measure the determinants of such loyalty, however; and given the variety of multi-faceted factors involved, and the interrelationships among them, this is a complex undertaking. This paper proposes and tests an integrated application of cognitive mapping and multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA), thus combining metacognitive and psychometric decision-making approaches, to create a framework for the assessment of bank customer loyalty, which identifies its determinants and allows the trade-offs among them to be calculated. Practical advantages and limitations of our proposal are also discussed.

No abstract

Organizations operating in the intensive knowledge-based sector seek efficient management approaches and sustainable development practices to perform efficiently in the dynamic business environment. Knowledge management practice and organizational learning are significant factors in order to achieve sustainable organizational performance in a rapidly changing business environment. Based on the scientific literature analysis, there is still a lack of evidence related to the mediating role of the whole knowledge management cycle, including the five knowledge management processes (knowledge acquisition, creation, storage, sharing, and application) in the relationship between organizational learning and sustainable organizational performance for organizations operating in intensive knowledge-based sectors. This study aimed to examine the impact of the whole knowledge management cycle on the relationship between organizational learning and sustainable organizational performance in intensive knowledge-based sectors, specifically the audit and consulting companies in the Middle East region. Systematic scientific literature analysis, expert evaluation (structured questionnaire), and structural equation modeling (SEM) technique were used to develop and verify the research model. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire distributed among auditing experts working in a knowledge-based sector—audit and consulting companies in the Middle East region. The research results supported the hypotheses stating that organizational learning positively affects knowledge acquisition, storage, sharing, application processes, and sustainable organizational performance. However, the results verified that organizational learning has an insignificant impact on the Middle Eastern audit and consulting companies’ knowledge creation process.

No abstract

The impact of small and medium-sized enterprises' (SMEs) activities on the environment has proved to be negative in certain contexts, since these companies have not, for the most part, included environmentally sustainable practices in their processes, strategies, or long-term vision. Therefore, SMEs need to start adopting more environmentally-friendly behaviors to ensure a better future for coming generations. SMEs have failed to do this until now-despite making a significant effort-in part because dealing with this issue is a quite subjective process and a variety of aspects need to be considered. The current study sought to address this problem through the integrated application of cognitive mapping and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Based on a constructivist approach, group sessions involving a panel of entrepreneurs and environmental experts created, tested, and validated a green index for SMEs that addresses two of the major limitations of current evaluation approaches. The first limitation is the manner in which evaluation criteria have been defined within the scope of SME environmental conduct assessments, while the second is the method with which these same criteria's weights-or trade-offs-are calculated. The proposed index produced promising results when used to identify the most environmentally-friendly SMEs in a sample of firms. These results can be used as benchmark data for environmental improvement initiatives, and the findings confirm that the methodologies underlying the proposed model-building process facilitate a clearer understanding of how to evaluate SMEs' pro-environmental behaviors. The advantages and limitations of the proposed index are also discussed.