Purpose This paper aims to propose an empirically grounded governance framework based on complex adaptive systems (CAS) principles to facilitate formation of well-connected regional supply chains that foster economic development, adaptability and resilience of mining regions. Design/methodology/approach This study is an exploratory case study of the South Australian (SA) mining industry that includes 38 semi-structured interviews with the key stakeholders and structural analysis of the regional supply network (RSN). Findings Findings demonstrate the applicability of the CAS framework as a structured approach to the governance of the mining industry regional supply chains. In particular, the findings exemplify the relationship between RSN governance, its structure and interconnectivity and their combined impact on the adaptability and resilience of mining regions. Research limitations/implications The data set analysed in the current study is static. Longitudinal data would permit a deeper insight into the evolution of the RSN structure and connectivity. The validity of the proposed framework could be further strengthened by being applied to other industrial domains and geographical contexts. Practical/implications The proposed framework offers a novel insight for regional policy-makers striving to create an environment that facilitates the formation of well-integrated regional supply chains in mining regions through more focussed policy and strategies. Originality/value The proposed framework is one of the first attempts to offer a holistic structured approach to governance of the regional supply chains based on CAS principles. With the current transformative changes in the global mining industry, policy-makers and supply chain practitioners have an urgent need to embrace CAS and network paradigms to remain competitive in the twenty-first century.

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Interest in entrepreneurial systems has recently exploded. Policy-makers want to create one. Entrepreneurs want to be in one. This emergence of entrepreneurial ecosystems is as new as it is rapid. Earlier generations had thought of entrepreneurship as a rather lonely, or at least individualistic, journey. Both the decision to become an entrepreneur and the subsequent outcome or performance of the entrepreneurial venture seemed to be all about the individual, or team of individuals, and the entrepreneurial firm, but little else. Both policy-makers and scholars remained fixated on those individual characteristics and traits that might influence the decision to become an entrepreneur, as well as the eventual entrepreneurial performance, such as the preference for risk, need for autonomy, and desire for actualization. Perhaps it was the large, imposing elephant in the entrepreneurship room, Silicon Valley, that persuaded thought leaders in business and policy that entrepreneurship was more than simply an individual calculation based on homo economicus. Rather, place matters, or at least what is at that place. One thing that no one seems to have doubted for well over two decades is that whatever it is that constitutes Silicon Valley is conducive to entrepreneurship. And not only Silicon Valley. Just as entrepreneurship has been found to thrive across a broad spectrum of cultural and national contexts, ranging from Bangalore to Berlin, a common denominator is the rich and supportive local firms, policies, and institutions-the ecosystem. Perhaps the corollary of Hillary Rodham Clinton's insight that "It takes a village to raise a child" is "It takes an ecosystem to foster an entrepreneur." If "No man is an island," as the English poet John Dunne mused, then an entrepreneur who is unconnected and isolated is surely lost. The emergence of entrepreneurial ecosystems as an important construct for policy-makers and scholars comes not just from the recognition that place matters for entrepreneurs. The reverse holds as well-entrepreneurs matter for the place. Those places, albeit a city, state, or region, that exhibit more entrepreneurship enjoy an enhanced economic performance. The performance premium, in terms of jobs, a higher standard of living and prosperity, and greater economic growth, accruing v

Purpose The competitiveness of mining regions largely depends on the performance of the regional supply chains that provide services to mining companies. These local supply chains are often highly intertwined and represent a regional supply network for the industry. Individual companies often use supply chain strategies that are sub-optimal to overall supply network performance. To effectively respond to an uncertain business environment, policy-makers and supply chain participants would benefit by a governance framework that would allow to incentivise the formation of supply networks structures enabling effective operations. The purpose of this paper is to offer an empirically grounded conceptual framework based on Complex Adaptive Systems (CASs) governance principles, which links network governance mechanisms with supply network structure and operational performance to incentivise the formation of adaptive and resilient supply networks in the mining industry. Design/methodology/approach A mixed method research design and a case study of the South Australian mining sector were used to collect empirical data. Qualitative interviews and network analysis of the SA mining industry regional supply network structure were conducted. The relationships between network parameters were interpreted using CAS theory. Findings An empirically grounded conceptual framework based on CAS governance principles is developed. The case study revealed that supply chain strategies and governance mechanisms in the SA mining industry have led to the formation of a hierarchical, scale-free structure with insufficient horizontal connectivity which limits the adaptability, responsiveness and resilience of the regional supply network. Research limitations/implications The findings are drawn from a single case study. This limits generalisability of the findings and the proposed framework. Practical implications The proposed framework draws the attention of the policy-makers and supply chain participants towards the need for utilising CAS governance principles to facilitate the formation of adaptive, responsive and resilient regional supply networks in the mining industry. Originality value The proposed conceptual framework is an attempt to parameterise the governance of the regional supply networks in the mining industry.

Agribusiness supply chain (ASC) risk is currently a major business problem throughout the world. The current trend of globalisation has affected every business, and supply chain risks have become a concern in logistics and other business processes. Current risk management strategies must address a variety of global and local challenges. To tackle this issue, existing research has analysed risks in agrifood supply chains, ASC risk management, disruption in ASCs, risk assessments of agriculture supply chains and sources of risk facing an agricultural supply chain. However, the existing research has not defined and categorised risks as a basis for managing risks in ASCs. Therefore, the definition and categorisation of risks in the ASC has been overlooked. To address this gap, this paper undertakes a systematic literature review, offering constructs to define and categorise risks in ASCs, and develops a novel taxonomy in ASC risks to enrich future research on ASC risk management. Sixty-one articles from six databases published between 2000 and 2020 underwent descriptive and thematic analysis.

Despite widespread recognition that an enterprise’s critical resources may extend beyond the enterprise’s traditional boundaries, with the focal enterprise drawing upon the resources of other firms and institutions through networks, there is a dearth of empirical research on knowledge mobility and appropriability patterns among innovative Australian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through the lens of complexity science. We address this gap, by examining what, how, and why innovation-related knowledge flows from networks into SMEs, and how SMEs protect intellectual property (IP) and appropriate value. Based on a survey of 838 SMEs, we find patterns of internal and external knowledge flows with SMEs searching for ideas internally, and via market-based networks, with internally sourced ideas having the strongest impact on innovativeness. The results also show SMEs are most likely to network with market-based agents relative to localised learning networks. Further, networking with suppliers increases innovativeness, as does sourcing knowledge as part of a package with the purchase of new equipment, underscoring the importance of the vertical supply chain network. Despite limited interaction with localised learning networks, outsourcing R&D to these networks increases innovativeness. We also find that informal IP, in particular, secrecy, complexity of product design, and frequent and rapid changes to products/services increases innovativeness, as do formal copyrights and trademarks. In addition to protecting IP, these practices are product market strategies, enabling SMEs to commercialise innovations and appropriate value. But while appropriability mechanisms provide innovation benefits to individual agents, from the perspective of complexity science, IP mechanisms act as barriers to effective knowledge flows (e.g. information sharing) preventing innovative networking through the mechanism of a positive feedback loop to evolve to the state where distributed intelligence comes into play and facilitates break-through innovations.

Purpose Based on the systematic literature review, this paper aims to propose a framework of Construction 4.0 (C4.0) scenarios, identifying Industry 4.0 (I4.0) enabling technologies and their applications in the construction industry. The paper reviews C4.0 trends and potential areas for development. Design/methodology/approach In this research, a systematic literature review (SLR) methodology has been applied, including bibliographic coupling analysis (BCA), co-citation network analysis of keywords, the content analysis with the visualisation of similarities (VOSviewer) software and aggregative thematic analysis (ATA). In total, 170 articles from the top 22 top construction journals in the Scopus database between 2013 and 2021 were analysed. Findings Six C4.0 scenarios of applications were identified. Out of nine I4.0 technology domains, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Cloud Computing, Big Data and Analytics had the most references in C4.0 research, while applications of augmented/virtual reality, vertical and horizontal integration and autonomous robotics yet provide ample avenues for the future applied research. The C4.0 application scenarios include efficient energy usage, prefabricated construction, sustainability, safety and environmental management, indoor occupant comfort and efficient asset utilisation. Originality/value This research contributes to the body of knowledge by offering a framework of C4.0 scenarios revealing the status quo of research published in the top construction journals into I4.0 technology applications in the sector. The framework evaluates current C4.0 research trends and gaps in relation to nine I4.0 technology domains as compared with more advanced industry sectors and informs academic community, practitioners and strategic policymakers with interest in C4.0 trends.

PurposeTraditional “hierarchical” and “network-centric management” approaches often associated with the management of well-defined construction projects lack the adaptability to cope with uncertainty, standardised practices and the required conformance to industry standards. The purpose of this paper is to propose an integrative “holonic” methodology for the management of megaprojects in the construction industry, which incorporates both adaptability and conformance to standards, and to illustrate the associated benefits of such a methodology.Design/methodology/approachA multi-case study comprising three cases delivered in the USA and Australia, namely the Adelaide Desalination Plant (ADP), the Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, and the Olmsted Locks and Dam Replacement project were utilized to demonstrate the key features of the hierarchical, network-centric and holonic approaches to managing megaprojects.FindingsThe case studies demonstrate incorporating the holonic approach into the management of complex construction projects results in increased management effectiveness and project success. The proposed “holonic” methodology provides the potential to efficiently manage megaprojects navigating through high degrees of uncertainty.Practical implicationsThe adoption of the holonic view by project management (PM) practitioners will help them manage megaprojects that are characterised by greater complexity. Second, the proposed methodology enables the discipline of PM to evolve in alignment with rapidly unfolding global transformation trends.Originality/valueThis paper demonstrates the application of the “holonic” methodology to the domain of the management of construction megaprojects. Such an approach is needed as construction projects become increasingly more complex across the world due to technological, political and social uncertainties, larger scale, changing environmental and safety regulations, and the growing involvement of human factors germane to this research.