Purpose

While Industry 4.0 draws on a technology-centered approach, Industry 5.0 emphasizes resilience, sustainability, and human-centricity as key components of value chains supported by technological advancements (Golovianko et al. 2023). One guiding principle of Industry 5.0 is to capture the value of new technologies while prioritizing humans' well-being, where technology should serve humans, rather than the other way around (Kolade and Owoseni 2022). The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of individual human linguistic differences in goal-oriented visual search tasks which is typical for technology assisted production settings. This would support an enhanced understanding of human factor issues on operations performance in production and logistics settings, paving the way for human-centric workplace and process design with superior performance as a win-win-objective (Casla et al. 2019, Lu et al. 2022).

Methodology

We conduct an online experiment with two groups of participants. One group learned German as the first native written language and the second group learned Japanese. Both groups perform three goal-oriented visual search tasks with low, medium, and high visual clutter (stimuli). In our visual search tasks, participants are asked to select one correct shelf location among nine shelve locations. Repeating each trial twice, we arrive at 2 (observation groups) x 3 (stimuli) x 2 (repetitions) equaling 12 trials in total where we add 6 neutral trials and 6 empty trials where participants see a fixation cross. We collect information about the time required to select the correct field and the error rate when selecting one field. Time to select and the probability of error are our two dependent variables.

Findings

The linguistic relativity hypothesis proposes that the language we speak affect the way we think. We expect interesting findings when comparing participants involved in reading different script systems, such as alphabetic German versus logographic Japanese scripts. Representatives of alphabetic scripts are known for using analytical models of cognitive processes, concentrating on objects and their characteristics, while representatives of logographic scripts process information more holistically.

Originality

Previous research has reached wide consensus that a human-centric design of production operations systems is crucial, encompassing social, physical, and cognitive human factors (Loske et al., 2024; Klumpp, 2018). Relative to the literature on cognitive human factors and executed tasks, e.g., performance improvements through learning by doing, differences in cognitive processing stemming from a particular culture have received little attention in the production and operations management literature. Our study proposes that culture-specific mental functioning is important to consider in an Industry 5.0 environment in order to achieve process improvements and human well-being at the same time in production and logistics operations.

References

Casla et al. (2019).

Golovianko et al. (2023).

Klumpp (2018).

Kolade & Owoseni (2022).

Loske et al. (2024).

Lu et al., (2022).

Port decarbonization is an important part of worldwide efforts to combat climate change and move to a more sustainable economy. This study investigates how port decarbonization measures directly support the creation of green employment, therefore benefiting both environmental sustainability, economic growth and social welfare.

Ports emit considerable amounts of greenhouse gases mainly as they rely on fossil fuels for cargo handling and transportation. The move to decarbonization at ports entails implementing green technology such as electrification, renewable energy integration, and enhanced emission control methods (Botana Lagarón et al., 2022). Implementing these technologies cuts emissions and generates new employment possibilities in renewable energy generation, energy efficiency management, and environmental monitoring (Alamoush et al., 2023).

The requirement for specialized personnel to develop, install, and maintain new technologies and infrastructures contributes to generate green jobs. For example, the use of cold ironing at ports needs the installation and maintenance by electrical engineers and technicians (Bosich et al., 2023). Furthermore, ports that invest in green hydrogen production for fuel transition help to create jobs in the hydrogen sector (Pivetta et al., 2022). Additionally, incorporating renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, into port operations, creates jobs in the installation and maintenance of these systems. Ports that shift to electric cars and equipment need trained personnel in electric mobility technology (Issa Zadeh et al., 2023). Innovations such as digital twins and simulation technologies improve the efficiency of port operations while lowering their carbon impact, creating jobs in the technology industry (Wu et al., 2022).

Case studies show that ports that implement sustainable practices have effectively decreased their carbon footprint while fostering economic growth and job creation (Botana Lagarón et al., 2022). Decarbonizing ports requires extensive training and upskilling of the existing workforce to handle new technology and procedures, resulting in long-term job possibilities and career advancement. Green jobs not only contribute to reaching environmental goals but also to improve the quality of life for individuals and their communities (Alamoush et al., 2020). Ultimately, decarbonizing ports is critical for meeting global climate targets and creating green jobs. The incorporation of modern green technology into port operations not only decreases environmental effect but also generates major job possibilities, therefore contributing to economic and environmental sustainability.

This study seeks to understand the economic and societal implications of port decarbonization, with a focus on green job creation. By examining economic benefits such as employment opportunities in renewable energy and environmental management, we investigate how decarbonization activities boost local economies and create long-term jobs. The societal advantages, such as improved public health, higher community involvement, and increased social welfare, highlight the overall benefits of switching to green technology. We provide valuable recommendations for policies to boost green job creation, as well as targeted investments and regulatory frameworks to help with the transition to a low-carbon economy. Finally, this study demonstrates that port decarbonization not only satisfies environmental goals, but also promotes economic growth and social well-being, presenting a strong argument for broader community support for green projects.

Ethiopia's apparel sector has seen a surge in export-led growth and ranks among countries like China and Bangladesh in industrial output and sourcing destinations. Industrial zones are being constructed to attract large-scale suppliers and buyers, accelerate export-oriented industrialisation, and foster linkages between domestic assemblers and foreign suppliers. The participation of domestic suppliers in the global supply chain system can ensure the sustainability of economic development and supply chain integration through key strategic partnership development. Regardless of industrial policy, government commitment, and remarkable economic growth, the country has achieved little economic, technological, and knowledge transformation due to the weak participation of domestic suppliers. This led us to question the reasons behind weak participation and challenges for domestic suppliers to enter and remain competitive in the global apparel supply chain (SC) networks. Moreover, the author is interested in understanding how international suppliers’ presence and linkages impact the performance and participation of apparel producers. Research on the context of developing nation suppliers' capability to penetrate the global SC challenges and business orientation towards creating a brand image is limited. This study investigates the reasons behind weak participation and challenges for domestic suppliers in global apparel SC networks to help the emerging economy design resilient policies. This study used random sampling techniques to investigate the participation of domestic suppliers in global SC networks. Dillman's (2000) research procedures were used to collect data from primary and secondary sources. The research is conceptualised using the absorptive capacity theory, as it fits the understanding of how weak domestic supplier participation inhibits supply chain integration and efficiency. The study was analysed using R software. Despite an integrated value chain approach and sustainable industrialization, no single operational domestic firm exists in the 26 industrial parks. The analysis showed that 77.78% of firms have domestic market motives. And 68% of them believe that their products are competitive in domestic markets in terms of price, supply, and quality. The analysis further revealed that 23% of domestic apparel and textile suppliers have market and profit orientations, while 8% are interested in forming branded firms. The weak participation of domestic suppliers in the standard industry parks was negatively correlated with the significance of participating in the global supply chain, r(27) = -0.526**, p<0.001. The significant participation of domestic suppliers in the global supply chain system significantly predicted the weak participation of domestic suppliers in the standard industry parks (b = -.618, t(25) = -3.091, p<.001). This work enhances SC integration and sustainability by providing insights for suppliers and academic concepts, highlighting the role of domestic suppliers in global supply chains, economic contribution, and competitiveness. Furthermore, this study shows the importance of domestic supplier participation in developing robustness against SC disruptions. Domestic suppliers are important sources of sustained economic development. Encouraging private investment is recommended for long-term prosperity. Policies should enhance productivity and competitiveness by linking foreign enterprises with domestic firms, promoting technological transfer, spillover effects, and managerial skill transfer, and requiring continuous monitoring and evaluation.