Research for Real

This podcast discusses an academic paper that investigates how digital transformation influences supply chain learning within the Australian food industry. Through a multi-case study, the authors explore how technologies like Internet-of-Things and big data shift the responsibility for knowledge creation from a single leading company to a collaborative network of suppliers and retailers. The findi...

This podcast discusses a recent research article that explores the mechanisms behind green innovation within the Pakistani manufacturing sector using knowledge-based dynamic capabilities theory. The authors examine how green knowledge sharing fosters eco-friendly advancements by enhancing a firm's innovation capability and its capacity for knowledge creation. A significant finding reveals that whi...

This podcast synthesizes findings from a study on the relationship between organizations' perceptions of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the nature of Supply Chain Learning (SCL). Based on an online survey of 206 top and middle managers from various industry sectors in Brazil, the research reveals that perceptions of AI's usefulness and its ease of use are critical determinants of how knowledge i...

This podcast synthesizes the core arguments from the essay "Theorizing Temporary Organizing to Foster True Cross Fertilization," authored by Maude Brunet, Catriona Burke, Mohsin Malik, and Jörg Sydow. The central thesis is a call for stronger, more creative theorizing within project studies to achieve a "true cross-fertilization" with related disciplines, particularly organization studies. Current...

This podcast synthesizes findings from a research study on the impact of Digital Leadership Capability (DLC) on the environmental performance of organizations. Drawing on Resource Orchestration Theory (ROT), the study investigates the mediating roles of Digital Technology Alignment (DTA) and Digital Innovation. Based on survey data from 183 Australian healthcare organizations, the research empiric...

This podcast discusses the evolving concept of project governance , highlighting its ambiguity and varied definitions across the literature. Both sources examine distinct research streams : one viewing project governance as external to a specific project and another as internal . They reveal that while project governance literature draws significantly from established project research , it also ex...

This systematic review by Khaleeq et al. (2025) evaluates various treatments for anxiety in children under 18 with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) , aiming to bridge a significant research gap compared to typically developing children. The authors analysed 33 studies published between 2014 and 2023 , adhering to PRISMA guidelines to assess treatment effectiveness and potential adverse effects. Thei...

This academic paper explores the relationship between agile project management practices and project performance , specifically focusing on innovative outcomes . It introduces psychological empowerment as a crucial mediating mechanism, explaining how aspects like team autonomy and agile communication foster a sense of empowerment within teams, which in turn drives innovative behaviour . The study’...

This research argues that Lean management is a complex sociotechnical phenomenon, but existing research has largely examined its social ("soft") and technical ("hard") subsystems in isolation. The authors address this gap by employing a sociotechnical system (STS) theoretical lens and process theorising to examine the dynamic interaction between these subsystems at individual, group, and organisat...

This research addresses a gap in the existing understanding of digital transformation by focusing on the impact of the human-technology dynamic on human agency, specifically employee cognitions and behaviours. Utilising socio-cognitive and role theories, the study investigates how employee cognitive trust and innovative behaviour influence digital transformation outcomes and how role conflict, ari...

This briefing document summarises the key themes and findings of a research paper that investigates the influence of employees' cognitions (specifically, psychological safety) and behaviours (employee-led process improvement) on data-driven digital transformation and ultimately, operational productivity. Socio-Cognitive Theory as a Framework: The study employs socio-cognitive theory, which posits...

Main Theme: This paper explores how organisations develop digital-enabled strategic agility through the lens of organisational sensemaking. It argues that existing dynamic capability perspectives are insufficient and proposes a novel framework based on intertwined "actions" and "meaning" to remove equivocality in responding to environmental dynamism. Digital-Enabled Strategic Agility: This is defi...

Key Theme: The research investigates how social capital contributes to successful digital transformations in Australian healthcare organisations, specifically focusing on the development of dynamic capabilities. Key Takeaways: Successful digital transformations require organisations to look beyond their internal resources and leverage their social capital to access and integrate valuable external...

Briefing Document: Project Monitoring and Evaluation in International Development Projects Document: Project monitoring and evaluation (M&E) to engage stakeholders of international development projects for community impact Authors: Humera Amin, Helana Scheepers, and Mohsin Malik Date: 2023 Key Takeaways: M&E is not merely a reporting requirement but a critical management tool for improving...

Executive Summary: This briefing explores the crucial role of project monitoring and evaluation in achieving impactful outcomes in international development (ID) projects. Drawing on agency theory, the research examines how these supervisory mechanisms mitigate information asymmetry and goal incongruence between project funders (principals) and implementing partners (agents). Key findings highligh...

Main Themes: Agile development as a sociotechnical system: The article explores the application of sociotechnical systems theory to agile development, demonstrating how agile teams operate through the interaction of social (actors and structures) and technical (technology and tasks) subsystems. Conjunctural causation and equifinality in agile development: The research highlights the complex interp...

This podcast identified four prominent cultural dimensions within the Competing Values Framework (CVF) and their specific impacts on agile projects: 1. Hierarchical Culture: Negative Impact: This dimension, characterised by rigid structures, formal communication, and resistance to change, was consistently found to hinder both social and technical aspects of agile projects. Key Challenges: Formal c...

This briefing document reviews the main themes and key findings of the article "Towards a Critical Realism Synthesis of Configurational and Middle-Range Theorising" by Mohsin Malik and Imran Ali (2024). The article focuses on the application of configurational theorising and qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) in developing middle-range theories within the context of supply chain management, sp...