Digital Technology, Computing, Internet books

The convergence of Algorithms, Blockchain and Cryptocurrency has the potential to fundamentally disrupt the current world of work. This book investigates the effects of this on the worker, the organisation and the economy, by considering a future where the traditional power relationships between workers and firms no longer apply.  Using the term “Bitwork” to define this future world of work, the book proposes the idea of the Bitworker who is highly flexible, holds multiple roles, and has multiple incomes. Chapters consider the potential winners and losers of this technological pivot by exploring implications such as:  the expanding array of currencies;  training and education;  retirement and loyalty;  profit and power within organizations;  economic policy.  The book’s comprehensive recommendations on how workers, organisations and nation states will need to adapt to prosper in this new world, provide a useful survival guide for researchers, practitioners and policy makers working on behavioural economics, economic policy and the future of work.

Sponsored by the Communication, Information Technologies, and Media Sociology section of the American Sociological Association (CITAMS), this volume assembles relevant research focusing on ICTs in Latin America and the Caribbean—two understudied areas of global importance. Regarding Latin America, the mobile broadband revolution is taking place and the spread of mobile telephony and broadband Internet is beginning to reach more economically diverse populations. Concerning the Caribbean, this region reflects perhaps the greatest cultural, geographical and linguistic diversity in the Western hemisphere. Because of historical links with Africa, Europe and other metropoles and the region's proximity to the United States and Latin America, the Caribbean offers a unique angle from which to examine the growth of ICTs. The volume features international editorial teams with leading scholars from the Caribbean, Latin America, and North America. Bringing these voices together, the volume sheds light on how existing policies are meeting challenges to digital inclusion, as well as the benefits of connectivity within these societal contexts.

Retail Futures presents a comprehensive collection of new theory, original empirical evidence, and applied case studies synthesizing the emerging contributions in innovation and technology management for the retailing sector. Eleonora Pantano presents readers with an accessible and wide ranging collection of chapters aimed at clearly identifying the challenges retailers have to face in response to innovative new practices, while suggesting how the sector can respond to the technological developments.  The book analyses theories, frameworks and guidelines for successfully managing innovation in retailing, empirical research on retailers and consumer behavior when facing innovation in retail settings, ethical considerations and privacy issues, and case studies of retailers and innovation.   Retail Futures is primarily aimed at academic researchers studying retailing (including internet and e- retailing), as well as upper level students who want to understand this phenomenon. In addition, the book is useful for practitioners who are experiencing the dramatic effects of new and smart technologies on their retail strategies. This work provides a strong collection of theories, empirical evidence, and case study applications synthesizing the emerging studies on the innovation and technology management for retailing in an accessible way.