Abstract
Purpose: This study aims to propose an architecture and presents the implementation of a unified chatbot that faces the challenges of heterogeneous communication channels. This approach enables the interaction with the chatbot to be carried out over multiple communication media on a single platform. Design/methodology/approach: The chatbot was embedded in a unified communications framework. Furthermore, it has been developed and tested using the information and communications technology (ICT)Core platform. Three test scenarios have been considered in the context of a digital marketing company, which include the use of multiple channels such as text, audio and e-mail. Usability and empirical tests were performed to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. Findings: The results indicate that the proposed model improves the completion rate and enables the chatbot to interact with the customer by capturing information over multiple channels. The findings also reveal that digital marketing organizations can use a unified chatbot in their marketing campaigns, which contributes to improving the quality of customer interaction, message personalization and continuous learning throughout the process. Originality/value: While the use of a chatbot is a relatively common practice among companies, its integration into unified communications networks is an emerging topic. Proposals for integration into a unified communication channel have mainly focused on access to the same account and conversations from multiple devices or access platforms. This approach, while useful, does not allow for the integration of information from multiple sources. Alternatively, an integrated architecture is suggested in which a chatbot obtains knowledge from multiple sources and uses it to increase the quality of communication with the customer. © 2024, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Abstract
Purpose - This study, grounded in social cognitive career theory, aims to investigate the effects of the change to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic on job security and job quality in Portugal. Design/methodology/approach - It adopts a quantitative methodology by conducting a nationwide geographical study. The sample consists of 2,001 employees working in companies registered in Portugal. It explores the impact of the change to remote work on job quality and job security. In addition, it explores the relevance of demographic, organizational and social factors to explain this relationship. Findings - The fi ndings reveal that the change to remote work has influenced the perception of job quality but not job security. Furthermore, demographic, organizational and social variables are factors that influence this perception. Research limitations/implications - Implications that digitalization can have on job security and quality, especially among the population with lower levels of education and more precarious working conditions, should be explored. It is also important to replicate this study in other countries, especially in emerging economies. Practical implications - By investigating job security, the study offers insights into the stability and predictability of employment during crises and disruptive events. By examining job quality, it delves into the multifaceted nature of work satisfaction, including factors like work-life balance, autonomy and fulfilment. Practically, the study provides valuable guidance for policymakers, organizations and individuals navigating remote work environments. Social implications - Understanding the implications for job security allows policymakers to design supportive policies and interventions to mitigate potential negative impacts on employment stability.Originality/value - This study uses a sufficiently comprehensive national sample to determine the impact of COVID-19 on employment. It offers both theoretical and practical contributions to increase knowledge about the phenomenon and provides a relevant guide for policymakers to adopt measures to mitigate the effects of the transition to remote work.

Abstract
[No abstract available]

Abstract
Sustainable initiatives play a crucial role in promoting digital health equity by addressing barriers to access and ensuring equitable use of digital health technologies and services. These initiatives may arise in various contexts, including local collaborative networks that emerge in the municipal context. This study aims to identify and characterize the municipal initiatives that have been developed in Portugal to promote digital health equity. It adopts a mixed methods approach to initially quantify the distribution of these projects in the Portuguese territory and, at a later stage, to understand the level of influence of these projects, considering their impact on individual, interpersonal, community, and societal levels. The findings identified 22 municipal sustainable initiatives and concluded that there is a strong relationship between the areas of community and individual influence. The results of this study are relevant to deepening the knowledge of bottom-up innovation in the digital health field and establishing public policies to increase the impact of these projects at the territorial level, the communities involved, and the social objectives addressed, contributing to greater social cohesion.

Abstract
Municipalities are key players in their role as sustainable development planners and have a responsibility to change behavior at the local level. This study uses a panel of French municipalities to explore their role in promoting responsible consumption and production practices. A questionnaire was set up to obtain data from 186 citizens, of which 77 come from rural areas and 109 from urban zones. The findings reveal that French municipalities have a wide influence on the consumption and more responsible production of individuals through their actions. They encourage inhabitants to reduce energy and water consumption, waste management, and local and organic consumption. French citizens are mainly influenced by social and economic factors, while political and marketing factors are of little relevance. Furthermore, there are no differences in the importance and involvement of citizens in responsible consumption and production actions between rural and urban municipalities.

Abstract
Purpose This paper aims to investigate the evolution, roots and influence of the rural entrepreneurship literature.Design/methodology/approachUsing a bibliometric exercise, the analysis starts with investigation of studies on entrepreneurship and gathering all (772) articles on rural entrepreneurship (from 1981 to 2020) found in both Scopus and Web of Science up to 15 August 2020. Citation analysis of the references/citations of 755 articles are listed in the abstract database, generating a citation database involving 46,432 references/citations. This paper considers 635 (out of the 772) articles on rural entrepreneurship (i.e. articles cited in one or more studies), generating a database of 10,767 studies influenced by the rural entrepreneurship literature.Findings This study discovers that the relative importance of rural entrepreneurship within the entrepreneurship literature has increased in the last few years, but rural entrepreneurship remains a European concern; the most frequently addressed topics include growth and development, institutional frameworks and governance and rurality, with theory building being rather understudied. Most of the studies on rural entrepreneurship are empirical, involving mainly qualitative analyses and targeting high income countries; rural entrepreneurship is rooted in the fields of economics and entrepreneurship and is relatively self-referential.Originality/value This study provides a comprehensive and updated investigation of evolution of the rural entrepreneurship literature. The assessment of the literature's scientific roots of rural entrepreneurship had not yet been tackled before. To the best of the author's knowledge this study can be considered as the first effort for identifying the scientific influence of the rural entrepreneurship literature.