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Micro franchising differs from traditional franchising as it aims to employ low-income individuals at the Base of the Economic Pyramid (BoP) rather than generate wealth. South Africa is known to have high unemployment rate, and many households live in poverty; this study aims to address such challenges. The microfranchise business model is meant to create jobs for those without employment. Limited studies have investigated microfranchising as a tool for self-employment and alleviate poverty in Thohoyandou, Limpopo Province, South Africa. This study was conducted to understand how microfranchising increase self-employment and reduces poverty in Thohoyandou. The study explored microfranchising as a business tool for self-emplyment and to fight poverty in Thohoyandou, Limpopo province. A qualitative research approach was employed with a sample of eight participants that comprised microfranchise businesses in Thohoyandou. The convenience sampling technique was adopted to select the participants. Primary data was gathered through in-depth interviews using a structured interview guide. The study's findings established that microfranchising tools such as business in a box, comprehensive training, employment creation, good marketing mix, improved asset base, improved standard of living, increased economic growth and market gap help reduce social ills. The study recommends that the government offer financial support to the microfranchisees and prioritize microfranchising as a business model that alleviates poverty. The study's major limitation is that the research was done in Thohoyandou, which means the findings may not be generalized in other towns, municipalities, or provinces beyond Thohoyandou.

The purpose of this study is to determine and analyze the effect of renewable energy integration variables and business approaches on improving the ability of the Indonesian electricity sector in a sustainable manner with carbon emission mitigation variables as a moderating factor. The subjects of this study are electrical energy users who are customers of PT PLN Persero as many as 85,600,000 people, where the variables in this study are endogenous variables, namely the variable integration of renewable energy and business approaches, while the exogenous variable is the improvement of the ability of the Indonesian electricity sector in a sustainable manner, and the moderating variable is the carbon emission mitigation variable, where the results of data analysis are processed through SEM analysis through SMART PLS 3.0 software. From the results of existing research, it is concluded that partially the renewable energy integration variable and the business approach variable affect the improvement of the ability of the Indonesian electricity sector in a sustainable manner and the renewable energy integration variable affects the mitigation of carbon emissions. Simultaneously, the variable of renewable energy integration and business approach affect the variable of increasing the ability of the Indonesian electricity sector in a sustainable manner through carbon emission mitigation as a moderating variable. With the renewable energy integration process we can mitigate carbon emissions in accordance with existing standards, where declining carbon emissions will create the ability of the Indonesian electricity sector in a sustainable manner, where the utilization of the sustainability of the electricity sector's capabilities requires a business approach that can be reached by underprivileged people so that later it can create affordable prices and make people's purchasing power easier, and avoid community losses due to global warming and climate change.

Purpose: Circularity has acted as an essential phenomenon for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in emerging economies, pressuring entrepreneurs to its adoption in their businesses. During the adoption and implementation of circularity, entrepreneurs or circular entrepreneurs (to be precise) are facing various challenges to its effective functioning. However, the scholarly literature has offered limited research into this phenomenon. Thus, the purpose of this research is to identify the various barriers and sub-barriers for circular entrepreneurs to adopt circularity in SMEs of emerging economies. Design/methodology/approach: A combined qualitative and quantitative approach was employed to achieve the objectives of the study. In the first stage, through an extensive literature review, a list of barriers was identified and in the second stage, a deductive approach was employed to finalize the barriers. Finally, Best-Worst Method (BWM), a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method, was used to analyse the significant importance of the barriers. Findings: The findings of the study suggested the "financial barrier" as the first-ranked barrier in the adoption of Circular Business Models (CBMs), followed by the "regulatory and operational barrier" as the top second and third barriers. In terms of sub-barriers, "lack of access to funding and capital" has been identified as the top sub-barrier in the adoption of CBM, followed by "excessive regulations and red tape" and "challenges due to ambiguity of the concept". Practical implications: To transition from a circular to a linear business approach considerably quicker and smoother, entrepreneurs may utilize the findings of this study as a blueprint for the steps to overcome the barriers in a linear to a circular transition. Originality/value: This research differentiates from other studies due to solicited input directly from the people who are most familiar with the challenges of making the transition from linear to CBM, i.e. the entrepreneurs themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crop protection industry grows with an increase in registration reaching 1,049 products, including 57 brands under Azoxistrobyn (AZT) category to control disease and increase grain weight. This encourages tighter and more aggressive market competition leading to challenges in Syngenta Indonesia’s AmistarTop in building brand awareness among growers. The aim of this research is to comprehensively examine brand communication strategy of AmistarTop to increase brand awareness among growers. A qualitative approach with a case study method is used by utilizing multisource data. The results indicate that AmistarTop’s brand communication applies (i) brand building approach, including mass media advertising, public relations; and (ii) brand-business approach, including digital interactive media with the brand communication umbrella "Rice is Life". Billboard is the only activity executed within mass media advertising driven by specific target. Public relations is significantly applied using a public information model through special on-field marketing events, community relations, and media relations. Digital interactive media is carried out through website and social media with informative, interactive and collaborative properties. Modifying AmistarTop's brand communication tactics includes exploration of more mass media channel, increasing public relations activities with a two-way symmetrical model approach, and intensifying digital interactive media content with patterned and scheduled uploads will enrich ways of reaching more growers and establish brand awareness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Religación: Revista de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades is the property of Religacion: Revista de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Innovative technological solutions have become increasingly critical in addressing the transportation sector's environmental impact. Passenger vehicles present an opportunity to introduce novel drivetrain solutions that can quickly penetrate the electric vehicle market due to their shorter development time and lifetime compared to commercial vehicles. As environmental policy pressure increases and customers demand more sustainable products, shifting from a linear business approach to a circular economy model is in prospect. The new generation of economically competitive machines must be designed with a restorative intention, considering future reuse, refurbishment, remanufacture, and recycling possibilities. This review investigates the market penetration possibilities of permanent magnet-assisted synchronous reluctance machines for mini and small-segment electric vehicles, considering the urban environment and sustainability aspects of the circular economy model. When making changes to the materials used in an electric machine, it is crucial to evaluate their potential impact on efficiency while keeping the environmental impact of those materials in mind. The indirect ecological effect of the vehicle's use phase may outweigh the reduction in manufacturing and recycling at its end-of-life. Therefore, thoroughly analysing the materials used in the design process is necessary to ensure maximum efficiency while minimising the environmental impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individual time management skills and a business approach are two fundamental abilities required for success in any life. The goal of this study is to look at the connection between the individual time management skills and business attitudes of sports science students. The quantitative, descriptive study used structural equation modelling (SEM) as its methodology. Students from Tabriz city's physical education and sports sciences departments helped collect the data. IBM® SPSS® AmosTM 23 was used to process the results of the study for model and hypothesis testing. This findings revealed a substantial relationship between individual time management abilities and business views of 126 students. Other research hypotheses examining the relationship between the business attitude and its constituent elements were similarly supported. According to the findings, prioritizing the notion of planning in personal and business life is one of the most effective time management approaches, and students should educate themselves concerning time management and business attitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainability in business is a subject of growing interest to investors, stakeholders, and companies for overcoming uncertainty. However, it is also questioned with "is this business approach is finance worthy", how does a firm's commitment to ESG translate into tangible outcomes that benefit investors? In this paper, textual analysis is applied to the 10-year sustainability report from 2012 to 2021 released by Hang Lung Properties (HLP) to empirically explore its ESG (environmental, social, and governance)-related strategy, initiatives, actions, and outcomes. Employed with a "commitment-action-outcomes" framework, this firm-based longitudinal case study on ESG investigates how HLP deploys and implements corporate sustainability activities, in order to increase its profits as well as stock returns. Our empirical evidence indicates that the firm's ESG commitment leads to its green and low-carbon transition. Further, it identifies three key enablers of ESG commitment—ESG integration and evolvement, high-intensity ESG effort, and technological innovation—that can spur low-carbon transition and achieve long-term value. This paper contributes to the literature in the following ways. Firstly, it sheds light on the effectiveness of ESG commitments in promoting sustainable business practices. Secondly, it enriches the understanding to build an enterprise's resilience and self-reliance via ESG initiatives in the face of uncertainty. Lastly, it makes an important methodological contribution by constructing a new employed textual analysis for the ESG research domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the growing evidence that many firms operate several multisided platforms (MSPs) simultaneously, we lack a comprehensive understanding of the managerial and public policy challenges involved. We examine the determinants and consequences of centralization decisions for firms managing MSP portfolios. A starting point is that on top of the indirect network effects and matching needs between user groups of the same MSP, in an MSP portfolio there are indirect network effects and matching needs across sides of the different MSPs managed by the firm. These additional interdependencies can amplify the effects of cross-selling and data-sharing in such portfolios. Our analysis suggests the higher relevance of a centralized design of an MSP portfolio due to the coordination benefits when indirect network effects and matching needs intensify the payoffs from cross-selling and data-sharing in MSP portfolios. We also explain how a more centralized design of such portfolios enables a broad set of pricing strategies, barriers to imitation, and acquisitions, and discuss managerial and public policy implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pandemic and a series of subsequent disruptive events fully exposed the vulnerability of supply chains. Research in the field of resilience in supply chain risk management has recorded significant interest across a wide range of academic disciplines. Therefore, there is a need to synthesize, categorize and explain existing and newly emerging research directions, which may represent relevant platforms for developing supply chain concepts in the future. This study addresses this need by providing a bibliometric review of published papers on resilience in supply chain risk management. By analyzing more than 2500 published papers through bibliometric and machine-learning-based methods, we identified ten topics related to risk and resilience of supply chains: Pandemic impacts of food supply chain; Practices for capability and performance; Supplier-related modeling and optimization; System security and critical infrastructure; Production changes; IT in manufacturing process; Sustainability in global economy; Management and business approach; Modeling and design of complex networks; Operational strategies for risk mitigation. By analyzing articles published since 2020, we also identified a change in the direction of research dedicated to supply chain risk and resilience; we identified three other topics that were not recognized as distinct topics prior to 2020—Operational management; strategy; Sustainable production. The results of this study help in understanding the change in the direction of research in the area of risk and resilience of supply chains and thus provide up-to-date information for further research in this dynamically developing area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The forecast of the optimal placement of a charging station (CS) according to the real-time consumption of electric vehicles is a subject of urgency in this new era. The demand of a charging station in an area based on the trend of consumption can be predicted by means of interpolation and the extrapolation of historical data using a linear function of prediction model. The prediction of the charging station system was performed with distance relevancy methods. An adaptive optimal learning model was proposed to enhance the prediction performance for charging station management and to represent the pattern of vehicles' travelling directions. The proposed model uses Distributional Homogeneity Feature Optimization (DHFO) using artificial intelligence (AI) to categorize and forecast the charging station from the database. The prediction performance of this model is improved more than the conventional classification model by filtering the apt features from all the electric vehicular and charging station attributes in the database. The Enhanced Cladistic Neural Network (ECNN) is used to improve the pattern learning model and increase learning accuracy. By comparing statistical parameters with other state-of-the-art methodologies, the suggested model's overall findings were verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fashion industry is recognized among the most impactful industries in relation to environmental and social damage due to unsustainable models. While countless research studies focus on the supply chain and product innovation, the presented inquiry studies the fashion retail sector with the goal of systematizing existing sustainable practices based on service offerings. We present the results of an extensive case-study analysis conducted on 370 initiatives of different natures gathered among international companies and local actors in the European context that offer services oriented toward sustainability. As a result, we propose an ontology that encompasses three areas (services for environmental sustainability, culture of sustainability, and implementation of social sustainability) and comprehensively describes existing sustainability strategies for helping retailers preserve the environment, while promoting socially inclusive practices and disseminating the culture of sustainability. The innovation of retailing from a similar perspective aims at rendering businesses more resilient to survive market and social transformations, especially in consideration of the boost to sustainable and circular transformation advocated by recent European legislation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, I explore the link between COVID-19 vaccine patents and their financialization within the institutional economics framework. Thorstein Veblen's main assumptions related to financialization of intangible assets are valid for the pharmaceutical firms that produced COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic. In this context, the effects of patent applications on the financialization of pharmaceutical firms are investigated for companies that took government grants for vaccine production. These firms are examined in a comparative way in the present study. The market figures, the investigation of the relevant firm-level data, and the institutional setting suggest that the COVID-19 vaccine patents-financialization nexus is well defined in the Veblenian framework during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dry-aged meat is gaining popularity among food business operators and private consumers. The process is carried out in aerobic conditions by hanging beef carcasses or placing subprimal or primal cuts in a dedicated cabinet for several weeks or even months while controlling the environment through the management of process parameters such as temperature, relative humidity, and airflow. In this review, we present a critical evaluation of the literature to evaluate tools to manage the process to guarantee food safety and identify critical control points, as well as good hygiene and manufacturing practices. In controlled aging conditions, only Listeria monocytogenes and Yersinia enterocolitica can multiply, while a reduction in the number of Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli O157:H7 is generally reported. Enterobacteriaceae usually decrease on the surface of the meat during maturation; thus, for the purpose of the hygiene evaluation of the production process, a count no higher than that of unmatured meat is expected. Besides, various studies report that the total bacterial count and the spoilage microorganisms significantly increase on the surface of the meat, up to 5-6 Log10 CFU/g in the absence of visible spoilage. Bacteria of the Pseudomonas genus tend to progressively replace other microorganisms during maturation; thus, the total mesophilic or psychrophilic bacterial load is not a good indicator of process hygiene for matured meat. Critical parameters for the control of the process are temperature, relative humidity, and ventilation, which should be monitored during the process. For this reason, equipment designed and certified for dryaging must be used, and the manufacturer must validate the process. Food business operators must apply general good manufacturing practices (GMP) and good hygiene practices (GHP) for meat processing and some GMP and GHP specific for dry-aging. Several research needs were identified, among them the evolution of the populations of L. monocytogenes and Y. enterocolitica and the microbiology of the inner parts of the dry-aged meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Environmental & Social Management Journal / Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental is the property of Environmental & Social Management Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: This paper aims to deepen the understanding of the service design concept by critically analyzing the existing servitization literature. The paper's main purpose is to structure service design and offer a clear understanding of how it should be applied. Design/methodology/approach: A systematic literature review was conducted within servitization literature to understand the evolution of the service design concept. The authors use service design pillars (i.e. user-centered, co-creative, sequencing, evidencing and holistic) as a theoretical framework to explain how service design should be effectively incorporated into the servitization journey. Findings: The findings expose a discordant interpretation of the pillars underpinning service design, revealing a paradoxical comprehension that jeopardizes its practical advancement within the servitization literature. The authors propose that service design should first be seen holistically, then target user-centered practices for sequencing service development steps, and finally, co-creating with partners to make the service evident to users. Furthermore, the authors contextualize service design within contemporary and traditional service-related issues such as servitization innovation, customer experience, service-dominant logic, service ecosystems and digital transformation. Originality/value: This research pinpoints the service design concept's shortcomings in the servitization literature. The study promotes a critical reflection on the service design concept and its current application, providing avenues for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When the stakeholder theory challenged the neoclassical shareholder theory, it was a step forward in the theoretical and practical debate about the role and responsibility of businesses in society and how wide the responsibility is. Today, neither of these theories go far enough to explain the responsibilities of businesses in society and neither do corporate social responsibility nor corporate sustainability given the complexity of the business environment in which companies operate and how far they are going, or how far they are pushed, to respond to grand challenges or the opportunities they may entail. The aim of this paper is to provide a theoretical exploration and a critical appraisal of the need for a paradigm shift from shareholders and stakeholders to future successors. This is grounded in a discussion about corporate social responsibility/corporate sustainability, and the relevance of environmental constraints, multilateral sustainability policies and pathways, and needs and requirements of corporate future successors that are important for businesses that want to prosper in the long-term. The findings suggest that forward-looking supranational political and economic unions, intergovernmental organizations, regional and local governments, and leading businesses have moved ahead of theory towards including intra- and intergenerational interests and the natural environment into their policies, regulations, and strategies. In doing so, they even go so far as to grant personhood to the natural environment, thereby recognizing the importance of the natural environment for their own and the prosperity of present and future generations who will be future successors of businesses. Consequently, the implication of the paper is to suggest a new theoretical lens which has a much wider scope than shareholder and stakeholder theories currently do, and a strategic roadmap, emphasizing the importance of future successors for corporate responsibility and successful business operations in the long-term and pinpoint ways forward in doing so. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starting in the late 1980s, in a phenomenon dubbed "Ceboom," Cebu City and its surrounding metropolitan area attracted national envy and international attention as a leading centre of growth within a country facing many economic challenges. This article focuses first on the development coalition in the heyday of Ceboom (1988–1998) and proceeds through two subsequent periods in which this coalition declined (1998–2016) and then effectively collapsed (2016–present). Two important factors explain the fizzling of Ceboom. First, dysfunctional jurisdictional structures inhibit the emergence of coherent metropolitan governance; second, these underlying structural impediments feed into, and are exacerbated by, intense competition among warring factions involving city- and provincial-level politicians. Cebu's metropolitan region, we argue, will not be able to address multiple pressing development challenges without a coherent system of governance linking its many components; sadly, we do not see how this is likely to emerge in the foreseeable future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harnessing remote computation power over the Internet without the need for expensive hardware and making costly services available to mass users at a marginal cost gave birth to the concept of cloud computing. This survey provides a concise overview of the growing confluence of cloud computing, edge intelligence, and AI, with a focus on their revolutionary impact on the Internet of Things (IoT). The survey starts with a fundamental introduction to cloud computing, overviewing its key parts and the services offered by different service providers. We then discuss how AI is improving cloud capabilities through its indigenous apps and services and is creating a smarter cloud. We then focus on the impact of AI in one of the popular cloud paradigms called edge cloud and discuss AI on Edge and AI for Edge. We discuss how AI implementation on edge devices is transforming edge and IoT networks by pulling cognitive processing closer to where the data originates, improving efficiency and response. We also discuss major cloud providers and their service offerings within the ecosystem and their respective use cases. Finally, this research looks ahead at new trends and future scopes that are now becoming possible at the confluence of the cloud, edge computing, and AI in IoT. The purpose of this study is to demystify edge intelligence, including cloud computing, edge computing, and AI, and to focus on their synergistic role in taking IoT technologies to new heights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This present study seeks to empirically examine the long-term impact and association between corporate sustainability performance by utilizing Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) scores, and the stock market performance indicators of the firms listed on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) India. Panel data regression models have been developed to analyze time series and cross-sectional data for 169 mid- and large-cap firms having an average of 1500 firm-year observations across different industries. A separate examination of ESG scores reveals that the Environmental score is negatively associated with firms' market performance. The Social score is found statistically significant, having a positive association with the market performance indicators. The Governance score also has a negative relationship with the study sample's earnings per share and dividends per share. ESG combined score is positively associated with overall firms' market performance. The results of the study show both positive and negative effects of firms' sustainability on market performance. It will set the pace for academics and researchers in the field of corporate sustainability. The study will also help the business world and policymakers to figure out which components of sustainability offer businesses and stakeholders the most benefits and which elements need more attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: As a globally prevalent phenomenon, buying counterfeit products harms consumers, economies, societies, governments, and the environment. The study examined the hierarchy of injunctive normative influence (personal vs. societal) on counterfeit purchase intentions and trends in non-deceptive (known) counterfeit purchase behavior. The current research expands the hierarchical norms approach by examining how the cultural values of power distance and individualism-collectivism predict injunctive normative perceptions and counterfeit buying intention and behavior. Methods: A cross-sectional survey (N = 13,053) of consumers from 17 nations, administered in seven languages, explored cross-country differences in perceived social norms about buying counterfeits. Results: The findings of multilevel moderated mediation analyses showed that personal injunctive norms (perceived acceptance of buying counterfeits by close friends) mediated the relationship between societal injunctive norms (perceived acceptance for buying counterfeits by peers in the same country) and the outcome variables. Selected paths of the mediation model were moderated by the two cultural dimensions. Discussion: Theoretical implications are discussed within the context of cultural orientations' and social norms' roles in informing risky behavior, and practically, within the context of awareness-raising and behavior-change interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary objective of this study is to enrich students' learning experiences by integrating "Experiential Learning Methods" with "Green Patent Strategies". This study categorizes experiential learning into four distinct modules, each systematically analyzed with the inclusion of four variables. These modules comprise Module 1: Reflective Observation, focusing on the "Corporate Sustainability Policy" variable; Module 2: Abstract Conceptualization, centering on the "Business Model Analysis" variable; Module 3: Active Experimentation, emphasizing the "Patent Strategy Layout" variable; and Module 4: Concrete Experience, delving into the "Case Analysis" variable. Within the "Patent Strategy Layout" module, additional depth is provided through subtopics such as "Green Patents", "Keywords for Patent Application Writing", "Zero-Carbon Patent Search Technology", and "Enterprise Detection and Operation Analysis", contributing to the thoroughness of the research analysis. The survey results indicate that students have attained a lucid understanding of sustainability-related subjects, including "Business Model Analysis", "Corporate Sustainability Policy", and "Patent Strategy Deployment". Practical exercises have further elevated their comprehension of green patent strategies. The overarching goal of this study is to stimulate inspiration for future curriculum designs that seamlessly integrate sustainability elements, fostering interdisciplinary learning opportunities for students within the framework of sustainable education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tourism and hospitality sector is known for its excessive consumption of natural resources, waste generation, and negative environmental impacts. The concept of circular economy (CE) has gained increasing attention in recent years as a strategy to promote sustainability and resource efficiency in various industries, including tourism and hospitality. This bibliometric analysis aims to provide a comprehensive overview of current research trends regarding the adoption of CE principles in the tourism and hospitality sector. Unlike conventional methods, a comprehensive bibliometric analysis combined studies from Web of Science and Scopus databases between 2013 and 2024 using the keywords circular economy, tourism, and hospitality. In this research, which includes 314 articles selected in accordance with the PRISMA protocol, it is seen that CE applications are becoming increasingly important. The research results show that there has been a significant increase in the number of publications since 2015; the most productive countries are Italy, Spain, and China, and topics such as waste management and recycling stand out as motor themes. It is thought that the number of studies on practical applications and niche themes should increase and future research suggestions are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to explain the processes carried out by management at PT. LMC is used to determine company strategy for partnership activities. Several analyses are carried out to determine the company's strategy, such as market analysis, industry analysis, company analysis, SWOT analysis, and risk analysis. After conducting various analyses, company management can formulate a strategic plan, determine a partnership strategy model, and implement the strategy that has been chosen while still paying attention to possible risks. This research uses a qualitative analysis approach with a case study method. By conducting a comprehensive analysis, the management of PT. LMC can determine strategic plans effectively and implement partnership programs consistently while minimizing possible risks. Apart from that, the partnership operational division can carry out the strategy in stages with clear goals and targets to be more efficient. Management can continue to carry out regular monitoring activities to see whether the partnership program is still running well and making a contribution to the company. This article discusses the process of determining company strategy based on comprehensive analysis, which combines several analyses so that management can evaluate policies and supervise them effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the quest for integrity and transparency, the perception of corruption within a state not only undermines trust in governance but also hinders sustainable progress. This study investigates the relationship between education, economic performance, and governance and their impact on the assessment of corruption in the context of sustainable development goals. The research framework included data from 14 European countries, members of the Schengen zone, using panel data for the period 2003–2022. The analysis of the sample indicators guided us to apply further advanced research methods. Principal Components Analysis was applied to reduce dimensionality. Under various assumptions related to heterogeneity, stationarity and exogeneity, panel Fixed Effects (FE) and Dynamic Panel with Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) were applied to link the drivers and the perception of corruption. The results are twofold: (i) on the one hand, the diachronic evolution of corruption, education index, economic performance or governance perceptions reveals different patterns for the countries of the Schengen zone; (ii) on the other hand, the composite index for education and governance assessment had a significant impact on corruption perceptions, while economic performance showed no apparent link to corruption. Incorporating the effects of economic and political shocks, the study will explore the resilience of the Schengen Zone's governance against corruption, particularly by examining the effectiveness of crisis management and education's role in reinforcing integrity. It will also conduct a longitudinal analysis to assess how these shocks influence corruption perceptions over time, offering insights into the adaptability of policy responses and their lasting impact on public trust. The findings establish new research pathways for academics and provide valuable incentives to policymakers and professional trainers to improve mechanisms for combating corruption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This systematic review identifies the potential sustainability challenges lower-tier suppliers and buying firms face in multi-tier crop agri-food supply chains. The first stage applied systematic mapping, and based on a sample of 487 academic articles from 6 databases, identified a less-researched area through empirical analysis. Secondly, a systematic evidence review synthesis methodology was used to synthesise the identified sustainability challenges from 18 qualitative studies focusing on the crop agri-food sector. A complex adaptive system, triple-bottom-line approach, and environmental, social, and governance sustainability models were applied to understand the nature of multi-tier supply chain structures and then identify sustainability challenges. Four major dimensions of sustainability challenges (social, economic, environmental and governance) for the lower-tier suppliers and buying firms were identified. Disintegration between buying firms and the lower-tier suppliers, predominantly due to their different locations, was found to be the primary reason for sustainability challenges in the crop agri-food sector. The review findings establish a theoretical framework that could serve as a roadmap for future research in multi-tier supply chains across various sectors and geographies, examining potential sustainability challenges and developing governance structures for sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of social media analytics on firm performance using a sample of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Thailand. This study also investigated whether entrepreneurial orientation (EO) moderated the effects of social media analytics on firm performance. Design/methodology/approach: This study used SMEs listed in the Department of Business Development of Thailand as the sampling frame. Probability sampling was used to draw the sample. A questionnaire survey was used to collect data from 334 firms. The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings: The results supported the positive association between social media analytics practices on firm performance. Moreover, this study found that EO moderated this association significantly. In particular, the positive association between social media analytics practices on firm performance was higher for firms that exhibit a high EO than those that exhibit a low EO. This result indicated that firms that implement social media analytics practices achieved higher performance when they exhibited a high EO. Practical implications: Social media data analytics should be implemented to strengthen the technological competence of firms. Moreover, firms should integrate EO practices into their implementation of social media analytics to increase their ability to generate substantial improvements in their strategic implementation, thereby enabling them to gain sustainable competitiveness in their market. Social implications: Because SMEs are the driving force for economic growth and development in Thailand, their ability to achieve higher performance when they effectively integrate EO practices into their implementation of social media data analytics could be beneficial for the sustainable development of Thailand, especially in the current data-driven era. Originality/value: The result that EO moderates the effect in enhancing social media analytics practices' influence on firm performance provides new knowledge that extends the boundary of research on this topic. The authors provided a theoretical explanation to clarify the way the implementation of social media analytics practices should be integrated with EO to increase the level of performance that firms achieve from such practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of European Journal of Management & Business Economics is the property of Emerald Publishing Limited and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the literature, the hierarchy of value retention strategies (R-strategies) is utilized to describe the impacts on various circular economy (CE) factors. However, this approach is not suitable for batteries, such as the vanadium flow battery (VFB), due to its technical complexity. The presented model primarily focuses on VFBs, as a deep technical understanding is identified as a fundamental prerequisite for a comprehensive CE analysis. Based on the R-strategies, a new model called the dynamic multi-dimensional value retention strategy model (DDS) is developed accordingly. The DDS divides the R-strategies into three dimensions, as changes in the studied object each have a unilateral influence on the underlying dimensions. In addition, interactions among the R-strategies within the dimensions are observed. Moreover, the model enables the transparent and comprehensible examination of various CE objective factors. Through the model, future adjustments to CE for batteries can be analyzed and quantified. In particular, the analysis yields new insights into individual end-of-life (EoL) strategies, based on new findings regarding the VFB. Consequently, important new perspectives on the VFB are also illuminated. The DDS model is applicable to other complex technologies as well as simple product systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of e-retail and the contribution of artificial intelligence in improving algorithms for greater customer engagement highlight the potential of these technologies to develop e-commerce further, making it more accessible and personalized to meet individual needs. This study aims to explore the psychosocial factors (subjective norms; faith; consciousness; perceived control) that affect AI-enabled ease of use and their impact on purchase intention in online retail. We will also assess the mediating effect of AI-enabled ease of use between psychosocial factors and consumer purchase intention. A quantitative methodology was used, and 1438 responses were collected from Portuguese consumers on e-retail. Structural equation modeling was used for the statistical treatment. The findings indicate that subjective norms do not positively impact AI-enabled ease of use, whereas factors such as faith, consciousness, and perceived control do enhance it. Furthermore, AI-enabled ease of use itself boosts purchase intention. Additionally, the effects of subjective norms, faith, consciousness, and perceived control on purchase intention are significantly enhanced when mediated by AI-enabled ease of use, highlighting the crucial role of usability in shaping consumer purchase behavior. The contribution of this study has been made through the formulation model that provides a systematized perspective about the influencers of purchase intentions and extends the knowledge about the impact of artificial intelligence in e-retail. Furthermore, this study offers insights into the impact of artificial intelligence in e-commerce—artificial intelligence directly affects purchase intentions and plays an important mediator role in the interaction mechanisms between psychosocial factors and purchase intentions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Given the importance of interdisciplinary research in addressing wicked problems, this paper aims to explore the development of and prospects for interdisciplinary research through evidence gained from academic accountants in Australia. Design/methodology/approach: Extant literature is complemented with interviews of accounting academics in Australia to reveal the challenges and opportunities facing interdisciplinary researchers and reimagine prospects for the future. Findings: Evidence indicates that accounting academics hold diverse views toward interdisciplinarity. There is also confusion between multidisciplinarity and interdisciplinarity in the journals in which academic accountants publish. Further, there is mixed messaging among Deans, disciplinary leaders and emerging scholars about the importance of interdisciplinary research to, on the one hand, publish track records and, on the other, secure grants from government and industry. Finally, there are differing perceptions about the disciplines to be encouraged or accepted in the cross-fertilisation of ideas. Originality/value: This paper is novel in gathering first-hand data about the opportunities, challenges and tensions accounting academics face in collaborating with others in interdisciplinary research. It confirms a discouraging pressure for emerging scholars between the academic research outputs required to publish in journals, prepare reports for industry and secure research funding, with little guidance for how these tensions might be managed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study seeks to investigate how managerial assumptions shape international market orientation (IMO) and how IMO, in turn, affects the performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), drawing from cognitive theory and the resource-based view (RBV) to provide the theoretical framework. Design/methodology/approach: The study focuses on the relatively unexplored domain of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Japan. A survey was developed and tested using data from 303 Japanese SMEs. The study model was subsequently analyzed using the partial least squares (PLS) technique. Findings: The study reveals a nuanced relationship between managerial frames of reference (FoRs) and IMOs. The results confirmed notable congruence between interfunctional market orientation and managers who exhibit a political FoR. They also revealed a positive correlation between professional FoR managers and customer market orientation. Additionally, the findings showed that entrepreneurial FoR managers displayed a significant association with competitive market orientation and Bureaucratic FoR matched with the three types of IMO. Finally, the results indicate that all three forms of IMO have a substantial impact on performance, albeit to varying degrees. Research limitations/implications: The applicability of our results to multinational corporations (MNCs) has not been evaluated. Since the primary focus was to identify the types of associations among FoR and IMO, the causal pathways and explanatory factors that underpinned these observed relationships were not examined in this study. Additionally, due to the geographical concentration of our sample in Japan, we were unable to conduct tests on the suggested model in other countries to validate and potentially generalize the research findings. Practical implications: By developing an implicit understanding of the market orientation fit within the organization's FoR, managers can enhance their understanding of competitors' activities and enable them to respond with greater efficiency. Originality/value: To the authors' knowledge, this is one of the rare papers that inspect the relationship between International market orientations and managerial assumptions as well as their effect on performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In recent decades, the world has witnessed a sudden rise in population and rapid urbanization. This has led to an increase in the water demand and consequently an upsurge in wastewater. Water scarcity, coupled with untreated wastewater, has become a major concern throughout the world. Municipalities are challenged with the task of treating wastewater and meeting domestic, agricultural, and industrial demands. Mismanagement of wastewater results in economic, social and environmental loss. The high concentration of population, lack of sanitation and water security, reduced awareness, and evident pollution have made India a home full of opportunity and innovation in the wastewater management (WWM) business. The paper gives a comprehensive review to understand the wastewater management and business approach. The research uses Total Interpretive Structural Modelling (TISM) to identify, acknowledge, and interpret the major factors for the stakeholders and for future companies who wish to venture into the wastewater management business. The study provides insight into developing a circular economy solution and gives a vivid framework highlighting the relevant factors for a successful WWM business. The study also provides direction to the practitioners who are involved in the WWM industry and helps evaluate their options, prioritizing resource-efficient solutions. [Display omitted] • Develop a strategy for an efficient wastewater management business framework. • Identifying the factors crucial for the success of a wastewater management business. • An integrated multi-attribute interpretive structural decision approach is proposed. • Provides a pragmatic business framework with dependent and driving factors. • Managerial implication & policy insights for implementing the model are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]