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As energy is vital in the sustainability of almost every part of daily life, energy security has become more crucial than ever before. One of the main threats to energy security is a possible disruption along the trade network, which jeopardizes the constant energy supply. The purpose of this research is to identify the relation ties between EU countries in order to clarify the characteristics of the network, such as its crucial actors, vulnerabilities, structural holes, etc., to help achieve some proposals for a more sustainable and secure energy supply. This will help identify the underlying causes of recurring energy crises in the EU and provide insight into developing management strategies for further studies. Following this purpose, we examined the trade network density to clarify typical characteristics of the network, applied degree centrality measures to identify the most central importer and exporter countries, and found the dominance and critical vulnerabilities of actors in the network by using domestic import data of the EU countries. Finally, we recommend some policies and management strategies according to the obtained results and previous literature for further discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Total Quality Management (TQM) system is known to have a beneficial impact on sustainability. This study aimed to elucidate the achievement of hospital sustainability by analyzing the relationship between the implementation of TQM practices (leadership of management, decision making, continuous improvement, customer focus, employee involvement, process management, and relations with suppliers), and their impact on the financial and operational performance of hospitals. The gathered data underwent analysis using structural equation modeling (SEM) to empirically investigate the impact of TQM methods on the financial and operational performance of hospitals. A total of 1069 surveys were completed in 6 privately-owned and 26 publicly-owned hospitals located in the Marmara region of Turkey. This study contributes significantly by addressing gaps in the existing literature. There is a lack of empirical research that has examined the potential correlation between TQM, operational success, and financial performance in both public and private hospitals. Especially in developing nations like Turkey, the focus is on the early phases of implementing TQM principles, with a primary emphasis on continuous improvement and sustainable performance. The results demonstrate that Total Quality Management (TQM) exerts a substantial impact on the financial and operational performance of hospitals in the service industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy crisis caused by global structural changes in the political and economic sphere is the reason for the change in Russia's energy strategy based on the concept of sustainable development. The presented study is intended to test the hypothesis about the stimulating effect of economic sanctions on the traditional energy sector and is intended to examine the assumption about the implementation in Russia of the concept of the diversification of energy resources in terms of the use of coal fuel using a systematic approach. The object of empirical research is the Russian Federation in comparison with the leading countries in reserves, exports, and imports of coal raw materials in the period 2010–2021. The tools of scientific research used are based on methods of comparative, economic and statistical analysis, and technologies of consensus expert assessments. The integrated methodological approach applied in the study allows us to present the relationship between energy policy and the government's strategy in achieving the goals of sustainable energy production and the transition to transformational models of using traditional energy sources. This article identifies new opportunities for academic research and discussion of the potential of demand management, the dynamics of consumption and production of traditional energy resources based on the use of avant-garde technologies, and the design of scenarios for the implementation of the energy transition, taking into account various options for economic development and geopolitical changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this study is to conduct an evaluation based on listed companies traded in the energy sector sub-market of Borsa Istanbul (BIST). This evaluation is conducted on a sample of 27 companies between 2016 and 2021. In this study, corporate governance indicators are used as independent variables, while financial performance indicators are used as dependent variables. Initially, descriptive statistics of the sample and correlations between variables were calculated and interpreted in the analysis, and the Panel Data Analysis method is applied for the interaction between variables. This study emphasizes the importance of global economic and social crises, rapid changes in communication technologies, and the concept of sustainability for businesses. The sustainability of financing is highlighted as vital for companies. The findings of the study may serve as a valuable resource for understanding the performance of companies operating in the energy sector sub-market of BIST and their relationships with sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

No prior literature has investigated the effect of managers' green transformational leadership (GTL) on financial performance (FP). The current study introduces an original research framework with the aim of filling in this gap. This study introduces a completer analytical framework by considering the direct impacts of managers' GTL on FP and the indirect impacts of managers' GTL under the joint action of corporate environmental strategy (CES), green product innovation (GPT), and green process innovation (GPI). Furthermore, based on the question of how enterprises can earn profit from GPT, analyzing the moderator impact of differentiation strategy on the relationship between GPT and FP is also within the context of the present study. The data collected from 315 firms with the ISO 14001 certificate in the First and Second 500 Industrial Enterprises List of Turkey in 2018 were tested in the SmartPLS 3 analysis program. The empirical evidence shows that managers' GTL affects FP both directly and indirectly through CES and GPI. However, it is concluded that GPT does not have a direct positive impact on FP. Considering GPT and differentiation strategy jointly, it is observed that its relationship with FP is positive and significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blockchain technology has emerging areas of deployment in diverse sectors and use cases. In this study, several potential application areas of blockchain with promising benefits have been identified in the natural gas industry. There is no single solution that can address different challenges and meet disparate requirements. Therefore, it is important to understand the needs of the natural gas industry and propose appropriate blockchain solutions. Moreover, in the literature, there is a lack of detailed case studies involving industrial experts from the natural gas sector. Expert opinion can be useful for prioritizing the most needed or expected blockchain application areas among several options. By considering privacy, authentication, speed, security, energy consumption, and costs, suitable blockchain types and consensus mechanisms can be determined. This study presents one of the first detailed case studies for tailored applications of blockchain in the natural gas industry. Through a two-staged semi-structured interview with executives from SOCAR Azerbaijan, the most important blockchain application areas and operational requirements were identified. Furthermore, the most suitable blockchain solutions that can address application-specific conditions and needs were determined. This study both, develops a replicable and reliable methodology to conduct detailed blockchain implementation case studies in the natural gas industry and various other sectors, and provides detailed insights into the primary application areas, operational expectations–requirements, and implementation challenges specific to each application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]