Search Results (16)

Sustainability has become one of the main drivers of organizational performance. This study investigates the integration of sustainability with the balanced scorecard (BSC) as a framework for translating environmental management strategy into organizational performance. This review also seeks to map sustainability balanced scorecard (SBSC) research, clarifying its current role and identifying gaps and opportunities for future research. To achieve this, we sourced and reviewed 247 publications from the Web of Science index, corresponding to 129 scientific journals and 57 conference proceedings. Our analysis included content analysis and bibliometric analysis performed using the R packages Bibliometrix (version: 4.3.5), Biblioshiny, and CiteSpace (6.3.R1 Basic). The findings revealed that the SBSC enhances organizational capacity to align sustainability with strategic objectives, although significant implementation barriers remain, such as the selection of appropriate sustainability indicators and organizational resistance. This study contributes to advancing the theoretical and practical understanding of the SBSC while offering pathways for future research and application across sectors. Full article

Conceptualized in this paper is the integration of sustainability into the strategic balanced scorecard for event tourism (SBSC-ET), emphasizing a holistic approach to managing event tourism. The community perspective focuses on cultural preservation and social equity, while the host location perspective addresses site sustainability, economic impacts, and stakeholder balance. The providers perspective highlights operational efficiency and sustainability, and the tourist perspective promotes responsible tourism and value co-creation. By organizing metrics according to stakeholder roles and objectives, the SBSC-ET ensures improved management of event tourism, addressing multiple dimensions of sustainability, including community needs, economic impacts, operational efficiency, and tourist experiences, ultimately benefiting all stakeholders involved. Full article

The hotel industry has faced significant challenges in both the short and long term, particularly due to the impact of COVID-19, highlighting the need for strategic adjustments to ensure sustainability and growth. This study investigates the strategic elements emphasized in CEO messages published on hotel company websites and their relationship with current and future corporate performance. Utilizing text mining techniques and the Sustainability Balanced Scorecard (SBSC) framework, this research classifies key strategies into financial, customer, internal business processes, learning and growth, social responsibility, and security and safety perspectives. Empirical analysis using the 2SLS regression model reveals several critical findings. First, strategies emphasizing financial and customer perspectives positively influence future corporate performance, though no significant impact is observed on current performance. Second, internal business processes and learning and growth perspectives show no statistically significant relationship with either current or future corporate performance. Third, social responsibility initiatives have an immediate positive effect on current performance, but their long-term impact is negligible. Finally, security and safety perspectives negatively affect both short-term and long-term corporate performance, largely due to the associated costs. However, additional network analysis demonstrates that security and safety factors are interconnected with other strategic elements, suggesting their complementary importance for overall operational stability. The study highlights the critical role of transparent information delivery through CEO messages as a tool for communicating corporate vision and strategy, offering insights into how stakeholders can utilize this information for decision-making. These findings provide valuable theoretical and managerial implications for sustainable hotel management in a post-pandemic environment. Full article

Estimates of actual evapotranspiration (ETa) are valuable for effective monitoring and management of water resources. In areas that lack ground-based monitoring networks, remote sensing allows for accurate and consistent estimates of ETa across a broad scale—though each algorithm has limitations (i.e., ground-based validation, temporal consistency, spatial resolution). We developed an ensemble mean ETa (EMET) product to incorporate advancements and reduce uncertainty among algorithms (e.g., energy-balance, optical-only), which we use to estimate vegetative water use in response to restoration practices being implemented on the ground using management interventions (i.e., fencing pastures, erosion control structures) on a private ranch in Baja California Sur, Mexico. This paper describes the development of a monthly EMET product, the assessment of changes using EMET over time and across multiple land use/land cover types, and the evaluation of differences in vegetation and water distribution between watersheds treated by restoration and their controls. We found that in the absence of a ground-based monitoring network, the EMET product is more robust than using a single ETa data product and can augment the efficacy of ETa-based studies. We then found increased ETa within the restored watershed when compared to the control sites, which we attribute to increased plant water availability. Full article

The preparation of polymer composites that incorporate material of a biogenic nature in the polymer matrices may lead to a reduction in fossil polymer consumption and a potentially higher biodegradability. Furthermore, microalgae biomass as biogenic filler has the advantage of fast growth and high tolerance to different types of culture media with higher production yields than those provided by the biomass of terrestrial crops. On the other hand, algal biomass can be a secondary product in wastewater treatment processes. For the present study, an SBS polymer composite (SBSC) containing 25% (w/w) copolymer SBS1 (linear copolymer: 30% styrene and 70% butadiene), 50% (w/w) copolymer SBS2 (linear copolymer: 40% styrene and 60% butadiene), and 25% (w/w) paraffin oil was prepared. Arthrospira platensis biomass (moisture content 6.0 ± 0.5%) was incorporated into the SBSC in 5, 10, 20, and 30% (w/w) ratios to obtain polymer composites with spirulina biomass. For the biodegradation studies, the ISO 14855-1:2012(E) standard was applied, with slight changes, as per the specificity of our experiments. The degradation of the studied materials was followed by quantitatively monitoring the CO₂ resulting from the degradation process and captured by absorption in NaOH solution 0.5 mol/L. The structural and morphological changes induced by the industrial composting test on the materials were followed by physical–mechanical, FTIR, SEM, and DSC analysis. The obtained results were compared to create a picture of the material transformation during the composting period. Thus, the collected data indicate two biodegradation processes, of the polymer and the biomass, which take place at the same time at different rates, which influence each other. On the other hand, it is found that the material becomes less ordered, with a sponge-like morphology; the increase in the percentage of biomass leads to an advanced degree of degradation of the material. The FTIR analysis data suggest the possibility of the formation of peptide bonds between the aromatic nuclei in the styrene block and the molecular residues resulting from biomass biodegradation. It seems that in industrial composting conditions, the area of the polystyrene blocks from the SBS-based composite is preferentially transformed in the process. Full article

Comparative studies of the 2D numerical modelling and simulation of graphene-based gallium arsenide and silicon Schottky junction solar cell are studied using TCAD tools. The performance of photovoltaic cells was examined while taking parameters, such as substrate thickness, relationship between transmittance and work function of graphene, and n-type doing concentration of substrate semiconduction. The area with the highest efficiency for photogenerated carriers was found to be located near the interface region under light illumination. The significant enhancement of power conversion efficiency was shown in the cell with a thicker carrier absorption Si substrate layer, larger graphene work function, and average doping in a silicon substrate. Thus, for improved cell structure, the maximum J_SC = 4.7 mA/cm², V_OC = 0.19 V, and fill factor = 59.73% are found under AM1.5G, exhibiting maximum efficiency of 6.5% (1 sun). The EQE of the cell is well above 60%. This work reports the influence of different substrate thickness, work function, and N-type doping on the efficiency and characteristics of graphene-based Schottky solar cells. Full article

Pluripotent stem cells are key players in regenerative medicine. Embryonic pluripotent stem cells, despite their significant advantages, are associated with limitations such as their inadequate availability and the ethical dilemmas in their isolation and clinical use. The discovery of very small embryonic-like (VSEL) stem cells addressed the aforementioned limitations, but their isolation technique remains a challenge due to their small cell size and their efficiency in isolation. Here, we report a simplified and effective approach for the isolation of small pluripotent stem cells derived from human peripheral blood. Our approach results in a high yield of small blood stem cell (SBSC) population, which expresses pluripotent embryonic markers (e.g., Nanog, SSEA-3) and the Yamanaka factors. Further, a fraction of SBSCs also co-express hematopoietic markers (e.g., CD45 and CD90) and/or mesenchymal markers (e.g., CD29, CD105 and PTH1R), suggesting a mixed stem cell population. Finally, quantitative proteomic profiling reveals that SBSCs contain various stem cell markers (CD9, ITGA6, MAPK1, MTHFD1, STAT3, HSPB1, HSPA4), and Transcription reg complex factors (e.g., STAT5B, PDLIM1, ANXA2, ATF6, CAMK1). In conclusion, we present a novel, simplified and effective isolating process that yields an abundant population of small-sized cells with characteristics of pluripotency from human peripheral blood. Full article

This research examines the association between CEO messages and current and future corporate value on the websites of fashion companies. The research methods of this paper are as follows: First, we extract the fashion firm samples among companies listed in Korea’s KOSPI and KOSDAQ in 2020. Second, CEO messages’ text data on the homepage of the fashion companies are obtained by hand-collecting. The repeated words with high TF-IDF values are selected as keywords using text-mining techniques. Third, the CEO messages of the fashion firms are classified with one of finance, customer, internal management process, learning and growth, and corporate social standpoints by the SBSC framework. This research investigates through regression analysis whether firms that emphasize certain factors affect their future or current corporate value. As an additional test, using social network analysis, CONCOR analysis, and 2SLS analysis, the paper checks the objectivity and robustness of the empirical results. The results of this paper are as follows: The first finding presents that all the standpoints of the CEO messages of fashion firms had no significant association with current company value. These results imply that CEO messages posted on the company homepage are generally expressed from a long-term standpoint, and a long time is needed to realize their visions or goals expressed in the CEO message to actually effect corporate value. The second finding shows that the future firm value can be improved as firms mention more words related to the corporation’s social responsibility among CEO messages of the company homepages disclosed by fashion companies. This result implies that if a fashion firm shows its vision and goals related to corporate social responsibility and makes an effort to achieve them, the company value will be increased in the future. The results of the additional tests support the fact that there is a significant positive association between the mention of social responsibility in the CEO message of the company’s website and future firm value. The contributions of this study are as follows: First, on research topics in the field of accounting, this study utilizes text mining and the SBSC framework and quantified qualitative data to perform empirical analysis. Introducing this new and innovative methodology contributes to the development of convergence research. Second, the results of this study suggest that the contents of the company’s CEO message contain symbolic and implicit important information. In particular, this study proved through empirical analysis that companies’ effort and achievement related to social responsibility help increase corporate value in the long run. Full article

To cope with the increasing importance of sustainability, the Sustainability Balanced Scorecard (SBSC) has been developed to support companies integrating the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainability into their business. However, the formulation and implementation process of an SBSC is confronted with multiple challenges that have to be dealt with. This article associates the challenges with four steps of the process in particular: (1) the conceptual integration of the three dimensions into the strategy, (2) the selection of the architecture of the SBSC, (3) the formulation of sustainable key performance indicators and the development of cause-effect chains, and (4) the implementation of the SBSC. For these steps, the article summarizes and outlines the identified challenges, discusses techniques, criteria, guidelines and success factors to overcome them and derives research gaps that need to be addressed. Hence, the article speaks to both researchers and practitioners. For researchers, the article’s contribution is to synthesize the findings of the literature and to identify research gaps. For practitioners, the article’s contribution is to provide a systematic process for companies to improve their sustainability management and performance. Full article

This paper proposes a method to extend a sensing range of a short-baseline stereo camera (SBSC). The proposed method combines a stereo depth and a monocular depth estimated by a convolutional neural network-based monocular depth estimation (MDE). To combine a stereo depth and a monocular depth, the proposed method estimates a scale factor of a monocular depth using stereo depth–mono depth pairs and then combines the two depths. Another advantage of the proposed method is that the trained MDE model may be utilized for different environments without retraining. The performance of the proposed method is verified qualitatively and quantitatively using the directly collected and open datasets. Full article

The ever-increasing impacts of the last mile delivery sector on the environment and the quality of life of the urban population, such as increased congestion, demand best practices to be incorporated by companies to reduce impacts such as emission of air pollutants and Greenhouse Gases (GHG) and depletion of natural resources, among others. However, a myriad of strategies has been developed for this purpose but there is a lack of methodologies that allow the choice of the best ones for a specific case. Therefore, this study looks for those best practices to be employed through an innovative methodology that consists of SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats), a map of strategies of the delivery service, and using the Sustainability Balanced Scorecard (SBSC) and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), with the differential of considering the peculiarities of each company. The results applied in a Brazilian last mile delivery service company show that best practices such as route optimization, implementation of new infrastructure and business models for urban deliveries, and use of information systems for fleet tracking and monitoring contribute significantly to improving performance indicators and achieving the sector’s goal to become more sustainable, and especially meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 8, 9, 11, and 17. Full article

In this study, we examined the robust super-twisting sliding mode backstepping control (SBSC) method, which employed a tracking differentiator and nonlinear disturbance observer for a hexacopter unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system. To realize robust tracking control performance for a highly coupled nonlinear hexacopter UAV system, a super-twisting sliding mode control method was combined with designing stabilizing controls of backstepping control (BSC) applied to the UAV system. Furthermore, the differentiation issue of the virtual control and compensation of transformation error in the conventional BSC design were bypassed via a new continuous tracking differentiator structure. Additionally, a new disturbance observer based on the proposed tracking differentiator was considered to estimate uncertainties of the hexacopter UAV. Comparative simulation results demonstrated that the proposed tracking-differentiator-based SBSC scheme (PTSBSC) blended with the tracking differentiator and nonlinear disturbance observer exhibits improved performance when compared to that of conventional BSC and disturbance observer systems. Full article

The purpose of this study is to apply a combination of sentiment mining techniques and a sustainability balanced scorecard to CEO messages in sustainability management reports to predict corporate financial ratios. We classify the contents of CEO messages into the six perspectives suggested by the sustainability balanced scorecard (SBSC). From the sentiment mining results, we first document that positive words dominate CEO messages in sustainability management reports. Moreover, words related to the sustainability perspective do not generally exhibit a significant relationship with financial ratios. This finding indicates that CEOs’ messages in sustainability management reports seemingly fail to properly represent the firms’ current financial status. Therefore, the results indicate that a stronger supervisory standard may be required to induce CEO disclosures that are more responsible for sustainable management reports. Full article

The role of sustainability dimensions in the value creation process has attracted considerable interest in the scientific academic world in the last two decades. The 2030 Agenda, which fixed the sustainable goals (SDGs) to safeguard our planet, highlighted the fundamental role of sustainability issues. In this context, companies around the world need to integrate their strategies with environmental, social, and economic dimensions. However, sustainability aspects are often not linked to company strategies, and there has been growing difficulty in measuring sustainable development by adopting an appropriate set of key performance indicators (KPIs). Accordingly, the aim of this study is as follows: (1) to identify the suitable KPIs that affect company performance, based on the literature and management practices, and (2) to propose a new perspective on a way to integrate sustainability issues in company strategies. Based on a systematic procedure, we obtained 82 papers that focus on KPIs related to sustainability issues. Following a review of papers and a survey conducted with Italian managers, we developed a sustainability perspective by selecting the most appropriate KPI system for each of the dimensions discussed. The proposed model suggests that incorporating sustainability dimensions within corporate strategy would allow strategic alignment in order to gain competitive advantage and therefore create sustainability value. Full article

The issue of sustainability in company strategy has assumed crucial relevance in recent years. Many companies have implemented specific environmental and sustainability management systems such as the Sustainability Balanced Scorecard (SBSC), which integrates sustainability and the traditional Balanced Scorecard (BSC). However, environmental and sustainability aspects are often not linked to economic success, and qualitative analysis is not considered adequately by managers. Therefore, these dimensions remain unclear, because it is necessary to analyze the conditions under which the SBSC represents a suitable tool for sustainability value creation in more depth. In this context, the purpose of the study is to propose a new strategic framework to provide a way to manage critical issues connected to the SBSC. Thanks to the information obtained from a survey and interviews conducted with managers of Italian companies, we created an adjusted SBSC (ASBSC) that allows us to consider the critical aspects from a new perspective, named the critical perspective. The conceptual model is developed in five dimensions (conceptual, structural, environmental, social, and economic). Research findings suggest that considering the critical perspective makes it possible to build the ASBSC in order to achieve sustainability and economic success of the company. The proposed framework contributes to the existing literature on improving the performance of the SBSC. Full article