Search Results (70)

Background: This study develops a decision-making framework for the identification and performance preservation of strategic products using a non-parametric analysis of items within the product portfolio. Methods: Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and the sensitivity analysis of Inverted Data Envelopment Analysis (IDEA) are adapted to explore a new application area in growth product management. A field study from the retail sector of a developing economy is conducted to evaluate the method’s practicality. Results: This study suggests that the power of suppliers, product shelf life, and the ratio of sales to inventory are important supply chain considerations in identifying strategic products accommodated in Slow-Moving Consumer Goods (SMCG) supply chains. Conclusions: The field study shows that sensitivity analysis, in the new application area, provides insights for the identification and performance preservation of strategic items in a product portfolio. Data-driven solutions tailored to the operational needs of the case company and its different product categories conclude this article.. Full article

Environmental protection is a core component of the sustainable business practices of financial institutions. Previous research on green FinTech mainly relies on gas and dust emissions data to show its environmental impact, while consumer assessments of FinTech’s contribution to sustainability are rarely explored. This study aims to investigate the level of consumer awareness regarding the environmental impact of FinTech companies and to identify cross-country differences in these assessments. The empirical data were obtained from a survey conducted in mid-2023, involving 2000 respondents from the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, and Ukraine. This study employs descriptive statistics and selected statistical tests, which enabled the identification of two main findings. Firstly, the survey results reveal a generally low level of awareness of the green activities undertaken by FinTech companies across all four countries. Secondly, statistically significant differences were found in the assessment of the environmental impact of FinTech companies, with respondents from the United Kingdom and Poland being the most likely to perceive this impact as positive. Due to the benefits of sustainable development for both society and the environment, it is essential that the FinTech sector intensifies its pro-environmental efforts. The findings also highlight the need for FinTech companies to enhance communication regarding their environmental sustainability initiatives. Full article

The use of the online channel for the purchase of food products is increasing, which not only creates new opportunities for companies and businesses, but also poses great challenges. This study aimed to identify the factors related to these challenges that influence the use of the online channel for the purchase of food products in Spain. Through a bibliographic review and a Delphi study with experts, 26 factors were identified and grouped into four contexts: technology, marketing strategies, buyer convenience, and security and reliability. This identification of factors can be of great value in improving the sales of companies or businesses in the food sector that already use the online channel for the sale of their products or intend to use it for this purpose in the future; furthermore, it will help these companies or businesses to implement sales strategies that will truly satisfy the needs of potential consumers in Spain. Full article

Detecting fraudulent behaviors in electricity consumption is a significant challenge for electric utility companies due to the lack of information and the complexity of both constructing patterns and distinguishing between regular and fraudulent consumers. This study proposes a methodology based on data analytics that, through the processing of information, generates lists of suspicious metering systems for fraud. The database provided by the electrical distribution company contains 266,298 records, of which 15,013 have observations for possible frauds. One of the challenges lies in managing the different variables in the training data and choosing appropriate evaluation metrics. To address this, a balanced database of 27,374 records was used, with an equitable division between fraud and non-fraud cases. The features used in the identification and construction of patterns for non-technical losses were crucial, although additional techniques could be applied to determine the most relevant variables. Following the process, several popular classification models were trained. Hyperparameter optimization was performed by using grid search, and the models were validated by using cross-validation techniques, finding that the ensemble methods Categorical Boosting (CGB), Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LGB) and Extreme Gradient Boosting (EGB) are the most suitable for identifying losses, achieving high performance and reasonable computational cost. The best performance was compared by measuring accuracy (Acc) and F1 score, which allows for the evaluation of various techniques and is a combination of two metrics: detection rate and precision. Although CGB achieved the best performance in terms of accuracy (Acc = 0.897) and F1 (0.894), it was slower than LGB, so it is considered the ideal classifier for the data provided by the electrical distribution company. This research study highlights the importance of the techniques used for fraud detection in electricity metering systems, although the results may vary depending on the characteristics of the training, the number of variables, and the available hardware resources. Full article

This study explores the impact mechanism of government environmental regulation on consumers’ green purchase intention through green consumer orientation (GCO) using Zespri as a case study. By integrating the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Value–Belief–Norm (VBN) theory, a comprehensive framework was developed. A total of 857 valid questionnaires were collected, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was applied for empirical analysis. The results indicate that government environmental regulation significantly enhances the three dimensions of GCO (identification, equilibrium, and interaction) and positively influences green purchase intention. Policy recommendations are proposed, including improving green certification systems and encouraging enterprises to adopt green marketing strategies. The findings provide theoretical and practical implications for policymakers and companies aiming to promote sustainable consumption and green supply chains. Full article

Modern product manufacturing is not only becoming more advanced but also requires increasingly precise and technologically advanced solutions, especially in the production process. One example is the automotive industry, where customization is becoming a key requirement. This work aimed to analyze the factors determining the efficiency of production processes, using the example of a selected company from the automotive industry—the production of spare parts—and to assess the impact of the applied optimization tools and techniques on improving operational results. This work combines theoretical and practical aspects, presenting a detailed analysis of data and actions taken in a real production environment. As part of the research, a thorough research program was presented, including the analysis of production data before and after conducting optimization workshops. Before the workshop, key problems were identified, such as the time-consuming rearranging of machines. The analysis using the parametric Student’s t test for two subsidiaries showed the rightness of the optimization activities. During the workshop, several changes were implemented, including the use of a new Destacker, modification of conversation procedures and training operators. The data collected after the workshop indicated a significant reduction in the times of reliance, which confirmed the effectiveness of the activities used. The analysis used tools such as the Pareto diagram and the ABC method, which allowed the identification of priority areas to improve. This work proves that the use of appropriate management tools and employee involvement in the optimization process can significantly improve the efficiency of production processes. Key success factors included the elimination of losses resulting from inefficient procedures, improvement of work organization and implementation of technological solutions. The results of this analysis form the basis for further research on improving production processes in the automotive industry. Full article

With the increasing awareness of sustainable development and the construction of a water-saving society, many Chinese enterprises, especially those with high water-consuming corporations, have begun to pay attention to water-saving management. This study employs a scenario experiment method, focusing on high water-consuming corporations, to examine the differentiated responses of consumers to both symbolic and substantive corporate water-saving behaviors. The results show that substantive water-saving behaviors significantly enhance positive consumer attitudes and purchase intentions compared to symbolic behaviors. Consumer–company identification mediates the impact of water-saving behaviors on consumer responses. Corporate abilities and water resource conditions in consumer’s location moderate this relationship. These findings underscore the market value of corporate water-saving behaviors and provide guidance for companies in developing effective water-saving practices and marketing strategies. Full article

The car rental sector is a dynamic and rapidly growing business sector, which is important for both the development of the automotive industry and consumer mobility needs. In the rental car market, risk management becomes an essential factor determining the success and long-term growth of business operations. Risk factors inherent in this sector, such as the technical condition of cars, customer behavior, economic conditions and the legal environment, require a structured and efficient management that would allow companies to make the most of the available opportunities and to minimize threats. The purpose of this article is to examine the risk management of car rental and evaluate the impact of a 5–10-year-old car rental model with reverse logistics on risk reduction and business efficiency. The article examines the methods of the risk management process, presenting the methods of risk identification, assessment and reduction, as well as the possibilities of applying reverse logistics in the car rental sector. The results of the applied expert method of quantitative research and the conducted questionnaire survey revealed the factors that are most important for a company that renews its fleet of vehicles. These are the price, operating costs, sustainability, and environmental friendliness, with sustainability being the top priority. Companies can benefit from the research results when making decisions about the renewal and optimization of their vehicle fleet. It was concluded that implementing reverse logistics in the car rental sector will increase company profits and reduce pollution. Full article

This study examines how sentiment analysis of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) news affects the financial performance of companies in innovative sectors such as mobility, technology, and renewable energy. Using approximately 9828 general ESG articles from Google News and approximately 140,000 company-specific ESG articles, we performed term frequency-inverse document frequency (TF-IDF) analysis to identify key ESG-related terms and visualize their materiality across industries. We then applied models such as bidirectional encoder representations from transformers (BERT), the robustly optimized BERT pretraining approach (RoBERTa), and big bidirectional encoder representations from transformers (BigBird) for multiclass sentiment analysis, and distilled BERT (DistilBERT), a lite BERT (ALBERT), tiny BERT (TinyBERT), and efficiently learning an encoder that classifies token replacements accurately (ELECTRA) for positive and negative sentiment identification. Sentiment analysis results were correlated with profitability, cash flow, and stability indicators over a three-year period (2019–2021). ESG ratings from Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI), a prominent provider that evaluates companies’ sustainability practices, further enriched our analysis. The results suggest that sentiment impacts financial performance differently across industries; for example, positive sentiment correlates with financial success in mobility and renewable energy, while consumer goods often show positive sentiment even with low environmental ESG scores. The study highlights the need for industry-specific ESG strategies, especially in dynamic sectors, and suggests future research directions to improve the accuracy of ESG sentiment analysis. Full article

Transitioning from a traditional linear economy to a circular economy occurs at the micro-level system, encompassing products and companies, which should be monitored. For metals, recycled content as an input-side indicator of recycling quantifies the ratio of metal scrap consumed during production and fabrication. However, conventional methodology struggles to evaluate recycled content uniquely due to the ambiguous classification of new scrap derived from industrial processes. Additionally, the input and output of new scrap between micro-level systems are often inadequately counted, causing inconsistencies in the recognition of secondary input between macro- and micro-level systems. This study introduces a refined classification for metal scrap, precisely distinguishing new scrap by its originating processes. Furthermore, we propose a novel perspective on new scrap, viewing it as a mixture of old scrap and primary raw materials, with only the portion of old scrap being considered secondary raw material. This stance navigates past the binary classification—whether new scrap should be classified as secondary—eliminating ambiguity and allowing for clear identification of secondary raw materials. The developed methodology ensures that all inputs of scrap are accounted for without leakage, and the recycled content of a specific metal is uniquely determined, maintaining consistency with macro-level systems. Full article

With ongoing climate change, new threats appear to the operation of water supply systems (WSSs), which are related to the amount of available drinking water resources, its quality, the operation of existing water supply infrastructure and changes in consumer behavior. The paper presents a bibliometric analysis of the state of knowledge on the impact of climate change on the failure of water supply infrastructure. The bibliometric analysis was performed based on the VOSviewer program. The results of the analysis indicate current research trends in this area around the world and allow the identification of strengths and weaknesses. Most research concerns the identification of factors related to the impact of climate on the failure rate of water distribution systems. A popular research topic was also the prediction of water supply network failures, taking into account the impact of climatic factors. The main research gap is determining the impact of climate change on water quality. The acquired knowledge can be used by water companies, policy-makers and other researchers to plan adaptation strategies to climate change, which pose new challenges for the operation of water supply systems. The conducted bibliometric analysis also allowed for identifying research gaps. Full article

A circular economy is a concept of sustainable development that enhances a company’s image and influences consumers’ attitudes toward the corporation. Trust, commitment, and identification in relationship marketing are key factors for fostering long-term relationships. This study aimed to examine the relationship quality and attitudes between higher education students’ personal environmental perspectives and circular economy products, further investigating their impact on the purchase intention of circular economy products. Therefore, this research proposed and tested a theoretical framework that combined variables, including environmental concern, environmental awareness, relationship quality with circular economy products, and attitudes, to determine the influencing factors on higher education students’ purchase intention of circular economy products. This study adopted a survey design method and employed partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze data from 443 higher education students from Taiwan and Thailand. The results indicated that environmental awareness and environmental concern are critical antecedent factors for attitude and relationship quality (trust and identification) in circular economy products. In addition, trust and attitude in circular economy products have a significant impact on commitment. Furthermore, trust, commitment, and identification with circular economy products are crucial determining factors for the purchase intention of circular economy products. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the factors influencing higher education students’ purchase intention of circular economy products, thereby achieving the goal of environmental sustainability. Full article

Sodium, sugar and saturated fat (SFA) intake in the Italian population is still higher compared to the dietary recommendations, while fiber intake is far below, especially in specific target groups. An inadequate intake of these components is associated with an increased risk of non-communicable diseases. In many developed countries, including Italy, a significant proportion of sodium, sugar and SFA in the diet comes from packaged foods added by manufacturers, while fiber content is often low also in products belonging to food groups naturally rich in fiber such as cereal-based foods. Thus, an effective strategy to reduce the intake of sodium, sugar and SFA and to increase fiber intake could be the reformulation of foods that are frequently consumed by the Italian population and therefore contribute to most of the intake of these components. Within the OnFoods project, funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, the collaborative research initiative EFFORT has been developed, with the intention of investigating the impact of food reformulation on nutrient intake. The project will consist of various operational steps: (i) Identification of the main categories of products contributing to salt, SFA, sugar and fiber intake in the Italian population by considering the actual food consumption; (ii) Quantification of salt, SFA, sugar and fiber content in food products currently on the Italian market; (iii) Reformulation of food products to reduce salt, SFA and sugar content and increase fiber content; (iv) Evaluation of the potential impact of the inclusion of reformulated food products on nutrient intake in the Italian population based on actual food consumption data. The project will enable us to simulate the practical benefits in terms of diet quality achieved through the reformulation of several food categories. For instance, a first pilot study has shown that the only reformulation of shortbread biscuits may reduce the sugar intake by up to 1.65 g/day. The collaboration with food companies will be pivotal to increase the availability and analysis of data from the Italian market and to optimize the use of results in order to design accessible, affordable and acceptable new food products with implemented nutritional quality. Full article

Fiscal policy stands as a crucial pillar of economic development through its economic financing function. The regulatory effects of fiscality have been shown to reduce the ripple effects of uncertainties on economic growth within the EU. Unlike the average European economy, the Romanian economy has exhibited particularities concerning economic growth (ranking highly in economic growth among European nations in absolute terms), partly due to a more assertive fiscal policy applied to a consumption-based economy affected by hyperinflation (especially in the last five calendar years). The research issue stems from the premise of the lack of predictability in Romanian fiscal policy and its implications for the business environment. Our aim is to develop an econometric model of the fiscal effects of VAT on the business performance of the construction sector in Romania for the period 2010–2021. The methods employed involve empirical analysis and the development of consolidated industry-level databases followed by econometric modeling using the multiple linear regression method. The results of the research demonstrate that financial independence and solvency promote excessive taxation in emerging markets and developing countries, such as Romania, being correlated with the macroeconomic evolution of the respective state. Additionally, the results indicate that tax pressure can constitute a barrier to the sustainable development of firms, with direct repercussions for consumers. Attractiveness to investors is also affected, remaining a priority for companies. The study’s findings will enable the identification of the main impediments and opportunities brought about by VAT taxation on branch-level performance, proving useful for construction sector managers and fiscal policy makers in fostering sustainable industry development and establishing a sustainable fiscal regime to safeguard investors. Full article

Despite growing scholarly attention to what determines effective corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication, consumers’ limited awareness of and attention to CSR messages remain critical challenges for organizations. This study aims to examine the effects of message specificity on an organization’s intended outcomes of CSR communication and to explore the mediating role of perceived social distance in these relationships by applying construal level theory (CLT). We conducted an online experiment (n = 293), and the results revealed that message specificity had a positive impact on consumer-company identification, word-of-mouth intention, and CSR participation intention. Moreover, perceived social distance significantly mediated the relationships between message specificity and the outcomes of CSR communication. Applying CLT, this study offers theoretical implications for the psychological mechanism of how message specificity generates desired outcomes in CSR communication. In addition, we tested these mediation effects in the context of the geographic proximity (close vs. remote) of the CSR communication to participants; the practical implication is that reducing perceived social distance through message specificity is even more effective for geographically distant CSR campaigns. Full article