Search Results (94)

Entrepreneurship aims to contribute significantly to economic development, a trend that has been progressively growing over time. Nonetheless, female entrepreneurs continue to face substantial challenges, including limited access to financial resources and sociocultural barriers. The influence of Entrepreneurial Coaching (EC) offers a valuable perspective for analysing entrepreneurial self-efficacy and business growth. Grounded in Systems Theory, the research examines how EC interventions can bolster the confidence of women entrepreneurs and facilitate adaptive responses to business challenges. Utilising a quantitative, explanatory research design, the study employed convenience and snowball sampling to recruit 257 women entrepreneurs who received coaching. The relationships among EC, the six dimensions of entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE), and business growth outcomes were analysed utilising Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). Although seven hypotheses were proposed, only four were supported, whereas three were refuted. The findings show a positive correlation between EC and business growth. The supported hypothesis concerning coping with unexpected challenges, investor relations, and core purpose (value proposition) was accepted. Conversely, hypotheses regarding new product and market development, innovative environments, and the development of critical human resources were not supported. This research extends the existing literature on Entrepreneurial Coaching by demonstrating that the capacity to navigate unforeseen challenges, manage investor relations, and adhere to core purposes is correlated with business growth among women entrepreneurs. Thus, the significance of the study lies in the integration of Entrepreneurial Coaching, Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy, and Business Growth. Full article

The global transition towards a clean energy system underscores the critical role of Green Electricity Certificates (GECs), yet their effectiveness is often hampered by an inability to credibly trace environmental attributes from generation to consumption. This study provides a systematic review of technological pathways and policy implications for enhancing GEC markets through real-time electricity-carbon traceability, using China’s large-scale and rapidly evolving market as a central case. Through comparative international analysis and examination of China’s market data (2023–2025), we identified a severe oversupply of certificates and a reliance on policy-driven demand as core structural dilemmas. The aim of this study was to clarify how real-time traceability can fundamentally enhance the credibility, temporal precision, and policy applicability of GEC mechanisms, particularly under China’s rapid institutional reforms. The findings indicate that a fundamental transition towards hourly granularity in certificate issuance and matching is critical to enhance credibility, prevent double-counting, and enable high-value applications like 24/7 clean energy matching. Furthermore, deep integration between the GEC market and the carbon emission trading (CET) scheme is necessary to expand value propositions. We conclude that the synergistic integration of market design (mandatory quotas), cross-market coupling (GEC-carbon market linkage), and robust digital traceability represents the most effective pathway to transform GECs into a credible instrument for driving additional renewable energy consumption and supporting global carbon mitigation goals. Full article

The transition to a circular economy (CE) presents a significant challenge for firms, especially in the initial stages, where cognitive barriers can hinder the identification of linear practices and the development of circular solutions. One key approach to supporting business model innovation has been the use of visualization tools. While several tools facilitate circular innovation, most remain primarily descriptive or evaluative and do not bridge the gap between diagnosing linear practices and designing circular value propositions. This paper addresses this gap by introducing a conceptual tool—the ‘Circular Value Navigator’—designed to support managers in the early stages of CE transformation. The tool aims to facilitate a systemic process for identifying problems rooted in the dominant linear economy and converting them into actionable CE opportunities. Therefore, it supports the development of circular value propositions. The proposed tool integrates three core dimensions: Value Uncaptured, Innovation Perspectives, and Circularity Strategies. By systematically exploring the interplay among these dimensions, the tool helps users identify and map circularity hotspots and pathways for improvement. This research contributes to the literature on cognitive tools in the circular economy field by offering a framework that enhances managers’ abilities in systemic thinking, problem reframing, and the strategic design of circular business models—ultimately aiming to accelerate the adoption of sustainable practices. Full article

This systematic search with narrative synthesis examines metaverse business models and their shift toward immersive virtual ecosystems. Following the PRISMA flow for identification and screening to structure transparency, we review 91 publications to map the shift from classical and digital models to metaverse models, highlighting new value propositions, revenue mechanisms, and the integration of VR, AR, and blockchain across the value chain. Our contributions are threefold: we articulate the transition patterns from classical and digital to metaverse business models; we propose a structured metaverse business framework with evaluation dimensions; and we compile a candidate metric set to support comparative analysis. Interpreting the evidence through a socio-technical systems lens, the synthesis indicates an emergent shift in how value is created, delivered, and captured. We identify five core dimensions for assessing metaverse business models: scalability, technological adaptability, user engagement and retention, ethical and sustainability practices, and economic viability as critical dimensions for future comparative analysis of metaverse business models. Building on these findings, we propose a metaverse business framework and a set of candidate KPIs to enable comparative evaluation and guide investment, design, and governance. The paper advances digital transformation theory and outlines a research agenda on dynamic capabilities and the long-term sustainability of metaverse business models. Full article

Dynamic technological changes and the variability of market requirements pose significant challenges for modern manufacturing companies in the effective development and implementation of new technological solutions. The aim of the research was to develop an integrated approach covering all key stages of implementation—from formulating technological solutions, through selecting and evaluating variants, to preparing and managing production processes—under the conditions of a medium-sized manufacturing company specializing in the batch production of steel constructions. The analysis was based on an interdisciplinary approach, combining methods of creative design of new technological solutions, including Blue Ocean Strategy, value proposition design, and QFD methodology, with analytical approaches that include multi-criteria evaluation of solution variants, technical preparation of production, as well as the organization and management of production processes in modified organizational conditions. This approach enabled a comprehensive assessment of the developed solutions, taking into account both their operational potential and practical feasibility in realistic implementation conditions, through the use of case studies and simulations to validate the results. The results of the research indicate that integrating methods for creating new solutions with analytical assessment and simulation tools leads to a more precise and data-driven approach to process design, enabling better decision-making based on thorough analysis and predictive modeling. Furthermore, this approach allows for a significant reduction in the risk of implementation failure through early identification of potential problems. The conclusion of the study confirms that a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach to the implementation of new technologies ensures better alignment with customer demands, reduces production downtime, and enhances product optimization and resource utilization, which are critical factors in building a sustainable competitive advantage for manufacturing companies. The proposed approach enables more deliberate design and organization of manufacturing processes, supporting their flexible adaptation to changing market and technological conditions. Full article

In response to growing pressures for sustainability in tourism, this paper examines the techno-economic evaluation of green innovations in small and medium-sized tourism enterprises (SMEs). Focusing on a single case study of a hotel in Greece, the research investigates how and why specific sustainability interventions were implemented and assesses their operational and economic impacts. The study adopts an interpretivist approach, combining process tracing with thematic analysis. The analysis is guided by innovation diffusion theory, supported by organizational learning perspectives, to explain the stepwise adoption of sustainability practices and the internal adaptation processes that enabled them. The techno-economic evaluation draws on quantitative indicators and qualitative assessments of perceived benefits and implementation challenges, offering a broader view of value beyond purely financial metrics. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, on-site observations, and internal documentation. The findings reveal a gradual, non-linear path to innovation, shaped by adoption dynamics and organizational learning, reinforced by leadership commitment, contextual adaptation, supply chain decisions, and external incentives. Key interventions, including solar energy adoption, composting, and the formation of zero-waste partnerships, resulted in measurable reductions in energy use and landfill waste, along with improvements in guest satisfaction, operational efficiency, and local collaboration. Although it is subject to limitations typical of single-case designs, the study demonstrates how even modest sustainability efforts, when integrated into daily operations, can generate multiple types of outcomes (economic, environmental, and operational). The paper offers practical implications for tourism SMEs and policymakers and formulates propositions for future testing on sustainable innovation in the tourism sector. Full article

The growing prevalence of digital labor platforms has fundamentally transformed business models by creating interconnected value systems that redefine how work is organized, delivered, and monetized in today’s digital economy. This study examines platform-based business model innovation through the lens of value co-creation processes, analyzing user-generated content from digital work platforms including Reddit, FlexJobs, Toptal, and Deel. Using Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling on 342 semantically filtered reviews from platform workers, we identified six key themes characterizing stakeholder experiences: User Experience and Platform Evaluation (23.77%), Financial Concerns and Time Management (18.49%), Platform Satisfaction and Recommendation System (16.60%), Paid Services and Investment Strategies (15.09%), Job Search Processes and Remote Work Alternatives (13.96%), and Overall Platform Performance and Account Management (12.08%). These findings reveal how digital platforms create value through complex interactions between technology infrastructure, governance mechanisms, and stakeholder experiences within interconnected ecosystems. The dominance of user experience concerns over purely economic considerations challenges traditional labor economics frameworks and highlights the critical role of platform design in worker satisfaction. Our analysis demonstrates that successful plsatform business models depend on balancing technological capabilities with human-centered value propositions, requiring innovative approaches to ecosystem orchestration, stakeholder engagement, and value distribution. The study contributes to understanding how digital business models can leverage interconnected value systems to drive sustainable innovation, offering strategic insights for platform design, ecosystem governance, and business model optimization in the digital era. Full article

Infinite Hope (IH) is a conceptual framework designed to restore identity, direction, and resilience among disconnected emerging adults. Integrating Snyder’s Hope Theory with Sinek’s Infinite Mindset, this paper examines how cultivating an infinite mindset strengthens agency and pathways, how alignment with a just cause mediates sustained goal pursuit, and under what conditions re-engagement flourishes. The model draws on an interdisciplinary review of seventy peer-reviewed sources and grounds its propositions in established sociological perspectives on agency, purpose, collective capacity, and human capabilities. As a conceptual and theoretical paper, it contributes a novel integration of psychological and sociological insights, addressing gaps in existing models that often overlook the interaction of hope, purpose, and collective environments. IH combines the hope triad with existential flexibility, courageous leadership, and values-based alignment, offering a testable framework that links psychological growth with social context. Visual models clarify their developmental sequence, and a research agenda outlines strategies for empirical validation. IH provides a practical blueprint for embedding meaning, reinforcing identity, and cultivating environments that sustain purposeful growth for youth-serving organizations. Full article

The goals of the European Union towards the energy transition imply profound changes in the energy field, so as to promote sustainable energy development while fostering economic growth. To achieve these changes, the incorporation of sustainable technologies supporting decentralisation, energy efficiency, renewable energy production, and demand flexibility is of vital importance. Blockchain has the potential to change energy services towards this direction. To optimally exploit blockchain, innovative business models need to be designed, identifying the opportunities emerging from unmet needs, while also considering potential risks so as to take action to overcome them. In this context, the scope of this paper is to examine the opportunities and the risks that emerge from the adoption of blockchain in four innovative business models, while also identifying mitigation strategies to support and accelerate the energy transition, thus proposing optimal approaches of exploitation of blockchain in energy services. The business models concern Energy Performance Contracting with P4P guarantees, improved self-consumption in energy cooperatives, energy efficiency and flexibility services for natural gas boilers, and smart energy management for EV chargers and HVAC appliances. Firstly, the value proposition of the business models is analysed and results in a comprehensive SWOT analysis. Based on the findings of the analysis and consultations with relevant market actors, in combination with the examination of the relevant literature, risks are identified and evaluated through a qualitative assessment approach. Subsequently, specific mitigation strategies are proposed to address the detected risks. This research demonstrates that blockchain integration into these business models can significantly improve energy efficiency, reduce operational costs, enhance security, and support a more decentralised energy system, providing actionable insights for stakeholders to implement blockchain solutions effectively. Furthermore, according to the results, technological and legal risks are the most significant, followed by political, economic, and social risks, while environmental risks of blockchain integration are not as important. Strategies to address risks relevant to blockchain exploitation include ensuring policy alignment, emphasising economic feasibility, facilitating social inclusion, prioritising security and interoperability, consulting with legal experts, and using consensus algorithms with low energy consumption. The findings offer clear guidance for energy service providers, policymakers, and technology developers, assisting in the design, deployment, and risk mitigation of blockchain-enabled business models to accelerate sustainable energy development. Full article

This study addresses the problem of agricultural waste utilization and nutrition for older adults by developing a food product based on a circular design approach. Pineapple core was used to produce a clean-label dietary powder without chemical or enzymatic treatment, relying on repeated rinsing and hot-air drying. The development process followed a structured analysis of physical, chemical, and sensory properties. The powder contained 83.46 g/100 g dietary fiber, 0° Brix sugar, pH 4.72, low water activity (aw < 0.45), and no detectable heavy metals or microbial contamination. Sensory evaluation by expert panelists confirmed that the product was acceptable in appearance, aroma, and texture, particularly for older adults. These results demonstrate the feasibility and safety of valorizing agri-waste into functional ingredients. The process was guided by the Transformative Circular Product Blueprint, which integrates clean-label processing, IoT-enabled solar drying, and decentralized production. This model supports traceability, low energy use, and adaptation at the community scale. This study contributes to sustainable food innovation and aligns with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3 (Good Health and Well-being), 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), and 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). Full article

In the context of global e-commerce platform supply chains dominated by Alibaba and Amazon, power reconfiguration among tripartite stakeholders (platforms, manufacturers, and retailers) remains a critical yet underexplored issue in supply chain contract design. To analyze the strategic interactions between platforms, manufacturers, and retailers, as well as how platforms select the contract format within a tripartite supply chain, this study proposes a Stackelberg game-theoretic framework incorporating participation constraints to compare fixed-fee and revenue-sharing contracts. The results demonstrate that revenue-sharing contracts significantly enhance supply chain efficiency by aligning incentives across members, leading to improved pricing and sales outcomes. However, this coordination benefit comes with reduced platform dominance, as revenue-sharing inherently redistributes power toward upstream and downstream partners. The analysis reveals a nuanced contract selection framework: given the revenue sharing rate, as the additional value increases, the optimal contract shifts from the mode RR to the mode RF, and ultimately to the mode FF. Notably, manufacturers and retailers exhibit a consistent preference for revenue-sharing contracts due to their favorable profit alignment properties, regardless of the platform’s value proposition. These findings may contribute to platform operations theory by (1) proposing a dynamic participation framework for contract analysis, (2) exploring value-based thresholds for contract transitions, and (3) examining the power-balancing effects of alternative contract formats. This study offers actionable insights for platform operators seeking to balance control and cooperation in their supply chain relationships, while providing manufacturers and retailers with strategic guidance for contract negotiations in platform-mediated markets. These findings are especially relevant for large e-commerce platforms and their partners managing the complexities of contemporary digital supply chains. Full article

The addition of battery storage to solar plants enhances the ability of those plants to deliver electricity during high-value periods. However, the value proposition of storage improves over time due to falling battery costs and increasing volatility in electricity prices, making it unclear when storage adoption should occur. In this work, we consider a 100 MW solar plant constructed in the year 2022 and build a techno-economic model to determine the optimal system design and timing of storage additions in four locations (CAISO, NYISO, ERCOT, and PJM). We find that the optimal time to add storage is 5–10 years after solar plant construction and that the optimal storage quantity is much higher than the amount selected if storage is included during the initial plant construction. Additionally, the model suggests significant upscaling in inverter capacity, allowing storage to deliver electricity during brief high-price periods. We also consider the effects of temporary and permanent subsidies for batteries, showing that a long-term subsidy encourages economically optimal delays in storage adoption. Full article

We examine how site-based path planning algorithms for enclosed spaces can be enhanced with situational detail. Addressing this question has led to value propositions in facility design, where there is often a call to match, map, and merge infrastructure considerations and configurations with potential implications for individual, group, and crowd flow through enclosed spaces. Responding to this question also invokes computational propositions, as facility design software is often computationally conservative with few resources devoted to simulation. We show that situational factors—the peculiarities and momentarily fleeting shifts in an individualized context that embody people in their movement through spaces—can be embedded into traditional, computationally lean path planning heuristics in ways that are actionable in widely used facility design software. We achieve this with algorithmic expansion of well-known planning algorithms using node-based architectures that permit the inclusion detail if, when, and where needed in a hyper-localized situational context that nests within site considerations. We demonstrate a proof of concept for use in the popular Unity 3D modeling platform, showing that situationally sensitive path planning can be achieved during the simulation run time of prototypical design scenarios for enclosed spaces with moving individuals, groups, and crowds. Full article

Delivering superior value in sustainable accommodation is critical for gaining a competitive advantage in the tourism market. However, till now, little is known about how individual cultural orientations impact tourists’ perceived value of sustainable accommodations. This study investigates the role of cultural orientations, based on Hofstede’s dimensions, in shaping perceptions of functional, social, and emotional value among 1402 tourists in Spain and Lithuania. Data were collected using a comprehensive survey and analyzed through descriptive statistics, bivariate correlation, and multiple regression. The findings reveal that cultural dimensions such as collectivism and uncertainty avoidance significantly influence perceptions of sustainable accommodation value. This study is unique in examining all five of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions at an individual level, offering novel insights for cross-cultural tourism research. Practical implications include designing culturally sensitive value propositions to attract diverse tourist segments and contributing to global sustainability initiatives in tourism. Full article

Regulation and customer awareness pressurize manufacturers to use recycled plastic (RP) in the production system to reduce the negative environmental impact of plastic waste for sustainable production. Compared to virgin materials, the RP available in the market shows high variation in quality, composition, and properties, and often experiences higher variability in lead time. This renders the supply chain of RP and the production systems more vulnerable, making it difficult for material requirement planning (MRP) to decide the optimal quantity and reorder time. This paper first examines the RP supply chain and the sources of variations therein, identifies the associated uncertainties for operations management, reviews the current MRP design elements in managing supply uncertainty, and finally aligns strategies and design elements with the dimensions of the uncertainties. A set of valuable propositions is drawn for the plastic firms to manage variation from upstream suppliers and promote a high-value chain of plastic circularity. MRP practices at the operational level including safety stock, optimization techniques, and alternative bills of material are proposed to mitigate the variations in the supply chain. The work provides a conceptual foundation for the circular economy of plastic, which opens a new paradigm of future research in managing RP in the production system for sustainability. Full article