bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
5G/B5G Internet of Things MIMO Antenna Design
Authors: Ikram Muhammad
Published: January 2022

The current and future wireless communication systems, WiFi, fourth generation (4G), fifth generation (5G), Beyond5G, and sixth generation (6G), are mixtures of many frequency spectrums. Thus, multi-functional common or shared aperture antenna modules, which operate at multiband frequency spectrums, are very desirable. This paper presents a multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) antenna design for the 5G/B5G Internet of Things (IoT). The proposed MIMO antenna is designed to operate at multiple bands, i.e., at 3.5 GHz, 3.6 GHz, and 3.7 GHz microwave Sub-6 GHz and 28 GHz mm-wave bands, by employing a single radiating aperture, which is based on a tapered slot antenna. As a proof of concept, multiple tapered slots are placed on the corner of the proposed prototype. With this configuration, multiple directive beams pointing in different directions have been achieved at both bands, which in turn provide uncorrelated channels in MIMO communication. A 3.5 dBi realized gain at 3.6 GHz and an 8 dBi realized gain at 28 GHz are achieved, showing that the proposed design is a suitable candidate for multiple wireless communication standards at Sub-6 GHz and mm-wave bands. The final MIMO structure is printed using PCB technology with an overall size of 120 × 60 × 10 mm3, which matches the dimensions of a modern mobile phone.
“Let Them Make It Rain and Bling”: Unveiling Community Expectations towards Returned Migrants in Cameroon
Authors: Wanki Presca , Derluyn Ilse , Lietaert Ine
Published: January 2022

In Africa, international migration to the Global North is often interpreted as a means to achieve upward social mobility. This article highlights the importance of considering the socio-economic and political transformations that form migration aspirations, especially among African youths. Simultaneously, increasing restrictive migration regimes impacts the extent to which migrants can meet the clauses in the moral economy of migration in their origin communities. We focus on (Anglophone) Cameroon, where international migration is referred to as “bushfalling”. A person who migrates to a Western society desires or is expected to return home to share the wealth he/she has accumulated. This interpretation of migration forms different perspectives regarding migrants and guides expectations towards returned migrants. However, little is known on how these expectations are defined and redefined in the society of return. Based on focus group discussions conducted among local community members, we show that the expectations were guided by the visa regimes of destination countries. Moreover, successful returnees were defined by their ability to be visible and create an impact after return. Thus, this article contributes more broadly to an African perspective on the meaning and impact of return migration.
Voluntary Sustainability Standards: State of the Art and Future Research
Authors: Marx Axel , Depoorter Charline , Vanhaecht Ruth
Published: January 2022

In this feature paper, we introduce voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) and canvas the research that has been conducted on VSS from different academic disciplines. We identify four main areas of research on VSS and explore them. First, we focus on research on the institutional design of VSS, which highlights the diversity among VSS. Next, we explore studies that try to assess the impact of VSS on key sustainability dimensions. Third, we zoom in on studies that analyse the uptake or adoption of VSS. Finally, we focus on the interaction between VSS and public policies. For each of the four areas, we summarise the main research findings and identify opportunities for future research.
Rethinking the Transport Infrastructure-Led Development Model
Authors: Liu Weidong , Xiong Wei
Published: January 2022

Transport infrastructure-led development has been well recognized, especially in regard to China’s achievement, which has led to a growing range of programs and initiatives. However, some failures have subsequently raised debates over the effectiveness of such a development model, but existing studies have not yet given satisfactory explanations. This paper aims to provide an effective interpretation from the perspective of sustainable transport infrastructure by rethinking the transport infrastructure-led development model. According to our study, researchers have paid more attention to the development benefits of transport infrastructure and the mechanism, while constraints of different financing sources and patterns on the sustainability of transport infrastructure have been neglected, though financing patterns have drawn much attention. In this paper, we argue that the degree of constraints from financing patterns greatly impact the achievement of development benefits, in which the trade-off between cash-back and long-term benefits is essential for achieving the sustainability of transport infrastructure.
Exploring the Factors of Employee Subjective Well-Being in the Midst of Health Threat: An Evidence from the U.S. Federal Government during the COVID-19
Authors: Lee Hyung-Woo , Rhee Dong-Young
Published: January 2022

The recent COVID-19 pandemic posed a challenge to employee well-being and will have a lasting impact on how safe employees feel about their work environment. This study aims at examining: (1) the impact of safety perception of employees on their job attitudes; and (2) what factors affect their expectations that their organizations will effectively protect them from potential health threats. Using data from the U.S. Federal Government, this study divided organizational responses to COVID-19 aimed at protecting their employees into the following three types: protecting the employees while working on site, reducing the number of employees working on-site, and providing mental and health assistance. The effects of these organizational responses were analysed separately, and regression analysis was performed with these factors with regards to employees’ safety perception. The results showed that the first group of measures, protecting the employees while they are in the workplace, had generally the most significant influences on employees’ feeling of safety. The attempt to protect those in vulnerable medical conditions was also seen as significant. These findings show that organizations need to protect their employees in the workplaces during a health crisis.
Exploring the Potential of Internet News for Supply Risk Assessment of Metals
Authors: Murakami Shinsuke , Muraoka Shunya
Published: January 2022

The growth in demand for material resources is inevitable to maintain sustainable development. Especially for metallic minerals, this growth in demand increases the supply risk; therefore, its evaluation is essential to keep the resource supply stable. Supply risk assessment has a long history in both academic and practical studies, but there is no existing study using internet news as its main information source. In this study, we obtained related news articles from S&P Global Market Intelligence (SPG) and used them for the supply risk analysis. Using already topic-labeled articles and a gradient boosting framework, non-labeled articles are also labeled and categorized by topic. The articles were assigned to metallic minerals by SPG. We also scored each article using simple sentiment analysis. In short, we found significant potential in internet news articles as information for complementary assessments to existing methods, by providing in-depth information on regulatory or corporate financial activities, which are difficult to cover using the existing numerical indices. While it is useful, it should be noted that the volume of news articles depends on the interests of their readers, and many articles capture changes rather than states. As long as they are used with these caveats in mind, news articles can be very useful as a complementary source of information to existing analytical methods, especially for short-term supply risk assessment.
The Impact of a Lack of Government Strategies for Sustainable Water Management and Land Use Planning on the Hydrology of Water Bodies: Lessons Learned from the Disappearance of the Aculeo Lagoon in Central Chile
Authors: Valdés-Pineda Rodrigo , Garcia-Chevesich Pablo A. , Alaniz Alberto J. , Venegas-Quiñones Héctor L. , Valdés Juan B. , Pizarro Roberto
Published: January 2022

Several studies have focused on why the Aculeo Lagoon in central Chile disappeared, with a recent one concluding that a lack of precipitation was the main cause, bringing tremendous political consequences as it supported the argument that the government is not responsible for this environmental, economic, and social disaster. In this study, we evaluated in detail the socio-economic history of the watershed, the past climate and its effects on the lagoon’s water levels (including precipitation recycling effects), anthropogenic modifications to the lagoon’s water balance, the evolution of water rights and demands, and inaccurate estimates of sustainable groundwater extraction volumes from regional aquifers. This analysis has revealed novel and undisputable evidence that this natural body of water disappeared primarily because of anthropogenic factors (mostly river deviations and aquifer pumping) that, combined with the effects of less than a decade with below-normal precipitation, had a severe impact on this natural lagoon–aquifer system.
Physical Illiteracy and Obesity Barrier: How Physical Education Can Overpass Potential Adverse Effects? A Narrative Review
Authors: Trecroci Athos , Invernizzi Pietro Luigi , Monacis Domenico , Colella Dario
Published: January 2022

Environments lacking in stimuli together with ineffective physical education programs can lead to motor illiteracy, causing several adverse effects that could be worsened by unhealthy weight conditions (e.g., obesity). Obesity can be seen as an actual barrier for children and adolescents, especially for affective, behavioral, physical, and cognitive domains. In this context, condensing what the literature proposes could be useful in order to improve the understanding of the best intervention strategies (i.e., proper physical education programs) to manage the adverse effects of motor illiteracy in relation to the obesity barrier. The purpose of this narrative review is to improve the understanding on how physical education programs can counteract the adverse effects of physical illiteracy and obesity barrier across childhood and adolescence. Proper physical education programs should develop motor competence by fostering an individual’s awareness, self-perception, autonomous motivation, and muscular fitness on a realistic scenario (functional task difficulty related to his/her possibilities) in the attempt to counteract the adverse effects of the obesity barrier. Such programs should be designed without overlooking a proper multi teaching style approach.
Cooperation and Environmental Responsibility as Positive Factors for Entrepreneurial Resilience
Authors: Pascucci Tancredi , Hernández-Sánchez Brizeida Raquel , Sánchez-García José Carlos
Published: January 2022

In this review, we study the state of entrepreneurial education as it applies to business resilience. We consider records over the last 20 years about entrepreneurial resilience that consider their social impact and focus on sustainability. The aim of the study was to determine whether an enterprise that stresses social impact and sustainability rather than profits could reinforce entrepreneurial resilience. The importance of this study is that it offers a more complex description of entrepreneurial resilience by connecting social and environmental sensitivity with a profit-oriented logic. We found a mild incremental rise in, first, the years of the 2000s and a jump by 2010. We then used VosViewer to create a cluster map from the record list of WOS, creating three clusters of: “education and sustainability”, “entrepreneurship and social impact” and “innovation”, and these three clusters were related to superior entrepreneurial resilience. This approach should be adopted in real time to be able to adapt to socio-economic crises, adopting a functional approach based on cooperativeness and awareness of complexity.
Implications of COVID-19 Mitigation Policies for National Well-Being: A Systems Perspective
Authors: Strelkovskii Nikita , Rovenskaya Elena , Ilmola-Sheppard Leena , Bartmann Robin , Rein-Sapir Yonat , Feitelson Eran
Published: January 2022

The ongoing COVID-19 crisis and measures aimed at curbing the pandemic have a widespread impact on various aspects of well-being, such as housing, social connections, and others. Moreover, COVID-19 does not affect all population groups equally. This study analyzes the impact of major COVID-19 non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) on a set of national well-being indicators from the most recent version of the OECD Well-Being Framework. Using causal loop diagrams (systems maps), we consider direct and indirect effects of these policies on various components of the national well-being system. Our results show that business closures directly and/or indirectly impact more national well-being components than any other policy. The most affected national well-being components by all policies are life satisfaction, perceived health, and prevalence of depressive symptoms. In addition, we specify how the impact of the anti-pandemic measures differs for various population strata, using the degree of income and employment loss as key stratifying variables. Our insights can be helpful to identify and promote measures that can alleviate the adverse effects of the COVID-19 crisis on the national well-being.
The Organization’s Sustainable Work Stress and Maladjustment Management Plan by Predicting Early Retirement through Big Data Analysis: Focused on the Case of South Korea
Authors: Ham Hyunjung , Kim Eunbee , Cho Daeyeon
Published: January 2022

The purpose of this study is to verify the predictive model of early retirees’ responses to work stress and maladjustment to the company by utilizing big data analytics and to extract the reasons for early retirement from the personnel information. Company A’s personnel information of employees working in the company for 10 years was used, K-Nearest Neighbor (K-NN) algorithm was used to verify the predictive model of early retirees, and Decision Tree Analysis algorithm was used to extract the causing factors. According to the analysis results, first, the verification of the predictive model of early retirees based on the personnel information data showed 98% accuracy. Second, among the personnel information items, the ranking of items with high relevance for early retirement was the distance between the company and the residence (first place), the recent promotion history (second place), and whether or not to have the license (third place) out of a total of 18 items. The results of the analysis conducted in this study suggest that HRD intervention is required in the provision of problem-solving solutions involved in the HRM field, which is expected to be effective as a basic diagnostic tool for HR diagnosis involving HRD and HRM. In addition, this study may provide a detailed analysis of early retirement due to work stress and maladjustment of young people.
Air-Travelers’ Perceptions of Service Quality during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from Tripadvisor Sites
Authors: Sulu Deniz , Arasli Huseyin , Saydam Mehmet Bahri
Published: January 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted both healthcare and the economy on a global scale. This pandemic has changed consumer habits and behaviors significantly, primarily because of confinement-related issues. While numerous research has been undertaken to study customer satisfaction using surveys and online passenger ratings, the effect of COVID-19 on passenger satisfaction has not been explored. It is vital to assess satisfaction indicators gathered from online consumer reviews to ascertain consumers’ preferences for airline services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal of this study is to determine the primary themes that emerged from airline travelers’ internet reviews during the COVID-19 outbreak. Additionally, it attempts to determine which of these themes relate to higher and lower passenger satisfaction. The article uses qualitative (i.e., narratives) analyses to examine the main components of passengers’ subjective experiences of the airline. Data are represented by passenger reviews posted on the TripAdvisor website. The analyses revealed ten themes in descriptions of airline travel experiences. These include “flight”, “service”, “staff”, “food”, “check-in”, “cancellation”, “COVID-19”, “airport”, “class”, and “luggage”. Dissatisfying concepts are linked with the “cancellation”, “check-in”, “refund”, and “airport” concepts.
Mixture Optimization of Concrete Paving Blocks Containing Waste Silt
Authors: Solouki Abbas , Tataranni Piergiorgio , Sangiorgi Cesare
Published: January 2022

Most of the waste materials recycled for the production of new construction materials are by-products of various manufacturing processes, such as the aggregate washing process. Recycling such materials is of paramount importance since it could reduce the adverse environmental impacts resulting from landfilling. Various studies have attempted to recycle different types of waste materials and by-products into concrete paving blocks. However, the availability of literature on concrete paving blocks containing waste silt is quite scarce. Thus, the current paper focuses on mix design optimization and production of concrete paving blocks containing high amounts of waste silt resulting from the aggregate production process. Using the mixture Design of Experiments (DOE), 12 sets of concrete paving blocks with different aggregate blends were produced to optimize the mix design. Once the final mix design was achieved, the physical and mechanical properties of the concrete paving blocks were investigated following the EN 1338 standard. Shape and dimension measurements and various tests, including water absorption, tensile splitting strength, abrasion resistance, and slip/skid resistance were conducted on the experimental concrete paving samples. Overall, the produced concrete paving blocks showed promising properties for future applications in pedestrian walking paths.
Hydrothermal Carbonization of Residual Algal Biomass for Production of Hydrochar as a Biobased Metal Adsorbent
Authors: Tsarpali Magdalini , Kuhn John N. , Philippidis George P.
Published: January 2022

Conversion of residual algal biomass to value-added products is essential for enhancing the economics of algae cultivation. Algal hydrochar produced via hydrothermal carbonization of lipid-extracted Picochlorum oculatum is a material rich in oxygen functional groups and carbon (up to 67.3%) and hence a promising candidate for remediation of wastewaters. The hydrothermal carbonization conditions were optimized and the adsorption capacity of the hydrochar was tested for metal removal. By the end of the remediation process, cumulative removal of Al3+, Cu2+, Fe2+, Mg2+, Mn2+, and Pb2+ reached 89, 98, 75, 88, 75, and 100%, respectively. The adsorption of all metals was found to follow pseudo second-order kinetics and the Langmuir isotherm. Overall, when hydrothermal carbonization is applied to lipid-extracted algae, it generates a promising biobased adsorbent with value-added potential in metal remediation.
Hegemony of Digital Platforms, Innovation Culture, and E-Commerce Marketing Capabilities: The Innovation Performance Perspective
Authors: Khattak Amira
Published: January 2022

Advanced technologies have affected business models. Sustainable innovation performance has become very critical for the survival of businesses, in particular in emerging economies. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the impact of digital platforms, innovation culture (IC), and e-commerce marketing capabilities on innovation performance (IP). In this study, the intervening role of IC was studied. Furthermore, the moderating role of e-commerce marketing capabilities was studied regarding the link between digital platforms and IP. Data were collected from the top management of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) working in several cities in Pakistan. For the data collection and analysis, the quantitative research method was used. Correlation, regression, and bootstrap methods were applied to test hypotheses. The results showed that digital platforms have positive impacts on innovation culture and IP. The findings verified that IC plays a mediating role in the relationship between digital platforms and IP. Moreover, digital platforms increase IP in the presence of e-commerce marketing capabilities. SMEs employ a self-motivated perspective, and it is necessary to evaluate their performance in terms of innovation. Subsequently, businesses that innovate their services and products with respect to their customers’ demands have the capacity to achieve true success. Consequently, SMEs need to analyze their IP for their businesses to flourish. The study emphasizes the overlooked relation of digital platforms and IP, as well as demonstrates the mediation effect of IC.
Perspectives on the Barriers to and Needs of Teachers’ Professional Development in the Philippines during COVID-19
Authors: Chin Joseph Meng-Chun , Ching Gregory S. , del Castillo Fides , Wen Tzu-Hsing , Huang Yu-Chen , del Castillo Clarence Darro , Gungon Jenny Lynn , Trajera Sheilla M.
Published: January 2022

Due to COVID-19, remote or distance education has become the norm in the Philippines. Yet even in its second year, remote teaching and learning still face ongoing challenges, as does the need for teachers’ professional development. This paper describes a study that examined teachers’ perspectives on barriers and needs in professional development. The study involved 174 teachers who were teaching online courses in the National Capital Region. The participants completed a survey detailing their professional development frequency, perspectives, barriers, and needs, while eight teachers agreed to participate in a follow-up interview. Results from hierarchical multiple regression analysis have shown that teachers’ pedagogical and information technology skills requirements are influenced primarily by their prior professional development experiences and their need to apply active learning and innovative teaching ideas. Qualitative analyses indicate that teachers’ professional development needs are mostly focused on skills related to online teaching, information technology literacy, and conducting research. In addition, data indicated that barriers to professional development were primarily caused by financial and time constraints and a lack of teacher motivation and logistical support. In summary, for remote education to be sustainable, teachers need ongoing professional development as well as adequate logistical support.
Expression of Behavior and Attitudes toward Sustainable Tourism in the Youth Population: A Search for Statistical Types
Authors: Šaparnienė Diana , Mejerė Oksana , Raišutienė Jurgita , Juknevičienė Vita , Rupulevičienė Rasa
Published: January 2022

Youth attitudes and behavior in tourism activities are crucial for sustainable tourism development. This study aims to identify the statistical types of youth according to their expressed behavior in sustainability and attitudes toward sustainable tourism development. Survey data were collected from 1085 respondents representing different Baltic Sea countries—Latvia, Lithuania, and Russia. A unique research instrument, constructed by the authors, was developed for the empirical research, responding to the latest theoretical insights and models and was empirically validated by statistical methods (the factor validity of the scales was tested with Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, etc.). Attitudes towards sustainable tourism development were measured with the SUS-TAS scale. The factor clustering method used in the study identified the statistical types of the youth included, according to the expression of sustainable behavior and the attitudes toward sustainable tourism development. The results indicated that the majority of youth belong to the “oriented toward sustainable behavior” type (50.6%), while the analysis of youth attitudes showed that 71.5% belong to the socioeconomic type, indicating that young people prioritize the long-term socioeconomic wellbeing of the region, which can be achieved through efficient management, tourism planning, and active public participation in the implementation of tourism policies.
Impact of Penetrations of Connected and Automated Vehicles on Lane Utilization Ratio
Authors: Wang Xiaoyuan , Liu Shijie , Shi Huili , Xiang Hui , Zhang Yang , He Guowen , Wang Hanqing
Published: January 2022

Lane Utilization Ratio (LUR), affected by lane selection behavior directly, represents the traffic distribution on different lanes of road section for a single direction. The research on LUR, especially under Penetration Conditions of Connected and Automated Vehicles (PCCAV), is not comprehensive enough. Considering the difficulty in the conduction of real vehicle experiment and data collection under PPCAV, the lane selection model based on phase-field coupling and set pair logic, which considers the full-information of lanes, was used to carry out microscopic traffic simulation. From the analysis of microsimulation results, the basic relationships between Penetration of Connected and Automated Vehicles (PCAV), traffic volume, and Lane-Changing Times, also that between PCAV, traffic volume, and LUR in the basic section of the urban expressway were studied. Moreover, the influence of driving propensity on the effect of PCAVs was also studied. The research results could enrich the traffic flow theory and provide the theoretical basis for traffic management and control.
GVC-Oriented Policies and Urban Manufacturing: The Role of Cities in Global Value Chains
Authors: Di Maria Eleonora , Micelli Stefano , Menesello Luca , Brocca Selena
Published: January 2022

Studies on policies oriented to Global Value Chains (GVC) focus much attention on developing countries and upgrading opportunities. Recent trends related to digitalization, market requests, and new consideration for value linked to manufacturing challenges GVC-oriented policies in developed countries. Such policies may refer to the attractiveness of foreign investments or increase the value captured through upgrading. At the city level, explicit policies promoted by municipalities are oriented to attract and support manufacturing activities to increase employment, entrepreneurship, and urban specializations while leveraging the new technological scenario. However, despite their interests in policies for economic growth at the national and cluster levels, research on the Global Value Chain has paid limited attention to cities and their role as production contexts within value chains. Linking to research on urban manufacturing and based on an empirical study on six cities (Barcelona, Detroit, London, Milan, New York, and Paris), the paper advances the theoretical debate on urban-related policies in the GVC framework by proposing three different policy directions related to (a) enhancing value related to urban production; (b) sustaining new urban entrepreneurship (digital craftsmanship); and (c) shortening GVC (Urban Value Chains).
Financial Stability in Companies with High ESG Scores: Evidence from North America Using the Ohlson O-Score
Authors: Lisin Anton , Kushnir Andrei , Koryakov Alexey G. , Fomenko Natalia , Shchukina Tatyana
Published: January 2022

The benefits and advantages of the incorporation of ESG (Environmental, Social, Governing)-related policies have been discussed extensively. However, research articles focus not only on the socioecological aspects of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) but also on the underlying effects on a corporation’s corporate financial performance (CFP). In this regard, the current study aims to analyze the impact of ESG parameters on corporations’ financial stability. A sample size of 691 companies in North American countries was investigated in order to test the hypothesis that ESG has an effect on the likelihood of a company going bankrupt using the Ohlson O-score. This is conducted using regression models and the Pearson correlation coefficient. Furthermore, a follow-up hypothesis on the relationship between firm size and ESG is also tested in order to evaluate a tendency of corporate growth through ESG-based sustainable development. The results of the study conclude that the governing pillar of ESG factors has the highest positive impact on corporations’ financial success. Furthermore, the analysis conducted in the study with its sample size confirms the hypothesis that larger firms tend to have higher ESG scores.
Sustainability Performance Management Framework for Circular Economy Implementation in State-Owned Plantation Enterprises
Authors: Trisyulianti Erlin , Prihartono Budhi , Andriani Made , Suryadi Kadarsah
Published: January 2022

The circular economy concept needs to be part of the performance management system so that it is in line with a company’s vision and mission. Thus, the circular economy will play an important role at the operational level of companies. The circular economy needs to be internalized, starting by formulating the company’s vision and mission, establishing strategic objectives and performance indicators, and creating resource allocation policies. This research aims to design a sustainable performance management system in the context of a circular economy for state-owned plantation enterprises (SOPEs). This study used a qualitative research coding method that was validated in three SOPEs in Indonesia. Validation was performed by comparing the framework based on the conceptual formulation with the data and information obtained during field assessment. Primary data came from interviews with 15 managers, while secondary data came from official company documents. The research results show that the initial framework that was built is in accordance with the results of the exploration of the circular economy strategic objectives in the three SOPEs. The results of the 100 percent validation and perception test of managers on the range of values are important. Therefore, the proposed framework can be used in SOPE.
Unfolding the Impacts of a Prolonged COVID-19 Pandemic on the Sustainability of Culinary Tourism: Some Insights from Micro and Small Street Food Vendors
Authors: Gaffar Vanessa , Tjahjono Benny , Abdullah Taufik , Sari Maya , Rofaida Rofi
Published: January 2022

Our study reveals the impacts of various COVID-19-related restrictions on the culinary tourism industry by exploring how street food vendors deal with this unprecedented encounter. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews of 20 street food vendors and later analyzed using qualitative data analysis, focusing on the thematic analysis of coded interview transcripts, as a basis for generalization of our findings. This study unfolds the knock-on effects of the lock-down, social distancing, and movement restrictions imposed on the street food vendors and sheds light on how the culinary tourism industry can become more resilient and sustainable in facing a future or recurring pandemic. Understanding the dynamic impacts of the pandemic will offer insights for the culinary tourism industry and the government in the development of relevant policies to alleviate those impacts and protect the culinary tourism industry in the ‘new normal’ post-pandemic era.
Research and Optimization of the Coupling and Coordination of Environmental Regulation, Technological Innovation, and Green Development
Authors: Yin Kedong , Zhang Runchuan , Jin Xue , Yu Li
Published: January 2022

Environmental regulation and technological innovation play important strategic roles in green growth, and the three systems interact and influence each other. Herein, we used a comprehensive development level evaluation model for calculating the environmental regulation and technological innovation indices for 17 cities in Shandong Province. We used the slack-based measure-data envelopment analysis (SBM-DEA) model to measure green development efficiency. The coupling coordination degree model was used to determine the coordination of environmental regulation, technological innovation, and green development; we divided the cities into three systems: green economy lagging, environmental regulation lagging, and technological innovation lagging. We used grey correlation analysis to explore the factors affecting system development. Eastern coastal cities were better developed in the three systems and the degree of coupling and coordination, like Qingdao and Weihai, and the observed level of technological innovation development, a critical factor in the coordinated development of cities, was lowest in Shandong Province. The grey correlation analysis illustrated that the level of economic development and the level of foreign economic development impacts cities labeled green economy lagging; the impact of pollutant emissions is greater than pollution control expenditure in environmental regulation lagging cities; and the government’s attention and the cultivation and attraction of talent are foundational for technological innovation in lagging cities. Considering these factors, we make recommendations for the optimal development of cities and coordinated development of regions.
Total Factor Energy Efficiency of China’s Thermal Power Industry
Authors: Feng Ying , Lu Ching-Cheng , Lin I-Fang , Yang An-Chi , Lin Po-Chun
Published: January 2022

Coal-based thermal power generation has long been the main source of power generation in the mainland of China. The efficiency of power generation is an important factor that determines the energy conservation and emission reduction as well as the sustainable development of the power industry in China. By comparing the regional differences of 30 provinces in the mainland from 2013 to 2017, this study uses the Super-DDF model and the TFEE to comprehensively evaluate the energy efficiency of thermal power generation. Empirical results: Overall efficiency: eastern efficiency (1.181) is the highest, followed by western (0.956), central (0.951) and northeastern (0.926). Total factor energy efficiency: eastern efficiency (0.923) is the highest, followed by western (0.754), central (0.742) and northeastern (0.710). The government and power industry managers should fully consider the regional differences in the field of thermal power generation when formulating policies so as to improve the power efficiency and promote the green development of power industry in China. Based on the analysis results, although the coal-fired power industry is more mature than other alternative energy industries, the expansion of thermal power generation cannot be considered if CO2 emissions are to be reduced. Additionally, the market share and competitiveness of the local power industry can be increased based on the different conditions of the resource endowments of each region.
Customer Experience in Circular Economy: Experiential Dimensions among Consumers of Reused and Recycled Clothes
Authors: Ta An Hai , Aarikka-Stenroos Leena , Litovuo Lauri
Published: January 2022

The textile and clothing industry is undergoing a sustainability transition, pushing related businesses to adapt to circular economy (CE) models, such as recycling and reuse. This shift has been extensively studied from industry and business model perspectives, but we lack an understanding of the customer perspective, i.e., how circulated products, such as reused and recycled clothes are experienced among consumers. This understanding is crucial, as customer experience plays a significant role in the adoption of CE products. Therefore, we conducted a qualitative interview study to explore how consumer-customers experience recycled textiles and reused clothes. We used an established experience dimension model and mapped how the five dimensions of customer experience—sensory, affective, behavioral, cognitive, and social—present themselves in the sustainable clothing industry. The data comprised 16 qualitative semi-structured interviews analyzed with a coding framework built on the basis of customer experiences, customer values, and the CE business model literature. The results revealed that diverse sensory (e.g., scent), affective (e.g., pride and shame), behavioral (e.g., developing new decision-making rules), cognitive (e.g., learning and unlearning), and social (e.g., getting feedback from others and manifesting own values) aspects shape how consumers experience reused and recycled clothes. We also compared and analyzed the results of the reuse and redistribute model and the recycle model. Our study contributes to the literature of CE business models and customer experience by providing a structured map of diverse experiential triggers and outcomes from the five experiential dimensions, which together reveal how consumers experience circulated products of the clothing industry. These findings enhance our understanding of customers’ motivation to use recycled and reused products and adoption of CE products.
New Approach to Inflation Phenomena to Ensure Sustainable Economic Growth
Authors: Girdzijauskas Stasys , Streimikiene Dalia , Griesiene Ingrida , Mikalauskiene Asta , Kyriakopoulos Grigorios L.
Published: January 2022

The problem of inflation is crucial for ensuring sustainable economic growth of the country. In the broadest sense, the economic dimension of sustainable development represents the general economic health of the country. Such macroeconomic indicators as unemployment and inflation rates are the main economic indicators of sustainable development. This article discusses the historical aspects of inflation development and the attitudes of economists towards it. The article presents a new approach to inflation and analyses the main reasons for its formation by developing a new analytical model of aggregate inflation. Based on new analytical model, the theoretical analysis of the formation of an economic bubble is provided based on saturation phenomena and its micro and macroeconomic implications are discussed. The main input of this paper is the creation of an extended (detailed) inflation model representing the main drivers of inflation and therefore contributes to the concept of controlled economic growth, which is necessary to ensure sustainable economic growth of the country.
A Decision-Making Tool for Urban Planners: A Framework to Model the Interdependency among Land Use, Accessibility, Density, and Surface Runoff in Urban Areas
Authors: Madusanka Samith , Abenayake Chethika , Jayasinghe Amila , Perera Chaminda
Published: January 2022

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the four-dimensional relationship between land use, accessibility, density, and surface runoff in urban areas. In contemporary literature, a series of studies have been conducted that extensively discuss the natural components associated with the surface runoff in urban areas. However, the dynamic and complex dimensions of the urban form, such as land use, accessibility, and density, are yet to be fully understood. In this study, a 4D diagram was utilized to identify relationships between dimensions, in addition to decision tree analysis, to explore the structural flow between selected variables. Furthermore, a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach was employed with the purpose of investigating the direct, indirect, and moderating effects on the targeted dependent variable, surface runoff. The results of the analysis reported a strong correlation between land use, accessibility, density, and surface runoff, with an R-squared value of 0.802, which indicates an acceptable model accuracy by the international standard. A positive relationship between the four dimensions was indicated by the higher accessibility; the higher density in terms of a higher floor space index (FSI), ground space index (GSI), and open space; the building height of the adjacent buildings; the higher diversity of the land use; and the higher surface runoff. Accordingly, the findings of the study offer policy implications in the fields of land use planning, zoning regulations and overall urban development planning towards achieving climate resilient cities.
The Impact of Social Media Influencers Raffi Ahmad and Nagita Slavina on Tourism Visit Intentions across Millennials and Zoomers Using a Hierarchical Likelihood Structural Equation Model
Authors: Caraka Rezzy Eko , Noh Maengseok , Lee Youngjo , Toharudin Toni , Yusra  , Tyasti Avia Enggar , Royanow Achlan Fahlevi , Dewata Dimas Purnama , Gio Prana Ugiana , Basyuni Mohammad , Pardamean Bens
Published: January 2022

Background: In this paper, we examine how social media influencers can influence visit intention, especially in the case of Raffi Ahmad and Nagita Slavina, a top influencer who by 2 September 2021 had reached 21.3 M subscribers on YouTube and 54.9 m followers on Instagram with an engagement rate of 0.42%. The focus of this study is Generation Y or Millennials (born 1981–1996) and Generation Z (born 1997–2012). Design/methodology/approach: Snowball sampling was performed to arrive at a representative group of Millennials. Data analysis was performed using hierarchical likelihood via structural equation modeling. Findings: The study results are helpful for a comprehensive understanding of factors affecting visit intention. Effects of the study results summary, tourists from Generations Y and Z are thriving within the internet of things and the digital age, an era in which information can be accessed via various forms of technology across multiple platforms. Practical implications: We discuss and identify the relative importance of each factor through the use of logistics with variational approximation and structural equation models using hierarchical likelihood. Originality: The technique we use is an integrated and extended version of the structural equation model with hierarchical likelihood estimation and features selection using logistics variational approximation.
Evaluating Labour Market Flexibility Using the TOPSIS Method: Sustainable Industrial Relations
Authors: Galik Anna , Bąk Monika , Bałandynowicz-Panfil Katarzyna , Cirella Giuseppe T.
Published: January 2022

This study evaluates labour market flexibility using the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) method. TOPSIS is employed by comparing spatial (i.e., different countries) and temporal (i.e., long-time horizon) terms. Sustainable industrial relations processes are considered in shaping the flexibility of the labour market in 15 European Union Member States from 2009 to 2018. Countries are grouped into classes to provide a basis for benchmarking results against social and employment policies implemented at the national level. A five-step quantitative MCDA method is formulated using published data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The results indicate that the TOPSIS method is an appropriate approach for measuring labour market flexibility internationally. Moreover, in relation to workforce phenomena, the findings show that the method offers the possibility of examining the impact of particular factors related to social and employment policies of a country in terms of sustainable development and socioeconomic growth. The lack of precision tools to forecast the development of national and transnational labour markets—particularly during the COVID-19 era—highlights the importance of such a method for workforce planners and policymakers. Developing sustainable industrial relations in terms of associated national externalities is the motivation of the research.
Construction and Application of the Evaluation System of Natural Resources Asset Accountability Audit of Officials: A Case Study of Jiangxi, China
Authors: Xiong Huanhuan , Li Yi , He Jialin
Published: January 2022

At the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Central Committee first proposed the establishment of the Natural Resources Asset Accountability Audit of Officials, which not only marked a new stage in China’s ecological construction, but also triggered many scholars’ discussion on the accountability audit evaluation indicator system of natural resources assets. In this paper, the combination of entropy weight method and TOPSIS method is introduced into the natural resource asset accountability audit evaluation system for the first time, and a system based on energy subsystem, economy subsystem and environment subsystem is constructed. The system is used to evaluate the performance of leading officials of Jiangxi Province, one of the first batch of national pilot zones for ecological conservation in China, in the responsibility of natural resource asset management from 2015 to 2019. The evaluation result indicates that the overall situation of natural resource assets in Jiangxi Province shows a steady upward trend, and the overall performance should be affirmed. The practical application of this evaluation system in the national pilot zone for ecological conservation will enlighten other provinces in China to improve the leading officials’ accountability audit of natural resource assets.
Defining Urban Freight Microhubs: A Case Study Analysis
Authors: Katsela Konstantina , Güneş Şeyma , Fried Travis , Goodchild Anne , Browne Michael
Published: January 2022

Urban freight distribution has confronted several challenges, including negative environmental, social, and economic impacts. Many city logistics initiatives that use the concept of Urban Consolidation Centers (UCCs) have failed. The failure of many UCCs does not mean that the idea of additional terminals or microhubs should be rejected. There is limited knowledge about the advantages and disadvantages of using microhubs, requiring further exploration of this concept. To expand this knowledge, this research combines 17 empirical cases from Europe and North America to develop a framework for classifying different microhubs typologies. This research presents an integrated view of the cases and develops a common language for understanding microhub typologies and definitions. The research proposes microhubs as an important opportunity to improve urban freight sustainability and efficiency and one possible step to manage the challenge of multi-sector collaboration.
Production Scheduling of Personalized Fashion Goods in a Mass Customization Environment
Authors: Perret Jens K. , Schuck Katharina , Hitzegrad Carolin
Published: January 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has put fashion manufacturers’ needs for optimization in the spotlight. This study argues that mass customization is becoming increasingly instrumental for offering consumers individualized solutions and that suppliers of fashion have to look for more sophisticated solutions in order to face the increasing demand for more sustainable products. With the deduction of a mathematical model derived from production sequencing it became evident that sustainability can be associated with a level production schedule and that cost-based production optimization is useful in achieving holistic sustainability in the fashion industry. The flexibility in the conceived mathematical model specifications allows for a generalizable approach, not limited to a single branch of the fashion industry. This paper additionally delivers a cost-based optimization approach which fashion companies, operating in a mass customization production layout, can easily implement without extensive know-how. The proposed two-stage algorithm is based on the concept of level scheduling. In a first stage, the algorithm determines a feasible production sequence in a time-efficient way while, in the second stage, it further advances the efficiency of the solution. Thus, it offers a framework to optimize a production in a mass customization environment and can contribute to a company taking major steps towards a holistic sustainable orientation as available resources are used more (cost) efficiently.