Tomas Bata University in Zlín
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Unveiling circular economy pathways among small and medium hotels through a hybrid analytical framework
Get PDFSmall and medium-sized hotels (SME hotels), which constitute the majority of the global hospitality sector, face mounting pressure to align with sustainability goals. However, their transition to circular economy (CE) practices remains under-theorised and poorly implemented, particularly in emerging economies where institutional fragility and resource constraints prevail. Existing literature predominantly emphasises large firms and linear modelling approaches, overlooking the configurational, capability-driven processes that enable SMEs to adopt CE under complexity. This study addresses this gap by developing a tri-theoretical framework—grounded in the Resource-Based View, Dynamic Capabilities Theory and Configurational Theory—to examine how internal resources and capabilities interact to shape CE adoption in SME hotels. Empirical insights were drawn from 300 executive respondents across Indian SME hotels. The study employs a hybrid analytical design integrating Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to capture net effects, and Fuzzy-Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to explore causal asymmetries and equifinal pathways to CE implementation. Findings reveal Green Absorptive Capacity (GAC) as a consistent enabler and Green Dynamic Capabilities (GDC) as essential for adaptive CE strategies. While Green Human Capital (GHC) does not appear in dominant configurations, its role is found to be context-dependent rather than absent. The study contributes theoretically by advancing an integrated model that explains CE adoption beyond linear assumptions and practically by offering strategic guidance for SME hoteliers navigating environmental transformation. It advocates for investment in organisational learning, dynamic capability-building and targeted policy engagement to support sustainable transitions under constraint
Analysis of the main environmental burdens by life cycle assessment of heavy construction equipment in the material extraction phase
Get PDFConstruction activity is considered to be one of the main negative environmental burdens. This is largely due to the equipment used in this activity, particularly complex heavy machinery. Hence, the aim was to analyse the main environmental burdens occurring in the phase of extraction and processing of materials for complex heavy equipment used in construction. The main burdens determining the emission of carbon footprint (CO2), land occupation, and consumption of material resources were identified. Analyses were carried out using the OpenLCA program with the Ecoinvent 3.10 database. The results showed that the main burdens concern, for instance, the production of pig iron or sintered iron. Directing pro-environmental activities to reduce the identified burdens can contribute to a significant reduction of the negative impact of heavy construction equipment in their life cycle. This procedure is beneficial within the framework of activities for the sustainable development of construction
Factors influencing Vietnamese consumers' decisions regarding green hotels
Get PDFEnvironmental issues remain a central concern in modern society, especially because of the rapid expansion of the tourism industry post-Covid, leading to increased pollution levels. The concept related to green tourism and hospitality emerged to satisfy consumer expectations in utilizing services while maximizing environmental conservation. Despite plenty of studies related to investigation factors affect green related products and services in hospitality industry. There is an insufficiency of comprehensive examination of client attitudes and behavior intention regarding green hotels, especially inside the Vietnamese market. This study seeks to examine the diverse aspects influencing customers' decision-making process toward green hotels. A quantitative approach was implemented to gather data from individuals who either sought or had previously used hotels when traveling in Viet Nam. A total of 269 legitimate responses were acquired. The study subsequently utilized Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to analyze the proposed hypotheses. The findings confirm significant aspects that influence customers' decision-making process towards environmentally friendly options
Assessing the influence of digital marketing on financial Performance from the telecommunication industry
No full textMTN Ghana is a dominant player in the Ghanaian telecommunications industry and understanding how they can leverage digital marketing to improve their financial performance is crucial for their continued success. The digital landscape in Ghana is rapidly evolving, and effective digital marketing strategies are becoming increasingly important for businesses of all sizes. This research delves into the digital marketing strategies and financial performance of MTN Ghana, a leading telecommunications provider. The research aimed to assess MTN Ghana current approach to digital marketing (social media marketing, email marketing, mobile marketing, and online marketing), evaluate its financial health, and explore the potential affiliation between these two aspects. A questionnaire of 285 was distributed to all employees of MTN Ghana across the country. The data was clean and edited with missing value and the final questionnaire accounted for 213 (74.7) participants. To achieve the research objectives, four hypothesis was developed coving all the digital marketing strategies and financial performance of MTN Ghana. The robust Smart PLS 3 was employed to analysis the developed hypothesis. The results demonstrated that digital marketing strategies had a significant favourable affiliation with financial performance. However, the association was strong in social media marking, email marketing, online marketing, and mobile marketing respectively. The findings contributed to the debate on the influence of digital marketing on the financial performance of enterprise. While admitting significant study constraints, this analysis provides valuable insight into MNT Ghana's digital landscape and financial progress, highlighting the need for a well-rounded marketing plan that makes efficient use of digital platforms. This investigation suggests to managers, policy makers, and governments to make sound decisions concerning digital marketing
Investigation of covalent binding of gold nanoparticles to chitosan nanofibers using cellulose and hyaluronate dialdehydes
Get PDFIn this study, the reaction mechanisms of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) synthesis using dialdehyde cellulose (DAC) and dialdehyde hyaluronate (DAH), and their covalent binding to chitosan nanofibers (CHITs), was investigated. The synthesis uses a redox reaction where dialdehyde polysaccharides are oxidized to dicarboxy polysaccharides and the gold salt precursor is reduced to elemental gold. The formation of the AuNPs-CHIT composite involves Schiff base chemistry, where reactive aldehyde groups of the polysaccharide shell around AuNPs react with chitosan's amine groups, forming pH-labile imine groups, which can be subsequently stabilized using reductive amination. FT-IR and XPS analyses were used to confirm the proposed reaction mechanisms. Next, the catalytic activity of AuNPs synthesized using DAC and DAH was evaluated for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol with sodium borohydride. Rapid conversion rates and high turnover frequency were observed. The morphology and structure of the composites were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). These analyses confirmed the sub-10 nm size of the AuNPs and their uniform distribution on chitosan nanofibers. The findings confirm the proposed reaction mechanisms, showcase the morphology and catalytic activity of the prepared nanoparticles and highlight their potential industrial applications. The versatility of this method also opens avenues for further functionalization and broader applications of AuNPs in biomedical fields such as biosensors and drug delivery systems.L. Mu\u0308nster and J. V\u00EDcha gratefully acknowledge the Czech Science Foundation grant 23-07361S. M. Muchov\u00E1 and P. Humpol\u00ED\u010Dek acknowledge the Centre of Polymer Systems Internal Development Project RP/CPS/2024-28/001 financed by the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports of the Czech Republic for infrastructural support. V. Hrb\u00E1\u010Dek acknowledges the support by the Internal Grant Agency of TBU project no. IGA/CPS/2024/002. A. D\u016Fbravov\u00E1 and I. Ku\u0159itka acknowledge the Centre of Polymer Systems Internal Development Project RP/CPS/2024-28/007 financed by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic for infrastructural support
Unlocking the potential of zinc phosphate nanoplatelets for alkyd coating formulation with advanced anti-corrosive protection at reduced pigment content
No full textNovel zinc phosphate 2D nanoplatelets (ZPnp) were prepared by direct precipitation followed by a nano-milling process, effectively utilizing the preferential fragmentation of the lamellar precursor into thin platelets. The XRD analysis identified hopeite (Zn3(PO4)2·4H2O) as the crystalline phase, while SEM/TEM revealed rectangular, plate-like particles with lateral dimensions below 100 nm. DLS enabled tracking of the milling process, and BET was used to confirm the nanoscale character of ZPnp. The effect of incorporating 1.6 wt.% nano-milled ZPnp slurry (40 wt.% solids) into a mixed urethane–alkyd (UreAlkyd) topcoat on barrier (passive) and active-healing performance was compared with that of a coating containing 4 wt.% commercial Al-treated zinc phosphate (ZPA) micropowder. The performance of the coatings was assessed using EIS and directly compared through standard salt-spray testing. Ion release was quantified by AAS in saline solutions at different pH values. It was found that the more compact/denser inhibitive layer formation observed in long-term exposures for ZPnp prevails over the relatively better active-site-blocking effect of the commercial ZPA at initial immersion times. The ZPnp-containing formulation exhibited higher corrosion resistance, along with lower capacitance, in both artificially scratched and intact coatings compared to the commercial ZPA-containing sample. Hence, the development of a superior active/barrier anti-corrosion protection system that possesses prolonged healing activity at more than six times lower anti-corrosion pigment content was demonstrated.This work was supported by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic \u2013 DKRVO ( RP/CPS/2024\u201328/007 and RP/CPS/2024\u201328/002 ) and Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic ( CZ.01.1.02/0.0/0.0/20_321/0025211 ). We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Mr. Milad Motamedi, Ph.D., for his invaluable support, insightful review, and meticulous editing. Thanks also extended to the company Rokospol a.s. for paints\u2019 formulation and corrosion tests according to international ISO standards.Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic-DKRVO [RP/CPS/2024-28/007, RP/CPS/2024-28/002]; Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic [CZ.01.1.02/0.0/0.0/20_321/0025211
Adsorption capacity prediction and optimization of electrospun nanofiber membranes for estrogenic hormone removal using machine learning algorithms
Get PDFThis study focuses on developing four machine learning (ML) models (Gaussian process regression (GPR), support vector machine (SVM), decision tree (DT), and ensemble learning tree (ELT)) optimized and hyperparameters tuned via genetic algorithm (GA) and particle swarm optimization (PSO) to analyze and predict the adsorption capacity of four estrogenic hormones. These hormones are a serious cause of fish femininity and various forms of cancer in humans. Their adsorption via electrospun nanofibers offers a sustainable and relatively environmentally friendly solution compared to nanoparticle adsorbents, which require secondary treatment. The intricate task is to find the relationship between input parameters to obtain optimum conditions, which requires an efficient ML model. The GPR integrated GA hybrid model performed the most accurate and precise results with R2 = 0.999 and RMSE = 2.4052e−06, followed by ELT (0.9976 and 4.3458e−17), DT (0.9586 and 2.4673e−16), and SVM (0.7110 and 0.0639). The 2D and 3D partial dependence plots showed temperature, dosage, initial concentration, contact time, and pH as vital adsorption parameters. Additionally, Shapley's analysis further revealed time and dosage as the most sensitive parameters. Finally, a user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI) was developed as a predictor utilizing the optimum hybrid model (GPR-GA), and the results were experimentally validated with a maximum error of < 3.3% for all tests. Thus, the GUI can legitimately work for any desired material with given input conditions to efficiently monitor the removal concentration of all four estrogenic hormones simultaneously at wastewater treatment plants.Changzhou Institute of Technology, CIT; Intelligence and Talent for the Zlin Region; Tomas Bata University in Zlín, TBU; Centre of Polymer Systems; Ministerstvo Školství, Mládeže a Tělovýchovy, MŠMT; DKRVO, (RP/CPS/2024‐28/002)Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports of the Czech Republic [RP/CPS/2024-28/002]; Ministry of Education, Youth [CIT-ZK]; Intelligence and Talent for the Zlin Region; Centre of Polymer Systems (CPS) situated at Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Czech Republi
Effect of carbon black properties on cut and chip wear of natural rubber
Get PDFThe effect of carbon black colloidal properties on cut and chip wear of natural rubber compounds is investigated across a wide range of applied impact normal forces using an Instrumented Cut and Chip Analyzer (ICCA). The objective of the study is to determine the basic fatigue and fracture mechanisms that drive cut and chip wear. Natural rubber compounds reinforced with eight different carbon blacks varying in structure and surface area are studied. The loading of the carbon blacks in the rubber compounds is fixed at 50 parts per hundred rubber (phr). The cut and chip performance strongly correlates to both the carbon black morphological properties and the resulting compound mechanical and fracture properties. The cut and chip performance also depends on the applied impact normal force level. At low forces, high structure carbon blacks result in compounds which are stiffer and deflect less under the applied impact normal forces and minimize cut and chip wear. At high forces, low structure carbon black compounds, which are softer and more readily able to crystallize under force-controlled deflection, minimize cut and chip wear. It is argued that at low applied impact normal forces, the cut and chip behavior is dominated by a force-controlled fatigue crack growth mechanism which transitions to a critical tearing energy dominated mechanism at high applied impact normal forces. It is therefore important to understand the severity of application to select optimum compound properties such as the carbon black type to minimize cut and chip wear in application.Birla Carbon USA Inc.; Birla Carbon; Ministerstvo Školství, Mládeže a Tělovýchovy, MŠMT, (RP/CPS/2022/006, RP/CPS/2024/28/006); Ministerstvo Školství, Mládeže a Tělovýchovy, MŠMTBirla Carbon USA Inc., Marietta, GA, USA; Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic [RP/CPS/2024/28/006
Business redemption in recent times: The role of dynamic leadership, digital innovation, and sustainable performance in the VUCA world
Get PDFDue to the evolution of firms from analogue structures to digital platforms, the digitalisation of SMEs has become necessary in the post-COVID era. Firms are diversifying their modulus Operandi to remain competitive in the market. This is due to the extrinsic and intrinsic factors mitigating the business environment. The growing Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous world known as VUCA in the business environment impacted by digital innovations, which entails the plague of war, and post-pandemic effects demands strategic research investigation to achieve a persistent sustainable business performance through dynamic leadership. This study harnesses a systematic review of the literature on digital innovations, dynamic leadership and sustainable performance in the VUCA world. The review utilises the SLR format reviewing articles from high-impact journals from 2018 to 2023 on ensuring sustainable business performance in VUCA, and the role of dynamic leadership. In effect, there is the need to develop strategic policies to guide businesses against unfortunate mishappening. This study seeks to explore a digitalised system with a dynamic leadership strategy to achieve sustainable firm performance. Digital managerial innovation policies and the influence of dynamic leadership will subsume sustainable business performance in the VUCA environment. The study outcome revealed that digital innovations and dynamic leadership significantly influence the current business environment in achieving sustainable performance and business continuity
Fostering open innovation in SMEs: the crucial role of high-performance working systems and the mediating influence of innovative work behaviour
No full textPurpose: Owing to the growing importance of human resource practices (HRM) and open innovation (OI) in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) context, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of high-performance working systems (HPWS) on inbound and outbound open innovation in SMEs through the mediating role of innovative work behaviour (IWB). Using ability-enhancing, motivation-enhancing and opportunity-enhancing (AMO) framework, this study investigates the direct and i.ndirect effects of HPWS AMO practices and SMEs open innovation through the mediation effects of IWB.
Design/methodology/approach: This study employed a random sampling method to collect data by surveying 208 participants from SMEs in high-tech manufacturing and knowledge-intensive service sectors. Partial least squares-structural equation modelling is employed to analyse the interrelationships between constructs.
Findings: The results show that ability-enhancing practices are critical HRM practices that directly influence SMEs inbound and outbound; IWB is positively and significantly related to OI approaches; IWB partially mediates the relations between AMO HPWS and inbound and outbound open innovation.
Practical implications: The effects of HPWS practices are important in fostering OI in SMEs operating in Czech Republic. In addition, IWB is a partial intermediation that strengthens the relation between AMO HPWS and inbound and outbound OI.
Originality/value: This study adds to our understanding of the direct and indirect interactions between HPWS practices, IWB and inbound and outbound open innovation in high-tech manufacturing and knowledge-intensive service SMEs in Czech Republic.Tomas Bata University internal grants, FaME TBU [IGA/FaME/2023/012