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Research on citizens’ behavior in relation to the use of re-use centers and re-use points
Full text linkThe article explores the attitudes and behavior of Czech consumers aged 18+ towards the adoption of secondhand goods within the framework of the circular economy. While the European Union’s Circular economy action plan emphasizes sustainable production and consumption, consumer resistance to re-used goods remains a barrier. The exploratory study aims to identify the perception/attitude/relationship of the Czech population towards the purchase of used items. Detailed knowledge of the customer is an elementary base for the market of re-used products to grow. The research objective is divided into three partial objectives: identifying the main customer segments in secondhand markets, evaluating the reasons for and against purchasing re- used items, and assessing the perceived suitability of various product categories for secondhand trading. Conducted in June 2024, the research involved an online survey of 1,300 respondents across the Czech Republic. Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior (TPB) was employed to structure the questionnaire, while data analysis utilized Pearson’s χ²-test of independence to examine relationships between categorical variables. In some instances, complementary methods were employed. The findings indicate that younger consumers and those actively employed are more inclined to purchase re-used goods, while older individuals and pensioners show higher reluctance. Cars, art, and books were viewed as highly suitable for secondhand markets, whereas casual footwear was ranked lower. The results also suggest that Czech consumers are generally open to the secondhand market and each product category has corresponding group of customers who find the product suitable to sell. This research contributes to the literature on the circular economy by highlighting how targeted business and marketing strategies can address consumer resistance, ultimately fostering sustainable consumption
The intersection of ecological leadership and GHRM: A blueprint for a circular economy
Full text linkThe circular economy now plays a crucial role in addressing ecological challenges. The exact function of green human management (GHRM) in transitioning to a circular economy has yet to be determined. Manufacturing firms are taking steps to enhance their sustainability practices to support the circular economy. The relationship between organizational green actions and GHRM in the transition to a circular economy remains uncertain. This study intends to discover the relationship among manufacturing firms’ ecological leadership, green HR practices, green innovations, and circular economy models to enhance sustainable performance. 234 survey questionnaires from Pakistani small and medium-sized manufacturing industries were evaluated using structural equation modelling with partial least squares. GHRM had a positive and significant impact on circular economy and green innovation actions, as shown by the findings. This framework is specifically designed for manufacturing SMEs in Pakistan. The architecture can be adapted to different industries with minor modifications. The study may be biased due to its reliance on management and specialists. This study’s findings will significantly contribute to human resources managers and SME owner-managers by clarifying the significance and interplay of essential green innovation components and GHRM. This will enlighten awareness of ecological leadership, circular economy, and GHRM practices for sustainable performance. The proposed framework simplifies the connection between ecological leadership, GHRM components, and circular economy for practitioners and decision-makers. Environmental leaders effectively encourage businesses to invest in proactive environmental strategies, lower pollution control, and enhance the performance of green innovation, all while promoting a green image and advancing environmental protection practices. This study determines the appropriate relationship between ecological leadership, circular economy, and GHRM components in the limited Pakistani manufacturing SME environment
Big data analytics and brand reputation: Catalysts for circular economy and sustainable performance
Full text linkThe circular economy concept is popular because it encourages resource efficiency, sustainable production, a shift in economic thinking, and the creation of higher-skilled jobs. We are unavoidably used to the traditional linear economy cradle-to-cradle model of production and consumption in our contemporary life. This study aims to determine the elements that support and impede Malaysian manufacturing enterprises’ adoption of the big data analytics and circular economy business model, given the discrepancy in developing countries in Southeast Asia. The circular economy business model is used to analyze the impacts of sustainable performance. Using the lenses of dynamic capability theory (DCT) and covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM), this study assesses the responses of 241 respondents from various sectors of the manufacturing sector having environmental management systems (EMS) within Malaysia. Therefore, survey-based primary data was gathered to understand the effect of big data analytics on sustainable performance via moderate mediation of circular economy practices, brand reputation, and environmental dynamics. Findings of distal mediation revealed that big data analytics have a significant positive effect on the sustainable performance of manufacturing firms. Furthermore, it is revealed that environment dynamics at each level of mediation moderate the relationship significantly; hence, it is important for the firms to understand the dynamics of the environment, either internal or external, where the firms are operating to effectively implement the big data analytics (BDA), circular economy practices (CEP) to achieve sustainable performance
PYTEXLIB – OPEN SOURCE PYTHON LIBRARY FOR SCRIPTING TEXTILE STRUCTURES
Full text linkThis work presents a small, minimalistic, pure Python based open source library, which was designed to simplify the parametric creation of textile structures. The library comes as result of long years of teaching modelling of textiles at master and PhD level, where the difficulties with all existing packages and the learning outcomes from such one course were considered. The idea of the library is that the students learn at the same time first steps of programming Python using small library, it is running on any operation system and from other point of view, the user is able to concentrate on the textile architecture, not getting lost in the coding style, data structures etc. PyTexLib is used since 4 years successful in the education at TU Dresden and in WE-TEAM program and is available as open source at GitHub
MODAL ANALYSIS OF A LAMINATE PLATE WITH 10 MM NOTCH FOCUSED ON THE EFFECT OF A FUNCTIONALLY ORIENTED FABRIC LAYUP WITH 20 MM WIDE CARBON STRIPS
Full text linkFunctionally oriented fabric (FOF) is a woven textile featuring irregularly distributed secondary material strips in both warp and weft directions, designed to locally improve the mechanical properties of laminates, particularly around openings. This study investigates the impact of different FOF laminate layups on the natural frequencies of laminates with a 10 mm notch. The analyzed layup configurations include [0/90]s, [0/45]s, and [0/30/60]s, with 20 mm wide carbon strips incorporated into the glass fiber structure. The research demonstrates that the FOF structure significantly increases the natural frequencies about 20 % for bending modes of 0/90 layup. About 5 % and almost 30 % for twisting and bending modes respectively in the 0/30/60 layup, and over 20 % and about 40 % for twisting and bending modes respectively in the 0/45 layup. These enhancements help to prevent resonance in standard operating frequencies of mechanisms and machines, thus extending their operational lifespan. Additionally, the strategic placement of functional material strips around structural openings provides increased stiffness without the need for extra layers, effectively reducing the laminate's overall mass. This study highlights the potential of FOF to improve the dynamic performance and lifespan of laminated composite structures used in various engineering applications
Towards sporadic demand stock management based on simulation with single reorder point estimation
Full text linkThe goal of this paper is to decide whether bootstrapping and/or linear regression are suitable to estimate an initial reorder point in sporadic demand stock management based on past stock movement simulation (PSMS) in combination with neighborhood search-oriented optimization. Thus, we randomly generate demand data including 20–80% zero demand periods and simulate continuous review, fixed order quantity inventory control policy (R, Q) for 4 different arrangements of PSMS combined with local search (LS) with a number of bootstrapping sampling runs ranging from 5 to 500. The original idea of LS is to underestimate order lead time demand using linear regression (LR), overestimate lead time demand with the help of bootstrapping (B) and search the generated interval using PSMS to return R, Q with the optimal trade-off between inventory costs and service level. The outputs gained from simulation experiments show that avoiding the generation of overestimated reorder point with B seems to be a more sensible choice as the consumption of computational time is significantly higher than in case of LR. On the other hand, using an LR based initial reorder point may require the exploration of neighborhood in both directions, while B rather enables a more efficient one-way search as it suffers from significantly less blindness caused by PSMS compensating underestimated order lead time demand with increased replenishment orders. Furthermore, estimating just one initial reorder point brings a better opportunity to control the consumption of computational time through assigning a certain amount of computational time to every change of the initial reorder point, as a time to evaluate a single R, Q combination via PSMS is relatively stable
Energy companies’ readiness for the digital transformation of the purchasing process
Full text linkSocial and economic developments, the dynamic geopolitical situation, and climate policy changes are exerting an increasingly significant influence on stakeholders in the energy sector. In recent years, the sector has undergone a period of dynamic change, during which there has been a notable increase in awareness of the potential for digital transformation within the sector. A specific process that ensures the security and stability of supply is the purchasing process. The objective of this article is to identify the mechanisms that facilitate and impede the digital transformation of the purchasing process in energy companies in Poland. The research employed a qualitative exploratory methodology based on interviews with procurement executives from Polish energy companies. The findings of the research, together with their subsequent analysis, enabled the identification of ten factors that act as impediments to the digital transformation of the purchasing process in energy companies in Poland. The article puts forward five mechanisms that could assist in overcoming the identified obstacles to transforming the purchasing process. The study emphasizes the significance of implementing effective change management and business digitalisation strategies to facilitate the digital transformation of purchasing process
ADAPTIVE CLOTHING DESIGN FOR INJURED PEOPLE
Full text linkResearchers have been paying increased attention to adaptive clothing as society's awareness of inclusivity and accessibility grows. This focus on adaptive clothing is particularly important for Ukraine, where there is a consistent need for products that cater to the needs of injured individuals. The research took a comprehensive approach to studying the issue. It involved engaging with hospital staff and patients with limb injuries to understand their exact requirements during treatment or rehabilitation after injuries. As a result of this collaboration, the gathered information became the foundation for creating men's clothing sets, which have been highly praised for their convenience and quality. This information can be used in future research on designing virtual adaptive clothing for individuals with limb amputations. The survey results can also assist clothing designers in effectively addressing the specific needs of consumers with limb injuries
The lens of business model element activation
Full text linkA business model is the foundation for understanding the functioning of a business entity and is a source of innovation and change. Therefore, developing a business model is necessary, and proactive activation can be a source of competitive advantage to meet the appropriate requirements in the composition of business model elements. The study aims to identify the key elements of activation in business models and to discover their significance. This study uses an expert-based approach based on the use of multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) with the definition of the main elements. It also compares data from fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and conduct primary research among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to determine the importance of various elements in their business models. It provides insight into determining the degree of significance of business model elements, with its expansion to the Delphi method and a panel of experts on 97 sub-criteria. Predominant factors such as value proposition, customer segments, and key partnerships have been identified as primarily critical for SMEs. The results obtained can then be used by businesses for subsequent concentration on a specific business element to achieve higher company performance and strengthen the competitive position. This study presents a fresh perspective on reimagining the classification of business models, their elements, and, above all, the determination of the meaning of individual business model criteria