1,720,974 research outputs found
The circular economy and SMEs
No full textThe professional role of circularity in industry performance efficiency encompasses a
multifaceted approach to resource management, innovation, stakeholder engagement, and
operational excellence, all of which contribute to sustainable business practices and enhanced
competitiveness. In this vein, the main aim of this book is to interpret circularity and the circular
economy through different levels of target companies and industries to disclose the
implementable policies and implications. In this regard, the current book tries to investigate
the improvement of the circularity concept as an important tool for a sustainable future.
According to the aforementioned aim, the different chapters of the present book will focus on
the concept of circularity as a solution in ecosystem management, a circular fashion perspective
and measuring circularity metrics for target industries, implementation of the digital ecosystem
to improve the circularity, integration of smart production with the circular economy,
interactions between consumer skepticism and the circular economy, and managerial
propositions and legal solutions for improving the adoption of circular business models in
example industries
Cut through the greenwash: strategies for authentic sustainability in fashion
No full textPerceived greenwashing refers to consumers’ ability to identify deceptive green marketing practices in product
advertisements. This study explores how perceived greenwashing impacts consumers’ willingness to pay for fashion
products. Using a qualitative approach and cross-case analysis, we evaluated data from approximately 2,500 Gen Z
and Millennial respondents in 2023, including both Italians and expats living in Italy. Our findings reveal that consumers’
perception of greenwashing significantly influences their behavior and willingness to pay. To address this, we propose a
managerial tool to assist brands in crafting credible sustainability claims, mitigating greenwashing risks, and reinforcing
authentic sustainability messages
Impact analysis of the digital entrepreneurial ecosystem to improve the tourism industry and social sustainability
Full text linkDigitalisation is a key enabler of sustainable tourism in an industry that has recently been transformed by new sustainable innovations and digital solutions. In this study, we analysed the effects of the digital entrepreneurial ecosystem (DEE) on the tourism industry and social sustainability of 27 EU countries. The study underlines the key independent indicators representing the impact of the DEE’s elements. Also, a quantitative and comparative approach was considered using the panel data method and clustering analysis for data from 2014 to 2021. Our findings show significant positive impacts of DEE elements that have significantly contributed to tourism and social sustainability growth. Furthermore, hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) revealed that eight countries (cluster A), including Germany, the UK, France, Spain, and Italy, had the highest average digitalisation levels, affecting their tourism growth and social sustainability. Ultimately, we indicate different digital user levels and marketplace, such as networks designed to produce cloud infrastructure, digital platforms, and digital tourist-based devices and applications, as having the capability to enhance tourism and social sustainability
Assessing the role of FinTech in entrepreneurial ecosystems at the international level
No full textThe goal of the present research was to assess the role of FinTech progress in the enhancement of entrepreneurial ecosystems at the country level for ten European countries within four-time intervals of 2011, 2014, 2017, and 2021. Thus, the research plan involved an empirical approach that utilized twenty-five and six variables to create the consolidated EE and FinTech indices, respectively. The results revealed significant positive correlations between FinTech (financial and technological dimensions) and EE in all selected countries, exposing the overall effective role of the FinTech index in the EE framework during 2011–2021. This result supported two research hypotheses, revealing that high values of progress in the financial and technological dimensions of FinTech can enhance the EEs in European countries. Additionally, the results revealed the effective role of the FinTech index in the enhancement of EEs through the three enhancing EE elements of “networks”, “demand”, and “intermediate services”, supporting the third research hypothesis. According to our results, the overall status of FinTech in all European countries accelerated from 2011 to 2021. Additionally, the enhancement of the EE in European countries in recent years has transferred from formal and cultural components to technological networks and services. Hence, the technological dimension of FinTech can be defined as a driving power of economic growth in the study area and should be considered in economic programs and revisions of EE structures
Breaking barriers: the role of digital platforms in enhancing the resilience of food entrepreneurs
No full textPurpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of digital platforms on the resilience of food entrepreneurs in non-Western countries before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach – This study adopts a qualitative approach using cross-case analysis based on interviews with 17 restaurants in Iran’s touristic Torqabeh region. The data were collected before (2018) and after (2023) the COVID-19 outbreak.
Findings – The findings indicate that social and economic factors, particularly procurement and technological aspects of the food value chain, exhibited high resilience, enabling food entrepreneurs to revitalize their functions post-pandemic. The results reveal that digital platforms and online food shopping within food entrepreneurship contributed to this resilience by enhancing food distribution and potentially broadening equitable food access.
Research limitations/implications – The main limitations of this research are linked to the research method, which focuses on qualitative coding, and its geographic focus on Iran, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to other contexts. The key implications include providing additional insights into the resilience of food entrepreneurship, illustrating the varied effects of social, economic and legal factors on revitalizing food entrepreneurship and emphasizing the crucial role of digital platforms in advancing food entrepreneurship.
Originality/value – The study advances the understanding of resilience in food entrepreneurship, contributing to both theoretical and practical strategies in emerging market contexts and offering insights for future research
Assessment of food heritage to improve virtuous cycles
No full textThe purpose of this paper is to contribute the advancement of knowledge on food heritage and indigenous entrepreneurship in a non-Western country, specifically in the Persian gardens as the touristic destination for increasing the tourism and food businesses in Iran.
The methodological approach adopted is based on qualitative and quantitative approaches to compare two representative gardens named as Bagh-Chehel-Sotoun and Bagh-Fin, as famous examples of a Persian garden in Iran. The methods supported the research to explain the lack of strategies for improving virtuous cycles in Persian gardens despite their potentials as the main places to attract many tourists.
Regarding local food and the quality of servicing, most of the visitors and tourists (85–90%) had interest to test local and traditional foods around both gardens, but they had no sufficient awareness of Iranian traditional foods. According to the tourists’ interests, the authors concluded the lack of servicing and facilities to present and introduce local and traditional food for tourists.
Despite the limitation of local food services and lack of awareness of tourists about local foods, the implication of the study offers possible avenues to promote local food business.
The results could be useful for cultural heritage and tourism organizations and for investors in the economic sector due to more exploitation of the tourism industry.
The paper is the first work evaluating the Persian garden with a new perspective of local foods in Iran
The influence of the entrepreneurial ecosystem model on sustainable innovation from a macro-level lens
No full textThe present article investigates entrepreneurial sustainable innovations (ESIs) that work against the five elements (policy, finance, human capital, support and culture) of the entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE) model (Isenberg, 2011). By conducting empirical research on 14 European countries, the study addresses how an EE can support entrepreneurs in creating sustainable innovations. Overall, the study contributes to exploring the relations between the EE and the relevant classes of ESIs, providing entrepreneurs and policymakers a framework by using a holistic examination of the EE and contributing to more effective policy solutions to encourage sustainable and resilient entrepreneurship-led economic growth. As shown by a quantitative analysis, ESIs are positively correlated with policy, finance and support in terms of infrastructural and administrative support, whereas culture and human capital do not significantly influence ESIs. The results also highlight that the EE’s key factors have different impacts on ESIs over time because the effect of EEs can be considered a complex system because of its heterogeneous and dynamic nature. In addition, the country-level capability of ESIs are measured, showing that Ukraine, Romania, Poland and the Czech Republic demonstrate a low-level capability of ESIs, while Germany, the UK, Sweden, Netherlands, France and Belgium show a high-level capability. By contributing to the entrepreneurial literature, the research invokes sustainable mechanisms of innovation to boost national economic performance in European countries
Efficiency of consumer behaviour and digital ecosystem in the generation of the plastic waste toward the circular economy
Full text linkA circular economy can help reduce the impact of plastic waste using reaction, resilient, and digital approaches. In addition, it can facilitate reducing plastic consumption. In this regard, consumer behaviour and digitalization are deemed to be two main factors that play major roles in the implementation of a circular economy of plastic waste. The idea of this paper is to understand the relevance of consumer behaviour and digital ecosystem efficiency on plastic waste at the country level. Hence, the efficiency of eight European countries in the generation of plastic waste was analysed using international databases and the statistical method of receiver operation characteristic (ROC). For this purpose, the dependent actual state variables were defined as plastic waste generations, and the independent test variables were defined as digital ecosystem and consumer behaviour factors. ROC plots for the determination of the area under the curve (AUC) indices were produced between the mentioned state and test variables. The results revealed that consumer behaviour increases the higher generation of plastic waste (AUC >0.6), indicating that consumer behaviours have high effectiveness on the generation of plastic waste in European countries. Furthermore, the results indicated that the digital ecosystem has a controlling role in the generation of plastic waste in the study area (AUC <0.5), indicating the digital ecosystem factors associated with the low generation of plastic waste. The overall consumer behaviour in the selected European countries showed an unskilled role regarding the higher generation of plastic waste, while the digital ecosystem context showed a mitigating role in decreasing plastic pollution. The confirmation of the research hypotheses leads to some managerial propositions for the circular economy of plastic waste in the area of consumer behaviour and digitalization. The results propose an elaborated framework, including a reduction in waste generation, recycling in waste circulation, recovery in waste valorization, and efficiency in resource consumption by the digitalization of design technology and education in consumer behaviour for the circular management of plastic waste
Innovation ecosystem for smart product: empirical quantification of its key dimensions in SMEs of 21 European countries
Full text linkThis paper aims to quantify the innovation ecosystem model for allowing the development of smart products at the country level. In this regard, the research used an empirical approach to scale and validate the six dimensions of an innovation ecosystem model among the small and medium-sized enterprises of 21 European countries. The quantitative methods of panel data analysis and Pearson correlation tests between variables of the innovation ecosystem and smart products were considered to examine six research hypotheses. Three dimensions of the innovation ecosystem model, i.e., configuration, change, and capability, have enough effects to accelerate high levels of smart products in the small and medium-sized enterprises of European countries, supporting the external and internal economic partnerships of institutions and companies, cultural changes in functional status, and knowledge-based capabilities of technological skills in each ecosystem. In addition, hierarchical clustering analysis for the classification of the countries showed that some countries, e.g., the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, France, and Norway, could support their powerful smart products for small and medium-sized enterprises at the national level due to their high mean innovation ecosystem values. Overall, the research can describe the managerial implications regarding the knowledge-based capabilities of the technological skills in each ecosystem to be utilized by managers and stakeholders in small and medium-sized enterprises
Circular economy in the agri-food system at the country level - Evidence from European countries
Full text linkThe circular economy is a tangible paradigm in response to the unsustainable model of production and consumption of resources in the agri-food system. The circular economy allows for a reduction in the environmental impact through the minimization of food waste or the maximal generation of renewable energy from waste. Despite the relevance, in the extant literature, there are scant indications on how to apply circular business models in agri-food systems. Hence, the paper aims to analyze the circular economy implementation level in the agri-food system in 29 European countries, focusing on specific circular economy strategies. Selected indicators were analyzed to evaluate the level of circular economy implementation in the agri-food system (e.g., production values, energy sharing from renewable sources, and total waste emission) using a Panel data analysis method. The required variables were gained from the global databases within the recent five years (2014–2018). The results reveal an overall lack of circular economy implementation in the agri-food systems among European countries. A set of 12 managerial propositions was suggested to foster the implementation of the circular business models by interacting the recycling, extending, intensifying, and dematerializing strategies with aspects of the production process, waste emission, and renewable energy sharing in the agri-food system
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