Business Perspective Research Articles

Business’ Attitudes Towards Corruption in Selected Central European Countries

Purpose: Corruption is perceived as a widespread problem throughout the world, including in Central European countries. In terms of corruption, these countries still lag behind the leading EU countries (as indicated by the 2023 Worldwide Governance Indicators). As corruption itself is very difficult to measure, the perception of corruption is often used as a proxy. The aim of this paper is to analyse attitudes towards corruption in selected Central European countries and to draw conclusions on the factors influencing these perceptions. Based on the assumption that the difference between de jure and de facto transparency matters, we selected Czechia, Hungary, and Poland as countries with small differences between these two dimensions of transparency, and Croatia, Slovakia, and Slovenia as countries with large differences.Design/Methodology/Approach: Using Eurobarometer data, we applied logistic regression to analyse attitudes towards corruption in the two groups of countries distinguished by differences in de jure and de facto transparency. Each group, consisting of three Central European countries, was used to create a model, i.e., Model 1 and Model 2, with a total number of observations of 901 and 902, respectively. Both models displayed adequate fit indices and enabled predictions that allowed us to draw conclusions. All respondents were business representatives with decision-making responsibilities in their companies, ensuring that the results reflect company perceptions rather than those of the general public.Findings: Attitudes towards corruption in the countries studied are related to perceptions of patronage and nepotism in business, perceptions of corruption in public procurement, perceived links between politics and business, and attitudes towards tax rates. In the group where there is little difference between de jure and de facto transparency levels, business attitudes towards corruption are also associated with perceptions of adequacy of infrastructure and complexity of administrative procedures. In the countries where these differences are substantial, attitudes towards corruption are related to perceptions of problems arising from frequent changes in the law, problems with debt collection, and differences in views regarding the severity of bribery depending on the value of the bribe.Academic contribution to the field: This research provides a better understanding of the factors influencing the perception of corruption in Central European countries from a business perspective. In doing so, it introduces a methodology that is well-suited for the analysis of survey-collected data, especially since it allows the dependent variable to be categorical. Moreover, by using data from the Transparency Index to differentiate countries, the study has the potential to stimulate further theoretical and empirical research into the relationship between corruption and transparency. Lastly, by linking companies’ perceived problems to overall perceptions of corruption, this paper helps to identify the areas within the studied countries where pockets of corruption are most likely to exist.Originality/Value: Previous research has found that corruption tends to occur when the gap between de facto and de jure transparency is larger. This research demonstrates that the size of this gap can also be successfully used to achieve a better understanding of the factors influencing attitudes towards corruption. Therefore, this paper employs the difference between de jure and de facto transparency as a categorisation criterion to analyse the factors influencing the perception of corruption. This categorisation approach enabled the development of two separate logistic regression models with high predictive power.

ANALISIS STRATEGI BERSAING PADA TOKO SEMBAKO ABDI DI KECAMATAN CAMBAI KOTA PRABUMULIH DALAM PERSPEKTIF ETIKA BISNIS ISLAM

This study aims to determine the application of competitive strategy at Abdi Grocery Store. And whether the competitive strategy applied to the Abdi Grocery Store is in accordance with the perspective of Islamic business ethics.This research is a field research that uses a qualitative descriptive approach. Sampling techniques in this study are purposive sampling and snowball sampling. Data collection techniques through interviews, observation and documentation. Primary data is obtained from Abdi Food Store Owners, Employees and Customers who are selected based on certain conditions.The results of the Generic Strategy analysis show that Abdi's Sembako Store uses a Cost Advantage Strategy by providing low prices and providing discounts, a Differentiation Strategy by providing unique services and offering substitute products for certain circumstances and a Differentiation Focus Strategy by providing unique services to a particular segment. The competitive strategy at the Abdi Grocery Store shows a very good success, due to the increasing turnover and increasing number of customers. The owner of the Abdi Grocery Store also always instills honesty and courtesy to employees in providing services in a manner that is in accordance with the perspective of Islamic business ethics.

ANALYSIS OF THE APPLICATION OF THE BALANCE SCORECARD METHOD IN MEASURING THE PERFORMANCE OF PT. KENCANA PESAKA ABADI

This study aims to analyze the company using four perspectives, namely the financial perspective. Customer perspective, internal business process perspective, learning and growth perspective. The research method used is descriptive qualitative using secondary and primary data sources of PT Kencana Pesaka Abadi in 2018-2020 and data collection methods using documentation, observation and interviews. Results Based on research that the application of the Balance Scorecard method in measuring company performance 2018-2020 has been effective with the company's health level. KEP-100/MBU/2002 77.83% with a weighted value of 100%, the company's performance value is A = HEALTHY from a financial perspective, customer perspective, business and internal perspective, growth and learning perspective.

Digital Platforms and the Right to Just and Favorable Conditions of Work: A Business and Human Rights Perspective

Abstract Digital platform economy has radically changed the modes in which work is organized, stretching the functionality of legal environment of work and its governance. This article builds on a strand of labor law scholarship that advances the need to rethink the legal construction of work and work relationship in order to adapt it to the dynamically evolving socio-economic context. By applying a business and human rights lens to this process, this article confutes the mainstream argument that labor rights guarantees remain contingent on an individual’s enjoying the status of an employee under national jurisdiction. We survey a largely underexamined conception of affording protection to platform workers under International Human Rights Law (IHRL). In doing so, we argue that the instruments of IHRL may in some respects be even better placed than that of national law, both strengthening and complementing areas where state protection is weak or non-existent. Through the right to just and favorable conditions of work perspective, we outline the non-contested, albeit partly poorly implemented obligations of states, as well as largely contentious and contested responsibilities of private actors such as digital platforms towards the rights-holders. We conclude by arguing that the leverage offered by IHRL in the struggle to curb a quasi-sovereign power of the platform largely outweighs the democratically motivated objections this avenue may raise.

The role of agri‐food 4.0 in climate‐smart farming for controlling climate change‐related risks: A business perspective analysis

AbstractThe impact of climate change, including fires, droughts and storms, on natural resources and agricultural output is increasing. In addition to these problems, resource depletion and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, agriculture also contributes to global warming. To reduce the dangers of climate change, farmers are using sustainable practices. This article aims to link agri‐food 4.0 technology with climate‐smart agriculture (CSA) to lessen the two‐way interaction (both affecting and impacted) between the agricultural sector and global warming, as well as dangers related to the agri‐food business. In light of this information, the research methodology of the paper is twofold. Initially, related risks towards climate change and the CSA and agri‐food 4.0 technologies to overcome these risks were determined through a literature review. Then, risks and technologies are evaluated by adopting the TODIM (an acronym in Portuguese for Interactive and Multicriteria Decision Making), which is used for evaluating the criteria set with the related technologies to overcome climate change‐related risks and provide a guiding map for academics and practitioners to eliminate risks associated with these climate change‐related factors. According to the study's findings, the highest‐priority concerns in the agri‐food industries that are connected to climate change include energy consumption, food safety and GHG emissions. Internet of Things (IoT), bio‐innovation and artificial intelligence are thought to be the most promising technological solutions to address these problems.

Design and implementation of railway green performance basic data collection system

This study addressed the issues related to the collection and management of basic data for railway green performance. A railway green performance basic database has been constructed based on metadata and data exchange schemas. A data classification system has been established from the perspectives of businesses, processes, and entities. A BIM (Building Information Modelling) model data extraction scheme is proposed based on field similarity matching and a document content extraction scheme is proposed based on image recognition. A railway green performance basic data collection system has been developed, achieving efficient collection and integrated management of railway green performance basic data. This system can provide data support for applications such as railway carbon emissions accounting, green cost-benefit analysis, and evaluation of green design solutions.

Impact of Changes in Value Added Tax Rate on Revenue Production, Perspective of Government, Business, and Individuals: A Case of Fiji Islands

Purpose: The primary objective of this study is to investigate the impact of changes in the Value Added Tax rate on revenue production in Fiji. The study aims to explore how changes in value-added tax rate affect the government, businesses, and individuals in the country. Methodology: A secondary research method was utilized to gather data. Data is collected from multiple sources, including government statistics, existing literature, and survey reports. The study then employs descriptive, narrative, and qualitative analysis techniques to interpret the collected data. Findings: The findings of the study reveal that changes in value-added tax rates have both positive and negative impacts on key stakeholders, namely the government, businesses, and individuals. The descriptive analysis provides an explanation of these results from the perspectives of these stakeholders. Practical Contribution: The study offers insights to stakeholders, including government, businesses, and individuals, on how to implement effective strategies to mitigate financial risks associated with changes in VAT rates. This information can be valuable in decision-making and financial planning. The study provides strategies for regulators and standard setters to reform the tax change reporting model. This can lead to more efficient and transparent tax policy implementation, potentially benefiting the broader economy. Theoretical Contribution: The research contributes to the literature on Value Added Tax by providing an empirical study. This contributes to a deeper understanding of how VAT rate changes impact the different stakeholders, which can be valuable for both researchers and policymakers. The study introduces a strategic model that offers a holistic understanding of the interconnected factors affecting changes in tax policy. This model can serve as a framework for analyzing and formulating tax policies in Fiji, as well as potentially being applicable in other contexts. Study Limitations – Limited sample size.

Fifth Generation Non-Standalone to Standalone Wireless Architecture Reconstruction Solution and Implementation: South Africa Context

The wireless mobile communication industry has evolved immensely over the past five decades, starting from the voice-centric 1G technology to the current data-centric 5G technology because of the increasing data traffic and the need for higher data speed rates. To provide the initial experience of 5G technology, many network operators worldwide started their deployment with the Non-Standalone (NSA) solution to mainly reduce the cost and time. 5G NSA solution already provides lower latency, higher network capacity, and bandwidth compared to the legacy network, however, there is growing oncern about its reliance on the 4G core network, capability, and the long-term migration plan to 5G Standalone (SA) network solution. This paper discusses a brief review of 5G evolution, standardization formulation, deployment strategies, security enhancement, challenges, and presents the reconstruction of 5G NSA to SA solution implementation. Furthermore, a 5G field test will be performed to analyze the user experience under the NSA NR in South Africa, and key practical challenges facing the South African MNOs from the perspective of business and technical challenges will be discussed with recommendations.

Achieving competitive advantage through bricolage: A small business perspective

AbstractThe entrepreneurial bricolage theory has been connected to a wide range of organizational phenomena, including innovation, firm performance, social entrepreneurship, and opportunity identification. Regrettably, research in this domain is yet to significantly heighten understanding of its connection to competitive advantage, which has been touted as the ultimate goal of any strategic business. This study reverses this trend by looking at the impact of entrepreneurial bricolage on competitive advantage as well as the mediating effect of resource orchestration capability in the relationship. Based on survey data administered to 413 small business enterprises (SBEs), structural equation modeling was used to analyze the results. Results show that entrepreneurial bricolage was significantly related to competitive advantage. Resource orchestration capability partially mediated the relationship between entrepreneurial bricolage and competitive advantage. A novel finding of this study documents resource orchestration capability and entrepreneurial bricolage as antecedents of competitive advantage, which has been missing in prior literature. The study concludes with theoretical and managerial implications and also proffers future research direction.

Digitalization of VAT Reporting in Poland

The process of digitalization of VAT reporting has been progressing for years in many jurisdictions, including Poland. It started with allowing taxable persons to file their returns electronically as well as to issue invoices in a paperless form. Recently, huge advances in the process have been made in Poland, as a new act requiring taxable persons to issue invoices via a cloud operated for the tax authorities (the National E-Invoicing System) has been enacted. It will be obligatory, for most taxable persons, to use this system from 1 July 2024. In this article, the author presents the new invoicing rules and analyses them from a business perspective. The system is compared with the developments envisaged under the EU ViDA proposal.

Performance Analysis of the Legislative Body of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia during the Covid-19 Pandemic 2020 – 2021

The process of harmonization and strengthening of the draft bill is the most crucial stage in the formation of legislation. The 2019 Corona Virus Disease pandemic in Indonesia caused a socio-economic crisis. Among the challenges is the delay in the Legislative Body's big agenda in drafting laws. This study uses a qualitative method with a descriptive analysis approach. The theory used is the Balanced Scorecard Organizational Performance, with 4 perspectives: Finance, Customer, Internal Business, Learning and Growth. The results of the study describe that the performance of the Legislative Body is related to the Financial Perspective, experiencing refocusing and budget reallocation to overcome the Corona Virus-2019. From the customer perspective, in absorbing the aspirations of the community, the legislative body can only conduct public hearings, seminars, and work visits with using virtual under the rules of the DPR RI. From an Internal Business perspective, the implementation is still not optimal, because it is constrained by the Legislation Board meeting schedule with the commission meeting schedule, and attending meetings online. Furthermore, in the Learning and Growth Perspective, the leadership in the Legislative Institution is quite optimal, seen from the commitment and presence of the leadership of the Legislative Institution in carrying out their duties. The absence of laws that have been ratified, is mostly due to the political process in the formation of laws that cannot be measured quantitatively.

Green Crowdshipping: Critical factors from a business perspective

Crowdshipping implies involving nonprofessional operators in transporting goods. While its financial benefits are easy to grasp, its environmental implications much depend on the transportation mode used and whether trips are dedicated or non-dedicated. One way of greening crowdshipping services is to use public transportation (less polluting) as a mode of transportation and commuters as bringers (non-dedicated trips). This, in fact, allows minimizing both pollution and congestion at the same time. While conceptually interesting and theoretically self-evident this is practically difficult to implement and much under-studied. A literature review and in-depth interviews are the methods used in sequence to tackle the issue discussed above. The added value this paper produces is a confirmation of already existing research foci, an extension of the research agenda thanks to the investigation of adjacent research fields (passenger and freight urban integration), an enlargement of the critical factors thanks to the practical knowledge deriving form crowdshipping operators.

Analysis of the Difficult Problems of Corporate Financing from the Perspective of Securities Business

In recent years, the arrival of the era of full registration system in the securities market has ushered in a new gospel for the financing of enterprises. Along with this, there are many problems that need to be solved. On this basis, this study starts from the perspective of both the securities companies and the enterprises at the same time, by comparing the macro data, industry data, and combining the representative securities companies the latest policies and hot topic cases to start the elaboration. Based on the evaluations, it explains the irrationality of the current business as well as services of the securities companies and the risks that need to be paid attention to under the new policy and the limitations and shortcomings of the firms themselves. Innovatively framed the thinking framework of the dialogue between specific investment and financing parties, providing new ideas for solving the problem of financing difficulties.

Product Sustainability and Consumer Environmental Awareness in Differentiated Markets

Sustainable management of natural stock resources can be promoted through state intervention. This study investigates optimal regulatory strategies to mitigate the negative environmental effects of human activities within a duopolistic, differentiated linear market à la Hotelling framework. The analysis is conducted from both a business and a social perspective, aiming to elucidate the role of regulatory interventions, awareness campaigns, and sustainable production characteristics in shaping firm behavior and market outcomes. Under the business perspective, a game-theoretical approach is employed, involving the regulator and two competing firms. The equilibrium in prices and production characteristics is derived, revealing how firms respond to sustainable characteristics and awareness campaigns. In the social perspective, where the regulator has complete control, optimal strategies are determined to maximize social welfare, resulting in reduced differentiation and enhanced sustainability. This study identifies the optimal level of awareness campaign and sustainable characteristic proposed by the regulator. The findings highlight the significance of coordinated regulatory policies and awareness campaigns to induce firms toward more sustainable practices, ultimately contributing to a more ecologically balanced market. The study offers insights for policymakers and practitioners seeking effective strategies to address environmental concerns in differentiated markets, thereby promoting sustainable economic growth and reducing ecological impacts.

Marketing of Muntok White Pepper as a Certified Geographical Indication Product (Legal, Economic and Business Perspective)

Abundant and diverse natural resources are an extraordinary gift for the Indonesian people. From the perspective of intellectual property rights, the product in question can be legally protected as a geographical indication, such as pepper in the Bangka Belitung Islands under the name Muntok White Pepper. One of the purposes of using a product as a geographical indication is for the price of the product to be high, or at least stable, and controlled by the manufacturer. In fact, this was not the case with Muntok White Pepper. This research was conducted empirically with an economic and business approach, aiming to study the marketing of Muntok White Pepper after being certified or registered as a geographical indication. Based on the results of the research, there are obligations that must be carried out by applicants as rights holders after a product is registered as a geographical indication, namely maintaining a reputation so that the product remains of high value. It's just that, the marketing that has been done so far has not been enough to control prices. Based on marketing management science, it can be done using several marketing strategies that are commonly used in marketing management. One strategy that can be used is market segmentation, namely dividing the market into smaller groups based on the same characteristics, such as age, gender, or product preference.

Strategic sustainability in Indian banking industry: a performance analysis

PurposeSustainable strategic management (SSM) is an integrated concept that entails sustainability in the approaches and processes of strategic management. Banking being a rapidly growing industry in service sector, it is reasonably important to study the SSM and its integrated performance. This paper aims to study the sustainable-strategic (SS) factors of Indian banks that affects their endurance and prioritizes the banks based on their sustainable and strategic performance.Design/methodology/approachThis study appertains a sustainable balanced scorecard (SBSC) framework to determine the SS factors and an integrated multicriteria decision making (MCDM) method to weigh the criteria and prioritize the banks' performance.FindingsThe criterion weightage signifies sustainability, followed by financial and internal business perspective to be a crucial dimension for the performance of banks. The banks, State Bank of India, HDFC Bank Ltd and Canara Bank are ranked top-most on the SS performance.Research limitations/implicationsThe insights from the study on SS factors and banks' performance can be further used by policy-makers and researchers to understand the sustainability assessing factors and focus on making policies and further studies to enhance the performance in this regard.Originality/valueBanking is one of the potentially growing industry in service sector. It being a major part of economy's sustainable growth, it is essential to assess the SS factors that enhance their sustainable performance. There is dearth of study in this purview, for developing countries like India. Thus, this study critically analyses the strategic sustainability of Indian banking industry to ascertain the SS factors and prioritize the performance of banks based on criterion weightage and bank's SS operations.

ANALYSIS OF PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT USING THE BALANCED SCORECARD METHOD

Background : Performance measurement plays a major role in the world of organizations, one of which is hospitals, due to the performance appraisal it can be seen the effectiveness of determining a strategy and its implementation within a certain period of time. 
 Objective: The research objective was to determine the performance of Madani Hospital in Pekanbaru City using the Balanced Scorecard method.
 Method : The research was conducted using a quantitative method.
 Result : The results showed that the performance of Madani Hospital Pekanbaru City in terms of customers showed that inpatients expressed satisfaction with the services provided, although there were several indicators that were unsatisfactory, while from a financial perspective the economic ratios, efficiency and effectiveness were generally good, then the internal business perspective of the performance of RSD Madani Pekanbaru City can be seen from the ratios of BOR, ALOS, TOI, and BTO which show results that are not ideal values. From the ratio of GDR and NDR which shows good results, it means that the ratio of GDR and NDR in Pekanbaru City Hospital is ideal according to the provisions of the Directorate General of Community Health and Medical Services. 
 Conclusion : Then the results of the study using the Balanced Scorecard approach can be concluded that the performance of Madani Hospital in Pekanbaru City with a score of 0.09 is included in the "Enough" category.

Pengukuran Kinerja PT Garuda Indonesia Tbk Berbasis Balanced Scorecard (Performance Measurement of Pt Garuda Indonesia Tbk Based on Balanced Scorecard

This research aims to analyze the application of the balanced scorecard (BSC) method as a benchmark for measuring performance at PT Garuda Indonesia (Persero) Tbk. This research uses a qualitative descriptive method by analyzing data information that can be measured into research indicators based on the four perspectives of the BSC, financial perspective, customer perspective, internal business perspective and growth and learning perspective. Based on the BSC analysis, in 2018-2021 the company's overall performance was not good. The company's condition is getting better in the 2021-2022 period, marked by an increase in profits and a significant increase in the scores of the four BSC perspectives. This indicates that the company's overall performance is improving compared to previous years

Penilaian Kinerja dan Peningkatan Kinerja Mengggunakan Metode Balanced Scorecard (BSC) dan Quality Functions Deployment (QFD) Di PT. Laksana Anda Jaya

PT. Laksana Anda Jaya is a company that operates in the field of providing products and services. Based on the results of observations made by researchers, that the company experienced a decline in revenue, the results in this study using the Balanced Scorecard obtained 4 perspectives, namely. From a financial perspective, looking at Retrun on Capital Employed (ROCE), it is known that during 2021 to 2022 there has been an increase with a target value of 19%, while Retrun On Investment is known to have decreased by 3% during 2021 to 2022, while for operating costs the target achieved has increased by value of 149% in 2021 to 2022, customer perspective as a result of distributing questionnaires which resulted in a customer satisfaction level of 15% with products/services, internal business perspective with innovation processes and after-sales services provided by the company PT. Laksana Anda Jaya at 3.53% and after sales with a target value of 2.95% and operations processes with a target value of 3.57, a learning and growth perspective provides a target value of 20% and employee retention with a target value of 100%. Meanwhile, for the Quality Function Deployment approach, there are several suggestions for improvements that PT needs to improve. Anda Jaya's implementation in the results of these improvement proposals is that there are 6 proposals that need to be prioritized, namely, creating a marketing division (Marketing), building intense relationships with customers, building working relationships with customers, improving performance and providing guarantees, providing a suggestion box and a means for customer complaints and improve the quality of raw materials.

Multiple time scales investor sentiment impact the stock market index fluctuation: From margin trading business perspective

The stock market is viewed as a complex dynamic system, and investor sentiment has an important impact on index fluctuation. This study constructs investor sentiment from margin trading business perspective and investigates its impact on the Chinese stock market index fluctuation in multiple time scales. First, we utilize 12 indicators and two-stage PCA to construct a composite investor sentiment index of the margin trading business(ISMT). Second, based on TEI@I complex system theory, we use the VMD algorithm to decompose and reconstruct the ISMT, Shanghai Securities Composite Index(SSEC), and Shenzhen Securities Component Index(SZI), and obtain multiple time scale measurement sequences that reflect short-term, medium-term, and long-term fluctuation of each index, respectively. We provide evidence that the ISMT has an asymmetric impact on stock market index fluctuations. Specifically, for long-term trend, the ISMT has a significant positive impact on the SSEC, and a significant negative impact on the SZI. For medium and short-term trends, the ISMT has a significant positive impact on both the fluctuations of SSEC and SZI, and the impact degree on SSEC is greater than SZI. We also find that the impact degree of ISMT on SSEC and SZI decreases from short to long-term trend. In addition, we measure the fluctuation periodicity of ISMT in multiple time scales based on Fast Fourier Transformation, investigate the impact result during the COVID-19 pandemic, discuss the impact of ISMT on the other nine indexes commonly used in the Chinese stock market, and evaluate the predictive power of ISMT for 11 stock market index returns. This paper takes a new perspective and technology to investor sentiment research, and the results enrich relevant financial theories. The findings are crucial for investor decision-making and financial department regulation.