Changes In Industry Research Articles

Transformative firm-level agency: A case study of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Swiss wood-processing industry

This paper investigates different enterprise types as potential agents of transformative change in the wood-processing industry. To do so, it combines the concept of transformative enterprise with recent accounts of agency in evolutionary economic geography. We examine small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the wood-processing industry because by using a renewable resource that stores CO2 and has the potential to replace polluting materials, they could become frontrunners in sustainability transformations through a wood-based bioeconomy. Empirically, we draw on a qualitative case study with 24 wood-processing SMEs in the Canton of Bern, Switzerland. Based on the concept of transformative enterprise, we identify five enterprise types: silent ecologists, social pioneers, visionary nonconformists, ambitious entrepreneurs, and pragmatist traditionalists. The first four types show many characteristics indicating transformative firm-level agency while only the ambitious entrepreneurs seem capable of inducing changes at the system-level. This is due to several limits of change agency, which we also illuminate. Overall, our study sheds light on the heterogeneity of firms as change agents in the context of sustainability transformation.

Accumulation by contamination: Worldwide cost-shifting strategies of capital in waste management

With this article, we propose an analytical and conceptual tool to illuminate connections between capital development and environmental injustices. The research examines how capital-driven industrial policies foster changes in social metabolisms and cause new socio-environmental impacts, leading to ecological distribution conflicts. It also explores why diverse actors mobilise and resist these changes. Building on Kapp’s ecological economics theory of social costs and David Harvey’s concept of accumulation by dispossession, we highlight the role of capital accumulation in environmental injustices through cost-shifting strategies, terming it “Accumulation by Contamination” (AbC). In this context, AbC refers to the process wherein capital socialises the costs of contamination, degrading the means of existence and bodies of human beings who oppose these processes of capital valorisation and engage in environmental conflicts. We make a compelling case for AbC by exploring waste-related conflicts at various industrial developmental stages. Waste, viewed as a ’common bad,’ emerges as a strategic realm for capitalists seeking to expand the scale and scope of accumulation. The intricacies of waste management, its market potential, and guaranteed profitability through subsidies and processes of financialisation attract significant investments globally. Quantitative and qualitative waste management assessments demonstrate that waste policies often favour businesses, leading to cost-shifting of waste management to society (in Naples, Italy; and Delhi, in India) and the dispossession of waste-pickers (in Delhi). More broadly, we emphasise the importance of integrating ecological economics and Marxist critical geography to address environmental challenges. We also analytically study the diverse actors responding to various capital strategies, fostering transformative political actions for a sustainable future. Climate change is arguably the most significant waste disposal conflict due to excessive carbon dioxide production, representing a quintessential example of Accumulation by Contamination (AbC).

The application of industrial robots and changes in capital-labour income disparity in China

The technological revolution, particularly the rise of industrial robots and artificial intelligence, has significantly impacted global economic growth and income disparity. This study examines the impact of industrial robot applications on the capital-labour income disparity in China, a country with the highest number of industrial robot applications and a commitment to reducing income inequality. The findings indicate that industrial robots intensify the income disparity between capital and labour, particularly in economically underdeveloped regions characterized by less sophisticated industrial structures, low levels of human capital, underdeveloped physical capital, and inadequate market economies. The promotion of industrial structure sophistication, enhancement of human capital levels, deepening of physical capital, and advancement of market development can mitigate the adverse impact of industrial robot applications on the income disparity between capital and labour. The study underscores the necessity of institutional reforms and targeted policies across these dimensions to address the negative impacts of new technologies.

Pyridazine Derivatives: Molecular Docking, ADMET Prediction, and Synthesis for Antihypertensive Activity.

The drug discovery and development domain has witnessed remarkable advancements due to the integration of computational methods, particularly Computer-Aided Drug Design (CADD). Discovering and creating new drugs involves structural modifications to enhance their effectiveness and physical attributes. This frequently includes employing semisynthetic techniques to investigate structure-activity relationships thoroughly. Noticeable progress in molecular biology, computational chemistry, combinatorial chemistry, and highthroughput screening is steering transformative changes in the pharmaceutical industry. High blood pressure or hypertension, a significant health issue, elevates the chances of heart, kidney, and brain complications, among other health concerns. It's a leading cause of untimely mortality globally. Therefore, it is important to search for new antihypertensive compounds that have fewer side effects and higher therapeutic activity. Following molecular docking of the pyridazine derivatives, compounds were subjected to In-silico ADMET analysis. Subsequently, a low molecular weight compound was synthesized. Among the synthesized compounds characterization procedures include TLC, FT-IR, 1HNMR, and LC-MS techniques. Compound 8 exhibited the most favorable molecular docking results with alpha A1 and beta 1 adrenergic receptors. Compounds 3, 5, and 6 fulfilled the essential ADMET criteria. Subsequently, Compounds 3, 4, and 5 underwent additional synthesis and characterization procedures, including TLC, FT-IR, 1H-NMR, and LC-MS techniques. Similar behavior was observed in compounds 6, 8, 10, and 11, all violating Pfizer's 3/75 rules in terms of TPAS. Hydrazinolysis of these b-benzoyl propionic acids produced pyridazine, which was utilized in synthesizing pyridazine derivatives. TLC, FT-IR, 1HNMR, and LCMS have characterized the compounds.

Spillover effects of structure-adjustment pollution reduction measures in China's iron and steel industry

The iron and steel industry (ISI) is a significant source of sulfur dioxide and particulate matter pollution in China. Existing research on regional environmental regulation or ISI emission reduction strategies tends to overlook spillover effects and the enterprise perspective. During the heating season, production limitations in ISI are potential policy measures for achieving structural emission reductions in heavily polluted cities in China's Jing-Jin-Ji and surrounding regions. We adopt a bottom-up modeling approach, incorporating effective production time to describe enterprise behavior and establishing a quantitative trade model based on trade theory. By modeling three types of production restriction policies outlined in policy documents, we evaluate the emission reduction effects of structure-adjustment measures using the example of reduced effective production time for steel-producing enterprises in the air pollution transmission channel in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area. The results indicate the following: (1) Reducing the effective production time of ISI enterprises can help decrease domestic production value and total factor productivity in pollution-intensive industries, including but not limited to ISI. It also leads to reduced emissions of various pollutants in the implementation regions. (2) Due to interprovincial trade and input-output linkages, structural reduction measures in certain regions have implications for almost all other provinces' industrial structures. Differences in initial industrial structures, factor endowments, and geographical locations contribute to varying directions and magnitudes of industrial structural changes. Pollution-intensive industries' share tends to increase higher in less developed regions. (3) Our estimated pollution reduction is smaller compared to the literature evaluating clean air policies in similar regions using top-down strategies. This discrepancy arises because we analyze a single policy tool rather than modeling industry-wide emission fluctuations from the top down. Additionally, our modeling approach allows us to examine dynamic changes in comparative advantages. The increase in production scale for certain industries in policy-affected regions partially offsets the decline in pollution emissions. These findings enhance our understanding of structure-adjustment reduction measures' role and highlight their potential advantages and limitations.

Breaking new ground: Using and evaluating collaborative autoethnography to enhance teacher adaptability in higher education

The combined impacts of dramatic social, industrial, environmental, and technological changes on higher education demand continuous adaptation and reinvention of teaching approaches. We evaluate collaborative autoethnography as a methodology that permits educators to share and interrogate their practices, activating critical reflection, experimentation, and just-in-time teaching innovation, while also cultivating a community of learning. As four education-focused academics teaching into a senior undergraduate experiential learning program, we experimented with collaborative autoethnography to cooperatively assess and develop our teaching practice during the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our experiences suggest collaborative autoethnography's strong potential to amplify teachers’ critical reflection and formally support professional development, including through the formation of productive collegial networks. However, we also encountered methodological challenges. These include ethical dilemmas with collaborative autoethnography research conducted in emergency contexts, as well as concerns over the integrity of the reflection process, both in terms of reaching consensus in the interpretation of different narratives and the sufficiency of voices included and excluded in authorship. Ultimately, the strengths and challenges of collaborative autoethnography represent a critical opportunity for teachers in higher education to contribute to further developing this tool not only as a research methodology, but also as a professional development process.

Anti-racist beauty micro-enterprises: Black women’s subversive entrepreneurship in Cali, Colombia

ABSTRACT This paper explores how Black women entrepreneurs in Cali, Colombia confront racism and sexism, as they engage in the expanding neoliberal beauty market. We argue that anti-racist entrepreneurial experiences in Cali are shaped by four interconnected processes: First, changes in gender and development policies, aligned with inclusive neoliberal development projects. Second, the limitations of state neoliberal multicultural policies, which has made activists aware of the need to address racism and sexism. Third, activist’s appropriation of the intersectional turn, allowing them to recognize articulations between racism, classism and sexism. Fourth, the adoption of anti-neoliberal discourses supporting distributive and solidarity practices. Our analysis suggests that while entrepreneurial anti-racist actions do not generate radical or permanent changes in the beauty industry, they do have material and symbolic effects in Black women’s experiences of racial justice.

Returns to scale, technical and efficiency changes in the Spanish hotel industry using technological heterogeneity models

This paper analyses returns to scale, productivity growth and its decomposition in the Spanish hotel industry (period 1997–2019). To do so, we consider that hotels can have technological heterogeneity and, therefore, parameters in their production function can differ between them. Also, we use a multiple input and output production function based on an output distance stochastic frontier approach with random parameters in a Bayesian framework. Results indicate that the percentage of hotels working under increasing returns to scale decreased during the period considered. Furthermore, productivity growth was low, indicating signs of stagnation. Efficiency change appears to be the main driving force behind productivity growth, although technical change had a positive effect on productivity after the start of the global financial crisis. Several practical implications are proposed based on these results.

Quality Control Circles Technique for Reducing Fine Bored Parts Rejects After Tool Change

This study aims to assess reduction of rejects after tool change in a crankshaft manufacturing industry using Quality Control Circles (QCC) technique. Four months production data of crankshaft was collected and analyzed in 2022 in one of the largest automotive industries in Indonesia. Fine boring process was identified as the largest contributor of rejects. QCC activities were conducted to streamline the type of rejects in fine boring. QCC introduced a new intermediate action in calibrating machine setting after tool change. The results show a significant reduction in the level of rejection from 35% to just 5% of total rejects in the fine boring process after this QCC method was implemented. This result shows that this QCC method, by brainstorming among employees, can continuously improve and solve the problem in the workplace. This QCC method not just reduce the reject rate but also increasing morale, safety maintenance for employee, smoothness in supplying the next process, and reducing the cost (QCDSM). The limitation of this method is high dependency to the knowledge, experience and skill of the QCC team. Development of QCC team in term of new knowledge may lead to future improvement opportunity through development of quality control techniques with incorporation of internet of things or smart devices.

Legal Analysis of the Applicability of International Cooperation in Addressing Climate Change in the International Trade Sector: Case of the WTO

Climate change has impacts on global society in different aspects, including those on the trade industry. Similarly, the trade industry contributes to global emissions of Greenhouse Gases through different technologies involved, and different rules adopted by the World Trade Organization (WTO) or related agreements. Such circulation of impacts implicates that neither climate change agreements nor the WTO can deal with climate change alone, but through international cooperation. Therefore, this study explores the status of international cooperation between the WTO and the Paris Agreement for addressing climate change in the trade industry. It also assesses different challenges faced by such cooperation, and proposes recommendations to addressing those challenges.

Exploring the Post-COVID-19 Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Placement Experiences of Hospitality Students

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak disrupted many industries including the hospitality industry. Work-integrated learning (WIL) placement within the hospitality sector was also affected by changes that occurred during the pandemic. The pandemic resulted in the closure of hospitality establishments, enforcement of health and safety protocols, retrenchments and a transformed hospitality work environment. All these changes affected the experiences of students under WIL placement. Accordingly, this study sought to explore the post-COVID-19 WIL placement experiences of hospitality students. The study collected data using the qualitative research methodology. The study population consisted of university students who were enrolled on a hospitality and tourism management course. A purposively selected sample of 20 participants was interviewed using semi-structured providing data on WIL placement experiences in the post-pandemic period. The data were analysed and presented using thematic analysis. The main findings of the investigation revealed that there is a significant change in employment readiness, skills gap as well as career prospects uncertainty. Furthermore, students are facing challenges in handling the transition, dealing with negative career prospects and coping with digital competence requirements. Based on these findings, the study recommends the restructuring of the curriculum to accommodate changes in the hospitality industry, stakeholder consultations regarding WIL placement activities and training to accommodate all changes that affect the efficient delivery of WIL placement within the hospitality industry.

The impact of two-way FDI on the upgrading of China’s industrial structure: Based on the research in Chongqing

The improvement in the economic environment and the implementation of the “bring in and go global” strategy have had an impact on China's economic development and the optimization of its economic structure. The decline of Chongqing's traditional pillar industries has made the promotion of economic structure upgrading a key to economic development. The purpose of this paper is to study the role of two-way foreign direct investment (FDI) in industrial structure upgrading. This paper is designed to study the effect of outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) and inward foreign direct investment (IFDI) on the industrial structure upgrading from both theoretical and empirical perspectives. This study selects data from Chongqing from 1987 to 2022 and uses Stata 17.0 software for empirical analysis, based on Chenery’s “standard structure” industrial change model. The research findings show that OFDI and IFDI have a significant positive impact on the intensification and servicification of Chongqing's industrial structure and are significant at the 0.01 level. OFDI and IFDI have a significant positive impact on the rationalization of Chongqing's industrial structure and are significant at the 0.05 level. This means that two-way FDI has a positive effect on the optimization of industrial structure. The practical implication of this study is that it provides a realistic basis for Chongqing to fully leverage the advantages of international direct investment and promote the optimization and upgrading of the industrial structure, which also has enlightening significance for China’s economic structure reform.

Erroneous thinking on climate change

The ultimate source of the ongoing human-induced climate change must be found within the thinking that guides actions. This human aspect goes outside the laws of natural science. Human thinking as a cause of anthropogenic or industrial climate change is still an under-researched topic. Here, we focus on how humans think about climate change. We use a content-based analysis of the mind to analyze comments in a Finnish online forum, Suomi24. Our immediate findings are that people have errors in reviewing knowledge and constructing information in their mental representations. Discussions are colored by illusions, false claims, incorrect interpretations, mistakes, and opinions to deny facts. Understanding erroneous thinking is crucial, as it helps to identify ways to correct risky thinking and to understand why people do what they do. Ultimately, erroneous thinking is the root cause of the modern climate crisis.

Online food delivery services and unceasing behavioural intention: An assessment for integrating expectation-confirmation and technology acceptance models

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) quarantine restrictions led to significant changes in the food industry's delivery methods, with a notable rise in online food delivery services (OFDS). This increase necessitates a deeper understanding of the factors influencing the continued use of these services. This study investigates the relationships between perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, satisfaction, confidence, trust, and continuous intention to use OFDS applications among young consumers in Kazakhstan. An integrated model based on expectation-confirmation and technology acceptance models, incorporating the habit of online shopping as a moderator, was used. Data was collected from 433 respondents with prior OFDS experience and analyzed using Smart PLS 4.0. The results show positive correlations between perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, satisfaction, confidence, trust, and the continuous intention to use OFDS among young Kazakhstani consumers. Additionally, the study confirms the moderating role of online shopping habits in the relationship between satisfaction and trust and the continuous intention to use OFDS. These findings offer valuable insights for companies in the online food delivery sector, highlighting key factors that can enhance managerial and IT strategies to boost revenues and foster sustained use of OFDS applications.

Estimating the vulnerability of industrial network infrastructure in Central and Eastern Europe

Industrial infrastructure has suffered an unprecedented number of attacks in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). This situation can be attributed to many geopolitical factors, including hybrid military conflicts and criminal activity. Industrial networks belonging to the countries that were once under Soviet influence suffer from an elevated risk of cyberattacks. The goal of this work is to propose an easy way to estimate the vulnerabilities of industrial networks to cyber threats on a national level. Since analysis of the industrial vulnerability landscape is difficult, this study proposes an assessment based on the popularity of vulnerable technologies—VPc. This metric is composed of search volume data on keywords related to industrial network technologies and reported security vulnerabilities associated with these words. Data on 116 keywords was analysed and a country-specific VPc index was calculated for twenty states in CEE. The analysis of the popularity of industrial technologies and vendors in CEE reveals interesting information about the industrial security and vulnerability landscape. The results show that some countries (e.g. Estonia) have more resilient industrial infrastructure than others (e.g. Belarus). The results presented in this study are not in conflict with other data and estimation attempts, including the National Cyber Security Index (NCSI). As new vulnerabilities are noted every day, the industrial security landscape changes rapidly. Therefore, a new easy-to-use metric (VPc) can be successfully used for general estimations. This work shows that the VPc score agrees with other estimates and analyses, but as with any other general estimation tool, it must be used with caution.

Efficiency and Productivity Change of Food Processing Industry in Assam: An Investigation Using Data Envelopment Analysis Approach

Efficiency and Productivity Change of Food Processing Industry in Assam: An Investigation Using Data Envelopment Analysis Approach

The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Private Equity Valuation

As the downward pressure on the world economy increases, the financial industry continues to suffer, especially private equity funds. In recent years, the frequent occurrence of major special events and hot news around the world cannot help but make people doubt whether these special events will have an impact on the valuation of private funds. This paper takes COVID-19, the most typical and influential special event in recent years, as an example, combined with various data during COVID-19, to discuss the impact of the epidemic on private equity valuation models and the private equity market. This paper finds that the COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected the valuation accuracy of discounted cash flow method and made the valuation of the market method lower than the true value of the company. While sectors such as real estate, tourism and hospitality and logistics have been severely negatively impacted by COVID-19, the pandemic has boosted sectors such as fintech, healthcare, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. After the test of this epidemic, investors and management teams need to make timely adjustments to valuation models, while taking into account long-term market trends and industry changes, more prudently evaluate investment opportunities, and make sound investment decisions.

Outlook on the future role of robots and AI in material recovery facilities: Implications for U.S. recycling and the workforce

This study offers a comprehensive discussion of the future role of robots and artificial intelligence (AI) in U.S. recycling under different policy environments and its impact on the workforce. The state of recycling in the U.S. is changing rapidly, with techno-economic developments transforming the efficacy and sustainability of recycling and the workforce it employs. This study describes the technical, social, and policy drivers that influence U.S. municipal solid waste (MSW) management and explores pathways for more sustainable outcomes by focusing on different technology options for the sorting of recyclables in material recovery facilities (MRFs). This study presents four distinct scenario storylines for U.S. recycling by 2050 that contrast recycling and robotic futures, particularly with MRFs that maximize material recovery, worker experience, and economic competitiveness, respectively. This study finds that a recycling scenario defined by strong policy support for recycling and the addition of increasingly flexible, collaborative technology in the form of robotics coupled with AI-driven vision systems, offers the greatest potential for better results. Less certain is the role of MRFs by 2050 based on the full cost for public actors and substantial changes in private industry. Insights from this study can directly inform future techno-economic analyses, technology decisions, and policy recommendations.

The Importance of Corporate Culture, Governance Structure, and Laws and Regulations in the Fintech Ecosystem

With rapid technological development, technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, cryptocurrency and mobile payment are constantly promoting changes in the traditional financial industry and deriving the emerging ecosystem of financial technology. This article mainly discusses how corporate culture, governance structure, laws and regulations in the financial technology ecosystem affect financial technology companies to maintain a certain competitiveness in the relevant ecosystem. Among them, a strong cultural atmosphere can help fintech companies stabilize their position in the system, and a stable governance structure can help fintech companies and enterprises avoid risks and make correct strategic decisions, thereby promoting the development of the entire fintech industry. Laws and regulations are mainly reflected in fintech companies' compliance with financial regulations in different regions, such as anti-money laundering, anti-terrorist financing, and the protection of customer data and privacy, thereby enhancing customers' trust in fintech companies. These three aspects jointly stabilize the position of financial technology companies in the financial technology ecosystem and promote the continuous development of the financial technology ecosystem.

Funds of the state archive of the Kursk region on the state of industry in 1970-1980: industries and enterprises

Relevance. In the context of structural and quantitative changes in modern Russian industry and, in particular, in regional industry, it is relevant to turn to the history of the development of industrial production in the conditions of developed socialism. It was a period of opening new enterprises, increasing industrial production, and increasing labor productivity.Purpose. To investigate the branches and industrial enterprises of the Kursk region, which operated in the 1970s and 1980s. according to the funds of the State Archive of the Kursk region.Objectives: to analyze the scientific reference apparatus of the State Archive of the Kursk region for the detailed identification of industrial enterprises of the Kursk region in the period under study.Methodology. The author's methodology is based on the principles of objectivity and comprehensiveness. During the research, scientific methods were used: synthesis, analysis, generalization, ideographic.Results. In the study, the author gave a description of the industrial enterprises of the Kursk region operating in the 1970s and 1980s and their sectoral subordination.Conclusion. The Kursk region in the 1970s and 1980s was a developed industrial region. A large number of industrial enterprises of various industries were actively operating here: from mining, nuclear, machine-building to food. Enterprises that operated until October 1917 and then nationalized have been preserved in the region. Some of the enterprises were opened before the Great Patriotic War. But most of the enterprises in the region were built and began their production activities in the 1950s and 1960s. Having gone through numerous changes of sectoral subordination, the regional industry successfully developed in the 1970s and 1980s. This is evidence of the implementation of state policy aimed at boosting the economy through the development of industrial production.