Economic Performance Research Articles

STUDY ON THE IMPACT OF THE MARKET SITUATION ON THE ECONOMIC RESULTS OF A COMPANY SPECIALIZED IN THE SALE OF JEWELRY

The economic performance of any society/company depends on the decisions made in organizing its entire activity (in all aspects, including marketing), as well as its ability to ensure an outward orientation. From a marketing perspective, understanding the multitude of connections, relationships that each company develops, and being aware of the importance of their impact on its activity, have led to an increased interest in studying the external environment. Anticipating the future evolution of external environment components and potential implications for the company's activity are important concerns for marketing activity management. This article presents a study based on the analysis and interpretation of the economic results achieved by a Romanian company during the Covid-19 pandemic. The aspects identified and conclusions drawn from this study highlight the fact that the change in market conditions has been an important element/factor for the company's performance and image.

Стендовые испытания нового уплотнения деталей цилиндропоршневой группы судового ДВС

The engine consists of a large number of parts, each of which is responsible for a specific function of its efficient operation. The reliability of a marine diesel engine is largely determined by the resource of its individual components and parts. Therefore, in order to increase the engine life, it is necessary to allocate the most responsible parts in it, which are subject to greater wear and find solutions to increase their durability. Such details include piston rings, which affect not only the technical and economic performance of the engine, but also its reliability and environmental performance. Of the entire set of sealing parts of the cylinder-piston group, the upper piston compression ring should be distinguished as the most loaded. The main function of piston rings is noted – the creation of tightness of the combustion chamber. The passage of exhaust gases is inevitable due to the presence of a “lock” in the structure, and during operation, the wear of the piston rings leads to an increase in it, which affects fuel consumption, oil, and a decrease in engine power. One of the most negative consequences of piston ring wear is the appearance of “flutter” type vibration, which leads to the destruction of not only the ring, but also the edges of the piston grooves, especially on aluminum pistons. Worn grooves are not repaired by resorting to replacing pistons. A method for extending the service life is proposed, which consists in the use of a new sealing unit for cylinder piston group parts. The new sealing unit allows you to extend the piston's operability by boring the upper piston groove of the piston until all chips are eliminated. The operability of this node and the effectiveness of the seal was confirmed by an experiment that was conducted on the stand in conditions close to real ones. A technology for restoring the operability of pistons made of aluminum alloys is proposed.

Adaptive Building Envelope Structures

Climate changes which are increasing year by year are impacting not our environment but also our daily lives. One of the problems is the emission of greenhouse gases which are produced by householdings using heating fuel. Buildings in the Europe Union represents for 40% of energy consumption and 36% of greenhouse gas emissions. It’s very necessary to think about how to reduce consumption of energy and emissions. To design a strong building nowadays is very difficult and complex task, due to a growing to fulfil sustainability in the built environment, societal and economic performance requirements. Technologies, methods, and technical solutions are changing in building construction. More and more we have passive, active or net-zero buildings, and it’s the first step to reduce emissions in householding sector. Moving forward, adaptive building envelope structures which incorporates using biomimicry principles, are the next step to find solutions how to save energy and consumptions. Biomimicry teaches a way how to find and integrate the processes from nature and use them in research and design. The main goal is to identify physical characteristics of animal thermoregulation strategies such as fur, fats, vasoconstriction, and work harmony with the nature. For better results, it is important to collect all data, systemize, filter, and arrange it to create a database with the nature properties and technical information. After that the results shows the potential of a new adaptive building envelope structure database which can be used by environmental specialists, also other engineers as well as architects and civil engineers.

Korean Paradox of Public Support for the Research and Development Investment in the Sustainable Performance of the Regional Economy

The Swedish Paradox is a well-known phenomenon related to high research and development (R&D) investment with supposedly low aggregate economic performance owing to economic saturation. The Korean economy has not yet become an advanced economy; however, its R&D performance is negligible. Recently, also the R&D share of the GNP has become much higher, and its contribution to the economic growth rate is rapidly decreasing, implying a negative relationship between R&D activities and economic performance. This study uses slacks-based data envelopment analysis to investigate investment performance at the local government level in Korea. Our findings reveal that the average score for R&D investment performance in Korea is 64%, indicating huge potential for an efficiency enhancement of 36%. Notably, among the 16 local governments examined, Seoul and its surrounding metropolitan areas showed the lowest R&D efficiency, while Gangwon and Gwangju exhibited superior performance. Since these two regions have promoted specific missions, such as the medical hub in Gangwon and the optical fiber strategic platform in Gwangju, precise and accurate differentiation appears necessary to avoid a lack of governance. To determine the workable mechanism of R&D support policies, we further divided R&D productivity into three categories by incorporating the Malmquist Index (MI). The paper productivity of R&D shows an increasing trend over the experimental period from 2016 to 2021. However, overall, the MI shows slightly deteriorating productivity with 0.978, owing to the aggravating effect of patents and commercialization of R&D. The success in the paper comes from the harmonized partnership between the strong push factor of the government and voluntary pull factor of the R&D support receiving universities. Thus, we suggest that the Korean government should not depend on the superficial effectiveness of R&D in the term but on public–private partnerships with stronger performance-oriented responsibility.

Analysis of Model Predictive Control-Based Energy Management System Performance to Enhance Energy Transmission

A supervisory control system using Model Predictive Control (MPC) has been designed to evaluate the efficiency of wind and solar power and is consistent with the cost function in the supervisory MPC optimization problem. A two-layer Economic Model Predictive Control (EMPC) framework has been developed and has improved results such as cost reductions compared to recent advanced methods. A speed Generalized Predictive Control (GPC) scheme intended for wind energy conversion systems was developed last year, with simulation results indicating superior performance over previous models. A Hierarchical Distributed Model Predictive Control (HDMPC) can work under different weather conditions with improved economic performance and keep a good balance between power delivery and load demand. An energy management system (EMS), built on the basis of MPC, can be quite lucrative for the sphere in the present climate scenario, with the selection and testing of suitable algorithms, controlled processes, cost functions, and a set of constraints as well as with proper optimizations carried out. Previous research indicates that an MPC-based EMS has the potential to be a good solution to manage energy well and also introduced it to the world experimentally. The key intention of this research study is to explore the existing advances that have been introduced and to analyze their performance in terms of cost function, different sets of constraints, variant conversion processes, and scalability to achieve more optimized operation of MPC-based EMS.

Technical and economic feasibility study on reducing CO2 emissions of Dutch beam trawlers

This paper examines the technical and economic influence of CO2 reduction measures on the design and operation of Dutch beam trawlers. This is done by means of a parametric model used to assess the influence on the overall design of the vessel. Technical feasibility is determined by meeting operational effectiveness requirements, maximum added draught, maximum added length, and a reduction of CO2 emission by at least 40%. Secondly the model evaluates the new energy carrier and fish storage layout as a result of additional required volume. Additional volume is gained within the net store, fish hold, or by hull extension. Additionally, various propeller configurations, waste heat recovery, and regenerative braking systems are explored to reduce energy consumption. The economic performance is assessed using yearly operational requirements, capital expenses of configuration, and total cost of ownership.

Economic Institution, Religion, and Economic Development: Confucianism and Economy in Vietnam after The Implementation of the Doi Moi Policy

Among the three borderline Mainland Southeast Asian countries, located in the Indochinese Peninsula, Vietnam has the best economic performance, compared to Laos and Cambodia. The GDP per capita of Vietnam reached US$4,163 in 2022, which was two times higher than Laos and Cambodia. While economic reform policies, political and economic institutions, and colonial history, are similar in all three countries, why does Vietnam have better economic development? Researchers pointed out the economic factors, specifically the positive effects of economic reforms on economic performance. Nonetheless, it is not convincing, while the economic reform in all three countries emphasized property rights, and encouraged decentralization, privatization, and marketization. This study suggested the religious factor of Confucianism in Vietnam that reinforce the effects of economic institutions on economic development, which leads to greater economic performance. The Confucian characteristics of emphasis on saving, education, and following the government's instruction and policies, support the government’s economic reform, which is conducive to economic development.

Using automated design appraisal to model building-specific devaluation risk due to land-use change

Uncertainty of spillover effects – including property devaluation - from proposed land-use change elicits opposition to local development. This hinders cities’ ability to implement land-use policy aimed at housing affordability and environmental sustainability. The uncertainty arises from the limitation of current methods to quantify both the physical exposure and financial sensitivity to changes in urban environmental characteristics and amenities. Hence, this paper introduces an integrated approach to quantify the direct and indirect effects of a proposed urban development, using parametric modeling, building performance simulation and automated design appraisal (ADA). ADA, a novel aspect of this study, predicts the market price of a generated building design concept within a local urban context. To demonstrate its practical utility, this paper examines property value at risk due to nearby development associated with changes to visual landscape quality. The results shed light on the importance and spatial variability of the price-amenity gradient, identifying properties that are financially at risk to the visual impacts of local development. Beyond building-specific risk modeling for the development planning stage, this work serves as a blueprint for architectural design optimization procedures, in which economic performance is evaluated based on learned preferences derived from financial market data.

Environmental and Economic Performance of Greenhouse Cropping in the Mediterranean Basin: Lessons Learnt from a Cross-Country Comparison

Environmental and Economic Performance of Greenhouse Cropping in the Mediterranean Basin: Lessons Learnt from a Cross-Country Comparison

Sustainability and affordability of building electrification: A state-by-state holistic approach for multifamily buildings

This paper explores the evolving narrative of building electrification, considering its potential to solve climate change. Previous research has predominantly focused on hybrid renewable energy portfolios and increasing home pricing premiums, overlooking the perspectives of renters burdened by housing costs. Moreover, existing studies have primarily examined the effects of electrification on single-family homes and case studies, neglecting multifamily buildings and their relationship with the grid. This comprehensive study leverages calibrated building energy models to address these gaps and evaluates sustainability through carbon dioxide emissions and affordability through economic performance. The findings demonstrate significant progress in electrification since 2017, with nearly all states showing decreased energy usage in the electrified models. Environmentally, twenty-two states perform better or comparably with the electrified models in the most recent study. Economically, challenges persist, but a sensitivity analysis demonstrates how results could improve soon. Furthermore, the study discusses the outlook of electrified multifamily buildings, considering ongoing decarbonization plans for the electric grid. In three case studies, electrification demonstrates improvements in over half of the states by 2026. Overall, the research highlights the importance of expanding analysis to include multifamily buildings and emphasizes the positive impact of electrification as a viable energy, environmental, and economic solution.

The Impact of Lean Manufacturing Practices in Enhancing Sustainable Performance through Lean Culture: Field Study at the General Company for Food Products – Baghdad

The study aimed to determine the effect of lean manufacturing practices in enhancing sustainable performance by mediating the lean culture in the General Company for Food Products in Baghdad, the field of study represented by the factories (Al-Maamoun, Al-Rasheed, and Al-Amin), where the study included the independent variable of lean manufacturing practices in their dimensions (comprehensive productive maintenance, map). Value flow, production on time, speed of preparation and preparation) in achieving sustainable performance in its dimensions (economic performance, social performance, environmental performance) by mediating the lean culture in its dimensions (continuous improvement, organizing the work site, reducing waste, and lean thinking). The study attempted to answer the questions that express the problem of the study, including: Is there an effect of lean manufacturing practices and the lean culture in achieving sustainable performance? The questionnaire was distributed to a sample of technicians in the company’s factories in the field of study. The study relied on the questionnaire as the main tool for collecting data through a random sample that included (218) technicians working in the factories under study. Some statistical methods were used for the two ready-made programs (SPSS, v.28, AOMS, V.26(. The study results that the primacy of the variables based on their relative importance, as they were respectively (lean culture, lean manufacturing, and sustainable performance). The results of the study showed that there is an effect of lean manufacturing practices in sustainable performance through the lean culture, The Food Industries Company was able to reduce unnecessary activities by using a lean culture to reduce waste, and this led to improving and sustaining performance in the company’s field of study.

Comprehensive thermodynamic and economic analysis of an LNG cold energy recovery system using organic Rankine cycle and freezing-centrifugal desalination for power and water cogeneration

In this study, the LNG cold energy recovery combined with a freezing-centrifugal desalination system is proposed. The thermodynamic and economic analysis is also carried out of the proposed system. To verify the results of sea ice centrifugation process, experimental analysis of sea ice centrifugal desalination is presented based on different types of sea ice: slurry and solid, which are prepared by the method of suspension crystallization method and progressive freezing method, respectively. The experimental outcomes demonstrated that higher rotation speeds and longer centrifugal times enhanced the desalination rate but resulted in decreased freshwater yield in both slurry and solid ice. For the slurry sea ice, achieving a rotation speed of 5000 rpm and a centrifugal time exceeding 3.0 min resulted in melted water with a salinity level below 0.05%, satisfying the standards of drinking water. Moreover, the unit product cost, payback period, and unit cost of CO2 emission reduction for the proposed system are 0.49 $/t, 3.25 years and 18.92 kg/$, respectively. While the unit product cost, payback period, and unit cost of CO2 emission reduction for the conventional system are about 0.84 $/t, 4.80 years, and 15.66 kg/$, respectively. Hence, the proposed system shows higher economic and environmental performance.

Consumer service level-oriented resilience optimisation for e-commerce supply chain considering hybrid strategies with blockchain adoption

ABSTRACT The booming development of customised e-commerce makes e-commerce supply chains experience a severe test of consumer service level (CSL). An efficient e-commerce supply chain resilience optimisation method addressing economic performance and service performance is proposed to improve customised services under disruption risks. The proposed method includes a hybrid strategy considering both a resistance strategy with blockchain (BCT) adoption and time-dependent recovery strategies simultaneously. A two-stage multi-period multi-product stochastic programming with BCT adoption is then proposed, which (1) implements BCT as the resistance strategy in the pre-disruption stage; (2) collaborates four recovery strategies in the post-disruption stage; (3) supports the e-tailer in making decisions and optimises his profit and order fulfillment time while taking product priorities into account. Using the actual data of Chinese e-commerce during the public health emergency in 2020, it is demonstrated that (1) the applicability of the model with BCT adoption in both supply chain resilience and CSL improvement; (2) the performance of the hybrid strategy in long-term disruption management; (3) the efficiency and robustness of the proposed solution approach for multi-objective high-dimensional stochastic programming problems. E-tailers can optimise decision-making under long-term disruptions by the proposed methodology in practices.

Students’ Attitude towards Economics, School and Home Variables as Determinants of Academic Achievement of Secondary School Students in Economics in Ogun State, Nigeria

This research explores the factors influencing academic achievement in Economics among secondary school students in Ogun State, Nigeria. It addresses a crucial knowledge gap by examining how student attitudes, school-related factors, and home circumstances collectively impact performance in a subject facing a decline in performance. Existing literature highlights the roles of attitudes, school environments, and home conditions in shaping academic outcomes, laying the foundation for this study. Using a descriptive survey design, all Senior Secondary Two (SS2) students in Ogun State were included, with 300 students selected through multistage sampling. Data was collected using a Students' Questionnaire (SQ) and an Economics Achievement Test (EAT).  Key Findings Include:  Academic achievement in Economics is significantly influenced by student attitudes, school-related factors, and home circumstances, explaining about 24.8% of the variance in performance.  Attitudes toward Economics are the strongest predictor of academic success, followed by home circumstances, with school-related factors playing a lesser role.  Gender does not significantly affect Economics performance, though males slightly outperform females.  School type does not significantly impact academic performance, though government school students perform slightly better than private school students. In conclusion, this research provides a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted factors affecting students' academic success in Economics. It offers actionable insights for educational stakeholders, including administrators, educators, parents, and researchers, such as optimising resources, tailoring teaching methods, and creating supportive home environments. Further research can explore the nuances uncovered here, informing evidence-based educational practices and policies.

Environmental prospective of valorizing corn processing effluent to produce ferulic acid grafted chitosan polymer

The food industry requires new production models that include more environmentally friendly waste management practices, considering that the environmental loads of solid waste and wastewater associated with this sector cause damage to the receiving ecosystems. The approach considered in this study focuses on the design and environmental assessment of an enzymatic process for the valorization of ferulic acid present in the effluent of a corn tortilla plant. The ferulic acid can be immobilized on chitosan so that the ferulic acid grafted chitosan can be used as a bioactive film with enhanced antioxidant properties with potential applications in the biotechnology sector.Its real projection approach requires the evaluation of its environmental and economic performance, trying to identify its benefits and potential in the value chain, using the Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) as a phase for the conceptual design of the process and the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology for the environmental evaluation. It should be noted that the TEA indicators are promising, since the values of the financial indicators obtained are representative of the economic profitability, which makes the ferulic acid valorization a viable process. In terms of the environmental impact of the process, the buffer dose and the chitosan production process are identified as the main critical points. This double benefit in environmental and economic terms shows that the valorization of ferulic acid for chitosan functionalization is a promising alternative to improve the sustainability performance of corn processing.

Structural adjustment, economic performance, and electoral volatility in presidential elections in Latin America

AbstractDrawing upon the Latin American Presidential and Legislative Elections database and our own original data set, we assess the effects of structural adjustment and other economic factors on presidential electoral volatility in 24 Latin American countries in 1982–2016. The results of our study indicate that both structural adjustment and inflation have a positive association with Type B presidential electoral volatility (the volatility generated from changes in the vote shares of established parties). Economic growth appears to have only a weak negative association with overall presidential electoral volatility. Type A presidential electoral volatility (the volatility associated with the rise of new parties) is mostly determined by demographic factors and the electoral system for the presidency. As with legislative volatility in Latin America, Africa, and postcommunist Europe, explaining stable party presidential volatility appears more challenging than explaining party replacement presidential volatility. Overall, several of the findings about legislative volatility are echoed in this study, but presidential electoral volatility is notably higher than legislative volatility in Latin America.

Comparison of the economic performance of organic and conventional corn-soybean-winter wheat rotations in southwestern Ontario, Canada

Comparison of the economic performance of organic and conventional corn-soybean-winter wheat rotations in southwestern Ontario, Canada

Cyber-Physical Systems as a New Frontier for Economic Security: The Impact of Advanced Data Capturing and Networking Technology on National Economies

This study investigates the burgeoning interface between cyber-physical systems (CPS) and economic security, a vital yet underexplored domain. With the advent of sophisticated data capturing and networking technology, the paradigm within which national economies operate is shifting. This research delineates the ramifications of such technologies on economic stability, employment trends, and national gross domestic product (GDP), alongside the emergent cybersecurity implications. The methodology encompasses a cross-sectional analysis of various economies that have adopted CPS at differing scales and capacities. Through quantitative data, the study reveals trends and patterns in economic performance metrics post-adoption of advanced data capturing and networking infrastructures. Complementarily, qualitative assessments from expert interviews offer insights into the broader economic and security implications. Preliminary findings suggest that the integration of CPS correlates with a multifaceted impact on economic security, including the creation of new industries and the obsolescence of traditional sectors. A notable rise in efficiency and productivity across industries utilizing CPS is counterbalanced by the challenges of increased cybersecurity threats and job market disruptions. The study contributes to the discourse on economic security by framing CPS adoption not just as a technological upgrade but as a critical economic event with widespread and significant consequences.

Putting the ‘economy’ back in the circular economy

AbstractThis paper offers a business‐focused critique centring on the superordinate goal of circular economy (CE) strategy and advances an ideograph that can help economic planners and corporate leaders conceptualize CE strategies that meet the bifurcate goals of strengthening economic resilience while also attenuating resource footprints. The paper, based on critical discourse analysis (CDA) and supported by an extensive literature review, highlights the pervasive manner in which the CE is mischaracterized as a materials circulation (MC) strategy and demonstrates how an oft‐referenced ideograph—the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) Butterfly—graphically entrenches this characterization. The first contribution that this study makes centres on providing clarity on how CE principles can be integrated with corporate strategy to elevate competitive advantage through resource economic optimization (REO). The second contribution is the development of a reconceptualized ideograph—The Integrated Circular Economy (ICE) model—that better conveys how this strategic perspective on CE and be conflicted with economic networks to deliver better economic and environmental performance.

Worst of the Bunch: Visual Comparative Benchmarks Change Evaluations of Government Performance

Benchmarking theories argue voters use information about other countries’ performances, usually on the economy and obtained through experience or media, to evaluate their own governments. Yet existing observational evidence is relatively fragile and struggles to distinguish how people become more knowledgeable. Using a pre-registered experiment, we showed UK respondents a chart displaying the UK’s exceptionally high cumulative COVID-19 deaths either in isolation or alongside European countries with fewer deaths. Mimicking widely-circulated charts, this visual treatment enhances our study’s external validity and tests the media-based channel for benchmarking. Aligned with pre-registered expectations, seeing the UK as “worst of the bunch” compared to UK-only data caused more negative government evaluations. Unexpectedly, partisanship did not moderate the information effects, while exploratory tests revealed the visuals generated more negative evaluations among respondents with high political trust. Our study shows international comparisons in visual forms can change domestic opinion, and on matters beyond strictly economic performance.