Future Growth Research Articles

Challenges Traditional Firms Encounter when Launching Online Sales Services: Bangladesh Viewpoint

Brick-and-Click organizations (Brick and Click Organizations) have emerged as a new type of business that aims to provide consumers with a seamless experience while purchasing products online. This study seeks to identify and understand the challenges that traditional businesses face when attempting to launch online sales services. The study employs a descriptive research design to address the research issues. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with key- decision-makers in such enterprises to get qualitative insights into the challenges faced by the businesses. This study's target population consists of Bangladeshi brick and click businesses. Online data were collected from a total of 1,036 respondents. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The findings suggest that, businesses face a variety of online sales obstacles. Respondents from businesses indicate that their online sales difficulties were influenced by the product or service they sell and their interactions with customers, including their age, gender, and nature. Customers' distraction during online shopping is a common issue for click-only businesses. According to this study, however, brick- and-click retailers perceived it as a moderate challenge. The classic retail challenges of building personal relationships and providing a tactile product experience are not as daunting for brick and click businesses as they are for online-only businesses. By taking a proactive approach to the issues identified in this study, brick-and click businesses can not only overcome the immediate challenges but also position themselves favorably for future growth and success in the digital marketplace.

A Comprehensive Review on Evolution, Challenges of Models, Opportunities in Urban Farming Practices in the World

This review delves into the historical evolution of urban farming, tracing its roots from ancient civilizations to modern-day urban landscapes. It explores diverse urban farming models, ranging from rooftop gardens and vertical farms to community gardens and hydroponic systems, highlighting their unique characteristics and contributions to food security, environmental sustainability, and community resilience. Additionally, the abstract addresses the myriad challenges faced by urban farmers, including limited space, soil contamination, regulatory hurdles, and access to resources. Despite these challenges, urban farming presents abundant opportunities for innovation, social entrepreneurship, and urban revitalization. By leveraging technological advancements, community engagement, and policy support, urban farming has the potential to transform cities into vibrant hubs of agricultural production and sustainability. This abstract sets the stage for a comprehensive review that not only illuminates the past and present of urban farming but also identifies pathways for its future growth and impact in shaping resilient, equitable, and sustainable cities.

How Many More Public Charging Stations Do We Need? A Data-Driven Approach Considering Charging Station Overflow Dynamics

The development of public charging infrastructure is crucial to support mass electric vehicle (EV) adoption. Although many cities worldwide have already installed an initial network of public chargers, it is often unclear whether the current supply of infrastructure is in line with demand and how many more charging stations are required to cope with future EV growth. In this sense, transactional charging data on the existing network can help answer these questions. We present a novel method that uses historical charging data as input to obtain answers to the following questions: (a) How many more chargers are required to meet future demand? and (b) Where should these new chargers be installed? By mining the individual charging behavior of EV drivers, we show that overflow dynamics can be found between charging stations. That is, when a preferred charging station is fully occupied, it is found that EV drivers divert to other charging stations nearby. Identifying these dynamics allows us to simulate the impact of a demand increase on the charging infrastructure network more accurately. We found the number of new chargers required to be significantly lower when considering overflow dynamics. Our simulations indicate that if demand is doubled, 30%–50% fewer charging points are needed compared with a situation in which overflow dynamics are neglected but the same failure rate is still maintained (i.e., percentage of failed charging sessions in the network). Determining the exact number of chargers will depend on the failure rate policymakers are willing to accept, reflecting the trade-off between charging convenience and utilization.

Strategy formulation to support automation and digitalization initiative: A case study of an aerospace component manufacturer in Indonesia

Purpose: Strategy formulation is part of organization design study to evaluate decision thoroughly, then enable organization to achieve company goal. This study aims to formulate strategy of automation and digitalization for PT XYZ, to be ready for welcoming future growth of demand by maintain competitive cost within the same industry. Method: The study collects primary data from focus group discussion with selected participant of PT XYZ, located in Bandung, Indonesia, with participant selection based on information rich person reference. Data collection and analysis utilize qualitative and quantitative approach, and utilize three steps of strategy formulation (input stage, matching stage and decision stage). Results: Strategy formulation steps as per theory, applicable to finalize strategy to support industry 4.0 transformation at PT XYZ. Focus Group Discussion able to collect organization aspiration, to ensure strategy will align to company objective. Combine steps with latest internal and external factor analysis method, such as PESTLE (Political Economy Social Technological Environment), VRIO (Value Rarity InImitable Organize), Porter Value Chain analysis and QSPM (Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix) help broaden the perspective of the participant during discussion. The study resulted eight strategies, which then simplified by data reduction approach to be four. A decision of sequence implementation also agreed during focus group discussion with participants. Contributions: By conducting this study, author expect it will prove the practical implementation of strategy formulation in industry 4.0 transformation for aerospace industry in Indonesia and Asia.

David's Bridal: Customer Relationship Management in the Digital Age

This case replaces UVA-M-0837. It can be used in a variety of marketing and strategy classes to understand how (1) at a macro level, a shift in consumer and environmental factors can impact firm strategy and (2) at a micro level, an e-mail-based marketing campaign designed to address these changes can impact firm-level performance.The case puts the students in the position of CEO Robert Huth as he is preparing for a board meeting. He had taken David's Bridal from a loss in 1996 to sales of over $1 billion by 2011, but he was concerned about future growth. People were waiting longer and longer to get married and, once they decided to, were spending much less than in the past, so the industry had seen year-over-year declines since 2007. How would David's Bridal establish its brand in the minds of a new generation of brides who shopped, purchased, and decided differently than had brides in past generations?

Forecasting urban futures: Evaluating global land use data sensitivity for regional growth simulation in the Ruhr Metropolitan Area

In recent years, numerous multitemporal global land use and land cover products have been published acting as valuable source for training spatially explicit geosimulation models forecasting urban growth. However, there is a notable gap in research that specifically addresses the sensitivity of models traing with those data sets when it comes to regional modeling purposes. Accordingly, the objectives of this study were to calibrate, validate, and employ global urban input datasets for the regional simulation of urban growth by the year 2030. The SLEUTH urban growth model, focused on the metropolitan area of the Ruhr, Germany, was calibrated using the Global Human Settlement Layer, World Settlement Footprint Evolution, historical OpenStreetMap data, and a Digital Land Cover Model for Germany. The goal was to compare the results in terms of accuracy, certainty, quantity, and allocation, particularly in urban areas susceptible to floods and heat. While all models achieved high accuracy levels concerning quantity and allocation, the extent of new settlements varied from 40.77 km2 to 477.91 km2. The models based on World Settlement Footprint and OpenStreetMap exhibited higher certainty and lower stochasticity. As the simulated urban growth increased, there was a corresponding rise in the likelihood of allocating new settlements in areas affected by natural hazards. While all models presented a similar relative portion of new settlement areas impacted by floods, variations emerged in terms of areas affected by unfavorable thermal conditions. This study underscored the potential use of historical OpenStreetMap data in training cellular automation for geosimulating future settlement growth. Furthermore, it highlighted the applicability of global Earth observation-based urban datasets for regional geosimulation and explored the impacts of diverse input data on the accuracy, certainty, quantity, and allocation performances in simulating future conditions.

National trends in prescription drug expenditures and projections for 2024.

To report historical patterns of pharmaceutical expenditures, to identify factors that may influence future spending, and to predict growth in drug spending in 2024 in the United States, with a focus on the nonfederal hospital and clinic sectors. Historical patterns were assessed by examining data on drug purchases from manufacturers using the IQVIA National Sales Perspectives database. Factors that may influence drug spending in hospitals and clinics in 2024 were reviewed-including new drug approvals, patent expirations, and potential new policies or legislation. Focused analyses were conducted for biosimilars, cancer drugs, endocrine drugs, generics, and specialty drugs. For nonfederal hospitals, clinics, and overall (all sectors), estimates of growth of pharmaceutical expenditures in 2024 were based on a combination of quantitative analyses and expert opinion. In 2023, overall pharmaceutical expenditures in the US grew 13.6% compared to 2022, for a total of $722.5 billion. Utilization (a 6.5% increase), new drugs (a 4.2% increase) and price (a 2.9% increase) drove this increase. Semaglutide was the top drug in 2023, followed by adalimumab and apixaban. Drug expenditures were $37.1 billion (a 1.1% decrease) and $135.7 billion (a 15.0% increase) in nonfederal hospitals and clinics, respectively. In clinics, increased utilization drove growth, with a small impact from price and new products. In nonfederal hospitals, a drop in utilization led the decrease in expenditures, with price and new drugs modestly contributing to growth in spending. Several new drugs that will influence spending are expected to be approved in 2024. Specialty, endocrine, and cancer drugs will continue to drive expenditures. For 2024, we expect overall prescription drug spending to rise by 10.0% to 12.0%, whereas in clinics and hospitals we anticipate an 11.0% to 13.0% increase and a 0% to 2.0% increase, respectively, compared to 2023. These national estimates of future pharmaceutical expenditure growth may not be representative of any health system because of the myriad of local factors that influence actual spending.

Feminism: A Fight for Equality

Feminism has been given importance and has evolved since the 1900’s. This paper aims to explore the themes, debates, and traits of feminism throughout the years. Feminism is a movement that fights for gender equality and has changed a lot over time. This article looks at the history of feminism, starting with the fight for women's voting rights in the 19th century and going through different stages up to today's diverse approaches. The research highlights important moments and changes in feminist thinking. The article also looks at current challenges for the feminist movement, internal disagreements, and the combination of gender with other identities such as race and class. Through a review of academic literature, historical records, and modern sources, this study gives a complete overview of feminism's past achievements and current struggles and offers ideas for its future direction and potential growth.

LIQUIDITY AND PROFITABILITY ANALYSIS OF THE SELECTED IT COMPANIES OF INDIA

For any organisation ratios are extremely useful tools for understanding financial statements and making decisions. For sustainability and long-term future growth, short and long-term success are critical to every company. As IT companies are becoming the major player in not only in one county but all over world. The study's major goal is to have better understand of the relationship between the liquidity ratio and profitability ratio for two selected Indian IT companies: TCS (Tata Consultancy Services) and Infosys. For the study data is collected from the selected companies' annual reports for the duration of 10-year period, from March 2014 to March 2023. For statistical analysis purpose statistical methods, arithmetic mean and regression analysis were used. The liquidity ratio shows that TCS outperformed Infosys, as does the profitability ratio. Regression analysis results shows that there is no connection between the liquidity ratio and the profitability ratio.

Remote Sensing-Enabled Urban Growth Simulation Overlaid with AHP-GIS-Based Urban Land Suitability for Potential Development in Mersin Metropolitan Area, Türkiye

This study delves into the integration of analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and geographic information system (GIS) techniques to identify suitable areas for urban development in six districts within the Mersin Metropolitan Area of Turkey. The specific aim is to generate an urban land use suitability map, in order to facilitate informed decision-making for urban development. Drawing on open Landsat satellite imagery and employing the random forest (RF) algorithm, the study spans a fifteen-year period, over which land use/land cover (LULC) changes are measured. Furthermore, a novel approach is introduced by incorporating the urban land use suitability map into an urban growth simulation model developed using a logistic regression (LR) algorithm. This simulation forecasts urban growth up to 2027, enabling planners to evaluate potential development areas against suitability criteria. Findings reveal spatial patterns of land suitability and projected urban growth, aiding decision-makers in selecting optimal areas for development while preserving ecological integrity. Notably, the study emphasizes the importance of considering various factors such as topography, accessibility, soil capability, and geology in urban planning processes. The results showcase significant proportions of the study area as being moderately to highly suitable for urban development, alongside notable shifts in LULC classes over the years. Additionally, the overlay analysis of simulated urban growth and land suitability maps highlights areas with contrasting suitability levels, offering valuable insights for sustainable urban growth strategies. By overlaying the urban land suitability map with a simulated LULC map for 2027, it is revealed that 2247.3 hectares of potential new urbanization areas demonstrate very high suitability for settlement, while 7440.12 hectares exhibit very low suitability. By providing a comprehensive framework for assessing urban land suitability and projecting future growth, this research offers practical implications for policymakers, urban planners, and stakeholders involved in Mersin’s development trajectory, ultimately fostering more sustainable and resilient urban landscapes.

Review of Edge Computing for the Internet of Things (EC-IoT): Techniques, Challenges and Future Directions

The volume of edge data has reached ZB level, placing enormous strain on the core network bandwidth due to the rapid development of contemporary technology and the quick expansion of the number of smart devices accessing wireless networks under IoT. On the other hand, numerous new applications, such as autonomous vehicles, location recognition, augmented and virtual reality, etc., have proposed stricter standards for network latency, jitter, data security, etc. Edge computing (EC) emerged as a response to the shortcomings of traditional cloud computing in these areas. Edge computing is a new computing paradigm that performs computation at the network’s edge and can meet the critical needs of various industries undergoing digital transformation thanks to its ability to provide intelligent interconnection services in close proximity to the edge. It follows in the footsteps of previous computing paradigms such as distributed computing, grid computing, and cloud computing. This article presents a thorough analysis of current findings and accomplishments in the field of edge computing, as well as a prediction of potential directions for its future growth.

Strategic planning, budget monitoring and growth optimism: evidence from Australian SMEs

PurposeGrowth optimism, which describes the expected future growth of a firm, is an important but underexplored construct in strategy. This paper aims to assess the planning antecedents of such growth optimism by using a large Australian sample of small enterprises.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use a secondary data set, gathered among Australian small to medium enterprises (SMEs), by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The analysis adopts a regression approach including a mediated and a non-mediated path to explore the direct and indirect effects of strategic planning and budgetary planning and management on expected future revenues.FindingsThis paper assesses the implications of concurrent strategic planning and financial management dynamic capabilities on anticipated future revenue growth, an important predisposition dynamic capability. The authors note that this configuration of actions and predisposition aligns closely with the necessary requirements for growth. The findings suggest that firms that use strategic planning and robust budget planning and monitoring processes exhibit higher optimism about future sales growth and firms that effectively configure these planning activities with market development tend to exhibit higher growth and more growth optimism.Research limitations/implicationsIn terms of theoretical contributions, the paper strongly supports the formality view in the formal/informal debates associated with effectuation strategies. The authors suggest that appropriate strategic and budgetary planning and control systems act as a counterbalance to organisational confusion and managerial capriciousness, leading to improved confidence among managers and their employees regarding future resource commitments and plans.Practical implicationsThe findings of the paper are potentially important for both managers and policy makers. For managers seeking to grow their future sales, planning is shown to be an important antecedent activity. The presence of financial and strategic planning may predispose firms to make important investment decisions that drive future growth. Also, a better understanding of the firm’s current and future strategic and financial position may be evidence of effective firm management, a situation that, in turn, drives growth.Social implicationsIn terms of social and policy implications, the data gathered for the survey by the ABS forms a valuable collection of information in relation to business practices. Australian firms are required by law to regularly report budget plans and outcomes. The research suggests that this data can inform policy initiatives, particularly in relation to programmes that may assist small and young firms to undertake prospective strategic and budgetary planning.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper to investigate the particular configuration of strategic and financial planning and anticipated sales growth in the SME context.

Financial Analysis and Valuation of PepsiCo, Inc.

As a leading brand in the food and beverage industry, Pepsi possesses strong competitiveness within its sector and remains highly attractive to investors. For novice value investors, the process of identifying undervalued stocks and assets for potential future growth and returns is a crucial consideration. This article aims to offer simplified information and investment strategies to amateur value investors through the utilization of basic value investment analysis. The study primarily examines the key accounting policies of PepsiCo. Subsequently, it gathers financial data from the 2022 annual reports of PepsiCo and its major competitors, namely Coca-Cola, Monster Beverage, and Keurig Dr. Pepper. Financial ratios are calculated and used as the basis for comparative analysis by applying relevant formulas. Additionally, this analysis includes an evaluation of price-earnings ratios, price-earnings growth ratios, and major risk assessments. The findings indicate that despite having sound accounting policies and a reasonable market-to-book ratio, PepsiCo needs to improve in terms of liquidity, solvency, profitability, and other aspects, suggesting that its stock value might be overestimated. Consequently, it is concluded that there may be better investment choices than PepsiCo at present. Existing investors, however, may opt to retain their holdings and await a more favorable market environment.

A digital twin of the infant microbiome to predict neurodevelopmental deficits.

Despite the recognized gut-brain axis link, natural variations in microbial profiles between patients hinder definition of normal abundance ranges, confounding the impact of dysbiosis on infant neurodevelopment. We infer a digital twin of the infant microbiome, forecasting ecosystem trajectories from a few initial observations. Using 16S ribosomal RNA profiles from 88 preterm infants (398 fecal samples and 32,942 abundance estimates for 91 microbial classes), the model (Q-net) predicts abundance dynamics with R2 = 0.69. Contrasting the fit to Q-nets of typical versus suboptimal development, we can reliably estimate individual deficit risk (Mδ) and identify infants achieving poor future head circumference growth with ≈76% area under the receiver operator characteristic curve, 95% ± 1.8% positive predictive value at 98% specificity at 30 weeks postmenstrual age. We find that early transplantation might mitigate risk for ≈45.2% of the cohort, with potentially negative effects from incorrect supplementation. Q-nets are generative artificial intelligence models for ecosystem dynamics, with broad potential applications.

An Analytical Study on Waste Management and Recycling in Business Settings

Waste management and recycling in India have received significant attention due to growing concerns about environmental sustainability and resource conservation. India generates over 150,000 tonnes of solid waste daily, with urban areas contributing the majority. This waste includes domestic, industrial, and commercial waste. Recycling rates have historically been low due to a lack of infrastructure and awareness. However, the need for proper sorting and recycling of waste is increasingly recognized. A significant portion of recycling in India is done by the informal sector, which includes waste pickers and small recycling units. In this study, the researcher examines the awareness level of waste Management and recycling methods among the industries, analyzes the challenges faced by the industries in Waste Management and Recycling methods, and suggests ways for the future growth of Waste Management and Recycling methods among Industries.

Western Balkan countries’ innovation as determinant of their future growth and development

The Western Balkan (WB) countries (Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia) have been trying to become members of the EU for a long time, but they are increasingly moving away from the EU average in terms of development level. The question is whether these countries will be able to catch up with the EU countries in the near future and how they will do it. The reason for such results should be searched into insufficient innovation in these countries. This research aims to perform a comparative analysis of the capabilities and efficiency of the National Innovation System (NIS) in WB and CEE countries using the entropy-based PROMETHEE method for ranking. The rankings are performed using the two most reputable 2022 reports in this area: Global Innovation Index (GII) and European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS). For summarizing the results, the Borda rule is applied. The ranking results for both NIS capabilities and NIS efficiency indicate that WB countries are at the bottom of the rankings, having considerable disadvantages compared to CEE countries. Certain recommendations and guidelines for policymakers in these countries for improving innovation in the future have been defined according to practices from identified benchmarking countries.

Strategies for Enhanced Optical Performance and Durability of VO2‐Based Thermochromic Windows

Due to the growing need for smart windows for buildings to reduce energy usage, vanadium dioxide (VO2) has been investigated as a potential material for thermochromic smart windows due to its ease of implementation and simplicity in industrial production. VO2 undergoes a reversible phase shift from a monoclinic (M, P21/c) semiconductor to a rutile (R, P42/mnm) metal at a critical temperature of 68 °C. This transition is accompanied by acute variations in IR reflectance, transmittance, and electrical resistance. Despite substantial developments in thermochromic materials, their optical and transition properties are still unsatisfactory. In the past several decades, many methods for enhancing optical properties have been reported, including composite films, multilayer structures, and element doping. Recent developments in thermochromic smart windows to improve both optical properties and durability have been surveyed in this review. Additionally, future growth trends have been provided by the possibility of commercially manufacturing VO2 smart windows.

Bibliometric analysis of worldwide research on Polycythemia Vera in the 21st century.

Polycythemia vera (PV) is a myeloproliferative tumor with low incidence and complex symptoms, affecting patients' quality of life and shortening their life span. Since the beginning of the 21st century, there has been an update but a need for uniform consensus regarding diagnosing and treating PV. With the continued interest of researchers in this field, a bibliometric study of PV is necessary. This paper aims to analyze articles on PV through bibliometric software to provide collaborative information and new ideas for researchers in this field. We collected PV-related publications in the Web of Science Core Collection database from 2000 to 2023. The included literature was analyzed using Citespace (6.2.R2), VOSviewer (1.6.19), and Bibliometrix. The study included country/region, institution, authors, journals, keywords, and references, and a visual knowledge network diagram was constructed. Microsoft Excel 2013 was also used for statistical analysis. A total of 1,093 articles were eventually included. The number of PV-related publications has steadily increased from 2000 to the present, with great potential for future growth. The US and US institutions have contributed more to this field, with the US ranking first in the number of publications, total citations, and centrality. Alessandro M. Vannucchi is the most published author. Tefferi, Ayalew is the most cited author. And BLOOD has the most publications, topping the list of the eleven high-productivity core source journals. The most cited article was "Acquired mutation of the tyrosine kinase JAK2 in human myeloproliferative disorders" (Baxter, EJ, 2005). By examining the keywords, we found that the diagnosis and typing of true erythrocytosis, the use of ruxolitinib, and the tyrosine kinase JAK2 are the research hotspots in the field; genetic and molecular research in the field of true erythrocytosis is a cutting-edge topic in the field; and risk factors for true erythrocytosis is a cutting-edge hotspot issue in the field. The fruitful research in this century has laid the foundation for developing the field of PV. The information in this article will provide researchers with current hotspots and future potential in the discipline, helping the field achieve more extraordinary breakthroughs. Currently, research should focus on increasing global multicenter collaborative research in diagnosis and treatment to develop scientifically recognized diagnostic and treatment protocols and new clinical drug research. Our proposed model of global innovation collaboration will provide strong support for future research.

Survey on Concept of Object-Oriented Programming

These days, object-oriented programming is regarded as an essential programming concept.The moment Simula brought it into life. The use of object-oriented programming (OOP) has expanded in the software real world due to the future growth of the software business and the advancement of software engineering. The following review examines different oop concepts that are essential to object-orientation, in great detail. Many widely used object-oriented programming languages implement various parts of inheritance and polymorphism. We come to the conclusion that much more work needs to be done to find a middle ground so that these can accomplish OOPs features.

A comprehensive review of Indian railway freight business: Strategies for regaining the lost ground and future prospects

The research paper aims to contribute to understanding the Indian railway's freight business performance and offer valuable insights for stakeholders in shaping its future growth. It serves as a resource for researchers, academics, and industry professionals interested in the dynamics of the Indian railway's freight business and potential strategies for its revitalization and expansion. We comprehensively reviewed the literature on the Indian railway freight business, including scholarly articles, reports, white papers, and policy documents. The Indian railway freight business has declined over the past few years due to a combination of factors, such as increasing competition from road transport, inefficiencies in the railway system, and changing market demands. To counter this decline, Indian Railways has implemented several initiatives to improve the freight business and regain lost ground. One of the key initiatives undertaken by Indian Railways is the development of dedicated freight corridors, which will provide exclusive infrastructure for freight movement and reduce congestion on existing railway lines.Additionally, Indian Railways has modernized its rolling stock and invested in technology to improve the efficiency of its operations. Indian Railways has introduced flexible pricing schemes to attract more customers and increase the volume of freight traffic. It has also established strategic partnerships with various industries to better understand their logistics requirements and offer customized solutions. Indian Railways' efforts to improve its freight business have started showing positive results, with an increase in the volume of freight traffic and improved customer satisfaction.