Global Consumer Research Articles

Innovation Culture as a Driver of a Firm’s Innovation Excellence: Evidence from Apple and Huawei

Innovation culture is a pivotal driver of a firm’s innovation excellence. This inspires employees to think and do the unthinkable. In that context, this case study uses Apple and Huawei as examples to analyse how innovation culture drives innovation excellence in firms. In such analysis, critical content analysis was integrated with unstructured interviews with product managers from Apple-Glasgow Stores in Scotland and Huawei’s Authorised Stores in Dubai-United Arab Emirates. The study aimed to extract critical information on Apple and Huawei’s innovation behaviours, culture and practices as well as their competition enhancing effects. Outcomes of such analysis were triangulated with the results of systematic review of core theories and literature on innovation culture creation and its leveraging effects on a firm’s performance. Findings revealed innovation culture to unlock employees’ overall improved creativity to think and do the unimaginable. This creates higher product, process, position and paradigm differentiations to leverage a firm’s overall competitiveness. Huawei’s innovation culture catalyses the embracement of higher level of employee creativity and innovativeness across different business functions as a daily business practice and way of life that defines how each and every activity is accomplished. This was found to drive improved quality, cost minimisation and creation of process efficiency advantages that are passed to customers through lower prices to bolster Huawei’s overall process and position competitiveness. Likewise Apple’s entrenched innovation practices and behaviours were found to create higher premium values that customers are willing to acquire even if the products are of significantly higher premium prices. Combined with Apple’s higher commitment to quality excellence as an innovation culture that delights employees to think and do the unthinkable, this was found to bolster Apple’s competitive edge to fetch higher returns as a leader in the global premium telecommunication and consumer electronics segment. Despite its competitive edge, Apple still faces challenges of lowering prices to fill gaps in the lower-income segments that Huawei and Samsung are using as the attack base, inspite suffering from the phenomenon of ‘Made in China are Cheap”. From these findings, the paper extracted an innovative culture development model that can be emulated by the emerging innovation ventures.

Does higher tax rate affect tobacco usage? Unravelling the nexus between tobacco regulatory control and public health concern

ObjectivesBangladesh stands as a prominent global consumer of tobacco, with alarming consequences on public health. The Global Adult Tobacco Survey reported that tobacco consumption claimed over 126 000 lives in 2018, contributing to 13.5% of all deaths in the country. This study aims to explore the effectiveness of higher tax rates and tobacco use regulation as control mechanisms in mitigating tobacco consumption and health care cost burden, with a particular emphasis on its implications for public health. MethodsThis study is based on the annual time series data over the period 2000–2020. The study employs the ordinary least square method to analyze the quantitative confirming the stationarity of data at level. This research uses different models to investigate individual effects and combined effects on both tobacco consumption and tobacco health care cost burden. ResultsThe study finds a negative relationship between tobacco tax rate and tobacco consumption. More specifically, the higher tax rate of tobacco (low (β = −0.3495), medium (β = −0.2319), high (β = −0.9033), premium (β = −0.7322), filtered (β = −0.2114), and non-filtered (β = −0.3452) categories) is significant to reduce tobacco use at 1% level of significance. The study finds similar results when it applied tobacco retail price instead of tobacco tax rate as the independent variable. Finally, the study investigates the impact on health care cost through tobacco consumption, tobacco control law, growth rate, export-import, and tobacco production. The results indicate that tobacco consumption, export-import, and tobacco production increases health care cost burden while tobacco use regulatory decreases it. By reducing tobacco consumption, higher taxes and tobacco use regulation contribute to alleviating the burden on the healthcare system, promoting healthier lifestyles, and aligning with global health objectives. ConclusionsHigher tax rate on tobacco products is necessary to increase the retail price so that tobacco users cannot consume tobacco. Specific tax and uniform tax base are needed so that tobacco users cannot switch to lower priced brands. Tobacco control laws need to revised and proper implementation should be ensured as well, to achieve the goal of tobacco free Bangladesh by 2040. Tobacco-related diseases, responsible for a significant proportion of deaths in the country, could witness a considerable decline with the successful implementation of higher tax rates and tobacco use regulation. This study provides insights that not only contribute to the economic discourse but also accentuate the broader public health benefits arising from effective tobacco taxation policies.

Assessing fossil energy supply security in China using ecological network analysis from a supply chain perspective

Fossil energy plays a critical role as a global energy source, underscoring the utmost importance of ensuring its supply security. As a prominent global energy consumer, China possesses vast coal resources; however, it heavily depends on oil and natural gas imports. Given the formidable challenges posed by environmental constraints and resource scarcity, investigating the security of China's fossil energy supply emerges as a pivotal research concern. This study adopts an innovative energy supply chain perspective, dividing the energy supply system into distinct links, including upstream energy supply, midstream energy conversion, and downstream energy consumption. Through ecological network analysis, the safety levels of China's coal, oil, and gas supply systems were meticulously assessed, considering network structure, sustainability, and network utility. The research findings indicated a relatively stable security level for China's fossil energy supply system during the period from 2010 to 2020, focusing on key aspects such as coal processing and conversion, oil inventory, and foreign-sourced natural gas supply. Moreover, scenario analysis results offer valuable insights and recommendations to bolster the security of China's fossil energy supply. The application of the ecological network model as a comprehensive assessment tool provides a fresh approach to evaluating the energy security of countries from the perspective of energy supply chains.

An intrusion and environmental effects of man-made silver nanoparticles in cold seeps

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are among the most widely used metal-based engineered nanomaterials in biomedicine and nanotechnology, and account for >50 % of global nanomaterial consumer products. The increasing use of AgNPs potentially causes marine ecosystem changes; however, the environmental impacts of man-made AgNPs are still poorly studied. This study reports for the first time that man-made AgNPs intruded into cold seeps, which are important marine ecosystems where hydrogen sulfide, methane, and other hydrocarbon-rich fluid seepage occur. Using a combination of electron microscopy, geochemical and metagenomic analyses, we found that in the cold seeps with high AgNPs concentrations, the relative abundance of genes associated with anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) was lower, while those related to the sulfide oxidizing and sulfate reducing were higher. This suggests that AgNPs can stimulate the proliferation of sulfate-reducing and sulfide-oxidizing bacteria, likely due to the effects of activating repair mechanisms of the cells against the toxicant. A reaction of AgNPs with hydrogen sulfide to form silver sulfide could also effectively reduce the amount of available sulfate in local ecosystems, which is generally used as the AOM oxidant. These novel findings indicate that man-made AgNPs may be involved in the biogeochemical cycles of sulfur and carbon in nature, and their potential effects on the releasing of methane from the marine methane seeps should not be ignored in both scientific and environmental aspects.

Discovery of porcine proteins-binding DNA aptamer through SELEX and proteomics for pork authentication

The authentication of meat products has become a global consumer concern in the food industry. Traditional methods such as PCR and mass spectrometry can identify and differentiate the source of meat, but they are time-consuming and require high-quality extracted DNA or protein for testing. As an alternative, aptamer-based detection tools have been introduced, but their application in food authentication is still new. To date, there is a lack of data on the development of a porcine-specific aptamer that is specifically bound to a heat-stable protein. Hence, this study was conducted to screen, characterize and validate aptamers bound to any pork protein through SELEX process, combined with Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) and Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis. The putative porcine-specific aptamers were selected after fourteen rounds of selection using centrifugal-ultrafiltration separation technique against five negative controls. The binding affinity test revealed that APT#A1 had the highest binding affinity with a dissociation constant of 27.61 ± 1.92 nM. However, the protein blotting results showed that the selected porcine-bound aptamers were not specific and could also bind to multiple proteins from negative samples. LC-MS analysis showed that the aptamers bound to troponin and tropomyosin subunits, and these proteins have potential as target markers for future authentication studies. Future research can focus on developing aptamers with higher specificity towards porcine protein and validating their feasibility as a practical tool for food authentication in real meat-based food samples.

A Global Analysis of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Capital Structure in the Consumer Goods Sector

Understanding a company’s capital structure is essential for optimizing financial resources amid the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. This research examines how the pandemic affected the capital structures of global consumer goods companies across industries, market types, and regions. In this study, a fixed effects model was employed to analyze panel-data regression data spanning from 2018 to 2022, encompassing 1491 companies across 80 countries. The results revealed a significant and positive impact of COVID-19 on capital structure in the initial two years, contrasting with a negative trend in the third year, notably in the short-term debt to total assets ratio. The pandemic’s influence on the capital structure varied across sectors, markets, and regions, starting with a consistent positive impact before shifting to a negative and significant effect. The study provides valuable insights for businesses, policymakers, and researchers grappling with the financial implications of external shocks like the pandemic. It underscores the importance of prudent financial decision-making, leveraging the opportunities stemming from a conservative debt approach, and the growing reliance on short-term debt while staying adaptable in response to evolving market dynamics and economic changes.

Biofuel policies and their ripple effects: An analysis of vegetable oil price dynamics and global consumer responses

The paper analyzes the price dynamics of Palm, Soybean, Rapeseed, and Sunflower oils due to their extensive uses in the food and fuel sectors and recent considerable price increases. We consider the impact of biofuel policies and consumers’ responses. Using Johansen cointegration and VECM, we identify two long-term equilibrium relationships that arise from biofuel policies as our first key finding. In our second insight, an asymmetric AR-EGARCH-DCC model results show heightened volatility and correlation responses to vegetable oil price deviations, especially post-biofuel. Biofuel policies significantly influence shifts in time-varying correlations among these price shocks. Finally, we examine how household consumers in nine countries respond to price shocks with a structural VAR model. The post-biofuel policy era markedly influenced consumer reactions regarding vegetable oil price fluctuations. While most nations show decreased sentiment with price hikes, China and Germany see increased consumer sentiment. South Africa’s response varies by oil type. Biofuel policies amplify these effects on consumer confidence across all studied countries. These findings have significant implications for policymakers trying to balance the energy transition and global food security while promoting sustainable growth in vegetable oil demand across both sectors and ensuring price stability for global agricultural commodities.

Avian influenza and the Brazilian poultry production: Current situation and prevention strategies

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) presents a significant threat to global poultry, affecting trade and consumer trust. This analysis focuses on Brazil's preventive measures against HPAI to uphold its disease-free status recognized by the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH). As of September 19th, 2023, Brazil confirmed 106 HPAI outbreaks, primarily in wild birds, with a few in backyard chickens. Despite most incidents occurring along the coast, a notable outbreak in Bonito-MS underlines the necessity for ongoing vigilance in key poultry regions. Brazil's HPAI prevention framework, initiated with the 1994 National Poultry Health Plan, has continually evolved. High biosecurity measures are emphasized in stringent regulations, surveillance, and rapid response strategies. The nation's vertically integrated poultry model supports centralized control, traceability, and consistent quality, fostering swift corrective actions and biosecurity guidelines. The private sector's commitment complements these efforts, often exceeding government regulations with rigorous biosecurity practices, highlighting Brazil's holistic approach to safeguarding its poultry sector from HPAI threats.

Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility in Diversified Business Groups: a Conceptual Model of Asian and Latin America

Purpose: This research provides a brief review which explores theories and concepts in International Business (IB) and management, covering global market dynamics, factors influencing foreign direct investment, the role of national culture in socially responsible policies, decision-making processes, evolving trends in CSR, ethical leadership's relationship with CSR in diverse business groups, and advancements in online communication, simulation games, and enterprise systems. Valuable insights for practitioners and scholars are provided, illuminating the complexities of the dynamic field of business and management.
 
 Design/Methodology/Approach: This research paper employs diverse methodological approaches, including literature review, qualitative analysis, and theoretical modeling, to investigate various aspects of IB and management. Through a qualitative synthesis approach, key themes and findings related to the research topic are identified.
 
 Findings: This research highlights the significance of digital platforms in delivering global consumer value. Cultural differences influence Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows, shaped by host country norms. European SMEs' profitability, responsible conduct, and B2B relationship tendencies are affected by national culture dimensions.
 
 Theoretical Implication: This analysis reveals the impact of digital platforms, cultural differences, and national culture on global markets and international business. It emphasizes ethical leadership, institutional diversity, strategic direction, and human rights.
 
 Managerial Implication: Managerial implications for international business strategies include leveraging digital platforms for value creation, assessing cultural agility competencies in talent identification, considering socio-cultural context in framing victimization experiences, incorporating factors like corruption, contract enforcement, IP protection, and cultural compatibility in FDI decisions.
 
 Industrial Implication: Significant implications found for the industry in utilizing big data, including ethical and legal considerations. Cultural adaptation crucial for FDI strategies and CSR initiatives. Ethical leadership as a competitive advantage for CSR.
 
 Originality and Value: This literature review highlights the significance of cultural adaptation in global markets, exploring the impact of national culture on corporate behavior. It introduces a novel model for ethical leadership and CSR in Digital Platforms and Ecosystems (DPEs). It serves as a valuable resource for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners in the field of International Business, identifying research gaps for future studies.

Impact of environmental issues on tourism development

The tourism business is one of the fastest growing sectors of the world economy and occupies an important place in the economy of most countries. In the EU and other industrialized countries, tourism revenues account for about 5.5% of gross domestic product. The tourism sector accounts for about 6% of the world's gross national product, 7% of global investment, every 16th job, 11% of global consumer spending.

The global consumer incidence of carbon pricing: Evidence from trade

Carbon pricing is often seen as regressive, disproportionately burdening low-income consumers. I show that higher prices following a global carbon price would be mildly regressive in industrialized countries, mildly progressive in developing countries, and steeply regressive across countries. Refunding revenues via national carbon dividends would reverse all three findings. The net effect would be globally progressive, even without international transfers. My approach to estimating the global distributional effects of carbon pricing uses bilateral trade data and features non-homothetic consumers who differ both between and within countries. The supply side includes substitution of inputs along global value chains.

Generation Z's perceptions of a good life beyond consumerism: Insights from the United States and Finland

AbstractThis paper examines Generation Z consumers' perceptions of a good life beyond consumerism and how their perceptions and practices have evolved during crises and the cultural context in which they live. We present a unique theoretical and empirical cross‐cultural investigation which focuses on the ecological crisis and COVID‐19 pandemic, and the changes they have caused to Gen Zs' daily lives in the United States (California) and Finland. Two large qualitative data sets were collected through focus group interviews and open‐ and closed‐ended surveys before and during COVID‐19 and analyzed via the PERMA framework. Findings revealed that Gen Zs' pathways that lead to a good life include: healthy behaviors and balance; positive and meaningful relationships; happiness and positivity; meaningful things; productivity and goals; and daily routines. Findings also indicated that since COVID‐19, Gen Zs are increasingly shifting toward virtuous behaviors and eudaimonic‐oriented life, in which moderation, meaningfulness, and self‐realization play key roles. Gen Zs are characterized as a global consumer cohort and a driver of change for a sustainable future, thus understanding how these future professionals, leaders, and mainstream consumers perceive a good life provides theoretical and practical insights into how to provide ecologically sustainable well‐being for nature and future generations.

ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF SELECTED SPICE EXTRACTS ON ESCHERICHIA COLI,SALMONELLA SPP.,AND LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES

The study determined antimicrobial activity using the Disc-diffusion method and extracts of three plants: garlic (Allium sativumL.), turmeric (Curcuma longaL.), and parsley (Petroselinum crispumL.) on Escherichia coli, Salmonella ssp. and Listeria monocytogenes. These pathogens have attracted the attention of numerous agencies and researchers,because of the negative impact on food and human health -and because of the impact of disease development on the economy. These studies are necessary and represent potential natural antimicrobial drugs, and due to the resistance of bacteria to known antibiotics, there is a constant increase in global consumer demand for natural ingredients. The tested plant extracts showed excellent antibacterial activity in all three replicates on Escherichia coliwith an average inhibition zone of 21,86 mm and were characterized as ***S -sensitive for the mentioned bacterium. With an average zone of inhibition of 19,052 mm, Curcuma longashowed the strongest effect on the tested bacterium Salmonella enteritidis, which tells us that this bacteria is very sensitive to the extract of the mentioned plant. The study identified zones of inhibition of very low values (˃ 8 mm) in all three tested extracts: Allium sativumL., Curcuma longaL. Petroselinum crispumL., and Listeria monocytogenes.KEYWORDS:Antimicrobial activity, extract, Disc-diffusion method

Climate and Biodiversity Credentials for Australian Grass-Fed Beef: A Review of Standards, Certification and Assurance Schemes

Extensive livestock production occupies 25% of the ice-free terrestrial surface of the Earth, and Australian beef production contributes about 10% of this total land footprint. Therefore, the management of cattle has major implications for natural vegetation, soils, biodiversity, and atmospheric greenhouse gases in Australia and globally. To meet global sustainability targets and consumer expectations, a variety of environmental Standards, Certification and Assurance (SCA) schemes are being developed and implemented to enable producers to verify claims relating to their products. Improved standardization and coordination are now needed to address the rapid proliferation of credentialing systems that use different frameworks, methods and levels of scientific verification. Using the Australian grass-fed beef industry as a case study, we identified the measures, metrics and methods that are currently used by SCA schemes for climate and biodiversity credentialing. From here, a co-design process with industry representatives was applied to develop recommendations for credentialing in extensive beef production, feedlots and meat processing. It was clear that the successful adoption of credentialing by beef producers will require flexible and user-friendly support tools that use scalable data sources such as existing producer records, agtech databases and remote sensing information. Substantive rewards and incentives will be required to support producer engagement with the SCA schemes. Overall, ’more needs to be done to ensure the transparency of schemes and to meet benchmarks for integrity such as determining uncertainty and support though peer-reviewed science.

Exploring the impact of carbon emissions and co-macroeconomic determinants on China's sustainable apple export.

China is the foremost global consumer, producer, and exporter of fresh apples. In 2021, China produced roughly 44 million tons of apples and exported just over 1 million tons, a nearly 2% increase over the previous year. However, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has had a detrimental impact on global trade and has led to a decrease in China's agricultural exports. The present study aims to contribute to the existing body of literature by analyzing plausible macroeconomic determinants that might impact China's apple exports. We used novel dynamic autoregressive distributed lag (DYARDL) simulations to model causal relationships among fundamental economic parameters. We made use of annual time series data from 1990 to 2020 from the World Bank and China's national statistical bureau. We found that increases in apple orchard area, apple production, and trade openness had a positive impact on apple exports over both the short and long term. Conversely, decreases in the prices of exported apples, agrochemicals, and carbon emissions in the agricultural sector had a positive impact on the long-term and short-term exportation of apples. Finally, we note that pictographic illustrations from the DYARDL simulations provide corroborative evidence for our findings. Based on the study results, this study proposes that the adoption of technological advancements in apple orchards could potentially enhance apple production while simultaneously upholding environmental sustainability.

Business Learning: How Digital Marketing Contributes to Customers Purchase Decisions During the Covid-19

The coronavirus has dramatically changed the trend of global consumer behavior, further highlighting the function of digital marketing strategies. This article adopts a literature study that refers to research focused on the use of digital marketing in business. This research would be useful for future academic research to focus more on the relationship between digital marketing and customers purchase decisions. It first mainly illustrates that digital marketing communication plays a valuable role in promoting the purchase decision of consumers during a pandemic by providing a case study of cosmetic consumption behavior in Bangladesh. It then demonstrates the dilemma faced by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and how to use digital marketing to enhance the brand image for better business performance. To a considerable extent, digital marketing was regarded more as a boon for those who influenced SMEs by improving their brand awareness in a particular period, and they can use digital marketing to improve their popularity.

Linkage of Non-Fungible (NFT) Tokens to Measures of Uncertainty: Does Fear Bode Well for NFT Holders?

The study investigates the relationship between the returns of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT) and its categories; and fear indices during times of crisis. The fear indices considered are Global Fear Index (GFI), Global Economic Policy Uncertainty Index (GEPU), Twitter based Economic Uncertainty Index (TEU), Global Consumer Confidence Index (CCI), Infectious Diseases Equity Market Volatility Index (IDEMV) and Crypto Volatility Index (CVI). Employing Granger Causality Test, Autoregressive Distributed Lag technique and ARDL Bounds test on data for the period starting 1st February 2020 and ending 28th February 2022, it is found that short run association exists between TEU, CVI and NFT returns. Further, GFI leads NFT Art returns while TEU leads NFT Metaverse returns by lag 5 and lag 2 respectively. No association between fear metrics and NFT Collectible, NFT Game and NFT utility is observed. No long run association in found between NFT returns and fear indices except TEU which influences NFT returns. It is concluded that NFT, NFT Art and NFT Metaverse returns have positive association to at least one fear index during times of turmoil, especially for the short run.

Advancing sustainability in China's pulp and paper industry requires coordinated raw material supply and waste paper management

As the largest global producer and consumer of pulp and paper, China faces significant sustainability challenges in fiber supply and waste paper management. A comprehensive material flow analysis of China's pulp and paper industry (CPPI) is needed to understand the interaction between raw material supply and waste paper management. Here, we construct a closed-loop material flow analysis model for CPPI, examine the evolution patterns of material metabolism from 1990 to 2019, and explore the demand for paper production, waste paper recycling, and virgin fiber supply in 2030 and 2050 under multiple scenarios considering critical factors. Results show that the industry has undergone rapid expansion, increased material use efficiency, and a shift towards recycled pulp from 1990 to 2019. China's paper demand will grow to 186 Mt in the next 30 years, resulting in a significant increase in both demand for fibers (173 Mt) and the generation of waste paper (138 Mt). To ensure a sustainable fiber supply for CPPI, domestic waste paper recycling needs to be prioritized. However, attention should also be paid to the availability of virgin pulp supply and proper disposal of organic solid waste. Proper management of these factors is crucial for achieving a circular economy in the industry and reducing its environmental impact. The findings highlight the importance of addressing both raw material supply and waste paper management for CPPI's sustainable development.

Machine learning and metagenomics reveal shared antimicrobial resistance profiles across multiple chicken farms and abattoirs in China.

China is the largest global consumer of antimicrobials and improving surveillance methods could help to reduce antimicrobial resistance (AMR) spread. Here we report the surveillance of ten large-scale chicken farms and four connected abattoirs in three Chinese provinces over 2.5 years. Using a data mining approach based on machine learning, we analysed 461 microbiomes from birds, carcasses and environments, identifying 145 potentially mobile antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) shared between chickens and environments across all farms. A core set of 233 ARGs and 186 microbial species extracted from the chicken gut microbiome correlated with the AMR profiles of Escherichia coli colonizing the same gut, including Arcobacter, Acinetobacter and Sphingobacterium, clinically relevant for humans, and 38 clinically relevant ARGs. Temperature and humidity in the barns were also correlated with ARG presence. We reveal an intricate network of correlations between environments, microbial communities and AMR, suggesting multiple routes to improving AMR surveillance in livestock production.

Envisioning a sustainable agricultural water future across spatial scales

Sustainable agricultural water systems are critical to ensure prosperous agricultural production, secure water resources, and support healthy ecosystems that sustain livelihoods and well-being. Many growing regions are using water unsustainably, leading to groundwater and streamflow depletion and polluted water bodies. Often, this is driven by global consumer demands, with environmental and social impacts occurring in regions far from where the crop is ultimately consumed. This letter defines sustainable agricultural water limits, both for quantity and quality, tying them to the impacts of agricultural water use, such as impacts on ecosystems, economies, human health, and other farmers. Imposing these limits will have a range of both positive and negative impacts on agricultural production, food prices, ecosystems, and health. Pathways forward exist and are proposed based on existing studies, showing the gains that can be made from the farm to global scale to ensure sustainable water systems while sustaining agricultural production.