Greater Competitive Advantage Research Articles

Statfda: A User-Friendly Web Application to Analyse Curves Data from a Functional Perspective

Using classical statistical techniques to analyze curves data whose behavior is clearly continuous might cause inexact results. To avoid this tricky situation, a suitable option is to carry out a functional data analysis that takes the time-dependent structure into account. However, the statistical modeling can be complex and difficult to understand and therefore, there is a great need of providing new tools to apply this methodology in any area of knowledge. In this sense, an open access web application is introduced in the current work. It serves as a comprehensible and effective tool whose greatest competitive advantage is that programming skills or conceptual knowledge in math are not required to use it. This interactive application has a user-friendly format and offers different well-defined functional techniques such as exploratory analysis, functional principal component analysis and functional regression models. Its functionalities are illustrated making use of a public dataset of biomechanics.

Analysis of ESG Dimensions in Terms of Sustainable Competition in Companies: A Research on SMEs in Turkey

Objective: In this research, it was aimed to analyze ESG dimensions in terms of sustainable competition by using firm agility. Method: 524 SME managers selected by simple random sampling method were subjected to the survey. A survey form consisting of four stages: demographic information form, company information form, ESG scales and Company Agility Scale was used as a data collection tool in the research. Findings: There is a statistically significant and positive relationship between the governance dimension and flexible production and performance. There is a statistically significant and positive relationship between the social dimension and flexible production and performance. There is a statistically significant and positive relationship between the environmental dimension and flexible production and performance. The effects of flexible production and performance dimensions of firm agility on governance performance are statistically significant and positive. The effects of flexible production and performance dimensions of firm agility on social performance are statistically significant and positive. The effects of flexible production and performance dimensions of company agility on environmental performance are statistically significant and positive. Originality: The firm agility levels of companies, especially SMEs, and among the firm agility dimensions, the flexible production dimension is very important in terms of companies' competitive advantage and adaptation to the new and changing market structure. In this regard, companies having higher ESG values ​​may give them greater competitive advantage and power.

BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE E ERP (ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING) E SUAS VANTAGENS NAS ORGANIZAÇÕES.

Organizational change has been constantly discussed in organizational analyzes, with regard to the form and reasons why companies change or fail to change. It is necessary to understand that organizational change does not happen instantly, it is a gradual process, which takes place gradually. Currently, there are several support tools for organizations, so that these changes occur in a planned and more secure way. Business Intelligence (BI) is a very important aid for project management in the organization, as it collects and gathers company data, as well as parameters and performance indicators, transforming them into qualitative information. With Business Intelligence (BI) implemented correctly, the data that is and / or travels through the organization is available as consistent information to support decision making. ERP Systems (Enterprise Resource Planning), are able to contribute to the automation of activities and optimization of processes. Thus, organizations gain much more in productivity, cost reduction and optimized tasks, in addition to more efficient management, directly influencing decision making. With its premise of integrating data within the company, ERP Systems, generate faster access to higher quality information, emerges as a tool of great competitive advantage for Organizations in the market. Both of the tools mentioned above bring benefits to organizations.

Lattice battery solar cells: Exceeding Shockley–Queisser limit

AbstractA revolutionary concept of lattice battery solar cell (LBSC) is proposed to leap the conversion efficiency by inherently eliminating two major energy losses of conventional solar cells, namely hot carriers and non‐absorption of the substantial near infrared (NIR) emission. In an LBSC, hot phonon emission will be saved into lattice energy reservoir (LER) through electron–lattice coupling; NIR solar emission is harvested by an NIR‐perovskite composition. The NIR‐generated carriers are upconverted to the conduction band of perovskites driven by LER. The theoretical efficiency of LBSCs is estimated to be over 70%, significantly exceeding the Shockley–Queisser limit. In addition, LBSCs have lower operational temperature, resulting in much improved stability due to the elimination of heating sources from hot carriers. Different from the existing multijunction solar cells, LBSCs will keep the single layer structure with low‐cost fabrication. Therefore, LBSCs could perfectly satisfy the golden triangle of solar cell performance, which prospects great competitive advantage for further commercialization.

Exploratory Study on Value Proposition Barriers for Civil Engineering Entrepreneurships - Pilot Study

This research analyzes how business models arise for people, specifically civil engineers, who want to start their own business based on construction and who want to establish their own Ecuadorian company. Small, medium, and large construction companies were taken as a reference. For this, surveys were conducted with eight companies, and the questions were based on adequately knowing personal barriers, how they can be overcome, and effectively knowing the value propositions and qualities that should be emphasized. The results obtained from this research show that most people within this industry face different personal barriers, both when wanting to communicate their ideas and when having confidence in themselves. In the same way, limitations were found, as well as how to know how to take advantage of them. Also, thanks to this, it is highlighted that the greatest competitive advantage is creativity and that it is necessary to have superior quality and decent prices both at the public and private level to stabilize at a good level compared to other companies. Finally, it is observed that within large, medium, and small companies there are personal barriers on the part of civil engineers, which disappear on a day-to-day basis, and that the best way to move forward is to try to improve day by day and not remain stagnant with something that can be optimized or improved in several ways.

Hydrochromic convertibility on fiberized self-assembling of copper-based perovskite quantum dots

Halide perovskite presents great competitive advantages in the new generation of stimuli-responsive materials, while the tuning of fluorescence emission is still limited by irritative factors and external conditions. Herein, anti-solvent assisted crystallization and in-situ synthesis are innovatively combined to accomplish the fiberized self-assembly of copper-based perovskite quantum dots economically and environmentally, which makes humidity a novel stimulus for luminescence regulation. Under the excitation of medium-wave UV, the original Cs3Cu2I5-CsCu2I3@polyacrylonitrile (CCI@PAN) fibers exhibit a main emission peak of 460 nm with a shoulder at 550 nm, and the intensity of shoulder peak is gradually increased with the continuous addition of moisture. Switching from blue to yellow fluorescence is achieved in CCI@PAN fiber membrane by the introduction of water, which is attributed to the ultra-high solubility of CsI in water. Moreover, owing to the spatial limitation of the nanofibers, the unique incomplete reversibility exhibited by the nanofiber membrane during water removal predicts that the nanofiber membrane can be used as a permanent recording material. Overall, this work deeply explores the influence of humidity on the fluorescence and structure of perovskite quantum dots, providing a method to synthesize innovative perovskite nanofiber composites based on emission conversion, which has broad prospects in advanced anti-counterfeiting, biological protection display, information encryption and smart wearable devices.

Unveiling Huili's Brand Image: Exploring Causes and Strategies

Huili is a well-known footwear brand in China, and its brand image has declined significantly in recent years compared to before. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the unknown reasons causing Huili’s brand image damage. This paper applies the approach of marketing mix theory to help Huili identify its problems in product and promotion. According to the results of the applied research, Huili faced huge accusations in terms of product design, product hazards, and ineffective promotional strategies. These problems have piled up one after the other and have created a huge problem of declining brand impressions of Huili. Therefore, it is highly recommended and necessary to conduct a detailed study on the deficiencies of Huili in all aspects of marketing mix theory. This paper suggests that Huili hires insightful designers to create more original designs, conduct deeper investigations to enhance the quality of its products, and customize its promotional strategies according to market segments. Feasible methods are then developed accordingly so that Huili can recover from the damage to its brand image and further prosper and survive in today's market with a greater competitive advantage.

How to Choose a Downstream Partner for a Manufacturer Considering Firms’ Personal Traits?

We study the problem of how a manufacturer chooses a downstream partner considering their personality traits in the supply chain. Specifically, we develop a Stackelberg game to investigate which kind of retailer a manufacturer with certain personal traits should choose as its partner: optimistic, realistic, or pessimistic. When a manufacturer sets the wholesale price based on its own belief, we show that an optimistic manufacturer should choose a realistic retailer. A realistic manufacturer should choose a realistic retailer if the production cost is not very high and an optimistic one otherwise. A pessimistic manufacturer should choose an optimistic retailer. All kinds of manufacturers should not choose pessimistic retailers as their partners. When a manufacturer sets the wholesale price based on the real response of a retailer, the manufacturer should choose the realistic retailer when the production cost is low and an optimistic one otherwise. Furthermore, we study the impacts of the traits of the two firms on the profits for the channels and members and find that the impacts depend on the production cost. In addition, by conducting numerical studies to examine the competitive advantages of different kinds of manufacturers, we find that the optimistic manufacturer has the greatest competitive advantage.

DESIGN THINKING IN THE VISUALIZATION OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN THE AGRARIAN SPHERE: SCIENCE AND ART

The article represents an attempt to comprehend the possibilities of applying general methodological principles of design thinking in the process of planning and developing innovative economic development projects in the agricultural sector. The relations of design and visualization as the science and art processes in the economy are outlined. It is noted that smart agriculture uses advanced technologies such as sensors, devices, machines and information technology, robots, GPS technologies, which will allow farms to be more profitable, efficient, safe, and environmentally friendly. The authors claim that the goal of digitalization of agriculture is to achieve a significant increase in the efficiency and sustainability of its functioning through fundamental changes in the quality of management of both technological processes and decision-making processes at all levels of the hierarchy, based on modern production methods, and the further use of information about the state of controlled elements and subsystems, as well as states of the economic environment of agriculture. Based on a study of the use of visualization technologies within the framework of the philosophy of design thinking, it is shown that the introduction of digital technologies in the agro-industrial complex will dramatically increase labor productivity and reduce risks in agriculture. In modern conditions of intense competition, digitalization based on such projects will give the agricultural sector of any country (which is especially important for developing countries) great competitive advantages.

Photonic Measurement for Doppler Frequency Shift and Angle of Arrival Based on Integrated Dual-Parallel Dual-Drive Modulator

A microwave photonic Doppler frequency shift (DFS) and angle of arrival (AOA) measurement method based on a dual-parallel dual-drive Mach–Zehnder modulator (DP-DDMZM) is proposed and demonstrated. A sawtooth wave signal is used to drive the DC port of the modulator to realize the optical frequency shift, and thus the direction discrimination of DFS is realized. Due to single-sideband modulation, the proposed system can avoid periodic power fading and the separation of the remote antenna unit (RAU) and central office (CO) can be achieved. In the experiment, the microwave DFS is estimated with a clear direction and a maximum measurement error of 0.25 Hz over an ultrawide operation frequency from 6 to 36 GHz. The experiment also proves that the phase error of AOA measurement is less than 1.5 degrees. Compared with the traditional electronic microwave measurement scheme, the proposed scheme has great competitive advantages in future broadband electronic applications due to the features of multifunction, large bandwidth and anti-interference.

Polyaniline nanowire arrays on biomass-derived carbon nanotubes with typha longbracteata for high-performance symmetric supercapacitors

Biomass-derived carbons have great competitive advantages in supercapacitor because of their structure diversity, excellent electrochemical performance and environmental protection. In this paper, the biomass-derived carbons nanotubes (BCNs) are fabricated by carbonization of typha longibracteata (TL). Then, the polyaniline nanowire arrays (PANI NWAs) are vertically grown on the TLBCNs to obtain the PANI NWA/TLBCNs electrode by in-situ polymerization. The prepared TLBCNs have a length of ~200 μm and a diameter of ~5 μm, and PANI NWAs have a length of 400 nm. The electrode appears a specific capacitance of 565.9 F·g−1 (at 1 A·g−1). The symmetric supercapacitor has an energy density of 25.4 Wh·kg−1 (at the power density of 1.58 kW·kg−1). Its specific capacitance is retained 87.9 % (after 5000 cycles at 1 A·g−1). Therefore, the PANI NWA/TLBCNs is a hopeful electrode material for the energy storage devices.

Human Resource Management Strategies in Achieving Competitive Advantage in Business Administration

Human Resource Management (HRM) is a very important aspect in the modern business world. Companies that manage their people effectively tend to have a greater competitive advantage over their competitors. This is due to the fact that HR is one of the most important assets in an organisation, and the ability to optimise HR potential, productivity and commitment will have a significant positive impact on company performance. This research aims to examine HR management strategies in achieving competitive advantage in business administration. This research uses a qualitative method of descriptive analysis to explore an in-depth understanding of the topic. This method allows researchers to explain in detail the characteristics, context, and factors related to the research topic. In this case, data was obtained from Google Scholar with a time span from 1996 to 2023. The results of this study show that effective HR management strategies are key to achieving and maintaining a competitive advantage in business administration. By prioritising aspects such as quality recruitment, employee development, motivation, efficient performance management, progressive corporate culture, responsiveness to change, and technology utilisation, companies can achieve better results in the face of intense business competition.

Practical Analysis of Mechanical Automation Technology in Automobile Manufacturing

In today’s rapidly developing modern society, automobiles, as an important part of transportation and industrial fields, play a pivotal role. With the improvement of people’s living standards and the increase in traffic demand, the automobile manufacturing industry has been continuously developing and growing globally. However, to cope with increasingly fierce market competition and ever-changing consumer demands, the automobile manufacturing industry is also facing the challenges of improving production efficiency, reducing costs, and improving product quality. In this context, automation technology has gradually become a major trend in the automobile manufacturing industry. As an important support of modern industry, automation technology has shown great application potential in many fields. From industrial production to daily life, automation technology can be seen everywhere. In the field of manufacturing, especially in automobile manufacturing, the application of automation technology is getting more and more attention. Automated production lines, intelligent robots, and automated warehousing systems have all changed the face of automobile manufacturing to varying degrees, bringing companies higher efficiency, more stable quality, and greater competitive advantages. The application trend of this automation technology in various fields not only meets the needs of modern industry for efficient, precise, and sustainable development but also provides new ideas and paths for the future development of the automobile manufacturing industry.

Enhanced photocatalytic reduction of CO2 over pg-C3N4-supported TiO2 nanoparticles with Ag modification

Photoreduction of CO2 has been a promising route to decrease CO2 emission and obtain valuable fuels or chemical raw materials, but it still faces tremendous challenge. Composite catalyst fabricated with TiO2 and g-C3N4 might exhibit great competitive advantages, due to their potential application prospects in the field of photocatalysis. Herein, we prepared a novel pg-C3N4/Ag-TiO2 composite catalyst by using the porous defective g-C3N4 (pg-C3N4) and Ag doped TiO2, and a three-component S-scheme heterojunction had been built. Compared to individual g-C3N4 or Ag-TiO2, the synthesized pg-C3N4/Ag-TiO2 material demonstrates significantly increased photocatalytic activity for the reduction of CO2 and the AQE reaches 2.364%. In addition to improved charge separation efficiency of S-scheme heterojunctions, increased surface area of the catalyst could also be responsible for the enhanced photocatalytic performance. Experimental and computational reveals that when Ag is added to TiO2, its work function is adjusted, and electrons are transferred in a different direction, promoting the formation of S-scheme heterojunctions.

ROLE OF INNOVATION IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT

The strength of researchers and entrepreneurs is needed in order to overcome technological problems and to develop products with a great competitive advantage. This would achieve international market success. Success is achieved by the support of scientists and research institutions due to the nature of people and their efforts, not because of the innovation policy itself. The assumption is that companies should use external and internal ideas, as internal and external channels, to improve innovation and market potential. Companies promote their own innovative activities by establishing a new business model. Companies cooperate with other participants on the market, exchange ideas and satisfy the needs of consumers in a better way. Companies have to work a lot on improving internal structures of knowledge and technology, i.e., on improving their innovative capacity. By establishing an appropriate knowledge base and considering innovative possibilities, they can intensively deal with connecting to external sources of knowledge and technologies. By combining internal and external sources, they create new value and thus improve their own innovation culture.

Cultivating organizational performance through the performance measurement systems: Role of psychological empowerment and creativity.

Interactive performance measurement systems (PMSs) play a critical role in shaping individual behavior and performance. To identify the underlying mechanism of how PMSs enhance organizational performance, a proposed model was constructed to investigate psychological empowerment and employee creativity as possible mediating variables. Based on a sample of 211 managers from Chinese organizations, a partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) approach was used to examine the mediating effect presented in the aim. Interactive use of PMS has a positive and direct impact on psychological empowerment. Psychological empowerment positively influences creativity, which, in turn, positively influences organizational performance. The findings also show that psychological empowerment and creativity mediate the impacts of interactive use of PMS on organizational performance. Our study highlights the role of PMSs, and how to use them interactively in turbulent environments. Particularly, we demonstrate that interactive use of PMS is important for facilitating a manager's sense of psychological empowerment and fostering creativity, which, in turn, contributes to better performance and greater competitive advantages.

Competition of SARS-CoV-2 variants on the pandemic transmission dynamics

SARS-CoV-2 has produced various variants during its ongoing evolution. The competitive behavior driven by the co-transmission of these variants has influenced the pandemic transmission dynamics. Therefore, studying the impact of competition between SARS-CoV-2 variants on pandemic transmission dynamics is of considerable practical importance. In order to formalize the mechanism of competition between SARS-CoV-2 variants, we propose an epidemic model that takes into account the co-transmission of competing variants. The model focuses on how cross-immunity influences the transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 through competitive mechanisms between strains. We found that inter-strain competition affects not only both the final size and the replacement time of the variants, but also the invasive behavior of new variants in the future. Due to the limited extent of cross-immunity in previous populations, we predict that the new strain may infect the largest number of individuals in China without control interventions. Moreover, we also observed the possibility of periodic outbreaks in the same lineage and the possibility of the resurgence of previous lineages. Without the invasion of a new variant, the previous variant (Delta variant) is projected to resurgence as early as 2023. However, its resurgence may be prevented by a new variant with a greater competitive advantage.

Intra-Positional and Inter-Positional Differences in Agility Tests among Youth Female Volleyball Players

In their structure, indoor sports require quick changes of movement direction. Players should possess a high level of ability to change the direction and speed of movement in response to a stimulus, which is one of the major prerequisites for a high level of performance. During a volleyball match, players are involved in different defensive and offensive activities in which agility plays an important role. The aim of this study was to determine the differences between less successful and more successful youth female volleyball players, as well as their inter-positional and intra-positional differences in agility. The study was conducted on a sample of 204 youth female volleyball players whose mean chronological age was 14.11±0.84 years. The players were divided into 5 subgroups according to their playing position (setters, opposite players, passer-hitters, middle blockers, and libero players). The variable sample used to assess agility consisted of 3 tests: Side steps, 9-3-6-3-9 test, and Step-hop test. Methods of data analysis included the determination of metric characteristics for all three agility tests. The analysis of covariance revealed a significant impact of biological age indicators on all agility tests. Furthermore, discriminant analysis of differences showed that more successful volleyball players achieved better results in all three agility tests. High reliability of the test was determined by Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient (0.87-0.96). The results of this study showed a positive effect of agility tests in differentiating less successful and more successful players regardless of their position. More successful players achieved better results than less successful players in all tests. Greater biological maturity and training experience represent great competitive advantage in this age group. The obtained inter-positional and intra-positional differences and the influence of the biological age indicator on inter-positional and intra-positional differences in agility tests imply that higher biological maturity and training experience are great competitive advantages in this age group. The primary goal of training in younger age groups should not be the current success in the competition, but rather the preparation for achieving the best possible results in senior competition.

CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Multiplexed Genome Editing in Aspergillus oryzae.

Aspergillus oryzae has great potential and competitive advantages to be developed as an excellent expression system, owing to its powerful protein secretion ability, complex post-translational modification, and safety characteristics. However, the low efficiency of genetic modification and gene function analysis is an urgent problem to be solved in A. oryzae and other filamentous fungal systems. Therefore, establishing efficient genetic transformation and multiplexed genome editing tools is significant for developing A. oryzae expression systems, and revealing its intrinsic mechanisms. In this study, the high-efficiency transformation of A. oryzae was achieved by optimizing the preparation conditions of protoplasts, and the random editing efficiency of the CRISPR/Cas9 system in A. oryzae for single and double genes reached 37.6% and 19.8%, respectively. With the aid of the selection marker, such as color or resistance, the editing efficiency of single and double genes can reach 100%. Based on the developed CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing method, the heterologous lipase gene (TLL) achieves precise integration at different genetic loci in one step. The efficient and accurate acquisition of positive transformants indicated that the morphological gene yA could be used as a helpful selection marker for genome editing in A. oryzae. In conclusion, the developed system improves the efficiency of transformation and multiplexed genome editing for A. oryzae. It provides a practical method for developing the A. oryzae high-efficiency expression system for heterologous proteins.

РОЛЬ КОМУНІКАЦІЙ В СИСТЕМІ УПРАВЛІННЯ СУЧАСНИМ ОФІСОМ

The article collects, substantiates and analyzes the features and role of communications, communication culture and communication process in the management of a modern office. It was determined that the main element of interaction of all links of social interaction in a modern office is information and communication. The dependence of the positive climate in the organization and the high return of employees on the culture of communication and communication was determined. It is noted that the role of communication culture in the organization of modern management has an impact on some key indicators of business efficiency and has a great competitive advantage and is more effective in creating stability and continuity of business. The need to introduce modern technologies into the communications system for effective management of a modern office has been theoretically proven. It was determined that communications in enterprise management connect management functions and have a direct impact on the results of their implementation. It has been proven that in the conditions of personnel migration, it is impossible to do without the rapid introduction of modern technologies and to use all the assets of IT technologies to preserve the existing office staff and improve communication processes. The necessity of introducing new modern types of communications, based on the realization that the future of the modern office will be built on remote teams and the development of mobile business communications, with the aim of attracting young personnel from different countries of the world, is substantiated. It is this model of personnel selection, without reference to the country where the office is located, that will lead to increased competition among personnel. The development and implementation of technologies is noted as one of the effective elements of improving the working conditions of the staff. The necessity of automating business processes as the main aspect of establishing communications inherent in the modern world has been proven. It has been theoretically proven that communications in enterprise management connect management functions and have a direct impact on the results of their implementation.