Market Environment Research Articles

Global trade of green iron as a game changer for a near-zero global steel industry? - A scenario-based assessment of regionalized impacts

The currently most promising approach for reducing CO2 emissions of the global steel production is reducing iron ore in shaft furnaces with (green) hydrogen instead of blast furnaces. Unlike to the liquid iron produced in blast furnaces, the direct reduced iron produced in this route (green iron) exists in a solid state and can be transported at reasonable costs over long distances. This allows for spatial decoupling of the iron reduction step from the steelmaking step and may lead to global trade in green iron as a new intermediate product in the steelmaking value chain. This article assesses the potential impact of a global green iron trade in terms of shifting energy demand between regions and in terms of cost savings by comparing three scenarios for a global near-zero GHG steel industry: The Domestic scenario, assuming strict regional co-location of green iron and steel production; The Max Trade scenario, assuming early emergence of a global green iron market and the Intermediate Trade scenario, assuming late emergence of a global green iron market. In the trade scenarios, 12-21% of global crude steel is produced from traded green iron in 2050. 15-26 Mt/a of hydrogen consumption is relocated to global “sweet spots”, resulting in cost savings of 2.2-3.9% of the global annual steel production costs, which can provide important support for the development of net zero steel production. Enablers and barriers for global green iron trade are discussed.

Investigating the impact of advertising spending on brand equity dimensions in Kosovo: A comprehensive market analysis

This research paper examines the impact of advertising spending on three crucial aspects of brand equity—brand awareness, perceived quality, and consumer purchase intention—in Kosovo's unique market environment. The study aims to offer a detailed analysis of both the actual advertising expenditures and consumers' perceptions of these expenditures, exploring their influence on brand-related metrics. This approach not only fills a significant gap in the literature concerning advertising spending in Kosovo—a developing economy facing substantial economic challenges—but also provides practical insights for businesses to optimize their advertising strategies even in times of economic downturns. The research encompasses a diverse array of 24 brands from sectors such as banking, microfinance, insurance, furniture retail, and supermarkets, thus presenting a comprehensive view of advertising's role in shaping consumer behavior. Employing a robust quantitative framework, the study integrates both secondary and primary data through statistical models like ordinary least squares and Probit, highlighting the strategic value of advertising investments and offering a contextually rich perspective on its effectiveness in enhancing brand equity elements within a challenging economic landscape.

The Importance of Green Marketing as a Market Tool for Consumption and Sustainable Awareness

The Importance of Green Marketing as a Market Tool for Consumption and Sustainable Awareness

Green Marketing, Brand Image dan Kualitas Produk: Faktor Kunci dalam Keputusan Pembelian The Body Shop di Surabaya

In the current era of globalization, global warming is one of the most frequently discussed environmental pollution problems. One of the main problems facing the world today is global warming. The influence of green marketing helps reduce the impact of global marketing, with the presence of green marketing indicating a change in people's behavior in consuming and using certain goods or services. One company that has implemented the green marketing concept with the aim of reducing the negative impact of plastic waste is The Body Shop. This research aims to evaluate the influence of Green Marketing, Brand Image, and Product Quality on Purchasing Decisions for The Body Shop in Surabaya. Data was collected through questionnaires distributed online using Google Forms to respondents. A total of 108 respondents from The Body Shop consumers in Surabaya participated in this research. The analysis technique used is a component-based SEM method with the smartPLS application. The research results show that Green Marketing has no influence on Purchasing Decisions, while Brand Image and Product Quality have a positive and significant influence on Purchasing Decisions for The Body Shop in Surabaya.

Learnings From an Innovative Model to Expand Access to a New and Underutilized Nonhormonal Contraceptive Diaphragm.

We document the effort over the last 30 years to respond to the call by women advocates at the International Conference on Population and Development for more woman-initiated single or dual-purpose contraceptive methods by developing the Caya contoured diaphragm, an innovative diaphragm designed to meet the needs of women and their partners and expand options for nonhormonal barrier contraception. We describe the complex and interrelated set of activities undertaken to develop the product using a human-centered design process and how we are working to create a corollary sustainable market. This review includes the evidence generated around improved acceptability among couples in low- and middle-income countries and depicts challenges and practical actions on how to dispel misconceptions about diaphragm use. Importantly, we share programmatic lessons learned on increasing universal access to this new sexual and reproductive health technology. Following our new model for increasing access to new and underutilized methods, Caya is now registered and being marketed in nearly 40 countries worldwide.

System friendliness of distributed resources in sustainable energy systems

The increasing share of volatile renewable energy generation in current and future energy systems which does not follow the demand, makes it necessary to shift the synchronization tasks to the system and demand level. The intended demand side consumption management is usually incentivized via financial mechanisms. However, the optimum design of related incentives is still unclear. It is usually discussed under the term “system friendliness” which in turn still lacks a broadly accepted definition. In this article we introduce a new technical definition of “system friendliness” and develop comprehensive and holistic related indicators. For that, we introduce the burden concept for energy systems which represents the amount of technical infrastructure required for stable operation. We use the concept of a hypothetical system energy storage to derive indicators that are capable of quantifying the system friendliness of a given point-of-interest. The developed indicators are independent of regulations or market environments which enables comparability of results between studies and different systems. In a case study we demonstrate our newly developed methodology and exemplary examine decentral district energy storages. Our findings demonstrate that today’s regulatory environments that usually support residential self-consumption maximization are counterproductive. Instead, we show that dynamic end-user prices coupled with dynamic feed in tariffs are able to incentivize an almost 100% system friendly behavior of distributed prosumers.

Exploring the risk dynamics of US green energy stocks: A green time-varying beta approach

Green investments play a crucial role in fighting climate change and facilitating the shift towards a low-carbon economy in line with goals of the Paris Agreement. This paper focuses on the U.S. green energy sector, analyzing its underlying risk dynamics, especially during crisis periods. In this paper, we employ a novel green energy time-varying beta (GETVB) to assess the risk profiles of U.S. green energy stocks across different market conditions. We have chosen NASDAQ Clean Edge Green Energy Index (CELS) as the U.S. green energy market index. We use Markov-switching and discrete-threshold-regression models to examine whether the GETVB varies across regimes and is affected by market stress. In particular, we examine if the market risk of these stocks itself exhibits higher volatility during regimes of stress. Our results show that the green stocks are apparently risky, with a GETVB most likely to lie between 1.2 and 1.6. However, these stocks turn out to be resilient against market volatility with the market stress having negligible impact on GETVB. This suggests an inherent robustness of green stocks against extreme market conditions. This resilience makes the U.S. green energy stocks a potential safe destination for investors during times of significant market volatility. Based on the results, we recommend that policymakers bolster support for green investments through enhanced tax incentives and subsidies, aiming to standardize the ESG metrics for increased transparency, and aligning the international financial flows with strategies that align with meeting the Paris Agreement targets.

Towards sustainable living: an investigation of the motivations behind green residential ownership in Malaysia

Purpose In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of green residential properties. This phenomenon indicates that the demand for environmentally friendly residential properties is rising. However, the true reasons behind the growing interest and investment in green residential properties remain poorly understood. When it comes to residential properties, assessing these benefits becomes more challenging and complex, as it is crucial to understand the motivations to invest in green residential properties. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify the component factors that motivate homebuyers to invest in green residential properties. Design/methodology/approach This research aims to address a research gap by identifying the component factors that motivate individuals to invest in green residential properties using a factor analysis approach. The authors gathered data by distributing an online questionnaire among 161 certified green residential owners in Selangor, Malaysia. Findings The results from the factor analysis revealed three components as the primary factors that motivate individuals to invest in green residential properties. The findings contribute significantly to the growing yet limited literature in this area of research. Research limitations/implications This research, however, set out to provide a context-specific motivation in Selangor as a limitation. Originality/value By understanding the motivations behind these investments, the research can encourage greater adoption of sustainable housing investment and guide developers and policymakers in offering better solutions for the green property market. The authors could facilitate informed decision-making and inspire positive change towards a future where sustainable housing becomes the norm.

A study of the effect of team diversity on employee innovative behavior: The mediating role of psychological capital

In today's extremely competitive market environment, employee innovative behavior determines the innovation ability of the enterprise, and the innovation ability of the enterprise determines whether the enterprise can survive and develop under brutal market competition; thus, enhancing employee innovative behavior becomes critical for the long-term survival and development of the enterprise.This paper delves into the theoretical mechanisms by which team diversity and psychological capital affect employee innovative behavior. It leverages social identity theory and conservation of resources theory to provide a comprehensive understanding of these research. The study suggests that psychological capital acts as a mediator in this relationship, serving as a key factor that connects the elements of team diversity with the outcomes of employee innovative behavior. To empirically validate the proposed research model, which connects team diversity, psychological capital, and employee innovative behavior, the study gathered data from a national survey, resulting in 387 valid responses. The analysis employed PLS-SEM to conduct reliability and validity assessments, as well as tests for direct and mediating effects. The research results show that team information diversity can directly and significantly affect employee innovative behavior, team underlying diversity does not directly influence employee innovative behavior; team informational diversity significantly impacts employees' self-efficacy, optimism, hope, and resilience, team underlying diversity significantly affects self-efficacy, optimism, and resilience, but not hope; Self-efficacy and hope do not influence employee innovative behavior, resilience and optimism significantly influence employee innovative behavior. optimism and resilience play a partially mediating role between team information diversity and employee innovative behavior; and optimism and resilience play a completely mediating role between team underlying diversity and employee innovative behavior.

Research on Marketing Strategy based on Social Media Big Data

With the rapid advancement of internet technologies, social media platforms have emerged as pivotal channels for information exchange and dissemination. The vast amounts of user-generated data provide businesses with unprecedented insights. The analysis of big data from social media allows for more precise and effective marketing strategies. This paper aims to explore the characteristics of big data from social media and analyze its applications in marketing strategies. By delving into data types, volumes, structures, and user behavior, it reveals the main challenges businesses face in big data applications and proposes corresponding solutions. Precision marketing, brand management, market trend forecasting, and crisis management are significant areas of application for big data in marketing. This paper, through a detailed examination of these strategies, highlights the potential and challenges of big data in contemporary marketing. Ultimately, it seeks to offer theoretical support and practical guidance for businesses on how to develop and implement effective marketing strategies in a big data-driven market environment.

A Winning Green Profile to Stay Ahead? Companies’ Green Value Chain Profiles Based on Competitive Advantage Attainment

The world is entering an era of net zero carbon emissions, and companies are under pressure from their stakeholders to be environmentally friendly or green. While companies must engage in greener operations, they also need to juggle their financial performance. Companies need guides on allocating their limited resources to embed green practices and achieve competitive advantage. Academic studies, thus far, have overlooked this. This study aims to fill the gap by studying companies’ green value chain profiles with different competitive advantage attainments. The 207 companies that responded to the survey are classified into four clusters based on their level of competitive advantage: no competitive advantage (cluster 1), only efficiency advantage (cluster 2), only value advantage (cluster 3), and both efficiency and value advantage (cluster 4). The results of variance analysis showed significant differences in eight out of nine value chain activities across the clusters, except green marketing and sales. Companies with competitive advantages demonstrate greater commitment to green activities, especially those from the value advantage-only and both competitive advantage groups. Between them, they embed green initiatives in different value chain activities. Interestingly, green marketing and sales is the only activity with no significant difference among the four clusters of companies, yet they committed the highest green initiatives to this activity. While this study reaffirms the positive impact of companies’ commitment to green initiatives on achieving competitive advantage, companies need to carefully strategize their level of commitment to green initiatives based on the competitive advantage they pursue.

Total Quality Management (TQM) Leads to Sustainable Marketing. A Study on Mama Earth

Total Quality Management (TQM) is a practice which believes in a companywide responsibility towards continuous improvement and maintenance of quality with the cooperation of employees through innovation in product and technology in order to meet changing requirements of the consumers. The concept of TQM has been accepted worldwide these days. By combining quality and sustainability management, organizations make sure that the products and services that are being produced are qualitative and also these have very negligible negative impact on our environment. Also they foster social equity and preserve natural resources for the future generations which are the main aim of sustainability. The main purpose of this paper is to find out the relationship between sustainable HR practice and sustainable marketing practice of Mama Earth by implementing Total Quality management (TQM). This paper provides an insight on how one of the leading personal care brands Mama Earth imbibes the concept Total Quality Management (TQM) as a sustainable HR practice which ultimately leads to the sustainable marketing activities. Mama Earth being a socially responsible product manufacturer is how far implementing TQM in all facets of organization, especially in Marketing the products is the objective of the study. Both secondary and primary data are collected to fulfill the above purpose. The study can further extend by studying the Impact of Sustainable marketing on consumers' loyalty.

An Empirical Assessment of India’s Position in Global Sustainable Bond Market

This study aims to examine India's position in the global green bond market and identify areas for improvement to develop its sustainable finance sector. Analysing data from the Luxembourg Green Exchange (1999-2024) and Indian market sources, including Securities and Exchange Board of India, National Stock Exchange, and Climate Bond Initiatives. Findings reveal that green bonds dominate the global market, with the Luxembourg Green Exchange showing the highest variability in bond coupons and maturity durations. In India, the private sector holds a significant 84% market share, with companies issuing various sustainable bonds. However, challenges persist, including lack of standardisation, limited investor awareness, and inadequate disclosure and reporting standards. Research findings have implications for policymakers, investors, and issuers, emphasising the importance of a supportive ecosystem for sustainable finance to flourish in India. Addressing the challenges and leveraging opportunities can help India unlock the full potential of its green bond market and contribute to global sustainable finance efforts. This study contributes to understanding India's green bond market and its potential for growth, highlighting the need for increased standardisation, transparency, and alignment with national and international best practices to develop India's sustainable finance sector.Copyright© 2024 The Author(s). This article is distributed under the terms of the license CC-BY 4.0., which permits any further distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

The Impact of the Digital Economy on the High-Quality Development of Green Marketing in China's Manufacturing Industry: Applications of the Spatial Durbin Model

The digital economy provides China's manufacturing industry with a pathway to establish new national competitive advantages and is an essential driving force for the high-quality advancement of green marketing. Utilizing data from 30 Chinese provinces from 2013 to 2022, this study employs the spatial Durbin model to investigate the spatial relationship between the digital economy and the advancement of green marketing at a high quality. The findings indicate that the growth of the digital economy significantly fosters high-quality development in green marketing and exhibits positive spatial spillover effects on neighboring regions. The Application of spatial Durbin regression to multi-province areas has revealed that the more economically developed the region, significantly influences of the digital economy on the high-quality development of green marketing, with a local siphoning phenomenon currently visible in the eastern region. The western region exhibits a spatially positive spillover effect from the high-quality development of green marketing in other regions. Furthermore, developing the digital economy in neighboring regions significantly enhances the high-quality development of green marketing in this region. The findings remain stable when evaluated using the alternative variables method and the control fixed effects approach.

The Relationship Between Sustainable Marketing and Customer Retention An Empirical Study on Customers of Telecom Companies in the Arab Republic of Egypt

خلفية الدراسة ومشكلتها: تحاول الدراسة استكشاف العلاقة بين التسويق المستدام والاحتفاظ بالعملاء. الأهداف: هدف هذا البحث إلى دراسة العلاقة بين التسويق المستدام والاحتفاظ بالعملاء، في مجال التطبيق وهو عملاء شركة الاتصالات في جمهورية مصر العربية. واعتمد البحث فلسفة المنهج الوضعي، ونظريتي التحليل الكمي والنوعي كمنهجية للبحث كمـا استخدم المدخل الاستنتاجي. الطرق المستخدمة: الأداة المستخدمة لجمع البيانات هي الاستبانة. وبالتالي، تم جمع (440) استبانةً قابلة للاستخدام إلكترونيًّا عبر قنوات التواصل الاجتماعي من العاملين بشركات الاتصالات في جمهورية مصر العربية. بالإضافة إلى استخدام برنامج SPSS لاستكشاف العلاقات السببية بين متغيّرات البحث. النتائج: تكشف النتائج أنّ التسويق المستدام له تأثير إيجابي على الاحتفاظ بالعميل. الاستنتاجات (التوصيات والمساهمة): بالإضافة إلى ذلك، فإنّ هذا البحث له أيضًا توصيات عملية ومبادئ توجيهية كبيرة لصناعة الاتصالات، وآثار نظرية للباحثين المهتمين بمتغيرات البحث.

Oil price shocks, sustainability index, and green bond market spillovers and connectedness during bear and bull market conditions

This study examines the spillover dynamics and interconnectedness amongst sustainability indices, green bond markets, and oil price shocks. Using data from June 2013 to February 2023, this study employs spillover index methodology to analyze the transmission of shocks and volatility. The findings reveal that there is time-varying connectedness between all variables, which evidences a significant boost during times of crisis and extreme circumstances. Furthermore, the North American and US sustainability indices, along with the SP500 Environmental, Social, and Governance (SP_ESG) index, act as significant transmitters of shocks and volatility to other markets under different market conditions. Conversely, the Asia-Pacific, emerging market, and European sustainability indices, along with the green bond index, have emerged as net volatility receivers. Additionally, the study highlights the role of oil risk shocks as a transmitter of volatility under normal and bullish market statuses, while becoming a receiver in the lower quantile. These results have noteworthy implications for understanding the interdependencies and risks within financial markets and provide insights for investors, policymakers, and market participants.

Promoting the use of geopolymer and alkali-activated materials through the identification of critical factors and strategies

Geopolymers (GP) and alkali-activated materials (AAMs) technology are emerging as eco-friendly and sustainable alternatives to traditional binders like Ordinary Portland cement (OPC), offering significant environmental benefits. Despite more than four decades of research and development, the commercial exploitation of GP and AAMs remains unrealised. In an attempt from this research paper to identify key success factors and limitations of this technology and propose strategies to exploit the available opportunities and address significant challenges hindering the widespread adoption of GP and AAMs in the global green construction market. The following comprehensive approach was undertaken to achieve the aforementioned objectives, this involved a thorough critical literature review and the formulation of a triple SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) - Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) - TOWS hybrid analysis. The results demonstrate that GP and AAMs are promising materials highlighting strengths derived from their remarkable performance and durability properties, as well as the potential opportunities for GP and AAMs to reduce the environmental impact by using by-products, particularly local ones “zero-kilometre”, aligns with the objectives of sustainability and the circular economy, compared to conventional materials. However, the findings confirm experts’ positive assessments of GP and AAMs technology, several barriers that could critically threaten their development and implementation. These barriers include the absence of standards, design complexity, feasibility and performance of the final product dependent on variation factors, and handling difficulties. Finally, a set of strategies has been established to implement GP and AAMs by encouraging adoption through the implementation of a regulatory framework supported by the government. These strategies include developing local codes and test methods, providing economic incentives, fostering cooperative research globally, and organizing awareness campaigns. This article will help to provide a solid foundation for future research aimed at resolving controversial issues related to the implementation of GP and AAMs technology and promoting a positive perception of GP and AAMs among all stakeholders and decision-makers.

Creating And Accelerating The Shift From Fossil Fuel Jobs To Green Energy Jobs

The green energy job market in the United States is growing consistently, whereas fossil fuel employment is declining. Green energy jobs have overtaken fossil fuel jobs in electric power generation (EPG), and they are beginning to command a presence in the fuels sector. Demand for green energy workers is very high, and green energy employers are having trouble finding qualified workers to fill their open positions. Real wages in green energy are increasing, the jobs are stable, and workers have more choice as to which parts of the US they want to live in. Meanwhile, workers are being pushed out of fossil fuel jobs, and this has caused fossil fuel dependent communities to languish. However, workers pushed out of fossil fuel industries are not shifting to green energy jobs, despite their attractive qualities. This is caused by numerous, major barriers. However, solutions are starting to form amongst major institutions such as the Brookings Institute and the New York Times, showcasing that there is a real problem and potential for opportunity in this area. A possible solution is to take this job transition online, consolidating the workers, employers, and necessary re-training in one place

Non-controlling shareholders' network and excess goodwill: Evidence from listed companies in China

This study investigates the impact of non-controlling shareholders' network on corporate excess goodwill using Chinese publicly listed companies from 2007 to 2020. We find that a stronger centrality of non-controlling shareholders' network leads to a significant decrease in excess goodwill resulting from mergers and acquisitions. This implies that the non-controlling shareholders' network has a significant inhibitory effect on the occurrence of goodwill bubbles. Mechanism analysis finds that non-controlling shareholders' network can inhibit excess goodwill thorough information effect, resource effect, and governance effect. Furthermore, this inhibitory effect is attributed to pressure-resistant institutional investors and individual investors, and is more pronounced in firms located in less developed intermediary market and legal system environment, as well as firms with lower audit quality. In summary, the non-controlling shareholders' network plays a positive role in curbing excess goodwill in listed companies.

Using DNPV to determine the economic viability of residential photovoltaic systems in Germany: Is the investment still worth it?

The conditions for photovoltaic investments have changed significantly in recent times. Declining subsidies and rising investment costs make these investments less attractive. In addition, electricity price uncertainty has risen sharply, making the economic benefit of using self-produced electricity from residential photovoltaic systems risky. This paper provides a novel framework to determine the financial attractiveness of such investments using the Decoupled Net Present Value (DNPV) method, which allows for a systematic and consistent consideration of the individual risks inherent in these investments. Furthermore, an extensive survey of the relevant current market parameters is performed to validate the common opinion that residential photovoltaic investments are generally advantageous. It turns out that in the current market environment in Germany, residential photovoltaic systems are not economically viable under most conditions. The system evaluated in this case study with a common size of 10 kWp leads to a negative DNPV of -1,664 €. This results in a compelling need for action for political decision-makers in order not to jeopardize the ambitious goals for the expansion of power generation from renewable energy sources.