Intermediate Services Research Articles

Global trade networks bring targeted opportunity for energy-related CH4 emission mitigation.

Recent literature highlights the contributions the global energy sector has made to anthropogenic CH4 emissions, calling for immediate action. However, extant studies have failed to reveal the energy-related CH4 emissions induced by global trades of intermediate and final commodities or services. This paper traces fugitive CH4 emissions via global trade networks using the multi-regional input-output and complex network models. Results show that approximately four-fifths of global fugitive CH4 emissions in 2014 were associated with international trade, of which 83.07% and 16.93% were embodied in the intermediate and final trades, respectively. Japan, India, the USA, South Korea, and Germany were the world's five largest net importers of embodied fugitive CH4 emissions, while Indonesia, Russia, Nigeria, Qatar, and Iran were the five largest net exporters. Gas-related embodied emission transfers were the largest in both the intermediate and the final trade networks. The fugitive CH4 emissions embodied within the intermediate and final trade networks were all characterized by five trading communities. The virtual fugitive CH4 emission transfers via intermediate trade were largely determined by global energy trade patterns, especially the trade in regionally integrated crude oil and natural gas. Significant heterogeneity was revealed by the coexistence of numerous loosely linked economies and several hub economies (e.g., China, Germany, the USA, and South Africa). Interventions on the demand side of interregional and intraregional trade partners in different communities and hub economies will bring targeted opportunities for global energy-related CH4 emission reduction.

Internet Finance and Risk-Taking of City Commercial Banks: Evidence From China

China’s urban commercial banks are more likely to face risks with the rapid development of Internet finance. However, few studies unfold the impact of Internet finance on the risk-taking level of urban commercial banks and explore their role path in depth. To study the relationship between the two and their path of action, this paper takes 62 city commercial banks in China from 2011 to 2020 as research objects and makes empirical tests by Stata. The intermediary effect model is used to study its impact path from the perspectives of assets, liabilities, and intermediate services. The conclusions are as follows: (1) Internet finance aggravates the risk-taking of urban commercial banks; (2) This effect shows heterogeneity in listed and non-listed, trans-region and non-trans-region urban commercial banks; (3) Net interest margin, debt structure, and non-interest income show the mediating effect when Internet finance affects the risk-taking of urban commercial banks. The results are beneficial for urban commercial banks to change their business strategies with their characteristics and achieve sustainable and healthy development.

Does Reshoring Generate Employment? A Study on Services Reshoring and Its Intra- and Inter-Sectoral Components

The aim of this paper is to deepen the analysis of services reshoring in the Spanish services sector, both as a whole and for its constituent elements, examining both intra- and inter-sectoral components. Likewise, it analyzes the impact of this strategy on employment in the services sector, also differentiating between broad reshoring, intra-sectoral reshoring and inter-sectoral reshoring. The data used come from the Input-Output Tables of the Spanish National Accounts published since 2000. The results show Spanish service companies significantly reduced their contracting of activities abroad between 2008 and 2010, substituting foreign intermediate services for domestic services. This process of reshoring is observed with greater intensity in inputs of the same sector. However, since 2010 Spanish service companies have slightly increased their contracting of foreign services per unit of output, adopting new services offshoring strategies, although to a lesser extent than in the period prior to the recession. In the analysis of the effect of reshoring on services employment can be concluded that services reshoring has not generated employment in the Spanish service sector.

PREDICTING THE EFFECT OF SERVITIZATION ON CUSTOMER LOYALTY: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM EMERGING ECONOMY CONTEXT

The tangible and imitable nature of products has led to the commoditization of most manufactured goods. Manufacturing companies have recognized servitization as a strategic solution to avoid falling into the trap of product commoditization. This study examines the relationship between servitization and customer loyalty in indigenous cable manufacturing firms in Anambra State. Four hypotheses and research questions, formulated in line with the research objective, guide the study. A survey research design was adopted, and the primary instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire. Data were collected from 270 customers across three cable manufacturing firms in Southeast Nigeria. The collected data were sorted, coded, and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25, and the study hypotheses were tested using multiple regression analysis. The study found a significant positive effect for advanced services, while basic services had a significant negative effect. However, the effect of intermediate services was not significant. It is concluded that servitization can increase customer loyalty, although its contribution is minimal. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that advanced services have the highest positive impact on customer loyalty. Based on the findings, the study recommends, among other things, that firms seeking to servitize should provide advanced services to customers to increase loyalty. Additionally, they should offer product support and consulting services, as well as provide technical training and seminars to help customers achieve their goals while using their products.

OA23 Improving the biopsychosocial assessment and management of patients with fibromyalgia: developing a digital pre-clinic assessment tool

Abstract Background/Aims Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a common and complex condition with multiple symptoms. Delivering biopsychosocial assessment and tailored management, following EULAR recommendations, is difficult due to constraints on clinic appointments. A previous audit found that only 8% of our patients with FMS were referred to a specialist rehabilitation programme and medication was the primary management recommendation in 65%. We used quality improvement (QI) methods to improve this. Methods A QI project was carried out with three plan, do, study, act (PDSA) cycles over 5 years (2018-2022) with the aim of improving the recording of a quantitative and qualitative assessment of pain, function, and psychosocial impact of symptoms (minimum of 80% of encounters). The proportion of consultations that documented advice on physical activity/sleep/psychological interventions, recommended medication changes, provision of written information and referral to a pain management programme was calculated. Following each cycle, a sample of consultations conducted over a 3-month period were evaluated: Cycle 1 - ‘Moving 4ward’ booklet. An assessment booklet completed by patients and clinicians at the appointment including validated screening tools, information regarding previous treatments, summary of the medical assessment, information about FMS and treatment options leading to a shared action plan. Cycle 2 - Pilot of a digital pre-clinic assessment tool (digitalising the ‘Moving 4ward’ booklet). Link sent to patients using Microsoft Forms. Results accessed by the clinician via an Excel spreadsheet during the appointment. Cycle 3 - Complete digitalisation of the pre-clinic assessment tool. Automated interpretation of results and production of a report uploaded to patient notes using an inhouse rheumatology database, RhADIO. The report includes results of screening tools, patient history as well as targeted signposting and management advice to the clinician and patient. Results There was an improvement in the recording of quantitative and qualitative assessment of patients with FMS across all domains (pain, function, psychological) following each cycle. In the final cycle, 100% of patients diagnosed with FMS had quantitative measures recorded on their notes and greater than 80% had qualitative assessments recorded for pain and function. The interventions resulted in an improvement across each of the recorded management approaches in adherence to EULAR recommendations: 95% of patients were referred to a multidisciplinary pain rehabilitation service in 2022 compared to 8% at baseline. More patients were given advice on physical activity and sleep and provided written information regarding their diagnosis. Conclusion The project team has been able to improve the assessment and management of patients with FMS based on EULAR recommendations. Appointments are more targeted and tailored to the needs of patients based on information provided via the digital pre-clinic tool. Future work will consider how this digital tool may support all clinicians across the integrated care system in primary care, intermediate services and secondary care. Disclosure A. Saif: None. A. Wall: None. Y. Kang: None. J. Nicholas: None. R. Luqmani: None. A. Soni: None.

Compounded Markups in Complex Market Structures

Using a publicly available input-output database that covers 44 countries and 56 industries, I show that most prices are, on average, two to three times higher than the natural costs of production, costs that include a normal rate of return to capital. The novelty in this research is the argument that the true markups are compounded—they incorporate the markups already existing in the intermediate goods and services (inputs) that a company purchases in a vertical chain of production. A complex market structure, one in which companies sell and purchase intermediate products from each other in both horizontal and vertical directions, is the perfect environment for inflating a price well above its natural level. This research may help understanding the true extent of market power. Market power has a substantial impact in such matters as income inequality, standard of living, and economic development. Keywords: complex market structure, compounded markup, monopoly pricing, world input-output tables

Conceptually Related Smart Cities Services from the Perspectives of Governance and Sociotechnical Systems in Europe

The absence of a comprehensive smart city governance model has prompted research into the characteristics of the relationships among cities, services, and stakeholders. This study aims to identify, from the perspectives of governance and sociotechnical systems, the characteristics of conceptually related smart city service implementations based on stakeholder partnerships. Social network analysis was utilized based on existing research datasets. Stakeholders, services, and representative European sustainable smart cities were included in the dataset in relation to this study’s operational definition. The first finding is that the initial conceptually related smart city services are reflected in the accumulated and current characteristics of the smart city services. These depend on stakeholder partnerships, while the network foundation differs between the initial and latter services. The second finding clarifies how different development services depend on stakeholder partnerships and how multiple stakeholders, including local entities, are vital to deal with current challenges in massive urbanizations. The third finding demonstrates the emerging roles of private sectors and some intermediate services in the global network of cities. This study contributes to the management of smart cities by identifying how service development occurs based on stakeholder partnerships and contributes to their theoretical basis by empirically demonstrating the importance of multi-stakeholder partnerships to address current urbanization challenges.

At the Confluence of Artificial Intelligence and Edge Computing in IoT-Based Applications: A Review and New Perspectives.

Given its advantages in low latency, fast response, context-aware services, mobility, and privacy preservation, edge computing has emerged as the key support for intelligent applications and 5G/6G Internet of things (IoT) networks. This technology extends the cloud by providing intermediate services at the edge of the network and improving the quality of service for latency-sensitive applications. Many AI-based solutions with machine learning, deep learning, and swarm intelligence have exhibited the high potential to perform intelligent cognitive sensing, intelligent network management, big data analytics, and security enhancement for edge-based smart applications. Despite its many benefits, there are still concerns about the required capabilities of intelligent edge computing to deal with the computational complexity of machine learning techniques for big IoT data analytics. Resource constraints of edge computing, distributed computing, efficient orchestration, and synchronization of resources are all factors that require attention for quality of service improvement and cost-effective development of edge-based smart applications. In this context, this paper aims to explore the confluence of AI and edge in many application domains in order to leverage the potential of the existing research around these factors and identify new perspectives. The confluence of edge computing and AI improves the quality of user experience in emergency situations, such as in the Internet of vehicles, where critical inaccuracies or delays can lead to damage and accidents. These are the same factors that most studies have used to evaluate the success of an edge-based application. In this review, we first provide an in-depth analysis of the state of the art of AI in edge-based applications with a focus on eight application areas: smart agriculture, smart environment, smart grid, smart healthcare, smart industry, smart education, smart transportation, and security and privacy. Then, we present a qualitative comparison that emphasizes the main objective of the confluence, the roles and the use of artificial intelligence at the network edge, and the key enabling technologies for edge analytics. Then, open challenges, future research directions, and perspectives are identified and discussed. Finally, some conclusions are drawn.

Розвиток машинобудування в Україні: тенденції і загрози

The article provides a comprehensive scientific and analytical justification of the causes and consequences of problematic functioning of machine-building industries in Ukraine. The negative impact of economic globalization (the manifestations of which were the expansion of free trade zones, that is, the reduction or abolition of tariff and non-tariff barriers between countries, the promotion of offshoring and the increase of tolling operations) on the quantitative and qualitative indicators of the activity of domestic machine-building enterprises, in particular: gross added value, production, export and import. The destructive transformation of the structure of the Ukrainian machine-building industry since 2014 in terms of machine-building industries is shown. The sharp reduction (almost by 50%) of high-tech exports from Ukraine and, at the same time, the growth of the share of products manufactured on the basis of raw materials are emphasized. A comparative (with some EU countries) assessment of investment and innovation processes in Ukrainian engineering was carried out, in particular, the technological structure of capital investments, production and export of innovative engineering products were investigated. The gradual transformation of the Ukrainian engineering industry from an integral strategic sector of the national economy to separate segments of the supply of intermediate consumption products and services to foreign markets has been established. It has been empirically proven that a direct consequence of the negative trends in the development of domestic machine-building industries was the deterioration of socio-economic indicators, in particular, a reduction in employment, a decrease in the level of labor productivity, and a decrease in wages. The urgent need for active actions of the state in the direction of ensuring the development of mechanical engineering in Ukraine (primarily its defense segment) in order to counteract the further "agrarianization" of the national economy, and instead to rebuild it on the basis of neo-industrialization and technological self-sufficiency, is substantiated.

955. Improving Pharmacist Access to Training in Antimicrobial Stewardship in Latin American Countries: Partnership between the Pharmaceutical Forum of the Americas (PFA) and the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists (SIDP)

Abstract Background Antimicrobial stewardship programs (AMS) in Latin America have varying degrees of development. One significant barrier is the lack of clinical pharmacists with specialized training in infectious diseases, as there are no residency programs or certifications available to train pharmacists in AMS in Latin America. To overcome this limitation and based on the roadmap for antimicrobial resistance action from the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), the PFA established a partnership with SIDP to support specialized training and mentoring in AMS for pharmacists working in Latin America. Herein, we describe characteristics of this innovative program and its initial participants. Methods Pharmacist members of associations belonging to the PFA (9 Latin American countries) were invited to apply for the SIDP AMS Certificate Program (SIDP-CP) with additional mentoring. Selection was based on current employment status, support from hospital leadership, and an intermediate level of English. A 14-item survey was disseminated to the participants of this program and responses were collected in March 2022, at the beginning of their SIDP-CP. The survey collected information on demographics, characteristics of the AMS at their hospital, experience with AMS to-date, and support requirements to finish the SIDP-CP. Results The description of the SIDP-CP can be found in Figure 1. Surveys were completed by 11/12 (91.7%) program participants: 6 (54.5%) from Costa Rica, 4 (36.4%) from Colombia, and 1 (9.1%) from Argentina. Seven (63.6%) pharmacists work in hospitals with a formally approved AMS, with 6 providing basic and 1 reporting intermediate AMS services. None of the pharmacists have positions dedicated exclusively to AMS, and the majority of those surveyed work ≤ 25% of their time on AMS-related activities. In addition to completing the SIDP-CP, participants indicated high interest in attending periodic virtual meetings to increase their knowledge of how to implement, strengthen, or begin research in AMS. Conclusion Incorporating antimicrobial stewardship in all healthcare institutions worldwide is vital in the fight to slow antimicrobial resistance. Partnerships like this one between PFA and SIDP can inform future planning for expansion of AMS training. Disclosures José Pablo Díaz-Madriz, PharmD, MSc, Eli Lilly: Stocks/Bonds|Pfizer: Advisor/Consultant Melissa D. Johnson, PharmD, MHS, AAHIVP, Charles River Laboratories: Grant/Research Support|Entasis: Honoraria|Merck: Grant/Research Support|Pfizer: Honoraria|Scynexis: Grant/Research Support|Theratechnologies: Honoraria|UpToDate: Honoraria Scott J. Bergman, PharmD, BCIDP, FCCP, FIDSA, Merck & Co., Inc: Advisor/Consultant|Merck & Co., Inc: Grant/Research Support|Merck & Co., Inc: Honoraria|Pfizer: Advisor/Consultant|Pfizer: Honoraria.

Determinants of Growth in Mexico and Brazil Between 2003 and 2018: A Demand-led Decomposition of Growth Using Input-output Tables

ABSTRACT The main objective of this work is to carry out a demand-led growth decomposition for Brazil and Mexico so as to identify the main growth drivers and how the import structure has affected Brazilian and Mexican GDP growth between 2003 and 2018. We use the attribution (Dutch) method because it explains the contribution of each final demand component considering the import structure of intermediate and final goods and services required by each final demand component. The database used the national Input-Output Tables (IOTs) for both countries. We find that compared to the net-exports method, the external sector's contribution is underestimated for both countries, while the domestic contribution is overestimated. Furthermore, regarding the attribution method, the external sector is more important for Mexico than for Brazil, not because of its size in the final demand, but because it was the component that grew the most in the period. For Brazil, the domestic sector was the most crucial determinant of growth, especially household consumption.

Intermediate care in caring for dementia, the point of view of general practitioners: A key informant survey across Europe.

Intermediate care is often defined as healthcare occurring somewhere between traditional primary (community) and secondary (hospital) care settings. High quality intermediate care is important in dementia, may prevent caregiver burnout and also lead to optimal care for people with dementia. However, very little is known about the point of intermediate care for persons with dementia in Europe. What intermediate care services exist and how are they utilized in the care of people with dementia in Europe? This study aims at describing the point of view of General Practitioners on intermediate care services for people with dementia across Europe. Key informant survey was sent to GPs via a self-developed questionnaire with space for open ended comments. 16 European countries participated to this cross-sectional mixed method study. Given the volunteer nature of the study, no minimum sample size requirements were applied to participation. Convenience sampling technique was used to address variations due to regional variations and regulations within the same country. Descriptive analyses of all intermediate care facilities groups by countries were performed. Qualitative analyses approach was used for the optional-free text to exemplify and/or complete the reasons contained in the closed response categories. The questionnaire was sent to 16 European countries. 583 questionnaires were analyzed. The responding physicians were 48 (± 11) years old on average and they had been in practice for an average of 18 (+ /11) years. The types of intermediate care considered were integrated at-home services, respite and relief services, day care centers and nursing homes. Their availability was considered very inhomogeneous by the majority of respondents. The main benefits of intermediate care cited were better medical care for the patient (78%), better quality of life for the caregiver (67%), prevention of the caregiver burden (73%) and a break for the caregiver (59%). The reported difficulties were: accessing these facilities due to limited financial support (76%) and cumbersome administrative procedures (67%). Many other facets of our findings were captured in the qualitative themes that emerged. Intermediate care in Europe is diverse and heterogeneous. Major concerns of GPs are about the cost issues and the cumbersome administrative procedures to access them.

Managerial Coase theorem: evidence from China

PurposeThis paper aims to take a step in this direction and use the high dimensional fixed effects and quantile regression discontinuity design to test the managerial Coase theorem, which provides an institutional perspective for us to gauge the impact of private property rights on firm performance and the effect of management costs on intermediate inputs.Design/methodology/approachThis study first uses high dimensional regression discontinuity designs to examine the impact of privatization on firm performance in China between 1998 and 2013.FindingsResults indicate that privatization effects increase average outputs of the firm by around 10% given lower management costs, and management costs increase intermediate inputs by more than 50% points. Using data from annual surveys to test managerial Coase theorem, the authors show that management costs negatively affect the marginal effect of privatization on the average outputs of the firm. The positive impact on the investment in intermediate goods and services is larger in magnitude under higher management costs.Originality/valueThe authors develop the managerial Coase theorem. Today, given lower management costs, private property rights provide an incentive structure for a firm to maximize the value of the assets and expand the boundaries.

The Contribution of Manufactured Exports and R&D to Industrial Growth in Jordan

This paper examines the impact of exports and R&D on the industrial growth in Jordan for the sample period 2009-2017, using micro-level panel data (2-Digit SIC). It uses the generalized Cobb-Douglass Production function. Industrial growth is assumed to be a function of industrial exports, spending on R and D, consumption from intermediate goods, consumption from intermediate services, and employees' compensations. Two seemingly unrelated Regression models have been estimated. The first model is based on dividing industries according to the ratio of export-to-production (Greater than 20, 10-20%, and less than 10%), while the second model is based on the ratio of spending on R&D to revenue (Greater than 1.25%, 0.5-1.25%, less than 0.5. The results reveal evidence supporting the export-led growth in the industries which export 10 percent or more of their production. On the other hand, R & D provided no significant impact on industrial growth in all equations, except in the industries where the percent of R & D varies between 0.5-1.25%, reflecting that most industries invest little in research and R&D.

Decoupling degrees of China's economic growth from three-perspective carbon emissions

Responsible for 28% of global carbon emissions (since 2012), China's actions to carbon emission mitigation are critical to achieving the net-zero ambition globally. Since aggressive actions on emission mitigation always involving the risk of economic losses, it is vital to examining the trade-off between mitigation policies and economic development. Here, we examined the extent to which the economic growth is decoupled from three-perspective emissions, i.e., production-, consumption- and income-based emissions. Results showed that 90%, 73% and 80% of Chinese provinces have achieved decoupling of GDP from production-, consumption- and income-based emissions during 2012–2017. We also investigated and compared dominant drivers (economic structure, emission intensity, per capita GDP, and population size) of emission changes among four types of provinces. Emission intensity was identified as the most important driver in terms of emission mitigation, while per capita GDP and population were the major ones adversely affecting emission mitigation. We put forward different mitigation suggestions for these provinces. Provinces, achieving three-perspective decoupling, should sustain technological improvement of key industrial enterprises. Downstream provinces that are still coupled from consumption-based emissions should adjust their consumption structure and consuming less emission-intensive products from upstream sectors. Upstream provinces, still coupled from income-based emissions, should adjust their allocation behaviors, e.g., distributing their primary or intermediate goods and services to low-carbon producers. Government should also adjust the rates of taxes and subsidies on products, and the rates of loans to the upstream producers. Provinces, still coupled from three-perspective emissions, should invest more in cleaner production technologies and promote applications to emission-intensive industries.

Knowledge Spillovers, Entrepreneurial Ecosystems and the Geography of High Growth Firms

Knowledge created outside the firm, but within the same region, is a key enabler of high-growth firms. This paper develops an entrepreneurial ecosystems conceptual framework focussing on knowledge spillovers and regional absorptive capacity, to account for interregional differences in high-growth firm rates. This is tested using panel data from 378 regions in Great Britain. Knowledge creation (SME-engaging and research-intensive universities, innovative firms) and knowledge spillovers (primarily through vertically related industries) reveal to be of key importance. Other key regional enablers of high growth firms pertain to entrepreneurship culture, talent, intermediate services, networks, finance and demand growth.

Optimising the balance of acute and intermediate care capacity for the complex discharge pathway: Computer modelling study during COVID-19 recovery in England.

ObjectivesWhile there has been significant research on the pressures facing acute hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been less interest in downstream community services which have also been challenged in meeting demand. This study aimed to estimate the theoretical cost-optimal capacity requirement for ‘step down’ intermediate care services within a major healthcare system in England, at a time when considerable uncertainty remained regarding vaccination uptake and the easing of societal restrictions.MethodsDemand for intermediate care was projected using an epidemiological model (for COVID-19 demand) and regressing upon public mobility (for non-COVID-19 demand). These were inputted to a computer simulation model of patient flow from acute discharge readiness to bedded and home-based Discharge to Assess (D2A) intermediate care services. Cost-optimal capacity was defined as that which yielded the lowest total cost of intermediate care provision and corresponding acute discharge delays.ResultsIncreased intermediate care capacity is likely to bring about lower system-level costs, with the additional D2A investment more than offset by substantial reductions in costly acute discharge delays (leading also to improved patient outcome and experience). Results suggest that completely eliminating acute ‘bed blocking’ is unlikely economical (requiring large amounts of downstream capacity), and that health systems should instead target an appropriate tolerance based upon the specific characteristics of the pathway.ConclusionsComputer modelling can be a valuable asset for determining optimal capacity allocation along the complex care pathway. With results supporting a Business Case for increased downstream capacity, this study demonstrates how modelling can be applied in practice and provides a blueprint for use alongside the freely-available model code.

What are the common areas of risk and their characteristics found in intermediate care from an occupational therapy perspective? A scoping review

Introduction Engaging with risk is a certain and unavoidable part of occupational therapy. Intermediate care services are mostly accessed by older people with complex needs, yet little is known in the literature about the extent, type and nature of risk involved in these services. Method A scoping review was systematically conducted to map the common areas of risk (risk domains) from an occupational therapy perspective. Thematic analysis was conducted in order to identify the risk characteristics related to the literature reviewed. Results 25 journal articles were identified and arranged into 10 risk domains: Falls, discharge, practice errors, activities of daily living, pressure care, frailty management, patient handling, loneliness, nutritional care and language barriers. Three risk characteristics were identified: (1) Risk awareness and identifying risk, (2) decision-making under risk and (3) improving safety. Conclusion Occupational therapists play a diverse role in migrating risk for older people which is not fully explored beyond addressing deficits in functional ability and hazardous environments. The process of how risk is controlled and reconciled with occupation and how positive risk-taking is facilitated are implicit and not directly addressed within the literature reviewed. The findings reveal gaps in knowledge and provide a foundation for further research.

Under which conditions do manufacturing companies choose FDI for service provision in foreign markets? An investigation using fsQCA

Studying the provision of services from the point of view of manufacturing firms has been highlighted by many researchers in different fields. Besides, research on international business on the internationalization of either goods or services is vast, but rare on the combination thereof. While some studies have shown that firm-, country- and offering-specific factors can influence the foreign operation mode (FOM) of goods-related services, only a few have examined how these factors interrelate. The purpose of this study is to detect different configurations of conditions leading to a same decision. To answer this, the present study draws on the configurational approach and examines how combinations of different conditions lead to the choice of foreign direct investment (FDI) for service provision.A state-of-the-art fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) is applied to a sample of 111 Swiss and German industrial goods manufacturers. Choosing FDI for the provision of goods in foreign markets constitutes a necessary condition for service FDI. From the sufficiency analysis, several causal paths are detected. Companies with a servitization strategy choose FDI for their service resources only in digitally ready countries. The results furthermore show that differences between base, intermediate and advanced services exist. Also, the digital readiness of the country is found to be an important influence factor on the FDI decision.

Mapping the changes of CH4 emissions in global supply chains

This study aims to identify methane (CH4) emission flows along global supply chains from both production- and consumption-based perspectives and their temporal changes from 2000 to 2014. We employed the structural path analysis (SPA) method to examine the embodied CH4 emission trade through inter-sectoral and inter-regional supply chains. Production activities in the sector of Agriculture (such as crop and animal production) and consumption activities in Construction (such as infrastructure) were the most significant contributors to global CH4 emission increases during 2000–2014. Agriculture and Mining (such as coal mining) accounted for large shares of global embodied CH4 trade at the final consumption tier (i.e., the trade of final goods or services), while Food (such as beverages and tobacco) and Heavy manufacturing (such as steel or automobile manufacturing) were significant contributors to embodied CH4 emissions in the trade of intermediate goods or services directly used to produce final goods or services. This finding highlights the different potential of the sectors for CH4 abatement along global supply chains. The United States imported the most embodied CH4 emissions from foreign areas in 2000 in contrast to China, which dominated imports in 2014. Over 80% of China's embodied CH4 emissions in 2014 were related to intermediate production along global supply chains due to industrial upgrading. India surpassed China as the largest direct emitter for producing final goods or services. Given the critical role of non-CO2 greenhouse gases in global climate change, the spatiotemporal changes of CH4 emissions in global supply chains can help explore the justified allocation of reduction responsibility between countries and sectors connected by the chains.