Large Companies Research Articles

ChatGPT discovery of green image damaging information for large production companies

Language models, particularly transformer-based architectures like ChatGPT, have gained significant attention due to their ability to comprehend and generate human-like text. These capabilities are leveraged to retrieve Green Image Damaging (GID) information about a randomized sample of about 400 of the largest production companies. For each sample company prompts to ChatGPT are used to discover and retrieve information of five company topics: CO2 compensation, greenwashing, environmental scandals, noncompliance with environmental legislation and standards, and legal actions related to environmental violations. Through corresponding data analysis, the study explores differences in extents of GID information for regions and industry sectors using the NACE classification scheme. Based on the extent of obtained information the sample is divided into companies where GID information is discovered and companies without GID information. The two groups are compared in terms of company size and ESG scores. Among other results the data analysis suggests that companies with GID information are larger and have significantly better ESG scores than the companies without GID information.

Exploring Differences in Leadership Behaviors and in the Perceived Work Environment Between Younger and Older Managers in a Swedish Mining Company

AbstractThis study examines differences in leadership behaviors and in the perceived work environment between older and younger managers in a large Swedish mining company. The leadership behaviors and work environment of young managers in the mining industry will become more important in the future due to the changes taking place in the industry. Such changes include the older generation of managers reaching retirement age, while the industry generally finds it difficult to recruit a younger generation of employees. Moreover, rapid technology-centered transition, such as the green transition of the mining industry, is underway which may put young managers in particular under pressure. Meanwhile, research on young managers in the mining industry more broadly is sparse. Data for this study was mainly gathered via a questionnaire, complemented by data from interviews. The questionnaire included 48 validated self-rate questions on background variables, social and organizational working conditions, health, and leadership behavior. The survey was answered by 216 managers (response rate: 63%). Interviews were carried out with ten young managers (35 years or younger). The study found no statistically significant differences between younger and older managers with regards to workload, working hours, health, and work satisfaction. We found that older managers rate themselves higher, at a statistically significant level, for change-oriented leadership behaviors. However, when age is analyzed together with other variables that are significantly different between the two groups, only managerial experience and managerial positions show statistically significant associations with change-oriented and healthy and effective leadership behaviors. The interviews indicate that the young managers encounter challenges that are related to their experience and training, but few are related to their age. Given the influence of managerial experience on leadership behaviors, leadership training appears to be an important area of intervention, and conditions must be improved to enable change-oriented leadership among managers in the mining industry, with a greater focus on young managers.

Knowledge sharing as a cornerstone for sustainability: the dual mediating roles of job engagement and meaningful work

Purpose This study, grounded in social exchange theory, aims to explore the relationship between knowledge sharing and organizational sustainability, with a particular focus on the dual mediating roles of job-related psychological factors, specifically job engagement and meaningful work. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 373 employees across six large companies in South Korea. The study then used Model 6 of Hayes’ PROCESS hierarchical regression of SPSS 29 for hypothesis testing. Findings The study reveals a strong connection between knowledge sharing and its positive influence on employee job engagement and the perception of meaningful work, both of which play essential mediating roles in promoting organizational sustainability. The findings emphasize the critical importance of knowledge sharing in driving sustainability efforts, showing how the interplay between job engagement and meaningful work significantly enhances these outcomes. Originality/value This research contributes to social exchange theory by demonstrating the dual mediating roles of job engagement and meaningful work between knowledge sharing and sustainability.

Spor Lesů České republiky, s. p., se správními orgány o včasnou reakci na kůrovcovou kalamitu

The bark beetle calamity that hit the Czech Republic has been reflected, among other things, in the approach of administrative authorities and courts reviewing administrative acts. The article is an expert report that provides information on the judgment of the Municipal Court in Prague, which reflects the current approach of the courts to the assessment of offences consisting in neglect of forest care during the bark beetle calamity. The example of the state entity shows how this entity uses technical and professional security in the case of forest care during a bark beetle calamity. By analyzing the court decision, it was concluded that it is necessary to strictly comply with the obligations of the forest manager or owner to ensure forest protection against bark beetle calamity, but it should not become a precedent against small owners who do not have the personnel and technical capabilities of large forestry companies. According to the conclusions, it is evident that the court decision imposes high requirements on the forest owner, which the small owner is not able to meet. The article invites a discussion on whether the state should take a more active role in measures against bark beetle calamities.

Exploring barriers to Quality 4.0 implementation: a multivariate analysis

PurposeIndustry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies and practices are changing the way quality is managed in organizations, giving rise to the movement known as “Quality 4.0” (Q4.0). In this context, this study aims to analyze the barriers organizations face when trying to implement Q4.0 and to examine whether there are significant differences according to size, sector, level of excellence and degree of readiness for Q4.0 implementation.Design/methodology/approachThe sample comprises 107 Spanish organizations with some form of European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) excellence recognition system. The methodology includes multivariate techniques (factor analysis and mean difference analysis).FindingsThe study has managed to summarize the ten main barriers to the implementation of Q4.0 identified in the literature in three groups: organizational (five barriers), knowledge (two barriers) and technological (three barriers). The main barriers are the high investment in technology required to implement Q4.0 and the need for more training and competence of workers. In addition, SMEs encounter more significant technological barriers when implementing Q4.0 than large companies. However, organizational and knowledge barriers are the same. Organizations in the service sector come across more organizational and knowledge barriers to implementing Q4.0 than industrial organizations; no differences were identified for technological barriers. The higher the EFQM seal of excellence achieved, the lower the knowledge barriers faced, with no differences in organizational and technological barriers. Finally, it is observed that the more prepared organizations are to implement Q4.0, the lower the barriers they face.Research limitations/implicationsThe study helps managers identify the barriers they may encounter when implementing Q4.0, which helps design short- and long-term plans to mitigate or break down these barriers.Originality/valueThe study provides empirical evidence on an organization’s barriers to implementing Q4.0. On the other hand, the barriers are related to some of the relevant characteristics that define the organizations, such as their size, the sector of activity, their level of excellence and their degree of preparation for implementing Q4.0.

Influence of macroeconomic factors on construction costs: an analysis of project cases

This study explores the relationship between price increase and project cost increase under macroeconomic shocks by considering the hierarchical structure within price categories, diversification of the cost breakdown structure, infrastructure sector, delivery system, construction methods, and type of bid. The analysis of a large construction company with five large projects as embedded units of analysis reveals significant variations in the relative influence of specific factors across the projects. Unit price categories located higher in the hierarchical breakdown structure display lower vulnerability to macroeconomic changes due to their unique and group-specific influencing factors while price categories influenced by macroeconomic factors depart at lower values in the hierarchical structure. Projects with low-cost breakdown structure diversification can either mitigate or exacerbate cost increases depending on construction methods (off-site or on-site), price drivers of most representative materials (global or local), and delivery systems risk allocation. Under macroeconomic crisis periods, public entities may consider giving high priority to projects more reliant on materials driven by regional dynamics (e.g., concrete pouring) over those driven by global market conditions (e.g., steel, aluminum) while prioritizing integrated delivery systems (e.g., design-build) that promote enhanced collaboration, proactive risk management, aligned incentives, and adaptability for managing complexities and volatilities. Complementary, for projects with higher reliance on global market-driven materials, the results suggest that contractors should prioritize early procurement and acquisition of highly volatile resources in projects under macroeconomic crises.

The Influence of Audit Tenure, Audit Rotation, Public Accounting Firm Size, and Audit Opinion on Audit Quality (Study of Large Trading Companies Listed on the Indonesian Stock Exchange)

The purpose of this study was to examine the Influence of audit tenure, audit rotation, size of the public accounting firm (KAP), and audit opinion on audit quality. This research data analysis method uses quantitative analysis techniques and purposive sampling, namely determining the research sample using 20 out of 47 samples of large trading companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (BEI) in the period 2020 to 2022. The method used is logistic regression. Data analysis to test the hypothesis was done by using multiple regression tests. The results of the logistic regression test show that (1) audit tenure has no significant influence on audit quality. (2) audit rotation has no significant influence on audit quality, (3) the size of the public accounting firm has no significant influence on audit quality. (4) audit opinion positively and significantly influences audit quality.

Feature Bagging with Nested Rotations (FBNR) for anomaly detection in multivariate time series

Detecting anomalies in multivariate time series poses a significant challenge across various domains. The infrequent occurrence of anomalies in real-world data, as well as the lack of a large number of annotated samples, makes it a complex task for classification algorithms. Deep Neural Network approaches, based on Long Short-Term Memory (LSTMs), Autoencoders, and Variational Autoencoders (VAEs), among others, prove effective with handling imbalanced data. However, the same does not follow when such algorithms are applied on multivariate time-series, as their performance degrades significantly. Our main hypothesis is that the above is due to anomalies stemming from a small subset of the feature set. To mitigate the above issues in the multivariate setting, we propose forming an ensemble of base models by combining different feature selection and transformation techniques. The proposed processing pipeline includes applying a Feature Bagging techniques on multiple individual models, which considers separate feature subsets for each specific model. These subsets are then partitioned and transformed using multiple nested rotations derived from Principal Component Analysis (PCA). This approach aims to identify anomalies that arise from only a small portion of the feature set while also introduces diversity by transforming the subspaces. Each model provides an anomaly score, which are then aggregated, via an unsupervised decision fusion model. A semi-supervised fusion model was also explored, in which a Logistic Regressor was applied on the individual model outputs. The proposed methodology is evaluated on the Skoltech Anomaly Benchmark (SKAB), containing multivariate time series related to water flow in a closed circuit, as well as the Server Machine Dataset (SMD), which was collected from a large Internet company. The experimental results reveal that the proposed ensemble technique surpasses state-of-the-art algorithms. The unsupervised approach demonstrated a performance improvement of 2% for SKAB and 3% for SMD, compared to the baseline models. In the semi-supervised approach, the proposed method achieved a minimum of 10% improvement in terms of anomaly detection accuracy.

ФОРМУВАННЯ НА СУЧАСНОМУ ЕТАПІ РИНКУ ФІНАНСОВИХ ТЕХНОЛОГІЙ В СВІТОВІЙ ЕКОНОМІЦІ

The current stage of development of the world economy is characterized by the process of increasing the role of the financial sector, as well as the transition to a new phase of development - innovation. Globalization in financial innovations is critical in international innovative development in today's conditions. The rapid spread of financial innovations under the conditions of financial globalization has become the main driver of the formation of the world economic system, contributing to the deepening of financial globalization. The formation of the financial services market is uneven because various factors influence it, including the level of development of information and communication technologies, the stability of the financial sector, and others. These factors have been studied by researchers, but the development of specific segments of the fintech market has its peculiarities. Fintech is a complex system that unites the sectors of new technologies and financial services, startups, and the relevant infrastructure. The financial services sector is increasingly actively using new technologies and tools to perform its functions and implement fundamentally new solutions in which consumers of services are interested. New technologies inherently changed not only the historically formed landscape of providing financial services, giving it freshness and dynamics, but also changed the attitude to such a concept as "money", realizing the transition from cash to virtual money in a reasonably short period. The industry provides subjects of financial relations with a wide range of innovative technologies, among which robotics, biometrics, remote banking, P2P lending, and many others have become vital. The fintech industry is expected to grow due to increased market penetration rates for existing services and their international expansion. The transition from the traditional financial services system to a digital one provides excellent opportunities for large financial companies and FinTech startups to work with banks or financial organizations. As more critical financial infrastructure projects come into production, more players will be interested in implementing digital financial technologies.

Navigating Contradictory Demands: An Analysis of Corporate Responses to Regulatory Hardening

AbstractMandatory due diligence has become increasingly common to address the harmful impacts of corporations, forcing them to navigate hardened regulatory requirements. This article focuses on the responses of large Swedish companies to the European Commission’s proposal for a Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive. Drawing on critical theory, it aims to understand how companies navigate the contradictory dynamic between profitability and sustainability. The findings highlight that companies, for the most part, accept hardened demands for sustainability—but the closer to corporate practice their responses get, the more they oppose and reject these demands. The article discusses how these responses follow a neoliberal logic of regulation, and draw attention to the inherent instability of this logic, as companies struggle to find a position in which they can be both sustainable and profitable.

Vállalati energiahatékonyság a gyakorlatban. Egy magyarországi kismintás elemzés tanulságai

Achieving the EU’s climate neutrality target requires each Member State to reduce its energy consumption. Member States, including Hungary, are paying particular attention to encouraging businesses to modernise their energy consumption. Our research focuses on the results of energy efficiency measures implemented by large companies with more than 1,000 employees, based on the company energy efficiency reports available online between 2017 and 2021. Our research also incorporates results from four interviews conducted with companies and two interviews conducted with energy efficiency experts. The sample of 24 companies obtained through data reduction is not representative, but the analysis shows that the most commonly implemented measures in the 5 years analysed were raising employee awareness and lighting upgrades. The four company and two expert interviews confirmed that companies prefer energy efficiency investments that pay off in the short to medium term. By ownership structure, there were differences in the type of measures implemented. The main driver for energy efficiency measures is cost reduction, complemented by sustainability considerations such as reducing carbon emissions.

The relationship between corporate entrepreneurship and its competitiveness in China: The moderating effect of employee stock ownership plan

Using data from Chinese publicly listed companies spanning from 2010 to 2022, this study examines the relationship between corporate entrepreneurship, employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), and corporate competitiveness. The findings show that the influence of corporate entrepreneurship on enterprise competitiveness is significantly “U-shaped”. As the degree of corporate entrepreneurship increases, it initially demonstrates a significant negative impact on enterprise competitiveness, followed by a significant positive impact. Mechanism testing reveals that the implementation of ESOPs can expedite the enhancement of corporate competitiveness. Further analysis suggests that compared to arbitrage entrepreneurship, innovative entrepreneurship can contribute to sustained enhancements in enterprise competitiveness. At the same level of corporate entrepreneurship, the increase in competitive capabilities of large companies surpasses that of Small and Medium-sized (S&M) companies. This paper provides empirical evidence and theoretical guidance for studying the economic implications of different types of corporate entrepreneurship.

Follower persuade Leader Green Commitment: Exploring Sustainability in Pharma Companies

This study investigates the impact of follower green knowledge (FGK) on leader green commitment through moderation (follower perceived organizational support) and mediation (leader motivation toward sustainable development goals). A total of 429 respondents from large pharmaceutical companies operating in different regions of Pakistan were selected. PLS-SEM and Johnson–Neyman plots were used for the conditional moderation mediation model. The results of the hypotheses including the conditional moderation mediation model were significant. Moreover, follower knowledge is a vital asset for persuading leader commitment when followers receive organizational support and leaders are motivated to adopt sustainable development goals. This study opens new avenues for leadership development programs. Moreover, enhancing green awareness and knowledge through training stimulates innovation and promotes experimentation with new environmentally friendly practices within the organization. Organizations must recruit new employees who possess green knowledge. This study adopts a leadership perspective based on the concept of sustainable followership. This study reveals the importance of followers in bringing leaders’ internal willingness toward sustainability development goals. This study uses leader–member exchange theory to highlight the importance of followers in creating a sustainable culture through their knowledge, awareness and support from peers.

Assessing Private Equity Involvement in Ophthalmology: Parallels with the Past, Concerns for the Future

PurposeTo discuss the history and current state of private equity in ophthalmology and explore potential implications for ophthalmology practices, physicians, and patients. DesignPerspective. MethodsReview of selected articles in ophthalmology and non-ophthalmology medical literature and commentary based on the authors’ experiences. ResultsInvestment in ophthalmology appeals to private equity firms because of high procedural volumes, fragmented private practices, opportunities for real estate ownership, and an aging population in need of eye care. As a result, acquisition of private practices by large private equity companies has swelled since 2015. Metropolitan areas and practices that possess ambulatory surgical centers or a high proportion of retina surgeons receive the greatest investment. However, little objective data exists regarding the benefits of this trend. Initial research suggests that private equity ownership may negatively impact patient care through greater costs, shorter appointments, and fewer Medicare/Medicaid patients seen. Skeptics of private equity also highlight concerns that include financial risk falling primarily on the acquired practice itself, a short-term business approach that rewards profit maximization, and the erosion of physician autonomy. Furthermore, young ophthalmologists express reservations about working for private equity firms. 78% of trainees indicated they would not consider employment by a private equity owned practice and 81.4% of vitreoretinal fellows voiced concerns about autonomy and job security. Proposed legislation aimed at limiting private equity acquisitions is currently under review at the statewide level, adding additional uncertainty to the future of private equity involvement in ophthalmology. ConclusionAlthough investment by private equity offers potential financial rewards and operational improvements for practices, it also raises significant concerns reminiscent of those experienced by physician practice management companies in the 1990s. Nonanecdotal data is needed to assess the benefits and future of private equity involvement in ophthalmology.

The role of the corporate ethical virtues model in sustainability reporting

AbstractFrom the perspective of virtue ethics, ethical organizational cultures prompt employees to act ethically. According to Kaptein's Corporate Ethical Virtues (CEV) model, this organizational ability is favored by the development of seven key corporate virtues (Clarity, Congruency, Feasibility, Supportability, Transparency, Discussability, and Sanctionability). The paper intends to connect the CEV model with sustainability reporting, which is taking on increasing relevance today due to factors such as the European Union's recent Directives on corporate non‐financial communication. In particular, the paper's objective is to examine to what extent and the way in which the virtues of the model have a role in sustainability reporting. Furthermore, this goal is enriched with an added focus, which is attention paid to actions taken by companies, and expressed in their sustainability reporting, in implementing virtuous behavior amidst the difficulties triggered by the COVID‐19 crisis. To achieve its aim, the paper presents and discusses a study of the role of the CEV model within two large companies in the logistics sector, through a content analysis of their sustainability reports covering the period 2018–2020 complemented by information from their corporate websites. The results of the analysis highlight both an overall relevance of the virtues included in the CEV model and the role of measures adopted by organizations to cope with COVID‐19 as a significant component of their sustainability performance in the pandemic period. Finally, the paper elaborates on several theoretical and practical implications stemming from the study.

Exploring the Link Between Parental Sociodemographic Characteristics and Multiple Births: Insights from National Birth Data in Japan, 1995-2020.

This present study investigated the parental characteristics of multiple births using national birth data in Japan. This study included birth data from Vital Statistics: Occupational and Industrial Aspects every five fiscal years from 1995 to 2020. The multiple birth rates were defined as the number of live-birth deliveries with multiple fetuses (e.g., twins, triplets) per total live-birth deliveries. Parental ages, nationalities, occupations and household occupation (occupation of the top earner of the household) were considered as parental characteristics. The multiple birth rates were calculated based on parental characteristics for each year, and a log-binomial regression model was used to assess the association between parental characteristics and multiple births. The multiple birth rate for Japanese mothers consistently exceeded that for non-Japanese mothers over the years, and the rate increased progressively from manual workers to lower non-manual workers and then to upper non-manual workers for both maternal and paternal occupations. The regression results indicated that the risk ratio (RR) for multiple births among non-Japanese mothers was significantly lower than that among Japanese mothers. Moreover, concerning household occupation, the RRs of self-employed individuals, full-time employees at smaller companies, others, and the unemployed were significantly lower than those of full-time employees at larger companies. Furthermore, the RRs of lower non-manual and manual workers were significantly lower than those of upper non-manual workers in maternal and paternal occupations. The results suggested an association between multiple births and parental socioeconomic status in Japan.

New Drug Development Strategy in Japan: Flexibility in Guideline Adherence.

Recently, a new type of drug lag, known as "drug loss" has emerged in Japan. It is a condition where the development of a drug approved in other countries has not been initiated in Japan. For 265 new drugs approved in the United States or Europe during 2010-2020, only 31% had commenced development in Japan as of December 31, 2020. A characteristic feature of Japanese guidelines on new drug development is that, in principle, clinical trial data in Japanese participants are required in each study phase. Given key players in new drug development are shifting from large pharmaceutical companies to emerging biopharma companies, primarily based outside Japan, the necessity for Japanese data may contribute to the drug lag. This study aimed to clarify the guideline adherence to new drug applications in Japan. Of the 159 new drugs approved in Japan between April 2019 and March 2024, the clinical data packages for almost all drugs included both pharmacokinetic (PK) data and efficacy and safety data in Japanese participants, irrespective of the study phase or design. We identified three flexible development approaches: the absence of Japanese dose-response data (39.6%), absence of Japanese confirmatory data generated from phase III randomized controlled trials (35.2%), and post-hoc Japanese PK data (43.0%, 34/79). Biologics, orphan drug designation, antineoplastic agents, and same applicant and originator were identified as factors significantly associated with these flexibilities. The results will help foreign companies, including emerging biopharmas, in formulating effective new drug development strategies, potentially alleviating the drug lag in Japan.

A brief review of the History of Computational Intelligence, Bio-Inspired Computing and Scientific Computing

The use of computational tools to solve real problems of different industries has been in increased significantly. Software is used to solve problems of the air, sea, ground, pipes, and aerospace transportation planning; problems related to the science of sport, chemistry, medicine, nursing, mechatronics, robotics; business problems related to minimize costs and maximize profits, problems of management of small, medium and large companies; agro-industrial problems, environment, among many others. To solve real problems using scientific computation, Bio-inspired and computational intelligence. This paper aims to present a review of the history of Computational Intelligence Bio-Inspired Computing and scientific computing.

Pengaruh Profitabilitas dan Ukuran Perusahaan Terhadap Nilai Perusahaan

The aim of this research is to examine the influence of profitability (X1) and company size (X2) on company value (Y). This research is a type of quantitative research. The data source used is secondary data. The sample in this research is food and beverage companies listed on the Indonesian stock exchange. The samples for this company were 20 sample companies with an observation period of three years (2020-2022), namely 60 sample units. The results obtained show that profitability has a positive effect on company value. This is because profitability is effective in a company so that it can generate profits from its operational activities, and company size has a negative effect on company value. It is because of the size of the company that large companies cannot guarantee high company value because they do not dare to make new investments before they pay their debts

Are innovative firms more circular when women hold upper positions?

The circular economy paradigm demands immediate and significant adjustments and changes in management and production business processes to maintain adequate to good ecosystem conditions for the use and development of human life. In this context, we analysed the impact of female leadership in the business environment and its relationship with the conservation of planetary health. This empowers women in the transition toward circular business model within the planet's capacity.For a panel data sample of the world's largest companies, we find that active female participation in high business positions leads to significant changes toward a model that protects the natural and endemic wealth of different ecosystems around de world. Additionally, we found that the active presence of women in the decision-making process concerning the protection of the environment, human development, and economic prosperity is strongly associated with the prospective knowledge that female independent directors possess, and to a greater extent, with the knowledge spillover that the presence of female executive directors entails.