Local Business Sector Research Articles

Enhancing Competitiveness in the Business Sector and its Role in Supporting Economic Development: The Sultanate of Oman as A Model

Due to the remarkable technological development, the world has witnessed great interest in the areas of the business sector and competition between companies and organizations of all types and sizes. Therefore, this has a significant impact on the economic development of countries. The Sultanate of Oman is currently witnessing a huge economic and technological changes that and working to achieve the provisions of Vision 2040, which revolves around developing the local business sector to become the basic base for economic development. Therefore, this research aimed to clarify the role of the business sector in enhancing competitiveness and supporting economic development in the Sultanate of Oman. The researcher will rely on a group of previous studies that discuss and focus on the variables of the study, especially in the Sultanate of Oman. The results of previous studies found that there is a weakness in the ability of the Omani market to seize opportunities that enhance competitiveness due to the government’s control over a number of economic activities available for investment and implementation of local projects. There is also a clear gap in studies that contain the variables of the current research, so our research will be a wealth of information that will benefit other researchers and academics. The current research aims to clarify the role of the business sector in enhancing competitiveness and supporting economic development in the Sultanate of Oman. Therefore, the researcher will rely on a group of previous Arab and foreign studies that discuss the research variables to rely on valuable and rich information that supports our current research.

Constructing Moral Autonomy

This study analyzes how local development leaders in Uganda navigate and evaluate the moral ambiguities of their work, as they are situated between the demands of donor-driven development systems and their communities’ growing mistrust of foreign aid. Using 54 context-rich interviews with development professionals in the central region of the country, I analyze the reflexive-constructive moral work they engage in to describe their activity; and I show how they construct a sense of their own moral autonomy by working across institutional sectors, diversifying funding sources, and framing their activities in personal and relational terms. I also show how specific characteristics of the four main arenas where they operate—the local government, NGO, religious, and business sectors—produce certain advantages and disadvantages in this process and shape their moral constructions. The study therefore speaks to the cultural impacts of international development aid, and how local actors find ways to challenge, adapt, and expand the moral cultures of “development” work.

National–Local Synergies for Development: How a Local Political Machine Delivered Infrastructure Results in Iloilo City

The upsurge in big-ticket infrastructure projects in Iloilo City for the past two decades owes much to the developmental alliance amongst Senator Franklin Drilon as the national government benefactor, multi-term city mayors, and the local business sector. These government officials’ prolonged tenure in office afforded a stable political leadership that ensured long-term planning around key infrastructure projects and continued access to national government funding. Robust institutional and informal ties between political and economic elites enabled consensus-building on the virtues of market-driven growth for which infrastructure is key. The Drilon political machine orchestrated a diverse but astutely networked group of local businesses by involving them in formal participatory planning processes, thereby facilitating approval of big-ticket items, and by influencing bureaucrats from national government agencies to approve the projects.

Employment Opportunity of Community College Students in Local Market Kirtipur

This paper seeks to explore the association between community college student and local market, to examine the relationship between community college and local market and to analyze the impact of hiring community college student. on local business sectors. The study uses primary sources and questionnaires to gather data on Community, community college student and local business houses in Kirtipur. Total population is 260, a sample size of 159 was used, with 16 questions categorized into five rating parameters: strongly disagree (SD), disagree (D), neither disagree nor agree (N), agree (A), and strongly agree (SA). The descriptive, inferential statistic and purposive sampling research design was followed. There is significant relationship between community college and local market. There is significant impact of hiring community college student on local business sectors. There is significant association between community college student and local market.

Strategic Policies to Support the Independence and Interaction of Older Adults: A Leadership Model That Is Inclusive of Local Businesses

This study employs qualitative analysis techniques for text mining, and its primary focus is on interview data collected from 105 elderly residents living in Mihama City, Fukui Prefecture. The overarching goal of this research is to uncover valuable insights into the specific needs and requirements of the elderly population in this region. Through text mining, several key elements have surfaced, shedding light on important aspects of the elderly residents’ lives. These findings underscore the significance of spaces designed to facilitate social interaction, as well as the indispensable role that policy support plays in ensuring the mobility and accessibility of the elderly within the community. Leveraging advanced cluster analysis techniques, a robust conceptual model has emerged. This model offers a comprehensive perspective on the myriad factors that are vital for nurturing an environment in which elderly individuals can not only exist but thrive in contentment and security. One of the significant contributions of this research is the proposal of a holistic leadership model. This model does not merely advocate for policy implementation; it also strongly emphasizes fostering collaboration with the local business sectors. The foundation of this model is built on the principles of continuous engagement with and listening to the evolving needs of the elderly population, rigorous policy implementation, periodic review, and an ongoing commitment to making iterative improvements. The findings of this study underscore the immense importance of actively involving various stakeholders and local businesses in the city planning process. The ultimate objective is to create an environment finely tuned to optimize the overall well-being of older adults, ensuring that they can enjoy a fulfilling and secure lifestyle within the community.

Green Transition and the Business Sector in the European Union and Romania

Abstract Increasingly obvious over the last two decades, human society and the economies of all the countries in the world faced and continue to face increasingly accelerated, amplified, diverse and divergent economic, social, political and technological trends and developments, among which three so-called megatrends stand out for intensity and persistence: digitization and automation of production, greening of economies and global economic power shifts. Considering such issues, the paper focuses on a brief analysis of how the green transition affects the business sector (enterprises) in the EU countries, with a focus on Romania - an EU member state that registers a relatively low level of penetration of the circular economy. Indicators of the green economy and eco-innovation and referring to the economic dimension of the circular economy, were used for the analysis. The results show that the EU27 economies generally are leaders in most of the aspects concerning the greening of economies and their business sectors, but Romania reveal certain relative delays of the local business sector in moving towards production and business development methods characteristic of the ecological economy.

Responsible Tourism and Ecotourism: Principles, Approaches, Best Examples, and Some Key Points

Let me start this opinion article with a statement: Ecotourism (ET) cannot be but responsible. Therefore, I strongly believe responsible tourism (RT) is not another form of tourism; it is an approach to a rationale visa vis tourism as socio-economic activity adopted and implemented by all tourism stakeholders, i.e., government and local administrations, tourists, residents, and business sector. The following points outline the key elements underlining the two concepts to develop some highlights and key takeaways.

Deviation between the Convergence to the Target Values of the Performance Indicators of the Local Strategic Goals for the Development of Entrepreneurship and the Average National Trends: Case Study of the City of Rijeka

This paper addresses the selection of appropriate measurable performance indicators for monitoring defined strategic goals for entrepreneurship and business sector development at the local level, particularly from the perspective of bringing the pace of development closer to the national average. Using the example of the Croatian city of Rijeka, the paper analyses whether the convergence to the target values of key indicators of success in achieving the city's strategic goals in the field of entrepreneurship also contributes to favourable development dynamics of the local business sector compared to the average national trends. The results presented in this paper have shown that the overall performance of local entrepreneurs in the city of Rijeka, although approaching the target values, still lags behind the average trends at the national level. This is mainly reflected in the below-average labour productivity, below-average economic strength and below-average capital equipment, as well as in the extremely monolithic structure of the local business sector. Therefore, this case study shows that it is important for cities to consider the broader context of specific development goals when developing appropriate indicators to monitor the success of their implementation, especially in terms of national or regional development averages and criteria for the long-term stability and resilience of a city's development.

Jaringan Sosial dalam Sistem Agribisnis Sayur: Peran Pertukaran Sosial dalam Membentuk Kemitraan yang Berkelanjutan

This research explores the pivotal role of social exchange in shaping sustainable partnerships between vegetable farmers and customers in Dusun Wayari. Within the framework of a qualitative approach with in-depth interviews as the research method, this study identifies two primary dimensions of social relations within the vegetable agribusiness system in Dusun Wayari: the associative dimension and the disassociative dimension. The research findings indicate that social exchange plays a central role in establishing close relationships between vegetable farmers and customers. During the process of ordering and harvesting vegetables, the interdependence between farmers and customers serves as a strong foundation for mutually beneficial social relations. Farmers provide high-quality products, while customers offer financial support and long-term commitment. This study underscores that social relations based on social exchange play a key role in creating sustainable partnerships in the vegetable agribusiness. In addition to benefiting farmers and customers, these relations also contribute to the collective well-being within the local community. Therefore, a deeper understanding of social relations within this agribusiness system has the potential to provide valuable insights and practical guidance for the development of sustainable business models in agriculture and other local business sectors.

CLUSTER POLICY AND ITS IMPACT ON FDI ATTRACTION MODELS AND BETTER COOPERATION BETWEEN MNEs AND SMEs

The concept of FDI has been analyzed by several theorists and many of them see FDI as an engine of growth. FDI affects economic growth directly and indirectly. It is well known that FDI has a positive impact on the domestic economy through the transfer of technology and skills, development of local suppliers in terms of providing technical assistance, training for employees, transfer of knowledge, etc. In this way, FDI affects the improvement of productivity and competitiveness of the entire economy. Multinational enterprises and their foreign affiliates recently generate one third of the global GDP, as well as two thirds of international trade. They also account for half of global exports. Precisely because of their economic importance, many governments offer subsidies and tax breaks to attract multinational enterprises, and consequently FDI. According to OECD (2005), linking MNEs and SMEs is important in the context of investment for development. The so-called "spillover" of know-how and technology from foreign investors to the local business sector is one of the biggest benefits of FDI for development. In most countries, SMEs are considered as the majority of the domestic business sector, therefore the process of overcoming the barriers to the connection between large and small enterprises is of great importance for the overall development. But the benefits of cooperation between MNEs and SMEs do not come automatically. Consequently, if we analyze specifically only one segment of the effects of FDI, such as the introduction of new technologies and innovations, as one of the biggest benefits of the host country from FDI, we come to the conclusion that this transfer is not always the same, but is very more present and effective if it is done in geographically concentrated clusters, in contrast to the cases when it is realized in dispersed companies of the same sector. Companies operating in clusters are characterized by a high degree of specialization and complementarity. This generates dynamic processes of learning, innovation and knowledge transfer. In the clusters, a process of collective learning is realized, which results in innovation and competitiveness even in sectors where high technology is not applied. This paper aims to explore models and ways of attracting FDI as well as creating preconditions for realizing as many benefits and spillovers as possible from the established cooperation between foreign MNEs and local SMEs, such as clusters. The results show that although the clusters in the Republic of North Macedonia are formally functioning, they are far from the desired condition to be in a situation to provide essential assistance in the direction of increasing the positive effects of the cooperation of SMEs and MNEs. However, the clusters should continue to be supported by the relevant competent institutions in order for the desired effects to be measurable, concrete and significant for the local economy.

Legal Protection for the Community Around the Sand Mining In Ijobalit Village, East Lombok Regency

Sand mining in Ijobalit Village, East Lombok district, is a mining activity carried out by people who own hilly land containing quarry materials such as sand. With this background, the community carries out mining by renting excavators to support their purposes. However, these activities come with many issues. This paper aims to determine the conception and provisions of mining in Indonesia and the legal protection for the community who carry out mining activities. The method used in this paper is normative legal research. The study results show that the conception and provisions of mining in Indonesia are inseparable from the utilization of natural resources and the sustainability of human and natural ecosystems. The sustainability of natural resources and human resources, can be assessed through licensing regulations and authorities as well as preventive protection. Licensing regulations and authorities means granting the community rights to natural resources use and management that are mutual control by taking damages caused by sand mining into account. And repressive protection means management efforts to more responsible sand mining businesses by developing an independent local business sector with guaranteed occupational safety. Occupational safety needs to be regulated technically through a permit to manage sand mining management.

COOPERATIVE LINKS BETWEEN BUSINESSES IN THE CONTEXT OF LOCAL SYSTEM RESILIENCE. ACASE STUDY OF POLANDS PERIPHERAL REGIONS

his study investigates the extent and nature of cooperative links between businesses in the analysed administrative units (communes) in peripheral regions in terms of their effect on strengthening the resilience of local economy. Empirical research was carried out in 2018 in three peripheral regions of Poland on a sample of 240 entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs participated in creating local (commune-level) supply chains while reporting connections with suppliers outside of local systems. Businesses analysed in this study played a key role in enhancing the diversity of local (commune-level) goods and services markets while time taking into account their customers requirements. Local cooperation promoted strengthening of the competitive edge of cooperating businesses, becoming a local resilience factor. The characteristics of cooperative links presented in the study revealed that the benefits of local cooperation were appreciated more often in the group of businesses with inferior conditions for running and growing a business. Local economic growth policies in peripheral regions should take into account the assumptions arising from the smart village concept. A vital component of these policies in the context of fostering local innovativeness is the focus on the possibility of stimulating cooperation processes within local business sectors. Such focus of local policies may be seen as aimed at enhancing the resilience of local socio-economic systems.

Promoting age-friendly community of support and care in Japan's aging neighborhood: The Nagayama model

Since 2007, Japan has been experiencing an aging and shrinking population as a consequence of rapid rate of aging and a persistently low birth rate. The impact of depopulation is apparent not only in rural areas, but also in new towns in the urban suburbs mostly built in the 1970 s to house the extensive flow of population to big urban centres. From the case study of a depopulated neighborhood in a new town in Tokyo suburb, this paper examines how the neighbourhood regeneration effort has resulted in a ground-up model of the community-based integrated care system promoting aging in place. Through fieldwork comprising participant observations and interviews, we examine the process and the neighbourhood services established that have led to the so-called ‘Nagayama method’. The involvement of multi-stakeholders from local government, non-profit and business sectors have shown concerted efforts in the care and support of older residents contributing towards a conducive environment for one to age safely and meaningfully in the community. In discussion, the case study is examined with reference to Fallov's concept of the ‘third way’ path in neighborhood regeneration recognizing the significance of local conditions and existing capabilities in contributing to the successful adoption of a ground-up system. By focusing on a depopulated urban neighbourhood through the lens of multi-stakeholders’ efforts in making a difference to the everyday lives of older adults in local community, the study brings attention to diversity in aging environments and implications for policy and practice for the Decade for Health Aging initiative.

A Community-First Approach to Managing Pandemic Stimulus Funds.

A Community-First Approach to Managing Pandemic Stimulus Funds.

The post-war rebirth of Yokohama: the planner Akira Tamura’s contributions to municipal reform

ABSTRACT Akira Tamura (1926–2010) was a Japanese expert in city management and planning during the post-war period. He was awarded the Grand Prize of the Architectural Institute of Japan in 2000. Tamura conceived citizen-oriented theories of city management and planning and put them into practice in Yokohama city from 1968 to 1978. After Mayor Ichio Asukata requested that Tamura to join the city government and execute his previous proposals, Tamura set up the Planning and Coordination Department with young multidisciplinary professionals. They worked as a collaborative team to negotiate and coordinate among multiple stakeholders, including local communities, public authorities, national ministries, and business sectors. Asukata and Tamura shared the aim of reforming the local government machinery into an independent, responsible entity, avoiding unnecessary interference from national ministries and politicians. Although Tamura laid out a framework for the city’s future evolution, his management philosophy of planning and coordination has not been well transmitted. With the objective of conducting empirical research to investigate and share Tamura and his colleagues’ work, this non-profit organization was established in 2015 by people with concerns about local government initiatives.

The Role of Civil Society Sector in the Development of Art-Driven Regional Social Innovation: The Case of Benesse Art Site Naoshima and Art Setouchi

Recently art is increasing its presence as an “creative industry” to sustain local communities, by generating socio-economic values. Still, whether art can be a tool for social innovation to regenerate communities, especially in rural areas in aging societies, is an unanswered question. In this paper, we take the example of Benesse Art Site Naoshima and Art Setouchi in the island area of Western Japan, viewing how it transformed from a corporate-established museum to a regional initiative involving various stakeholders, including local residents and thus creating the process of dialogues and collaboration. By reconstructing the existing evidence with supplementary fieldwork and interviews and applying a tri-sectoral analysis of the processes, we present how the art sites developed to become a social innovation. We then illustrate the role of two key individuals, Soichiro Fukutake and Fram Kitagawa, and shed light on the different values and methodologies they brought into these art sites. We argue that such contributions from the civil society and philanthropy sector made a critical contribution to characterize BASN and Art Setouchi, in addition to the well-documented and recognized efforts from local government and business sectors. Finally, we propose that such values, methodologies, and persons who can embody and implement such values are crucial if other countries and areas are to replicate the model.

Local energy businesses in the United Kingdom: Clusters and localism determinants based on financial ratios

This paper presents the first financial analysis of the United Kingdom's local energy business sector. This analysis relies on financial ratios and degrees of localism as inputs for descriptive statistics, cluster, and canonical discriminant analyses. Our findings suggest that privately-owned energy businesses, typically with limited commitments to localities, account for the great majority of sectoral assets and turnover, and are in comparatively good financial condition. Highly-local energy businesses typically have low profitability and high reliance on debt. The latter is the key variable differentiating them from other less local energy businesses. Moreover, we find financial commonalities within different groups of local energy businesses, which correlate with their specific level of localism. In the context of increasing digitalisation in energy markets, more technological innovation may help strengthen local energy businesses' revenue sources and value creation. Further research is needed in terms of investability, specific financing terms and conditions, and geographical aspects of value creation, retention, and delivery to localities. This work can improve the understanding of sectoral dynamics and development needs, with value for policy making to incentivise investment in this emerging sector.

The Role of Peer Group - Emina Girl Gang Ambassador (Egga) - As A Public Relations Marketing Strategy in Building Emina Cosmetic’s Brand Image

The steadily increasing growth of the local cosmetics business sector in Indonesia has become a subject of attention for PT Paragon Technology and Innovation which is a cosmetics company that owns three main brands: Make Over, Wardah and Emina Cosmetic. In this study, the researcher intends to discuss in depth Emina of PT paragon through the best strategy to maintain a firm presence in the competitive business of local cosmetics. Certainly, Effective and creative strategies are. Without a doubt, needed so that the company can compete on attracting public attention, one of these strategies is the application of Emina Girl Gang Ambassador (EGGA) as a Public Relations Marketing strategy in the company. Through this study, the researcher intends to determine and analyze the role of Emina Girl Gang Ambassador in 7 Marketing Public Relations tools by Kotler and Keller. This study used a descriptive qualitative method with data collection techniques of semi-structured interviews and data reduction analysis techniques by Miles and Huberman. The results showed that Emina's brand from PT Paragon Technology and Innovation used 2 main tools from 7 points presented by Kotler and Keller, namely events and sponsors.

Characterising a local energy business sector in the United Kingdom: Participants, revenue sources, and estimates of localism and smartness

Local and decentralised energy initiatives increasingly contribute to decarbonising energy systems. This trend is facilitated by emergence of new actors, ownership modes, business practices, and value sources in energy markets. However, there is no systematic account of the businesses which comprise this emerging sector in the United Kingdom, and there are no standardised criteria for what may constitute a “local”, potentially “smart”, sector. Through development, and descriptive statistical analysis, of a database of legally-constituted energy businesses, we therefore provide a first characterisation of the local energy business sector in the United Kingdom. We develop qualitative indicators to categorise businesses according to their position in a matrix showing degrees of “localism” and “smartness”. Our findings reveal an emergent sector comprising diverse organisations, including those with limited energy market experience. Embryonic business innovations are being translated into various revenue sources. However, most businesses have as yet made limited use of digital systems for smart operation; likewise, despite distinctive forms of localism, many aspects remain to be addressed. This finding implies opportunities for this sector to create value through more extensive orientation to localism and smartness. Further research is needed, using more detailed surveys of a representative sample of local energy businesses.

Tantalum supply from artisanal and small-scale mining: A mineral economic evaluation of coltan production and trade dynamics in Africa's Great Lakes region

The global significance of artisanal and small-scale mining of certain mineral commodities implies the need for evaluating this production component as a potential long-term source of supply, in conjunction with production from industrial mining operations. The tantalum sector is an important pioneer in this regard, as artisanal ‘coltan’ ore – mainly extracted in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda – has represented the world's major source of tantalum over the past decade. The lack of mineral economic data pertaining to artisanal coltan extraction and trade in Africa's Great Lakes region adds to supply uncertainty while also impeding local mine business planning, investment and sector development. Addressing this information deficit, this study presents an overview on a range of mineral economic parameters that form the framework for coltan extraction and trade in the region. To this end, we evaluate coltan resources and ore bodies, grades and processing features, as well as recent production and export developments in the DRC and Rwanda. Based on these findings, we then discuss mineral economic implications that are relevant to consider for artisanal coltan supply on the background of local and international market developments. These implications refer to the socio-economic viability of coltan mining at different price levels as well as resilience in the local supply chain. Finally, in order to stimulate opportunities for artisanal coltan sourcing in the long term, we propose a concept that integrates mineral economic data acquisition and dissemination into industry initiatives on responsible supply chains.