Growth Strategy Research Articles

Global competitiveness and environmental sustainability: financing and business development strategies for U.S. SMEs

This paper examines the interplay between global competitiveness and environmental sustainability, focusing on financing and business development strategies for U.S. small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). As global markets increasingly emphasize sustainable practices, U.S. SMEs face unique challenges and opportunities in integrating environmental goals with growth strategies. The study explores how sustainable financing options, such as green bonds and impact investing, can support SMEs in adopting eco-friendly technologies and practices while enhancing their competitive edge in international markets. It also analyzes the role of government incentives, policy frameworks, and innovative business models in fostering sustainable development for these firms. Through a review of successful case studies, the paper identifies best practices that enable SMEs to navigate regulatory requirements, leverage sustainable funding sources, and implement effective business strategies that align with environmental goals. By identifying key factors for balancing growth and sustainability, this research provides actionable insights into how U.S. SMEs can enhance their global competitiveness in an increasingly eco-conscious economy. Keywords: Global Competitiveness, Sustainability, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs), Sustainable Financing, Green Bonds.

Does Energy Consumption Affect the Environment and Economic Growth: Evidence from Emerging Economies

The relationship between economic growth, energy consumption, and carbon emissions has been extensively studied within the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) framework. However, much of the existing literature focuses on the direct effects of energy consumption on the economic growth-carbon emission nexus, often overlooking the potential moderating influences of different energy sources. Thus, this study fills this gap by investigating the moderating effect of renewable energy consumption on the relationship between economic growth and carbon emissions in emerging economies using panel data methods. The study presents evidence supporting the existence of the EKC, indicating that economic growth negatively impacts the environment until a certain threshold of income is reached. Moreover, our results indicate that renewable energy weakens the relationship between economic growth and carbon emissions. This suggests that the adoption of renewable energy can help mitigate the negative environmental impacts of economic growth. Based on the findings, it is recommended that emerging countries should prioritize the integration of renewable energy into their energy mix, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and promote economic growth strategies that align with environmental goals.

Exploring the effect of entrepreneurial bricolage and new venture growth

Purpose: This article attempts to find a unique mechanism in the relationship between entrepreneurial bricolage and new ventures growth by testing the mediating role of market ambidexterity, and the moderating effect of entrepreneurial networks.Design/methodology/approach: This article establishes a research model by considering entrepreneurial bricolage as the independent variable, market ambidexterity as mediators, entrepreneurial networks as a moderate variable, and new ventures growth performance as the dependent variable. The survey data collected from 372 Chinese new ventures were subjected to the hierarchical linear regression method for testing the proposed hypotheses.Findings/results: The results of this study indicate that entrepreneurial bricolage has a positive effect on new ventures growth. However, entrepreneurial networks negatively moderate the positive relationship between the two; In addition, both the balanced of market ambidexterity and combined of market ambidexterity partially mediate the relationship between entrepreneurial bricolage and new ventures growth. Finally, entrepreneurial networks have different moderating effects on the relationship between market ambidexterity and new ventures.Practical implications: The study highlights the importance of entrepreneurial bricolage and market ambidexterity strategies for sustainable growth in resource-constrained startups, advising them to focus on leveraging internal resources while selectively building entrepreneurial networks to avoid resource dispersion. This approach helps startups enhance resilience and drive long-term development in a dynamic competitive environment.Originality/value: Drawing from ambidexterity and social network capability, this paper extends the existing research on the relationship between entrepreneurial bricolage and organizational performance from market perspective, confirming the mediating role of market ambidexterity.

Industrial Policy and Green Growth in a Small Island Economy: The Case of Singapore

Industrial Policy and Green Growth in a Small Island Economy: The Case of Singapore

A multifunctional carbon fiber composite film inspired by pumpkin growth toward tunable electromagnetic interference shielding

Carbon fiber composite film is an excellent electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding material. However, its further application is limited by its single-loss characteristics of electromagnetic waves and unadjustable EMI shielding performance. Inspired by pumpkin growth, a carbon fiber/Co and Ni nanoparticles composite (PCF/CN) with porous, multi-interface, and cross-linked structure was designed through in-situ growth strategy in this work. In this process, Co2+ and Ni2+ were used as ovules while the composite nanofibers were used as the ovaries to provide active sites for seed growth. Polyether (P123) inside the composite nanofibers decompose under a high-temperature treatment and form a porous structure. The polyacrylonitrile (PAN) will form the "peel" during the high-temperature treatment. The PCF/CN provides abundant pores, plentiful non-homogeneous interfaces, and rich conduction paths for the attenuation of electromagnetic waves. After encapsulation with waterborne polyurethane (WPU), the obtained flexible PCF/CN/W composite film displays tunable EMI shielding efficiency using the "Origami" strategy. And the EMI shielding efficiency for PCF/CN-2/W reaches 24.73 dB after two folds due to the absorption loss, reflection loss, conduction loss, and interfacial polarization of the porous multi-interface cross-linked structure. Interestingly, the fabricated composite film also exhibits excellent photothermal conversion performance with fast thermal response time and stability. In addition, the resultant composite film processed sensitive sensing function to detect human joint motion.

Scalable approach for growing hexagonal boron nitride on silicon and its role in III-nitride van der Waals epitaxy

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) stands out among 2D materials for its insulating properties, making it promising for the integration of 2D and 3D materials. However, achieving wafer-scale growth on silicon substrates remains a significant challenge. In this study, growth strategies for depositing h-BN on Si substrates are explored utilizing the wafer scalable metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. Our investigations reveal that employing a pulsed flow mode scheme is preferable over the conventional continuous flow mode scheme in growing h-BN thin films on 150 mm Si substrates. The as-grown h-BN film on Si exhibits uniform coverage with h-BN[0001]//Si[111]. With the successful wafer-scale growth of h-BN on Si, its role in aiding the van der Waals epitaxy of III-nitrides on Si substrates and subsequent epitaxial lift-off (ELO) of III-nitrides is further exemplified. An optimized h-BN thickness for the ELO process is also determined.

Non‐selective Defect Minimization towards Highly Efficient Metal‐Organic Framework Membranes for Gas Separation

The persistence of defects in polycrystalline membranes poses a substantial obstacle to reaching the theoretical molecular sieving separation and scaling up production. The low membrane selectivity in most reported literature is largely due to the unavoidable non‐selective defects during synthesis, leading to a mismatch between the well‐defined pore structure of polycrystalline molecular sieve materials. This paper presents a novel approach for minimizing non‐selective defects in metal‐organic framework (MOF) membranes by a constricted crystal growth strategy in a confined environment. The in‐situ ZIF formation using the densely packed seeding array between the substrate and the pre‐grown top ZIF layer yields a confined membrane interlayer, which is highly uniform with a tightly packed crystalline structure. Unlike uncontrolled crystal growth, we purposely regulate the interlayer membrane growth in the direction parallel to the substrate. A notable 99% decrease in defects in the confined interlayer was achieved compared to the random‐grown top layer, leading to a ~353% increment in H2/N2 selectivity over the non‐confined reference MOF membrane. The performance of this new membrane sits in the optimal range above the Robeson upper bound. The membrane boasts a balanced high H2 permeability (>5000 Barrer) and selectivity (>50), significantly surpassing peer ZIF membranes.

An Empirical Study on Advanced Marketing Practices, Sustainability, and EVM Strategies for Business Growth

In the modern business landscape, sustainable marketing strategies have become crucial for success. Companies are increasingly allocating substantial resources to these initiatives. While consumers expect businesses to adopt sustainable practices, their primary motivation remains fulfilling personal needs. This creates a gap between corporate sustainability efforts and consumer expectations. This study proposes a viable framework for sustainability strategies that businesses can implement to bridge this disconnect. Key findings include: First, sustainable marketing significantly enhances brand image development. Second, brand awareness plays a vital role in customer loyalty within the modern marketplace. Third, a strong brand image amplifies the appeal of sustainable purchasing intentions. Fourth, customer retention serves as a critical tool for boosting long-term purchase expectations. Fifth, elevating consumer expectations is essential for driving sustainable buying behaviors. Notably, sustainable marketing acts as an effective mediator between customer engagement and brand perception. Additionally, corporate social responsibility (CSR) strengthens the link between a company's reputation and sustainable purchase intentions. This research provides both a theoretical framework and practical recommendations for the modern business environment, emphasizing the importance of sustainable marketing campaigns as a precursor to organizational success

Developing dynamic capabilities for successful digital transformation projects: the mediating role of change management

Digital transformation is a growth strategy that has attracted a significant amount investment and is projected to boost the global economy by 2030. However, organizations face challenges in their efforts to develop effective approaches to digital transformation because of the constant need for new strategic choices. Dynamic capabilities and change management are vital with respect to organizations’ ability to maintain competitiveness in the changing environment established by digital technologies. The effective management of these changes is crucial, and failure is often the result of the absence of a suitable change management model. This study examines the significance of dynamic capabilities in digital transformation and explores the mediating role of a well-defined approach to change management in the context of digital projects. A quantitative research approach is used to investigate a population of 902 managers and team leaders working in the telecommunications sector in Yemen. A questionnaire is developed and administered to a sample of 350 participants, and the data collected were analyzed via SmartPLS. The findings reveal a positive relationship between dynamic capabilities and the successful implementation of digital transformation initiatives. Effective change management techniques facilitate digital transformation by playing a mediating role in the abovementioned relationship. The results of this research provide valuable insights into the theoretical framework underlying this topic by integrating dynamic capabilities, change management, and digital transformation. This information can help decision-makers in the telecommunications sector develop a roadmap for successful digital transformation projects in their organizations.

Fabrication of MOF-on-MOF composites by surfactant-assisted growth strategy for SPME of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of persistent organic pollutants with strong carcinogenicity and mutagenicity, which cause great harm to the environment and food. Herein, a composite (NH2-MIL-88@PCN-224) was prepared through a guest PCN-224 in situ grown on the host NH2-MIL-88 by a surfactant-assisted growth strategy, and successfully applied for solid-phase microextraction (SPME) of PAHs from milk samples. The prepared SPME coatings exhibited high extraction and adsorption capacity for PAHs due to their porous structure, ultra-large specific surface area, strong π-π stacking, hydrophobic interactions and size-matching effects. The SPME-GC-FID method based on NH2-MIL-88@PCN-224 coated fibers has the significant advantages of wide linear range (1–200 ng mL−1), low detection limit (0.003–0.020 ng mL−1), high recoveries (92.15–106.64 %) and good reproducibility. This work overcomes the lattice-matching limitation by adopting a surfactant-assisted growth strategy, which offers a new direction for the preparation of ultra-high-performance SPME coatings with extremely high extraction efficiency, exceptional thermal stability, and long service life, and greatly expands the variety of MOF SPME coatings.

Oneiros: The Sports Club: navigating the growth path

Learning outcomes After completion of the case study, the students will be able to analyze the challenges and opportunities associated with business expansion in any business, assess the significance of leveraging existing strengths versus exploring new markets for organizational growth, evaluate the implications of regional consolidation versus national expansion strategies, develop strategic thinking and decision-making skills in a competitive business landscape and understand the nuances of market dynamics, brand recognition and operational challenges in diverse geographical regions. Case overview/synopsis Oneiros – The Sports Club stood poised at a pivotal juncture, grappling with a strategic quandary that encapsulates the divergent visions of its leadership. The narrative unfolded in Surat, a vibrant city in the state of Gujarat where contrasting viewpoints champion the familiar stability of local success against the lure of uncharted state and national territories. Ms Hemali Shah advocated for consolidating the club’s triumphs in Gujarat, emphasizing on the parameters of brand loyalty and operational mastery. In stark contrast, Mr Robin Patel envisioned a bold expansion strategy across the state, aiming for brand recognition and a paradigm shift to regional prominence. Caught amidst these competing visions, Mr Sumit Lathia who was aspiring for the club’s national presence navigated the complexities of market dynamics and business model, oscillating between preserving familiarity and embracing the allure of ambition. This case study highlights the nuanced strategic dilemmas faced by Oneiros, offering a captivating exploration of growth strategies in a competitive landscape. With insights from various perspectives within the organization, this case study navigates the complexities of growth, market dynamics and the balance between familiarity and ambition. This case study offers valuable insights and practical applications for students pursuing regular Master of Business Administration (MBA) and executive MBA programs, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate studies in entrepreneurship and strategic management. By examining the strategic decisions and operational challenges faced by Lathia and Oneiros – The Sports Club, students can gain a deeper understanding of key concepts such as public–private partnerships, market expansion strategies, customer segmentation and revenue diversification. Complexity academic level This case study is positioned within the decision-making or business development modules of the curriculum. It serves as a platform to apply theoretical concepts of strategic decision-making, market analysis and growth strategies to a real-world scenario. This case study prompts students to critically evaluate expansion dilemmas and devise strategic solutions. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code Strategy.

Construction of SrTiO3/Ti3C2/TiO2 Z-scheme derived from multilayer Ti3C2 MXene for efficient photocatalytic overall water splitting

Constructing a Z-scheme system is one of the promising approaches for facilitating the separation and transfer of photogenerated carriers and obtaining the admirable photocatalytic activity. However, due to the similar material system and band alignment in type-II and Z-scheme, obtaining a favorable Z-scheme is a significant challenge. In this work, an in-situ construction of SrTiO3/Ti3C2/TiO2 Z-scheme is presented using a two-step hydrothermal method with multilayer Ti3C2 as the Ti source. This in-situ growth strategy, which utilizes the intrinsic Ti source of Ti3C2, enables the construction of the SrTiO3/Ti3C2/TiO2 Z-scheme through the enhanced interfacial ohmic contacts between SrTiO3, highly conductive Ti3C2 and TiO2 at the atomic level. The obtained SrTiO3/Ti3C2/TiO2 (SMT-3) sample shows a remarkable enhancement in photocatalytic overall water splitting performance compared with SMT-1 and SMT-10 samples. This work provides an alternative strategy for constructing a highly efficient Z-scheme for photocatalytic overall water splitting.

Effect of internet penetration on ICT export, economy, and employment in Bangladesh: Evidence from vector error correction and local projection

The advent of Industry 4.0 is imminent, with the internet emerging as a pivotal catalyst for this impending revolution as general-purpose technology (GPT). This study examines the transformative impact of internet penetration on economic development and employment dynamics in Bangladesh. Leveraging time series data from 1996 to 2022, and employing Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) and Linear Projections (LP) methodologies, the research reveals significant insights into the relationship between internet penetration, ICT exports, GDP growth, and employment trends. Findings indicate that a 10% increase in internet penetration led to a notable 4.7% rise in ICT exports and a marginal 0.8% increase in GDP, albeit with a concerning 1.1% decline in formal sector employment. While highlighting the positive influence of internet connectivity on trade and economic activities, the study underscores the challenges of job displacement and the need for inclusive and equitable growth strategies in the face of technological big push.

Optimizing floating crane operations for efficient bulk product transshipments on inland waterways

In the realm of global supply chains, the optimization of floating crane operations for bulk product transshipment via inland waterways emerges as a crucial necessity to address economic, operational, and environmental imperatives. This research identifies a significant gap in existing methodologies for the scheduling, routing, and assignment of floating cranes, which are essential for improving efficiency and sustainability in maritime logistics. To bridge this gap, we propose the Reinforcement Learning Variable Neighbourhood Strategy Adaptive Search (RL-VaNSAS) algorithm, a novel integration of reinforcement learning with variable neighbourhood search strategies. This advanced model aims to holistically minimize energy consumption, labor costs, and penalty costs, while simultaneously enhancing service efficiency. Through rigorous simulations, RL-VaNSAS was benchmarked against conventional methods such as Differential Evolution (DE), Genetic Algorithm (GA), and the original Variable Neighbourhood Search Adaptive Strategy (VaNSAS), revealing its superior capability in significantly reducing annual energy costs to $1,211,948, labor costs to $270,948, penalty costs to $19,948, and operational hours to 12,087. Demonstrating notable advancements in operational efficiency and cost reduction, RL-VaNSAS offers a sustainable solution to the dynamic challenges of maritime logistics, characterized by fluctuating vessel arrivals and diverse cargo requirements. The findings illuminate the critical need for innovative optimization techniques in enhancing the sustainability and efficiency of maritime logistics operations. RL-VaNSAS not only fills the identified research gap but also sets a new standard for future endeavors in global supply chain management, underlining the importance of adopting advanced optimization strategies for sustainable production and economic growth.

Leveraging Industry 4.0 for marketing strategies in the medical device industry of emerging economies

This research investigates the impact of the technologies through an integrated Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (F-AHP) and VIKOR model to determine their viability as a marketing strategy for business growth in the Prosthetics and Orthotics (P&O) medical device industry. Based on expert data, the study evaluates the integration of Industry 4.0 technologies and ranks them by priority for marketing performance: “Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning” (0.3295), “Internet of Things” (0.4325), “Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality” (0.5000), and “Big Data” (0.5704). The findings confirm that the proposed model effectively Leverage the industry 4.0 technologies to enhance marketing strategies, using Pakistan as a case study. This research serves as a blueprint for addressing the integration of next-generation marketing tools, technological advancements, and business growth challenges in the P&O industry. It contributes to the growing body of knowledge on the role of technology in improving healthcare marketing and business performance in emerging markets. Future research should explore the broader impact of Industry 4.0 technologies on healthcare marketing, focusing on strategic decision-making, efficient marketing resource allocation, and performance measurement to ensure sustained success in the P&O medical device sector. The study concludes that prioritizing Industry 4.0 technologies, however, limitations such as sample size, data collection constraints, and model complexity may Leverage the generalizability of the results. Future research should address these limitations by expanding the scope of expert involvement and exploring the application of this model in other emerging economies, to further validate the findings and assess the broader implications for healthcare marketing strategies globally.

Growth Overcoming Obstacles as a Clinical Nurse Educator: A Qualitative Study.

Clinical nurse educators (CNEs), responsible for nursing education, have begun to address unresolved issues in nursing education overlooked by preceptorship. However, research on this topic is lacking in South Korea, despite the government's 2019 launch of the CNE support project. This study explored the role experience of CNE in South Korea, focusing on their role challenges and the process of overcoming them. Fifteen CNEs from tertiary or secondary general hospitals in South Korea participated in semi-structured, in-depth interviews conducted between August and December 2023. Interviews were recorded and transcribed for conventional content analysis. Four categories emerged: challenges in the role of CNE, personal strategies for growth as a CNE, external support systems for growth as a CNE, and role evolution and emerging challenges for CNEs. This study demonstrates previously unexplored CNE role experiences in South Korea and provides valuable recommendations for enhancing CNE support projects.

An Angstrom-Scale Protective Skin Grown In Situ on Perovskite Oxide to Enhance Stability in Water.

The utilization of perovskite oxide as a catalyst for aqueous reactions is promising but challenging in stability. Here, we propose an in situ growth strategy that constructs an ultrathin protective skin on the Sr0.9Fe0.81Ta0.09Ni0.1O3-δ perovskite surface and thus effectively solves the stability issue. Using a spherical aberration-corrected transmission electron microscope, we observe the coexistence of an angstrom-scale (~7 Å) Fe2O3 protective skin and FeNi alloy nanoparticles. A number of alloy nanoparticles grow along with the skin and uniformly take root on the skin surface. Such a hierarchical structure can reconstruct the surface electronic structure and suppress the ion leaching of perovskite oxide in water. Benefiting from this unique structure, the catalyst has experienced a substantial increase (800 h, more than three orders of magnitude) in its stable operation time in water (for example, in a hydrogen evolution reaction). These results provide valuable insight into solid-solid phase transitions and have substantial implications for using structural defects at surfaces to modulate mass transport and transformation kinetics. Our strategy is sufficiently simple and can be used to subtly manipulate the catalyst structures to improve the performance of perovskite-based catalysts and potentially other oxide catalysts for a wide range of reactions.

Activation and Deactivation of Chirality Transfer in the Superbundles of Sequence-defined Stereoisomers.

Discrete oligomers can be used to precisely evaluate the structure-property relationship and enable unique chiroptical activities, however, the role of stereochemical sequences on chirality transfer is still unclear. Herein, we report the successful synthesis of a series of sequence-defined chiral azobenzene (Azo) oligomers via iterative stepwise chain growth strategy. Sequence-defined stereoisomers with one single chiral (L or D) stereocenter at the α-position, ω-position and middle- (m-) position have completely different self-assembly dynamics. ω-positional stereocenter can effectively command all Azo building blocks to adopt a tilted π-π stacking along the helical superbundles, exhibiting the activation of chirality transfer. However, discrete oligomers with the stereocenter at other positions can only self-assemble into non-helical nanowires, accompanied by the deactivation of chirality transfer.Cooperative supramolecular interactions, including the π-π interaction between Azo units, the intermolecular hydrogen bonding and steric hindrance, are intrinsic driving forces for these differentiations.

An Angstrom‐Scale Protective Skin Grown In Situ on Perovskite Oxide to Enhance Stability in Water

AbstractThe utilization of perovskite oxide as a catalyst for aqueous reactions is promising but challenging in stability. Here, we propose an in situ growth strategy that constructs an ultrathin protective skin on the Sr0.9Fe0.81Ta0.09Ni0.1O3‐δ perovskite surface and thus effectively solves the stability issue. Using a spherical aberration‐corrected transmission electron microscope, we observe the coexistence of an angstrom‐scale (~7 Å) Fe2O3 protective skin and FeNi alloy nanoparticles. A number of alloy nanoparticles grow along with the skin and uniformly take root on the skin surface. Such a hierarchical structure can reconstruct the surface electronic structure and suppress the ion leaching of perovskite oxide in water. Benefiting from this unique structure, the catalyst has experienced a substantial increase (800 h, more than three orders of magnitude) in its stable operation time in water (for example, in a hydrogen evolution reaction). These results provide valuable insight into solid‐solid phase transitions and have substantial implications for using structural defects at surfaces to modulate mass transport and transformation kinetics. Our strategy is sufficiently simple and can be used to subtly manipulate the catalyst structures to improve the performance of perovskite‐based catalysts and potentially other oxide catalysts for a wide range of reactions.

Activation and Deactivation of Chirality Transfer in the Superbundles of Sequence‐defined Stereoisomers

AbstractDiscrete oligomers can be used to precisely evaluate the structure–property relationship and enable unique chiroptical activities, however, the role of stereochemical sequences on chirality transfer is still unclear. Herein, we report the successful synthesis of a series of sequence‐defined chiral azobenzene (Azo) oligomers via iterative stepwise chain growth strategy. Sequence‐defined stereoisomers with one single chiral (L or D) stereocenter at the α‐position, ω‐position and middle‐ (m−) position have completely different self‐assembly dynamics. ω‐positional stereocenter can effectively command all Azo building blocks to adopt a tilted π–π stacking along the helical superbundles, exhibiting the activation of chirality transfer. However, discrete oligomers with the stereocenter at other positions can only self‐assemble into non‐helical nanowires, accompanied by the deactivation of chirality transfer.Cooperative supramolecular interactions, including the π–π interaction between Azo units, the intermolecular hydrogen bonding and steric hindrance, are intrinsic driving forces for these differentiations.