Value Creation Research Articles

Sustainability and impact reporting in US higher education anchor institutions

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to assess how higher education anchor institutions (HEIs) voluntarily report their non-economic impacts. Its goals are to quantify the ease of public access to this information; strengthen the conceptual foundation for HEI impact reporting; and provide guidance for making HEI voluntary disclosures more accessible, comparable and systematic.Design/methodology/approachUsing an exploratory mixed methods design and purposeful sampling, this study analyzed voluntary public disclosures of 41 anchor institution universities in the USA to assess how they communicate their public value creation to stakeholders. Data sources included impact reports, donor reports, annual reports and sustainability reports. The study also analyzed the accessibility of this information by timing how long it took to locate.FindingsThe sampled US anchor institutions communicate their non-economic impact to stakeholders in myriad ways using a variety of formats. Time required to find the reports ranged from 37 to 50 min, with an average of 42.30 min. Disparate reporting formats inhibit comparability.Research limitations/implicationsOnly 41 anchor institutions were examined. The small sample may not be representative of the broader landscape of higher education institutions.Practical implicationsFindings offer guidance for improving voluntary nonfinancial disclosures to increase public confidence in higher education institutions while advancing community and global resilience. To strengthen voluntary disclosure practices, the study recommends using a standardized reporting format, framing HEI impact through socio-ecological resilience indicators, integrating reports and obtaining some form of assurance. These changes would enhance the credibility and comparability of the disclosures.Originality/valueThis research provides some of the first empirical insight into how US higher education anchor institutions report their value creation to the public. Its application of socio-ecological systems theory outlines an actionable conceptual foundation for HEI reporting by linking organizational, community and global resilience.

La philosophie comme législation axiologique Platon nietzschéen?

In Nietzsche’s view, Plato certainly is not just any philosopher. First and foremost because of what Nietzsche refers to as his particular « sphinx nature » (BGE, § 28), his insuperable and artistic « secrecy » (BGE, § 28), his ability to hide, and sometimes even to lie : which means that it is extremely difficult to ascribe to him any precise, indisputable philosophical position, doctrine or notion. As is apparent, Nietzsche’s Plato is therefore completely different from the character usually discussed by other philosophers. Why then, is he so intensely interested in Plato if he does not take his so-called major theories seriously ? A closer scrutiny of Nietzsche’s corpus reveals that there is something really specific about Plato : his deep, mostly hidden, and sharp-sighted understanding of philosophy (and philosophers) ; namely not as a theoretical search for knowledge and truth, but as practical value creation and legislation, in other words as an activity intent on carving a new type of human life and being, very much akin to Nietzsche’s own analysis.

Servitization and product service system: A literature review on value creation

In recent years, the concept of servitization has been widely applied in the management of enterprises. However, changing customer demands and competitive pressures of the market have compelled enterprises to seek innovation. Simultaneously, in the context of the Industry 4.0 trend, the rapid development of digital technologies has led to an increasing number of studies on the integration of servitization and digitization. Therefore, this study, based on VOSviewer, Gephi, Scimago Graphica, and Histcite, analyzes the current state and development trends of research on servitization and product service system innovation from the perspective of value creation. Initially, basic statistical characteristics such as the influential author, geographical cooperation, and highly cited papers are presented by collecting relevant data from the Web of Science core collection database. Subsequently, this study explores the research hotspots and evolutionary trends in servitization and product service system innovation through keyword co-occurrence analysis and cluster analysis. Lastly, from a literature analysis perspective, the application of advanced technologies in servitization, digital servitization from an ecosystem perspective, and the innovative use of microservices architecture in product service systems are summarized and forecasted as research directions, providing theoretical guidance for future research in servitization.

Firms’ use of predictive artificial intelligence for economic value creation and appropriation

Firms are increasingly investing in the use of artificial intelligence (AI). Some succeed in creating and appropriating substantial economic value, but many fail. There is no consensus as to how a firm should use AI to create and appropriate economic value. This paper provides an answer to that question. A novel research model is advanced based on the notion of data network effects being realized within a firm’s business model. This research model is tested in a unique and natural industrial setting of two competing firms that simultaneously adopt the use of similar predictive AI. This setting is researched with two distinct empirical studies that employ mixed-methods research. The results shows that one firm fails to convert its AI use into economic value creation and appropriation while the other succeeds. Value is created and appropriated by ensuring that AI users perceive high user value that realize data network effects while being located in the firm’s business model architecture so as to activate business value drivers. These findings confirm the here proposed research model and offer novel theoretical contributions and specific managerial implications.

A Review of Marketing Strategy in Internet Marketing

It is a company's entire strategy for attracting and converting potential customers into buyers ofits products or services. In addition to the company's value proposition and core brand message, amarketing plan includes information on the demographics of the target audience. This paper showintroduction of marketing, internet strategy, internet marketing scenario, market strategy in neweconomy firm.

Sport Entrepreneurship: Definition and Conceptualization

The domain of sport entrepreneurship has become firmly established in the scientific community, but there remains an ongoing debate about the true meaning of sport entrepreneurship. Is sport entrepreneurship a distinct characteristic of sport, or is it a deduction of innovative behavior to create business in sport? Current conceptual progress is limited in important aspects of opportunity exploitation and value creation. This study offers a fundamental reconciliation based on a thorough literature review on the distinct nature of sport and theoretical constructs of entrepreneurial research to decode and recompose the concept of sport entrepreneurship. The presented effort towards a universally accepted definition is based on a process perspective and by integrating sport-related social entrepreneurship, this study is a prelude to improve the coherence of the future paradigm of sport entrepreneurship.

Coarse-Grained Molecular Dynamics with Normalizing Flows.

We propose a sampling algorithm relying on a collective variable (CV) of midsize dimension modeled by a normalizing flow and using nonequilibrium dynamics to propose full configurational moves from the proposition of a refreshed value of the CV made by the flow. The algorithm takes the form of a Markov chain with nonlocal updates, allowing jumps through energy barriers across metastable states. The flow is trained throughout the algorithm to reproduce the free energy landscape of the CV. The output of the algorithm is a sample of thermalized configurations and the trained network that can be used to efficiently produce more configurations. We show the functioning of the algorithm first in a test case with a mixture of Gaussians. Then, we successfully tested it on a higher-dimensional system consisting of a polymer in solution with a compact state and an extended stable state separated by a high free energy barrier.

The Interplay of Values and Skill: How Do They Impact Graduates’ Employability?

The purpose of this research is to explore the development of values and skills throughout university education and their subsequent manifestation in the workplace, with a particular focus on the impact on graduates’ employability and the creation of value for society. The study’s research question probes the dynamics of values, skills, employability, and social value creation by analyzing and evaluating the main missions of universities, which essentially involve teaching, researching, and extracurricular activities. An exploratory factor analysis is used to extract the relevant factors of graduates’ performance. A progressive model is developed pointing out the interplay of values and skills that lead to professional performance. The research comes up with practical and theoretical implications. It seeks to provide helpful findings for higher education institutions, industry, and policymakers in promoting the enhancement of graduates’ values and skills, ensuring their successful transition into the job market and generating long-term societal benefits.

Customer Churn Prediction for Life Insurance Using Binary Logistic Regression

One of a major problem for many industries including life insurance is customer churn. Because insurance contracts are often renewed every year, insurance businesses have a much harder time retaining customers than other businesses. The main objective of this research is to mitigate expected customer loss and retain potentially lost customers by increasing incentive product and service offerings on behalf of PT. XYZ Insurance, one of the life insurance companies in Indonesia which was founded in 2008. With a total of 123,982 policyholder data were included in the data set for this research, which covers a one-year data period as of December 2022. These data include details about the insurance holder, age of the insured, payment frequency, tenor, premium, and the product chosen by the policyholder of customers at PT. XYZ Insurance. In this research, the data is processed based on binary logistic regression in SPSS, where the data is processed in such a way as to produce output that meets the researchers' expectations. From the results of this research, there are around 16,951 insurance customers who have the potential to churn customers. So, company must implement customized value propositions based on research findings to help retain customers and reduce churn rates effectively in the competitive insurance market. Then the results of this research can also be used to target identified customers in marketing campaigns aimed at reducing churn rates while increasing profitability

Approaches to Sustainable Enterprise Value

Over the last two decades, business has taken a more systematic approach to understanding its impact on all of its stakeholders. Companies are striving to operate in a more sustainable way to improve the environmental, social and economic impact of their activities. Even today, the interest in determining the value of a company or parts of a company has not waned. As the economy continues to evolve, there are reasons and impulses that encourage companies to find out what their value is. The new approach is dependent on re-thinking value creation. There has been a growing understanding that sustainability requires a more comprehensive view of value that includes economic, social and environmental benefits. The aim of this paper is to propose a methodology for determining the sustainable value of an enterprise with respect to the factors influencing its value. This study is based on information that was gathered through an extensive literature review (research publications and research studies; the company’s financial statements with notes) using Internet and research databases and the authors’ own experiences. Methods of analysis, comparison, selection, abstraction, induction, deduction and statistics were used. The main findings of this study are as follows: the stakeholders require a company’s sustainable value; the modification of the EVA method with the sustainable value approach brings a different perspective to the issue of determining the value of an enterprise. In addition to the positives, the proposed methodology has limitations that can be removed or improved with further research.

Inclusive business and partnerships: Enhancing value creation for producers in the global south

AbstractInclusive businesses (IBs) are promoted to alleviate poverty and contribute to sustainable development at the base of the pyramid (BOP). In the agri‐food sector, there is limited evidence regarding what types of partnerships enhance IBs' value creation potential for low‐income producers. This prevents policymakers from providing effective support to IBs and leveraging their full potential for sustainable development. To understand what types of partnerships are more effective for social value creation, this paper conducts a mixed‐method analysis of 46 cases from Tanzania and Ghana. It finds that transactional partnerships create efficient IB networks that require limited external support. Such IBs, however, generally undertake business‐as‐usual activities. In contrast, IBs adopt more innovative business models when their partners are integrated in decision‐making and strategic planning. Such IBs, however, often require tailored support to resolve their inter‐ and intra‐organizational challenges. This paper suggests practical considerations for designing IB partnerships to maximize impact potential.

Analysis of the Investment Value of Tencent's Game Industry — Honor of Kings as an Example

With the advancement of Internet technology, online gaming has emerged as a predominant form of entertainment, and Tencent stands out as one of China's leading online gaming enterprises. This paper aims to take Honor of Kings as a representative to analyze the investment value of Tencent's online game industry, to comprehensively evaluate and prospect its investment in the game industry. Consequently, the research focus of this paper lies in examining the influence of Tencent's investment strategy on the value proposition within the gaming industry. This article has collected Tencent's investment information and relevant data in the past two years and conducted a professional analysis of its investment strategy using data analysis and case analysis methods. The study found that Tencent still has a huge influence in the domestic and foreign game industry, but its independent research and development ability has certain limitations, which threatens other competing companies. To secure its business position, it is necessary to improve its own research and development ability.

Effective Strategies For Small Startups To Attract Venture Capital

In essence, for small startups, securing VC is a major breakthrough for growing and scaling up their business. The paper now zeroes in on the tactics that small startups can employ to capture, to a larger extent, the potential attention of VCs. The most critical strategies in order to engage VCs will be what this discussion will be based on as we turn into a collection of previous literature, case studies, and expert insights. Forge a Convincing Business Model: One solid business model is what lies at the core of how to attract VC investment. How a startup can sketch out its value proposition, revenue streams, and path to scaling. This business model does not only bring out the potential for high returns that the startup might have; it also aligns with the risk appetite of these venture capitalists. Network Building: Networking forms one of the core functions of the entire venture capital business. This paper looks into just how a network of one's own can be built and leveraged via industrial connections, along with mentors and advisors. Proper networking will result in more visibility and credibility, thus increasing the opportunity for start-ups to reach out to potential investors. Demonstrating Market Potential: For venture capitalists, the ability to demonstrate a clear market potential is very much desirable from startups. We will see how startups can present information on market size, customer segments, and competitive landscape to secure an investment interest. Making a Strong Pitch: Preparing a convincing pitch is a sure way of attracting the interest of VCs. We will look at the main components of the pitch: elevator pitch, articulating the problem and solution, definition of the market opportunity, articulation of the solution itself, business model, traction, team, and financial projections. Preparing a sound pitch can dramatically increase the chance of receiving venture capital. Apart from these, the paper also makes the target to address the critical pitfalls which startup companies often face in the form of indistinct ideas, over-promise on market size, and unrealistic projections for financials. It must help the startups, through practical recommendations and insights, reach an optimization of approaches toward venture capital and hence secure the necessary funding portions of growth and success

Country-level dynamic capabilities and inward FDI: a framework on future policy adaptations applied to post-Brexit UK

The purpose of this paper is to establish a policy framework for those responsible for maximising the opportunities of inward foreign direct investment (FDI). Our proposed framework intellectualises the need for dynamic capabilities at the country level (national and local) to sense and seize new opportunities from inward FDI, use this knowledge to mobilise resources and, over time, make changes to reconfigure the UK’s location-specific advantages in a post-Brexit marketplace. Using the backdrop of the UK’s decision to exit the European Union in May 2016 (Brexit) alongside other global challenges (the COVID-19-induced supply chain crisis, political unrest, wars, new trade deals), we explore the changing nature of FDI entering the UK. We explain why an adaptive investment promotion strategy means greater and more widespread benefits of inward FDI for the economy. Then, we propose a policy-oriented dynamic framework for how the benefits of FDI can be maximised during political upheaval. In our analysis and discussion, we highlight how changes in foreign firms’ FDI motives can alter the UK’s value proposition, and over time, the nature of a country’s specific advantages.

Smart service value: Conceptualization, scale development, and validation in the retailing context

In-store smart technology is rapidly transforming service delivery and value creation in the retail sector. However, despite these advances, academic acumen of customers' perceived value of their smart service interactions remains tenuous, exposing an important omission in extant literature. Addressing this gap, we conceptualize, operationalize, and validate smart service value (SSV) in the retailing context. We first define SSV as the costs and benefits as perceived by customers of using in-store smart service applications. We then operationalize SSV and validate a third-order, reflective-formative construct by means of a scale development survey through Amazon MTurk (study 1; n = 326). To further validate the proposed SSV scale, we subsequently tested our conceptual model using a survey querying a hypothetical retail setting through an Australian panel provider (study 2; n = 298), which was analyzed by using PLS path modeling. Specifically, we explore SSV's effect on customer engagement and trust, which are in turn envisaged to impact customers' quality of life. The results reveal a significant mediating effect of affective customer engagement/trust in the association of SSV and customer-perceived quality of life, highlighting the pertinence of customers' emotional (vs. cognitive) SSV assessments. Our findings are aimed at helping retailers to strategically position smart service technologies in their stores based on customer-perceived SSV.

Enhancing circular plastic waste management: Reducing GHG emissions and increasing economic value in Rayong province, Thailand

This study evaluates the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and economic value creation of plastic waste (PW) management in Rayong, Thailand, a city on the eastern Gulf Coast with a significant amount of generated and leaked PW. By analyzing current practices, and developing and evaluating improvement scenarios, the study explores strategies for reducing GHG and enhancing economic benefits across the PW management chain. Four primary routes with varying capacities handle approximately 5,445.55 tonnes of PW via source separation recycling (5.18 %), post-sorting recycling (9.30 %), energy recovery (54.86 %), and landfills or opened dump disposal (30.66 %). About 83.21 % of the 16 ± 6.9 % PW in municipal solid waste (MSW) is recyclable, primarily consisting of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The current management practice generates an economic benefit of approximately 1.68 million USD/yr or 310 USD/t of PW, compared to the proposed scenarios, which enhances recycling efficiency and reduces landfill and energy recovery waste, yielding 2.27–6.48 million USD/yr or 420.64–1200.33 USD/t of PW. The practice emits about 7,028.47 tCO2e annually, while improved source and post-sorting efficiencies reduce GHG emissions by 2.86–3.17 times or −2.83 to −2.42 tCO2e/t of PW or a total of over 13,078.60–15,268.44 tCO2e. Burning PW increases approximately 1.6 times or 11,841.36 tCO2e/yr. Enhancing recycling efficiency, particularly through source separation, is key to promoting more productive and valuable PW separation, increasing economic value and GHG mitigation by approximately 3.87 and 3.17 times, respectively. These findings provide valuable insights for local authorities and policymakers to develop strategic interventions and policies that align with the improved scenario by enhancing source separation and recycling. The results demonstrate that improving the efficiency of separation at the source is critical for transitioning from a linear PW management strategy to a circular economy, significantly reducing landfill waste and mitigating environmental threats.

Company Valuation for 4PACT

4PACT, which was established in 2021, is an innovative startup operating in both the Food & beverage industry and the waste management industry. Its main objective is to address Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 12 by offering edible cutlery as a solution to reduce plastic waste and provide a distinctive value proposition to customers. At present, 4PACT has successfully developed and marketed edible straws as its initial product line, targeting primarily sustainable-minded cafes in the B2B market. These straws are manufactured primarily from rice flour and tapioca flour, resulting in fully biodegradable and consumable straws available in a variety of colors and sizes. The company has already established partnerships with several B2B clients, yielding positive net profits. However, 4PACT has encountered a period of stagnant growth. Consequently, this research endeavor aims to analyze the challenges faced by the company, propose viable solutions, and formulate a strategic plan to achieve optimal outcomes. This study will employ a quantitative methodology, leveraging internal company data, and employing the discounted cash flow method.

Overcoming Data Barriers: Strategies for New Entrants to Achieve Differentiation in the UK Food Retail Market

The UK food retail market is a highly competitive and mature sector dominated by established players with extensive consumer data at their disposal. New entrants face significant challenges in penetrating this market, particularly due to data barriers that limit their ability to compete on equal footing with incumbents. This paper explores strategies that new entrants can employ to achieve differentiated competition despite these barriers. The study examines the critical role of data in the market, analyzes how established players leverage data for competitive advantage, and proposes alternative approaches for new entrants to overcome data-related challenges. By leveraging niche markets, innovative products, alternative data sources, and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain, new entrants can build strong brand identities and offer unique value propositions. The paper also discusses regulatory considerations and data governance, emphasizing the importance of ethical data practices and advocacy for fair data access. Through a comprehensive analysis of these strategies, this paper provides actionable insights for new entrants seeking to establish a foothold in the UK food retail market.

Futures of Outcome‐Based Contracts for industrial equipment: A Disaggregative Delphi study

This study explores the dynamic landscape of Outcome-Based Contracts (OBCs) within industrial equipment and investigates how external changes influence OBC feasibility. Employing Disaggregate Delphi involving panels of experts from industry and academia, the research uncovers critical insights of the relationship between OBCs and external changes. The analysis reveals that external changes can significantly impact the feasibility and profitability of OBCs for the supplier. These changes, having direct and indirect impacts, sometimes cascading through chains of events, necessitate proactive management strategies. The study underlines the role of context, in business environment, business model configuration, and product characteristics, in influencing OBC susceptibility to changes. Furthermore, it highlights that parties can inadvertently trigger impacts in response to external change. This research contributes to business model literature by shedding light on the multifaceted impacts of external changes on OBCs. It expands the understanding of how changes can have both positive and negative effects, emphasizing the importance of dynamic business model and contract frameworks. Additionally, the study underscores futures thinking and the significance of proactivity in navigating the evolving landscape of OBCs within industrial equipment OBCs as well as identifies uncertainty as one of the central value propositions of OBCs.

Stakeholder engagement: From sharing information and building consensus to mobilising public and private actors to create collaborative ecosystems

The paper proposes a novel approach to dialogue with local stakeholders to maximise the shared value that can be generated by infrastructure investments for the benefit of urban communities. The approach proposes a method for deliberately activating synergies between infrastructure and complementary initiatives through the active engagement of public and private stakeholders. In many cases today, infrastructure is designed, financed and implemented as functionally unitary engineering works that meet a specific need, leaving synergies with complementary initiatives to be activated spontaneously. Moreover, the dialogue with local stakeholders is limited and reductive, aiming mainly at the exchange of some project information and consensus building, thus missing the opportunity to identify and mobilise those ideas, capabilities and resources that are always present within a community. In the proposed approach, infrastructure is the catalyst for a long-term vision and stakeholder engagement is the tool for identifying the synergistic initiatives that can be implemented with the participation of public and private actors to maximise value creation.