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The purpose of this study is to identify and discuss the role of intelligent materials in the emergence of new business models based on the Internet of Things (IoT). The study suggests new areas for further research to better understand the influences of material intelligence on the business models in industry-wide service ecosystems.

The study uses data from an earlier study of intelligent materials in the steel industry networks. The insights are based on 34 qualitative interviews among 15 organizations in the industry. The data are reanalyzed for this study.

The observations from the steel industry show how material intelligence can be harnessed for value creation in IoT-based business ecosystems. The results suggest that not all “things” connected to the IoT need to be intelligent, if information related to the things are collected, stored and shared for collaborative value creation among the actors involved in the business ecosystem.

The study discusses how IoT deployments allow businesses to benefit from the velocity and variety of information associated with things and guides future research to study the ways in which value is created through IoT-enabled business models.

Rather than focusing on improving the efficiency of the supply network, the study presents new paths for competitive advantages in the new IoT ecosystems.

The study contributes to the mounting research on the IoT by identifying and discussing the critical aspects of how IoT can transform business models and supply networks within end-to-end ecosystems.

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate Michael Thomas's concept of civic professionalism and social trusteeship as a future alternative to the current marketing profession's code of conduct and to put this in the context of climate change and ecological sustainability as a model for firms everywhere.

Review of the marketing profession's responsibility towards society, communities and the ecology of the planet in the twenty‐first century in the light of climate change.

The hypothesis for the paper emerges as: whether it is possible for Chinese firms to embrace the needs of twenty‐first century global ecological sustainability in meeting their own economic requirements for development and financial prosperity.

Limited secondary research and primary research that is also limited in terms of scope.

As we move into an era of Chinese economic supremacy, we marketers must face up to the responsibility we have towards balancing the progression of global economic development (and selling goods and services in global market systems) with our responsibility towards our cultural systems and the global ecological system (the global ecosystem), the home of all our economic wealth.

To extrapolate lessons and opportunities for firms from developing economies as they move towards global domination of world economic markets and, suggest strategies for sustainability that they can, and should, adopt.

The paper presents a theoretical framework for a global strategy for sustainability, and provides a vision of marketing responsibility that embraces civic professionalism, social trusteeship and a strategy for sustainability.

In research on the circular economy, business models are often taken as a focal point since their essential functions are both to create value and to capture part of that value. This chapter investigates whether and how circular business models can be “opened up” to creating and capturing value by utilizing a firm’s main asset not only in its own operation but also in other firms’ businesses. We hereby take the perspective of producing companies which face various challenges over the entire product life cycle and empirically analyze a case of five companies which are part of a joint innovation toward circularity in the plastics industry. Building on a grounded theory approach, we propose a new framework for companies which combines insights about open business models with circularity. When moving toward circularity, producing companies are advised to expand their dyadic perspective of suppliers, on the one hand, and customers, on the other hand, to a network perspective and open their business models.

In this paper, the authors aim to explore the relationship between the concepts of Industry 4.0 and circular economy (CE) as a contribution to the management decision on emerging countries. By analyzing the trends of scientific production to ascertain the interface of both constructs, the purpose of this paper is to identify limitations for Industry 4.0 and CE implementation in Brazil, as well to present an original framework and strategic pathways to overcome limitations for emerging countries.

Supported in the Brazilian case, the authors draw a framework using the structuralism approach to indicate pathways for the strategic positioning of emerging economies that consider their limitation and potential for competitive advantage. By understanding country-related limitations such as social and economic contingencies, the authors conceive a structure of implications for Brazil’s capacity to develop CE in the digital era.

Results show that Brazil has a reasonable, institutional and stable environment, as well as strong regulatory policies for solid waste that can stimulate CE in the country. However, it requires more communication between actors, especially public and private institutions, performing long-range relationships. Also, the country requires consolidation of industrial policies and investments in the remanufacturing process in the supply chain. Likewise, despite Brazil’s ability to take advantage of CE’s benefits, the country presents a huge lack of qualification to fulfill the competences that the digitization process demands. Economically, Brazil has been fighting against an economic crisis since 2014 that has limited general investments, especially in the industrial sector. Industry presents low performance and decreasing GDP participation, which leads to constant overseas production transfer as a consequence of the workforce’s high costs.

The authors can affirm that Brazil is far behind developed countries in searching for the capacity to provide CE through technological industrial change. The main problems are related to the lack of articulation of public and private spheres to promote new digital business models. Therefore, the structured framework enables managers and public agents to provide solutions and to properly address supply chain bottlenecks in emerging economies.

Exploring the relationship between the concepts of Industry 4.0 and CE through the specific lens of the structuralist method, this work can contribute to the management decision on emerging countries, looking into four important perspectives: political, economic, social and technological.

This article aims to understand the role of intermediaries that manage innovation challenges in the healthcare scenario. More specifically, it explores the role of digital platforms in addressing data challenges and fostering data-driven innovation in the health sector.

For exploring the role of platforms, the authors propose a theoretical model based on the platform’s dynamic capabilities, assuming that, because of their set of capabilities, platforms may trigger innovation practices in actor interactions. To corroborate the theoretical framework, the authors present a detailed in-depth case study analysis of Apheris, an innovative data-driven digital platform operating in the healthcare scenario.

The paper finds that the innovative data-driven digital platform can be used to revolutionize established practices in the health sector (a) accelerating research and innovation; (b) overcoming challenges related to healthcare data. The case study demonstrates how data and intellectual property sharing can be privacy-compliant and enable new capabilities.

The paper attempts to fill the gap between the use of the data-driven digital platform and the critical innovation practices in the healthcare industry.

This paper aims to explore patterns of business financing and adoption of blockchain technology in the agricultural industry. The adoption of blockchain technology in terms of recording, storing, validating and securing data can solve a variety of agricultural problems such as agricultural business financing. If the banking and insurance industries are connected in real-time to activity data in the agricultural industry, they can create better credit ratings and profile models. So, finally, all parties in the agricultural industry have a greater chance to get business financing from banks.

This paper uses a case study research approach with a framework of analysis of the theory of adoption of technology, organization and environment (TOE) and the theory of “mindfulness of adoption”. The case study method has advantages when verification is still questioned or the application of certain theories in practice as phenomena and contexts that occur in the field in accordance with the application of blockchain technology into a relatively new business, both technically and practically in the field.

The findings indicate that there are no barriers to the availability of blockchain technology for technology adoption. The characteristics of this technology are very suitable for solving financing and supply chain business problems in the agricultural industry. However, the adoption of blockchain technology in agriculture shows that there is complexity in the organizational context involving internal and external organizations. The number of organizations and small parties involved in the agricultural process challenges the adoption of blockchain technology as new technology. Then, the external environment of technology, especially government regulations in developing countries, is still an obstacle to the adoption of blockchain technology.

This study faces several limitations, namely, the limited case of implementation of the blockchain technology due to the novelty of technology and government regulation. So that further research related to the adoption of blockchain technology needs to be done using field data such as surveys. Research related to the connectivity of the banking industry and other financial institutions also needs to be explored further, especially in creating a data-based credit risk model of the blockchain system.

On the practical side, case studies of technology adoption and its relationship with the financing of agricultural business are still little explored so this study contributes to exploring the application of blockchain technology in the agricultural industry. The adoption of blockchain technology has an impact not only on farmers but also on all parties involved in the supply chain including banks, insurance and other financial institutions. In addition, the distributed data exchange business model using blockchain technology is a new business model in the agriculture industry.

This study aims to investigate the domestic sustainable consumption practices in Indian households and the motivations to do so. These practices also contribute to environment management and its impact on Indian society through the action of reusing, reducing and recycling of consumed products for two generations, namely, the Baby Boomer and the Generation Z.

An exploratory qualitative research was undertaken in which the data were collected through personal interview technique with 64 respondents including males and females from the generations of Baby Boomers and Generation Z of Indian households.

The theoretical framework of the 3R was extended to inculcate broader themes like awareness, action and motivation for the domestic sustainable activities. The findings conclude that the domestic sustainable consumption practices of Baby Boomers in India were far more advanced than their Generation Z counterparts. These two generations differed in their awareness sources, actions of sustainability and the motivations for undergoing the domestic sustainable activities. Managerial implications have been framed for organisations like start-ups, sustainable firms, government organisations and second-hand product vendors. These practices in such organisations could help in the enhancement of circular economy through the domestic waste disposal.

Practical implications are for organisations that can consider the domestic sustainability consumption practices while planning their strategies to maximise stakeholder satisfaction through their corporate social responsibility initiatives and create more goodwill and growth avenues for their businesses.

Where most of the past literature concentrates on the supply chain and manufacturing initiatives of sustainability or sustainable consumption, very few studies look at the angle of domestic sustainability initiative and how they could be linked to the initiative of circular economy. This paper fills this gap in past literature.

The fashion sector is complex. It involves multiple actors with distinct and potentially conflicting interests, forming a value ecosystem. Thus, knowing the interested parties and belonging to the fashion sector may be a means to promote technological innovation, such as products with wearables. The purpose of this paper to identify the participants of the fashion ecosystem from the perspective of wearable technologies and develop a conceptual model.

The present work aims to identify the participants (actors) and develop a conceptual model of the fashion ecosystem from the perspective of wearable technologies. The systematic literature review is the recommended method to qualitatively analyze documents and identify the interested parties (actors) in the fashion sector in order to design the proposed conceptual model.

From the studies, the conceptual model of the fashion value ecosystem was designed, and the wearable product was considered its core business. The studies identified addressed ecosystems of fashion value in general but not specific to wearable products and their relations with other complementary industries.

The model was designed using secondary data only. Its validation is relevant through interviews with experts.

In terms of relevance, when conducting a systematic literature review, there were no studies that included wearable technologies in the fashion ecosystems discussed and their relations with other industries. The topic of wearables is an emerging subject that needs further research aiming to insert this technology in productive sectors.

This paper outlines the rapid rise of China's fintech companies over the past decade with a focus on their globalization strategies as they enter their next phase of development.

The author examines China's current and prospective influence on global financial digitization trends, and assesses both domestic and foreign opportunities and challenges confronted by China's fintech firms as they look to expand abroad.

The Chinese government is experimenting with a radically new fintech system and a regulatory regime in response to it. Chinese ambitions to expand fintech influence through private companies and the state-led “digital RMB” (e-CNY) will likely provoke a wave of “digital protectionism” among developed nations to protect internal digital payments.

This paper is an original economic history research on China's fintech industry.

Waste can be converted to a high-value asset if treated properly with smart solutions. The purpose of this research is to identify critical barriers hindering smart waste management (SWM) implementation in developing economies using comparative analysis and a mixed-method approach. The objective of this work is to provide exhaustive insight including the smart cities projects to discuss the deferring parameters toward IoT-enabled waste management systems.

To accomplish the objective, the present study followed mixed-method approach consisting of two phases: In the first qualitative phase, barriers in the adoption of IoT (Internet of Things) for SWM were identified using extensive literature review and discussion with selected experts. In the second phase, the quantitative analysis using the Fuzzy DEMATEL (Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory) method was performed on the selected barriers. The fuzzy DEMATEL methodology helps in prioritizing the most significant causal barrier by separating them into the cause-effect group. The comparative analysis was used to understand two different perceptions. To provide more detailed insight on the problems faced while implementing SWM in developing economies.

The results disclose that “Lack of government strict regulatory policies,” “Lack of proper financial planning” and “Lack of benchmarking processes” are the most critical causal barriers toward IoT-enabled SWM implementation that are hindering the vision of efficient and effective waste management system. Also, “Difficulty in implementing innovative technologies” and “Absence of Dynamic Scheduling and Routing” fall under the potential causal category. The effect barriers include “Lack of awareness among the community,” “Lack of source segregation and recycling commitment” and “Lack of service provider” as concluded in results considering the comparative analysis. The results can aid the policy-makers and stakeholders to identify the significant barriers toward a sustainable circular economy and mitigate them when implementing IoT-enable waste practices. Also, it assists to proactively build programs, policies, campaigns and other measures to attain a zero-waste economy.

The research is focused on the context of India but it provides new details which can be helpful for other developing economies to relate. The research addresses the call for studies from public-sector and citizen’s perspectives to understand the acknowledgment of SWM systems and critical success factors using qualitative and exploratory method analysis.

The practical implications of the study include strict regulatory policies and guidelines for SWM acceptance, proper financial administration and benchmarking waste-recycling practices (prominent causal barriers). The practical implication of the results includes assistance in smart city projects in handling barriers proactively. The “Lack of Benchmarking processes” provides a critical application to standardized recycling practices in developing economies to improve the quality of the recyclable material/product. The comparative analysis also provides in-depth reflection toward the causal barriers from both the perspective which can help the government and stakeholders to work in a unified manner and establish an efficient waste management system. The results also conclude the need for targeted training programs and workshops for field implementation of innovative technologies to overcome the causal barrier. Moreover, policy-makers should focus to improve source segregation and recycling practices and ensure dedicated communication campaigns like Swachh Bharat Abhiyan to change the behavioral functioning of the community regarding waste. Lastly, developing economies struggle with the adequacy of resources to establish SWM systems, hence the authors conclude that proper financial planning is required at the ground level for smart city projects to overcome the spillover effects.

The social implications of the study include a reduction in pollution and efficient handling of waste resulting in a healthier and cleaner environment using IoT technology. Also, the results assist decision-makers in developing economies like India to establish smart city projects initiatives effectively to improve the quality of life. It proposes to establish standardized recycling processes for the better quality of recyclables and help in attaining a sustainable circular economy.

The research is novel as it provides comprehensive and comparative information regarding the barriers deferring SWM including the field barriers. To our consideration, the present study serves the first to address the comparative analysis of barriers in IoT-enabled waste systems and establish the relationship from both the perspective in middle-lower income economies. The study also suggests that the effect barriers can be overcome automatically by mitigating the causal barriers in the long run.