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This conceptual paper aims to develop a theoretical framework for carbon trading in the built environment through theories to expand current knowledge on components of carbon trading systems.

This theoretical framework was developed and supported with existing theories and past empirical literature from built environment, economics and finance. Underlying theories used in the framework were selected due to their significance and applicability to carbon trading projects. Hypotheses set in the study summarise the propositions developed from the theories and past empirical literature.

The framework reveals four major components of carbon trading for the built environment. Six hypotheses were further proposed to unravel the resultant influence of their interactions on each component in the trading system.

This paper sought to undertake a theoretical review of classical theories and past studies on carbon trading. Even though a systematic review was undertaken, the constructs in the theoretical framework may not be exhaustive.

This study contributes and advances the body of knowledge on the components that comprise the mechanism of how carbon trading operates in the built environment. Theoretically, the framework developed serves as a multi-dimensional guide on the operations of carbon trading in the built environment.

The theoretical framework developed endeavours to consolidate multi-faceted theories from varying disciplines on the components that comprise carbon trading in the built environment.

This study aims to assess Ethiopia’s export performance and emerging exporters of textile and apparel products.

Descriptive research designs were used to investigate textiles and apparel export performance. Quantitative secondary data were collected from the International Trade Center database for 19 years (2004–2022). Data analysis was performed using percentage, Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) and Independent t-test using Excel and SPSS version 20.

Findings show that Ethiopia and emerging exporters of textiles and apparel have fluctuating export performance both in absolute value and percentage of growth. The RCA results revealed that Ethiopia, South Africa, Japan, Russia, Australia and Ghana had comparative disadvantages at first, and then Ethiopia’s index showed improvement to weak and medium levels. Meanwhile, countries such as Madagascar and Cambodia have a stronger comparative advantage than Ethiopia and other countries considered in this study. In addition, the findings also show significant differences between Ethiopia and other emerging exporters of textile apparel, except Egypt.

The findings of this study have significant ramifications for scholars, professionals in the textile sector and decision-makers in legislation.

This study established new trends and extended the application of the RCA index across regions.

Organizations remain a vital sociological topic, but organizational sociology, as a subfield, has evolved significantly since its inception. In this paper, I argue that organization sociology is becoming increasingly disconnected from organizational theory, as currently conceived. The focus of sociological research on organizations has become more empirically grounded in the study of social problems and how organizations contribute to them. Sociologists continue to see organizations as important actors in society that play a role in shaping social order and as contexts in which social processes play out. I propose two main sociological approaches for organizational research, which I describe as “organizations within society” and “society within organizations.” The first approach examines the role of organizations as building blocks of social structure and as social actors in their own right. The second approach treats organizations as platforms and locations of social interactions and the building of community. These approaches are somewhat disconnected from the sort of grand theorizing that characterizes much of organizational theory. I argue that the problem-oriented sociology of these two approaches offers a vital way for organizational scholars to expand and theoretically revitalize the field.

This study aims to explore the possibilities for regional (intra and inter) trade between Central Asia and South Asia (CASA) by examining several frameworks that impact the economic integration of these regions.

The study uses five indices, specifically the export diversification index, export survival rates, export sophistication, revealed comparative advantage and intra-industry trade index in South and Central Asia, from 2005 to 2021.

The findings show a twofold increase in the potential trade value between the two regions compared to the actual level. The intra-regional trade in Central Asia accounts for less than 5% of trade with all countries, whereas the intra-regional trade in South Asia accounts for 1.5%, and the inter-regional trade accounts for between 0.2 and 4% of total trade to all destinations. The intensity of trade measurements shows that inter-regional trade flows are modest because they make up a relatively small percentage of the entire trade volume, which includes all destinations, ranging from 0.2 to 4 %.

These findings have a significant impact on the successful implementation of trading-related measures, initiatives and institutional mechanisms for encouraging improved trade between and within both regions.

Export diversification initiatives aim to provide favourable outcomes for all parties involved, focusing on expanding the range of goods and services exchanged. CASA countries with higher diversification have shown more favourable outcomes than those relying on a restricted range of products. The authors expect policies promoting a broader array of exports to boost market shares, while maintaining a narrow focus may hinder new export prospects. In addition, regional value chains and policy initiatives promoting trade and investment could lead to increased value additions to exports, technological transfers and job creation.

The study emphasises the significance of trade-related policies, programmes and institutional mechanisms in promoting trade between CASA. It emphasises the need for policies that support investment and trade, adopt new requirements of the Agreement on Trade Facilitation and promote diversity and latency.

Based on economic analysis, the study offers practical insights and strategies for businesses in the CASA regions. It also provides analytical tools for academics and decision makers, as well as policy and programme recommendations for government agencies, development partners, researchers and individuals interested in trade dynamics in these regions.

Comprehending the determinants influencing the sustained engagement in social commerce assumes paramount importance for its success, particularly within the context of developing countries. This study employs complexity theory to examine the antecedents of the intention toward social commerce continuance.

A structured online survey was designed to collect data regarding four behavioural factors: satisfaction, trust, online social support, and continuance intention. The net effect of each construct was evaluated using a symmetrical modelling technique, and to identify the asymmetric effect, the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis was conducted.

The findings of the structural equation modelling confirmed the importance of satisfaction and online social support for continuance intention. The asymmetric analysis revealed three recipes leading to social commerce continuance intention and three combinations for its absence, contributing to understanding the complexity of online consumer decision-making.

Theoretically, this research highlights the interplay between online social support, trust, satisfaction, and s-commerce continuance intention. Gaining insights into the main factors influencing social media participants' behaviour assists business organizations and policymakers to foster the growth, and the sustainability of the s-commerce.

Combining two distinct methodologies, the findings of this paper allow for a comprehensive exploration of the multifaceted dynamics that underlie consumer behaviour and provide actionable insights for businesses seeking to refine their strategies within the dynamic realm of social commerce. Further, the study offers a valuable roadmap for marketers and policymakers to enhance consumer relationships and augment the efficacy of social commerce initiatives.

Grounded in the transformational leadership theory, conservation of resource theory and job demands-resources model, this paper aims to examine the effect of transformational leadership on psychological empowerment and employee engagement of faculty members in Bangladesh and Thailand. This study also integrates Hofstede’s cultural dimensions theory to justify whether transformational leadership could affect psychological empowerment of faculty members in these two countries differently.

Survey data were collected from a total of 457 faculty members from two universities in Bangladesh (n = 243) and two universities in Thailand (n = 241). This study used partial least squares structural equation modeling for analyzing the proposed model.

The evidence shows that faculty members who worked for department heads and who exhibited transformational leadership demonstrated high level of psychological empowerment and employee engagement. Psychological empowerment also mediates the effect of transformational leadership on employee engagement. Moreover, the degree to which transformational leadership positively affects psychological empowerment is stronger for faculty members in a higher power distance culture (Thailand) than for those faculty members in a lower power distance culture (Bangladesh).

Because human capital plays a crucial role in determining the potential of universities to achieve superior performance, universities should provide leadership training to help department heads understand the key elements of transformational leadership and apply them in their management practices to promote empowerment and engagement of their faculty members.

The finding provides new evidence that broadens the knowledge from existing research about the cross-cultural effectiveness of transformational leadership, which has not been explored in the area of psychological empowerment.

Since 1960s it has been realized that the bilateral trade at international level cannot be explained solely by the classical and neoclassical models of trade based on inter-industry trade. There is an existence of export and import within the same industry among the trading partners. Intra-industry trade (IIT) for products and product groups has been empirically observed by several studies. However, there is not much literature available on IIT in services. So also, from country perspective many studies are based on IIT for advanced countries. There is not much empirical evidence available for IIT among the emerging economies. The study aims to analyze the IIT in tourism services for five major emerging economies constituting BRICS – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The group constitutes 41% of world population with 24% of world GDP and 16% share in world trade. The study used both static and dynamic approaches to measure the IIT between India and other BRICS nations between 2018 and 2020. To empirically estimate the IIT, the study employs Grubel and Lloyd index and Brülhart index (MIIT). The study reveals that India had a very high level of intra-tourism trade with Brazil and South Africa. While with China and Russian Federation it was moderate. Results denote a correlation between the theory of international trade and tourism. There is two-way trade in BRICS tourism flows.

To assess South Africa’s (SA’s) citrus export competitiveness in the global market and identify its macroeconomic drivers.

The Normalized Revealed Comparative Advantage (NRCA) index is employed to measure export competitiveness. An ARDL-EC model is then estimated to identify the macroeconomic determinants of SA’s citrus export competitiveness.

SA’s citrus export competitiveness declined before the mid-1990s and rose thereafter. On balance, the country improved from the fourth to the second most competitive citrus exporter. A long-run relationship was established between the NRCA scores and the real exchange rate and real GDP per capita growth rate. The export price exerted a positive short-run influence on citrus export competitiveness. The rise in SA’s citrus export competitiveness since the mid-1990s was mainly driven by the rising citrus export price and real exchange rate depreciation.

Future research could explore the determinants of SA’s export competitiveness using panel gravity models of bilateral trade flows to isolate the impact of macroeconomic variables and trade restricting/enhancing policies of importing countries.

The article employs the NRCA index, which can measure comparative advantage across space and over time. It is the first to econometrically estimate the macroeconomic determinants of citrus export competitiveness in SA. Application of the ARDL-EC framework yields both short- and long-run effects of macroeconomic variables on export competitiveness.

This article examines the concepts of “deglobalization” and “decoupling” from the perspectives of developing and developed nations. It also assesses the short-term impacts of globalization, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and predicts the long-term effects on global trade and cooperation between nations.

Panel data from 85 countries (2000–2022) were utilized. Poisson Pseudo-Maximum Likelihood (PPML) regression analysis was conducted to analyze pre- and post-COVID-19 globalization levels. The analysis focuses on trade patterns and trends, specifically comparing the effects on developing and developed nations.

First, there was a slight decline in global trade in 2020 due to COVID-19, followed by recovery in 2021–2022. Second, developing nations experienced more significant trade declines than did developed nations. Third, while US? China trade decreased slightly, China-India and US-India trade increased during the pandemic. These findings suggest that while there may be short-term disruptions, long-term trends indicate resilience in global trade patterns, with shifts in output and new partnerships emerging.

This study contributes to the understanding of deglobalization and decoupling by providing empirical evidence on pre- and post-COVID-19 trade patterns. The findings suggest that while globalization may have short-term effects, it is likely to lead to post-pandemic recovery and strengthened cooperation between developing and developed nations. This research also highlights the importance of developing strategies to manage uncertainty and external shocks in global trade, emphasizing the role of lockdown measures, national security considerations, and trade policies in shaping the future of globalization and decoupling.

This study aims to analyse the potential impacts of free trade agreement (FTA) between Indonesia and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries by eliminating import tariffs in the halal food sector on welfare, gross domestic product (GDP) and trade balance. OIC countries as the second-largest organisation after the United Nations are the potential markets for the halal food industry.

This study used the Global Trade Analysis Project database version 10 by adopting a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model for two scenarios. The first scenario stated that Indonesia should conduct an FTA with ten potential OIC countries as export destination, while the second one stated that it should be conducted with all OIC countries.

Indonesia is predicted to get the highest increase in welfare by making an FTA with all OIC countries. Scenario 2 showed that Indonesia had much higher changes in real GDP with a positive change of 0.0018%. Even though it is projected to experience a surplus in the trade balance in both scenarios, Indonesia is predicted to experience a decline in exports for the particular halal food sector. The findings contribute some new insights to the existing literature, revealing an alignment between economic integration and the concept of international trade in Islam.

The limitation of this study is the available data that cannot describe the population of all OIC countries. Only 31 countries out of a total of 56 OIC countries can be used in research. The scope of research is limited to analysing FTAs between Indonesia and OIC countries in the form of abolishing import tariffs and does not include non-tariff barrier issues such as halal certification.

The preferential trade agreement is considered relevant as Indonesia’s initial commitment to conduct a bilateral trade with ten selected OIC countries. The Indonesia Government, however, still needs to make several mitigation efforts in various sectors experiencing losses as a result of economic integration, such as by creating a more conducive business climate, supporting the sources of capital, facilitating bureaucratic affairs, as well as providing tax incentives.

This paper contributes to the literature by focusing on the critical aspects of the FTA’s impacts on halal food sectors by optimizing the reduction of import tariffs of OIC countries. Different from previous studies, this study applied a static CGE model to examine the impacts of FTA on macroeconomic indicators.