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This work aims to investigate the current financial structure of Italian agri-food micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to understand how MSMEs face innovation challenges, which are also required to support sustainable development.

To reach the goal, an empirical longitudinal analysis is performed on a sample of Italian agri-food firms. In detail, to highlight the changes in the use of financial sources between 2013 and 2019, a descriptive ratio analysis is carried out on the data extracted by the AIDA database. In addition, statistical analyses were performed, including t-tests and U Mann–Whitney. Finally, a fixed-effects model is created to analyse the panel data. To ensure homogeneity, the sub-sectors of production and transformation are separately considered.

The financial structure analysis shows an increase in the equity percentage in the funding sources, attributable to an attempt to compensate for the reduction of banks' funding. However, even though this change has not compromised firms' profitability, the undercapitalisation of companies is still present. Therefore, more equity investments are required to support the innovation process.

The value of the present research is to highlight the choice of using new alternative financing sources instead of traditional banks' credit to implement sustainable and innovative development Italian agri-food sector (AFS). This choice is forced by reducing finance from banks and other financial institutions because of the credit crunch. This issue is even more relevant, considering that MSMEs have structural financial problems but have to fulfil the mission of pursuing innovation in the same way as large companies. Therefore, this paper expands the literature on agri-food, delving into an issue typical of MSMEs and combining agri-food with the need for innovation.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the consumer response to brands offering gendered product differentiation (i.e. products “for her” or “for him”).

Across three experiments, the effect of gendered (vs gender-unrelated) product differentiation on perceived brand sexism and word-of-mouth intention was tested. The moderating effects of feminist identity (Studies 1 and 2), endorsement of sexist beliefs (Study 2) and basis (stereotypical vs biological) for product differentiation (Study 3) were also tested.

Consumers perceive brands that offer gendered product differentiation as sexist, which in turn leads to negative word-of-mouth intention. Moreover, consumers with a strong feminist identity are more likely to perceive brands that offer gendered product differentiation as sexist, whereas consumers who endorse sexist beliefs are less likely to do so. Finally, consumers respond negatively when the gendered product differentiation is based on a gender stereotype, but much less so when it seems based on a biological difference between sexes.

Although multiple brands offering gendered products have been denounced by consumers as sexist, no research has examined this phenomenon. This paper pioneers in examining the consumer response to brands offering gendered product differentiation and in demonstrating that consumers perceive such brands as sexist.

The research evaluated the feasibility of 3D dynamic fit utilizing female compression tops by comparatively analyzing the virtual and actual dynamic fit.

Six female participants were 3D body-scanned and photographed in compression tops in four types of athletic movements (pull-up, kettlebell swing, circle-crunch and sit-up). Fit measurements, waist cross-sectional areas, waist width, waist depth, numerical simulation of clothing pressure (kPa) and objective pressure measurements (kPa) were collected from 3D virtual animation, 3D fit scan data and actual photos with the four types of athletic motions. The data were comparatively investigated between virtual and actual dynamic fit.

The 3D-animated body was not reflected with human body deformation because only bone structure was changed while maintaining the constant forms of muscle and body surface in athletic movements. Due to this consistency of virtual dynamic fit, there were significant differences with the actual dynamic fit at the top length, shoulder width and waist cross-sectional areas. Also, the virtual dynamic pressure indicated significantly higher levels than the objective dynamic pressure while presenting no significant correlations at the front neckline, breast, lateral waist, upper back, back armhole and back waist.

This study is the first to verify multiple aspects of virtual dynamic fit using 3D digital technology. This study provided useful information about which aspects of the current virtual animation need to be improved to apply in the dynamic fit evaluation.

The credit crunch of 2008 and recent COVID-19 influences underscored the importance of liquidity and credit risk management in businesses and financial institutions. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of liquidity risk and credit risk management on accounting and market performances of banks operating in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

This study uses a panel data regression analysis on a sample of 51 listed commercial banks operating in 10 MENA countries during the period 2010–2018.

The results show that credit risk management does not affect the accounting performance of banks, while it has a non-linear, convex relationship with market performance. Surprisingly, liquidity risk management is not a significant driver for either performance measure in studied banks. However, when a bank combines credit risk management with liquidity risk management efforts, liquidity risk management actions return significant results on both performances, illustrated by an inverted U-shaped relationship. In addition, this study examines the joint impact of both risks on bank performance. This study reveals that accounting and market performances are differently affected by joint risk management efforts. Their impact depends on the combination of risk management ratios upon which banks choose to focus their efforts.

The findings help bankers and regulators further consider non-linearities and offer them new tools for managing the impact of credit and liquidity risk interactions towards achieving more financial stability.

These results contribute to traditional banking in offering bankers and regulators new tools for managing the impact of credit and liquidity risk interactions on bank performance.

The main purpose of this paper is to investigate drivers and barriers of climate change mitigation strategies (CCMS), their linkages and impact in Indian Iron and Steel Industry (IISI) in light of ninth sustainable development goal (building resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation).

To identify relevant drivers and barriers, a thorough literature review and opinions of industry experts were obtained. Utilizing Total Interpretive Structural Modeling (TISM), the selected drivers and barriers were modeled separately along with Cross Impact Matrix-multiplication Applied to Classification (MICMAC).

Pragmatic and cost-effective technology, less supply chain complexity, robust policy and legal framework were found to have the highest driving power over all the other drivers. Findings suggest political pressure as the most critical barrier in this study. The results from TISM and MICMAC analysis have been used to elucidate a framework for the understanding of policymakers and achieve top management commitment.

This paper will help researchers, academicians, industry analysts and policymakers in developing a systems approach in prioritizing CCMS in energy-intensive (coal dependent) iron and steel plants. The model outcomes of this work will aid operational research to understand the working principles in other industries as well.

To the best of authors' knowledge, there is paucity of reported literature for the drivers and barriers of CCMS in iron and steel industry. This paper can be considered a unique, first attempt to use data from developing nations like India to develop a model and explain relationships of the existing drivers and barriers of CCMS.

This study aims to explore the benefits of strategy as way-finding approach to strategic thinking suggested by Robert Chia for small community-based Southern NGOs. The purpose is to find alternatives to the strategic planning (SP) approach.

The study adopts the perspective of phronesis (Flyvbjerg, 2006) using the case study of a 45-year-old NGO based in India and working for community development. The data has been collected for over more than 20 years. Qualitative analysis of the data has been done by focusing on the activities that were performed in keeping with the requirements of phronetic research.

The study finds that through way-finding approach to strategic thinking, a Southern NGO is able to manage and reduce its resource dependence while maintaining organizational autonomy and pursuing its vision. The approach avoids the pathologies produced through SP in such organisations.

This study adds to empirical contexts in which strategy as way-finding may be practiced. This study explicitly shows how this may be very useful to smaller community-based Southern NGOs. This study also adds to the research on strategy as practice by showing its relevance in the NGO sector.

This study shows alternatives to NGOs that are reluctant to engage in SP. This study also shows how NGOs can benefit from the way-finding approach to strategic thinking to improve their community connect, autonomy and impact.

This study provides alternatives to resisting the power asymmetry of the global North-South development agenda.

This study demonstrates the usefulness of the way-finding approach to strategy in the context of smaller Third-World NGOs and provides alternatives to SP.

This exploratory study aims to discover the different forms of challenges encountered by school stakeholders, including students, teachers, parents and management due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Qualitative methodology was deployed for the study. A purposive sampling technique was used to select the respondents for a semi-structured interview. Data were examined using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA).

It was found that each stakeholder faced four different challenges: mental distress, physical immobility, financial crunches and technological concerns. Findings suggest that teachers are experiencing higher financial, technological and physical challenges as compared to other stakeholders followed by parents.

This paper discusses the major challenges faced by each stakeholder along with the opportunities. These findings will be useful for educationists, regulatory authorities, policymakers and management of educational institutions in developing countries to revisit their policy frameworks to develop new strategies and processes for the smooth implementation of remote learning during a period of uncertainty.

This study adopts a new macro-perspective to explore the complex and dynamic links between financial instability and the Euro-American green equity market. Its primary focus and novelty is to shed light on the non-linear and asymmetric characteristics of dependence, causality, and contagion within various time and frequency domains. Specifically, the authors scrutinize how financial instability in the U.S. and EU interacts with their respective green stock markets, while also examining the cross-impact on each other's green equity markets. The analysis is carried out over short-, medium- and long-term horizons and under different market conditions, ranging from bearish and normal to bullish.

This study breaks new ground by employing a model-free and non-parametric approach to examine the relationship between the instability of the global financial system and the green equity market performance in the U.S. and EU. This study's methodology offers new insights into the time- and frequency-varying relationship, using wavelet coherence supplemented with quantile causality and quantile-on-quantile regression analyses. This advanced approach unveils non-linear and asymmetric causal links and characterizes their signs, effectively distinguishing between bearish, normal, and bullish market conditions, as well as short-, medium- and long-term horizons.

This study's findings reveal that financial instability has a strong negative impact on the green stock market over the medium to long term, in bullish market conditions and in times of economic and extra-economic turbulence. This implies that green stocks cannot be an effective hedge against systemic financial risk during periods of turbulence and euphoria. Moreover, the authors demonstrate that U.S. financial instability not only affects the U.S. green equity market, but also has significant spillover effects on the EU market and vice versa, indicating the existence of a Euro-American contagion mechanism. Interestingly, this study's results also reveal a positive correlation between financial instability and green equity market performance under normal market conditions, suggesting a possible feedback loop effect.

This study represents pioneering work in exploring the non-linear and asymmetric connections between financial instability and the Euro-American stock markets. Notably, it discerns how these interactions vary over the short, medium, and long term and under different market conditions, including bearish, normal, and bullish states. Understanding these characteristics is instrumental in shaping effective policies to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including access to clean, affordable energy (SDG 7), and to preserve the stability of the international financial system.

In the wake of COVID-19, the cruise industry is experiencing an unprecedented talent management challenge. Extant research suggests a broad range of work values that may attract job candidates to the cruise industry. The purpose of this study is to assess whether there are significant differences in the importance ratings of these work values for the millennials, compared to those of the preceding generation X.

With the support of a leading recruitment agency, the authors obtained responses to an online survey of 1,320 job candidates, of whom 830 were millennials. Using a quantitative approach, the authors asked them to assess the importance of eight work value domains. The authors ranked these domains for the millennials and for generation X and compared mean importance ratings using t-tests.

The results of this study reveal that differences between millennials and generation X in the ranking of the eight work value domains do exist. The authors did not find support for any systematic differences in terms of “extrinsic” versus “intrinsic” work values. However, the results show that the importance of “ego-driven” work values (e.g. support, development, compensation, work–life balance and comfort) is significantly higher for millennials. Conversely, for the more “altruistic” factors, there are no significant differences between the two generations.

Based on a very large sample of job candidates from the cruise industry, the results support the predictions of generational theories. The authors show that differences in work value ratings between generation X and the millennials exist. The authors also provide a novel perspective on the dimensions along which these differences materialize.

在一家领先的招聘机构的支持下, 我们对1320名求职者进行了在线调查, 其中830名是千禧一代。利用定量方法定量评估求职者八个工作价值域的重要性。对千禧一代和X一代的这些领域进行了排名, 并使用t检验重要性评分平均值。

新冠肺炎疫情后, 邮轮行业面临着前所未有的人才管理挑战。现有的研究表明, 广泛的工作价值观可能会吸引求职者进入邮轮行业。本研究的目的是评估千禧一代对这些工作价值的重要性评分与上一代X相比是否存在显著差异。

研究结果显示, 千禧一代和X一代在这八个工作价值领域的排名上确实存在差异。在“外在”和“内在”工作价值方面, 没有任何系统差异的证据支持。然而, 研究结果指出, “自我驱动”的工作价值观（如支持、发展、薪酬、工作与生活的平衡和舒适）对千禧一代的重要性明显更高。相反, 对于更“利他”的因素, 两代人之间没有显著差异。

基于邮轮行业的大量求职者样本, 结果支持代际理论的预测。研究表明, X一代和千禧一代在工作价值评价上存在差异。还提供了一个关于这些差异实现维度的新视角。

Con el apoyo de una importante agencia de contratación, se obtuvieron respuestas a una encuesta online de 1.320 candidatos a un puesto de trabajo, de los cuales 830 eran de la generación del milenio (milenials). A partir de un enfoque cuantitativo, se preguntó que evaluaran la importancia de ocho dimensiones sobre valores laborales. Se clasificaron estas dimensiones para los milenials y para la generación X y se compararon las valoraciones medias de su importancia mediante pruebas t.

A raíz del Covid-19, el sector de los cruceros está experimentando un reto de gestión del talento sin precedentes. La investigación existente sugiere una amplia gama de valores laborales que pueden atraer a los candidatos al sector de los cruceros. El objetivo de esta investigación es evaluar si existen diferencias significativas en las puntuaciones sobre la importancia de estos valores laborales para los millenials, en comparación con los de la generación X precedente.

Nuestros resultados revelan que existen diferencias entre los milenials y la generación X en la clasificación de las ocho dimensiones sobre valores laborales. No se encuentra apoyo para ninguna diferencia sistemática en términos de valores laborales “extrínsecos” frente a “intrínsecos”. Sin embargo, nuestros resultados muestran que la importancia de los valores laborales “impulsados por el ego” (por ejemplo, el apoyo, el desarrollo, la retribución, el equilibrio entre la vida laboral y personal y la comodidad) es significativamente mayor para los milenials. Por el contrario, para los factores más “altruistas” no hay diferencias significativas entre las dos generaciones.

Basándonos en una muestra muy amplia de candidatos a un puesto de trabajo en el sector de los cruceros, nuestros resultados respaldan las predicciones de las teorías generacionales. Se demuestra que existen diferencias en las valoraciones del trabajo entre la generación X y los milenials. También, se aporta una perspectiva novedosa sobre las dimensiones a lo largo de las cuales se materializan estas diferencias.

We aim to conduct a bibliometric analysis that explores and maps quantitative data of the emerging field of central bank digital currencies in science and its implications in practice. We seek to clarify the underlying research structures and streams of the new phenomena, and our motivation is the rising number of pilots between governments seeking to implement different types of central bank digital currency.

We designed the unique set of keywords to explore ongoing projects on central bank digital currencies and the evolution of scientific thought on the topic. We conducted a descriptive analysis and an evaluating bibliometric analysis on the timeline from 2018 to April 18, 2023 and investigated 76 articles in the Web of Science database and 152 articles in the Scopus database using VOSviewer.

We highlight three main directions of discourse on central bank digital currencies in economics using authors keyword analysis, that are: (1) cash, (2) monetary policy and (3) financial stability. We conducted a map-based text analysis of the abstracts and identified the following main streams of discussion in the field: (1) policy-related research on financial systems, (2) a comprehensive review of the design and features of central bank digital currencies and (3) research on the impact of central bank digital currencies on the banking system.

The unique set of keywords allows us to continue the discourse on central bank digital currencies including implications of ongoing governmental projects on the topic and provide directions for future research. We brought the focus on the impact of central bank digital currencies on the banking sector and the new possible order for cash, deposits and payments.