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This study aims to analyze the implications of the recent European Union Regulation 2023/1542 on the circular economy and stakeholder strategies within the electric vehicle lithium-ion battery (EV-LIB) sector. It aims to explain the policy intentions, recommend practical strategies for stakeholders and examine how the new regulation exerts pressure on stakeholders to transition from older directives to more sustainable practices and operational standards, while also highlighting policy gaps.

The research employs a dual-method approach, combining text analysis of EU legislation with semi-structured interviews of industry stakeholders. This methodology allows for a comprehensive understanding of the regulatory impacts by integrating legislative intent with practical, on-the-ground insights from key players in the EV-LIB sector.

Our findings show that the three aggregated dimensions of operational sustainability, R&D and new technologies and collaborative dynamics are the key dynamics underlying the intended outcomes. The findings also highlight the policy’s historical development, the stakeholder categories, the implications for each and practical recommendations in responding to the policy requirements. Additionally, the findings identify policy gaps, such as weak incentives and broad economic operator classifications, with examples from international markets. The regulation creates proactive stakeholders driving innovation and collaboration and reactive ones adapting to changes, where static implicit implications may affect their viability by imposing unequal burdens.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first to analyze the new EU Regulation 2023/1542, offering novel insights into the strategic responses required by stakeholders to adapt to the regulatory pressures. By focusing on the latest regulatory framework and its practical implications, the study bridges the gap between policy and practice, providing valuable guidance for industry players navigating the evolving regulatory environment.

• (1)

  EU’s policy shift from Directive to Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 has extended implications on the Electric Vehicles battery sector.

• (2)

  Duel qualitative methods of text analysis and semi-structured interviews validated three aggregate dimensions and policy gaps.

• (3)

  R&D with advancing technology, Operational sustainability and safety and Collaboration dynamics are dominating the scene.

• (4)

  Emergence of Proactive vs Reactive stakeholder dynamics.

• (5)

  The broad classification of “economic operators” and insufficiently detailed incentives, hinting at potential competitive imbalances and underexplored roles of end-users in achieving circular economy goals are appearing policy’ gaps.

EU’s policy shift from Directive to Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 has extended implications on the Electric Vehicles battery sector.

Duel qualitative methods of text analysis and semi-structured interviews validated three aggregate dimensions and policy gaps.

R&D with advancing technology, Operational sustainability and safety and Collaboration dynamics are dominating the scene.

Emergence of Proactive vs Reactive stakeholder dynamics.

The broad classification of “economic operators” and insufficiently detailed incentives, hinting at potential competitive imbalances and underexplored roles of end-users in achieving circular economy goals are appearing policy’ gaps.

Policy for women's entrepreneurship is designed to promote economic growth, not least in depleted rural areas, but very little is known about the contributions of rural women entrepreneurs, their needs or how the existing policy is received by them. Using a theoretical framework developed by Korsgaard et al. (2015), the authors analyse how rural women entrepreneurs contribute to rural development and discuss the implications for entrepreneurship policy. This paper aims to focus on the aforementioned objectives.

The authors interviewed 32 women entrepreneurs in rural Sweden representing the variety of businesses in which rural Swedish women are engaged. The authors analysed their contributions to rural development by analysing their motives, strategies and outcomes using Korsgaard et al.’s framework of “entrepreneurship in the rural” and “rural entrepreneurship” as a heuristic, interpretative device.

Irrespective of industry, the respondents were deeply embedded in family and local social structures. Their contributions were substantial, multidimensional and indispensable for rural viability, but the policy tended to bypass most women-owned businesses. Support in terms of business training, counselling and financing are important, but programmes especially for women tend to miss the mark, and so does rural development policy. More important for rural women entrepreneurs in Sweden is the provision of good public services, including for example, schools and social care, that make rural life possible.

Theoretically, the findings question the individualist and a-contextual focus of much entrepreneurship research, as well as the taken-for-granted work–family divide. How gender and how the public and the private are configured varies greatly between contexts and needs contextual assessment. Moreover, the results call for theorising place as an entrepreneurial actor.

Based on the findings, the authors advise future policymakers to gender mainstream entrepreneurship policy and to integrate entrepreneurship and rural development policy with family and welfare state policy.

The paper highlights how rural women respond to policy, and the results are contextualised, making it possible to compare them to other contexts. The authors widen the discussion on contributions beyond economic growth, and the authors show that policy for public and commercial services and infrastructure is indeed also policy for entrepreneurship.

The study aims to determine the long and short-term causal relationships between the variables associated with the adjustment of monetary policy and the stock market in India in the presence of structural breaks.

The study employed the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds test and the Error Correction Model to assess long- and short-term causal relationships. The study also used non-frequentist Bayesian inferences for the validity of estimation robustness. The Bai–Perron test is used to identify breakpoint dates for the Indian stock market index, and the Granger Causality test is employed to ascertain the direction of causality.

The F-bounds test reveals cointegration among the variables throughout the examined period. Specifically, the weighted average call money rate (WACR), inflation (WPI), currency exchange rate (EXE), and broad money supply (M3) exhibit statistical significance with precise signs. Furthermore, the study identifies the negative impact of the COVID-19 outbreak in March 2020 on the Indian stock market.

Although the study provides significant insights, it is not exempt from constraints. A significant limitation is selecting a relatively limited time period, specifically from April 2008 to September 2023. The limited time frame of this study may restrict the applicability of the results to more comprehensive economic settings, as dynamics between the monetary policy and the stock market can be influenced by multiple factors over varying time periods. Furthermore, the utilisation of the Weighted Average Call Money Rate (WACR) rather than policy rates such as the Repo rate presents an additional constraint as it may not comprehensively account for the impacts of particular policy initiatives, thereby disregarding essential complexities in the connection between monetary policy variables and financial markets.

The findings of the study suggest that investors and portfolio managers should consider economic issues while developing long-term investing plans. Reserve Bank of India should exercise prudence to prevent any discretionary measures that may lead to a rise in interest rates since this adversely affects the stock market. To mitigate risk, investors should closely monitor the adjustment of monetary policy variables.

The study has important social implications, especially regarding the lower levels of financial literacy among investors in India. Considering the complex nature of the study’s emphasis on monetary policy adjustments and their impact on the stock market. Investors face the risk of significant losses due to unexpected adjustments in monetary policy. Many individuals may need help understanding how policy changes impact their investments. Therefore, RBI must consider both price and financial stability when formulating monetary policies. Furthermore, market participants should consider the potential impact of fluctuating monetary policy variables when devising their long-term investment strategies. Given that adjustments in interest rates can markedly affect stock market dynamics, investors must carefully assess the implications of monetary policy decisions on their portfolios.

The study uses dummy variables in the ARDL model to represent structural breaks that emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic (as determined by the Bai–Perron multiple breakpoint test). The study also used the Perron unit root test to find out the stationary of the series in the presence of structural breaks. Additionally, the study also employed Bayesian inferences to affirm the robustness of the estimates.

This study highlights the crucial significance of stakeholder participation in the creation of a comprehensive energy and electrical master plan for Mozambique. The purpose of this study is to deliver a practical insights that transcend theoretical concerns by digging into the subtleties of stakeholder relationships and strategic collaborations, paving the path for pragmatic and meaningful solutions that connect with real-life conditions. This debate lays the groundwork for educated decision-making, propelling Mozambique’s energy industry towards a more sustainable and prosperous future.

The study used a combined approach of stakeholder analysis (SA) and social network analysis (SNA) to enhance our understanding of the stakeholder landscape in Mozambique’s energy sector. This methodological approach offers a unique vantage point to examine the individual stakeholders’ roles and the intricate web of connections, partnerships, collaborations and information-sharing activities. By integrating SA and SNA, this study aims to provide a more comprehensive and dynamic depiction of stakeholder interactions, contributing methodologically to the existing body of literature.

The findings also highlight the need to develop frameworks that promote private investment and joint endeavours with entities such as Cahora Bassa Dam/Mozambique Transmission Company. A consistent legal framework ensures uniform performance and a robust monitoring system for ongoing projects, improving accountability and progress tracking. Furthermore, the discussion includes enhancing the competence of the regulatory agency regulating the electricity industry. This includes tackling complex concerns with electricity pricing and other regulatory aspects relevant to private investment. A highly empowered regulatory agency is critical to creating an atmosphere conducive to long-term private sector involvement.

While the study emphasises the need to integrate multiple stakeholders, it may not detail specific issues or impediments that may develop during the engagement process. Additional research could look into potential tensions or barriers to effective collaboration. Furthermore, the study emphasises the necessity of addressing environmental impacts; it must thoroughly examine specific environmental concerns such as carbon emissions, deforestation or renewable energy possibilities. Future research could assess the suggested policies’ environmental impact more extensively. Additionally, while the conclusion briefly mentions economic prosperity, a more thorough consideration of the possible economic and social implications of various energy policies could provide a greater understanding of their practicality and potential benefits.

In terms of practical contributions, this study aspires to shed light on how stakeholder interactions can shape energy policy interventions that ensure reliable and affordable energy sources for economic development and societal well-being. By unveiling the complex network of relationships and partnerships, this study seeks to provide actionable insights for policymakers, industry players and other stakeholders involved in Mozambique’s energy sector. By taking this action, this research aims to pave the way for more effective and inclusive energy policies that align with circular economy principles, thus addressing a critical need in scholarly discourse and practical implementation.

The study underscores the critical role of energy stakeholders in shaping energy policies and projects, given their influential positions and impact on decision-making processes. While existing literature acknowledges this influence, a discernible research gap exists in comprehensively understanding how stakeholder interactions and collaborations in the energy sector affect policy interventions within a context such as Mozambique. This study seeks to bridge this gap by delving into the intricacies of stakeholder involvement and its implications for energy policy development in Mozambique.

Little is known about the quantitative impact of macro policies on disaggregated variables. This study investigates the effects of macroeconomic policies and cost/supply shocks on sectoral output growth.

We analyzed empirical evidence from Ghana using a Structural Vector Autoregression approach.

The results show that the transmission of various macro policies and supply/cost shocks is conditional on sectoral idiosyncrasies. Fiscal programs contribute the most to agricultural output growth and the least to industrial production. The downturn from rising costs and supply disruptions is more severe and lasting in the agriculture sector than in the service sector. The evidence shows that fiscal consolidation centered on government consumption cuts would not drag growth over the medium-term.

Our results show that the structural characteristics of a country may play an important role in understanding the output effects of macro policy changes. The empirical evidence shows that targeted policies are needed to complement countercyclical macroeconomic policies to facilitate broad-based economic recovery.

Research on the impact of macro policy shocks on the real economy has usually focused on the behavior of highly aggregated variables. In this research, we focus on disaggregated, sector-level variables to unveil the idiosyncrasies in the performance of disaggregated variables that are usually concealed when studying the behavior of aggregate variables. This study also contributes a different angle to the debate on supply shocks by examining how cost shocks are propagated through the various sectors of the economy.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-11-2023-0876

In pursuit of objectives, under the European Green Deal, to channel capital flows to sustainable activities, the EU Taxonomy offers clarity, labelling real economic activities as “sustainable”, based on technical screening criteria. This study of disclosure experiences aims to explore the role of co-evolutionary relationships in the Taxonomy’s effectiveness.

Co-evolution theory implies a dynamic interplay among sustainable finance stakeholders (SFSs), through adjustment to, impact on and operationalisation of the Taxonomy. Corporate disclosure experiences, including those of financial institutions and related SFS experiences, may reveal co-evolutionary processes. With significant Undertakings for Collective Investment in Transferable Securities (UCITS) and Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs), Irish SFSs provide contextual insight. Semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of Irish SFSs capture inaugural corporate Taxonomy disclosure experiences.

A thematic analysis reveals six co-evolutionary processes that facilitate Taxonomy implementation in pursuit of policy objectives: [1] cross-functional reporting; [2] iterative pre-empting and addressing compliance issues; [3] regulation as a catalyst for co-evolution; [4] advanced capacity building; [5] stakeholder adaptation and [6] graduated use of ESG data. Implications for sustainability policy development and management are significant.

Whilst limited to just one EU jurisdiction, given limited prior empirical evidence for sustainable finance regulations from co-evolutionary perspectives, this study highlights a catalytic, yet precautionary role for co-evolution in their transformation effectiveness. As such, they must take account of their potential to stimulate co-evolution and to nurture it in pursuit of their policy objectives.

The findings of this study add to a small, but growing body of academic literature on the Taxonomy Regulation, which suggests that a co-evolutionary lens is important for gaining a comprehensive understanding of its early-stage dynamics. From an implementation perspective, the qualitative data reveals actionable implications for regulators and policymakers, such as building capacity, better anticipation of outcomes and investment in data infrastructure.

Unlike existing analyses of disclosures, this study offers a co-evolutionary lens on Taxonomy contributions to sustainable development through qualitative accounts.

This study presents the impact of Economic Policy Uncertainty (EPU)-induced Trade Supply Chain Vulnerability (TSCV) on the Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in India by leveraging the World Bank Enterprise Survey data for 2014 and 2022. Applying econometric techniques, it examines firm size’ influence on productivity and trade participation, providing insights for enhancing SME resilience and trade participation amid uncertainty.

The econometric techniques focus on export participation, along with variables such as total exports, firm size, productivity, and capital intensity. It addresses crucial factors such as the direct import of intermediate goods and foreign ownership. Utilizing the Cobb-Douglas production function, the study estimates Total Factor Productivity, mitigating endogeneity and multicollinearity through a two-stage process. Besides, the study uses a case study of North Indian SMEs engaged in manufacturing activities and their adoption of mitigation strategies to combat unprecedented EPU.

Results reveal that EPU-induced TSCV reduces exports, impacting employment and firm size. Increased productivity, driven by technological adoption, correlates with improved export performance. The study highlights the negative impact of TSCV on trade participation, particularly for smaller Indian firms. Moreover, SMEs implement cost-based, supplier-based, and inventory-based strategies more than technology-based and risk-based strategies.

Policy recommendations include promoting increased imports and inward foreign direct investment to enhance small firms’ trade integration during economic uncertainty. Tailored support for smaller firms, considering their limited capacity, is crucial. Encouraging small firms to engage in international trade and adopting diverse SC mitigation strategies associated with policy uncertainty are vital considerations.

This study explores the impact of EPU-induced TSCV on Indian SMEs’ trade dynamics, offering nuanced insights for policymakers to enhance SME resilience amid uncertainty. The econometric analysis unveils patterns in export behavior, productivity, and factors influencing trade participation during economic uncertainty.

Redistributive policies aim to reduce income disparities and improve social equity. This study investigates whether redistributive effects that successfully diminish objective income inequality also effectively alter people’s perceptions of inequality.

Utilizing data from the 2018 China Household Income Survey (CHIP), comprising 56,167 individuals, this study applies ordered probability regression (Oprobit) and ordinary least squares (OLS) for analysis. To address potential biases in estimates, we employed the generalized propensity score matching (GPSM) method to estimate the treatment effect of transfer income on perceptions of inequality.

The results indicate that while China’s redistribution policies effectively reduce income disparities, they do not improve perceptions of inequality. Individuals exhibit biased attitudes toward redistributive policies. Specifically, perceptions of inequality are insensitive to the overall redistributive effect; the relationship is negative among the poor but positive among the rich. This contradictory pattern may be attributed to perceived income losses among the rich and gains among the poor.

The findings have important implications for policy development. Redistribution policies should not only aim to mitigate income disparities but also address and improve people’s perceptions of inequality.

Existing literature has largely overlooked the impact of redistribution on perceived income inequality. This study represents an early effort to explore whether redistributive policies that reduce income inequality also influence people’s perceptions of inequality.

This paper aims to investigate the impact of China’s Green Credit Guidelines (GCG) policy on the environmental, social and governance (ESG) scores of restricted enterprises and examine firm’s speculative behavior in response to the policy.

This paper views the GCG policy proposed in 2012 as a quasinatural experiment and uses difference-in-differences (DID) model to evaluate its influence on the ESG scores of Chinese nonfinancial A-share listed enterprises from 2007 to 2019. Robustness tests include the propensity score matching (PSM)–DID method and permutation tests.

The GCG policy significantly increases the ESG scores of restricted enterprises, particularly enhancing environmental (E) performance. However, it only improves the social (S) and governance (G) performance of firms heavily reliant on bank credit, indicating speculative behavior by enterprises. Increased Government attention, a higher proportion of female executives and more developed local green finance reduce speculative behavior, while executives with financial backgrounds promote it.

Governments should mandate standardized ESG reporting and monitor restricted enterprises, banks should monitor speculative behavior and firms should integrate ESG into their long-term strategies to support sustainable development.

The results provide evidence of the effectiveness of implementing the GCG policy in China and offer guidance for better promoting green credit policy in developing countries, contributing to the transition toward a more sustainable future.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first to explore if the GCG policy’s asymmetric effects on ESG components are due to enterprise speculative behavior and examines the factors influencing this behavior, providing insights for regulators to better implement the GCG policy to promote sustainable development.

Achieving basic education and equitable education outcomes remains a challenge, therefore, improving equity in education has evolved as a particularly important policy priority in all OECD countries. This chapter concentrates on equity in the Maltese education system, with a particular focus on how the policyscape makes provision for achieving, improving, and maintaining equity in compulsory schooling. As an EU member state, Malta has been affected by the evolution, causes, and consequences of social, educational, and economic inequalities that have been an ardently contentious and controversial issue given the recent economic crisis in Europe. This chapter utilizes Bacchi’s ‘What’s the problem represented to be?’ (WPR) approach to analyse national school inclusion policy in Malta as illustrative of policies mobilized to address the problem of inequality, therefore acknowledging the need for a provision of equity as a major agenda. The results of this small-scale study have theoretical and methodological implications for academics, policymakers, and practitioners in the educational policy field. This study highlights the fact that there are a number of persistent challenges for achieving equity in education, especially the immigrant-native educational gap, despite European policy makers having been very active in the educational field.