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This study aims to consider environmental sustainability, a global challenge under the preview of sustainable development goals, highlighting the significance of knowledge economy in attaining sustainable aggregate demand behavior globally. For this purpose, 155 countries that have data available from 1995 to 2021 were selected. The purpose of selecting these countries is to test the global responsibility of the knowledge economy to attain environmental sustainability.

Results are estimated with the help of panel quantile regression. The empirical existence of aggregate demand-based environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) was tested using non-linear tests. Moreover, principal component analysis has been incorporated to construct the knowledge economy index.

U-shaped aggregate demand-based EKC at global level is validated. However, environmental deterioration increases with an additional escalation after US$497.945m in aggregate demand. As a determinant, the knowledge economy is reducing CO₂ emissions. The knowledge economy has played a significant role in global responsibility, shifting the EKC downward and extending the CO₂ reduction phase for every selected country. Further, urbanization, energy intensity, financial development and trade openness significantly deteriorate the environmental quality.

This study contains the empirical existence of aggregate demand-based EKC. The role of the knowledge economy is examined through an index which is calculated by using four pillars of the knowledge economy (technology, innovations, education and institutions). This study is based on a combined panel of all the countries for which the data was available.

The primary objective of this research is to draw a comparative analysis between Turkey and Italy in terms of how festival events function as catalysts for the endorsement of regional culinary delicacies. The study endeavours to elucidate the role of these festivals in fortifying the regional gastronomic landscape of both nations.

Adopting a comprehensive comparative methodology, this study meticulously scrutinises the gastronomy festivals spanning diverse geographical locales in both Turkey and Italy. Consideration is given to the standout food and beverage items spotlighted at these events and the venues where they are hosted. The research design takes into account the extensive cultural and geographical spectrum that characterises Turkey and Italy. The primary research method comprises web content analysis techniques. This method involves analysing textual data from online sources pertaining to gastronomy festival events in both countries. Web content analysis is instrumental in evaluating how such festivals are deployed in promoting indigenous gastronomic products and exploring the intricate dynamics between brand identity and brand image.

The research outcomes underscore the pivotal role that festival events play in elevating regional gastronomic products' profile in Turkey and Italy. It highlights the top 10 festivals and the most popular local culinary items on digital platforms. Additionally, the study offers a side-by-side comparison of the most celebrated gastronomic products in Turkey versus those that receive prominence in Italy.

This study enriches academic understanding by dissecting the nuances of how festivals contribute to the promotion of local gastronomic treasures. By juxtaposing Turkey and Italy, this research provides valuable insights into the influence of festivals on regional culinary promotion across diverse cultural milieus. This study makes substantial contributions to the fields of gastronomy, tourism, and brand promotion.

This study aims to investigate the ecological awareness of Chinese consumers towards fast fashion and examine the effect of social sustainability claims on green brand image and purchase intentions in China, considering China’s unique environmental policy landscape and its significant role in the global fast fashion industry. The study explores the role of altruistic values in promoting sustainability within the well-known fast fashion brand “H” and how they shape brand image, consumer satisfaction and brand equity.

The study collected data from 257 Chinese participants and used a serial mediation model through the PROCESS macro in SPSS to analyse the correlation between green brand image, created through sustainability claims and consumer purchase intentions. The model also assessed the intermediary effects of brand image, satisfaction and equity.

The findings of the research indicate a direct and positive relationship between green brand image and consumer purchase intentions, emphasising the need for clothing and textile industry marketers to strategically promote altruistic values in their sustainability efforts and highlighting the importance of ecological awareness in shaping consumer behaviour in the Chinese context. This approach enhances green satisfaction and green brand equity and ultimately leads to higher green purchase intentions.

This study provides significant insights into the effectiveness of incorporating social sustainability claims in advertising to improve a brand’s green image and influence consumer behaviour. It emphasises the importance of altruistic values in sustainability strategies, offering valuable guidelines for marketers in enhancing green satisfaction and brand equity, thereby boosting consumer purchase intentions in the context of green branding and sustainability advertising. Focussing specifically on the Chinese market, this research sheds light on the impact of ecological awareness among Chinese consumers within the fast-fashion industry. Given China’s substantial role in shaping global fast-fashion production and its evolving environmental policies, this focus adds significant depth to our understanding of sustainability claims’ influence within this crucial consumer base.

This study aims to investigate the relationship between geographic diversification (GD) and export performance (EP) by analysing a sample of small exporters in an emerging market.

The study sample comprised 96 small and medium-sized exporting enterprises (SMEs) in Vietnam. The data is analysed using multiple regression analysis (MRA), Hayes' process model and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA).

The results indicate that GD significantly negatively affects EP. In this dilemma, the export market orientation (EMO) and digital transformation positively moderated the relationship between GD and EP, such that the negative effect of GD on EP was weaker when EMO and digital were stronger.

This initial study contributes significantly to international business theories and practices, which reveal the role of GD via firm digital capacity and EMO in thriving SMEs’ EP. This study might grant new insight into international business and a critical approach to addressing the new insights small firms may face in a fragile but technologically advanced world.

This study investigates the impact of US dollar volatility and oil rents on the performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, with an emphasis on understanding how these factors influence SME financing constraints in economies with fixed currency regimes.

Employing a random effects panel regression analysis, this research considers US dollar volatility and oil rents as independent variables, with SME performance, measured through the financing gap, as the dependent variable. Controls such as trade balance, inflation deltas and gross domestic product (GDP) growth are included to isolate their effects on SME financing constraints.

The study reveals a significant positive relationship between dollar volatility and the financing gap, suggesting that increased volatility can exacerbate SME financing constraints. Conversely, oil rents did not show a significant direct influence on SME performance. The trade balance and inflation deltas were found to have significant effects, highlighting the multifaceted nature of economic variables affecting SMEs.

The study acknowledges potential biases due to omitted variables and the limitations inherent in the use of secondary data.

Findings offer pertinent guidance for SMEs and policymakers in the GCC region seeking to develop strategies that mitigate the impact of currency volatility and support SME financing.

The research provides new insights into the dynamics of SME performance within fixed currency regimes, which significantly contributes to the limited literature in this area. The paper further underscores the complex connections between global economic factors and SME financial health.

Emerging economies have been highlighted as an important growth source of the global economy. However, this group of countries has not received enough academic attention yet. Therefore, this study aims to identify the impact of research and development (R&D) expenditure on economic growth in emerging economies.

The theoretical framework of the production function is applied to quantitatively analyse the impact of R&D expenditure on economic growth with a sample of 29 emerging economies in the period between 1996 and 2019.

The panel cointegration test confirms the existence of long-run cointegration relationships between economic growth and independent variables in these emerging economies. Besides, the estimated results show that the national R&D expenditure has positive effects on economic growth from both direct and interaction dimensions. This evidence has filled the empirical research gap in the R&D-growth nexus in the case of emerging economies. Finally, while gross capital and education have positive impacts on growth, corruption has a harmful effect on economic growth in these countries.

The results highlight that policymakers should enhance R&D expenditure and R&D activities as the key national development strategy. The investment in R&D not only helps emerging economies avoid the middle-income trap but also pushes these countries to successfully join the group of developed countries.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is among the first to examine the impact of R&D expenditure on economic growth with a homogeneous sample of emerging economies. The results are obviously helpful for policymakers to use R&D as the key development strategy for supporting economic growth in emerging economies in the future.

This study aims to examine how governing bodies demonstrated stakeholder engagement during the time of the COVID-19 crisis in South Africa.

This study uses a qualitative approach based on semi-structured interviews with 18 participants, comprising of preparers of financial statements, board members and management consultants/advisors. The study also relied on the analysis of articles on corporate webpages and publications produced by professional bodies on the economic, social and environmental impact of COVID-19.

The results of this study indicated that governing bodies demonstrated stakeholder engagement during times of crisis through transparent reporting, corporate social responsibility initiatives and active stakeholder inclusivity.

This study contributes to the body of research on stakeholder engagement during a crisis and provides evidence of the role stakeholder inclusivity can play in responding to a crisis. The findings will be useful in understanding the importance of stakeholder engagement during times of crisis. The study is one of the first, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, to evaluate how stakeholder engagement principles can be followed by governing bodies during a crisis.

Implementing blockchain in sustainable development goals (SDGs) and environmental, social and governance (ESG)-aligned infrastructure development involves intricate strategic factors. Despite technological advancements, a significant research gap persists, particularly in emerging economies. This study aims to address the challenges related to SDGs and ESG objectives during infrastructure delivery remain problematic, identifying and evaluating critical strategic factors for successful blockchain implementation.

This study employs a three-stage methodology. Initially, 13 strategic factors are identified through a literature review and validated by conducting semi-structured interviews with six experts. In the second stage, the data were collected from nine additional experts. In the final stage, the collected data undergoes analysis using interpretive structural modeling (ISM)–cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification (MICMAC), aiming to identify and evaluate the independent and dependent powers of strategic factors driving blockchain implementation in infrastructure development for SDGs and ESG objectives.

The study’s findings highlight three significant independent factors crucial for successfully integrating blockchain technology (BT) into infrastructure development for SDGs and ESG goals: data security (F4), identity management (F8) and supply chain management (F7). The study unravels these factors, hierarchical relationships and dependencies by applying the MICMAC and ISM techniques, emphasizing their interconnectedness.

This study highlights critical strategic factors for successful blockchain integration in SDG and ESG-aligned infrastructure development, offering insights for policymakers and practitioners while emphasizing the importance of training and infrastructure support in advancing sustainable practices.

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of the coopetition strategy (CS) (the simultaneous pursuit of collaboration and competition) on sustainable performance (SP) through the serial mediation of knowledge sharing (KS) and open innovation (OI).

A structured questionnaire was used to gather data from corporate business enterprises, and partial least squares structural equation modeling was used for analysis.

Empirical evidence supports the coopetition strategy's role in enhancing KS, which in turn fosters OI, leading to improved SP. It has also been concluded that KS and OI have a significant serial mediation effect on the relationship between CS and SP.

Through the integration of KS and inward-outward open innovation, the coopetition model enables coopetitors leverage each other’s resources and capacities for mutual sustainability. To fully benefit from it, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) must change their perception of free competition and actively engage in coopetition activities, particularly in the realms of knowledge and OI.

The most novel contribution of this study to the growing body of knowledge on SP is the establishment of empirical evidence regarding the crucial role of a serial mediation of KS and OI in the relationship between CS and SP. Unlike earlier research, this study provides a structured perspective and understanding of how and why CS, KS and OI were leveraged to enhance the SP of SMEs.