Journal of the Knowledge Economy最新文献

Green supply chain management practices (GSCMPs) and their driving factors have been extensively studied globally, yet specific industry contexts remain underexplored. This study provides a pioneering assessment of GSCMPs within the Ethiopian leather and leather products industry. The primary objective is to evaluate the implementation level of strategic and operational GSCMPs and to identify the driving factors influencing their adoption, categorized broadly into institutional pressures (coercive, normative, and mimetic) and internal factors. Additionally, the role of firm-specific characteristics in adopting green practices is investigated. Data were collected from 118 firms between January and June of 2023 using a survey questionnaire adapted from existing literature. A descriptive analysis and partial least square-structural equation modeling were used to explore the current state of GSCMPs and to test the proposed hypotheses. Multi-group analysis was also carried out to examine the impact of the firm-specific characteristics. The results showed that although the industry’s GSCMPs are still in their infancy, tanneries, mature aged firms, large and medium-sized enterprises, and exporting firms have relatively better green practices. Besides, all institutional pressures had a significant positive effect on the GSCMPs in terms of driving factors, but internal factors did not. This suggests a possible lack of internal commitment to environmental sustainability within firms. Significant differences in the factors driving green practices are noted, particularly among exporters, footwear manufacturers, and mid-aged firms. The findings highlight the need to comprehend and address these institutional pressures to enhance environmental management practices in industries like the Ethiopian leather sector. As a result, this study will have implications for both policymakers and practitioners for making an informed decision, as the country’s vision of achieving middle income by 2025 through a green economy and sustainable development is not supported by the current level of the GSCMPs.

Innovation is one of the most pervasive concepts in our times while emancipation has gained substantial momentum in recent years. Literature shows that individuals who hold emancipative values demonstrate disposition towards novelty and creativity such as being more tolerant of change and uncertainty, being more trusting, being happier, and accumulating larger social capital. This paper explores novel empirical evidence of the association between emancipative values and innovative behavior. Specifically, we examine whether “emancipated” people are more likely to be innovative and creative. The relationship is tested on cross-sectional dataset of more than 420,000 observations from the World Value Survey. The main choice of method is the OLS regression. Based on individual-level data from the World Value Survey, we find that measures of emancipative values are uniformly and positively associated with measures of innovative behavior. Our results are consistent across various measures of emancipative values and innovative behavior. The study is the first to examine the association between emancipative values and innovative behavior, extending our understanding on the influence of basic human values on individual innovativeness. The paper also presents an alternative proxy for innovation.

The research is relevant due to the expanding influence of transnational forces on branch economies, particularly evident in Kazakhstan’s growing market and production interdependence spurred by globalization. This phenomenon accelerates economic internationalization and amplifies the sway of global market conditions on local systems and economies. The research purpose is to identify and determine the modern factors of the sectoral economy development in the globalization process. The research applies empirical and statistical methods, as well as analysis and synthesis and the scientific abstraction method. Capital flows can be completely separated from the exchange of goods and tangible services. Business units are protected by respective barriers and supported in terms of budgets, and financial globalization is rather an environmental component. Only the liberalization of food and non-food trade has serious bottlenecks related to domestic support and functioning in financial markets. From a financial perspective, globalization improves capital allocation and mitigates macroeconomic fluctuations. However, this positive effect on growth has negative consequences, which include social inequality and reduced opportunities for autonomous economic policy escalation. The practical significance is based on finding effective ways and methods for the sectoral economy to optimize the globalization process.

Gaining insights from human capital theory, this study has examined the effect of determinants of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) on economic growth through the mediating role of human resource development (HRD). For data collection, questionnaires were administered to students of various technical education institutions in the five districts of Baluchistan, Pakistan. The statistical results obtained through Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) for multivariate analysis support the entire hypotheses. The study proposes some suggestions to researchers and policymakers who are interested in determining the impact of TVET on economic growth through social inclusion indicators such as HRD.

This paper considers the relationship between institutional quality, human capital, and economic growth. More specifically, we seek to establish the linkages by which economic freedom affects real GDP growth via its mediating impact on human capital. These associations were investigated using the dynamic system generalized method of moments (GMM) on a panel of 3 Maghreb countries, namely, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco over the 1991–2020 period. The results show that (1) in the long run, both institutional quality and human capital can promote economic growth. (2) Institutional quality and human capital have a significant positive interactive effect on the economic growth. Policy implications of these results are that careful attention should be paid to co-development policies to enhance the institutional quality and the human capital in these countries. Policies should also consider economic growth strategies to enable sustainable economic growth rates.

There are not many publications that discuss the difficulties of PPPs (public–private partnerships) in war-torn areas. As a result, the main causes of the unsuccessful PPPs in war-torn areas such as Palestine, especially the Gaza Strip, are the lack of enough evidence to provide feasible and effective methods to mitigate the issues. The success of PPPs may be hampered by stakeholder insecurity about making financial and non-financial investments in conflict zones compared to non-conflict zones. The goal of this study is to identify the most effective methods for easing the difficulties that PPP construction projects encounter and to highlight the practical applications of those methods. Thirty-six specialists were questioned to provide solutions to 21 problems and suggest the time frames for carrying them out. The relevance of each risk and the viability and effectiveness of its remedies were the three outcomes that were used to rank the application potentials of the suggested strategies. Physical insecurity brought on by Israel–Palestine wars is the most unfavorable risk, but the most important solutions were correlated with the absence of government support for PPP development projects. While the issues raised are common in locations affected by armed conflict, the Gaza Strip is highlighted in this study due to its particular circumstances. The solutions outlined can be used by practitioners to get around PPP risks in other war areas. Additionally, the results can enhance the risk distribution in this building project and add to the body of PPP literature.

Environment degradation is an alarming global issue to the standard of living emerging from higher mechanization and energy-intensive economic activity in urban areas. This study aims to test the impact of resource migration from rural to urban areas on environmental quality by utilizing panel data techniques for the world’s top ten highly populated countries from 1996 to 2020. For this purpose, our study has formulated a non-linear relationship between resource migration and environmental quality to form a variant of the environmental Phillips curve and urbanization-environment Kuznets curve (U-EKC). Further, this study has examined the knowledge economy indicators (technology, education, innovations, and institutional quality) moderating role through the U-EKC channel. The findings confirm the ∩ -shaped existence of U-EKC, indicating the presence of urban sprawl over the horizon. Moreover, other than technology, all knowledge indicators have shown a potential to moderate urban sprawl toward reducing net carbon emissions and environmental sustainability.

The quadruple and quintuple helix models are considered as agents of innovation, in addition to those envisaged in the triple helix, society, and the environment, respectively. These agents are relevant to the development of sustainable innovation ecosystems. This research aims to identify and characterize the scientific production on the interactive innovation models of the quadruple and quintuple helices. A bibliometric study and an integrative literature review were carried out. The results of quantitative analysis reveal that the topic has been addressed since 2009, with increase in publications since 2020. The results show the main journals and authors, as well co-authorship and co-occurrence of keywords. Qualitative analyses show for categories of studies about quadruple helix. Furthermore, results discuss five themes in quintuple helix studies and four themes in both models. This study can be a source of reference for researchers and innovation, sustainability, and territory policies.

In the era of Industry 4.0, characterized by the convergence of digital technologies and physical systems, the transformation of business models is paramount for sustainable industrial growth. This research explores the critical role of AI-driven data analytics in shaping digital business models within this dynamic landscape. The study investigates the interplay between technology readiness, innovation potential, automation and control, and privacy and security considerations in the context of Industry 4.0. Our findings reveal that technology readiness serves as a catalyst for innovation potential, emphasizing the importance of a robust technological infrastructure. Moreover, innovation potential plays a substantial mediating role in the linkage between technology readiness and privacy and security dynamics, highlighting the symbiotic relationship between innovation and security in the digital business arena. The study underscores the significance of automation and control in safeguarding privacy and fostering security, emphasizing the need for automated, data-driven approaches in crafting innovative and secure business models. Furthermore, it advocates for a multifaceted approach that fosters synergies between technological advancements and ethical considerations. Policy implications include the promotion of collaboration between industries, academia, and governments to catalyze innovative solutions grounded in feasibility and sustainability. Regulatory frameworks should encourage automation and control measures to protect consumer privacy, and policies must remain adaptable to the fast-paced developments in AI and Industry 4.0. This research illuminates the pivotal role of AI in shaping digital business model innovations in Industry 4.0. It emphasizes the importance of technology readiness, innovation potential, and ethical considerations in creating a dynamic and secure digital business ecosystem. The study envisions a future where digital business model innovations drive growth, efficiency, and resilience in Industry 4.0, shaping a sustainable and progressive industrial sector.

It is commonly settled that corruption is a widespread threat to economic well-being, but there is hardly any rigorous research on how it may affect happiness. Corrupt people often fail to leave a trail of corruption, much owing to its illicit nature, irrespective of it long-term costs or in broader terms to acquire wealth for short-term happiness. As a concern, much of the studies remain anecdotal. We present here an empirical substantiation of the subject above by employing individual cross-sectional survey data for 57 countries from the latest survey wave 7 conducted by the World Value Survey (WVS) from 2017 to 2022. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is used to measure and analyze the relationship between latent variable (corruption) and observed variable (Happiness). Linear causal relationship among variables that looks for both direct and indirect effects is a more powerful technique as compare to simple regression analysis. The purpose of the present paper is to explicate SEM to exemplify their application by analyzing the prominent socio-economic determinants of happiness as suggested by strong theoretical literature. We reveal interesting causalities while exploring the nexus of corruption and happiness. In such an attempt, we also identify the impact of other controlling indicators including marriage, social involvements, and democracy, which have a significant say in the chain developed above.