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1 – 5 of 5Gonzalo Maldonado-Guzmán, Jose Arturo Garza-Reyes and Sandra Yesenia Pinzón-Castro
Green innovation and sustainability are two contemporary initiatives that are gaining more and more attention from researchers, academics and industry professionals as they are…
Abstract
Purpose
Green innovation and sustainability are two contemporary initiatives that are gaining more and more attention from researchers, academics and industry professionals as they are considered important business strategies to improve environmental conditions and obtain better organizational performance. Besides, the growth of uncontrolled economic activities leads to an imbalance of economic, social and environmental values in different sectors. However, little is known about the mediating role that economic, social and environmental sustainability has in the relationship between green innovation and firm performance. Previous literature has focused on developed economies, but not on a developing economy such as that of Mexico. Therefore, this research aims to fill this existing gap by exploring the mediating effects of sustainability in the relationship between green innovation and firm performance.
Design/methodology/approach
A theoretical research model that theorizes, through ten hypotheses, the antecedents and consequences of the mediating effect of economic, social and environmental sustainability and the occurrence between green innovation and firm performance is proposed. The model is tested through PLS-SEM using data that were collected using a questionnaire survey that was distributed among companies in the automotive industry in Mexico. In total, a sample of 460 responses was obtained.
Findings
The results suggest that green innovation has significant positive effects on economic and environmental sustainability, as well as on firm performance, but not on social sustainability. The results also indicate that the relationship between green innovation and firm performance improves considerably with the mediation of economic, social and environmental sustainability.
Research limitations/implications
Despite the present study focused on an industrial sector that is commonly at the forefront of technological development, it was limited to a specific region of Mexico. Thus, its results must be taken with caution as more extensive results including other regions and nations will be required to further validate the results obtained from the present study.
Practical implications
The findings of this study have important implications for both policymakers and managers of manufacturing firms in the automotive industry as they can be used as a basis to formulate better strategies and policies to enhance the capabilities of companies to develop innovations that could reduce environmental risks and other consequences of climate change.
Originality/value
The present study adds to the innovation and sustainability body of knowledge by analyzing and discussing the mediating role of sustainability in the relationship between green innovation and firm performance. It also generates new knowledge about the mediating effect that sustainability has on the relationship between green innovation and firm performance, particularly in the context of a developing economy such as that of Mexico.
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Sandra Carrasco and Irene Perez Lopez
This study explores the opportunities for a gender-inclusive architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry, focussing on the gap between architectural education and…
Abstract
Purpose
This study explores the opportunities for a gender-inclusive architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry, focussing on the gap between architectural education and practice. This study focusses on three research questions: (1) What factors influence women architects' career retention and advancement in the AEC industry? How can practice outcomes be linked with educational approaches for gender inclusion in the AEC industry? (3) What critical factors can enable structural changes in architecture education, including AEC-related subjects and practice/career pathways towards gender equity?
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is based on a systematic literature review (SLR). The established timeframe for selecting papers in this study considered the last 20 years, as various seminal studies in feminism and gender inclusion in architecture emerged in the early 2000s through the definition of keywords used in two prestigious databases. The academic articles selected were filtered through a process of inclusion and exclusion, following criteria for suitability and relevance using a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) diagram.
Findings
This study revealed key trends in the literature review consistent with the research questions, including (1) the disproportionate struggles women face at individual, interpersonal and organisational levels and the gender-based bias from entry and progression in the AEC industry that also requires multi-level interventions; (2) traditional architecture education affects female students and educators who find networking, social capital and leadership opportunities to challenge gender-based stereotypes and promote workplace equity, and finally, (3) observe enablers for fostering equity in architecture and education, which should not be limited to policy-driven interventions but structural transformations through transparency, mentorship, leadership, awareness raising and empowerment of women and men, promoting inclusivity and gender equity in the AEC industry.
Research limitations/implications
This study considers a global understanding of gender equity in the AEC industry, regional and country-specific analysis needs to be considered in future studies. The study's focus is on women’s inclusion, acknowledging the limitations of conventional binary gender concepts; future studies need to include the experiences of LGBTI + communities and other underrepresented groups. The literature review considers only academic articles; future research should also consider industry reports, government initiatives and organisational documents for a broader understanding of diversity efforts in business.
Originality/value
This paper observes the issues for gender-inclusive architecture within the context of a male-dominant AEC industry through linking architectural education and practice. Studies rarely focus on this link and address workplace issues. This study highlights this link and extends the discussion through the critical literature review, providing a new ground for geographic-specific or intersectional studies.
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Khushbu Thadani and Mansi Patnaik
The public healthcare system faces challenges and limitations regarding the supply and delivery of healthcare services. The private healthcare system is expensive and only…
Abstract
The public healthcare system faces challenges and limitations regarding the supply and delivery of healthcare services. The private healthcare system is expensive and only affordable for some. Due to the increasing population, developing countries face a greater degree of demand–supply mismatch. The existing healthcare services in developing countries need to be more sustainable due to high out-of-pocket expenditures and low-income levels. The research design used in this chapter is a case study approach based on qualitative data. The study focuses on two objectives: (1) to have a detailed understanding of the nature of healthcare cooperatives in Spain and their contribution to meeting healthcare requirements; and (2) to make suggestions and recommendations for an improved and sustainable healthcare cooperative for developing countries. Inspired by the healthcare cooperative model of Spain and keeping in mind the ground reality of the lack of healthcare facilities and services accessible and affordable in developing countries, the authors have developed a conceptual framework with the foundation of an insurance cooperative. The Spain Model is sustainable for developing countries as it serves the interest of all income brackets, not leaving the low-income population behind. Concepts like cooperative worker insurance embedded in the model can ensure that the beneficiaries receive timely and good quality health services at an affordable price. It empowers individuals by allowing them to make small amounts of investments as premiums to secure a hopeful future for a healthy life.
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Caroline Wolski, Kathryn Freeman Anderson and Simone Rambotti
Since the development of the COVID-19 vaccinations, questions surrounding race have been prominent in the literature on vaccine uptake. Early in the vaccine rollout, public health…
Abstract
Purpose
Since the development of the COVID-19 vaccinations, questions surrounding race have been prominent in the literature on vaccine uptake. Early in the vaccine rollout, public health officials were concerned with the relatively lower rates of uptake among certain racial/ethnic minority groups. We suggest that this may also be patterned by racial/ethnic residential segregation, which previous work has demonstrated to be an important factor for both health and access to health care.
Methodology/Approach
In this study, we examine county-level vaccination rates, racial/ethnic composition, and residential segregation across the U.S. We compile data from several sources, including the American Community Survey (ACS) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) measured at the county level.
Findings
We find that just looking at the associations between racial/ethnic composition and vaccination rates, both percent Black and percent White are significant and negative, meaning that higher percentages of these groups in a county are associated with lower vaccination rates, whereas the opposite is the case for percent Latino. When we factor in segregation, as measured by the index of dissimilarity, the patterns change somewhat. Dissimilarity itself was not significant in the models across all groups, but when interacted with race/ethnic composition, it moderates the association. For both percent Black and percent White, the interaction with the Black-White dissimilarity index is significant and negative, meaning that it deepens the negative association between composition and the vaccination rate.
Research limitations/implications
The analysis is only limited to county-level measures of racial/ethnic composition and vaccination rates, so we are unable to see at the individual-level who is getting vaccinated.
Originality/Value of Paper
We find that segregation moderates the association between racial/ethnic composition and vaccination rates, suggesting that local race relations in a county helps contextualize the compositional effects of race/ethnicity.
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Tita Flores, Verónica Greis Andía Flores, Efrain Chura Zea and Javier Mamani Paredes
This article examines the dairy value chain in Southern Peru and identifies four critical success factors that can enhance the local situation.
Abstract
Purpose
This article examines the dairy value chain in Southern Peru and identifies four critical success factors that can enhance the local situation.
Design/methodology/approach
The study employed descriptive research using semi-structured interviews with entrepreneurs from 17 cheese factories across eight districts, namely Azángaro, Ayaviri, Pucara, Lampa, Cabana, Acora, Pomata and Puno. Quantitative market data were also gathered and analyzed alongside qualitative views.
Findings
The study identified four critical issues: quality concerns in milk production, suboptimal managerial practices of cheese-processing plants, lack of compliance to regulations, particularly hygiene and environmental ones, and inadequate access to finance. The findings reveal a gap between the practices of the Puno region's dairy industry and world-class standards for cheese production. Urgent actions are required to improve product quality, increase access to finance, enhance managerial education and ensure compliance with regulations.
Research limitations/implications
Results suggest critical issues to be prioritized, but the article does not propose how to solve the problems identified. External factors, such as economic changes, were also not considered. Interviews were conducted exclusively with cheese processing entrepreneurs, not milk producers.
Originality/value
This case study provides an insight into the interior of Peru, an under-researched region facing several development challenges. The findings have significant implications for dairy value chain stakeholders in Peru and other similar contexts.
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