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This study aims to explore the gaps concerning the organizational operant resources (OORs) of logistics service providers (LSPs) expected in outsourcing relationships. The study considers the views of both manufacturing firms (M-firms) and LSPs in India and DACH region (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) seeking gaps within and across regions.

This research employed a survey targeting executives from large M-firms and LSPs in both India and DACH. The perceptions about the importance and improvement expectations of 17 OORs are analyzed. A modified version of importance-improvement analysis (A-B), a novel comparative A-B analysis (CABA) method, has been proposed to identify the importance and improvement gaps in OORs between M-firms and LSPs within and across India and the DACH region.

There are more gaps between M-firms and LSPs in India compared to DACH. Cross-country comparisons reveal that LSPs in India and DACH have similar perceptions concerning the OORs, but M-firms in India have significantly higher improvement expectations than those in DACH.

This study proposes an analytical approach that enables managers to identify improvement areas and better align with their outsourcing relationship partners. It also highlights aspects that need to be considered while entering emerging markets such as India.

The analysis approach using CABA is novel. Also, among the cross-country studies, this is the first to compare outsourcing relationships in India with the DACH region while involving both users' and service providers' perspectives.

The main objective of this article is to visualize the structure and trends of pro-environmental behavior (PEB) between 1999 and 2023 through mapping and in-depth analysis. The aim is to analyze PEB, which has received considerable academic attention in recent years due to its key role in the conservation of the environment and the protection of local communities in tourist destinations. This paper provides an important summary of the recent research that has explored the role that tourists have in protecting the environment through PEB.

This study presents a visual analysis of 2005 scholarly articles between the years 1999 and 2023 related to PEB. Using the knowledge mapping based on VOSviewer it presents the current status of research, which includes the analysis of citation analysis, co-citation analysis, co-citation network and longitudinal analysis.

PEB is an emerging topic due to its relevance to protecting the environment in the context of travel. The citation and co-citation analysis show the relevance of the behavior of tourists with regard to protecting the environment. The co-word analysis highlights the current significance of research concerning green hotels and the destination image of environmentally responsible destinations.

This study sheds light on the current research progress of PEB in the context of tourism through a comprehensive analysis (citation, co-citation and co-word). In addition, we provide theories and factors that have been previously used to study PEB in the context of tourism. The findings contribute to a broad and diverse understanding of the concept of PEB, which can provide important insights for policymakers in formulating management strategies and policies aimed at reducing environmental impacts in destinations.

This study aims to fabricate a novel electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding composite aerogel with both thermal insulation and high temperature warning functions.

An emerging bio-based polypyrrole (PPy) gel/Fe₃O₄/calcium alginate (PFC) EMI shielding composite aerogel was prepared by freeze-drying and in situ polymerization method. First, Fe₃O₄/calcium alginate (CA) aerogel was obtained by freeze-drying the Fe₃O₄/CA mixture. Then, PPy/Fe₃O₄/CA was obtained by synthesizing PPy on the surface of CA/Fe₃O₄ aerogel through in situ polymerization. Finally, PPy/Fe₃O₄/CA was immersed in porphyrin solution (cross-linking agent) to get the final PFC EMI shielding composite aerogel.

Due to the matched impedance between Fe₃O₄ and PPy, the EMI shielding performance of PFC composite aerogel can reach up to −8 dB. In addition, the PFC EMI shielding composite aerogel also shows excellent self-extinguishing and thermal insulation properties. After leaving the flame, the burning PFC aerogel is quickly extinguished. When the PFC aerogel is placed on the heating plate at 230 °C, the temperature on the side of the aerogel away from the heating plate is only 90.3 °C after 5 min of heating. The electrical resistance of the PFC composite aerogel can be reduced from 3.62 × 104 O to 5 × 102 O to trigger the warning light after 3 s of exposure to the alcohol lamp flame. This reversible thermal resistance response characteristic can be used to give an early warning signal when the PFC encounters high temperature or flame.

This work provides a novel strategy for designing a multifunctional EMI shielding composite aerogel with repeatable high temperature warning performance. This PFC composite aerogel shows potential applications in the prevention of material combustion in high temperature electromagnetic environments.

Celebrity endorsers are usually considered to bring positive effects to associated nodes, such as brands and corporations. However, limited evidence suggests that brands and corporations are equally responsible for affecting celebrities and their credibility. Drawing on associative network theory, this study explores the effects of brand credibility and corporate credibility on celebrity credibility, both directly and through the mediating and moderating effects of advertising credibility. The research addresses three main issues: (1) whether brand credibility, corporate credibility and advertising credibility have significant effects on celebrity credibility; (2) whether advertising credibility has a significant mediating effect on the effects of brand credibility and corporate credibility on celebrity credibility and (3) whether advertising credibility has a significant moderating effect on the effects of brand credibility and corporate credibility on celebrity credibility.

The study used a quantitative approach involving structural equation modelling. Data were collected from 675 participants from London and focussed on four leading international brands, corporations and celebrity endorsers.

The findings show that brand credibility and advertising credibility have positive direct effects on celebrity credibility; and that advertising credibility mediates the effects of both credibility constructs on celebrity credibility. Furthermore, moderating effects of advertising credibility are also found.

This study will help managers to understand the reverse effects, i.e. the effects of brand credibility and corporate credibility on celebrity credibility. They will be able to understand that a credible brand and corporation like a credible celebrity can also bring significant effects on the associated elements. This will help them to recruit celebrity endorsers who have historically earned their credibility from previous endorsements of credible brands and corporations. Further, these findings will help managers to understand that credibility of the brand and corporation can also affect the credibility of the associated advertising, resulting in having a significant effect on the credibility of the celebrity. This on the consumers’ side will enhance their preferences, attitudes and behaviours, while for the corporation, it will enhance their economic and commercial performance.

This is the first study in the literature, where a conceptual model based on the reverse effects of both credibility constructs on celebrity credibility is examined, directly and based on the moderating and mediating effects of advertising credibility. Hence, the contributions to the literature are threefold: first, the study examines the reverse effect of celebrity endorsement, whereby the credibility of a brand or corporation is transferred to a celebrity endorser; second, the study examines the mediating and moderating effects of advertising credibility on this reverse effect and finally, associative network theory is used to examine the importance of the model.

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance has received significant attention around the world. Could robust ESG performance become a new advantage for supporting companies’ outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) in emerging markets? Prior studies have not articulated the nexus between ESG performance and OFDI. This paper aims to conduct both theoretical and empirical work to clarify the effect, especially the mechanisms of ESG performance on companies’ OFDI.

Using the data of A-share listed companies in China from 2010 to 2020, this paper empirically tests the effect and the mechanisms of ESG performance on companies’ OFDI.

Firstly, robust ESG performance increases the likelihood of companies engaging in OFDI and also augments the scale of such investments. Within the realm of ESG, environmental performance, social performance and governance performance all play important roles in fostering OFDI. Secondly, strong ESG performance promotes OFDI by enhancing the competitive edge and alleviating financial constraints. Also, environmental performance, social performance and governance performance individually contribute to supporting competitiveness and mitigating financial constraints. Thirdly, the effect of ESG performance on OFDI is particularly pronounced for companies targeting developed countries, those operating in heavily polluting sectors and those with significant institutional investor presence.

This study advances the applicability of the stakeholder theory in the realm of firm internationalization. Moreover, the findings of this paper provide new strategies for promoting the OFDI of companies in emerging market economies.

To overcome the shortcomings of traditional dynamic parameter identification methods in accuracy and efficiency, this paper aims to propose a dynamic parameter identification method based on improved iterative reweighted least squares (IIRLS) algorithm.

First, Newton–Euler method is used to establish the dynamic model of the robot, which is linearized and reorganized. Then, taking the improved Fourier series as the excitation trajectory, the optimization model with objective function is established and optimized. Then, the manipulator runs the optimized trajectory and collects the running state of the joint. Finally, the iterative process of iterative reweighted least squares (IRLS) algorithm is improved by combining clustering algorithm and matrix inversion operation rules, and the dynamic model of robot is identified by using the processed collected data.

Experimental results show that, compared with the IRLS algorithm, the root mean square of the proposed IIRLS algorithm is reduced by 4.18% and the identification time is reduced by 94.92% when the sampling point is 1001. This shows that IIRLS algorithm can identify the dynamic model more accurately and efficiently.

It effectively solves the problem of low accuracy and efficiency of parameter identification in robot dynamic model and can be used as an effective method for parameter estimation of robot dynamic model, which is of great significance to the research of control method based on robot model.

This paper aims to investigate the relationship between investor attention and market activity (return, volatility and volume) using a sample of 14 clean energy cryptocurrencies (hereafter green cryptocurrency), namely, Chia, Cardano, Stellar, Tron, Ripple, Nano, IOTA, EOS, Bitcoin Green, Alogrand, Hedara, Polkadot, FLOW and Tezos.

This paper use 26040 crypto-day observations and a range of econometric techniques, including Dynamic Granger causality, Panel vector autoregression (VAR), Impulse response function and the decomposition of forecast error variance.

Based on 26040 crypto-day observations, this paper finds a bidirectional Granger causal relationship between investor attention and all measures of market activity, namely, return, absolute volatility, squared volatility and volume. The panel VAR and impulse response function demonstrate that market activity in the green crypto ecosystem, especially volatility and volume, is considerably responsive to changes in investor attention proxied by Google search volume (hereafter Google search volume (GSV)). The findings also demonstrate a significant asymmetric effect of return and volume on investor attention since past negative shocks “or bad news” in return and volume are more likely to grab the investor’s attention. All in all, our study emphasizes the crucial role of investor attention in the green crypto ecosystem.

(i) The research is the first to shed light on investor attention in the green cryptocurrency market. (ii) The paper uses a wide range of green cryptocurrencies to offer a comprehensive picture of the green cryptocurrency ecosystem. (iii) This paper is the first to use the panel Granger causality to investigate investor attention in the cryptocurrency market which provides several advantages over the conventional Granger causality approach. (iv) This paper is the first to provide novel empirical evidence on the prevalent influence of investor attention in the green crypto market.

During metro construction using the shield method, the construction process's complexity, the construction environment's variability, and other factors can easily lead to tunnel construction accidents. This paper aims to explore the interconnections between risk factors and related accident types, as well as the risk chain formed between risk factors, and to analyze the key risk factors and vulnerabilities in shield tunnel construction through empirical data.

Based on the social network analysis theory, the connection of various risk factors in subway shield tunnel construction is explored, and the mechanism of multiple risk factors is studied. Through literature analysis, articles on safety risk factors in metro shield tunnel construction are organized and studied, and the identified safety risk factors can comprehensively reflect the significant risks that need to be concerned in metro shield tunnel construction.

The results show that a small world characterizes the SNA network of safety risk factors for metro shield tunnel construction: The frequency of association between the five risk factors “unsafe behavior,” “site management,” “safety supervision and inspection,” “safety education system” and “safety protection” is higher than that of other factors. Only a few risks, such as “site management,” “safety supervision and inspection,” and “rapid response capability,” directly lead to accidents. In addition, risk factors such as the “safety education system” and “safety protection” will indirectly cause unsafe behaviors of construction personnel.

During construction, the probability of occurrence of risk factors may vary with the construction phase and area and is not considered in this paper. In addition, although this paper identifies, determines and analyzes the risk factors affecting the safety of metro shield tunnel construction, including the importance of each risk factor and the connection between them, more detailed information before and after the accident could not be obtained based on the accident investigation report alone. Therefore, future research can collect the same accident case from more sources to obtain more information.

The theory of accident causation has been improved at the theoretical level. The identified safety risk factors can comprehensively reflect the significant risks that need to be paid attention to in metro shield tunnel construction. From a practical point of view, the results of the study provide a basis for the rational control of the risk factors in the construction of subway shield tunnels, which can help guide practitioners to do a good job of risk prevention before the construction of metro shield tunnels and reduce the probability of related accidents.

This study expands the application of social network analysis in the field of subway tunnel construction risk, quantitatively analyzes the key risk factors and vulnerabilities in shield method tunnel construction and proposes policy recommendations for future metro tunnel construction safety management.

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) can enhance the sustainable value and profitability of assets by improving environmental responsibility, social benefits and governance quality. However, there is a lack of research on the ESG aspects of the asset sustainability of infrastructure Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), particularly in terms of how ESG affects asset sustainability and their intrinsic relationships. Therefore, this study aims to explore the ESG factors affecting the asset sustainability of infrastructure REITs and their intrinsic linkages, in order to enhance the long-term sustainability of the asset.

The study employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze the relationship between ESG factors and the sustainability of infrastructure REITs, through a comprehensive literature review and questionnaire survey to collect data. This method aims to provide a quantitative analysis framework to assess the impact strength and interactions of these factors.

The 11 ESG factors positively influence the sustainability of infrastructure assets. Specifically, carbon emission management, information disclosure and infrastructure asset management have the most substantial impacts, with path coefficients of 0.830, 0.814 and 0.817, respectively. Measures such as optimizing resource use, enhancing transparency and improving operational efficiency contribute to increased asset sustainability. Also, interviews indicate that asset managers and corporate executives with overseas educational backgrounds play a crucial role in the ESG management of infrastructure assets. Sustainability can be enhanced by promoting sustainable technologies and enhancing cross-cultural communication.

The results offer guidance for infrastructure REIT managers and policymakers, emphasizing the importance of strengthening specific ESG practices to enhance sustainability. This provides an empirical basis for optimizing ESG policies and practices, helping to advance infrastructure REITs towards more sustainable development directions.

This study offers new insights into the field of ESG for infrastructure REITs in China by providing specific analysis of ESG factors and applying SEM. The originality of this study lies in its deep exploration of the specific impact factors within the ESG dimensions and quantifying their relationship with sustainability, offering strong scientific support for the sustainable development practices of infrastructure REIT.

This study conducts a comparative analysis of the diversification effects of China's national carbon market (CEA) and the EU ETS Phase IV (EUA) within major commodity markets.

The study employs the TVP-VAR extension of the spillover index framework to scrutinize the information spillovers among the energy, agriculture, metal, and carbon markets. Subsequently, the study explores practical applications of these findings, emphasizing how investors can harness insights from information spillovers to refine their investment strategies.

First, the CEA provide ample opportunities for portfolio diversification between the energy, agriculture, and metal markets, a desirable feature that the EUA does not possess. Second, a portfolio comprising exclusively energy and carbon assets often exhibits the highest Sharpe ratio. Nevertheless, the inclusion of agricultural and metal commodities in a carbon-oriented portfolio may potentially compromise its performance. Finally, our results underscore the pronounced advantage of minimum spillover portfolios; particularly those that designed minimize net pairwise volatility spillover, in the context of China's national carbon market.

This study addresses the previously unexplored intersection of information spillovers and portfolio diversification in major commodity markets, with an emphasis on the role of CEA.