Wycliffe Obwori Alwago, Delia David, Florinel Marian Sgardea and Stacey-Lee Marais
Climate change, driven by global warming, poses a significant threat to humanity and disrupts the ecological balance. In Europe, concentrations of air pollutants remain very…
Abstract
Purpose
Climate change, driven by global warming, poses a significant threat to humanity and disrupts the ecological balance. In Europe, concentrations of air pollutants remain very high, and problems related to air quality and the acceleration of the phenomenon of global warming persist. As a result, carbon taxation has emerged as a key strategy to mitigate climate change. In Romania, environmental taxes are an important instrument of environmental policy as an economic instrument for environmental protection and natural resource management. Using 1990–2021 time series data and an Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) Bounds cointegration for long-run analysis and the Toda–Yamamoto test for causality analysis, we investigated whether environmental taxes, renewable energy consumption, urbanization and economic growth significantly impact CO2 emissions in Romania.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper differs from the assessment of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis (Grossman and Krueger 1991) and instead aims to determine the impact of environmental taxes, renewable energy consumption, per capita GDP and urbanization on CO2 emissions in Romania. The study investigates both short- and long-term effects, as well as Toda–Yamamoto causality linkages (Toda and Yamamoto 1995) between these variables. We adopt an ARDL estimation technique with Bound cointegration test and error correction models (Pesaran et al., 2001) to examine the short- and long-term effects.
Findings
The findings revealed that environmental taxes positively and significantly reduce CO2 emissions, while urbanization induces CO2 emissions, in the long run. Moreover, in the short run, environmental taxes and renewable energy consumption significantly reduce CO2 emissions while per capita GDP and urbanization significantly increase CO2 emissions. A unidirectional causality exists between renewable energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Thus, to realize its 34% target of renewable energy consumption in 2030, Romania should prioritize the implementation of the Casa Verde Plus program and enforce sustainable urban planning to meet near-zero energy standards. Consequently, the government should continue to enforce carbon taxes to promote environmental sustainability.
Originality/value
Empirical evidence supports the cointegration relationship between environmental taxes and CO2 emissions, with carbon taxes effectively reducing CO2 emissions and improving environmental quality (Allan et al., 2014; Polat and Polat, 2018; Kiuila et al., 2019, etc.). While existing research (Floros and Vlachou, 2005; Wissema and Dellink, 2007; Aydin and Esen, 2018; Lin and Li, 2011) primarily focuses on country-specific or regional analyses, limited research has been conducted on the impact of carbon taxation on CO2 emissions in Romania. However, to the best of our knowledge, limited research on this phenomenon in Romania exists in response to recommendations for climate change mitigation. Furthermore, urbanization has significantly contributed to rising atmospheric carbon levels and subsequent global warming and climate change (Woldu, 2021). As economic growth, particularly in countries like Romania, drives urbanization, it leads to increased energy demand, expanding urban areas and mounting environmental concerns. This process involves industrial restructuring, and the development of new infrastructure, all of which exert pressure on energy consumption and CO2 emissions (Niu and Lekse, 2018). While economic growth is a primary objective, industrialization and urbanization inevitably generate unintended consequences, including CO2 emissions. However, limited research exists on the impact of urbanization patterns on CO2 emissions in Romania. This study investigates the dynamic causal relationships among urbanization, per capita GDP, carbon taxes, renewable energy consumption and CO2 emissions, considering both short-run and long-run effects in Romania.
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This chapter dives deeper into how the circular economy is important for the tourism industry in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In a region known for its remarkable growth and…
Abstract
This chapter dives deeper into how the circular economy is important for the tourism industry in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In a region known for its remarkable growth and innovative endeavors, this chapter meticulously investigates how the principles of the circular economy hold the potential to not only shape the trajectory of sustainable development but also to become a catalyst for heightened economic growth and an embodiment of environmental stewardship within the UAE's dynamic tourism sector. It begins by explaining the multifaceted concept of the circular economy and its compelling relevance to the diverse realm of tourism. It also emphasizes the role of community involvement in making these principles work. The chapter showcases successful case studies in UAE's tourism sector, from eco-friendly hotels to innovative food services and community-based tourism. Finally, it ends with recommendations for stakeholders to work together for sustainable tourism development. As the chapter draws toward a conclusion, it ends with a collection of recommendations that underscore the essence of collaborative engagement among stakeholders – a driving force that is poised to propel the narrative of sustainable tourism development forward with unwavering resolve and unwavering impact.
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HengYuan Liu, Sihan Ma, Belal Mahmoud AlWadi, Fahad Alam and YueFeng Zhang
In an era marked by growing environmental concerns, businesses are increasingly recognizing the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in influencing customer…
Abstract
Purpose
In an era marked by growing environmental concerns, businesses are increasingly recognizing the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in influencing customer behavior, particularly in the context of sustainability and green practices. This paper aims to examine the impact of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on Customer Green Behavior (CGB) through the mediating role of corporate image, service quality, customer trust and customer satisfaction.
Design/methodology/approach
A convenient sampling technique was employed to collect the data sample. A total of 741 questionnaires were distributed across four different hotel sectors in China. By using Structural Equation Modeling, the results suggest that CSR significantly influences CGB. Moreover, corporate image, service quality, customer trust and customer satisfaction show a partial mediating effect in the relationship between CSR and CGB.
Findings
The study findings suggest that the hotel industry should invest in CSR initiatives to enhance CGB by conducting pro-environmental activities. This study emphasizes how important CSR initiatives are in encouraging customers to adopt eco-friendly behavior. Overall, the results of this study extend the understanding of CSR, CGB, corporate image, service quality, customer trust and customer satisfaction in the context of the hotel industry and offer theoretical and managerial implications for developing and developed economies.
Originality/value
The originality value of this research lies in its comprehensive examination of the mediating effects of corporate image, service quality, customer trust and customer satisfaction on the relationship between CSR and CGB in the hotel industry. Furthermore, the study’s focus on the specific context of China adds novel insights to the existing literature on CSR and CGB. Discussions, limitations and research suggestions for future study are also provided.
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Shaoling Fu, Xianxian Hu, Chen Zhang and Zipeng Li
This study examines how production and environmental information transparency affect online consumer trust and their purchase intention for green agricultural products.
Abstract
Purpose
This study examines how production and environmental information transparency affect online consumer trust and their purchase intention for green agricultural products.
Design/methodology/approach
Using signaling theory, the study combines structural equation modeling (SEM) and necessary conditions analysis (NCA) to examine sufficiency and necessity. SEM analyzes the links between information transparency, online consumer trust and purchase intention, while NCA identifies the necessary conditions for building trust and purchase intentions among online consumers.
Findings
First, production information transparency improves general trust (GT), while environmental information transparency boosts both GT and swift trust (ST). Second, both GT and ST promote online consumers’ purchase intentions (OCPI). Third, production information transparency is necessary for GT, while environmental information transparency supports both GT and ST. Additionally, GT and ST are necessary conditions for OCPI. These findings indicate that production and environmental information transparency help enhance consumer trust, thereby increasing their purchase intentions.
Practical implications
The findings offer guidance for businesses in designing trust-building strategies and provide recommendations for policymakers on incentivizing transparency practices among green agricultural product producers.
Originality/value
This study extends signaling theory to the online consumption of green agricultural products. By combining SEM and NCA, it is the first to reveal the necessity and sufficiency conditions among production and environmental information transparency, trust and purchase intention.
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David Brueninghaus, Ivan Arribas, Fernando García and Christoph Burmann
This paper aims to study the impact of consumers’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) associations on corporate financial performance and the moderating role of market…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to study the impact of consumers’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) associations on corporate financial performance and the moderating role of market competition.
Design/methodology/approach
The panel data set is analyzed using a random effects regression model. The analyzed data is based on the unique RepZ Responsibility scores published by the global research agency Kantar Millward Brown and contains information about consumer CSR associations.
Findings
This study reveals CSR associations' positive, lagged, direct impact on firms’ market value. Market competition moderates this relationship in the way that a company’s market value benefits more from consumers' CSR associations when facing high rather than low market competition.
Practical implications
Consumers' CSR perceptions increase the market value of a company. This effect is intensified when brands are exposed to intense competition, which allows conclusions about CSR as a differentiation strategy to be drawn: To stand out in a competitive market, brands should prioritize improving their CSR associations among consumers to differentiate themselves and increase their market value.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to test the effect of consumers’ CSR associations on forward-looking financial performance measures. Moreover, by analyzing the moderating effect of market competition on the relationship between CSR associations and firms' market value, this study provides information about the differentiating power of CSR from a brand perspective using a panel-data analysis.
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Alfredo David Varea-Calero, Francisco Rejón-Guardia, José M. Ramírez-Hurtado and Juan M. Berbel-Pineda
This study aims to provide a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of sports sponsorship research over the last 3 decades (1993–2024). By mapping the intellectual landscape of this…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to provide a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of sports sponsorship research over the last 3 decades (1993–2024). By mapping the intellectual landscape of this field, the study seeks to identify key trends, prominent themes and the most influential authors and journals. Furthermore, the research addresses the ongoing challenge of evaluating the effectiveness of sponsorship investments, particularly in the digital age. The goal is to highlight emerging research areas.
Design/methodology/approach
This study employs a bibliometric analysis using the SPAR-4-SLR protocol to systematically review the literature on sports sponsorship from 1993 to 2024. Data were sourced from the Web of Science (WoS) database, filtering results for articles written in English and excluding non-academic publications. A combination of bibliometric techniques – co-citation, co-word and co-authorship network analysis – was applied to examine intellectual structures and trends in the field. The Bibliometrix software was used for data analysis, providing a comprehensive evaluation of research productivity, collaboration patterns and emerging themes.
Findings
The bibliometric analysis reveals a significant increase in global sports sponsorship research, with a 12.69% annual growth rate from 1993 to 2024. Key themes such as corporate social responsibility (CSR), consumer behaviour and government regulation emerged as central topics. The study also highlights growing research interest in digital sponsorships, particularly within the eSports industry. Additionally, co-authorship analysis demonstrates increasing international collaboration, with 30.2% of publications involving multiple countries. The findings provide a clearer understanding of the intellectual landscape of sports sponsorship and suggest emerging research opportunities, particularly in digital marketing and advanced data analytics.
Research limitations/implications
The analysis relies solely on the WoS database, which may have excluded relevant publications indexed in other databases such as Scopus or Google Scholar. Although WoS provides high-quality data, future research should integrate multiple databases to achieve a more comprehensive coverage of the field. Additionally, this study focuses primarily on articles published in English, potentially overlooking significant contributions from non-English sources.
Originality/value
This study provides a unique contribution by conducting the first comprehensive bibliometric analysis of sports sponsorship research over a 30-year period (1993–2024). By applying the SPAR-4-SLR protocol, it identifies emerging research areas such as the integration of big data and the role of psychophysiological methods in measuring sponsorship effectiveness. The research also highlights the increasing importance of digital sponsorship in industries like eSports. This work offers new insights into global collaboration patterns and reveals underexplored topics like the balance between global and local sponsorship strategies, thus providing valuable directions for future research and practical applications.
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José Almeida, Cristina Gaio and Tiago Cruz Gonçalves
This study aims to investigate the interconnectedness of sustainability-linked and AI-based cryptocurrencies returns and volatility over five years (2018–2024). It aims to uncover…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the interconnectedness of sustainability-linked and AI-based cryptocurrencies returns and volatility over five years (2018–2024). It aims to uncover the dynamic relationships between these two sectors under various market conditions, providing insights into their behavior and influence within the broader cryptocurrency market.
Design/methodology/approach
The research employs a Time-Varying Parameter Vector Autoregression (TVP-VAR) model to analyze key cryptocurrencies associated with AI and sustainability. This approach is complemented by a quantile-based perspective, allowing for an in-depth examination of return and volatility spillovers across different market conditions. Thus, facilitating an understanding of the intricate dynamics between sustainability-linked and AI-based cryptocurrencies.
Findings
The findings reveal distinct market dynamics with the Sustainable sector consistently acting as a net transmitter, while the AI sector predominantly as a net receiver, indicating its reactive nature. In bearish markets, both sectors display high interconnectedness, with the Sustainable sector shaping dynamics. In bullish markets, the Sustainable sector maintains influence, while the AI sector adopts a more proactive role, influencing the market more than in bearish conditions. Post-Chat GPT 3 the Sustainable sector decreases influence, becoming a net receiver in bullish markets. In contrast, the AI sector strengthens as a net transmitter, signaling growing investor confidence and prominence.
Originality/value
This study explores the interconnectedness of sustainability-linked and AI-based cryptocurrencies through a TVP-VAR model and a quantile-based analysis. It provides insights into how these sectors interact and influence each other across different market conditions, especially highlighting the significant shifts in dynamics following the advent of advanced technologies like Chat GPT 3. This contributes to a deeper understanding of the evolving landscape of the cryptocurrency market in the context of sustainability and AI.
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Shaojie Lai, Laifeng Yang, Qing Sophie Wang and Hamish Anderson
The main purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of state capital participation (SCP) on the corporate environmental engagement (CEE) of privately controlled listed…
Abstract
Purpose
The main purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of state capital participation (SCP) on the corporate environmental engagement (CEE) of privately controlled listed firms in China.
Design/methodology/approach
We use a sample of 20,133 firm-year observations from 2009 to 2021. We use three different measures to proxy corporate environmental engagement and two different measures to proxy for state capital participation. We employ a difference-in-difference regression model to estimate the effect of state capital participation on corporate environmental engagement.
Findings
Using a sample of 20,133 firm-year observations from 2009 to 2021, we find that SCP significantly increases corporate expenditure on environmental protection, corporate environmental performance and ESG ratings. Specifically, SCP increases environmental investment capacity and attracts more media coverage, online attention and analysts’ following, which leads to better environmental engagement. Further analyses show that after state shareholders exit privately controlled firms, CEE deteriorates, while private capital injection in state-owned firms has no significant impact on CEE. The positive effect of SCP is stronger in privately controlled firms with local government ownership, a larger number of state shareholders, longer state shareholder holding periods, those without politically connected managers and firms operating in heavy pollution industries. Lastly, we show that minority government ownership reduces firm-level toxic emissions and enhances financial performance.
Research limitations/implications
We enrich the literature on the role of minority state ownership in corporate financial and environmental performance.
Originality/value
We enrich the literature on the role of minority state ownership in corporate financial and environmental performance. In light of the escalating environmental concerns and the growing emphasis on corporate environmental responsibility, this study highlights the beneficial role of minority government ownership in driving environmental performance. By providing resources and attracting external scrutiny, the government, as a minority shareholder, can significantly enhance the environmental engagement of privately controlled firms.
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Scholars have been sounding the alarm of novice teacher turnover crises for decades. South Africa is soon to be facing an educational catastrophe because of a shortage of…
Abstract
Purpose
Scholars have been sounding the alarm of novice teacher turnover crises for decades. South Africa is soon to be facing an educational catastrophe because of a shortage of experienced teachers. Globally and in South Africa, novice teacher attrition is high, and teachers entering the classroom often described feeling isolated and unsupported.
Design/methodology/approach
This qualitative study was underpinned by an interpretative phenomenology approach. The author reviewed the literature and newly emerged findings of novice teacher mentoring support needs through the theoretical lens of the Ubuntu philosophy “I am because we are” which emphasises the importance of interconnectedness and community. Using semi-structured interviews, this study aimed to explore novice teacher mentoring needs from an Ubuntu perspective.
Findings
Novice teachers report feeling overwhelmed with the complexities of teaching in their early careers and express the desire to be formally mentored by a knowledgeable “elder” teacher. This paper argues that a competent mentor who values Ubuntu in their mentoring could offer collaboration, respect, compassion and support to novices that may keep them in the profession. This paper further explores the potential benefit of a prescribed Ubuntu-orientated mentoring programme to formalise mentoring for novices. In addition, it explores the school micro-community from the Ubuntu principles to support novices.
Originality/value
While there is a plethora of studies about mentoring novice teachers, literature from an Africanised Ubuntu perspective is scarce. Perhaps the time has come to find African solutions to our African problems.