The reduction of food waste is still a pending issue that governments have still not resolved. In response to this problem mobile platforms are emerging that follow food ecology…
Abstract
Purpose
The reduction of food waste is still a pending issue that governments have still not resolved. In response to this problem mobile platforms are emerging that follow food ecology and the responsible consumption of food, and self-management of their access to allow the communication between people and their use of food. In this paper, the authors will analyze the main digital platforms that deal with solving this problem, especially those that fulfill a social commitment through the distribution and reduction of waste.
Design/methodology/approach
To provide solutions, the authors will address the importance of new technologies in the fight against waste, using digital platforms to manage food and to eliminate the loss in surplus products. To do this, the authors will first analyze from a theoretical point of view the concepts of “loss”, “waste” and “surplus product”, incorporating data of their impact between Spain and Italy. Next, the authors will analyze the influence of new technologies in the detection and distribution of products destined to become food waste. To carry out this qualitative research, the authors will apply the research strategy of theory building from multiple case studies (particularly 16 different digital platforms against food waste were analyzed), which is a methodological approach that uses cases as the basis to develop theory inductively.
Findings
The authors must make the public aware of the importance of being responsible consumers. To this end, the authors must disclose the problems associated with food waste and surplus product, presenting alternatives and new consumption habits. For this, it is necessary to collaborate and build synergies with organizations of different origins (consumers, producers and activists) involved in sustainable agrifood models. In this sense, digital platforms are essential tools to fight against food waste, preventing certain products from being considered unfit for human consumption. In this study, the authors suggest that, based on the review of the literature and the analysis of apps and blogs, the authors look for solutions to surplus and food waste both from the environment of the entrepreneur and the consumer and all using the new technologies.
Research limitations/implications
The research has raised different limitations. On the one hand, it is a subject that has not been analyzed from a doctrinal point of view, so it is not easy to find bibliographic references. On the other hand, digital platforms that act on food waste are not cataloged. This has made it difficult to search for elements of analysis to obtain results in the work. Finally, the sample can vary in a short period of time since the digital platforms are in a boom, which means that they constantly change.
Practical implications
This work allows a theoretical approach to the concepts of “loss”, “wastage” and “surplus product”, incorporating data on its impact in Spain and Italy, comparing it with the rest of Europe while providing figures and data on their impact. On the other hand, it allows us to know how new technologies can help the detection and distribution of products destined to become food waste. Finally, there are examples of platforms that are offering service in different areas, incorporating a novel classification that allows us to know the differences depending on their origin and destination.
Originality/value
The originality of the work can be summarized in the following points: There are no doctrinal works that analyze in a combined way the food waste with the new technologies; The relationship with the 2030 Agenda in which responsible consumption is one of the achievements pursued by the United Nations, and the authors position the study’s research as an evidence of platforms that are currently working in the interest of reducing food waste. Furthermore, the authors provide an early classification of platforms based on their usability and objectives of reducing, reusing and recycling food.
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Xileidys Parra, Xavier Tort-Martorell, Fernando Alvarez-Gomez and Carmen Ruiz-Viñals
Rational use of the information available to companies is one of the strategic concerns for both family businesses and non-family businesses. The aim is to make the best use of…
Abstract
Rational use of the information available to companies is one of the strategic concerns for both family businesses and non-family businesses. The aim is to make the best use of the information resulting from data analysis in order to gain strategic advantage and to be more competitive as a company in all its functional areas. Experience indicates that emotions play an important role, especially in family businesses. Many maturation models exist to analyze decision-making processes (DMPs), but none from the perspective of family business cognition. The authors start from their own “Circumplex Hierarchical Representation of Organisation Maturity Assessment” (CHROMA) model (Parra, Tort-Martorell, Ruiz-Viñals, & Alvarez-Gomez, 2017), which was created to support decision processes in family businesses. This model was proven successful in the analysis of DMPs in large family businesses. The model was simplified as CHROMA-SHADE (Parra, Tort-Martorell, Ruiz-Viñals, & Alvarez-Gomez, 2019), more adequate for the analysis of small and medium-sized family businesses. Despite being a good DMP analysis instrument, intangible aspects such as family values and emotions have not yet been included. Both entrepreneurial emotions and entrepreneurial cognition must be taken into account when analyzing the DMP of the family business. In this chapter, the authors wish to explore attributes that can be introduced into a new dimension in the CHROMA model in order to make it more specific in the analysis of DMPs of family businesses regardless of size. The resulting FAMILY-CHROMA model represents a specific maturation model to evaluate DMPs based on the use of business information of family businesses.
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Isabel María Parra Oller, Salvador Cruz Rambaud and María del Carmen Valls Martínez
The main purpose of this paper is to determine the discount function which better fits the individuals' preferences through the empirical analysis of the different functions used…
Abstract
Purpose
The main purpose of this paper is to determine the discount function which better fits the individuals' preferences through the empirical analysis of the different functions used in the field of intertemporal choice.
Design/methodology/approach
After an in-depth revision of the existing literature and unlike most studies which only focus on exponential and hyperbolic discounting, this manuscript compares the adjustment of data to six different discount functions. To do this, the analysis is based on the usual statistical methods, and the non-linear least squares regression, through the algorithm of Gauss-Newton, in order to estimate the models' parameters; finally, the AICc method is used to compare the significance of the six proposed models.
Findings
This paper shows that the so-called q-exponential function deformed by the amount is the model which better explains the individuals' preferences on both delayed gains and losses. To the extent of the authors' knowledge, this is the first time that a function different from the general hyperbola fits better to the individuals' preferences.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to the search of an alternative model able to explain the individual behavior in a more realistic way.
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Alexandra Velasco, Melanie Valencia, Samantha Morrow and Valeria Ochoa-Herrera
Universidad San Francisco de Quito, USFQ, completed an assessment study to understand its performance in sustainability in 2012. This study aims to recognize the limitations of…
Abstract
Purpose
Universidad San Francisco de Quito, USFQ, completed an assessment study to understand its performance in sustainability in 2012. This study aims to recognize the limitations of applying a North American rating system considering relevant criteria to a South American university and to emphasize the importance and lack of benchmarks available in the region.
Design/methodology/approach
Methodology used for this study is based on the Sustainability Tracking Assessment Rating System (STARS) by AASHE. In December 2013, USFQ joined the Pilot Program that included publicly documenting efforts, sharing feedback and making suggestions for system improvements.
Findings
Data collected by USFQ in 2012 and 2013 illustrate how the status of USFQ as a non-residential, teaching university in Ecuador in a developing country had several challenges while using an evaluation system established for universities within a North American system. The limits of assessing sustainability in South America are associated to its geographical location, the number of students and staff that commute to University and the lack of environmental services and certifications available in Ecuador. There are applicability issues with the use of STARS without performance reports from regional peers that can guide the development of relevant benchmarks for future comparability.
Originality/value
Little research has been conducted in the assessment and tracking of sustainability within universities in South America. This paper is one of the first to address the applicability of a North American self-reporting tool to a South American university.
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Carmen Álvarez-Nieto, Laura Parra-Anguita, Cristina Álvarez-García, Eva Maria Montoro Ramirez, María Dolores López-Franco, Sebastián Sanz-Martos and Isabel María López Medina
In light of the world’s accelerating march towards a sustainable future, the education for sustainable healthcare must be sufficiently acknowledged in health professions…
Abstract
Purpose
In light of the world’s accelerating march towards a sustainable future, the education for sustainable healthcare must be sufficiently acknowledged in health professions curricula. Early integration of these competences into nursing degree programme emphasizes its importance and applicability. This paper aims to investigate the effectiveness of an educational sustainability intervention in higher education to change nursing students’ attitudes towards sustainability and climate change, and environmental awareness.
Design/methodology/approach
A quasi-experimental study was performed with repeated measures between September 2019 and May 2023. Undergraduate students were introduced to sustainability and climate change in the context of healthcare using scenario-based learning and augmented reality over the courses in nursing degree. Participants' attitudes and awareness were collected by online questionnaires.
Findings
The educational intervention showed effectiveness in significantly improving attitudes towards climate change and sustainability, and the environmental awareness for changing their clinical practice (p < 0.01). However, students struggled to apply sustainability and address unsustainable practices in healthcare settings.
Originality/value
This study shows an effective model of curricular sustainability that can be implemented in other universities and health disciplines. The findings highlighting the importance of sustainability education in nursing and its potential to drive positive change in healthcare practice and society at large. Embedding key topics aligned with sustainable development goals in the curriculum prepares nursing or health workforce to address planetary health and implement sustainable practices that provide climate-smart care.
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Esmeralda Crespo-Almendros, M. Belén Prados-Peña, Lucia Porcu and Juan Miguel Alcántara-Pilar
This study seeks to analyze the influence of the consumer's perceived benefits deriving from two different promotional incentives offered via social media on the perceived…
Abstract
Purpose
This study seeks to analyze the influence of the consumer's perceived benefits deriving from two different promotional incentives offered via social media on the perceived quality of the heritage complex.
Design/methodology/approach
A quasi-experimental study was carried out among online users, implementing two different promotional stimuli. Facebook was selected as the social network through which the promotional incentives were offered in the experiment. The sample was obtained via a panel of Internet users provided by Sondea Internet SL.
Findings
The results showed that the benefits perceived by the tourists will depend on the sales promotion type offered. On the one hand, free VIP pass was found to be mostly related to hedonic benefits that positively affect perceived quality. On the other hand, 2 × 1 offer would be perceived as a utilitarian benefit and is likely to exert a fairly negative effect on perceived quality.
Practical implications
Tourism managers and practitioners are encouraged to analyze the characteristics of certain types of sales promotions, as each promotional incentive bears different values and associated benefits. The findings of this study suggest managers and practitioners to implement non-monetary promotions to enhance brand equity and perceived quality. Thus, it is paramount for the managers of cultural institutions and heritage sites to trust in sales promotions which can be very helpful if they are designed carefully.
Originality/value
This study pioneers the analysis of the impact of the benefits associated with different typologies of sales promotions on social networks on the perceived quality of a heritage site.
Objetivo
Este estudio busca analizar la influencia de los beneficios percibidos por el consumidor derivados de dos incentivos promocionales diferentes ofrecidos a través de las redes sociales sobre la calidad percibida del complejo patrimonial.
Metodología
Se realizó un estudio cuasi-experimental entre usuarios en línea, implementando dos estímulos promocionales diferentes. Facebook fue seleccionada como la red social a través de la cual se ofrecieron los incentivos promocionales en el experimento. La muestra se obtuvo a través de un panel de internautas facilitado por Sondea Internet SL.
Recomendaciones
Los resultados mostraron que los beneficios percibidos por los turistas dependerán del tipo de promoción de ventas ofrecida. Por un lado, se descubrió que el pase VIP gratuito se relaciona principalmente con los beneficios hedónicos que afectan positivamente la calidad percibida. Por otro lado, la oferta 2 × 1 se percibiría como un beneficio utilitario y es probable que ejerza un efecto bastante negativo en la calidad percibida.
Originalidad
Este estudio es pionero en el análisis del impacto de los beneficios asociados a diferentes tipologías de promociones de ventas en redes sociales sobre la calidad percibida de un sitio patrimonial.
Implicaciones prácticas
Se alienta a los gerentes y profesionales del turismo a analizar las características de ciertos tipos de promociones de ventas, ya que cada incentivo promocional tiene diferentes valores y beneficios asociados. Los hallazgos de este estudio sugieren que los gerentes y profesionales implementen promociones no monetarias para mejorar el valor de la marca y la calidad percibida. Por tanto, es primordial que los gestores de las instituciones culturales y los sitios patrimoniales confíen en las promociones de venta que pueden resultar muy útiles si se diseñan con cuidado.
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Mexico has a long history of wine production beginning with the Spanish nearly 500 years ago. The alcohol beverage industry in Mexico is still largely dominated by the production…
Abstract
Mexico has a long history of wine production beginning with the Spanish nearly 500 years ago. The alcohol beverage industry in Mexico is still largely dominated by the production and consumption of brandy, rum and tequila. However, there has been some recent interest in wine production and several large wineries are now producing quality products. Consumer interest in purchasing wine is still relatively low however, although there is growing interest in table wine. Most of the imported wine is from Europe and South America and these producers dominate the market.
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Francisco Alberto Layrisse-Villamizar, Dariela Marina Parra-Elizondo and Gerardo Lozano-Fernandez
Social entrepreneurship (SE) has become the engine propelling the rapid expansion of the social/environmental sector; thus, the authors need to examine it from different…
Abstract
Social entrepreneurship (SE) has become the engine propelling the rapid expansion of the social/environmental sector; thus, the authors need to examine it from different perspectives. First of all, it is vital to understand the concept of SE in an attempt to understand the most basic question: what makes an entrepreneurship social and what makes a social initiative a SE? Second, it is important to know the tools to develop a SE such as the business model canvas and design thinking, among others, which are adapted to SE, as well as tools that are unique to the sector such as impact measurement and impact investing. Third, aspiring SEs have to understand the current ecosystem in order to take advantage of the enormous support that the SE ecosystem has to offer thanks to global players such as Ashoka, the Schwab, and Skoll foundations as well as prominent Latin American players such as New Ventures Group, ANDE, and collective company-driven initiatives such as Momentum led by BBVA Bank that have supported more than 10,000 SE all over the world. Finally, the authors will introduce the case of low-income house builders Hábtiva and a student challenge to ignite aspiring social entrepreneurs. This chapter provides a glimpse of the field SE by focusing in its importance in our current challenging world, its definition, some tools used in the field, the current ecosystem of SE, how to measure social impact, and some cases and challenges.