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In the present scenario, the demand for additive manufacturing (AM) has increased. Taking into account environmental problems and sustainability, manufacturers are now also considering the environmental and sustainability criteria in their decision-making process. The sustainability concept is known as the triple-bottom line, namely, economic, social and environmental perspectives. Sustainable concept selection in the manufacturing organisation can be considered as the selection of sustainable material, product design, process, method and technology. This study aims to select an appropriate AM process by considering sustainability from various available techniques.

Appropriate sustainable performance indicators for the AM were identified based on literature as well as in discussion with experts and decision-makers. The model addresses all the major dimensions of sustainable concepts of AM such as material/product quality, machine performance, market stability, total cost and ecological values. A hybrid multi-criteria decision-making approach, i.e. stepwise weight assessment ratio analysis and complex proportional assessment methods, have been used to select the best AM technique. While selecting criteria affecting AM machines and processes, criteria based on the sustainable concept are considered.

Among the four selected AM processes, i.e. fused diffusion modelling (FDM), laminated object manufacturing (LOM), stereolithography apparatus (SLA) and selective laser sintering (SLS), the best alternative was found to be FDM.

The present study highlights some limitations in the selection of AM process and methodology used in this research. This study considers only four AM processes, i.e. FDM, LOM, SLA and SLS. Future work may include considering other AM processes and criteria that affect the sustainability of AM.

The present work will help researchers and production managers to decide the best AM alternatives to fabricate desired parts. Hence, AM can help in maximum energy utilisation, optimal consumption of resources, minimum material wastage and reduction of CO₂ emission.

The study considers some important criteria, including energy consumption, eco-friendly and wastage-free production, that help sustainable AM. This study can result in a good economic efficiency of AM industries and, therefore, positively impact customers using green products.

A promising solution to meet the challenge of sustainability and ensure the protection of the environment consists in acting considerably on the adoption and use of new information and communication technologies. The latter can act on the protection of the environment; completely change manufacturing processes into energy-efficient, eco-friendly techniques or influence institutions and governance. The article attempts to cover shortcomings in the literature by providing a couple of theoretical frameworks and grounded empirical proofs for the dissemination of green technologies and the interaction of the latter with institutional quality.

The sample is made up of 43 African countries covering the period 2000–2020 and a panel VAR modeling approach is employed.

Our results show that an attenuation of CO2 emissions amplifies the diffusion of digital technologies (mobile telephones and Internet). Efficiency in the institutional quality of African countries is mandatory for environmental preservation. Moreover, the provision of a favorable institutional framework in favor of renewable energy helps to stimulate environmental performance in African states.

This study complements the extant literature by assessing nexuses between green technology and CO2 emissions in environmental sustainability.

The purpose of this study is to gain empirical insights into the prevalence of usage of digital technologies and strategies that were deployed by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the service sector during the COVID-19 pandemic, the extent of their usage and how they were integrated in the SMEs business to ensure their survival against the restrictive measures of COVID-19 containment. Furthermore, this study shades the light on challenges SMEs faced in the course to sustain their business.

Using a cross-sectional descriptive research design, a structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 120 SME managers in Dar es Salaam city. A response rate was 100 respondents, equivalent to 83% of the targeted sample size of 120. A simple random sampling was used. The collected data was analyzed descriptively.

The findings indicate that there was satisfactory level of digital technology integration for SMEs in Tanzania but not sufficient enough to ensure sustainability during pandemic. SMEs are urged to be prepared and acquaint themselves on the digitalization aspects for their business continuity. To make it easier for SMEs to embrace digitalization, technology manufacturers are urged to consider making digital technologies tailored made to fit the SMEs’ context. The study recommends for government support in terms of financial aid and education to enhance SMEs’ ability toward digitalization.

This study is of its own kind documenting the strategies and associated challenges the SMEs faced in the pursuit to sustain their businesses amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It thus advances mechanisms that SMEs may use to expand their business beyond their physical localities using digital technologies.

With the rising global emphasis on sustainable development (SD) and the attendant race to attain the sustainable development goals (SDGs), this study empirically examines the effect of the finance–economic growth nexus on SD in West Africa for the period 1970 to 2020.

The study adopted the panel autoregressive distributive lag (PARDL) and rests on the estimates of the pooled mean group (PMG) model in line with the outcome of the Hausman test.

The result indicates that financial development reinforces the positive influence of economic growth on SD in addition to the direct incremental impact they wield on SD. This suggests that financial development is one of the “influencing factors” and is positioned to potentially improve the relationship between economic growth and SD in West Africa. Findings further reveal that foreign direct investment (FDI) enhances the achievement of SD in West Africa whereas carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions and natural resource rent (NRR) are found to exert a deteriorating impact.

Since financial development is found to enhance the growth–SD relationship, it is crucial to pursue domesticated, inclusive and self-sustaining growth policies as well as promote financial inclusion, remove bottlenecks and inefficiencies in the financial system and adopt the principles of the 3 Rs - “reduce, reuse and recycle.”

Compared to previous studies that examined the effect of financial development and growth on SD separately, the present study interacted both to see how financial development can influence the economic growth–SD nexus.

Women’s entrepreneurship has become an essential movement in developing economies and is accepted in all working areas. This study aims to propose the effect of institutional support (IS) and entrepreneurial knowledge (ENK) on women’s entrepreneurial self-efficacy (WESE) and venture performance (VP) in a developing country, namely, Pakistan.

The constructive theoretical framework comprises of an extensive review of current literature. In this study, the researchers used a deductive approach that used cross-sectional data collected through women entrepreneurs completing a questionnaire. Consequently, this study comprised 324 usable samples.

The structural equation model reveals that formal institutional support (FIS), informal institutional support (IFIS) and ENK have a positive and significant effect on WESE that is concerned with the VP. Finally, WESE is a potent construct that mediates the association between FIS, IFIS, ENK and VP.

This study’s findings provide policymakers and government with guidance so that, by providing entrepreneurship and technical courses to develop more entrepreneurial self-efficacy, they focus more on women’s entrepreneurship. Ultimately, this improves VP. Finally, this study’s findings would provide guidelines for allocating financial assistance or funds for women. By using these funds, they can start their businesses to tackle miserable conditions, i.e. poverty and unemployment.

This study’s findings help to support the creation of self-employment opportunities and starting a business to improve well-being and socioeconomic conditions.

This book is essential for anyone in artificial intelligence (AI) and destination management in the tourism industry or government. The book includes both theoretical and practical writings for stakeholders. In all chapters, we provide titles including AI, regenerative and green destinations, sustainable tourism, tourist motivations and expectations, good examples of smart destinations and regions, the regeneration of the tourism industry via AI, rethinking tourism activities and products, current issues in robots, self-service technology, effect of pandemic on smart destinations, sustainable gastronomy and regenerative tourism and tourism issues are discussed in the management plans of the centralisation. This book provides cases and empirical studies that deal in depth with the current situation, challenges, solutions and future strategies after technological development of tourism and increasing interest on smart destinations from a responsible perspective, for readers with an equitable interest or involvement with the organizations in inquiry.

This study examines how green human resource management (GHRM), individually and collectively, affects green psychological climate (PGC), green in-role behavior (GIB), extra-role behavior (GEB) and green creativity (GC) in small, medium and large textile companies. The study also explores how green intellectual capital (GIC) moderates the relationship between GHRM and PGC and GC.

The study was conducted in two phases: in phase 1 (N = 41 records), a systematic literature review was performed to identify the gaps, and in phase 2 (N = 412 managers and supervisors), a quantitative survey method was employed. The structural equation model, with 1st-order and 2nd-order hierarchical models, was used to test the hypotheses.

The results showed that GHRM practices positively impacted PGC and GC. GHRM practices, including employee involvement (GEI), compensation and reward (GCR), training and development (GTD) and recruitment and selection (GRS), enhanced PGC. However, performance and management (GPM) do not significantly affect PGC. PGC significantly and positively affects GIB and GEB. GHRM also directly significantly influenced GC. Additionally, GIC significantly and positively moderated the relationship between GHRM and GC but not PGC, improving green creative behaviors in textile companies.

This study spurs textile enterprises, especially small, medium and large, to prioritize GHRM practices where employees with green climate (i.e. PGC), behaviors (i.e. GIB and GEB), knowledge, skills and abilities (i.e. GIC) strengthen their GC. Policymakers should encourage the adoption of GHRM to align GIC practices with environmental goals.

This study is unique in examining how GHRM practices, individually and collectively, enhance PGC employees’ GIB, GEB and GC. GIC strengthens employee green behaviors to develop innovative ideas (i.e. GC). It examines how GIC is crucial for GHRM to enhance creative activities toward environmental sustainability practices and goals.

In the light of the case and the accompanying case questions, the students should understand:1. The theoretical underpinnings of the brand positioning and brand repositioning.2. Critical evaluation of marketing communication material in the light of theoretical underpinnings.3. The nuances of operating in emerging markets in technology-driven sectors.4. The intricate link between the business goals and communication goals5. The application of the attention-interest-desire-action model and the brand media wheel when translating business strategies into communication strategies.

It was in June 2016, when Asad Haroon, the young head of brands at Ufone, a Pakistani originated telecom operating company, was posed with a challenge of dwindling subscriber identity module card sales, deteriorating average revenue per user and an exponential increase in customer churn. The telecom industry itself was in a flux due to various factors such as changes in the regulatory frameworks and technological shifts.Asad felt that the reason for the brand’s decline might be the lack of synergy between the business strategy and the brand’s communication strategy.Asad knew that he would have to make some unpopular choices and review his brand’s communication strategy which had not yet proved to create a harmony between communication goals and business goals. However, he was unsure about how and if at all he should go about changing a marketing legacy and the brand’s positioning which had reigned the minds of his peers and his customers for so long.

This case is aimed toward undergraduate students enrolled in courses of principles of marketing, marketing communications and corporate media strategy.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 8: Marketing

This study aims to conduct a comprehensive literature review to examine the relationship between corporate governance characteristics and firms’ engagement in environmental, social and governance (ESG) activities. The review focuses specifically on academic papers published in ranked accounting and finance journals.

The analysis combines a structured literature review with citation analysis, topic modeling using a machine learning (ML) approach and a manual review of selected articles published between 2000 and 2021.

This paper contributes to corporate governance and ESG literature by conducting an in-depth review, offering a comprehensive analysis of the existing findings and identifying future research directions. From the reviewed literature, this paper proposes the following thematic areas: board characteristics, ownership structure and their impact on a company’s engagement in ESG activities; CEO characteristics and their influence on a company’s involvement in ESG activities; corporate governance and ESG as sources for transparency and legitimacy; internal and external assurance of a company’s involvement in ESG activities; and gender diversity and a company’s involvement in ESG activities.

The study provides a comprehensive understanding of corporate governance and ESG literature. The innovative combination of methods, including ML and manual techniques, enhances the ability to identify key research topics and uncover research directions in the field. Moving forward, this paper suggests several promising directions for future research, including examining the influence of emerging technologies on ESG reporting and assessing the impact of regulatory changes and context on the link between corporate governance and firms’ involvement in ESG practices.