Unleashing the Importance of TQM and Knowledge Management for Organizational Sustainability in the Age of Circular Economy

Corporate social responsibility as a catalyst of circular economy? A case study perspective in Agri-food

Purpose

This study aims to analyze how, under the stakeholder theory, corporate social responsibility (CSR) might favor the emergence of circular economy (CE) in the Agri-food sector, which is a relevant context, as it is technologically dynamic and requires paying attention to all the stakeholders.

Design/methodology/approach

An exploratory, qualitative research design has been adopted to study the phenomenon in detail, as it facilitates the understanding of complex phenomena such those under investigation and helps enrich existing theory with new insights from real-world cases to add theoretical generalizations to the existing body of research in the field.

Findings

The results of this study highlight that companies adopting CSR models are oriented toward circularity.

Practical implications

This study provides useful indications to managers and policymakers as to how to favor the two approaches (CSR and CE) and benefit all the stakeholders.

Originality/value

While there is wide scholarly and managerial interest toward CSR and CE, previous research has mainly analyzed CE and CSR as two independent phenomena. Therefore, there is a lack of understanding about how the two areas are linked. Following previous studies that have started to theoretically argue an interconnection between CSR and CE, in this research, it has been empirically investigated, and further explored theoretically, whether CSR can implicitly encourage the emergence of CE approaches.

Performance of E-Banking and the Mediating Effect of Customer Satisfaction: A Structural Equation Model Approach

Online payment is a trend that is gaining momentum globally. As a result of digitisation, the advent of online banking has increasingly made its way into the modern marketplace, serving not only customers but also corporations. The primary data were gathered from 287 participants. Stratified random sampling was used. Structure Equation Modelling (SEM), reliability, convergent, discriminate validity and model fitness were achieved through SmartPLS 3 (Christian M. Ringle, Germany). The findings reveal that efficiency, reliability and service quality have a significant direct effect on customer satisfaction and customer retention. It also shows the significant effect of efficiency, reliability and service quality when using customer satisfaction as a mediator for customer retention. It is possible that the data gathered may be valuable for both banks and enterprises interested in entering the Indian market. This research also specifies four main components of E-banking: efficiency, reliability, service quality and customer satisfaction.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Firm-Based Brand Equity: The Moderating Effect of Marketing Communication and Brand Identity

To examine how the CSR activities facilitate a company’s brand-building process and useful in building its Brand Equity i.e., Firm-Based Brand Equity (FBBE). Methodology: For the present study, responses have been elicited from a sample of 69 company executives. Multi-stage sampling (method of random sampling) is used in the present study to select the sample executives. The collected sample dataset is analyzed through SPSS (version 25) and AMOS (version 24) software. Cronbach’s Alpha technique is used to measure how closely related a set of items are as a group. This is considered to be a measure of scale reliability. The Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) statistical method is used to uncover the underlying structure of a relatively large set of variables. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is conducted in the study in order to test the statistical hypotheses formulated for the study and to examine the effect of CSR on Brand Equity with the moderating effect of Marketing Communication and Brand Identity. Findings: The outcomes of the study revealed that Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Marketing Communication, Brand Identity and Brand Equity are positively associated. Thus, it can be surmised that CSR affects Brand Equity with the mediating effect of Marketing Communication and Brand Identity. Originality: The present study is based on original research that facilitates new insight instead of summarizing what is already known in a new form. Though many studies on CSR have been conducted in the past, but studies on the relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility and Firm-Based Brand Equity with the moderating effect of Marketing Communication and Brand Identity are few and far between. Implications: The outcome of the study will cast new light on the impact of Corporate Social Responsibility on Corporate Brand Image and also facilitate future research endeavors on CSR. The results of the study will help corporate houses in building a strong brand image. As a matter of fact, the CSR activities implemented by the companies offer a better brand recognition, resulting in greater brand awareness among customers and society at large. Such awareness is related to CSR initiatives of the companies brings brand trust and loyalty. Consequently, the trust and loyalty so developed enhances the Brand Image and strengthens the Brand Equity.

Critical Success Factors for Circular Business Model Innovation from the Perspective of the Sustainable Development Goals

Circular business model innovation offers a path for the transformation of companies, enhancing resource productivity and efficiency, while also contributing to sustainable development. These fundamental changes in business are accompanied by a variety of challenges and barriers. To support companies on their journey, only a few studies have investigated the critical success factors for circular business model innovation through literature analysis. To contribute to this research, in this study, a methodological approach, mainly based on expert interviews, is proposed to gain in-depth insight into critical success factors for circular business model innovation. As a result, a framework covering critical success factors for circular business model innovation is developed, comprising nine top-codes and 37 sub-codes, and an analysis of each factor’s contribution to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals is performed. The study thereby extends the theoretical basis for further research on circular business model innovation, as well as identifies their practical implications.

Assessment of Key Feeding Technologies and Land Use in Dairy Sheep Farms in Spain

Familiar mixed dairy sheep farm is the most widespread system in the Mediterranean basin, in Latin America and in developing countries (85%). There is a strong lack of technological adoption in packages of feeding and land use in small-scale farms. To increase competitiveness, it would be of great interest to deepen the knowledge of how innovation was selected, adopted, and spread. The objective of this research was to select strategic feeding and land use technologies in familiar mixed dairy sheep systems and later assess dairy sheep farms in Spain. This objective was assessed by combining qualitative and quantitative methodologies. In the first stage, with the aim to identify and select the appropriate technologies, a panel of 107 experts in dairy sheep production was used. A questionnaire was applied to all of them with successive rounds using Delphi methodology. Later, these technologies were grouped by principal components analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA). In a second stage the technological results from a random sample of 157 farms in the Center of Spain were collected. The technologies selected were linked to the technological adoption level of the farms in Castilla la Mancha by a multiple regression model. Ten technologies were selected by the 107 experts. Four factors were retained by PCA that explained at 67.11% of variance. The first factor is related to feeding strategies, the second to land use for livestock production, the third to efficient management of land resources or ecoefficiency and the fourth to by-products use. The expert evaluation was grouped in three clusters using the Ward’s method and the squared Euclidean distance measure, where the second showed higher values in the adoption level of each technology. The multiple regression model explained the relationship between the technologies and the technological level of the farms (R2 73.53%). The five technologies selected were: use of unifeed (1), supplemental feeding (5), grazing (6), raw materials production (7) and sustainable use of water and soil (10). These ten technologies identified can be directly extended to small-scale dairy farms from other countries in the Mediterranean basin and Latin America. This technological selection was supported from the broad and diverse panel of experts used. Besides, five technologies identified by the quantitative model will be able to be taken into account for the development of public innovation policies. They are direct technologies and easy to apply on the farm and seeking increased viability through innovation vs. intensification.