COVID-19: prevalence of job-demands, stress, work–life difficulties and work–life balance among international business travelers

PurposeInternational business travelers (IBTs) face daily challenges pertaining to the frequency and duration of travel. Following the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the study aims to draw upon the job demands-resources (JD-R) model and the literature on work–life balance (WLB) to examine how this crisis have disrupted IBTs routines and the implications for their WLB.Design/methodology/approachData were collected in April 2020 with an online survey answered by 141 IBTs from different locations. The first set of analyses examined the perceived change in job-demands (i.e. business travel and workload) including stress and work–life difficulties following the outbreak of COVID-19. The second set of analyses tested the hypotheses that the perceived change in workload and stress predict IBTs' work–life difficulties, which, in turn, affect their WLB.FindingsThe results show that the decline in job-demands (i.e. business travel and workload) after the outbreak of COVID-19 was not enough to reduce IBTs' stress and ameliorate their work–life difficulties and WLB. Only respondents who experienced a decrease in workload, including less relational difficulties, reported a superior WLB.Originality/valueThe study widens the scope and relevance of global mobility studies in crisis settings by timely reporting the changes in job-demands, stress and work–life difficulties among IBTs following the outbreak of COVID-19. Additionally, the research extends the use of the JD-R model in the international context by advancing our knowledge of the interplay between contextual demands and job-demands in affecting IBTs' stress, work–life difficulties and WLB.

The ecology of sustainable tourism

PurposeThis paper questions the present state of the world's tourism industry and advocates the need for an approach where quality assumes greater importance than quantity.Design/methodology/approachThis paper provides an analysis of the tourism industry's recent evolution while trying to identify reasons for its decline which amongst others, include security issues and economic crisis.FindingsIn developing a sustainable tourism industry especially in these economically challenging times, we must learn to appreciate what is precious in our own lives and in our respective communities. This in turn will help us maintain and further explore the uniqueness of our tourist destinations. The greatest threat to leisure and tourism (and to a lesser extent to business travel) is the fact that travel has lost a good deal of its romance and enchantment due to a global approach to its development. In the rush for efficiency and quantitative analysis the travel and tourism industry may have forgotten that each traveller has unique expectations.Originality/valueSustainable tourism is not only about how a tourist location adapts but also about what a city or destination accomplishes when re-discovering its inner essence and then promoting it.

Flying High in Academia—Willingness of University Staff to Perform Low-Carbon Behavior Change in Business Travel

This study aims to explore the factors that influence business travel decisions of university staff, in particular the extent and ways in which they are willing to reduce emission-intensive air travel, and the personal and structural barriers to such behavior change. Three strategies to reduce air travel were investigated: abstaining from particular events, substituting travel through virtual participation and mode shifting to ground-based public transport. We tested the effects of (1) specific decision factors for engaging in long-distance travel, choosing specific modes of travel and choosing virtual solutions; (2) former travel activities; (3) postponed trips due to COVID-19; and (4) sociodemographic factors, on the willingness of individuals to reduce air travel in a sample of university employees. We calculated regression models for the three strategies and added a qualitative analysis of open-ended comments. Former travel behavior as well as pro-environmental considerations play significant roles, influencing the willingness of employees to change their business travel behavior. Furthermore, we found that willingness to reduce air travel depends on the scope of behavior change. Although travel behavior is unevenly distributed across different subgroups, sociodemographic factors only play a minor role in the regression models. The present study adds to the limited body of quantitative research on the reduction potential of academic air travel, presenting an examination of university staff's willingness to change their long-distance travel behavior. Implications for university polices are discussed.

Recommendations for improving the export efficiency of domestic enterprises

Introduction. One of the prerequisites for deciding on foreign economic activity (FEA) is its effectiveness. It is determined by comparing the economic result (profit, revenue) with the costs incurred by the enterprise to obtain such a result. Analysis of the effectiveness of foreign trade by the company provides an opportunity to make an informed management decision in the field of exports: which product is better to sell abroad, with which counterparties it is more profitable to cooperate, in what quantity, on what terms. The purpose of the paper is to study the main problems of improving the efficiency of exports of domestic enterprises, providing recommendations on the technology of finding intermediaries. Results. Many problems can arise when a company aims to increase the efficiency of its exports. The focus was on the problem of low efficiency of exports due to inflated prices for the services of intermediaries in foreign markets. The recommended technology of search and involvement of intermediaries was provided, which consists of the following stages: determining the purpose of finding an intermediary, determining the resource capabilities of the enterprise (personnel, financial, material), determining the type of intermediary (distributor, agent, representative, etc.), determining evaluation criteria, search for intermediaries on Internet resources (Europages, SME Internationalization Portal, etc.) or through own contacts, evaluation and comparison of intermediaries according to previously defined criteria and choosing one of them, meeting with an intermediary in the context of foreign business travel or video communication and discussing all the details of the agreement, signing the contract with the mediator and starting work with him. Conclusion. Implementation of the proposed recommendation will have a positive impact on the enterprise and will achieve the following effects: economic, due to reduced costs of sales, marketing, transportation, which will pass to the intermediary, as well as due to increased sales by increasing the company's visibility in foreign markets; social, due to the reduction of the burden on employees of sales and marketing departments, as some of their responsibilities will be transferred to the intermediary.

Case study on the environmental impact and efficiency of travel

Traveling and possible impact on climate and environment are currently under intense debate, and air travel in particular is often in question due to the use of fossil fuels. Electric propulsion has therefore become very popular but the energy sources for electricity generation should as well be taken into consideration. On the other hand, the social aspect of traveling is usually forgotten and should be also included for a complete sustainability analysis. In this study, the business trip from Stockholm to Bordeaux experienced by airplane and train is analyzed. Though the journey by airplane generated six and a half times more CO2 emissions than the journey by train on a per-passenger basis, this latter resulted in a 35-h journey compared to seven, and a cost up to eight and a half times more expensive than the airplane. The trip is defined as an optimization problem with focus on environmental, economic, and social impact to define acceptable trade-offs. The critical criteria for transportation mode choice were identified as the environment, time and comfort, and a value model for business travel mode optimization is proposed, integrating as well a personal value.

Environmental perceptions of global business travel by Swiss companies in the Zurich airport region

Background: This article presents findings from research conducted before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on companies located in the Zurich airport region of Switzerland, regarding the needs for global business travel and its impacts. Methods: The study involved a mixed methods approach. Five hypotheses were tested using inferential statistics on data obtained from pre-tested closed questions in a web-based survey. Deeper context was explored through an interview-based case-study conducted at a Swiss pharma company. Results: Supporting alternative hypothesis 3 (Ha(3)), a significant positive relationship was found between travel frequency and business growth, F(1, 100) = 11.31, p = 0.0011. Supporting Ha(4), corporate culture had a significant positive relationship with business travel frequency (F(1, 100) = 15.50, p = 0.0002) and average trip length (F(1, 100) = 6.39, p = 0.01). And thirdly supporting Ha(5), corporate social responsibility had a significant relationship with global business travel (91%). Ho(2) and Ho(3) were accepted. The case study found that smart corporate travel policies and regulations should be instantiated to enhance our environment, which would also benefit employee wellbeing. Travel can be reduced significantly despite being demonstrated that physical co-presence is important for building trust. The case study suggests tools to support the monitoring and management of global business travel by organizations. Conclusions: COVID-19 has impacted travel for business significantly, and future research will be necessary to assess its impact. The article explores the ongoing research in this area, and several relevant implications are proposed for future leaders. The case study found willingness to pay both corporate and individual green taxes, and a deficiency in corporate communication around the environment. Business travel is needed to build trust; however, it can be reduced.

Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Long-Distance Travel Business: How Far Can We Go?

Long-distance (LD) travel accounts for over 30% of person-trip miles, with important energy and emissions impact. LD business travel can often be replaced by remote participation, so targeting such trips for cost, time, and emissions savings may be a wise strategy for protection of the climate, budgets, and human health. To appreciate Americans’ LD travel choices better, a 73-question online survey was conducted in 2019 that captured 2,327 LD (over 100 mi each way) trips made by 929 respondents during the previous 12 months, of which 490 round trips were for business purposes. Predictive models for LD trips per adult per year, overnights, LD travel times, and willingness to participate remotely and/or purchase carbon offsets for those trips were developed using respondents in Austin only. As expected, those educated to degree level tend to travel more often, for both business and nonbusiness purposes; everything else is constant. People who undertake LD travel more frequently are more likely to spend less time in transit/en route. Single people or those from large households educated to degree level are more likely to be willing to pay for the carbon emissions produced by their flights. Out of the 298 LD business trips made by Austinites, remote participation is possible for approximately a quarter, and the respondents involved are willing to participate remotely in 44% of those trips. In other words, Austinites appeared willing to participate remotely in slightly over 10% of their business trips overall, at least before the COVID-19 pandemic. This is definitely not enough to address climate change concerns as a result of carbon emissions from LD travel.

The COVID-19 Vaccine and the Future of International Laws in Business, Travel, and Trade

Since COVID-19, the world has been constantly evolving to adapt. Finding a cure quickly became the focus worldwide which altered set approaches to intellectual property rights. Additionally, creating a controversial vaccine has led to several more questions for the future. With varying vaccines and standards throughout the world, travel, business, and trade may face new challenges which change the current systems.