Barriers and drivers towards eco-innovation for SMEs: Evidence from the context

Eco-innovations have become a clear target of EU policy strategies. Consequently, measuring eco-innovation performance at the country level has become crucial to detect eco-innovation patterns and to design eco-innovation policy implementation. This paper focuses on EU small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with the aim to understand to what extent EU funding programmes influence barriers and drivers towards SMEs’ eco-innovation performance. A correlation analysis between data from Eco-Innovation Scoreboard index and competitiveness and innovation framework programme/Entrepreneurship and innovation programme/Eco-innovation programme projects database reveals that the countries with the highest number of EU funded projects are those with the lowest levels of green early-stage investments. According to the findings, EU funding programmes reduce financial constraints that SMEs face for developing eco-innovations. This paper recommends that policymakers should keep in mind the dynamic interaction between private and public funding support, the latter is customised according to the entity of risk along the innovation cycle. Keywords: Eco-innovation, barriers, drivers, policy strategies, index.

Working environment, team work, and diversity: perspectives and relationship to organizational satisfaction

The aim of this study is to analyze the working environment, teamwork, and diversity of employees in relation to organizational satisfaction. The study used descriptive research with a survey as the primary instrument for data gathering. 85 respondents took part in the survey using a purposive sampling technique. The researcher used an adapted and modified questionnaire to gather data. This study used SPSS 20 to analyze the gathered data with the following statistical tools: frequency, percentage, means, t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson-r. The study found that the respondents “agree” in all the mentioned statements from the four variables of the study. There were also significant differences found in the work environment, teamwork, and diversity when grouped according to demographic profile. And there is also a significant relationship between work environment, teamwork, diversity, and organizational satisfaction. The researcher provided pertinent recommendations at the end of the study.

Opportunities, challenges and countermeasures of the development of big data industry in the state-level Nanchang Economic and Technological Development Zone

The global information technology revolution is promoting the development of new economy at the core of big data, and the big data industry has become the strategic commanding point in competition among countries. Development of the large data industry in the state-level Nanchang Economic and Technological Development Zone has a brilliant future. The state-level Nanchang Economic and Technological Development Zone should focus on the development of big data services, which are related to the ‘3 + X’ industry system and big data products manufacturing. At the same time, the state-level Nanchang Economic and Technological Development Zone should plan the implementation path, focusing on the implementation of infrastructure construction, industrial training, strengthening the ranks of personnel, investment and six other projects. Finally, state-level Nanchang Economic and Technological Development Zone should put forward and carry out measures from the following five perspectives: perfecting organisation mechanism, reinforcing policy assurance, improving the supporting industries and optimising the investment environment. Keywords: State level, big data, industry, opportunity, countermeasures.

Relationship between human capital investment and employees’ work efficiency in ATAP branch

It is an established fact that no nation or organisation develops beyond the intellectual ability of its human resources. Therefore, investment on human capital is paramount to sustain labour force participation of higher education in Nigeria. This study aimed at evaluating the relevance of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) intervention on human capital investments and its bearing on employees’ work efficiency in the polytechnic communities in Bauchi state. This study generates data from quantitative and qualitative sources, using the questionnaire as an instrument to randomly collect cross-sectional data from one of the two existing polytechnics in Bauchi state of Nigeria. A total of 45 structured questionnaires were administered on our respondents and 44 were valid for analysis. The research shows there is a significant relationship between TETFund intervention in human capital investment and employees’ work efficiency within educational polytechnic system in Nigeria. This research study recommends that educational institutions should harness and take full advantage of the reciprocal benefits of human capital investments. Keywords: Human capital, relevance, polytechnic, TETFund, work efficiency.

What is the optimal tax treatment that motivates donor corporations to make more monetary and in-kind donations to their communities?

This aim of this study is to find out the optimal tax treatment that motivates donor corporations to make more monetary and in-kind donations to their communities with minimal damage to the interests of all the parties involved and the corporate social responsibility (CSR) idea. Economic impact, legal imbalances and the extent of closeness to or distance from the content of the idea of CSR are tax treatment methods used for corporate monetary and in-kind donations and to determine their advantages and disadvantages according to certain criteria to choose the optimal tax treatment method. According to the findings, the study adopts the method of government’s rights and corporation’s rights ‘donations as if they are loans’ by legislative bodies in all countries of the world due to the abundance of its advantages. This study has drawn up a draft law for this method, which could be used as a guide by the legislative bodies, if a decision is made to adopt this method. Keywords: Tax treatment, tax incentives, advantages, disadvantages, legal imbalances, economic impacts.

Management information system and firms’ performance in a developing economy: Evidence from the manufacturing sector in Nigeria

The employment of information system for conceptualisation of information analysis and control as well as decision-making, which depicts management information system (MIS), has aroused the interest of researchers and practitioners. This study examined the effect of MIS on manufacturing firms’ performance in Nigeria, by using two elements of MIS, namely the decision support system (DSS) and the executive information system (EIS). The study employed a survey research design, by administering questionnaires to some selected employees of manufacturing firms at Agbara Industrial Estate, Ogun State, Nigeria. The findings revealed that the two elements of MIS employed for this study (DSS and EIS) have an individual significant positive effect on manufacturing firms’ performance. It concluded that MIS elements (DSS and EIS) are important determinants of manufacturing firms’ performance. It is, therefore, recommended that manufacturing firms should employ MIS elements, particularly DSS and EIS, for the enhancement of their performance. Keywords: Decision support system, executive information system, management information system, manufacturing firms, performance.

Individual creativity factor in proactive crisis management in micro and small enterprises

In crisis situations, the survival of businesses depends on the policies which they apply. Businesses that have been able to internalise the concept of crisis management and prepare an environment for their employees that can turn the crisis into an opportunity will be able to survive the crisis moments with the least damage. In this study, it is aimed to determine the effect of individual creativity factor on proactive crisis management, which is necessary for the success of crisis management. Within the scope of the study, the data were collected from 118 participants who were working in micro and small enterprises in Tokat province via questionnaire. t-Test, analysis of variance, correlation analysis and simple regression analysis were applied to obtained data. As a result of the analysis, it has been determined that individual creativity and proactive crisis management have a positive relationship (r = 0.505; Sig. = 0.000) and individual creativity positively effects proactive crisis management (R2 = 0.255; p = 0.000; ß Change = 0.16). Keywords: Individual creativity, proactive crisis management, micro enterprises, small enterprises. Jel Codes: M1, M10, M19

Selected characteristics of Islamic banking in context of real sphere development

The objective of this study is to analyse the selected characteristics of Islamic banking in the context of real sphere development. It is hypothesised that Islamic economic principles could be applied to some extent to Western banking. To this end, selected features of Islamic and Western banking were analysed for their impact on the real sphere, including analysis of Islamic banks’ assets in the years 2006–2015 and the transposition of these data to assets of ten top commercial banks in the world. A literature review related to the functioning of Islamic banking, content analysis and deduction method was used to achieve this purpose. The authors, as a result of the research carried out, contradict the hypothesis indicating that it is impossible to directly compare Islamic banking to conventional banking, as the scope of services provided, system assumptions and, above all, their complexity, determines a different approach to their management and monitoring. As a result of scientific research, the authors of the paper contributed to opening new research areas in the field of Islamic banking. Keywords: Shari’ah laws, financial crisis, real sphere development, bank profitability.

Qualitative study of Yogyakarta palace culinary gastronomic tourism

This study aims to explore in-depth information on the factors that become gastronomic tourist attractions of the Yogyakarta palace culinary. This research is qualitative research and data collection was carried out by interviews. In this study, the informants were the Yogyakarta palace’s gastronomic tourists and the Yogyakarta palace’s culinary managers. The data analysis technique used is a descriptive interactive model. These research results show that each restaurant has different concepts and segments serving culinary tourism services. The concept is presented with traditional and modern nuances. Each restaurant offers different advantages, such as private dinner programmes, home tours or different culinary service experiences. The segments of each Yogyakarta palace culinary restaurant are divided into tourists and the general public, although culinary managers focus more on overseas tourists. Based on domestic and foreign tourists’ perspective, the appeal of the Yogyakarta palace culinary tourism is the need for experience, curiosity, invitations, tourism information and a sense of pride. The responses given by the informants were related to experiences during the gastronomic or culinary tours of the palace, namely getting new experiences, fun, satisfaction, a sense of pride and willingness to recommend to others. Recommendations on the tourism office to introduce gastronomic tourism to foreign countries can boost the level of tourist visits. The palace’s culinary service providers need to provide a satisfying experience and historical services that stick in visitors’ minds by providing complete guidance and information regarding the historical and cultural value of food and its procedures. Keywords: Culinary, gastronomy, palace, tourism.

Financial Inclusion Disclosure: Empirical Evidence From Banking Industry Of Bangladesh

Financial inclusion refers to the procedure of making financial services accessible to all individuals and businesses at reasonable costs. Financial inclusion strives to address the constraints that retard people from participating in the financial sector. It has been drawn much attention for its contribution to economic and commercial development, raising inclusive growth, minimizing income inequality all over the world, especially in developing countries like Bangladesh. Central Bank of Bangladesh (Bangladesh Bank) formulated a financial inclusion policy in 2009 intending to make banking services available to unbanked people. This study examines the Financial Inclusion Disclosure by 30 Banks (5 state-owned banks and 25 private commercial banks) of Bangladesh, which are listed in the Dhaka Stock Exchange during the period 2015-2019. The objective of the study is to analyze the activities of the banking sector of Bangladesh for making banking services available to unbanked people. For that purpose, annual reports of the selected banks have been studied, and findings are demonstrated through graphs. According to the study findings, priority areas of financial inclusion include school banking, agent banking, street children account,10 taka farmers account, SME financing, rural credit, women entrepreneur loan, etc. This study also shows the prospects of financial inclusion, financial inclusion issues that are highly emphasized, barriers to financial inclusion, and initiatives needed to overcome these barriers. This study findings depict that the financial inclusion performance of state-owned banks of Bangladesh is relatively better than those of private commercial banks, and inclusion actions are increasing with time. Policymakers might use these findings and also the banks to ensure no eligible person remains unbanked. Keywords: Bangladesh Bank; disclosure; financial inclusion; unbanked people