Integrating general and local context-dependent factors into a framework for analysing business sectors in Bottom-of-the-Pyramid emerging markets

Aim: This paper investigates how a framework for analysing business sectors in emerging markets looks like when taking into account the local context-dependent and general factors of The Bottom-of-the-Pyramid (BoP). The BoP segment in emerging markets represents a major growth potential for firms, including multinational enterprises (MNEs) from developed countries. However, the continued lack of success of MNEs in these markets has shown that generic one-size-fits-all strategies for the BoP are not appropriate as BoP contexts differ between countries. Design / Research methods: The sample that was selected for the research includes two non-governmental organizations (NGOs) related to the BoP and eight managers at MNEs with activities in the BoP have been interviewed in a semi-structured manner to collect rich data. Conclusion / findings: By interviewing eight managers at MNEs with activities in the BoP and two NGOs related to the BoP, an additional analysis, BoP-orientation, and further extensions to the original analyses are being presented. This results in an advanced framework for analysing business sectors in emerging markets. Originality / value of the article: Current frameworks for analysing business sectors in emerging markets do take into account inter-country differences but fail to recognize intra-country differences, which causes them to fall short on their applicability to the BoP. This paper fills the gap how frameworks for analysing business sectors in emerging markets can be made applicable for the BoP by taking into account both the local context-dependent and general factors of a BoP-market to analyse it for opportunities, threats, and eventually and strategic entry mode.

Correcting inequality of personal incomes before income taxes and transfers: theoretical underpinnings and competition policy options

Aim: The purpose of this paper is to bring together theory and policy of (personal) income distribution on the one hand and competition policy on the other hand. Design / research: The methods used in this paper cover a brief model set-up, followed by a numerical model-calibration. Thereafter, we present a model simulation and proceed to a Gini decomposition. Herewith, we are able to demonstrate how market imperfections translate into a higher concentration of personal incomes. Conclusions / findings: Our major finding is that only a rigorous competition policy is qualified to not only correct for market imperfections, but also to fight a greater inequality of personal incomes ex-ante. Originality / value of the article: This contribution provides – to our knowledge for the first time – a simultaneous explanation for stagnating, if not falling real wages and a deteriorating development of inequality of personal incomes, as measured by the Gini coefficient ex-ante. The US economy is a case study for this double observation, but many more developed economies may follow in the foreseeable future. Limitations of the research: The implication of the research is that long before government intervenes income distribution via taxes and transfers, competition policy should correct for market imperfections and thereby reduce the inequality of personal incomes. Unfortunately, to this point, we observe a lack of meaningful macroeconomic indicators for market imperfections and hence the possibility to conduct broad econometric studies in this area of investigation.

A Political Economy of Reorientation

Western subjects are disoriented by systematic commercial manipulation of their preferences. Such manipulation affected the preferences of their forbears and the culture of their societies and its final outcome is that their actual preferences are biased to impulsiveness, materialism, competition and egocentrism. An indication of the disorientation is the distance between actual preferences and what the article defines as potential personal preferences. This distance measures the potential reorientation. A necessary condition for realizing that reorientation is the removal of the commercial bias in the manipulation of preferences. Therefore, the article proposes to institute a Sovereignty Fund, which enables citizens to neutralize the commercial bias in manipulation by promoting their non-commercial values and ambitions in ads which are as sophisticated as contemporary ads promoting consumer goods. Two other arrangements are proposed for securing and accelerating the process of reorientation. All three proposals are radically democratic. They can be implemented without removing or disrupting existing institutions.

Advances in Big Data Applications for transportation: airline, highway, and railway

Aim: The purpose of this article is to present the latest advances in big data applications in the industries of the transportation sector such as airline, highway, and railway. It is difficult to analyze data in transportation because there is continuous real-time data flow. Since the improvements made are fast with the same logic, it is necessary to catch up with the new developments. Data should be analyzed with the big data concept because data stacks highly contain non-structural data types in transportation data. Although the mentioned industries are complementary to each other, the applications differ depending on the needs of the industry. Thus, solutions to specific problems in different industries using big data applications should be addressed. Design / Research methods: In accordance with the purpose of the study, big data studies that provide added value to the transportation sector were examined. Studies have been filtered through some criteria which are whether the application is adaptable to the industry, the study is available online in full-text, and its references are from respectable sources. Conclusions / findings: All the big data application studies in the academy are not adaptable in real-life problems or suitable for all situations. For this reason, trying all of the applications will lead to moral and material losses for firms. This study is a guideline for companies to follow the developments in the big data concept and to choose the one that suits their problems. Thus, the gap between academia and industry was tried to close. Originality / value of the article: Although studies are referring to big data applications in the transportation sector, this study differs from others in terms of specifically analyzing big data applications in different industries such as airline, highway, and railway in the transportation sector

The primary goal of monetary policy: reflections on the nature of the problem

Aim: In this article, the state of the discourse concerning the final goal of the modern central bank is presented, in particular the aim of price stability, understood as low and stable inflation. Design/Research methods: The article was prepared on the basis of scientific publications in the field of monetary policy as well as materials and documents from different central banks, including the US Federal Reserve System and the European Central Bank. Conclusions/findings: Low and stable inflation reduces uncertainty about future price developments. This facilitates decision-making for companies concerning production and investment, and for households concerning consumption and saving. From a macroeconomic point of view, price stability is a prerequisite for the efficient functioning of the economy and for achieving high growth rates. In practice, the need for a quantifiable definition has been disregarded, while only a descriptive and qualitative definition of price stability is insufficient for an effective monetary policy and the implementation of the anti-inflationary mission by the central bank.

A security-oriented corporate culture of an organisation in a pandemic. A case study of WSB in Wrocław

Aim: The paper aims to illustrate the importance of organizational culture in supporting security in an organization, on the example of a non-public higher education institution in Poland during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Organization. Design/ Research methods: The case study is presented in the context of theoretical reflections. the authors participated in the process of change during the pandemic, influencing the social norms shaping the culture of the organization for safety purposes in order to ensure the effective functioning of this entity under an epidemic risk. Findings: This article has cognitive value and contains a description of the implemented procedures determined, on the one hand, by the organizational culture and, on the other hand, causing significant changes in the organization. Contribution: Until recently, Management Science and Organization and Management Sociology did not deal with developing a security-oriented corporate culture of a particular entity in the context of the threat of an epidemic. The results may provide an example of good practice, and is the basis of future research on post-COVID security management.

Reflections on the SARS-Covid-2 pandemic after one year: predictable, preventable but inevitable: an ecologist’s perspective

Aim: The major aim of the current essay is to argue that neoliberal capitalism, by virtue of its core tenets, has significantly increased the risk of disease outbreaks like SARS-Covid-2. Conclusion/Finding: The dominant socio-political-economic system across the industrialized world is neoliberal capitalism that focuses on economic growth and profit maximization. These are obtained in part through the weakening or elimination of environmental regulations. Although neoliberalism has brought benefits to some, it has exacerbated social and economic divisions within and between countries. More importantly, it is undeniably responsible for increasing the rate of environmental destruction, especially in developing countries in the south, which are rich is resources and raw materials coveted by multinational corporations based in the western developed countries. The loss and/or fragmentation of ecosystems is also bringing people into closer contact with many species that were once largely insulated from human communities, such as bats, that harbor harmful viruses with the potential to affect people through zoonotic spill-over via another wild or domesticated species. Originality/Value of Article: Because it eschews the precautionary principle, neoliberal capitalism is uniquely ill-equipped to prepare for potential calamities like pathogenic outbreaks and, more worryingly, climate change. This makes it obsolete in the Anthropocene. We need to seriously work towards making structural changes in the socio-political landscape in ways that reduce the damage we are doing and also strive to create social justice across the world. This is imperative if we are to create a sustainable future and to protect much of the living world from destruction.

The influence of the Polish Financial Supervision Authority on the Bank's Management Board

Aim: The aim of the article is to analyze the supervisory measures available to the Polish Financial Supervision Authority in relation to the management board of banks operating in Poland and to indicate whether these measures have a real impact on their functioning and internal structure. On this basis, the proposed changes for the Polish supervision model will be indicated. The article is to be the basis for a discussion on the actual possibilities of supervisory authorities in individual European countries. Design/ Research methods: dogmatic and legal method, reflection on the Polish banking law, Polish and foreign legal literature. Conclusions/findings: The analysis of the indicated subject matter led to the conclusion that the possibility of using measures of an imperative nature is an element included in the concept of the Polish Financial Supervision Authority as a public administration body. Despite the powers vested in it, each time there must always be premises for the supervisory authority to apply certain sanctions to members of the bank’s management board. Therefore, the Polish Financial Supervision Authority is not fully independent. Originality/ value of the article: The article is of value for legislative bodies, it indicates de lege ferenda postulates that should be applied for the Polish Financial Supervision Authority to be independent in the field of supervision over bank management boards. Implications of the research: The changes to the Polish banking law are necessary for the Polish Financial Supervision Authority to be able to exercise actual supervision, especially within the banking segment.

The Effect of Product Diversification on Corporate Social Performance in the Non-Renewable Energy Industry: Exploring the moderating effects of host country development and the Sustainable Development Goals

Aim: Building upon stakeholder and institutional theory, this paper investigates the relationship between product diversification and corporate social performance (CSP), thereby attempting to make essential contributions to the current literature. Based on an extensive literature review, it was expected that related, unrelated and total product diversification are positively related to CSP. Moreover, it was hypothesized that the exposure to weak institutional host country environments negatively affects the relationship between diversification and CSP, and that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have a positive effect on the relationship. Design / Research methods: The sample selected for this research is the non-renewable energy industry, since the industry shows great divergence in terms of corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance. In addition, the industry is highly susceptible to regulatory changes, while the Sustainable Development Goals have an enormous focus on the reliability and sustainability of energy, making it a highly relevant industry to study. This study analyzed 40 a 40 non-renewable energy firms over a time frame of seven years, by using OLS regression. Conclusions / findings: The results reveal that unrelated diversification is positively related to CSP, while the other forms of diversification show insignificant results. Contrary to expectations, the Sustainable Development Goals negatively affect the relationship between product diversification and CSP, while the moderating effect of exposure to weak institutional environments is insignificant. Originality / value of the article: Research on the relationship between product diversification on corporate financial performance is well-established, but the way in which product diversification influences a firm’s behavior towards stakeholder demands and social concerns remains largely unexplored. Accordingly, the results of this study challenge existing theories while adding more context to the existing relationship, and in turn provide promising avenues for future research.