Hasil untuk "Commercial geography. Economic geography"

S. Chandel, Tanya Agarwal

Salsabila Aisyah Alfaiza, Hazlinda Binti Hassan, Hosam Alden Riyadh et al.

Abstract The advancement of SMEs is crucial for a global trend in every nation since they are pivotal in enhancing the national economy and creating additional opportunities, particularly in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) setting. This study aims to establish a framework regarding “the direct influence of market opportunities and challenges on sustainable entrepreneurship.” We developed a new model and descriptive steps on the basis of the variables of the study. To accomplish the research’s objective, we applied a quantitative research method to examine the influence of market opportunities and disadvantages on sustainable entrepreneurship. This research was implemented and evaluated in the business sector for numerous SMEs in South Iraqi cities, using a questionnaire as a data collection method, with a sample size of 432 general managers and marketing managers employed in SMEs. The analysis utilized the AMOS 26 software to test the study’s hypotheses. The findings indicated a direct positive effect on the market challenges and prospects for sustainable entrepreneurship. This study indicates a focus on mitigating market disadvantages and enhancing opportunities for SMEs through establishing essential guidelines and regulations that can mitigate market disadvantages and transform them into substantial opportunities that enhance sustainable entrepreneurship in SMEs.

Chao Gao, Shasha Li, Maopeng Sun et al.

Urbanization has profoundly reshaped the patterns and forms of modern urban landscapes. Understanding how urban transportation and mobility are affected by spatial planning is vital. Urban vibrancy, as a crucial metric for monitoring urban development, contributes to data-driven planning and sustainable growth. However, empirical studies on the relationship between urban vibrancy and the built environment in European cities remain limited, lacking consensus on the contribution of the built environment. This study employs Munich as a case study, utilizing night-time light, housing prices, social media, points of interest (POIs), and NDVI data to measure various aspects of urban vibrancy while constructing a comprehensive assessment framework. Firstly, the spatial distribution patterns and spatial correlation of various types of urban vibrancy are revealed. Concurrently, based on the 5Ds built environment indicator system, the multi-dimensional influence on urban vibrancy is investigated. Subsequently, the Geodetector model explores the heterogeneity between built environment indicators and comprehensive vibrancy along with its economic, social, cultural, and environmental dimensions, elucidating their influence mechanism. The results show the following: (1) The comprehensive vibrancy in Munich exhibits a pronounced uneven distribution, with a higher vibrancy in central and western areas and lower vibrancy in northern and western areas. High-vibrancy areas are concentrated along major roads and metro lines located in commercial and educational centers. (2) Among multiple models, the geographically weighted regression (GWR) model demonstrates the highest explanatory efficacy on the relationship between the built environment and vibrancy. (3) Economic, social, and comprehensive vibrancy are significantly influenced by the built environment, with substantial positive effects from the POI density, building density, and road intersection density, while mixed land use shows little impact. (4) Interactions among built environment factors significantly impact comprehensive vibrancy, with synergistic interactions among the population density, building density, and POI density generating positive effects. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing the resource allocation and functional layout in Munich, emphasizing the complex spatiotemporal relationship between the built environment and urban vibrancy while offering crucial guidance for planning.

Maja Paunić, Bojana Kalenjuk Pivarski, Dragan Tešanović et al.

Gastronomic identity is a crucial segment of sustainable gastronomy and its successful positioning in the tourism market. As such, it calls for the creation of a suitable SusGastroIdentity scale that would identify influential factors. The research investigated the opinions of the employees in catering establishments in two tourist destinations in the Balkans: Fruška Gora Mountain, a tourist area in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina in Serbia, and Jahorina Mountain, a tourist area in the Republic of Srpska entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The study involved 606 participants, 66% of whom work in à la carte restaurants. Of these participants, 68% hold operational roles in hospitality establishments, and 58.3% have over 5 years of experience in the hospitality industry. After conducting a survey using a questionnaire and performing appropriate statistical analysis of the responses, four factors of gastronomic identity and sustainable gastronomy were defined: geographic and cultural characteristics of gastronomy, gastro-tourism events, economic aspects of business operations, and commercial aspects of business operations. The present research has shown that employees in hospitality and tourism perceive geographic and cultural characteristics and the economic aspects of business as the significant factors of gastronomic identity that affect both the sustainability of gastronomy in tourism and the tourist destination itself.

Kunyin Jiang, Chen Chen, Gaowei Jiang et al.

Oysters are one of the most commercially important shellfish species and have been cultured for thousands of years. Oyster aquaculture supports the major aquaculture industries in many countries. Over the last few decades, the oyster breeding and aquaculture industries have developed rapidly to meet the continually growing demand. Many researchers have made significant efforts toward the genetic improvement of commercially important traits in oysters. Some strains with fast‐growing, disease‐resistant, and stable shell‐colours have been developed through selective breeding. Some hybrid varieties have been developed by crossing different geographical populations or cultivated strains. Several hybrids exhibit considerable genetic variation and improved productive performance. Additionally, polyploid induction technologies have been applied in the oyster aquaculture industry, which provides a useful tool for performance improvement and genetic containment of cultured stocks. At present, the development of molecular breeding also provides a great opportunity for oyster genetic improvement. These advances in oyster breeding have improved the quality of oysters, brought great economic benefits, and been conducive to the sustainability of oyster production. Nonetheless, there are still some limitations and obstacles in oyster breeding, such as infectious diseases, summer mortality, conservation of germplasm resources, environmental contamination, and climate change. The present review provides an overview of the current status, challenges, and prospects in oyster breeding.

MARIUS-EMANUEL CARAGEA

The modernization of the management of public institutions faces difficulties on different leves, first one being that most of the strategic management studies are done on private firms. The private and public sector differ vastly. The first one is motivated by profit, competitiveness, growth and does not face the same challenges as the later, such as heightened public scrutiny, demands of transparency and a sense of entitlement from the public. As such, it is demanding to apply the same strategies used in the private sector to the public sector. The present article proposes the exploration of an appraisal system as a key strategy for improving the management of public institutions. In it’s self, an appraisal relies on first acknowledging one’s contribution, second, underlining the value of said contribution. By appreciating employees’ work we can encourage engagement, improve motivation, uplift performance, mediate a better relationship between the appraiser and the appraisee. Understanding the benefits of the appraisal on a basic level highlights it’s importance in obtaining an improved organizational dynamic in public institutions. Applying such a strategy into the management of public organizations can be quite challenging, with it being more so in regard to military institutions that rely heavily on hierarchy and discipline, in which employees are required to follow orders, thus diminishing their sense of a worthy input.

Tumeka P. Mabono, Victor S. Naidu, Tando Rulashe

Persistent inequality and poverty remain deeply entrenched in South Africa, highlighting the shortcomings of the post-1994 developmental agenda. Socio-economic challenges such as unemployment, inadequate housing, corruption, limited access to basic services, and a stagnant economy continue to hinder progress. Youth unemployment, particularly at the local government level, is a critical policy concern, as seen in Mhlontlo Local Municipality. This study examines youth empowerment programs and job creation initiatives in the municipality, assessing their alignment with the National Youth Policy and their effectiveness in ensuring sustainable employment. Using a qualitative research approach within an interpretivist paradigm, the study employed semi-structured interviews to gather insights. Findings reveal that Mhlontlo Local Municipality lacks a dedicated youth development policy, while the flawed theory of change in the National Youth Policy undermines implementation. Moreover, discrepancies between policy rhetoric and actual execution, weak political support, and poor stakeholder engagement further impede youth development efforts. The study highlights the need for transparent governance, strategic policy revisions, and enhanced communication to improve program effectiveness. By addressing these gaps, the research contributes to the discourse on youth development and offers policy recommendations for encouraging and improving meaningful employment opportunities.

Reggie Surya, Felicia Tedjakusuma

Indonesia, a multicultural country, exhibits high diversity of cultural heritage. Sambal, for example, a traditional chili paste or sauce usually consumed as condiment, has been an integral part of Indonesian food culture for centuries. Initially, sambal was prepared using native ingredients such as pepper and ginger. Cayenne pepper ( Capsicum annuum ), a native American plant, was incorporated in sambal recipes in the sixteenth century and since then, it has been the major ingredient of Indonesian sambal. Each region of Indonesia has its own traditional versions of sambal, distinguishable by its ingredients or production methods. The aim of this review is to identify and establish a profile regarding the diversity and geographical distribution of 110 different varieties of sambal in Indonesia reviewed from various cookbooks. The island of Java exhibits the highest amount of sambal variants (64.5% of sambal variants found in Indonesia) among other islands. More than 80% of the identified Indonesian sambals are prepared by crushing and cooking the ingredients. Some also are served as raw sambals in all islands in Indonesia, except Java and Sumatra. Besides chili pepper, sambal production often involves the use of diverse secondary ingredients that gives a unique identity for every sambal recipe (e.g., fruit, local food, aromatic herbs, etc.). Nowadays, sambal is produced both traditionally for direct consumption and modernly in food industries, thus resulting in commercially packaged sambals with long shelf life. Sambal also has potential to contribute to the nation’s economic conditions, mainly by supporting the development of small and medium enterprises. With regard to novelty, this is the first international review discussing the diversity of sambals in Indonesia in a thorough and comprehensive manner.

R. Bowling, M. Brewer, D. Kerns et al.

In 2013, the sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari (Zehntner) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), a new invasive pest of sorghum species in North America, was confirmed on sorghum in 4 states and 38 counties in the United States. In 2015, the aphid was reported on sorghum in 17 states and over 400 counties as well as all sorghum-producing regions in Mexico. Ability to overwinter on living annual and perennial hosts in southern sorghum-producing areas and wind-aided movement of alate aphids appear to be the main factors in its impressive geographic spread in North America. Morphological characteristics of the sugarcane aphid include dark tarsi, cornicles, and antennae, allowing easy differentiation from other aphids on the crop. Sugarcane aphid damages sorghum by removing sap and covering plants with honeydew, causing general plant decline and yield loss. Honeydew and sooty mold can disrupt harvesting. The aphid’s high reproductive rate on susceptible sorghum hybrids has resulted in reports of yield loss ranging from 10% to greater than 50%. In response, a combination of research-based data and field observations has supported development of state extension identification, scouting, and treatment guides that aid in initiating insecticide applications to prevent yield losses. Highly efficacious insecticides have been identified and when complemented by weekly scouting and use of thresholds, economic loss by sugarcane aphid can be minimized. Some commercial sorghum hybrids are partially resistant to the aphid, and plant breeders have identified other lines with sugarcane aphid resistance. A very diverse community of predators and parasitoids of sugarcane aphid has been identified, and their value to limit sugarcane aphid population growth is under investigation.

Amina Meziane

The aim of this study is to identify the presence of entrepreneurial intention among Algerian researchers for creating academic spin-offs. We relied on a questionnaire administered to 88 researchers from the University of Boumerdes. The findings led to the conclusion that researchers show limited interest in starting a business. Furthermore, desirability and feasibility are the primary factors influencing this inclination. To facilitate the establishment of such enterprises, a comprehensive framework enveloping legislative, cultural, and financing elements is essential to improve the capacity of universities in forming spin-off companies.

سندس سعید عزیز, سجاد دادفر, مهدی عزتی

در پژوهش حاضر که به روش تاریخی انجام‌ گرفته، تلاش شده تا ضمن بررسی مختصری از وضعیت کشاورزی در عربستان پیش از اسلام، تأثیر بعثت پیامبر (ص) و سیاست‌گذاری حاکمان مسلمان بر مسئلة زراعت در صدر اسلام بررسی شود. هدف نوشتار پیش رو، بررسی مسئلة زراعت به‌عنوان یکی از مؤلفه‌های مهم اقتصادی در صدر اسلام و تأثیر تحولات عرصة حکمرانی بر توسعه یا رکود آن است. یافته‌های پژوهش نشان می‌دهد که فقدان یک حکومت متمرکز در عربستان پیش از اسلام باعث شده بود تا سیاست‌گذاری روشنی در این بخش وجود نداشته باشد. به‎دنبال ظهور اسلام، پیامبر (ص) کوشید تا ضمن اصلاح روش‌های کشاورزی، آن را تحت یک نظام اقتصادی منسجم درآورد. هرچند راهبرد نوین پیامبر (ص) زمینه حضور مسلمانان را در فعالیت‌های اقتصاد زراعی مهیا کرد، اما این راهبرد در عصر خلفای راشدین دچار رکود شد. در این دوره نگرانی از کاهش مجاهدان در سرحدات اسلامی، باعث تشویق اعراب مسلمان به حضور در دار الهجره‌ها و شرکت در جهاد گردید. این امر را می‌توان یکی از موانع عمده در مسیر استمرار سیاست‌های زراعی عصر نبوی دانست؛ اما با به قدرت رسیدن امویان، یک‌بار دیگر سیاست‌های زراعی دستخوش تغییر شد. خلفای اموی، به امر کشاورزی اهمیت دادند و به آن رونق بخشیدند. در این زمان، هم‌نشینی و مجاورت اعراب مسلمان با ساکنان کشورهای فتح‌شده در کنار کاهش اهمیت اقتصادی دیوان و سیاست سخت‌گیرانه دولت بنی‌امیه برای گنجاندن نام افراد در آن، نقش مهمی در رونق کشاورزی و توجه به امر زراعت داشت که نتیجه آن توسعه بخش کشاورزی و شکل‌گیری روستاهای جامع بود.

VĂDUVA MARIA

This material defines the basic theoretical knowledge related to the problem of the insurance market. The first part generally characterizes the insurance market, its entities and the factors that influence it. The second part defines regulation and why it is needed in the insurance industry. It also deals with the basic objectives of regulation and the approaches by which regulation can be achieved. Within the insurance market there is a demand and supply of protection in insurance and reinsurance, and the subject is insurance and reinsurance, which can be considered a specific type of service. Here, the buyer receives his consideration only after the occurrence of the insured event, which may not occur at all. It is dominated by an indirect method of distribution of free financial resources concentrated in the aid reserves of the insurance intermediary. The price for brokerage in this area is insurance and reinsurance. Although the insurance market is part of the financial market, it is characterized by certain specificities, among which there is an excess of offers over demand, it is not concentrated in one place, but is a kind of network of insurance companies and insurance intermediaries . It is also subject to characteristic legalities such as the principle of solidarity, conditional irreversibility and non-equivalence.

BĂNUȚĂ MARIANA, GÂDOIU MIHAELA

The immaterial world has always aroused people's interest because being intangible, it is often considered enigmatic and in addition has major effects, sometimes vital for those with whom it interacts. Firms own both tangible and intangible assets that contribute to business continuity and increased performance. The article deals with issues related to the differences that the application of different accounting regulations in Romania have on the valuation and recognition of intangible assets and the accounting implications they have in certain special cases, such as the global valuation of companies for different purposes, for example in the case of merger or division, consolidation of the accounts of groups of companies. As we have shown in the article, the application of different accounting regulations leads to differences in the recognition and measurement of intangible assets (as is the case in our country) regarding, for example, the capitalization of formation expenses or their recording as current expenses, their presentation at net book value or the possibility to choose the revaluation treatment (fair value presentation being optionally permitted by IFRS), depreciable amount represented by input value or input value minus residual value (case of application of IFRS), etc.. In mergers or divisions of companies, if the global valuation method is chosen, the estimation of the value of enterprises involved in such processes by authorised valuers may also have an impact on the value of intangible assets in the accounts of the absorbing/receiving company (either on identifiable assets meeting the conditions for recognition taken over at fair value or on goodwill).

P. Meth, T. Goodfellow, A. Todes et al.

Recent years have seen a rising interest in peri-urban spaces, urban frontiers and new suburbanisms, including in African contexts. However, given the scale of urban growth and the extreme diversity of formations emerging on the geographical edges of African city-regions, a deeper understanding is needed of the drivers of peripheral urbanisms and the lived experiences of urban change in these spaces. Based on a comparative research project in South Africa and Ethiopia, this article draws out the epistemologies of researching African urban peripheries and presents a new conceptual framework. It offers a language for interpreting processes of peripheral development and change, highlighting five distinct but overlapping logics which we term speculative, vanguard, auto-constructed, transitioning and inherited. Rather than describing bounded peripheral spaces, we argue that these logics can co-exist, hybridize and bleed into each other in different ways in specific places and at different temporal junctures. Centring our methodological practices of comparative analysis, and privileging the voices of those living in urban peripheries, the article employs critical readings of urban scholarship before exploring how these five logics illuminate the complex processes of urban peripheral evolution and transformation. Formulating these logics helps to fill a lacuna in urban conceptualization with potential relevance beyond African contexts. Introduction Reflecting on a major international research programme on ‘global suburbanisms’, Keil (2018: 41) notes that we live ‘in the age of the urban periphery’. Scholarship on African cities has recently begun to explore this, evidenced by the proliferation of literature on peri-urban spaces (Mbiba and Huchzermeyer, 2002; Kinfu et al., 2019), urban peripheries (Sawyer, 2014), suburbanisms and ‘new centralities’ (Mabin et al., 2013; Güney et al., 2019), by-pass urbanism (Sawyer et al., 2021), urban frontiers (McGregor and Chatiza, 2019) and ‘postcolonial suburbs’ (Mercer, 2017). Collectively, this literature bolsters Keil’s claim that urban peripheries exhibit greater diversity ‘than perhaps anywhere else in the modern history of city-building and re-building’ (Keil, 2018: 13). It is increasingly apparent that the geographical edges of cities are characterized by dynamism as well as stagnation, boredom as well as violence, and luxury alongside destitution. Meanwhile, debates on ‘extended’ urbanization and its ‘planetary’ reach (Brenner, 2013; Brenner and Schmid, 2015) render a focus on urban frontiers, liminal spaces and dispersed urban forms all the more important. Indeed, if it is in the peripheries that twenty-first century urbanization is ultimately taking shape, then despite some recent scholarly attention, the work of researching, analysing and conceptualizing this has only just begun. METH, GOODFELLOW, TODES AND CHARLTON 986 This article discusses our conceptualizations of African urban peripheries following our ESRC/NRF-funded research project, ‘Living the Urban Periphery: Investment, Infrastructure and Economic Change in African City-Regions’ (2016–2019). Our research focused on how transformation is shaped, governed and experienced in the spatial peripheries of three African city-regions: Gauteng and eThekwini in South Africa, and Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. Comparing these urban formations enables us to explore countries that are vastly different in terms of economic status and urban land tenure systems, but which have important similarities in their developmentalist orientation and the dominance of state-sponsored housing provision. We argue that the distinctiveness of these countries in being at the forefront of peripheral housing and infrastructure provision in Africa makes them especially relevant for thinking about the development of urban peripheries more generally. Meanwhile, our comparison of Gauteng and eThekwini within South Africa enables us to examine the peripheries in areas of former mining and industrial investment, sometimes now in decline, alongside those being reshaped by new state-led and commercial mega-projects. Through these multiple lines of comparison, drawing on Robinson’s (2016) exhortation to engage in comparison beyond the usual conventions of comparability, our wider project generates fresh insights, with broader relevance to urban peripheries globally. The article’s contribution is specifically conceptual, drawing out the epistemologies of researching African urban peripheries and offering a conceptual framework to inform the practice of analysing geographic peripheries. It opens with a critical reading of theoretical and empirical material examining urban peripheries, with an emphasis on work on African cities. Attention is drawn to the insights but also limitations of some of this work, particularly its varied ability to engage with the complexities of urban change as narrated by residents in these spaces. The article then centres our methodological practices, which privilege the voices of those living in the urban peripheries in shaping our conceptualization, and reflects on our ability to generalize through the comparative analysis of these cases. We show how our mixedmethod approach places a particular emphasis on in-depth, multi-method qualitative research with residents, alongside a range of other methods. Based on the extensive body of empirical research underpinning this project, we argue that peripheral spaces are not simply Cartesian spaces identifiable through mapping and boundaries and understood through abstracted trends, but that they reveal their essence through the voices and views of those living there. Thus, we are concerned less with the representation of these spaces than with peripheries as ‘lived space’, although we also explore the economic and political drivers and planning processes that produce these spaces. Because its focus is conceptual, the article does not detail the complex experiences of residents revealed through our project, although it builds on their narratives (alongside those of key informants involved in shaping and governing urban peripheries from the outside) to inform our conceptualizations. Following a discussion of our project’s methodological approach and case selection, the article turns to its core contribution: the conceptualization of five distinct (though often intersecting) logics of urban peripheral development emerging from our research. We became aware during the course of our project that defining the periphery as a singular concept was insufficient; we are also attuned to Schmid et al.’s (2018) call for new vocabularies to describe processes of urbanization, given the limitations of dominant concepts in Urban Studies––particularly in capturing urban formations in the global South. Our main contribution in this article is therefore to unpack the urban periphery concept in new ways, through placing attention on peripheral areas, urban processes and practices evident in peripheral sites, as well as the experiences of a wide variety of residents living in these areas. Drawing on these various epistemologies of the periphery, the five peripheral logics we propose are speculative, vanguard, autoconstructed, transitioning and inherited. The value of this classification lies not in CONCEPTUALIZING AFRICAN URBAN PERIPHERIES 987 describing exclusive bounded instances of the urban periphery; indeed, we reject this approach. Instead, we argue for an approach that recognizes these modes of peripheral development as logics that can co-exist, hybridize and bleed into each other in specific places and at different temporal junctures. Rather than being discrete categories, the five logics privilege the dynamic, interconnected and multi-scalar aspects of urban change occurring in African cities. We conclude the article by considering the significance of these logics for studying other urban peripheries, within Africa and beyond. Existing conceptualizations of urban peripheries Urban peripheries have been conceptualized in a number of ways, which variously highlight their drivers, economic dynamics, spatial characteristics and key actors, with most accounts focusing on one or other dimension. Early conceptions of urban peripheries saw them as places on the urban edge, transitioning from rural to urban, with limited economies, and where land costs, densities and access to economic opportunities were lower than more central areas. This was often conceptualized as a moving edge, as earlier peripheries were absorbed into the city and new ones emerged. Literatures on peri-urbanization have emphasized this rural-urban interface, the processes of urbanization, changing land uses and associated land conflicts, and the influence of tenurial systems, inter alia (Mbiba and Huchzermeyer, 2002). This literature has been important in African contexts such as Ghana, where growth is occurring on customary lands at city edges, with distinct tenurial and management systems (Gough and Yankson, 2000). The peri-urban concept is also relevant for those African cities where urban-rural distinctions are blurred and where the absorption of densifying rural settlements (Potts, 2018), or piecemeal lateral expansion (Sawyer, 2014), are significant parts of urban growth. Such edges might be less regulated spaces, providing easier access for migrants and cheaper housing for the urban poor (Simon, 2004). However, while the earlier literature often saw these as places of poverty, more recent work documents increased middle-class occupation and housing construction (Mbatha and Mchunu, 2016; Bartels, 2020; Mercer, 2020). The equation between geographic peripherality, poverty and marginality has also been challenged by authors such as Peberdy (2017), drawing on Wallerstein’s conception of the periphery as a social and political rather than spatial construct, and Pieterse (2019), who points to deep poverty and social marginality in cent

Robert Oppenheimer

The higher the level of education completed the higher the wage rates, the lower the rate of unemployment, and the higher the employment rates. Unemployment rates were significantly higher and participation and employment rates were significantly lower for Aboriginals and non-Aboriginals in Canada in 2020. This may be attributed to the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic. The rate of unemployment increased more for nonAboriginals than for Aboriginals in 2020. However, participation and employment rates decreased more for Aboriginals than for non-Aboriginals. Employment, unemployment, and participation rates are and historically have been more favourable for non-Aboriginals than for Aboriginals. As educational levels increase, employment measures and wage rates improve. Employment measures are examined by gender, age, province, and education, and for Métis, Inuit, and First Nations.

Naciye Tok

Like in all Mediterranean countries, Table olive farming has an important tradition and production potential in western Turkey, and thus it is critical to assess the risk sources and risk management strategies that farmers perceive. This study identifies perceptions of risk sources and managements strategies in the region, clarifying their relative importance, as farmers perceive them, using a survey conducted among 121 selected purposefully farmers. Sociodemographics of farmers and households were identified using basic descriptive statistics, such as arithmetic means and percentages. According to factor loadings, financial and marketing risk sources are most prominent among farmers, and human-induced and production technology issues represent the most important risk management strategies. In table olive production, it will be beneficial to develop strategies such as increasing the number of trees, improving agricultural activities, increasing the awareness level of farmers on issues such as climate change and the use of new technologies.

D. Bertram, A. Tarighaleslami, M. Walmsley et al.

Abstract The ocean covers approximately 70% of the earth's surface and contains an immense source of renewable energy, in terms of ocean waves. However, this resource is unevenly distributed throughout the world, and so, therefore, converting waves into a useful form of energy will require the identification of potential Wave Energy Farm (WEF) locations. This should be undertaken in tandem with selecting an appropriate Wave Energy Converter (WEC), as the characteristics of these devices are critical in capturing the available wave power. Therefore, this paper describes a three-stage systematic approach that was developed and implemented in order to select the most suitable WEC(s) for marine areas identified as optimal for WEFs. As this sector is evolving rapidly, the first stage identified all WECs currently in development and proposed classifying these devices in a practical and meaningful manner. The second stage developed a procedure for identifying generic WEF locations by integrating the multiple dimensions of sustainable development and the technical limitations of the sector, within a geographic information systems framework. Lastly, the third stage incorporates the results from the previous two stages. The devices considered for further analysis were reduced based on commercial viability, whilst the available power was quantified and characterised at each of the optimal WEF sites. Thereafter, appropriate techno-economic performance indicators were identified to rank and determine the optimal device for a specific location.

Yang Yang, J. Hobbs, D. Natcher

Abstract The food industry increasingly seeks to differentiate food products based on sustainability assurances, the use of traditional or ‘authentic’ production methods, a unique origin, or an association with a distinct cultural identity, often relying on certification to enhance the credibility of a quality claim. The natural conditions of the Arctic circumpolar region, its pristine environment, and the relational tie to Indigenous cultures in many circumpolar Arctic nations, distinguish Arctic foods from other commercially available foods, however, little is known about how consumers respond to foods from the Arctic. This paper examines consumers’ perceptions of and willingness to pay (WTP) for foods originating from the Canadian Arctic, and their receptivity to certification for sustainability, authenticity, and origin in the presence of multiple credence attributes. Data from an online survey of 1342 Canadian consumers show that preferences for Arctic foods are driven by the unique geographic origin and a connection with Indigenous cultures and traditions, as well as a desire to improve social and economic conditions in northern Canada. A discrete choice experiment featuring Arctic char elicits consumers’ WTP for attributes related to origin, certification, wild vs farmed fish, and Indigenous vs non-Indigenous fishers. Random parameters logit and generalized mixed logit models allow for both preference and scale heterogeneity. The analysis informs strategies to promote the Arctic food system, both from a Canadian regional economic development context and across the broader Arctic circumpolar region. Limitations imposed by the current seafood labelling regulatory environment in Canada are noted.

R. Olatinwo, S. Fraedrich, A. Mayfield

In recent years, outbreaks of nonnative invasive insects and pathogens have caused significant levels of tree mortality and disturbance in various forest ecosystems throughout the United States. Laurel wilt, caused by the pathogen Raffaelea lauricola (T.C. Harr., Fraedrich and Aghayeva) and the primary vector, the redbay ambrosia beetle (Xyleborus glabratus Eichhoff), is a nonnative pest-disease complex first reported in the southeastern United States in 2002. Since then, it has spread across eleven southeastern states to date, killing hundreds of millions of trees in the plant family Lauraceae. Here, we examine the impacts of laurel wilt on selected vulnerable Lauraceae in the United States and discuss management methods for limiting geographic expansion and reducing impact. Although about 13 species belonging to the Lauraceae are indigenous to the United States, the highly susceptible members of the family to laurel wilt are the large tree species including redbay (Persea borbonia (L.) Spreng) and sassafras (Sassafras albidum (Nutt.) Nees), with a significant economic impact on the commercial production of avocado (Persea americana Mill.), an important species native to Central America grown in the United States. Preventing new introductions and mitigating the impact of previously introduced nonnative species are critically important to decelerate losses of forest habitat, genetic diversity, and overall ecosystem value.

Kehinde Medase, Laura Barasa

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how specialised capabilities including absorptive capacity and marketing capabilities influence innovation commercialisation in manufacturing and service firms in Nigeria. The authors hypothesise that absorptive capacity measures including openness and formal training for innovation, and marketing capabilities encompassing new product marketing and marketing innovation are positively associated with innovation performance. Design/methodology/approach The authors examine commercialisation of innovation within the profiting from innovation (PFI) and dynamic capabilities (DC) framework and use data from the 2012 Nigeria Innovation Survey to test the hypothesis by means of a Heckman sample selection model. Findings The authors find that absorptive capacity measures comprising openness and formal training are positively associated with innovation performance. The authors also find that marketing capabilities as indicated by new product marketing and marketing innovation are positively associated with innovation performance. Research limitations/implications The authors acknowledge that firms undergo continuous changes and that there may be the presence of unobserved or unmeasured heterogeneity. Taking into cognisance that Nigeria is a federal state, cultural diversity and economic factors are likely to differ widely between geographical regions. Also, while the proposed conceptual framework offers a deeper understanding of innovation performance, examining how integrating activities of the R&D department, human resource department and marketing department affect innovation commercialisation is likely to provide more meaningful insights. Practical implications The role that inter-organisational learning and intra-organisational learning play in driving innovation performance provide managers with a basis for incorporating absorptive capacity building programs that boost employees’ ability to recognise and apply valuable external knowledge to commercial ends. Similarly, firms may benefit from offering marketing capabilities development programs. Furthermore, innovation policies in Nigeria are generally designed to focus on fostering innovation activities aimed at developing innovative output. Accordingly, government support explicitly targeting new product marketing and marketing innovation is likely to play a vital role in the successful commercialisation of innovation in Nigeria. Originality/value This study fuses the PFI and DC framework to examine why innovating firms may not necessarily succeed. This area of study has received scant attention in sub-Saharan Africa given that extant literature focusses on value creation as opposed to value capture.