Various COVID-19 vaccines are available across the world. However, short phases of clinical trials for emergency use and myriad rumors about and misinformation on vaccines spread through different media sources, induce confusion and trigger vaccine hesitancy behavior. Although clinical trials demonstrated promising results in the ability of vaccines to protect, social endeavor is required for vaccines to succeed. Mitigation of the pandemic is only possible through widespread acceptance of the vaccine. Thus, identifying the factors that impact vaccine intake is crucial. This study determined factors that affect intentions toward vaccination using a mixed-method approach, in which qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted together. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) is used in the quantitative study, and content analysis is employed in the qualitative study. The final sample of this mixed-method study consists of 568 participants for the quantitative study and 237 for the qualitative study. They were selected using an online questionnaire. Findings suggest that social, psychological, attitudinal, perceptual, and informational factors play a crucial role in shaping people's intentions toward vaccines, ultimately influencing their decision to accept or reject vaccination. Results of both the qualitative and quantitative studies, in parallel with each other, indicated similar barriers against and drivers toward vaccine intake behavior, providing strong insights into the reasons behind vaccine acceptance and hesitancy. Based on the insights gained in this study, a set of recommendations were compiled for policymakers.

Counterfeit drugs have long been a major concern. In search of a solution, this study conducted a systematic literature review. Using an automated content analysis of pharmaceutical blockchains, this study identifies the (1) unique characteristics of smart contracts on blockchain platforms in the pharmaceutical supply chain, (2) role of smart contracts to combat counterfeit drugs, and (3) avenues for future studies. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed at the end of this paper.

The environmental and social responsibility of multinational enterprises (MNEs) has become a significant issue in recent years. As a result, MNEs can generate favorable attitudes and gain legitimacy among their culturally and socially diverse stakeholders in international markets by disclosing information about their CSR activities using various tools. This study considers the content of one type of these communication tools: the CSR report. However, for CSR information to be communicated efficiently, it must first and foremost be understandable and readable for MNEs' global stakeholders with different language skills and comprehension abilities. Through a content analysis of CSR disclosure of ten of the most sustainable MNEs, we aim to answer the question of whether they are readable or not among their international stakeholders. By using 14 readability indices, the results show that these reports are not readable enough for the international audience of the enterprises and that the extent of their syntactic complexity makes them difficult to comprehend.

Being aware of the extent of the tourism industry and that it is ever growing, which is also encouraged in many individual countries by the national and regional governments, it is evident that the tourism industry is an essential target group for introducing circular concepts and implementing circular solutions. Yet, this sector has so far received little attention in the literature and initiatives on circularity.

Circular Economy (CE) goes beyond “green” or “environmental”, it includes all aspects of a community and challenges us to create solutions that are completely different from what we are used to. It also invites us to open up and interact with other stakeholders and the general public.

In your hands is the first training material in circular economy specifically developed for small to medium sized companies of the tourism industry in the South Baltic Region. It is a small but important step in the direction towards circularity and a wellbeing society. Through this work we have shown that despite cultural challenges and regional differences there is a shared, common interest in making tourism more sustainable and even to work together towards a transformation of the hospitality industry. This common vision has been stronger than the challenges we faced in making this work and this is what will ensure the continued growing awareness on circularity and its integration in different sectors in our communities. In this work we have featured some of the groundbreaking experts in this field, and some of the first good practices from our regions. They are all courageous pioneers in a field that with time will become the norm. In fact, in the 10th Annual Forum of the EU strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (12-13/6/2019, Gdansk, Poland), CE was highlighted as the pathway to reach prosperity and wellbeing in the Baltic Sea Region.

Purpose

In fast moving consumer goods sector (FMCGs), manufacturers’ access to demand related data (e.g. point of sales data, lost sales, end-customer orders) is often limited making demand forecasting impossible. Instead, to enhance production planning, the manufacturers might base their DC supply forecasts on limited information including shipments from DC to wholesalers and retail stores. This is not optimal. To enhance the situation, the purpose is: (i) to propose a method of how manufacturers can use Machine Learning (ML) approach to improve supply forecasting to a DC if demand information is lacking, and (ii) to identify the demand information needed for demand forecasting supported by ML approach.

Design/methodology/approach

A single case study methodology of a manufacturer from FMCG sector, principle component analysis, and simple linear regression in R programming language is used. Also, linear regression using stochastic gradient descent optimization technique in Amazon ML is applied.

Findings 

We propose a method of how FMCG manufacturers lacking demand data can utilize the ML approach to enhance supply forecasting, and identify needed demand related information to implement demand forecasting.

Research limitations/implications (if applicable)

The results are based on one case and need validation through more cases. 

Practical limitations/implications (if applicable)

The results can be used by managers lacking demand related data to improve DC supply forecasting in FMCGs sector.  Originality/valueThe results can contribute to the area of supply forecasting through ML.

This handbook provides an overall understanding of the concept of the circular economy and of the societal dynamics through which innovations and transitioning processes towards a circular economy are realised. 

It describes and discusses the specific economic and political context for applying and developing the circular economy in the CIRTOINNO project. The specific contexts are the tourism sectors in the South Baltic partner regions. 

It investigates and discusses the opportunities for small and medium-sized tourism businesses to adopt circular economy ideas, and to identify possible ‘good practices’ among tourism SMEs in developing and applying circular economy solutions, especially in relation to the fields of foci of the CIRTOINNO project: accommodation, food and spa services. 

This article examines the perspectives of immigrant entrepreneurs on the barriers they face regarding their inclusion in public procurement in Sweden through the so-called supplier diversity programs. Drawing upon modern stakeholder theory and transaction cost economics, this study aims to identify potential barriers such entrepreneurs face in succeeding as suppliers to the public sector. Data were collected through interviews with immigrant entrepreneurs who had experience with the public procurement tender process in Sweden. The results reveal that immigrant entrepreneurs doing business with public procurement face several barriers, ranging from economic to social ones such as information, advertising, human resources, and undercapitalization. The interviewees believe that such barriers weaken their performance and hinder their success in public procurement tenders. When it comes to supplier diversity programs, the entrepreneurs under study were either unaware of such programs in public procurement in Sweden or did not believe in their effectiveness.

Considering importance of consumers’ understanding of sustainability in shaping their attitude toward CSR and its successful implementation, this research uses the Zaltman metaphor elicitation technique (ZMET) to develop a deeper understanding of how consumers perceive sustainability in general and sustainable consumption in particular. Based on the premise that most human communication is nonverbal, we used pictures as the medium of data collection and asked the 52 participants in this study to collect pictures that visualize their perception and understanding of sustainable consumption.

Results show that overall understanding of sustainability exists among respondents; however, the majority of them have very little knowledge about actual and global meaning of sustainable consumption. Moreover, there existed a discrepancy between different age groups’ understanding of sustainable consumption. Hence, knowing the role of individual’s perception and personal values in the behavioral intention formation process, and given the fact that consumers play a vital role in the success CSR activities, this study suggests that knowing consumers and their perception of sustainability is essential to firms for using CSR as a marketing and branding tool.

This article analyzes 12 years of recent scholarly research on consumer behavior published in the five leading international journals in this field. Analyzing academic contributions to a specific area of research provides valuable insights into how it has evolved over a defined period. The approach was to briefly discuss content analysis and its application in scholarly literature review studies. The methodology used here involves the classification of topics to evaluate key trends in consumer behavior literature. It includes a ranking of topics published, typology of the published articles, the research classification in terms of methodologies, and analysis techniques. The most cited articles in the field and within each journal are also examined. The comprehensive literature review of consumer behavior research undertaken in this article could advance the discipline of consumer behavior research by elucidating the evolution of consumer behavior literature in the studied period. © 2016, © The Author(s) 2016.