Open Access

The United States has a long tradition in evaluation of political programs. In the 1930s and 1940s, programs were initiated to reduce unemployment and improve social security as part of the “New Deal.” In the late 1960s, somewhat comparable to the U. S. at that time, Germany’s new government started its own “New Deal.” Unemployment was modest but the growth of the economy was declining. The German government wanted to implement programs in order to follow a path of steady growth. Since most of the programs were evaluated, a growing market of evaluation could be observed at that time.

Das einzige Grundlagenlehrbuch der Volkswirtschaftslehre, in dem die Studierenden die konzeptionellen und quantitativen Instrumente der modernen Volkswirtschaftslehre erlernen, um die drängendsten Probleme der heutigen Zeit in Angriff zu nehmen.

This article provides insights into the modalities of business-model change and innovation. On the basis of an analysis of empirical data of small and medium enterprises, a transition from wine production centrism to its expanded use in hospitality and tourism is explored. Previous research on wine tourism and hospitality predominantly focuses on a destination perspective, neglecting the organizational winery perspective. The article deploys a mixed methods approach, combining netnography and a content analysis for data collection with grounded research and clustering for theory building. The sample size included 885 German wineries. Data stemmed from two distinct sources (websites and a secondary publication in form of a wine guide) and has been analyzed through a two-step clustering algorithm as well as a Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The two-step clustering algorithm resulted in nine different business models while the PCA analysis grouped the variables into the following two categories: basic winery business model (BM) and BM extension into hospitality and tourism, thereby validating the difference between the two constructs. The results point to the diverse nature of business model extensions of wineries in tourism and hospitality, depending on their organizational type and size. This study offers a classification of small and medium sized enterprise’s strategic business model expansion, and explores the expansion of the wine industry through wine hospitality and tourism services, starting with the winery organizational perspective, which has not been done before.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact that various types of business model extensions (hospitality and tourism, online sales platforms, and sustainability) have on the winery business. The research is based on company data and online observations of N = 886 German wineries and deploys a content analysis, netnography, and structural equation modeling (SEM) in order to test the hypothesis on business model extensions of wineries, which have been set forth in the previous literature. The findings indicate that business model extensions related to online sales platforms have a positive impact on winery business size. These results mean that developing online sales platforms enlarges the winery BM (business model) size and type (manager-run, state-owned, or cooperatives). The paper presents in detail the impact of winery BM extensions on winery BM model type and size, thereby contributing to the literature on business model innovation.

The article improves understanding on leveraging new technology for DT (digital transformation) of grape harvest in SME wineries. It provides evidence on technologies used and workplace types deployed in grape harvesting, as well as strategic paths in deploying new technology, thereby contributing to the literature on networked sensing and seizing capabilities in the wine industry 4.0. The research approach is explorative and qualitative drawing on 31 interviews with wine industry 4.0 experts and managers, mostly owners of SMEs: wineries, wine software and wine machinery enterprises. Resulting findings serve as a roadmap for digital transformation of grape harvest process in SME wineries explaining technologies and work roles necessary for DWT (digital workplace transformation), as well as strategic paths of deployment of novel grape harvest technology. Previous research on the wine industry 4.0 has focused on BMI, while this research expands the focus to include a wider concept of technology adoption strategy as well as DWT. The research identifies two types of factors impacting the strategic deployment of grape harvest technology: pull factors, also termed servitization factors, as well as push factors, termed also digital transformation factors.

The reported research examines the impact of product portfolio labeling strategies on brand reputation and equity. A netnographic approach allowed to observe winery portfolio labeling approaches and create a typology of winery labeling strategies. Expert evaluation served to assess the dependent variable brand equity by deploying a regression analysis. For the observed wine industry, being part of the food industry, creating consistent and recognizable brands has a direct relevance for reducing (sustainability-related) food information overload and thereby building sustainable brand equity. The results uncover the relative importance of each of the six identified labeling strategies as well as their impact on reputation and brand equity creation. The results point to the need to establish a consistent, strategically founded product communication. Such an approach, with a positive effect on reputation building can serve to build sustainable brand equity. “Stuck in the middle”-type strategies apparently diminish winery brand equity exploitation. The findings contribute to the knowledge on food labels in product communication strategies and their impact on organizational brand equity, thereby having high relevance for the implementation of environmental certification initiatives in an organizational context. The article deploys a novel research approach in an under-researched area to provide new insights for further research as well as implications for practice.

This study advances the research and methodological approach to measuring and understanding national-level destination competitiveness, sustainability and governance, by creating a model that could be of use for both developing and developed destinations. The study gives a detailed overview of the research field of measuring destination competitiveness and sustainability. It also identifies major predictors of destination competitiveness and sustainability and thereby presents destination researchers and practitioners with a useful list of priority areas, both from a global perspective and from the perspective of other similar destinations. Finally, the study identifies two major types of destination governance with implications for research, policy and practice across the destination life-cycle. The research deals with the analysis of the secondary data from the World Economic Forum Travel and Tourism Index (WEF T&T). Major types of destination governance and predictors of belonging to either one of the types, as well as inside cluster predictors have been extracted through a two-step cluster analysis. The results support the notion that a meaningful model of national-level destination governance needs to take into account different development levels of different destinations. The main limitation of the study is its typology creation approach, as it inevitably leads to simplifications.

Based on the WEF Travel & Tourism Report data, this study deploys k-means cluster analysis to build a global typology of national destination governance. Previous studies have focused on case studies, while this chapter focuses on classification of different destination types, by deploying indicators a set of following relevant indicators: wastewater treatment, fixed broadband internet subscriptions, ground transport efficiency, quality of roads, quality of railroad infrastructure, reliability of police services, ease of finding skilled employees. The results present a four-cluster solution of national destination governance types, as well as their major characteristics. The chapter than provides and discusses important implication for theory and practice of destination governance.

This article examines similarities and differences in the attitudes and social representations of destination managers towards implementing sustainable tourism between the mountain regions of the Alps and the Dinarides. Bearing in mind the transnational impacts (i.e., environmental, economic and social) of the tourism industry the research methodology adopted an international perspective by sending a questionnaire to tourism organizations in fourteen different countries in the Alps and the Dinarides. The research is interdisciplinary in nature, because it integrates knowledge from sustainability and management science with tourism geography and social psychology. The findings confirm that social representations of sustainable tourism differ significantly in the two mountain regions.

Western consumption patterns are strongly associated with environmental pollution and climate change, which challenges us with transforming our society and consumption towards a sustainable future. This thesis takes up this challenge and aims to contribute to this debate at the intersection of ICT artifacts and social practices through the examples of food and mobility consumption. The social practice lens is employed as an alternative to the predominant persuasive or motivational lens of design in the respective consumption domains. Against this background, this thesis first presents three research papers that contribute to a broader understanding of dynamic practices and their transformation towards a sustainable stable state. The following research takes up these sections' empirical results that more intensely focus on the appropriation of materials and infrastructures utilizing Recommender Systems. Given this approach, this thesis contributes to three fields - practice-based Computing, Recommender Systems, and Consumer Informatics.

Diese etablierte Formelsammlung enthält und erklärt mathematische Formeln innerhalb ökonomischer Zusammenhänge, wie sie in den Wirtschaftswissenschaften und in der wirtschaftswissenschaftlichen Praxis unbedingt notwendig sind. Das Verständnis der Formeln und deren praktische Anwendung werden durch nützliche Hilfen und erklärliche Beispiele sinnvoll unterstützt, so dass der Kontext wirtschaftsmathematischer Formeln klar und verständlich dargestellt wird. Diese Formelsammlung ist ein unverzichtbares Tool für Studierende der Wirtschaftswissenschaften, aber auch ein nützliches Nachschlagewerk für Verantwortliche aus Wirtschaft, Politik und Lehre. Die Inhalte wurden für die 4. Auflage teilweise überarbeitet und ergänzt.

This compendium contains and explains essential statistical formulas within an economic context. A broad range of aids and supportive examples will help readers to understand the formulas and their practical applications. This statistical formulary is presented in a practice-oriented, clear, and understandable manner, as it is needed for meaningful and relevant application in global business, as well as in the academic setting and economic practice.

One of the biggest challenges faced by many tech start-ups from developed markets is to have validated market-fit products/services and to see their solutions implemented. In several sectors, stringent regulations, and the law of handicap of head start at home can be hurdles that limit the development and even the survival potential of theses start-ups. Tech start-ups seeking implementation, learning, and legitimacy may have a solution in expanding into emerging markets. Emerging markets offer both business opportunities in sectors in need of new technologies as they are “fertile grounds” for developing and testing internationalisation business models. We present here a process designed to help tech start-ups to identify, access, shape and seize these opportunities and to overcome their own specificities and emerging markets specificities. The three phases of the proposed process cover entry node concept, partnership, and business, operating and revenue joint models’ development. DesignScience Research Paradigm is used for the design and evaluation of the process. To show the relevance of this process, a case study on the expansion in Morocco of a Dutch start-up active in e-health is used. The study shows the importance of the process for the embeddedness in a local relevant value network with a relevant adopter’s system, a key enabler to achieve time and cost-effective expansion in that specific business and institutional contexts. A pilot to assess the proposed models and evidence of benefits is under development. To boost their chances of growth tech start-ups from developed markets should consider expansion into emerging markets in their strategy. It would be beneficial that policy makers adopt a strategy by which to assist tech start-ups in accessing value networks in emerging markets. It is also important for policy makers from emerging markets to consider developing schemes to attract tech start-ups from developed markets.

The study examined social values that accounted for electronic waste recycling and reuse behaviours. Via a crosscommunity survey of 193 of households in the Cape Coast Metropolis, a correlational design was employed in the study. Partial Least Squares-Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data. Results from the analysis showed the influence of altruistic values (β = 0.275, p < 0.05) on reuse behaviour. Similarly, environmental awareness (β = 0.213, p<0.05) also showed significant influence on participation in recycling, whereas psychological ownership significantly influenced both reuse (β = 0.319, p < 0.05), and participation in recycling (β = 0.339, p < 0.05), The joint significance of altruistic values, environmental awareness and psychological ownership to explaining recycling participation was 21.3% (R2 = 0.213, p < 0.05) and that of reuse was 24.6% (R2 = 0.246, p < 0.05). The results of the study showed that individuals who are knowledgeable about the state of their environment were more likely to participate in recycling. On the other hand, individuals with altruistic values preferred giving unwanted electronic equipment to others for reuse. Altruistic values are particularly true of collectivist cultural orientation. Psychological ownership was significant in predicting both behaviours, however, the effect size on reuse was moderate. Psychological ownership due to waste aversion and frugality lead consumers to keep, and subsequently give to close relatives in their social network. It was recommended that individuals should be encouraged to patronize formal recycling services. as a way to show concern for the well-being of others by reducing pollution due to improper waste treatment. Again, like in developed economies, second-hand collection systems for unwanted electronic products can be developed, and made convenient for individuals with reusable items, who may be willing to donate or even resell.

Issues: Circular economy is a production system that optimizes the reusability of by-products/waste as raw materials. As the global population threatens to reach 9 billion by 2050, consumption levels grow proportionally, raising food, material, and energy demands. In Uganda, soil nutrient depletion and energy poverty are key challenges faced by urban and rural communities. Rampart depletion of natural resources calls for transit from the linear economic models towards sustainable production/consumption technologies. This study investigated prospects for APPP to optimize the reusability of by-products/waste as raw materials. Approach: Quantitative and qualitative tools were used to collect data via document analysis, interviews, and participant observations. The tools were administered to municipal authorities, private waste-collecting agencies in cities and municipalities; officials in Ministries of energy and Agriculture; officials in universities research units and entrepreneurs that deal in agricultural and energy products; officials from civil society organizations. Findings: there are a number of sustainability projects being undertaken by Universities and High schools, Government agencies, companies, and civil society organization isolation. Singlehandedly, individual agencies lack the requisite capacity to develop closed-loop production/consumption models. Analysis of a few successful RRR projects suggests that APPP is positioned to promote CE. Transiting towards a circular economy requires joint ventures to optimize human, technological, and financial resources and develop policy and institutional frameworks. In Uganda, recycling biotic by-products can promote environmental sustainability; reduce stress on natural resources; enable cost savings; promote green entrepreneurship, and create jobs/livelihoods. Conclusion: working jointly, CE could be enhanced via technical and business models by the academia, private capital investment by companies, community engagement by CSOs, and development of supportive policy and institutional frameworks to facilitate decision-making processes. The APPPs are positioned to use interactive platforms for creating awareness and promote sensitization about green values through education and multimedia communication platforms.

This study sought to apply the Structure Conduct Performance paradigm to Africa´s air transport landscape in general. To do that, it examines the past, present, and future expectations of four of Sub-Saharan Africa’s biggest aviation economies, namely South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Nigeria. Secondary data containing historical passenger traffic was analysed, and predictions for growth in the next ten years were proposed. The findings suggest that the experience of the existing liberalization initiatives, such as the Yamoussoukro Declaration (YD), has produced less than expected benefits. However, the future of aviation in Africa is somewhat positive, with a growth trajectory expected to follow a linear and gradual path supported by various initiatives, including the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCTA). The study’s contribution is to illuminate the current discourse on the aviation sector in Africa through the Structure-Conduct-Performance theory paradigm and suggests a conceptual model that could be applied to future studies relating to aviation in Africa.

There is severe clinical vitamin A deficiency (VAD) prevalence among Ghanaians and many African countries. Foodbased diets has been suggested as a more sustainable approach to solving the VAD situation in Africa. In this study, A participatory action research between orange flesh sweet potato farmers, gari processors within central region and academia was adopted to develop gari containing provitamin A beta-carotene. Gari is a major staple for Ghanaians and people in the West African subregion due to its affordability and swelling capacity. It is mainly eaten raw with water, sugar, groundnut and milk as gari-soakings or with hot water to prepare gelatinized food called gari-kai in Ghana or “eba” among Nigerians. However, gari is limited in provitamin A carotenoids. Orange fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) is known to contain large amount of vitamin A precursor. Therefore, addition of OFSP to gari would have the potential to fight the high prevalence rate of vitamin A deficiency amongst less developed regions of Africa. To develop this, different proportions of orange fleshed sweet potatoes (OFSP) was used to substitute cassava mash and fermented spontaneously to produce composite gari - a gritty-crispy ready-to-eat food product. Both the amount of OFSP and the fermentation duration caused significant increases in the β-carotene content of the composite gari. OFSP addition reduced the luminance while roasting made the composite gari yellower when compared with the cake used. Addition of OFSP negatively affected the swelling capacity of the gari although not significant. The taste, texture, flavour and the overall preferences for the composite gari decreased due to the addition of the OFSP but fermentation duration (FD) improved them. The sample with 10% OFSP and FD of 1.81 days was found to produce the optimal gari. One-portion of the optimal gari would contribute to 34.75, 23.2, 23.2, 27, 17 and 16% of vitamin A requirements amongst children, adolescent, adult males, adult females, pregnant women and lactating mothers respectively. The study demonstrated that partial substitution of cassava with OFSP for gari production would have the potential to fight the high prevalence rate of vitamin A deficiency amongst less developed regions of Africa while involvement of farmers and processors prior to the design of research phase enhanced the adoption of intervention strategies.

Studies in entrepreneurship education in hospitality and tourism has indicated that further attention could be given toward helping students to develop creativity and critical thinking skills, engage in deeper self-discovery experiences, and understand tourism more fully to help prepare them for entrepreneurial roles. This study aims at evaluating Hospitality entrepreneurial modules offered in Tourism programs in Ghanaian institutions. The curriculum of Tourism in two tertiary institutions in Ghana offering Tourism is studied. The research highlights on the need to integrate hospitality technical skills into Tourism education to create a culture that will enhance the growth of entrepreneurial hospitality into Tourism as culinary Tourism is becoming common. Some of the challenges faced by tourism students and entrepreneurship educators are highlighted. Structured interview technique was used to collect data from 20 purposive sampled students of the selected institutions. The results revealed that the level of importance and attention given to hospitality skills in tourism and the perception of students on acquisition of the required competencies is minimal. It is therefore recommended that more skills and competences in hospitality operation, food and beverage production and service be introduced in tourism education in a more holistic manner with emphasis on skill acquisition in order to make the tourism graduate more creative and critical thinker in today’s global competitive environment.

Kenya as a touristic destination is well known as an exotic country offering many different landscapes as well as the diversity of wildlife; this is typical for several African countries. To ensure a sustainable tourism development, different forms of tourism have to be considered. One of these forms could be eco-mountain bike cycling tours, as these tours are gaining in popularity, for example in Germany. The aim of this study was to obtain results regarding the market potential for mountain bike eco-tourism in Kenya. The up-and-coming tourism branch of mountain biking was examined in connection with the increasing demand for long-distance travel. The results of this study showed that mountain biking in exotic countries like Kenya has market potential in principle. However, it was also found that mountain biking alone is not a sufficient pull factor for tourists. The combination with other activities turned out to be promising. It was found that tourist packages that include mountain biking as an activity are perceived as attractive. Moreover, it was obtained that not only tourists who ride a mountain bike regularly are addressed as a target group. Even "regular" tourists find mountain biking an attractive (touristic) activity, especially in combination with game drives. Experts also assess the market potential for eco-mountain bike tourism as positive and find existing routes and accommodation attractive. The findings are giving indications for the possibilities to develop eco-mountain bike tourism as a touristic alternative and addition to existing touristic products.

Zur Beschreibung der Prävalenzen des für Deutschland relevanten Glücks- und Gewinnspiels finanziert der Bund u. a. den Forschungsbericht der Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung (BZgA) „Glücksspielverhalten und Glücksspielsucht in Deutschland“, der alle zwei Jahre veröffentlicht wird.(1) Die BZgA ist eine Fachbehörde im Geschäftsbereich des Bundesministeriums für Gesundheit (BMG). Zudem fördert das BMG aufgrund eines Beschlusses des Deutschen Bundestages den vom IFT Institut für Therapieforschung (IFT), eine gemeinnützige Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung (gGmbH), jährlich herausgegebenen Jahresbericht der Deutschen Suchthilfestatistik (DSHS)(2) mit dem Titel Suchthilfe in Deutschland.3 Die dort veröffentlichten Ergebnisse fassen jeweils die aktuellen Ergebnisse der DSHS zusammen.

Until recently, studies regarding e-banking transactions have focused more on motivational factors that trigger the intention to accept and use the e-banking transaction, rather than the de-motivational factors that propel the action. However, in the developing countries like Sub-Sahara economies, the factors associated with the former have not been explored and are still rudimentary in the literature. Drawing from the Technology Threat Avoidance Theory (TTAT), the study seeks to examine the impact of online identity theft on customers’ willingness to engage in e-banking transactions in Ghana. A quantitative survey of 393 valid responses from retail bank customers amongst two leading commercial banks in Ghana for the analyses. Results from the PLS-SEM showed that the research constructs; perceived online identity theft’ positively and significantly predict “fear of financial loss”, “fear of reputational damage”, and “security and privacy concern” whilst the former has a negative mediated-relationship between perceived online identity theft and the intention to engage in e-banking transaction. This study is the first of its kind that has extended the application of the TTAT framework into the study of e-banking transactions. The study serves as a practical tool that will enable the banks in their quest to assess customers’ restriction/aversion towards the use of Fintech while ensuring sustainable growth of e-banking transactions in an emerging economy context. The study is limited to only banking institutions in Ghana without considering other players in the financial sub-sector. Future research direction has been suggested in the concluding part of the paper.

İnsanlar yeryüzünün doğal kaynaklarını onun bunları yenileyebileceğinden daha hızlı tüketmektedirler. İnsanların bu tutumlarının bedelini gelecek kuşaklar ödeyeceklerdir. Gelecek kuşaklara bu bedeli ödetmemek için artık parasal kârları ençoklamak, niceliksel olarak büyümek ve bolluk yaratmak doğrultusunda işleyen şimdiki ekonomik faaliyetleri bir başka biçime dönüştürmek kaçınılmazdır. Peren Teoremi göstermektedir ki Dünya örneğinde de olduğu gibi kapalı bir sistem doğal kaynak tüketimi eş düzeyde bir doğal kaynak üretimi ile yaşayabilir. Üretim ile tüketim arasındaki denge çok uzun bir süre bozulursa gezegen doğal bir ölüm ile karşılaşır. Bunu sağlamak üzere Dünya üzerinde yaşayan ve/veya dünya sayesinde yaşayan tüm insanların kişi başına doğal kaynak tüketimlerini artan küresel nüfusla orantılı bir biçimde azaltmak gerekir.

Diese etablierte Formelsammlung enthält und erklärt statistische Formeln, wie sie in den Wirtschaftswissenschaften und in der wirtschaftswissenschaftlichen Praxis unbedingt notwendig sind. Das Verständnis der Formeln und deren praktische Anwendung werden durch nützliche Hilfen und verständliche Beispiele sinnvoll unterstützt, so dass der Kontext wirtschaftsstatistischer Formeln klar und erklärlich dargestellt wird. Diese Formelsammlung ist ein unverzichtbares Tool für Studierende der Wirtschaftswissenschaften, aber auch ein nützliches Nachschlagewerk für Verantwortliche aus Wirtschaft, Politik und Lehre.