Staff publications (SoM)

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https://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/28

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Browsing Staff publications (SoM) by Subject "35 Commerce, management, tourism and services"

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    Digital transformation and profit growth: a configurational analysis of regional dynamics
    (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), 2025) Sawang, Sukanlaya; Zhao, Jian; Xu, Zimu
    This study adopts Configuration Theory to explore how diverse combinations of regional factors contribute to profitability, emphasizing the principle of equifinality, which posits that multiple, equally effective configurations can lead to similar outcomes. This study examines the interplay of multiple factors—enterprise informatization, digital infrastructure, e-commerce, technological investment, innovation, hardware, and software—across four key themes: Digital Readiness and Technological Integration, Market and Economic Enablers, Innovation Capacity and Activity, and Foundational Artifacts and Resources. Using data from 31 provinces in China from 2015 to 2022, this study employs fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to uncover pathways to regional profit growth. The study identifies five distinct configurations contributing to profit growth across China's provinces. In most configurations, e-commerce and technological investment emerge as central drivers. However, in less developed regions, profit growth relies more on improvements in digital infrastructure and hardware, with innovation and enterprise informatization playing a less significant role. The findings also reveal that profit growth requires addressing the weakest elements in the ecosystem—whether digital infrastructure, technological capabilities, or other factors. Strategies tailored to regional conditions must prioritize improving these weaker components to achieve sustained growth, as ignoring them can limit overall success.
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    Environmental sustainability performance of US airlines: implications of financial performance and technical efficiency
    (Taylor and Francis, 2024-12-31) Kaffash, Sepideh; Chomachaei, Fahimeh; Aktas, Emel
    Air transportation significantly contributes to global CO2 emissions. The US Aviation Climate Action Plan introduced in November 2021 aims to decarbonize the aviation sector by 2050. Aligned with this initiative, our study applies Data Envelopment Analysis and fixed-effect panel regression to empirically explore how financial performance and technical efficiency impact Environmental Sustainability Performance (ESP) in the airline industry. We curated panel data of nine US passenger airlines from 2010 to 2019 to examine three key areas: the impact of financial performance on environmental sustainability performance, the influence of efficiency on environmental sustainability performance, and the relationship between flight stage length and environmental sustainability performance. Our findings indicate that improved Financial Performance, higher technical efficiency, and longer stage lengths positively contribute to enhanced environmental sustainability performance. Our study provides valuable insights for managers and policymakers, emphasizing the pivotal role of financial stability in achieving environmental goals within the airline industry. It underscores the intricate connection between economic viability and sustainability, offering guidance for policymakers seeking to balance financial success with environmental goals.
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    Followers beat content: social media and the managers in initial coin offerings (ICOs)
    (Springer , 2025-04) Gartner, Johannes; Moro, Andrea
    Our research investigates the role of social media communication in amplifying high-quality information and its impact on the success of ICOs in achieving their soft cap. We analyzed data from 3,644 ICOs and the demographics of 1,987 CEOs, CFOs, and CTOs to compare their quality attributes against their number of social media followers. Our findings reveal that the most significant factors for reaching the soft cap are the number of followers and team size, while the competencies (education and skills) of the management team have a very marginal effect, even when enhanced through social media. This indicates that widespread social media signals can positively influence investor behavior without necessarily reducing information asymmetries regarding the quality of the team. We propose that this effect arises from the combination of minimal investment amounts and stimulated herding behavior among investors.