• Energy Research

Changing from a linear to a circular economy in business poses a number of real-world difficulties for businesses. The following research paper investigates the definition of circular economy and its key features in order to gain a clearer appreciation of the ramifications of this change. The business procedures of the company known as Lush are analyzed in order to address these issues from a practical perspective. A synthesis of the most common characteristics and what the principle entails would be deduced as a result of the established examination of the literature, leaving an opening for any additional study in later works in which each element proposed in this article can be expanded upon. The results show that circular economy is a vast topic that may be tackled in a variety of ways. The findings of this study can also be utilized to better understand how businesses might apply the theoretical framework in real-world situations.

Over time, sustainability and social responsibility have become key concepts at macrolevel, meso-level and micro-level, and in various domains such as business and higher education. The paper aims to explain the close relationship between the two concepts in higher education, and to identify and analyse the various factors that motivate or impede students from becoming involved in social responsibility activities. The information was gathered by using a stratified sampling method from the students enrolled at a Romanian higher education institution, the Faculty of Business and Administration University of Bucharest. Then, the information was processed through the factorial analysis in order to identify the underlying unobserved variables and how they relate to students’ decision to participate in social responsibility activities. Finally, a logit regression analysis led to the main results that show that personal values are the main motivators, whereas structural and interpersonal barriers are the main inhibitors. The paper also demonstrates that the social responsibility activities contribute to the development of sustainable higher education institutions through the active engagement and participation of their students.

The emergence and spread of the COVID-19 pandemic have significantly changed the way commerce processes have been carried out over the last two years. Considering the development of the Internet and the increasing use of digitalization in recent years, electronic commerce has become an important part of the global retail framework. Accordingly, mobile commerce has emerged and developed through various applications as a modern alternative for buying and selling products and/or services using only mobile devices. This paper aims to identify and analyze several key factors that influence students’ perceptions regarding m-commerce acquisitions. It also attempts to illustrate some of the main advantages and disadvantages of m-commerce acquisition and to investigate its influence on students’ perceptions regarding m-commerce purchases. In order to achieve these objectives, the authors gathered data through a quantitative research method by using a questionnaire. The data were analyzed and interpreted through a factorial analysis that uses the presentation of the main components as an extraction method, with the varimax rotation method adopting Kaiser normalization, and processed with SPSS statistical software. The results of this research show that mobile-commerce acquisitions are influenced by five factors (social, political-legislative, technological, financial, and economic). In this respect, social and political-legislative factors influence, at a moderate level, the general frequency of m-commerce acquisition, while the economic factor does not influence the general frequency of m-commerce purchases. The study provides a theoretical model that takes into account the factors that influence m-commerce acquisition, including the influence of the perceived advantages and disadvantages on m-commerce purchase. The paper also displays the way in which these items influence students’ perception on m-commerce acquisitions.

The emergence and development of smart cities represent a significant challenge for the post-modern world. Generation Z members currently entering adult life will play an important role in the implementation of the concept of a smart city. The objective of this study is to identify and analyze Generation Z students’ perceptions and attitudes towards the responsible management of smart cities. Following a quantitative approach, the authors designed and applied an online survey in order to reach the purpose of the study. The research sample comprised 468 representatives of Generation Z final-year undergraduate students at a university located in a smart city in the making, Bucharest (Romania). The data were statistically analyzed and interpreted using various tools and methods, such as Cronbach’s alpha and correlational analysis. The results show that students are aware of the role played by the city government in ensuring responsible management of the economic, social, and environmental issues of a smart city. Also, they emphasize that most of them are involved in or would like to be involved in different projects specific to smart cities. These results may represent the starting point for understanding Generation Z students’ expectations regarding responsible management in the context of smart cities.