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Modern Statistical Techniques and Sustainability Studies: Selected Papers from the 9th International Conference on PLS and Related Methods (PLS'17)

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 October 2017) | Viewed by 130478

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Ivan K. W. Lai

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Guest Editor

Caritas Institute of Higher Education, Hong Kong 999077, China
Interests: tourism and consumption; information technology and management; carbon reduction and transportation

Dr. Yide Liu

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Guest Editor

Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau 999078, China
Interests: sustainable cities; competitive and sustainable strategy; information systems
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Dear Colleagues,

By comparing with first-generation statistical techniques (e.g., linear regression, ANOVA, MANOVA), second-generation techniques can provide a more rigorous analysis by assessing the structural model and the measurement model at the same time. With the proliferation of second-generation statistical techniques in nutrition, technology, energy, economics, sustainable cities, management, consumption and other sustainability disciplines, it is time to have a a dearth of understanding regarding the role that second-generation statistical techniques can play toward achiving social and environmental sustainability studies.

This Special Issue will address wide-ranging topics on modern statistical techniques and sustainability studies, espeically the original methodological contributions in modern statistical techniques with application in areas and disciplines related to management, social sciences, chemometrics, sensory analysis, industry, tourism and life sciences including genomics. It is hoped that the broad scope of this Special Issue will encourage submissions from across several disciplines.

Dr. Ivan K. W. Lai
Dr. Yide Liu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Environmental sustainability
Social sustainability
Applied statistics
Sustainable development index and index research
Partial least squares
Structural equation modeling
Tourism and consumption
Information technology and management
Sensory analysis

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Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 879 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Potential and Realized Absorptive Capacity as Complementary Drivers of Green Product and Process Innovation Performance

by Gema Albort-Morant, Jörg Henseler, Gabriel Cepeda-Carrión and Antonio L. Leal-Rodríguez

Sustainability 2018, 10(2), 381; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10020381 - 1 Feb 2018

Cited by 94 | Viewed by 9915

Abstract

Nowadays, companies need to absorb new knowledge from external sources to grasp environmental issues. However, the internal mechanisms through which external knowledge is turned into green innovations remain scarcely addressed. Hence, this paper aims to investigate the relationships between the two dimensions of absorptive capacity (potential and realized) with green products and process innovation performance. This study contributes to the literature by disentangling how companies need to acquire, assimilate, transform and exploit external environmental knowledge to develop green innovations. To this aim, this empirical study is based on a sample shaped by 112 firms belonging to the Spanish automotive components manufacturing sector. The results provide evidence to show that potential and realized absorptive capacities are positively related to both green product innovation performance and green process innovation performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Statistical Techniques and Sustainability Studies: Selected Papers from the 9th International Conference on PLS and Related Methods (PLS'17))

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24 pages, 458 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Examining the Role of Childhood Experiences in Developing Altruistic and Knowledge Sharing Behaviors among Children in Their Later Life: A Partial Least Squares (PLS) Path Modeling Approach

by Imran Ali, Murad Ali, Saeed Badghish and Thamer Ahmad S. Baazeem

Sustainability 2018, 10(2), 292; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10020292 - 23 Jan 2018

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 5331

Abstract

Previous research on child development advocates that motivating children to make a choice to forfeit their own toys with others develop sharing behavior in later life. Borrowing the conceptual background from the child development theory, this study proposes a model of knowledge sharing behavior among individuals at the workplace. The study proposes a unique conceptual model that integrates the cognitive/behavioral, and other childhood theories to explain the knowledge sharing behavior among individuals. The study uses psychological, cognitive, behavioral and social learning theories to explain the development of altruistic behavior in childhood as a determinant of knowledge sharing behavior. This study develops and empirically tests a research framework which explains the role of childhood experiences in developing altruistic behavior among children and the translation of this altruistic behavior into knowledge sharing behavior later in their professional life. This study explores those relationships using PLS-SEM with data from 310 individuals from Pakistan. The study concludes the role of parents and child-rearing practices as central in developing children’s altruistic attitude that leads to knowledge sharing behavior in their later life. The implications and future research directions are discussed in details. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Statistical Techniques and Sustainability Studies: Selected Papers from the 9th International Conference on PLS and Related Methods (PLS'17))

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13 pages, 2102 KiB

Open AccessArticle

PLS and OPLS Discriminatory Analyses on Political Sustainability in Taiwan

by Shianghau Wu and Jiannjong Guo

Sustainability 2018, 10(1), 60; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10010060 - 2 Jan 2018

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4211

Abstract

Political sustainability relates to successful governance. The general public’s satisfaction is vital to political sustainability. In this paper, we propose to use the general public’s satisfaction as the proxy and utilize the partial least squares discriminatory (PLS-DA) model and orthogonal partial least squares discriminatory (OPLS-DA) model to explore the factors that affect political sustainability in Taiwan. The results of the PLS-DA and OPLS-DA models vindicate that the satisfaction with the integrity performance of the central government, the satisfaction with the central government’s modus operandi on food safety, and the satisfaction with the central government’s policies on the twelve years primary education reform influence the Taiwanese civilians’ satisfaction with the central government, which is closely related to political sustainability. This offers us the insights on political sustainability in Taiwan. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Statistical Techniques and Sustainability Studies: Selected Papers from the 9th International Conference on PLS and Related Methods (PLS'17))

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604 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exploratory Orientation, Business Model Innovation and New Venture Growth

by Hao Zhang, Xinbo Sun and Chan Lyu

Sustainability 2018, 10(1), 56; https://doi.org/10.3390/su10010056 - 27 Dec 2017

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 5491

Abstract

Why are some start-ups more successful than other companies? In view of this question, this paper deconstructs the growth mechanism of the present new Chinese ventures from the perspective of Internet entrepreneurship and points out that exploratory orientation and business model innovation play an important role in the new ventures growth process. Based on this, through the investigation of 210 start-ups in China, the research found that: (1) exploratory orientation is in a positive relationship with the growth of new ventures; (2) business model innovation plays a mediated role between exploratory orientation and new business growth; (3) Internet embeddedness is found as a moderator in the relationship between exploratory orientation and the growth of new ventures. This finding will not only help further deepen the new research in the new venture growth process but also help to further expand exploratory orientation, business model innovation and the important role of the Internet embeddedness in the growth of new ventures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Statistical Techniques and Sustainability Studies: Selected Papers from the 9th International Conference on PLS and Related Methods (PLS'17))

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1310 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Organizational Culture Values on Organizational Agility

by Carmen M. Felipe, José L. Roldán and Antonio L. Leal-Rodríguez

Sustainability 2017, 9(12), 2354; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9122354 - 17 Dec 2017

Cited by 157 | Viewed by 38832

Abstract

To remain competitive within the current, uncertain business scenario, it is vital for firms to develop capabilities that lead them to adapt and offer quick responses to market changes. Under the dynamic capabilities view of the firm, this paper proposes a model that presents an exhaustive analysis of two relevant research gaps: (i) the underlying relationships that determine the impact exerted by each of the four organizational culture typologies, comprised in Cameron and Quinn’s Competing Values Framework on organizational agility and, (ii) the contingency effect exerted by a key environmental factor, the industry’s technology intensity. An empirical study is performed to test the relationships proposed, using data collected from 172 Spain-based companies. To examine the contingency effect of technology intensity, the sample is divided into two subsamples, high and medium tech companies. This work uses partial least squares path-modeling, a variance-based structural equations modeling technique, in order to test and validate the research model and hypotheses posited. In addition, thorough analyses are carried out to assess the predictive performance of our model. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Statistical Techniques and Sustainability Studies: Selected Papers from the 9th International Conference on PLS and Related Methods (PLS'17))

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1532 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Awe: An Important Emotional Experience in Sustainable Tourism

by Dong Lu, Yide Liu, Ivan Lai and Li Yang

Sustainability 2017, 9(12), 2189; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9122189 - 27 Nov 2017

Cited by 50 | Viewed by 8086

Abstract

“Awesome” is one of the most highly desirable experiences for tourists. This study investigates how tourists’ awe emotion is induced when tourists visit sacred mountains and how the awe experience influences their satisfaction. A survey is administrated at a famous sacred mountain in China—Mount Emei. Results reveal that the awe experience is more elicited by the perceived vastness of natural environment for secular tourists, while is more encouraged by the perceived sanctity of religious ambience for pilgrim tourists. Awe experience is a mediator between the sense of perceptual vastness/sanctity and tourists’ satisfaction. The mediation relationships through awe experience are moderated by the visitor types (pilgrims and secular tourists). Findings suggest that destination marketers should apply tourism strategies to encourage tourists’ sense of awe. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Statistical Techniques and Sustainability Studies: Selected Papers from the 9th International Conference on PLS and Related Methods (PLS'17))

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1383 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Managerial and Adaptive Capabilities to Stimulate Organizational Innovation in SMEs: A Complementary PLS–SEM Approach

by Zulfiqar Ali, Hongyi Sun and Murad Ali

Sustainability 2017, 9(12), 2157; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9122157 - 23 Nov 2017

Cited by 62 | Viewed by 11181

Abstract

The aim of this study is to empirically explore and propose a rigorous model for the positive impact of managerial capability (in terms of decision-making, management style, people development, and succession planning) and adaptive capability (in terms of horizon scanning, change management, and resilience) on organizational innovation in the context of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The study uses partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS–SEM) to test the model hypotheses, and importance-performance matrix analysis (IPMA) to provide information regarding the significance and relevance of the dimensions of managerial and adaptive capability in explaining organizational innovation in the proposed model. The empirical data is gathered through questionnaires from 210 SMEs. The results show a strong and significant relationship between managerial capability, adaptive capability, and organizational innovation. This study found that all of the dimensions of managerial capability and adaptive capability help to develop and improve the performance of organizational innovation in SMEs. The study concludes with a comprehensive discussion of the research limitations, and provides suggestions for future research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Statistical Techniques and Sustainability Studies: Selected Papers from the 9th International Conference on PLS and Related Methods (PLS'17))

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230 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Cross-Border E-Commerce on China’s International Trade: An Empirical Study Based on Transaction Cost Analysis

by Yu Wang (Avery. W), Yi Wang and Soo Hee Lee

Sustainability 2017, 9(11), 2028; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9112028 - 6 Nov 2017

Cited by 75 | Viewed by 25410

Abstract

Reducing transaction costs by means of policy intervention could generate comparative advantages and contribute to the growth of international trade. Chinese government agencies have introduced a number of policies in support of rapidly growing cross-border e-commerce to promote China’s international trade. However, the previous literature has not empirically verified the precise effect of these policies on the growth of international trade while focusing on the impact of cross-border e-commerce on trade distance and consumer welfare. To address this gap, this paper investigates the impact of cross-border e-commerce on international trade in the context of China, mainly from the perspective of transaction cost economics in conjunction with the traditional comparative advantage model by analyzing information cost, negotiation cost, transportation cost, tariffs and middlemen cost separately. Firstly, the new theoretical model suggests that cross-border e-commerce may have a positive role in promoting international trade only when the negative impact caused by tariff cost and transportation cost is offset. Secondly, our result shows that cross-border e-commerce has a positive effect on the growth of China’s international trade in each year. However, the positive effect does not show incremental growth over time, possibly as a result of the weak implementation of favorable policies in trade, in addition to global trade shrinking. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Statistical Techniques and Sustainability Studies: Selected Papers from the 9th International Conference on PLS and Related Methods (PLS'17))

4431 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Risk Assessment System Based on WebGIS for Heavy Metal Pollution in Farmland Soils in China

by Shouhui Pan, Kaiyi Wang, Li Wang, Zhibin Wang and Yanyun Han

Sustainability 2017, 9(10), 1846; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9101846 - 19 Oct 2017

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 5785

Abstract

Heavy metal pollution in farmlands is a serious threat to sustainable agricultural development and has become a major agro-ecological problem that has attracted public concern in China. This study proposes a soil–crop collaborative risk assessment model that aims to assess the potential safety risks of heavy metal pollution in farmland soils by considering the concentrations of heavy metals in soils and the accumulation effects of heavy metals in crops. Based on these effects, a decision support system for risk assessment of heavy metal pollution in farmland soil is established, in which technologies such as web-based geographic information system, quick response code, radio frequency identification, and web service are introduced as the bases. The proposed system is composed of a mobile data acquisition terminal (MDAT) and a web-based information system (WIS). The MDAT, which is a portable computerized device running on the Android platform, is used for data acquisition or query, and the WIS is used for risk assessment, data management, and information visualization. The system is employed in some county-level cities in China for risk assessment and supervision of heavy metal pollution in farmlands. The practical application results show that the system provides highly efficient decision support for risk assessment of heavy metal pollution in farmland soils. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Statistical Techniques and Sustainability Studies: Selected Papers from the 9th International Conference on PLS and Related Methods (PLS'17))

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859 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Voice Behavior, Supervisor Attribution and Employee Performance Appraisal

by Xiaoyan Su, Yating Liu and Nancy Hanson-Rasmussen

Sustainability 2017, 9(10), 1829; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9101829 - 12 Oct 2017

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 7611

Abstract

Employees contribute to the sustainability of organizations in many ways, yet the specific impact of employee voice on employee performance appraisal, as an element of organization sustainability, is not clear. Based on the attribution theory, we present a model to investigate the relationship between employee voice and employee performance appraisal. Using the PLS (Partial Least Squares) method, we test our model’s hypotheses with 273 dyads of supervisor-employee questionnaires administered on a branch of a state-owned enterprise in China. The results show that promotive voice is positively attributed to prosocial motives and constructive motives, while prohibitive voice is not significantly attributed to prosocial motives and constructive motives. The attribution of prosocial motives and constructive motives has a significant and positive effect on employees’ performance appraisal. Moreover, the attribution of prosocial motives and constructive motives fully mediates the relationship between promotive voice and performance appraisal, but has no mediating effects on the relationship between prohibitive voice and performance appraisal. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Statistical Techniques and Sustainability Studies: Selected Papers from the 9th International Conference on PLS and Related Methods (PLS'17))

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417 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Do National Cultural Traits Affect Comparative Advantage in Cultural Goods?

by Zhaobin Fan, Shujuan Huang and W. Robert J. Alexander

Sustainability 2017, 9(7), 1153; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9071153 - 1 Jul 2017

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 7521

Abstract

Trade in cultural goods is making an increasingly significant contribution to international trade, but its flows are very uneven across regions, which has raised concerns over cultural homogenization. This paper considers various aspects of national culture as possible explanations for comparative advantage in cultural goods. Using data from 98 countries over the period 2004 to 2014, and employing Hofstede’s multidimensional approach to culture, we test the relationship between the dimensions of national culture and comparative advantage in cultural goods. We find that the cultural dimensions of individualism, masculinity, long-term orientation, and indulgence are positively associated, whereas the cultural dimensions of power distance and uncertainty avoidance are negatively associated with comparative advantage in cultural goods. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Statistical Techniques and Sustainability Studies: Selected Papers from the 9th International Conference on PLS and Related Methods (PLS'17))

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