Search

The paper suggests a hybrid model with simplified and extended schemes for evaluating market segments based on strategic diagnostics methods and fuzzy multi-criteria analysis tools. The developed model's novelty and originality consist of forming a system of evaluation criteria based on the GROT criteria of I. Ansoff and the five forces of the M. Porter model (and in the case of an extended calculation scheme - with their decomposition into sets of relevant subcriteria) and the use of the latest Fuzzy SBWM method (Fuzzy Extension of Simplified Best-Worst Method) to determine their weighting factors. Expert linguistic evaluations on a defined 7-level term set, followed by their transformation into fuzzy numbers with triangular membership functions, are used to evaluate market segments for each identified criteria (sub-criteria). The Fuzzy SAW method determines fuzzy integral estimates of market segments based on these subcriteria. A practical case of evaluating the confectionery market segments of Ukraine for the simplified calculation scheme is given. The systematic approach makes it possible to determine the attractiveness of market segments for forming strategic recommendations based on the application of portfolio analysis methods, for developing and implementing diversification and logistic strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roots, tubers and cooking bananas are bulky and highly perishable. In Africa, except for yams, their consumption is mainly after transport, peeling and cooking in the form of boiled pieces or dough, a few days after harvest. To stabilize and better preserve the products and, in the case of cassava, release toxic cyanogenic glucosides, a range of intermediate products have been developed, mainly for cassava, related to fermentation and drying after numerous processing operations. This review highlights, for the first time, the impact of genotypes on labour requirements, productivity and the associated drudgery in processing operations primarily carried out by women processors. Peeling, soaking/grinding/fermentation, dewatering, sieving and toasting steps were evaluated on a wide range of new hybrids and traditional landraces. The review highlights case studies of gari production from cassava. The results show that, depending on the genotypes used, women's required labour can be more than doubled and even the sum of the weights transported along the process can be up to four times higher for the same quantity of end product. Productivity and loads carried between each processing operation are highly influenced by root shape, ease of peeling, dry matter content and/or fiber content. Productivity and the often related experienced drudgery are key factors to be considered for a better acceptance of new genotypes by actors in the value‐addition chain, leading to enhanced adoption and ultimately to improved livelihoods for women processors. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cultivated plant species have been classified scientifically and named using binomial nomenclature. However, the current level of understanding by primary school teachers on classification and binomial nomenclature of cultivated plants as well as the extents of inclusion of the plants in the school's curriculum have not yet been explored. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess how well primary school teachers understand the classification and binomial nomenclature of cultivated plants, as well as how many of these kinds of plants are available in Nekemte marketing segments and included in the curriculum of primary schools. Materials and Methods: To gather data concerning teachers' knowledge on classification, binomial nomenclature, and species lists, an exploratory sequential descriptive type design was implemented. A total of 44 teachers from 11 primary schools who were selected at random using the lottery method were participants in the study. Three market segments, few gardens, volumes of Flora books and primary school textbooks were also purposely referred to as data sources. The design followed was exploratory sequential descriptive type in which qualitative data were collected first followed by gathering quantitative data. Results: The total species reviewed from Flora, market survey, previous and pilot student textbooks were 112, 99, 50 and 43 respectively. The 99 surveyed plant species were identified under 79 genera, 36 families, 26 orders and two classes. Comparison of mean differences obtained from analysis of variance were found significance at F 0.05 (2, 15) and P = 0.029 as well as at F 0.05 (3, 172) and P = 6.4 x 10-24 for the measured variables. Conclusion: The study indicated that the sampled participants' knowledge gaps were wide. Only one out of four of them had the necessary knowledge on the topic. Statistical tests proved this finding to be significant at α = 0.05. The results imply that actions need to be taken right away by curriculum developers, policy makers, teacher educators and other concerned bodies to reduce the indicated wide knowledge gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses users with different lifestyles and consumer behaviour, and then segments wooden door users with different consumer preferences, to inspire wooden door companies in their product design and further research on wooden doors. In this paper, a wooden door user research questionnaire was created based on Lifestyle Theory and Consumer Behaviour Theory, and data collection was completed at Nanjing Forestry University. The collected data were analysed using cluster analysis, factor analysis, cross-over analysis, and other analysis methods. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to simplify the analysis model and process the data, and finally the wooden door users were divided into four categories. The categories were trendy home users, budget-conscious sensible users, basic needs users, and impulsive enjoyable users. Male users were found to be more likely to be "trendy home users" and "impulsive enjoyable users," while female users were more likely to be "budget-conscious sensible users" and "trendy home users." For the number of users, the "trendy home users" were the most numerous, followed by the "budget-conscious sensible users." The age of wooden door users in this study was mainly distributed between 21 to 30 years old, of which "freelancers" accounted for the highest percentage.

Much scholarly attention has been paid to Airbnb's influence on the hotel industry. However, extant studies have limitations because they consider only Airbnb while overlooking various other short-term vacation rental players that can also affect performance of hotels. To address this research gap, this study aims to provide a broader understanding of the impacts of short-term vacation rentals by analyzing data obtained from various vacation rental platforms. This study shows that while increase in short-term vacation rentals has an overall negative effect on hotel performance, the economic effect is more significant in the low-end market than in the high-end market. Our findings further reveal that the negative effect is reduced when there is a large price difference between short-term vacation rentals and hotels. By comprehensively examining multiple sources of data on hotels and vacation rentals, this study brings alternative perspectives to the attention of researchers for further investigation of vacation rentals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. Scientific substantiation and development of the optimal recipe and technology for the production of muffins using functional ingredients to better meet the needs of the consumers. Methods. Standard methods of analysis were used for the research. The quality of finished food products was controlled by organoleptic, physicochemical parameters. The results of experimental studies were subjected to statistical processing using standard Microsoft Office software packages. Results. In the research, the technology of muffins has been improved due to the use of functional ingredients. The relevance of creating low-calorie muffins has been substantiated in order to embrace a bigger market segment of consumers. The effect of these additives on the properties of muffins has been determined. A study of organoleptic and physicochemical quality indicators, calculation of nutritional and energy value has been carried out. The socio-economic effect of the introduction of the proposed muffin recipes into production is presented. Conclusions. The expediency of using locust tree beans powder -- carob and using stevia with erythritol to improve the taste and nutritional value of muffins has been confirmed. A recipe has been developed and the technological scheme for the production of muffins has been improved. The introduction of the proposed technology will allow expanding the range of flour confectionery products with increased biological value to enable the manufacturer to exert sufficient influence on the end consumer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over recent years, the demand for livestock products in Ethiopia is increasing; most of this demand is coming from urban centers, especially from Addis Ababa, as the buyers are demanding better quality and more hygienic produce. This has fueled interest in better quality animal feed, mainly from larger-scale commercial livestock producers. With this background, there has been interest in stimulating plant-based protein production that can be incorporated into livestock feed. Small quantities of lupins are grown (less than 20,000 ton per year) in the North Western part of Ethiopia for human consumption. These lupins are bitter due to their alkaloid concentration and are unsuitable for livestock feed. If non-bitter (sweet) varieties are grown, then they could be a source of protein for animals as is the case in some countries, such as Australia. The Ethiopian market for livestock feed was surveyed and segmented to evaluate the opportunities for lupins. The survey revealed that the livestock sector in Ethiopia is suffering from feed shortage both in terms of quality and quantity. Lupin, as a potential protein source feed has an opportunity to be incorporated into the livestock feed industry. Currently it is estimated that if sweet lupins were available, the short-term demand from commercial livestock producers and feed processors market segment is 20,000 t/year. In the medium-term, it is expected that as the national poultry production expands, there will be an increased demand from the large feed mill factories to around 35,000 to 40,000 t/year grain for high quality protein such as lupin. It is recommended that the already started sweet lupin promotion in the country has to be done at scale. In addition, production of sweet lupin in Ethiopia should be focused on the commercial farming sector and the marketing should be through the large-scale processors or direct to large-scale livestock producers.

Today, the use of machine learning technology in combination with the use of big data are topics that are actively discussed in business around the world. This topic has long gone beyond the information sphere, as it now applies to almost every sphere of life: economic, telecommunications, education, medicine, administration, and especially defense. Predicting customer behavior based on scoring models is in its infancy in Ukrainian companies, the main ones being the introduction of artificial intelligence technologies and machine learning, which will be the leading catalyst that will facilitate decision-making in business in the nearest future. The aim of the study is to develop a scoring model that predicts the behavior of target segments, namely, updating their activity to activate advertising tools. To achieve the goal of the work a set of research methods was used: dialectical – to reveal the theoretical foundations of models and types of forecasting models; analytical – in the study of the functioning of the environment SAS, Anaconda; optimization methods – to choose the best model and generate features. Scientific novelty and theoretical significance lie in the development of a scoring model for predicting the activity of subscribers of the telecommunications company “VF Ukraine”, on the basis of which marketing campaigns are conducted. With the help of the built-in scoring model, the company “VF Ukraine” can target its campaigns to retain subscribers. The marketing directorate of the enterprise can choose the TOP-20 or TOP-30 of the most prone subscribers to non-resumption of activity, i.e., tend to switch to other mobile operators, and hold promotions for them – providing additional gifts and bonuses, money to mobile account.

In the post-pandemic context, there is a notable lack of in-depth investigation on transport attributes influencing college student tourists' mode choices for medium to long-distance journeys. Based on the stated-preference survey data, this study addresses this oversight by developing latent class nested logit models to simultaneously accommodate individuals' preference heterogeneity and the potential substitution effects among coach, normal-speed train, high-speed train, and airline. Two distinct latent market segments were identified: Pro-convenience and Pro-experience , each displaying unique travel preferences measured by elasticity, first difference and willingness-to-pay. Influential factors in mode choice were found to be travel cost, access time, in-vehicle time, service frequency, and seat comfort, while females showing a higher preference for seat comfort. Advance arrival time, defined as the pre-departure waiting period at the station or airport, was found to be an insignificant factor for student travellers' mode choices. Our findings both support and challenge existing theories in consumer travel behaviour. This research provides nuanced insights into college student tourists' mode choices, proposing practical strategies for enhancing low-carbon public transportation, therefore facilitating the transportation, tourism and environmental sustainability. • Develop latent class nested logit model to estimate student traveller mode choice. • Concurrently accommodate preference heterogeneity and transport substitution effect. • Uncovered Pro-convenience and Pro-experience student travel segments. • Provide policy suggestions for sustainable development of transportation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arousing by the increasingly serious environmental pollution and public health problems, social consumers are becoming more environmentally responsible. Consumers' environmental concerns may have an important effect on electric vehicles (EVs) adoption behaviour in dual-distribution channels supply chain under the background of the platform economy. This study constructs a benchmark model to illustrate how a strategic firm makes profit-maximising pricing decisions with heterogeneous consumers on environmental concerns. Further mathematical derivation and numerical study illustrated the relationships between environmental concerns and the manufacturer's pricing strategy, subsidy effect, social welfare, and EVs adoption. The results show that the impact of environmental concerns on EVs adoption may not always be as positive as previously presented in the literature. The effect of environmental concerns on the manufacturer's pricing strategy, subsidy effect, and social welfare are different in different critical boundaries. Several suggestions to promote green and sustainable supply chain management about EVs are also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the literature confirms the existence of a green premium, various researchers have acknowledged the importance of homogeneity in the dataset used for premium assessment. This study developed a systematic approach to extract a sales subsample containing transactions from green-certified apartments and their most similar counterparts based on cluster analysis. The study applied k-means and PAM clustering algorithms to split an extensive sales sample of 81,605 transactions into sales subsamples. A sales subsample containing transactions from green-certified apartments and their peers was extracted and used for green premium estimation. The results indicate that through cluster analysis, a market segment containing above 80% of the total housing transactions from green-certified apartments could be identified. Through the hedonic model, a green premium of 26.2% was identified from the entire sales sample (no market segmentation). However, this value was reduced to 12.2 and 17.8% when estimated from a sales subsample extracted through k-means and PAM clustering, respectively. These findings have implications for the close assessment of green certification impact on the sale prices. In addition, they can also serve as an indicator of housing categories that need extra effort to promote green practices in that particular market segment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many people have switched to gardening as their new hobby during the COVID-19 pandemic, including Filipinos. With its increasing popularity, Filipinos called the new hobbyists "plantitas" and "plantitos" instead of the old-fashioned term "plant people". Among different plants, succulents are one of the most popular for plant lovers as they can thrive with even minimal care, making them suitable to be an indoor/outdoor plant. This study aims to determine the various preferences of plantitas and plantitos based on succulent attributes using a conjoint analysis approach, and to discover the market segments using a k-means clustering approach. The attributes presented in this study are the types of succulents, succulent variegation, price, size of the succulent (in terms of diameter), size of the pot, pot material, and payment method. The conjoint analysis results indicated that the price was the attribute that significantly affected consumer buying behavior, followed by the diameter size of the succulent. On the other hand, the k-means cluster analysis identified three customer segments based on the buying frequency of customers, namely high-value customers, core-value customers, and lower-value customers. A marketing strategy for succulent sellers was proposed based on these segmentations, particularly on how to gain and attract more customers. This study is one of the first studies that analyzed the preferences related to succulent attributes. Finally, the conjoint analysis approach and k-means clustering in this study can be utilized to analyze succulent preferences worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most enterprises focus on product portfolio management (PPM) and exclude market portfolio management, and individual markets are selected solely based on financial performance which may not be appropriate because other factors may dictate the outcome of the market selection. This study proposes a market portfolio model that considers market share, market growth, market competition, market risk, and market cost to maximize overall profit. A three-stage approach is proposed to identify potential product markets using an AI algorithm. A set of the most promising market is then determined based on the results of Stage 1 using a fuzzy multi-objective mathematical programming model by concurrently maximizing the total market share and market growth, and minimizing the market competition and market risk. A single-objective mathematical programming model is then used to determine a market portfolio to maximize the total profit using the results for Stage 2. The single-objective model is tested using two sets of threshold constraints. The balance of the market portfolio is discussed and the results are compared. The novelty of the article: (1) the first study involves a product market portfolio, (2) the decision of market selection is scientific (using AI instead of personal judgment), holistic (factors include market share, growth, competition, risk, cost, and profit) and optimized (using mathematical optimization), and (3) the market portfolio maximizes total profit. (4) the proposed method produces a portfolio with a higher profit than the TOPSIS method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The main purpose of this conceptual paper is to identify and explain the technique of branding “Halal” as a marketing strategy to reach and capture a certain market segment (niche), particularly Muslims. Design/methodology/approach – The approach of this paper is descriptive based on literature survey as well as the author’s own opinion, experience and judgment. Findings – In many cases, particularly in food market, the term “Halal” is being used to attract the Muslim customers’ religious feelings rather than providing them cost-effective value products. Research limitations/implications – The paper is expected to contribute to the theoretical base, as it focuses on the use of religious sentiments in marketing that is worth further research conduction. Practical implications – The arguments of this paper can be used by the producers of “Halal” products in including certain features that might satisfy the demands of religious Muslims regarding food products. Social implications – This paper can be contributive for the greater needs regarding societal and Islamic values. Originality/value – This paper is one of the initial attempts to highlight the religious feelings to attract a specific market segment.

This study aims to identify the market segment of Ibis Styles Bali Legian Hotel and to find out the digital marketing strategy through the mobile application in increasing room sales. This study used descriptive qualitative research methods and used primary data through interviews, observations, documentation and questionnaires. The results showed that the market segments at Ibis Styles Bali Legian were mostly FIT (Free Independence Travelers) from the Distribution and inbound segments, and the majority of tourists from Australia. The digital marketing strategy through the mobile application in increasing room sales were through promotion of products and services for brand awareness, strengthening online reputation and traffic growth, through social media, online banners on the landing page, optimization of SEO, SEM and keywords to facilitate searches/browses, collaborate with influencers and travel bloggers as well as provide extra benefits in transactions made through mobile applications. With this strategy, impacting the reservations via mobile applications is dominating the market segment by 85% of the total market and increase the sales from year to year.

DC- Microgrid has been widely developed for the distribution system. Energy utilizing device is easily integrated on DC – Microgrid to minimize losses in ease. In recent years, due to power distribution, -multiple energy sources are connected to DC-Microgrid. The connection of multi-sources deviates in power sharing and voltage performance is the significant challenges. To enhance the good quality of power and higher system efficiency, control strategies play a vital role. The main focus of this work is on DC-Microgrid control techniques. The conventional droop control has low current sharing and accuracy. To sort out the drawbacks, an improved primary controller is enhanced for better power sharing and accuracy. To achieve stable and dynamic current sharing scheme, secondary control strategies are reviewed. Further Multi-layer and Virtual control strategies for good voltage regulation have been reviewed. The purpose of this review is to represent on the hierarchical control structure of the DC microgrid and its three-level control architecture and this study explores distributed, centralized, decentralized, and hierarchical control techniques and discusses their strengths and weakness.

Formalized breeding schemes are a key component of breeding program design and a gateway to conducting plant breeding as a quantitative process. Unfortunately, breeding schemes are rarely defined, expressed in a quantifiable format, or stored in a database. Furthermore, the continuous review and improvement of breeding schemes is not routinely conducted in many breeding programs. Given the rapid development of novel breeding methodologies, it is important to adopt a philosophy of continuous improvement regarding breeding scheme design. Here, we discuss terms and definitions that are relevant to formalizing breeding pipelines, market segments and breeding schemes, and we present a software tool, Breeding Pipeline Manager, that can be used to formalize and continuously improve breeding schemes. In addition, we detail the use of continuous improvement methods and tools such as genetic simulation through a case study in the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Cassava east-Africa pipeline. We successfully deploy these tools and methods to optimize the program size as well as allocation of resources to the number of parents used, number of crosses made, and number of progeny produced. We propose a structured approach to improve breeding schemes which will help to sustain the rates of response to selection and help to deliver better products to farmers and consumers.

Formalized breeding schemes are a key component of breeding program design and a gateway to conducting plant breeding as a quantitative process. Unfortunately, breeding schemes are rarely defined, expressed in a quantifiable format, or stored in a database. Furthermore, the continuous review and improvement of breeding schemes is not routinely conducted in many breeding programs. Given the rapid development of novel breeding methodologies, it is important to adopt a philosophy of continuous improvement regarding breeding scheme design. Here, we discuss terms and definitions that are relevant to formalizing breeding pipelines, market segments and breeding schemes, and we present a software tool, Breeding Pipeline Manager, that can be used to formalize and continuously improve breeding schemes. In addition, we detail the use of continuous improvement methods and tools such as genetic simulation through a case study in the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Cassava east-Africa pipeline. We successfully deploy these tools and methods to optimize the program size as well as allocation of resources to the number of parents used, number of crosses made, and number of progeny produced. We propose a structured approach to improve breeding schemes which will help to sustain the rates of response to selection and help to deliver better products to farmers and consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing interest in developing a standing timber insurance market because of natural catastrophes and climate change, yet private forests are rarely insured worldwide. Landowner preferences for standing timber insurance's multiple attributes are essential to study the insurance demand. We use conjoint analysis to elicit the preferences and to measure the importance and value of attribute levels. We find that insurance premium is the most relevant and important attribute, followed by insurance coverage and deductible. The willingness‐to‐pay for the broadest insurance coverage and the lowest deductible can be as high as $2.54 per $1000 and $1.89 per $1000, respectively. We identify four market segments corresponding to landowner preferences: (a) premium desirers who are price sensitive; (b) provider pickers who prefer government providing insurance; (c) coverage seekers who concern perils; and (d) balanced buyers who consider price, deductible and coverage equally. This study provides useful information on the demand for standing timber insurance which allows the market to design policies to better meet landowners' needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some enterprises recently start to offer the flexible trade-in option to attract customers from competitors, in contrast to the simple one that only allows them to return used products to the same manufacturers for new. Based on analytical and numerical analyses, this study compares the environmental impacts of two trade-in strategies (simple versus flexible) in combination with different carbon tax policies. From the perspective of consumer switching behaviour, a Hotelling model with two market segments is established. Under the flexible trade-in strategy, the carbon emission of enterprises turns out to be significantly higher than that under the simple trade-in strategy. An appropriate carbon tax policy, especially with preferential tax rates on green products, is capable of guiding enterprises to choose a more environment-friendly trade-in strategy included in the model. The findings fill the research gap in comparing the pros and cons of simple and flexible trade-in strategies in terms of sustainable development, and provide managers and policy-makers the insights on how to promote the healthy development of the remanufacturing industry with trade-in strategizing and carbon taxation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper shows relationships between the characteristics of residents and the places, where they live. A combination of three criteria of place attractiveness (retention and attraction, conditions for natural growth, and settling) was chosen to classify places, and profiles of their beneficiaries on the theoretical level. The results of the empirical study partially con­firm the developed theoretical typologies. Two methods to segment place market are equal only if expectations of population are constant. Study results allow place marketers to identify emerging shifts in the structure of beneficiaries of specific places and predict their further evolution.

Agrifood chains that are based on the values defined by end consumers are able to secure a competitive edge over other chains, but securing that competitive edge requires a thorough understanding of the consumers and their value preferences. This study was conducted with a view to understanding domestic apple consumers in Malang, Indonesia, and using that information to guide the opportunities for domestic apple supply chain development in Indonesia. Data were collected through an intercept survey of 200 apple consumers. The survey was designed to identify the respondents’ consumption and buying patterns, as well as their attribute preferences for domestic apple compared to imported apple. Respondents were segmented based on their demographic profile and their value preferences for the domestic apple. Three significantly different clusters of domestic apple consumers were identified: the ‘indifferent consumers’ disregarded the importance of most attributes of domestic apples; the ‘pro-sensory consumers’ valued sensory attributes more than search attributes; and the ‘value seeking consumers’ rated most of the value attributes as important in making a purchase. This study identifies the need for value chain members to adopt practices along the chain that enhance particular attributes of domestic apples in order to increase value for each consumer segment.

Purpose. The purpose of the article is the formation of homogeneous clusters of agro-industrial enterprises, based on certain criteria, which function effectively in the relevant market segment of Ukraine as a basis for ensuring effective strategic management. Methodology / approach. The research was conducted on the basis of data on the results of the activity of Ukrainian agro-industrial enterprises and informational resources with the help of such general scientific and special methods of cognition: system analysis, generalization, grouping, synthesis, induction, modeling, clusterization. The main obtained results are reflected using the graphical method. Results. Using the cluster analysis, the distribution of the main agribusiness enterprises into four clusters was substantiated, the criteria for their classification according to the established indicators were determined. The characteristic of each cluster is given, depending on the average values of the indicators on the size and efficiency of the enterprises activity, the relevant segments of the market are identified. Originality / scientific novelty. The clustering of the leading agro-industrial enterprises of Ukraine was performed for the first time, the number of clusters was justified, the minimum and maximum values of the criteria of clustering companies were determined. Four clusters were formed, indicating their quantitative indicators, diagrams were constructed based on their average values. Practical value / implications. The formed clusters of agribusiness enterprises provide an opportunity to determine the position in this market and to set priorities for further development of business entities, which in turn is the basis for defining and forming goals, tasks, key factors of success and competitive strategies of companies.

This paper studies the optimal prices and quality of new and remanufactured products, and especially discusses the quality adjustment of the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in a new market segment that consists of the indifferent segment and the new product only segment. Consumers in the first segment have the same willingness to pay for new and remanufactured products, while consumers in the second segment are only willing to purchase new products. We use the proportion of consumers in the indifferent segment accounting for all consumers to segment the market. We present game models and employ backward induction to derive the optimal prices and quality in three scenarios: the monopolist OEM no‐remanufacturing, the monopolist OEM remanufacturing, and an OEM no‐remanufacturing but an independent remanufacturer (IR) remanufacturing. When the OEM or the IR remanufactures, we find that the OEM cannot lower the product quality. In addition, we compare the optimal quality between the unsegmented and segmented market for each scenario. The results show the OEM should increase its product quality under certain conditions after the OEM realizes that there is a segmented market. Furthermore, we conduct numerical analyses to discuss the impact of related parameters on practitioners' profits, which provides more guidelines for practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Panama Canal (PC) expansion will have an impact on trading patterns and the manner in which goods are transported around the world. Once the third set of locks at the Canal began their operation, it was clear that the way in which vessels transited the canal and their maximum dimensions were going to change. As such, the expanded Canal will undoubtedly mean that a new kind of vessel will come into existence. In terms of dimensions, these Neopanamax ships will be adapted to how the locks operate. However, this effect will not be the same across the full range of traffic. After the first transit on 26 June 2016, it was possible to obtain access to transit data for Neopanamax ships. A thorough statistical study of these new datasets would involve analysing how these new locks impact the vessel size and seaborne transport.

With the increase in complexity of real problems, more and more, the decision makers are involved remarkably in the decision-making processes. It is required more efficient technique or tool to give reliable outcomes. This paper proposes a new dissimilarity measure on picture fuzzy sets. A multi-criteria decision-making problem is utilized to apply this new measure to select the optimal alternative. Finally, an example uses the proposed measure to evaluate and select the optimal market segment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research used a survey of 995 US households to explore how dairy milk and plant-based beverage substitutes were consumed. Long-term trends of declining beverage milk consumption have been exacerbated in recent years by increasing consumption of plant-based beverages. Although beverage milk consumption has been declining, total dairy consumption in the United States continues to increase, driven by growth in sales of cheese, butter, and yogurt. Using k -means cluster analysis, 3 consumption clusters for US households were identified. The largest cluster, consisting of 61.6% of households, consumed dairy milk with some regularity and consumed little or no plant-based beverages. A second cluster, flexitarian households, consisting of 15.6% of respondent households, frequently consumed both dairy milk and plant-based beverages. The third cluster, plant-based consumers, consisting of 22.8% of households, consumed almost exclusively plant-based beverages. Examining differences in demographics between clusters, flexitarian households were larger, more likely to include young children, more likely to include a vegetarian or vegan, and more liberal than traditional dairy-consuming households. Plant-based households had many similarities to flexitarian households. The flexitarian and plant-based clusters were willing to substitute plant-based beverages for dairy milk for almost all consumption uses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many countries have main pipeline systems that deliver hydrocarbon deposits from fields to their places of consumption and for export. Pipelines during operation require constant maintenance, industrial safety monitoring, repair, and protection. An accident there entails significant loss of product, additional financial costs, tangible environmental damage, and, in some cases, loss of life. To prevent it, it is necessary to use various types of monitoring, including aerospace. In addition to existing control methods, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) of a helicopter type with a long flight range can become a modern high-tech tool for solving problems of monitoring main pipelines. For a helicopter manufacturing enterprise, this is a new perspective area in diversifying its production and commercial activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to explore the market segment of private hospitals in Bulgaria, providing operational activities to health insured persons on the occasion of breast cancer. Methodology: the Pareto principle. Results: Thirty-nine private hospitals were studied in the following aspects: concluded contracts with the health insurance fund for treatment of breast cancer and volume of operative activity. Discussion: Contracts between private hospitals and the health fund for breast cancer surgery account for thirty-three percent and their activity for sixteen percent of other hospitals. Applying the Pareto principle, it was found that twelve hospitals, from university cities, make up twenty percent of the vital few where the activity is concentrated. Twenty-seven hospitals make up eighty percent with an operating volume between one and ninety operations. The most important "twenty percent of twenty percent" for breast surgery are formed by private hospitals in university cities. Eighty percent are hospitals that have performed about one hundred or one hundred and twenty surgical interventions in the four-year period, which corresponds to thirty operations per year or two and a half operations per month. Conclusion: The market segment of the private sector for providing surgical treatment of breast cancer is characterized by inefficient contractual process, distorted form of territorial organization, uneven distribution of financial resources (small private structures) and unreliable guarantees for the quality of surgical activity in the latter. The managerial connection between the two main elements of the health system is broken: "doctor (hospital) - patient". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Quality Function Deployment (QFD) problem is an effective tool for translating the customer's voice into product characteristics, which reduces production costs and improves customer satisfaction. The purpose of this paper is to put forward a new similarity measure based on the concept of interval neutrosophic sets and propose a novel decision making model that combines QFD and similarity measure to evaluate and select market segments. The interval neutrosophic set is used to express the importance of criteria WHATs, technical characteristics HOWs, correlations of WHATs and HOWs and the aggregated rating of each market segment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article considers issues of a detailed study and analysis of staff motivation and enterprise competitiveness. It has been determined that in the globalizing business environment along with highly efficient mechanisms to disseminate information about the way firms compete, labor force is what becomes the most important source of competitive advantage in the market. It has been proven that production depends on the quality of labor force, the level of interest in the management of enterprise, and the forms of its use. Staff management is becoming increasingly important as a factor in increasing the competitiveness of an enterprise. The structural-logical scheme of formation of a system for motivation of the communications operator staff has been proposed for implementing in practice, which is based on the understanding that human resource is the main factor in ensuring the competitive advantages of enterprise that determine the success of the chosen development strategy.

The selection of the target market plays vital role in promoting the marketing strategies of companies. We presented is a method for target market selection. We introduce some novel similarity measures between intuitionistic fuzzy sets and the novel similarity measures between interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy sets. They are constructed by combining exponential and other functions. Finally, we introduce a multi-criteria decision making model to select target market by using the novel similarity measure of interval intuitionistic fuzzy sets.

The paper shows relationships between the characteristics of residents and the places, where they live. A combination of three criteria of place attractiveness (retention and attraction, conditions for natural growth, and settling) was chosen to classify places, and profiles of their beneficiaries on the theoretical level. The results of the empirical study partially confirm the developed theoretical typologies. Two methods to segment place market are equal only if expectations of population are constant. Study results allow place marketers to identify emerging shifts in the structure of beneficiaries of specific places and predict their further evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the report is to presents a model for profit optimization and management, which takes into account both the quantity of sales, prices, costs and other factors, as well as new factors related to market and competitors - market share, prices, quality and marketing costs of competitors and others. There are listed features, limitations and advantages of the model. For more clarity, the presentation of the model is accompanied by two main types of tasks related to optimal prices, strategies and costs for the industrial enterprise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With inductive analysis of relevant statistics and literature, this paper reveals an elite middle-age Chinese cohort of significant size, with ample buying power and considerable discretionary time to support the outbound travel of themselves and their children. This middle age group has experienced a time of dramatic change in recent years causing a transformation of traditional livelihood activities and lifestyles. Associated changes in wealth and values contribute to overseas travel proclivities that could entail both positive and negative impacts for both host and guest. The depiction of the current status and potential development in Chinese outbound travel suggests that this group could possibly form a '3rd wave' of Chinese outbound tourists. The segmentation based on generation cohort and social status is particularly suitable in helping the tourism industry service providers in identifying market characteristics for marketing, product development and comprehensive destination development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purchase behavior and preferences for consumers of fresh apples were investigated using a consumer survey conducted at a special-event apple market. Survey respondents were asked to list apple cultivars they had purchased at the retail market and the special-event market. The special-event market offered many uncommon cultivars packed in clear plastic bags with a fixed weight and price. Respondents were also asked to identify their reasons for selection of each apple cultivar and answer demographic questions. A total of 169 customers completed the survey. Profiles of customers were identified using multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), and the impact of the change in available apple cultivars on consumers’ purchase behavior was explored. Consumers primarily indicated four main reasons in the selection of their apples: visual appearance, previous experience, taste/aroma, and texture. The first two reasons, evaluated before eating an apple, were loaded on the first MCA dimension, while the last two reasons (i.e., eating quality) were loaded on the second dimension in data from both marketplaces. HCA identified five classes of customers in both markets, and results indicated that similar market segments existed within the two marketplaces, regardless of the availability of apple cultivars.

One of the famous heritages in Jambi Province is Muarajambi Heritage which established as one of tourist destination. Hence, rural tourism that determines by social entrepreneurship potencies is considered to be marketing tool. So, research question: “Is social entrepreneur potential to implement rural tourism at that heritage tourist destination? This research mainly uses qualitative method that adding information by delivered questionnaires to the citizen surrounding the heritage. In-depth interview is conducted to several key stakeholders in order to craft heritage value to be delivered as a model for rural tourism. The results shows that: 1) local people and community do not comprehend and perceived their role on the local government heritage program, 2) value that delivered by related officials is not clear enough so it prevents local citizen and community to be involved, and 3) coordination between government affairs is not well conducted to manage tourism program. These make social entrepreneurship is not well implemented yet to be established as rural tourism practices on marketing program. Hence it is recommended to reformulate heritage value to be delivered to potential segment market creatively. Furthermore, it should consider global and universal attribute in order to sustain it as the rural tourism destination.

Market segmentation is one of the most important things a company does and generally it is done by the marketing department of the firm. The main aim of segmentation is to appeal to the potential customers and then to concentrate efforts and money in an effective way. It helps in designing satisfying product for the selective group. It also helps in defining the market position of the product in highly competitive world. Segmentation helps in understanding needs and wants of the group, positioning, selecting efficient marketing mix and effective use of capital and increasing profitability by maximising customer satisfaction. There are many ways to segment a market. Different variables can be taken into consideration separately or with combination of two or more which will help in finding the best way to view the segment. These include demographical, geographical, purpose, behavioural and benefits method. According to Bowen, Harrah (1998) demographic and geographic are the most favoured methods of segmenting a market in international hospitality. This paper has been completed with the help of secondary data - Journal, Case Studies, Books and guides on Hospitality Marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Managing agri-food chains based on the value defined by end consumers provides competitive advantage but requires a thorough understanding of consumers and their value preferences. This study was conducted to identify consumer preferences for apples and to segment consumers so that findings could be used to guide domestic apple value chain development in Indonesia. Data were collected through an intercept survey of 200 apple consumers in Malang, Indonesia. Three significantly different clusters of domestic apple consumers were identified. The 'indifferent consumers' disregarded the importance of most attributes of domestic apples, while 'pro-sensory consumers' valued sensory attributes more than search attributes. 'Value-conscious consumers' rated most of the value attributes as important in making a purchase. This study identifies the need for adopting practices along the chain that enhance particular attributes of domestic apples so as to increase value for each consumer segment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies of the social construction of markets have not determined which social environments, which we refer to as proximate social space, are most likely to trigger social construction processes. We find that U.S. nonprofit fiscal sponsors respond to greater potential for category emergence when proximate social space is defined by geography but not by market segment. Further, in addition to responding to potential claimants based on geographic peers, organizations also respond to actual claimants based on peers in the market segment. The pattern suggests that geographic social proximity triggers initial label claiming, which in turn triggers responses from market segment peers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]