Search

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the best predictor of firm performance among different proxies. A sample of 287 Czech firms was taken from automobile, construction, and manufacturing sectors. Panel data of the firms was acquired from the Albertina database for the time period from 2016 to 2020. Three different proxies of firm performance, return of assets (RoA), return of equity (RoE), and return of capital employed (RoCE) were used as dependent variables. Including three proxies of firm’s performance, 16 financial ratios were measured based on the previous literature. A machine learning-based decision tree algorithm, Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detector (CHAID), was deployed to gauge each proxy’s efficacy and examine the best proxy of the firm performance. A partitioning rule of 70:30 was maintained, which implied that 70% of the dataset was used for training and the remaining 30% for testing. The results revealed that return on assets (RoA) was detected to be a robust proxy to predict financial performance among the targeted indicators. The results and the methodology will be useful for policy-makers, stakeholders, academics and managers to take strategic business decisions and forecast financial performance.

The study revisits the predictors of consumers’ intentions to use peer-to-peer accommodation (P2PA) services and accents the impact of positive emotional responses from COVID-19 crisis response communication efforts adopted by P2PA service providers. An online scenario-based survey was carried out among 265 consumers from the Philippines. The results of the analysis reveal that peer-to-peer accommodation usage intentions remain driven by perceived economic benefits, environmental benefits, and trust while dismissing the desire for social interaction. Emotions elicited from crisis response communication affect consumer psychology and behavior; hence, service providers should aptly communicate crisis response efforts along the route to crisis recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant and enduring effect on the tourism industry, specifically impacting travel agencies. To respond effectively, it is essential to comprehend the financial repercussions and challenges that these agencies confront. This study seeks to address existing gaps in knowledge by conducting a comprehensive examination of the tourism industry's financial performance in the post-COVID-19 era. Our methodology utilizes a Difference-In-Difference (D-I-D) approach, considering multiple investigations to establish a causal connection between the pandemic and the financial stability of tourism service providers. We analyse changes in the overall financial health of the tourism industry relative to other sectors both before and after the COVID-19 outbreak using Altman Z scores. Furthermore, we assess accounting harmonization across diverse jurisdictions and financial frameworks (IFRS, US GAAP, Czech GAAP, German HGB). Data is sourced from 11 multinational corporations in the tourism sector, supplemented with financial data from sectors such as Automotive, Manufacturing, Food and beverage, and Real Estate. Our empirical findings indicate that non-tourism entities experienced a 19% lower likelihood of bankruptcy post-COVID-19. This finding underscores the uniqueness of the tourism industry's challenges during the pandemic. In addition to these findings, we provide practical recommendations designed to assist companies in the tourism industry as they navigate the recovery phase following the pandemic. These insights are pivotal in enabling the industry to build resilient strategies and ensure its sustainability in a post-pandemic landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of halogenated podands (P1–P8) have been synthesized from 1,3,5-tris(bromomethyl)mesitylene and halogen-substituted phenols to study the structure-directing roles of C–H hydrogen bonds and halogen bonds in the formation of self-assembled supramolecular frameworks. The ethereal podands are suitable for the study of C–H hydrogen bonds in the crystalline state due to the presence of three different types of C–H donors, such as methyl, methylene, and aromatic –CH groups, and three different types of acceptors such as ethereal oxygen, halogens, and aromatic rings. Single crystal X-ray structures of three halophenyl-functionalized podands (P2, P3 and P4) and a cyanophenyl-functionalized podand (P9) were determined at room temperature (298 K), and detailed Hirshfeld surface analysis of the crystal structures was performed to quantify the close contact contributions (in %) from different types of non-covalent interactions involved in the self-assembly of podands. The crystal structures of the halophenyl-functionalized podands (P2, P3, and P4) showed self-assembly primarily via intermolecular C–H⋯O, C–H⋯π, and halogen bonding interactions. Hirshfeld surface analysis of the crystal structures revealed significantly higher contributions from H⋯C and H⋯X (X = halogen) close contacts in comparison to H⋯O and X⋯C close contacts in 2D-fingerprint plots. The self-assembly of the cyanophenyl-functionalized podand (P9) was largely governed by intermolecular C–H⋯O and C–H⋯N interactions. The podand crystals showed relatively high thermal stability in thermogravimetry analysis (250–290 °C), which can be attributed to the hydrogen and halogen bond assisted formation of 3D supramolecular frameworks. 19F-NMR spectra of tetraethylammonium fluoride in the presence of an equivalent amount of tris(2-halophenoxymethyl)mesitylene podand (P5 or P6) showed a downfield shift of the fluoride signal (Δδ 3.2 ppm) indicating C–X⋯F− halogen bonding in solution. Further, 19F-NMR spectra of hydrogen bifluoride (HF2−) in the presence of P5 or P6 showed a large upfield shift of ≈21–22 ppm suggesting C–X⋯F−⋯H–F halogen bonding in solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study responds to the paucity of understanding of tourists' attitudes toward peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation services in less-developed economies. By gaining insights into the extant literature, the study proposes and tests a research model that accents the impact of perceived economic benefits, social incentives, and trust on consumers’ attitudes towards P2P accommodation. Notably, it also explores the potential attitudinal effect of the new materialist lifestyle. Data were collected through a web-based survey involving 112 consumers aware of P2P accommodation with prior domestic tourism experience in the Philippines. Partial least squares structural equation modelling technique was employed for data analysis. The findings reveal that only economic benefits and trust perceptions can predict consumers’ attitudes towards P2P accommodation services. Considering this, accommodation providers should continue to emphasize the economic value of their services to expand the customer base. Additionally, platform and accommodation providers can also enhance trust-building initiatives to reduce consumers' risk perceptions potentially aggravated by the ongoing pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Transformations in Business & Economics is the property of Vilnius University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Over the last few years, more and more people have been using YouTube videos to experience virtual reality travel. Many individuals utilize comments to voice their ideas or criticize a subject on YouTube. The number of replies to 360-degree and unidirectional videos is enormous and might differ between the two kinds of videos. This presents the problem of efficiently evaluating user opinions with respect to which type of video will be more appealing to viewers, positive comments, or interest. This paper aims to study SentiStrength-SE and SenticNet7 techniques for sentiment analysis. The findings demonstrate that the sentiment analysis obtained from SenticNet7 outperforms that from SentiStrength-SE. It is revealed through the sentiment analysis that sentiment disparity among the viewers of 360-degree and unidirectional videos is low and insignificant. Furthermore, the study shows that unidirectional videos garnered the most traffic during COVID-19 induced global travel bans. The study elaborates on the capacity of unidirectional videos on travel and the implications for industry and academia. The second aim of this paper also employs a Convolutional Neural Network and Random Forest for sentiment analysis of YouTube viewers' comments, where the sentiment analysis output by SenticNet7 is used as actual values. Cross-validation with 10-folds is employed in the proposed models. The findings demonstrate that the max-voting technique outperforms compared with an individual fold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Job security for most working population is crucial in ensuring living standards. The main goal of this article is to find out, based on the analysis of employment, unemployment, vacancies, and wages in various job categories in the Czech Republic between 2015 and 2022, which job groups are most prone to job insecurity and job loss. Data from the Information System on Average Earnings (ISPV) and MLSA portal were used to analyse the structure of job seekers and job vacancies and to establish employment and wages. Data were processed using descriptive statistical methods. An evaluation of the variance was performed among the selected variables. A t-test was used to measure differences in job security between the observed employment categories. The results show that higher-skilled worker requirements characterize the best job classes regarding job security and wages. On the other hand, the unstable job categories with high unemployment rates and low wage rates were support and unqualified jobs and service and sales jobs. A final important finding is that firms are creating jobs with low educational requirements, which may indicate stagnation in future job innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur, India, located at the height of 150 meters above the surrounding sandy plains, is one of the city's most prominent monuments built over the Jodhpur group-Malani-Igneous Suite. The old city, which boasts numerous blue-painted houses, lies adjacent to the Mehrangarh Fort. The residents of the old city play a significant role in keeping the geoheritage and cultural heritage intact. The study investigates the moderating role of residents' Perception towards support for Geoheritage Tourism and Conservation in and around Mehrangarh Fort. A combination of Weber's theory of substantive and formal rationality (WTSFR) and Social Exchange Theory (SET) is used to investigate and infer the interposing and moderating role of residents' perception on the relationship between influencing factors and support for geo-heritage conservation. A PLS evaluation of the SEM reveals a substantial capacity of the residents' perception to predict support for conservation and tourism development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selective encapsulation of an anion by a hydrogen bond donor scaffold demands design and synthesis of suitable receptors which could discriminate between anions of identical size and shape or basicity. Here, we report the anion coordination chemistry of two second generation tripodal receptors (AUL and AAL) based on 1H-NMR and crystallization experiments. The tripodal urea-based receptor AUL can selectively encapsulate a hydrogenphosphate (HPO42−) dianion by six strong hydrogen bonds donated from the three urea groups. Theoretical calculations showed that AUL has the highest binding affinity for hydrogenphosphate when compared to other competitive anions (F−, CN−, CH3COO− and HSO4−). Because of its HPO42− selectivity, AUL has been successfully employed in the extraction of HPO42− from water in the presence of competitive anions (F−/OH−/CH3COO−) by anion exchange between two immiscible phases. On the other hand, the tripodal amide-based receptor AAL when crystallized in the presence of F−, CN−, CH3COO−, H2PO4− and HSO4− did not yield any hydrogen-bonded receptor–anion complex and instead crystalline AAL was precipitated in each case. 1H-NMR experiments showed significant broadening and/or downfield shift of –NH signals in AUL and AAL upon additions of F−, Cl−, CN−, CH3COO− and H2PO4− (supplied as tetraalkylammonium salts), indicative of strong hydrogen bonding interactions between –NH donors and anions in the solution-state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]