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Due to the growing demand for customised products, companies have faced increasing product and process complexity levels. To address this issue, manufacturing processes should become more flexible. One of the most promising technologies to achieve this goal is collaborative robotics (or 'cobots'). In collaborative assembly processes, human and robot combine their skills. However, the co-existence of humans and cobots in the same workspace may influence the operators' perception of assembly complexity. The analysis and control of assembly complexity are crucial to achieving better performances in terms of process quality and operators' well-being. Many qualitative methods have been proposed in the literature to provide a holistic assessment of assembly complexity. This paper proposes a novel method to define a quantitative scale of perceived assembly complexity, based on Thurstone Law of Comparative Judgements. This method was applied to an experimental case-study concerning the assembly of three different products in two modalities (i.e. manual and collaborative). Regression analysis showed that the perceived complexity may be related to the occurrence of process failures and to the perceived workload. The method also proved capable of identifying assembly processes where cobot assistance was helpful, providing process designers with a supporting tool to minimise perceived complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper assesses the impact of real exchange rate (RER) misalignment on the trade balance between the United States and China, accounting for the complexity of traded products. We employ two recent econometric techniques: the panel autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model to estimate both long – and short-run dynamics, and the dynamic panel threshold model of Seo, M. H., and Y. Shin (2016. “Dynamic Panels with Threshold Effect and Endogeneity.” Journal of Econometrics 195 (2): 169–186) to uncover potential non-linearities and identify critical thresholds that could lead to a regime shift. Using highly disaggregated trade data at the HS 06-digit level, encompassing 913 products from 2004 to 2020, our findings reveal a negative impact of RER misalignment on the United States’ trade balance with China. However, this detrimental effect is significant only in industries dealing with less complex products. In contrast, industries handling highly complex products show a notably positive impact. Furthermore, our results suggest that industries can benefit from an undervalued exchange rate only when they have a relatively high level of product complexity. Additionally, heightened product complexity can mitigate any adverse effects overvaluation might have on the trade balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern industries are experiencing radical changes due to the introduction of high technological innovations. In this context, even more highly complex and customized products are required, increasing the need of tending towards the concept of complexity for free. In addition, new products are conceived with the circular economy in mind, considering possible multi life-cycle at the early design stage to reduce time and costs while ensuring high quality standards. To evaluate the overall product complexity, this research combines geometrical, manufacturing, assembly, and disassembly complexity features, typically treated separately in the literature. The research is divided into two parts and proposes a novel methodological framework for assessing product complexity with an overall view, integrating many aspects of product life cycle. The framework aims to create a rank of product configurations, on the base of complexity. Making complexity assessment procedures objective is essential to effectively support decision-making processes, especially when introducing advanced manufacturing technologies such as Additive Manufacturing (AM). Additionally, it is necessary to know the complexity of the individual components before the overall assembly. This paper deals with the first part of the research, proposing the aforementioned novel methodological framework, with a great focus on geometrical complexity. A geometrical complexity index is defined through experimental and numerical surveys, involving CAD modeling experts and considering numerous metrics found in the technical literature. The proposed methodological framework and the geometrical complexity metric can provide useful tools for businesses looking to evaluate their product complexity and identify areas for improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the impact of product complexity, product involvement and product diagnosticity on shaping webrooming behavior in emerging fashion retailing, with product knowledge acting as a moderator and information processing, and uncertainty reduction theory contributing as the theoretical foundation. Design/methodology/approach: In total, 371 responses were collected from fashionable consumers who had recently purchased fashion products via a purposive sampling approach, and the data were analyzed using structural equation modeling and PROCESS macro. Findings: The results illustrated that product complexity had a significant impact on product involvement and product diagnosticity, and consumer attitude. Attitude, in turn, had a favorable impact on webrooming behavior. Likewise, product diagnosticity and product involvement had a positive mediating association between product complexity and consumer attitude. Product knowledge significantly moderated the relationship between product complexity, product involvement, and consumer attitude, but it exhibited a negative moderation association between product complexity, product diagnosticity, and attitude. Originality/value: This study represents a novel research endeavor, shedding light on webrooming from the perspective of product attributes in fashion retailing. It contributes to the growing body of literature on fashion marketing by analyzing the rapidly evolving phenomena of webrooming behavior within the multichannel context of the fashion industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The empirical evidence on the relationship between the real exchange rate and export performance in emerging economies is inconclusive. In this paper, we present evidence that one reason for this inconclusiveness is the use of real exchange rate (RER) measures that do not consider the heterogeneity between economic sectors. To this end, we calculate a unique sectoral bilateral RER index (SBRER) for 12 Latin American economies, which considers the variation of producer price differentials and bilateral nominal exchange rates across 21 manufacturing sectors and 38 trade partners between 2001–2018, and to estimate the effect of SBRER movements on manufacturing exports. The regression results show that the SBRER is a significant determinant of aggregate manufacturing exports, whereas the bilateral RER is not significant. Moreover, sectoral export elasticities indicate that mainly sectors with low levels of product complexity and, to a lesser extent, those of medium complexity are affected by RER movements. These findings show that it is important to consider sectoral heterogeneity when estimating RER export elasticities from a macroeconomic perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goal: This research delves into sustainable supply chain management within the context of manufacturing companies in Bangladesh, aiming to unravel the complexities and dynamics of supply chain visibility (SCV), connectivity, and their influence on economic, social, and environmental performance. Design/Methodology/Approach: Employing a contingent Resource-Based View perspective, the study develops a hierarchical model, formulates hypotheses, and conducts analyses using Smart PLS 4. It explores the interplay between supply chain connectivity, information sharing, and product complexity in influencing sustainable supply chain performance. Findings: The study reveals that supply chain connectivity positively impacts information sharing, leading to enhanced SCV. SCV, in turn, positively influences economic, social, and environmental performance. Product complexity is identified as a moderating factor in this relationship. Research Limitations/Implications: While the findings offer valuable insights, the study's focus on manufacturing companies in Bangladesh implies contextual limitations. Future research could explore diverse settings and delve deeper into the specific mechanisms driving these dynamics. Practical Implications: This study offers actionable insights for manufacturing firms in Bangladesh, emphasizing the strategic adoption of advanced IT infrastructure to bolster supply chain connectivity. By fostering a culture of real-time information sharing through ICTs, companies can optimize operational efficiency. The research also underscores the importance of tailored approaches to product complexity, providing practical guidance for navigating diverse product portfolios. These practices collectively contribute to improved economic, social, and environmental performance, positioning companies as agile and responsible players in the global supply chain. Social Implications: The study underscores the broader social implications of sustainable supply chain practices, emphasizing the need for responsible and transparent operations that balance economic prosperity, environmental responsibility, and social considerations. Originality/Value: This research contributes to the existing body of knowledge by advancing our understanding of sustainable supply chain dynamics, particularly in emerging markets. It offers original insights into the contingent relationships between supply chain connectivity, information sharing, product complexity, and sustainable performance.

Although prior research indicates that crowdsourcing is primarily beneficial for companies, this work reveals, across three studies, that quality perceptions of crowd‐sourced (vs. company‐generated) products are shaped by relationship norms: communal norms (vs. exchange norms). Study 1 indicates that developing a communal (vs. exchange) relationship with the company enhances quality perceptions of crowdsourced (vs. company‐generated) products. Study 2 shows that firms' innovation ability works as an underlying mechanism: when consumers develop a communal (vs. exchange) bond with the company, they attribute greater innovation competence to crowdsourcing (vs. company‐generated innovations). Finally, study 3 reveals that the beneficial effects of communal (vs. exchange) norms on perceived quality crowdsourced products only hold when the product innovation lacks complexity, and the effect is mitigated with high‐complexity tasks. By demonstrating the importance of relationship norms and their interaction with innovation complexity, we resolve mixed findings on consumers quality perceptions towards crowdsourcing, contributing to recent studies and further offering important implications for firms seeking to leverage crowdsourcing strategies effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global consensus on sustainable development and environmental cooperation has prompted the promotion of trade in environmental goods (EGs) for green growth. This study delves into the diversity of EGs trade patterns, using decomposed environmental technology similarity indicators to reveal the technological drivers. Linking innovation indicators to trade performance in EGs provides new insights into the determinants of inequality in environmental governance cooperation. Based on an extended gravity model, we empirically analyze their impact on bilateral EGs trade flows among 176 countries over the period 2002–2019. The study finds that (1) the global EGs trade network presents a "core-periphery" structure, with increased network density and participation of developing countries. (2) Technology similarity contributes significantly to EGs trade. Compared to competition, technology complementarity has a greater impact on EGs trade flows. (3) The influence of technology similarity varies across trade patterns and product complexity explains the mechanisms, with technology complementarity promoting more trade in high-complexity products, mainly concentrated in the trade from Northern countries, while technology competition greatly promotes the export of low-complexity products from the South. (4) Technology similarity helps to overcome information barriers in EGs trade, and its trade-enhancing effects exhibit geographical regionalization. The findings offer empirical evidence on the technological drivers of EGs trade and provide policy implications for fostering inclusive global environmental governance and enhancing the competitive advantages of Southern countries, fostering more opportunities for green growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent technological advancements allow companies to incorporate increasingly heterogeneous and interrelated features into their products, which heightens the products' complexity. In four experimental studies conducted with two product categories, this article reveals similarities and differences in terms of how the heterogeneity and interrelatedness of product features influence consumer attitudes (i.e., expected product usability and capability) and, in turn, purchase intentions. Moreover, it shows that both neglected dimensions of product complexity affect the corresponding influence of the number of product features but do so in considerably different ways. The findings suggest that companies can foster consumer adoption by deemphasizing a product's feature heterogeneity, thereby avoiding low expected product usability, and by emphasizing its feature interrelatedness, thereby promoting high expected product capability. This article provides insights into how companies can manage the complexity of products during both product design (i.e., before market launch) and product advertising and selling (i.e., after market launch). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the impact of product complexity on product lifetime. As product lifetime increases, firms have a longer time to develop new products and gain a higher return on investment. This study posits that product complexity has an effect on product lifetime and then investigates a product portfolio strategy for product complexity by using Korean mobile phone data released from 2004 to 2013. The impact of product complexity on product lifetime is investigated by pooled ordinary least squares regression. Then, we derive a product portfolio strategy that increases product complexity using panel data analysis. The results show that an increase in product complexity lengthens product lifetime and that a firm needs to design its product portfolio by concentrating its resources and capabilities on releasing products of the latest product type. The findings of this study can help a firm establish an optimal product portfolio that increases the return on investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates factors that contribute to the survival of export relationships at the firm and product levels using a large anonymised firm-level database for Latvia. It finds that some characteristics of exporting firms, such as a higher productivity level, larger size, lower indebtedness and higher profitability are associated with longer duration of export relationships. This paper also reveals the role of product characteristics for export product survival, in particular focusing on product absolute and relative complexity, as well as proximity to existing product basket. Exporting complex products improves the survival of trade relationships. However, exporting products that are more complex or distant from the firm's previous export bundle reduces the chances of survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional conceptions of state-sponsored cyber economic espionage suggest that countries with different product profiles should experience high levels of espionage between them. However, this is not what we observe empirically. Incidence of economic espionage tends to be prevalent between countries with similar product and manufacturing profiles. This suggests that we may be missing critical parts of what drives state-sponsored cyber economic espionage. To help unravel this puzzle, I develop a novel theoretical framework that proposes that because attackers seek to maximize the expected utility of stolen information, they target countries that possess similar productive capabilities as themselves. Consequently, countries with dissimilar product profiles should avoid targeting each other for espionage. I test this argument using data on states' product complexities and cyber economic espionage for a global sample of countries in a dyadic analytical framework. The results robustly show that for any pair of countries, as the complexities of their products diverge, they become significantly less likely to aim espionage attempts at each other. This study thus contributes new insights to explain why cyber economic espionage appears restricted to only a small number of advanced economies. It also illustrates the utility of large-N dyadic approaches in studying state-sponsored cyber espionage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assembly complexity assessment is a widely addressed topic in manufacturing. Several studies proved the correlation between assembly complexity and the occurrence of defects, thus justifying this increasing attention. A measure of complexity provides control over quality costs and performances. Over the years, many methods have been proposed to provide an objective measure of complexity. One of the most widely diffused is the so-called MCAT (i.e., "Manufacturing Complexity Assessment Tool") modified by Samy and ElMaraghy H. for assessing product assembly complexity. Although this method highlights some interesting aspects, it presents some critical issues. This work aims to thoroughly analyse this method, focusing on its strengths and limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the incentives for firms' obfuscation strategies and their impact on social welfare in a market with boundedly rational consumers. We assume that firms obfuscate product information, which can prevent consumers from acquiring type information. Some naive consumers in the markets exhibited limited comprehension and default bias toward higher-quality products. We show that firms chose obfuscation in all cases except those in which consumers have a strong degree of bounded rationality and more pessimistically evaluate themselves as the naive type. This means that for firms, the benefits from second-degree price discrimination are limited and obfuscation may be a more important strategy than informing. We also find that, under certain conditions, obfuscation may result in socially desirable product allocation. This result indicate that careful consideration needs to be given to policies that reduce the incentive for firms to obfuscate, such as increasing the proportion of sophisticated consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In manufacturing, complexity is considered a key aspect that should be managed from the early phases of product and system design to improve performance, including productivity, efficiency, quality, and costs. The identification of suitable methods to assess complexity has always been of interest to researchers and practitioners. As complexity is affected by several aspects of different nature, it can be assessed from objective or subjective viewpoints or a combination of both. To assess experienced complexity, the analysis relies on the subjective evaluations given by practitioners, usually expressed on nominal or ordinal scales. However, methods found in the literature often violate the properties of the scales, potentially leading to bias in the results. This paper proposes a methodology based on the analysis of categorical data using the multi expert-multi criteria decision making method. A number of criteria are adopted to assess assembly complexity and, from subjective evaluations of operators, product assembly complexity is assessed at an individual level and then, aggregating results, at a global level. A comparison between experienced complexity and an objective assessment of complexity is also performed, highlighting similarities and differences. The assessment of experienced complexity is much more straightforward and less demanding than objective assessments. However, this study showed that it is preferable to use objective assessments for highly complex products as individuals do not discriminate between different complexity levels. An experimental campaign is conducted regarding a manual assembly of ball-and-stick products to show the applicability of the methodology and discuss the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Czechia is one of the most export-oriented countries, reaching high levels of economic complexity. However, its innovative capabilities remain limited. Taking these factors into consideration, we determined the country's optimal diversification path by identifying prospective export sectors which would enhance the country's competitiveness. We combine the product space and proximity methodologies on predicted export data together with a company-level analysis. We identified machinery for specialized industries and parts thereof (SITC 7284), machine-tools for specialized industries parts or accessories (SITC 7281) and power hand tools, pneumatic or non-electric, and parts thereof (SITC 7541) as the most prospective categories in terms of high complexity, expected trade volume growth, proximity to Czechia's existing production capabilities and manufacturing base operated by large, highly innovative Czech-owned firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the manufacturing field, the assembly process heavily affects product final quality and cost. Specific studies, concerning the causes of the assembly defects, showed that operator errors account for high percentage of the total defects. Also, models linking the assembly complexity with the operator-induced defect rate were developed. Basing on these models, the present paper proposes a new paradigm for designing inspection strategies in case of short-run productions, for which traditional approaches may not be carried out. Specifically, defect generation models are developed to get a priori predictions of the probability of occurrence of defects, which are useful for designing effective inspection procedures. The proposed methodology is applied to a case study concerning the assembly of mechanical components in the manufacturing of hardness testing machines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the effect of social exclusion and product design philosophy on consumers' design preference, its underlying mechanism, and boundary condition. We propose that rejected (vs. ignored) consumers should prefer a professional‐ (vs. user‐) designed product through increased psychological ownership. Additionally, product complexity should moderate this effect, such that rejected (vs. ignored) consumers should prefer professional‐designed products for low complexity products; for high‐complexity products, we predict a preference for professional‐designed products, regardless of consumers' state of social exclusion. Across four studies (including one using an incentive‐compatible design), we empirically test these hypotheses using different operationalizations of social exclusion. Our research contributes to the literature on product design philosophy, social exclusion, and psychological ownership. The findings offer novel insights regarding ways for marketers to develop marketing strategies to effectively choose and advertise firms' design philosophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technological innovation is widely recognized as an endogenous element of capitalism driving economic growth and consumption. Although technological innovations have benefited human health, quality of life, and comfort, especially in high-income countries, uncontrolled industrialization of technological innovations and mass consumption exert strong environmental pressure on natural resources and contribute to the degradation of the environment. Apart from their endogenous role in economy and consumption, these innovations are characterized by specific trends that affect the sustainability of manufactured goods and consumption patterns, such as rate of market penetration, ownership of manufactured goods, product lifespan, reparability, and recyclability. This paper aims to contribute to a theorization of the relationship between technological innovation, consumption, and sustainability. To this end, we propose a typology of trends characterizing technological innovation to constitute a coherent framework. These trends are then documented to evaluate their magnitude, drivers, and related issues, following the broad principles of integrative literature reviews through a purposeful review sampling. The following trend framework emerged with regards to technological innovations: (a) accumulation; (b) diversification; (c) substitution; (d) complexification. The work contributes to identifying and formalizing: (1) the terminology regarding each trend, (2) related concepts that should be considered to theorize the relationship between technological innovation and (un)sustainable consumption patterns, (3) the main drivers that sustain these trends, (4) interactions between these trends, and (5) societal consequences on material and energy consumption and waste management.

In the mobile internet era, customers can interact with firms more conveniently. It helps express customers' personalized demands and provides directions for firms' product innovation. It requires and promotes technological innovation in firms changing from the original firm-oriented linear management approach to the rapid demand-centric iteration model. For example, many software firms develop their products while operating them. Then, how should firm developers understand and project the iteration speed while employing the iterative innovation model? Can firms keep the innovation iteration speed while pursuing innovation speed by shortening their innovation cycle? And will it result in the fact of "more haste, less speed"? The further question is, in the industrial context of emphasizing speed, how can firms obtain the best effect of innovation by considering their own innovation process traits? In fact, the rapid iteration of product innovation means that firms dynamically learn the external knowledge, such as the customer knowledge and the empirical knowledge, through development in the process of testing to reduce trial and error costs and improve product performance. Existing studies focus more on how firms improve product innovation performance based on existing resources from a relatively static perspective, while ignoring that product innovation performance is also affected by the dynamic learning process in the external environment. From the perspective of dynamic learning process, the theory of absorptive capacity well elaborates the hidden mechanism of how firms make innovation through absorbing, transforming and utilizing external knowledge. This work systematically investigates the effect of product iteration speed on innovation performance. Moreover, the process factors will also influence the innovation effect through the dynamic process of learning from external knowledge. For example, products of different complexity levels lead to different levels of innovation complexity; also, there could be difference for firms' learning capability in different iteration cycles, which finally influence the rapid iteration effect. Therefore, combined with the process characteristics of product iteration, this paper also examines moderating effect of three factors that are most relevant to the product iteration innovation process on the mechanism of product iteration speed, including product complexity, the number of product iterations and the innovation iteration regularity. We obtained version data of 924 applications from 2011 to 2018 with Python, and gained the following results through the empirical study. (1) The product iteration speed has an inverted U-shaped relationship with the product innovation performance, indicating that it does not follow the law of the faster the better. But there is a peak value, exceeding by which, it will lead to the fact that haste makes waste. (2) Product complexity negatively moderates the effect of iteration speed on product innovation performance. As the number of iterations increases, the moderating effect of the product complexity will be attenuated. It suggests that firms need to consider the process characteristics in the product iteration innovation, particularly, when the product is relatively complex, firms need to consider reducing the innovation speed, which however can be accelerated appropriately with the accumulation of iteration experience. (3) The regularity of product iteration can positively moderate the impact of iteration speed on product innovation performance. Therefore, firms should attach importance to the innovation iteration rhythm, and thus ensure the effectiveness of iteration through learning external knowledge. This paper has made theoretical contributions to the research of product iterative innovation and the empirical research on the absorptive capacity theory and also provides detailed suggestions for firms which practice the iterative innovation model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article re-examines key explanations of the Global Financial Crisis—product complexity, behavioural biases in decision making, systemic risk, and regulatory arbitrage and capture—and finds a common underlying cause, namely gaming by personnel at all levels in the banking sector and its regulators. This has enabled banks to use highly leveraged, maturity-mismatched investment strategies, which were designed so that the banks retained the upside rewards, but transferred the downside risks to taxpayers, leading to the privatization of profits and the socialization of losses—behaviour that has been described as 'banksterism'. Although governments have introduced some significant mitigatory measures, they will not be effective in preventing future financial crises, because they do not and, indeed, cannot provide the appropriate incentives to end the Great Game between bankers and taxpayers, which would involve making bankers, rather than taxpayers, personally liable for losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Management of the business-government relationship is critical for firm performance in regulated industries. In this paper, we predict a U-shaped relationship between product complexity and the time to approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Moreover, we argue that this association is contingent on the types of strategic alliances (i.e., R&D alliance, Marketing alliance) of the focal firm in that those alliances help FDA and pharmaceutical companies achieve harmony. Using the approved drugs by FDA from 1999 to 2016 as the sample, our hypotheses are supported by the empirical analysis on US pharmaceutical firms. The findings have important implications to achieving harmony between pharmaceutical firms and regulatory agencies.

Economic complexity is a concept that is used to express the ability of countries to produce complex products through the proper construction of technology structures in order to collect its diverse technologies and apply them. In this article, by using economic complexity approach, we aimed to identify the products in Iran’s technological capabilities frontier that leads the country to produce more diverse and complex products. For this purpose, by using four-digit SITC classification data, 86 products were identified. By producing and exporting them, the country can reach a higher accumulation of technological capabilities and thus a higher degree of diversification and economic complexity. Also, according to three criteria, the total number of competitors, the volume of world trade and the number of importing countries from selected products, 16 products in the world and 11 products in the region were picked up as the products in priority.

While the literature has paid significant attention to product variety management, only sparse consideration has been given to its relationship with supply chain processes. To address this gap in the literature, this paper describes a procedure for stock–keeping unit (SKU) reduction that provides a transparent link between internal variety (component and module level) and external variety (finished goods level) and relates this to supply chain processes. When applied at a large international company that manufactures hearing aids, the procedure achieved a 33% reduction in SKU variants at the module/component level while maintaining the end–product variety offered to customers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The virtual brand community has become an important marketing tool for companies. A successful brand community marketing strategy should attract a large number of consumers. Although past studies have revealed consumer motivations for participating in virtual brand communities, they fail to answer an important question: Why is it so easy for some virtual brand communities to attract users while others have such difficulty? In this study, product characteristics are hypothesized to be important factors that determine consumer motivation to participate in brand communities. Product characteristics (e.g., product complexity, product symbolism, and product satisfaction) can directly affect how actively consumers participate in brand communities. The results of questionnaires show that product complexity, product symbolism, and product satisfaction have a positive influence on consumers’ willingness to participate in brand communities. Notably, the duration of product use has a regulating effect on the influence of product satisfaction and product symbolism. A long period of product use weakens the influence of product satisfaction on consumers’ willingness to participate in brand communities. On the contrary, a long period of product use strengthens the influence of product symbolism on consumers’ willingness to participate in brand communities. This study enriches the literature on brand community participation and has implications for companies that aim to utilize brand communities for marketing.

The virtual brand community has become an important marketing tool for companies. A successful brand community marketing strategy should attract a large number of consumers. Although past studies have revealed consumer motivations for participating in virtual brand communities, they fail to answer an important question: Why is it so easy for some virtual brand communities to attract users while others have such difficulty? In this study, product characteristics are hypothesized to be important factors that determine consumer motivation to participate in brand communities. Product characteristics (e.g., product complexity, product symbolism, and product satisfaction) can directly affect how actively consumers participate in brand communities. The results of questionnaires show that product complexity, product symbolism, and product satisfaction have a positive influence on consumers' willingness to participate in brand communities. Notably, the duration of product use has a regulating effect on the influence of product satisfaction and product symbolism. A long period of product use weakens the influence of product satisfaction on consumers' willingness to participate in brand communities. On the contrary, a long period of product use strengthens the influence of product symbolism on consumers' willingness to participate in brand communities. This study enriches the literature on brand community participation and has implications for companies that aim to utilize brand communities for marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even though research has suggested that supply chain agility and supply chain adaptability are distinct capabilities, little is known about their performance effects and about the contextual conditions under which they are effective. Based on a sample of 143 German firms, we empirically investigate the effects of supply chain agility and supply chain adaptability on cost performance and operational performance using hierarchical regression analysis. We ground our investigation in the dynamic capabilities view and contingency theory. We find that supply chain agility and supply chain adaptability positively affect both cost performance and operational performance. We further find evidence for a mediating role of supply chain agility in the links between supply chain adaptability and performance. Product complexity positively moderates the links between supply chain adaptability and cost performance, and supply chain adaptability and operational performance. The results contribute to the literature by offering a more nuanced understanding of the performance implications of supply chain agility and supply chain adaptability, thereby addressing the crucial question of why their benefits may or may not materialise under varying levels of product complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent decades have witnessed an unprecedented transformation in the global energy landscape, driven by environmental concerns and the quest for sustainable economic growth. As the world grapples with the urgent need for decarbonization, the utilization of renewable energy technologies with the instrumental role of rare earth elements (REEs) has come to the forefront. However, empirical investigations into their synergistic pathways for product and economic complexities concerning achieving a low-carbon future remain scarce. Therefore, we forecast synergistic pathways between the REE supply, renewable energy, economic and product complexities, and GDP growth using a panel dataset of 11 REE-producing countries from 1990 to 2023. We used Common Correlated Effects and Temporal Causal Models as primary methods to estimate panel long-run elasticities and subsequently forecast mutual causal synergies between the variables. The results indicated that REE supply led to renewable energy and economic growth that further elevated the countries' product and economic complexities rankings. GDP growth increased REE production, economic complexity, and renewable energy directly, and consequently, product complexity and REE production through them. This underscores the positive role of REE production coupled with renewable energy technologies in achieving a low-carbon future based on economic diversification, enhanced industrial capabilities, and technological sophistication. [Display omitted] • We forecast causal synergistic pathways to achieve green economic growth. • Rare earth elements supply promotes renewable energy use and economic complexity. • Renewable energy use contributes to elevating the product complexity index. • Economic growth contributes to raising the supply of rare earth elements. • Economic complexity extends rare earth elements supply and economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supply networks are regularly affected by events that trigger supply disruptions, entailing severe consequences for firms and their supply networks. Hence, the ability of firms to withstand and recover from disruptions (i.e., their resilience) is vital to their long‐term survival. Prior research suggests that the complexity of a firm's supply network is critical in determining its resilience to disruptions, but tensions arise when delineating the precise nature of the relationship between supply network complexity and resilience. In this research, we investigate whether and how three facets of supply network complexity—supply complexity (nodes in the network), logistics complexity (arcs in the network), and product complexity (contents moving through the network)—influence a firm's ability to resist and recover from disruptions. We empirically investigate this relationship in the context of automotive sector shipments from Japan to the United States before, during, and after the 2011 Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami, using the difference‐in‐differences technique. Results indicate that the relationship between supply network complexity and resilience is multifaceted; some aspects of supply network complexity intensify disruption impact, whereas others enhance disruption recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]