Countries face several economic challenges while they are trying to recover from the coronavirus pandemic: recuperating the economy from a traumatic recession (shock-induced shutdown and negative growth); increased budget deficit, possibly leading to larger debt; combatting high (and stubborn) unemployment, together with changes in the job market. But reigniting the economy might be tied with… Read More
Making the Environment a Factor in Business and Marketing
The 21st century faces humanity with multiple considerable challenges — economic, social, and environmental. The Corona pandemic added a salient physical challenge, by affecting our health, which is argued to be related also to environmental issues. Climate change is the most burning issue, per se, that receives top attention, and requires action. There is an… Read More
Smart Automation in Conflict
Smart automation is an integral part of the digital transformation of operations and services. However, automation goes much beyond the application of digital technologies and data when artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics are recruited to fulfill any task. Smart automation entails using capabilities of learning from data (huge amounts of data), adaptation and autonomous execution… Read More
In the Mood: Consumer Confidence
‘Consumer Confidence’ is a contentious construct, subject to multiple views and versions on how it should be measured. The predictive power of a Consumer Confidence Index (CCI), at the macro and micro levels, is also given to argument. Yet measures of consumer confidence are applied in economic discourse as a useful indication of ongoing consumers’… Read More
Consumer / Shopper / Customer Behaviour 