To explore the most desirable pathway for a successful local energy transition, a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis was conducted on 16 regional cases in South Korea. We developed four propositions based on previous studies and theories as a causal set. Based on the South Korean context, we selected the solar photovoltaic (PV) generation and solar PV expansion rate as barometers for measuring the success of a local energy transition. Our analysis highlights the importance of the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) membership (network), local legislation, and the environmental surveillance of locally-based non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The implications of this study will provide insights for developing or newly industrialized countries where an energy transition is underway.

This study investigates the R&D persistence with different external conditions based on US listed manufacturing firms for the period 2011–2019. Specifically, we analyze whether the fluctuation of R&D investment is related to short-term changes in sales, and how industrial technological intensity and competitive environment influence the relationship. We used the cost asymmetry model to identify the changes in R&D investment by sales behaviour. The results showed that the R&D investment of high-tech firms was stickier when sales declined as compared to low-tech firms. Therefore, R&D persistence tends to be strong in high-tech firms. In addition, R&D persistence was weakened by the competitive environment, and this finding was more pronounced for high-tech firms than for low-tech firms. This study has academic implications in the empirical analysis of the relationship between R&D persistence and external characteristics from a dynamic perspective.

Recently, there has been increasing emphasis on the importance of accounting transparency and corporate governance. While previous studies have individually examined their impact on firm values, this paper investigates their combined effects. Using data from the Compustat and Center for Research in Security Prices databases obtained through Wharton Research Data Services, we measure accounting transparency and company value, and we employ the E-index as a measure of corporate governance. This study conducts firm, year, and industry fixed effects regressions on a large panel dataset comprising 21,476 firm-year observations. According to our research, both accounting transparency and good corporate governance have negative effects on the value of a company. This means that spending money to improve both may end up costing more than it benefits, which could lower the value of the company. These results support the notion that investors may see that maintaining high levels of accounting transparency and corporate governance can be excessively costly, while an overemphasis on these two metrics could potentially limit the flexibility and creativity of management. These findings have implications for managers tasked with achieving a balance between robust corporate governance, enhanced accounting transparency, and corporate value considerations.