Background: This study investigates how firms can enhance the functionality of their circular supply chains (CSCs) by adopting a portfolio of sustainable practices as well as digital technologies to increase performance. It analyzes the benefits that firms can obtain when investing in specific technologies to boost the impact of technologies and sustainable practices on CSCs, and further increase performance. Methods: We test several hypotheses by using structural equation modeling as well as multi-group analysis to verify whether CSCs can be achieved through sustainable practices and technologies and improve the firms’ performance. Results: The empirical results partially support the research hypotheses. While the main research hypotheses are fully supported, the analysis of single digital technologies reveals that only a few solutions can contribute to both the management and the improvement of the CSC. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that the identification of green suppliers and ad hoc environmental regulations, combined with attention to the origin and provenance of raw materials, can promote a CSC. Moreover, transportation management systems (TMS) and the internet of things (IoT) are efficient technologies for managing transportation and product flow in the CSC. Furthermore, machine learning (ML) is effective in making positive green decisions, and 3D printing can extend product life.

Purpose: This study analyzes how tech firms can implement the modern wave of subscription-based business model (SBBM), including value proposition, value creation, value capture and performance. In fact, these elements push tech firms to move from traditional to SBBMs.Design/methodology/approach: To achieve the objectives of this study, we initially construct a theoretical framework for applying SBBM. Subsequently, we employ qualitative research to examine the current implementation of the subscription-based economy within tech firms.Findings: A successful SBBM necessitates capturing value through sustainable revenue transactions and revising aspects of the value proposition, creation and capture. Continuous improvement through business value analysis is imperative. Additionally, an agile operations system is vital to address revenue complexities, enable data collection and enhance value proposition, service innovation, churn rate and customer retention, which are essential for SBBM maintenance.Originality/value: This study delves into how the subscription-based economy is reshaping the business models of tech firms. Beyond exploring the theoretical foundation of this transformative path, this study offers actionable insights on enhancing the value proposition, creation, capture and business value within subscription-based economy frameworks.

This study presents a risk management framework for e-commerce platform firms to identify and prioritize risks, and devise action plans to mitigate them. E-commerce platforms can use the framework as an efficient decision-support tool for recognizing and managing risks. To analyze e-commerce risks from a platform firm point of view, we apply a fuzzy quality function deployment (FQFD) methodology to identify and map e-commerce risks for the platform and define an action plan to guide proper mitigation and control. Although the literature recognizes cybersecurity as one of the main risks for e-commerce platforms, our results demonstrate that weakness in operations integration is the main issue for e-commerce platforms. In fact, the lack of operations integration causes irrational response time, delays in timely solutions to issues, inaccurate responses, low agent courtesy, and a high churn rate. Therefore, even if e-commerce platforms use modern technologies to solve cybersecurity issues, the lack of integration among relevant processes leads to low-quality services and, consequently, low performance. Finally, after identifying and categorizing risks for e-commerce platforms we offer a real action plan to promptly mitigate them.

The way we interact with the physical world around us is being changed rapidly by advances in technology. These new technologies are very helpful for developing smart cities with the goal of improving the quality of life considering sustainability. Technology is also at the core of the circular city vision, and we need to use the new technologies and act in a smarter way in smart cities to support the achievement of economic, environmental, and social targets that are important for sustainable development and circular economy (CE) implementation. The metaverse (which is the combination of the prefix “meta” with the word “universe”) is a new concept that is known as transcending hypothetical synthetic environment linked to the physical world. In this chapter, the proposed concept will be introduced in more detail, and then the authors discuss how smart cities can use the metaverse platforms for improving themselves in five main aspects including governance, environment, mobility, economy, and quality of life dimensions.