The scientific periodical journal (indexed on Web of Science) published by the Tomas Bata University in Zlin offers results of basic and applied economic research in the English language.

Blockchain technology, as a distributed digital ledger technology that ensures traceability, security, and transparency is displaying potential for easing some comprehensive supply chain problems. Scholars have started analyzing systematically the potential benefits and effects of block-chain on numerous activities of an organization. This paper presents the barricades in the adoption of blockchain technology in supply chain management. The potential benefits of blockchain adoption such as quality, cost, speed, transparency, durability, and immutability are also discussed in this paper. We present the early literature discussing the use of blockchain in the field of the supply chain to enhance accountability and transparency. This study explains the several mechanisms by which supply chain managers can prepare their organizational structure to adopt the latest technology. It further highlights the mechanisms to achieve supply chain objectives. Part of this paper also discusses how blockchains, a potentially disruptive solution that is on its early evolution, can overcome several potential barricades. Future research directions are proposed which can further provide insights into overcoming barriers and adoption of blockchain technology in the field of supply chain management.

Growing pressures from various directions have caused managers in the UAE’s retail sector to initiate the use of environmentally friendly approaches such as green purchasing (GP). Expanding on prior work by examining general GP practices, this study explores the GP drivers/enablers that motivate firms in the UAE to adopt GP practices. The results show that retail firms in the selected sectors respond strongly to institutional pressures to adopt GP practices with a beta value of 0.54, customer pressures with a beta value of 0.27, and expected business benefits with a beta value of 0.37. Evidence of a positive relationship between management support and firms’ willingness to take on GP initiatives was weak, so the first hypothesis was not supported with a usual cut-off p-value of 0.05; however, by applying a cut-off p-value of 0.10 or above, it appears that all latent variables suggested in this study have a positive impact on the adoption of GP initiatives among retail hypermarkets in the UAE. This study had three main limitations. First, the sample was drawn from a specific government source, so it may not be a truly comprehensive representation of all retail firms. Second, the small number of samples might have led to bias. Third, as each questionnaire was answered by a single respondent, a common method variance may have resulted. This study will aid firms, as well as the government, who wish to improve their environmental performance in the value chain.

It is a general believe that science is based on facts and figures. The observations of individuals about the construction of world and its particles are put into experiments and when proved, are treated as science. On the other hand, there is a field of social science which has the credit to observe the society and its practices. From individual life to society as a whole, public to government, crime to law, politics to economics, sociology to psychology and so on. This paper presents the Scientific Explanation of Natural and Social Sciences and their Contributions in the Development of Knowledge. The article takes a critical look at the similarities and differences based on methods of research in natural and social sciences, their branches, criticisms on approaches used and their contributions towards the creation and development of knowledge. It was found that the two fields, natural and social sciences are different from each other in terms of definitions, origin, branches, methods of investigation, contributions in the creation of knowledge as well as criticisms made on both fields. Thus it was concluded that while natural sciences uses more of quantitative techniques of investigation and the interpretations anchored on objectivity, the social sciences uses more of qualitative techniques and the interpretation is highly subjective. Hence results produced in natural sciences could be considered more reliable than the social sciences.