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The aim of this paper is analyzing the impact of COVID-19 on the perishable products' value chain in Ethiopia. As a methodology, both data sources and types: primary and secondary, qualitative and quantitative, were used to achieve the objective of the study under consideration. The primary data sources used in this work is mainly phone survey, expert opinions and judgments based on real situation observation, and that of secondary data were collected through review of materials published on lessons learned from previous pandemics by different reputable sources. Therefore, this work is based on systematically reviewing and retrieving secondary sources through Google search, library plus harvesting and word type searching. The findings of the study revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic cut the full functioning of the value and supply chain of perishable products due to social distance restrictions imposed by the government, fear of the disease, cutoff transportation and even lock-down of market centers. This led to price changes, gross domestic product loss, the start-up of agro-industrial parks was delayed, reduced export and more women become out of work due to their high participation in perishable products' value chain. To mention, Ethiopia has lost about $25 million-almost 10% of annual revenue-just over $10 million within the horticultural sector and around 50,000 workers lose their jobs-mostly female labourers. Based on the results, the authors forwarded the collective engagement of the concerned bodies to reduce the negative impacts of COVID-19 on perishable products by using the possible mechanism.

The aim of this paper is analyzing the impact of COVID-19 on the perishable products' value chain in Ethiopia. As a methodology, both data sources and types: primary and secondary, qualitative and quantitative, were used to achieve the objective of the study under consideration. The primary data sources used in this work is mainly phone survey, expert opinions and judgments based on real situation observation, and that of secondary data were collected through review of materials published on lessons learned from previous pandemics by different reputable sources. Therefore, this work is based on systematically reviewing and retrieving secondary sources through Google search, library plus harvesting and word type searching. The findings of the study revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic cut the full functioning of the value and supply chain of perishable products due to social distance restrictions imposed by the government, fear of the disease, cutoff transportation and even lock-down of market centers. This led to price changes, gross domestic product loss, the start-up of agro-industrial parks was delayed, reduced export and more women become out of work due to their high participation in perishable products' value chain. To mention, Ethiopia has lost about $25 million—almost 10% of annual revenue—just over $10 million within the horticultural sector and around 50,000 workers lose their jobs—mostly female labourers. Based on the results, the authors forwarded the collective engagement of the concerned bodies to reduce the negative impacts of COVID-19 on perishable products by using the possible mechanism.

Advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) are a heterogeneous class of medicinal products that by offering the potential of cure represent a paradigm shift in the approach of many life-threatening diseases. Although a common regulatory framework for ATMPs has been established in the EU, the health technology assessment (HTA) and financing decisions remain local. The aim of this article is to present an integrated analysis of the current status of the value judgment of ATMPs and the integration of ethical evaluation in the HTA process. It has been identified that approaching the specificities of ATMPs in terms of market access will require a broadening of the definition of value to be able to systematically capture elements of value not traditionally considered. Outcomes modelling will play an important role in the pricing and reimbursement of ATMPs, providing a way to bridge the gap caused by the absence of data from clinical studies or real-world data. Given the nature and disruptive consequences of ATMPs the assessment and adoption of these medicinal products raises important ethical questions, both at a policy and at society level that should be properly addressed. HTA can be made more transparent and reliable, and simultaneously promote robust and accountable decision making, by turning explicit the value judgments implicit in HTA. Ultimately, there should be no core conflict between ethical requirements and HTA in a scenario where the goal is to promote equity and access of patients to truly innovative therapies such as ATMPs, while assuring the sustainability of healthcare systems.

Purpose
This paper aims to discuss the firm productivity premium for servitized firms. It discusses servitization across the product value chain and estimates the effects of the range and extent of servitization on productivity premium in manufacturing firms.


Design/methodology/approach
This paper develops a conceptual framework and tests the hypotheses on the effects of servitization on productivity premium using linear regression models with a sample of 20,837 Russian manufacturing firms gathered from the Ruslana Bureau van Dijk database and the Russian customs service.


Findings
Servitized firms exhibit higher total factor productivity and labor productivity. The labor productivity premium increases with the number of services offered. However, the impact of services on productivity varies along the product value chain: postmanufacturing and postsales services enhance productivity premium, while manufacturing and back-office services diminish them. The effect of establishment services remains ambiguous.


Practical implications
This paper offers an analytical framework for firms to assess their servitization strategies. These strategies should be gradual, focused on enhancing firm efficiency rather than being an end goal. Firms should initiate the process by introducing services at the postproduction and postsales stages of the product creation chain to achieve productivity premium.


Originality/value
The paper extends the evidence on firm-level productivity drivers and contributes to the servitization theory. A servitization strategy should be portfolio-based, considering both the potential gains and losses in productivity resulting from the implementation of specific services.

Designing environment-friendly products, known as eco-products, has become an essential practice in many manufacturers mainly due to increasing consumer awareness to the environment, governmental regulations and marketing strategies. Most of the scientific literature on eco-product design deals mainly with the improvement of the environmental performance. Engineers and eco-product designers need large quantities of information for evaluating environmental performance of eco-products. However, other considerations relate to the creation of eco-products should not be overlooked, such as product form aesthetics and functionality. This research moves beyond technical evaluations of environmental performance of eco-products by developing a new design decision support approach for evaluating the eco-product value (EPV) as perceived by consumers. To do so, this research develops a new approach using Kansei engineering, neural network (NN), and multiattribute decision making (MADM) methods in order for product designers to achieve optimal eco-product form design based on combinations of EPV attributes. An experimental study on office chairs is conducted to illustrate how the EPV evaluation model can be developed and used to evaluate the value of a given eco-product. The Kansei engineering method is used to translate consumers' feeling of the office chair into product form elements, and help product designers understand consumers' perception. Product samples are collected from 100 collected office chairs by using multidimensional scale and cluster analysis, by which 27 representative office chairs are chosen for the consumer-oriented experiments. Morphological analysis is used to extract 7 design elements as well as 20 types of form components. In addition, the value of eco-products is measured by three dimensions, characterised by aesthetic, functional, and environmental attributes, which are derived from both the literature and expert product designers. The aesthetic, functional and environmental dimensions consist of 7, 3 and 5 perceivable EPV attributes respectively. Each EPV attribute is assessed through a consumer-oriented experimental process. Results of Quantitative Theory Type I analysis have indicated the relative importance of office chair form elements to EPV attribute images. To enhance the applicability of this approach, NN models are applied for providing a mechanism to support the eco-product design decision making process by establishing a database of design alternatives. Then, MADM models are used to obtain the value of a given eco-product with weighted design attributes in an EPV evaluation model, which integrates both the consumer's and designer's viewpoints as a whole. The best design decision for a given design setting has a maximum weighted value among all design alternatives. In addition, the correlation between EPV attributes and eco-product form image is analysed by using Pearson correlation analysis to the product form image word pairs and EPV attributes. The result shows a weak non-linear relationship between EPV attributes and product form images. As such, eco-product designers can consider these two variables separately when designing eco-products. The value evaluation approach developed in this research is novel in that the target eco-product design parameter is the consumer perceived EPV which is measured in aesthetic, functional, and environmental dimensions. This is different from existing techniques for eco-product design and evaluation. The approach is verified through an application to office chair design for emphasising environmental perception. Specifically, office chair design sketches are developed based on the result of MADM analysis. The outcomes of this research have a great potential for solving practical EPV selection and ranking problems by applying the EPV attribute weights given by the product designers. Various experimental results can be used as insightful guidelines for selecting an eco-product from product form design element combination for a given EPV attribute.

Value chain examination of tertiary education institutions is centered on the dynamics of inter-connection within the education sector, most especially the way in which tertiary education providers such as universities, polytechnics, institutes and the likes are universally integrated, this entails conventional systems of economic, social analysis and much more. This research work is centered on the study of Edo State Institute of Technology and Management (ESITM) as a tertiary education provider, it is embarked upon in order to determine the institutes competitive advantage in the market place. It is hoped that this research would reveal the strengths and potential threats of the institute. The authors believe that this analysis would inform strategic planners and managers of the institute on the way forward to consolidate its position in the industry. Stakeholders of the institute are advised by the authors on the need of embarking on Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) in its policy making process, as this will make the institute focus on policies for improving access to education and training not only for middle manpower at ESITM, but equally be able to build degree holders workforce demand for services such as Research and Development (R&D), design etc. ; Analýza hodnotového řetězce vysokoškolských institucí se soustřeďuje na dynamiku vzájemného propojení v rámci sektoru vzdělávání, zejména na způsob, jak jsou integrováni poskytovatelé terciárního vzdělávání, jako jsou univerzity, polytechnické instituty a podobné instituce, z pohledu ekonomického , sociálního atd. Tato práce se soustřeďuje na analýzu Státního technologického a řídicího institutu Edo (Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria) jako poskytovatele terciárního vzdělávání, jejíž cílem je určit konkurenční výhodu institutu na trhu. Předložený výzkum odhaluje silné stránky a potenciální hrozby instituce. Autoři se domnívají, že tato analýza bude využita ve strategickém řízení, ke konsolidaci svého postavení v průmyslu. Zúčastněné strany institutu jsou autory informovány o tom, že je zapotřebí používat vícekriteriální rozhodování v procesu tvorby politik při formulování strategie, s cílem zlepšit přístupu ke vzdělání a odborné přípravě v institutu, ale stejně tak připravit absolventy na poptávku po službách jako je výzkum a vývoj, design atd.