CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY – CORPORATE BRANDING RELATIONSHIP: AN EMPIRICAL COMPARATIVE STUDY

Current academic research on the relationship of firms’ CSR activities with corporate branding typically focuses on consumers’ and shareholders’ viewpoints. This research aims to shed light on how organisational members in firms perceive to be the impact of CSR activities upon their corporate brand strategy. Using a survey administered to companies in the U.K. and Bulgaria, the author investigate, firstly, organisational members’ perceptions of the impact of different CSR-related activities upon corporate branding and, secondly, their beliefs about what customers and shareholders think are the impacts of CSR-related activities upon brand image and brand identity. The findings indicated that while organisational members rated quality products, customer service and corporate governance highly as key components of CSR activity, they were much more ambivalent about their companies' commitment to broader actions which involve the 'community' and 'society'. This paper concludes by discussing the implications of the findings for future 'CSR education' among companies.Corporate social responsibility, corporate branding, brand image

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY – CORPORATE BRANDING RELATIONSHIP: AN EMPIRICAL COMPARATIVE STUDY

Current academic research on the relationship of firms’ CSR activities with corporate branding typically focuses on consumers’ and shareholders’ viewpoints. This research aims to shed light on how organisational members in firms perceive to be the impact of CSR activities upon their corporate brand strategy. Using a survey administered to companies in the U.K. and Bulgaria, the author investigate, firstly, organisational members’ perceptions of the impact of different CSR-related activities upon corporate branding and, secondly, their beliefs about what customers and shareholders think are the impacts of CSR-related activities upon brand image and brand identity. The findings indicated that while organisational members rated quality products, customer service and corporate governance highly as key components of CSR activity, they were much more ambivalent about their companies'commitment to broader actions which involve the 'community' and 'society'. This paper concludes by discussing the implications of the findings for future 'CSR education' among companies

MARKET ENTRY STRATEGIES TO EMERGING MARKETS: A CONCEPTUAL MODEL OF TURNKEY PROJECT DEVELOPMENT

The main purpose of the paper is to analyse the international market entry strategies in the light of globalisation processes and to propose a conceptual model of turnkey projects as market entry mode. The specific research objectives are as follows: 1. to develop an integrated framework of the turnkey marketing process as a conceptual model; 2. to analyse BRICS countries as potential host countries for turnkey projects implementation; 3. to assess potential implications of proposed conceptual model for global market entry decisions

Bistra Vassileva_a_Polazni.qxd

Abstract The main purpose of the paper is to analyse the international market entry strategies in the light of globalisation processes and to propose a conceptual model of turnkey projects as market entry mode. The specific research objectives are as follows: 1. to develop an integrated framework of the turnkey marketing process as a conceptual model; 2. to analyse BRICS countries as potential host countries for turnkey projects implementation; 3. to assess potential implications of proposed conceptual model for global market entry decisions

Interpenetrating Polymer Networks of Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) and Poly(N, N-dimethylacrylamide) as Potential Systems for Dermal Delivery of Dexamethasone Phosphate

In this study, a series of novel poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA)/poly(N,N′-dimethylacrylamide) (PDMAM) interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) were synthesized and studied as potential drug delivery systems of dexamethasone sodium phosphate (DXP) for dermal application. The IPN composition allows for control over its swelling ability as the incorporation of the highly hydrophilic PDMAM increases more than twice the IPN swelling ratio as compared to the PHEMA single networks, namely from ~0.5 to ~1.1. The increased swelling ratio of the IPNs results in an increased entrapment efficiency up to ~30% as well as an increased drug loading capacity of DXP up to 4.5%. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) show the formation of a solid dispersion between the drug DXP and the polymer (IPNs) matrix. Energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy shows an even distribution of DXP within the IPN structure. The DXP release follows Fickian diffusion with ~70% of DXP released in 24 h. This study demonstrates the potential of the newly developed IPNs for the dermal delivery of DXP

Polyacrylamide/poly(2-(dimethylamino) Ethyl Methacrylate) Interpenetrating Polymer Networks as Drug Delivery Systems for Diclofenac Sodium

Nowadays, modern pharmaceutical investigations are directed toward the design and production of drug delivery systems for achieving prolonged and controlled drug delivery. In this respect, the use of interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) is an opportunity in the preparation of polymer drug delivery systems with desired characteristics. This paper describes the synthesis and characterization of novel poly(2-(dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) and polyacrylamide (PAAm)-based IPNs with different compositions and their application as diclofenac sodium delivery systems. The prepared IPNs were shown to possess phase-separated structures at the nano level, as revealed by SEM and TM-DSC. The IPNs’ composition was shown to determine the swelling behavior of these novel materials, and the inclusion of the charged IPN component (PDMAEMA) has changed the water molecules type diffusion from Fickian to non-Fickian, as revealed by the swelling kinetics study. Loading efficiency of diclofenac sodium and diclofenac sodium content in the polymer network was evaluated, and in vitro drug release experiments were carried out in order to estimate the ability of the obtained IPNs to control the release of the water-soluble drug

Heat-Stress-Mitigating Effects of a Protein-Hydrolysate-Based Biostimulant Are Linked to Changes in <i>Protease, DHN</i>, and <i>HSP</i> Gene Expression in Maize

The growth-promoting and heat-mitigating effects of a commercially available protein-hydrolysate-based biostimulant, Kaishi, during the early vegetative stage was investigated by applying it as a foliar spray on soil-grown maize plants or in the nutrient solution of hydroponically grown plants. At 10−3 dilution, the biostimulant inhibited germination and delayed the growth progress, while at 10−6–10−12 dilutions, it promoted shoot and root growth. Heat stress caused biomass reduction, decreased leaf pigment content and the chlorophyll a/chlorophyll b (chl a/b) ratio, caused starch depletion, and increased lipid peroxidation. Kaishi priming resulted in the substantial mitigation of negative stress effects, maintaining growth, stabilizing pigment content and the chl a/b ratio, restoring the leaf starch content, lowering the malondialdehyde (MDA) level, and significantly increasing the free proline content. The expression profiles of a set of genes coding for heat shock proteins (HSPs), dehydrins (DHNs), and proteases were analysed using qRT-PCR after heat stress exposure. The biostimulant-treated plants had higher transcript levels of certain HSPs, DHNs, and protease-coding genes, which remained stable or increased after the applied stress. The results demonstrate that very low concentrations of the biostimulant exerted stress-mitigating effects that could be linked to organ-specific changes in the gene expression of certain stress-inducible proteins