Volume 18 (2023) — Publications

The change caused by Industry 4.0 (I4.0) has fundamentally changed our lives and operations of organisations. The objective of the article is to reveal whether I4.0 implementation supports human workforces, knowledge sharing and knowledge storage in case of Hungarian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The data were obtained from 122 completed questionnaires out of 152 requests. The analysis is based on quantitative methodology, relationship analyses (Cramer's V) were used. The study was conducted in 2021 with the participation of Hungarian SMEs' leaders. Based on the results it can be concluded that the implementation of I4.0 technologies supports human workforces in SMEs. In addition, our study reveals that collaborative technologies and social media were implemented to support knowledge sharing in SMEs. At the same time, knowledge storage is not the primary purpose of implementing I4.0 technologies in SMEs. From a theoretical perspective, it contributes to enriching the empirical evidence on implementing I4.0 technologies and their impact on supporting human resources. From a practical point of view, the research identifies those I4.0 technologies that support SMEs in knowledge sharing. Collaborative technologies and social media can be implemented in order to advance the fields of Collaboration, Communication and Connecting. The originality of our research is given by the fact that, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that examines the aspects of I4.0 technologies in terms of human resource and knowledge sharing and storage in Hungarian SMEs.

The popular mindset and widespread narrative, at least until not so long ago, was that in outer space affairs the fiefdom belongs, politically and economically, to governments and big businesses. An array of alliances between few states and their privileged partners from the corporate world constituted the highly exclusivist space ecosystem. Little room was supposed to be available to non-full-fledged spacefaring nations and enterprises originated from them, a configuration furthermore jammed by the fact that international agreements – i.e., the “Outer Space Treaty” (1967) an the “Moon Treaty” (1979) – seem to be rather dismissive of extensive exploitation of celestial bodies, adding to the already prohibitive costs of such endeavours if legitimized. Devoted mainly to scientific exploration paired with exploitation only of planetary proximities – viz., the large satellite population orbiting the Earth, with their support and serviced industries, all estimated at half a trillion dollars –, the space economy, in its high-tech dimension, steadily democratized itself, becoming more competitive, and collaborative too, opening up to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), many coming from emerging spacefaring nations. The literature covering SMEs contribution to the development of the space economy is on track of consolidation, as the process itself is unfolding, with data covering only the most powerful space players (e.g., US, EU). Valuable insights are added starting from the common wisdom that institutions (channelling economic information and incentives) are the main drivers in space development, rather than business size, even more in a competitive-collaborative global economy. A case study is dedicated to the Romanian experience (that of a relatively new and little player in European/global space affairs). A conclusion is that in an economy of unbounded creativity and borderless capital, visionary enterprises, big or small, fit even into the space industry value chains, if a pro-market, pro-business climate is secured.

Social entrepreneurship is a relatively new concept in Estonia and measuring the social impact of enterprises is not yet the norm. It has gained more awareness during recent years and therefore several support instruments have been established. The aim of the paper is to provide a framework for impact analysis of an incubator and analysis of the evaluation of the program for social enterprises according to the designed framework. The incubation program itself was piloted at a higher education institution. The paper addresses the concept of social enterprises, new social venture creation, incubation by a higher education institution and its impact on social enterprises. While the development of enterprises is a common topic, the research on social impact incubators is still scarce. The study is characterised by a descriptive and an exploratory study design. The paper explores the social enterprise incubator through mixed-method two-stage content analysis of the applications and self-analysis reports of the participants of the incubator. In the process of the content analysis, qualitative data analysis is used. Finally, the paper concludes that the incubator was successful as it helped the social enterprises to become sustainable and enhanced their social impact. The limitation of the research is the evaluation design which addresses measuring the successfulness of the incubation immediately after the end of the programme and not in the long-term. The study contributes to the literature on measuring the successfulness of incubation processes and on the practice of incubating new social ventures with social impact.

Under the sustainability domain, food waste is a significant global challenge receiving growing attention. The management of household food waste which relies heavily on landfilling, is predominantly ineffective and unsustainable. To implement sustainable food waste management, an understanding of the individual behaviour is needed since psychological effects often undermine technological solutions. This study direct its investigation on urban households' sustainable food waste management behaviour by extending the Theory of Planned Behaviour. An online survey was utilized for data collection. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling, assessments were made on the determinants of intention and behaviour of 520 households in the Klang Valley. The analysis support two factors that influence attitude positively, while five factors positively influence intention to implement best practices of reusing leftovers, separating household waste, and doing home composting. However, although the households have positive intentions, yet their composting practices seem to be the least adopted compared to the other sustainable elements. Addressing the lack of participation requires a holistic approach via dissemination of educational materials, social media coverage, and awareness campaigns. It is also suggested that composting be incentivized and be included in reward schemes similar to recycling. This study paves the way to enhance understanding of the factors to adopt sustainable food waste management among households in the urban areas. The findings provide insights for policy makers and other stakeholders on what type of information to consider when designing effective food waste management campaigns and urban development strategies, supporting the opportunity for consumer behavioural change.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced education institutions to adapt by using online tools to continue teaching when distancing was required. While the pandemic has had a negative effect on education, online learning has proven to be better than learning alone. This new paradigm shift in the way teaching can be delivered has paved the way for online classes to be taken in consideration outside of the pandemic. For countries which have a poor infrastructure in some regions, that makes it hard for all children to arrive to school daily, especially during harsh winters, online teaching could be used to offer continuous learning to all students. It can also continue to be used in some cases where classes cannot be attended due to illnesses. It is relevant to further study the impact of online learning within different schools from different regions, and to recognize the shaping factors for online teaching. The present study was based on a survey, in which 522 teachers from different categories of schools participated. Differences between the teaching processes during the pandemic have been studied based on the school's funding (public or private), the region the school is based in, and the level of education that teachers provide. Results have highlighted differences based on all the studied categories.

Cultural intelligence (CQ) and emotional intelligence (EQ) represent key competencies of multicultural leadership in the new normal global business environment. This paper aims to present a comparative quantitative study concerning emotional and cultural intelligences in USA and Romania, backed by a brief geo-linked bibliometric literature review. The bibliometric analysis is performed with VOSviewer for the works focusing on these two variables published in USA and, respectively, in Romania. Inspired by the findings of this comparative analysis, it is performed a quantitative research based on 604 questionnaires distributed to managers in USA and in Romania, and on statistical processing using SPSS software. The statistical results show that both CQ and EQ constitute significant vectors in developing multicultural leadership and organizational performance in a multicultural business environment for both USA and Romania. The comparative study reveals a higher level of CQ and EQ in the Romanian business environment than in USA. The difference could be explained by the focus on rationality and profit maximization in the American business education. The contribution of the paper comes from these findings and they can help researchers and practitioners to stimulate their efforts in improving CQ and EQ competences.

Thanks to constantly improving software packages, apps, and technologies themselves, creating and improving websites has become much easier. Excess or lack of information, inappropriate layout of website management, inefficiency of additional functions, excess of visual material — these are the problems faced by website users. These problems are usually not of a technological nature, so the change in technology will not determine what the user wants and what problems he faces. However, studies have ignored the fact that the type of business can affect decision outcomes (i.e., website evaluation) may also influence the perceived satisfaction and trust. This article examines consumer satisfaction and trust with services provided by the C2C websites. This study first proposes an analytical model that contains website quality indicators of consumer satisfaction and trust. Theoretical contributions and managerial implications are generated on the basis of the findings and analysis. The results showed a positive effect of website quality on consumer trust and satisfaction, which was partially mediated through consumer trust. Moreover, consumer trust had a positive association with all website quality indicators and satisfaction. The C2C website business should understand the consumer's website quality expectations with respect to online shopping, to attract new consumers and to retain their existing consumers.

External knowledge sources such as professional social media accounts represent an understudied domain in the digital media adoption literature of small enterprises. This article extends the Technology Acceptance Model with two additional factors – external knowledge source and trust in digital marketing professionals – to better understand the digital marketing adoption of microenterprises. We collected and analyzed data from 181 microenterprises using online survey and structural equation modeling methodology. Results indicate that participation in events and following professional Facebook groups are positively related to perceived ease of use, while following professional Facebook groups, blogs, and vlogs, and meeting consultants are positively related to perceived usefulness. Besides, trust in marketing professionals has a significant effect on both perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. By applying the technology-in-practice literature to digital marketing adoption, the article highlights that marketing professionals can be a bridge between academia and small business managers by contextualizing and translating formal knowledge to practical easy-to-understand knowledge.

The stronger capacity of falsehood to diffuse in comparison with the truth pushes researchers to identify fake news effects on the formation of country brand equity due to the distant and intangible nature of this notion. To explore this exposure, valenced framing theory is applied as a suitable framework where credibility and cognitive image are checked to be mediators in this relationship. This study adopted a perceived and projected image approach for online survey design, and a quantitative method was applied. The results depict that fake news frames have an indirect effect on a country's brand equity mediated by news credibility and cognitive image toward the country. We show that news credibility and cognitive image function as sequential mediators, meaning that the level of believability and cognitive preconceptions about a certain country directly affect country brand equity. Moreover, this study demonstrates that negatively framed fake news can affect all dimensions of country brand equity negatively, whereas positive fake news frames do not change people's perceptions significantly. According to the outcomes, we proved that the level of credibility is significantly influenced by the type of valenced fake news frame as well. We discuss the implications of the findings and future research directions in the field of fake news and country brands.

The aim of the article is to analyze the wellness tourism topic, focusing on the overview and the research directions in the period 2012-2022, published in WoS and Scopus databases. This attempt is aided by the methods of bibliometric analysis, such as co-citation analysis, bibliometric coupling, reference analysis and keywords analysis. The current research reveals information about which pair of papers, authors or journals are cited together as sources of articles from the past almost 11 years formatting the core of the topic of wellness tourism regarding destination, marketing and management in this area. As result of the research, can be concluded that articles in wellness tourism topics highly published in Social Science and Economic disciplines, mostly in English language both in WoS and Scopus databases. Based on the keyword analysis, 7 clusters related to the research of the last almost eleven years resulted. These clusters namely can be defined as: researches focusing on competitiveness, wellness tourism philosophy, quality, sustainability, digitalization, motivation, marketing and management, loyalty and customer satisfaction, and COVID-19 pandemic situation.

This study aims to develop a conceptual framework that describes efforts to improve sales force performance using a relevant theoretical approach. The novelty of this study was developed and synthesized from relevant marketing theories. It is a conceptual model construction that proposes Energizing Customer Bond (ECB) as an intervening variable to address the research gap in explaining the influence of relational capital on the performance of salespeople at consumer goods companies. This study involved salespeople at large-scale fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies in Indonesia. The acceptance of all of the hypotheses proposed in this study shows the importance of relational capital, ECB, and value-based selling in driving the performance of the sales force. ECB, as a proposed novelty, is also proven as a mediating variable, thus clarifying the relationship between relational capitals in improving sales force performance.

Despite the increasing interest in modern solutions for energy performance improvement in residential sector, a gap persists between literature development and current implementation practices on domestic heating and cooling through heat pumps technology. Homeowners are encouraged to manage their energy-related issues in a systematic manner to ensure continual improvement of energy efficiency. This paper attempts to explore the drivers and obstacles to the use of heat pumps system for domestic heating, cooling, and hot water production in the residential sector, in order to improve dwellings' energy performance and reduce the carbon footprint. The study uses a regression model with a sample of 389 participants from Romania and shows that the availability of energy plans, voluntary association in an energy community, and mixed funding exert a positive influence, whereas bureaucracy, poor energy efficiency-related information, and fiscal incentives exert a negative influence on the intention of adopting heat pumps technology by homeowners.

This study aims to present an innovative conceptual model of learning, teaching, and training that appears to be applicable to the field of hybrid warfare. It is based on integrating three critical elements such as reference curriculum, teaching methodology, and online support capabilities. By using qualitative research through correlating critical analysis of relevant sources, logical scheme, and cognitive task analysis, each descriptive element is analysed in order to provide an eloquent image of the proposed conceptual model. Also, to gain real feedback on the proposed model as well as on its constitutive elements, the quantitative research using statistical data grouping is performed. The analysis and interpretation of the collected data demonstrate not only a high interest in the designed conceptual model, but also a positive impact at the level of each descriptive element on the academic staff and students from the military and civilian university environment.

Previous studies have examined changes in software sales using the network effect theory framework based on hardware sales. This study aims to examine the effects of a software series' length on software sales. We also investigate the moderating effects of how a platform's life cycle influences the series' sales. We adopted the double-jeopardy theory and brand loyalty discussions for both products and corporations. To test our hypotheses, we analysed 11,863 video game software samples in the Japanese market, addressing the following research questions: How does the length of a software series influence sales in terms of both the product and the corporate brand? How is the influence of the software series' length on sales moderated by the stage of the platform's lifecycle? Our findings show that a longer software series led to higher software sales for both the specific series as well as other software released simultaneously by the company. Moreover, we found that the positive relationship between the video game series' length and sales of all the firm's software was stronger when the platform had matured. By examining firm behaviours, such as software series releases and their effects, we confirmed that software series' length is a core factor stimulating its sales and that of other series produced by a company. We also examined the impact of a platform's lifecycle on video game sales. Our study contributes to the field by extending the literature on the effect of brand loyalty and the double-jeopardy theory.

As many companies are transforming through digitalisation to increase efficiency and effectiveness of business processes, financial technology firms innovated the digital wallet as an omnichannel payment to facilitate the digital payments. This review aims to explore the conceptual structure of the digital wallet knowledge base in business and management literature and the determinants that influence the consumer adoption decision of a digital wallet. A bibliometric approach is used to analyse 156 Scopus-indexed documents in this study field. Author co-citation reveals four key schools of thought: digital marketing and consumer behaviour, management and business analytics, mobile commerce and technology, and information and communication technology. The temporal overlay keyword cooccurrence map shows the topical focus changes of research from mobile payment technology, business uses, and determinants of digital wallet adoption. The top cited empirical documents also show that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, trust or perceived ability, perceived risk, and perceived value are consumers' key considerations in choosing digital wallets for payments. This review seeks to contribute to both scientific knowledge and the model of research practice that could provide insights into digital wallet payment. The comprehensive research framework proposes the facilitators and inhibitors which employ the status quo bias theory and presents the mediating effects of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology constructs on behavioural intention to use a digital wallet, positive word of mouth, and user satisfaction. Four additional determinants augment the existing theories, including perceived trust, perceived security and privacy, promotion, and super app for novelty.

The study aims to investigate capital market volatility during crises, exploring the relationships between three key financial indicators: oil prices, the VIX index, and gold prices, using monthly data covering the period from January 2013 to May 2023, based on the Granger causality approach and the impulse response function testing empirically the existence of the long-run relationship using Johansen multivariate approach and the estimation of the VAR/VECM model. By analysing their interdependencies, the research sheds light on how these indicators respond to economic turbulence. The study employs robust econometric methods to investigate causal relationships and predictive patterns, providing valuable insights for investors, policymakers, and analysts navigating uncertain financial landscapes. The findings reveal nuanced dynamics, such as the momentum in oil prices, the inverse relationship between oil prices and the VIX index, and a significant Granger causality relationship running from the VIX index to oil and gold prices. Furthermore, based on the impulse response patterns, the shock in the VIX index caused a notable oil price decrease in the second quarter after the shock, followed by oscillations. Gold prices exhibit a minor initial decline after the VIX shock, with no lasting effects.

Fostering student engagement to acquire knowledge and achieve academic performance requires understanding how students engage in learning and its influence on academic achievement. This provides valuable insights that help improve learning experiences and outcomes. The paper relies on a mixed methods approach by expanding the traditional dimensions of student engagement and by employing a machine learning framework to identify which specific dimension of student engagement exhibits the main impact on student academic achievement. A questionnaire-based survey is conducted for the period 2020-2021 among a cohort of Romanian students. The outcomes of this preliminary exploratory analysis are further embedded into a machine learning framework by performing a LASSO regression. The findings reveal that the most relevant dimensions of student engagement, during remote education, that contribute the most to outcomes were represented by the behavioural, social, cognitive, and emotional engagement dimensions. Furthermore, the switch to online education appeared to have inverted the positive relationship between social and cognitive engagement and academic achievement. Despite the inherent challenges, the student's interest in class participation and homework completion was stimulated, and they managed to adapt without difficulty to study independently.

The development of technology is changing and transforming business models in the production and service sectors around the world. Especially in this age when the fourth industrial revolution is effective with different instruments such as artificial intelligence, internet of things, and cyber physical systems, the necessity of physical presence of people in the workplaces is gradually decreasing. Like many things developed in the virtual world, the virtual arrangement of workplaces is a very innovative undertaking. It is clear that the advantage of time and cost are the main reasons for the positive reception of the idea of workplace design in the metaverse environment. In this article, the criteria for workplace design in the metaverse environment of a company operating in the IT sector were examined and alternative metaverse platforms for workplace design using these criteria were evaluated. CoCoSo method based on the Interval Type-2 q-rung orthopair fuzzy sets is used in making the evaluations. Among the 6 criteria seen as important in the study, privacy and security, size and scale, and functionality were the three most important criteria. Among the alternative platforms evaluated, Rooom and Voxels are the first two platforms to be preferred.

The investigation and exploration of the general fiscal field with emphasis on “direct taxation” through the analysis of the published scientific literature, looking at the conceptual, intellectual, and collaborative structure while highlighting the future research directions is aiming to visualize the prevailing knowledge structure in order to help the future researchers and research clusters. A sample of 557 documents was extract from the Web of Science platform for the 1954–2022 time range and a bibliometric analysis was applied as a quantitative technique to investigate the scientific literature. The main questions for which this study could offer an answer are: Are there emerging subfields or topics within direct taxations research? Which authors have made significant contributions to the study of direct taxation? But what are the most influential and frequently cited publications? How has the research on direct taxations evolved over time in terms of publication trends? Is there any geographical concentration of research in this area? Which collaborative partnerships are standing out?

In the current context, the focus on optimizing energy distribution is intensified by high-impact events such as resource scarcity, import dependence, war, inflation, or environmental threats. As a consequence, international agencies have built extensive policies and targets that will reflect directly into the general energy distribution. One of the most crucial would be the 65% share of electricity that is bound to be generated from renewables until 2030. To study the feasibility of that goal, we will analyze the evolution of the energy mix worldwide in the last two decades, identifying the shift towards alternative energy sources, while also pinpointing the agents of change in terms of the low-carbon transition. The methodology will consist of a bootstrap clustering algorithm that has been computed for 3 moments: 2000, 2010, and 2020, generating clear differences in terms of energy distribution. In the second part of the paper, we have employed an ARIMA model that aims to predict the share of renewable energy by 2030, with the worrying conclusion that if the current rhythm continues, the goal will not be met and the climate could face severe consequences. Therefore, the paper significantly contributes to the methodological void in terms of bootstrap clustering applicability, while also illustrating a complete energy picture from a geographical and time perspective.

International authorities such as the European Commission and the United Nations pay special attention to sustainable urban development, for this purpose, strategies such as the European Green Deal or the Sustainable Development Strategy 2030 agenda, SDG 11 Sustainable cities and communities are developed. Urban development represents a fundamental direction in the transition process towards the green economy, a sustainable economic model. The paper aims to identify the degree of efficiency of economic development in the context of sustainable development for 41 cities in Romania, Germany, Japan, United States of America and Australia. To achieve this objective, the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method is used, with the aim of identifying the gaps regarding the sustainability of the analyzed cities. Data Envelopment Analysis allows the evaluation of the efficiency of urban settlements in the sample based on representative variables, selected as input. So, the research is ready to give answer to question like “What are the efficient cities in terms of sustainability?” and “What are the relationships between the cities included in the sample?”. The main results showed that there are cities that have a model of sustainable economic development, but certain cities present significant gaps from the point of view of efficient sustainable economic development. In addition, port cities seem to develop an association relationship, with inefficient port cities being associated with efficient port cities.

The increased price of energy and the limited resources of the planet have increased the worldwide attention to renewable energy resources. The purpose of this paper is to present the European context regarding these renewable sources. In addition, the evolution over time of some indicators relevant to this field is described for better shaping the general audience's understanding of the current status on the renewable sources. Using a statistical approach, the paper ranks the member states in terms of the consumption of renewable resources in areas such as transport and electricity. Throughout the research, it has been noted that there are significant differences between member states. An example to reinforce what was previously described is the fact that, for the share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption, the minimum value is approximately eight times lower than the maximum. Additionally, forecasting methods of indicators analysed based on historical data were applied to establish the course of EU27 countries for the year 2030, when the implementation period of the Sustainable Development Goals ends.

The paper aims to examine the evolving retail sector in recent years, specifically how digitalisation and technological innovations have transformed it. All actors have had to adapt to remain competitive. Notably, a new innovation in the retail sector, namely the checkout-free or cashierless store, emerged in 2018. Systematic literature is relied upon to achieve the study's objectives. The significance of this study lies in the use of multiple IT tools such as AI, cameras, sensors, and self-organising shelves to replace human intervention in the retail sector. Globally, several startup companies have developed this new unmanned solution, and Amazon Go stands out as one of the most well-known among them. The primary objective of this pioneering concept is to enhance efficiency by saving time and reducing queues. The aim is to enable customers to enter and exit the store with minimal human contact as quickly as possible. This paper presents the recent trend of the cashierless concept, its evolution, and proliferation. A systematic literature review and data analysis from the Crunchbase Database were conducted. The findings demonstrate that this recent concept is altering both consumers' purchasing behaviours and companies' business models. This paper provides novel perspectives and insights into the wider literature on cashierless concepts and smart retail in the context of digital business.

Analysing gender differences in key industries is one of today's priorities to achieve a more egalitarian society. In hospitality, the classic approach is through Mincerian regressions or wage decompositions. This paper addresses this issue through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) and Importance-Performance Map Analysis (IPMA). The results confirm and measure the relations between Human Capital, Labour Conditions, Market, and Wages, and examine the relative importance and performance of each indicator in explaining Wages. Therefore, there are narrow gender differences, and measures are suggested. The main limitation lies in the design of the constructs. This article contributes to the literature by providing an alternative analysis.

Digital transformation is not just a fad, it is also a significant opportunity for businesses to streamline processes, provide customers with value, and boost productivity. The research was conducted to understand the impact of digital transformation on the firm performance of Vietnamese small and medium enterprises. The number of survey samples is 930 and the SEM method is used to process data using SmartPLS 4.0 software. Research results show that digital transformation has a positive impact on business performance. The research results also confirm the mediating role of digital innovation and the moderating role of CSR for customers. This study clarifies the connection between digital information and firm performance in Vietnamese small and medium-sized enterprises, diversifying the results of business performance analysis. Additionally, businesses can use the research findings as a springboard to develop strategies for deploying digital activities that contribute to sustainable development.

Literature on the sequence of relationships between social commerce constructs, attitudes, and behaviors is disputed. According to earlier scholars, behavior is followed by attitude, conversely, recent evidence suggests a slight relationship. To explore this phenomenon in digital marketing, the aim of the current study is twofold: to examine a parallel mediation of cognitive and affective attitudes between social commerce constructs and purchase intention followed by sequential meditation of cognitive and affective attitudes in the relationship between social commerce constructs and purchase intention. Data for the study was collected using Google Forms from individuals who have used social commerce sites for making purchases over the last six months. The hypothesized model was analyzed using PROCESS macro. The finding of the study revealed that the composite influence of Social Commerce Constructs (SCCs) on online Purchase decisions is significant. Interestingly, our empirical findings support the view of recent scholars that behavior in the social commerce context is not followed by attitude but the cumulative relationship is significant and small. In parallel mediation, the mediation effect of affective attitude between SCCs and purchase intention is considerable. This finding indicates that to grab the attention of current and prospective customers in the era of digital marketing, marketers must focus on emotional content in online reviews.

The organizational environment often experiences turbulence, resulting in increased complexity in maintaining a foothold in the market. Consequently, dynamic capabilities play a crucial role in fostering organizational resilience. Given the substantial impact that organizations faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study aims to assess the influence of dynamic capabilities on the organizational resilience of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with the objective of identifying the factors that contribute to organizational survival. Using Covariance-Based Structural Equation Modeling (CB-SEM), this research examined 216 SMEs operating within the commercial sector of Mexico. The findings revealed a positive and significant impact of most dynamic capabilities, detection, absorption, coordination, and innovation on organizational resilience. Notably, the integration capability exhibited the weakest influence on the dependent variable. In contrast, the innovation capability emerged as the most influential factor for SMEs in bolstering organizational resilience.

This research aims to identify effective strategies for reducing carbon emissions in online shopping by examining the perspectives of Thai consumers and utilizing sociodemographic data to anticipate their choices for carbon mitigation. The study encompasses eco-logistics, last-mile innovations, and responsible consumer behavior. Data collected from a questionnaire gathered responses from 800 participants across diverse regions, resulting in a 96.50% response rate. Using a multinomial logit model in Stata 15, the analysis reveals factors influencing consumer decisions. Eco-logistics is the preferred choice for 35.74% of individuals aiming to reduce carbon emissions from online shopping. Regular purchases of clothing and shoes correlate with a 46% higher likelihood of selecting eco-logistics, while responsible purchasing shows a 33.03% adoption rate. Last-mile innovations, chosen by 31.23%, appeal to higher-income individuals, while women, older age groups (46+), and those with higher education lean toward eco-logistics. Higher education enhances responsible purchasing, influenced by critical thinking, income, and professional networks. Additionally, suburban consumers prefer eco-logistics due to longer distances, while urban residents opt for last-mile innovations. Addressing these challenges facilitates environmentally conscious practices in the e-commerce supply chain, providing insights for policymakers and businesses to formulate sustainable and equitable strategies.

Hallyu, the global cultural phenomenon that is also known as the Korean Wave affects its fans in terms of both their openness to Korean culture and their purchase intentions. Despite this, research into the psychological mechanism behind it is lacking. The aim of this study is to discover a) the relationship between Hallyu culture and the psychological factors associated with interpersonal relationships mediated through digital platforms; and b) the psychological factors that contribute to one's Korean Wave related purchase intention. The survey was conducted using an online questionnaire. Using a purposive sampling method, the core population of the survey consisted of Hallyu fans in Hungary, who were reached through various, Korean culture-specialised social media groups. Data from 495 eligible respondents was analysed using the PLS-SEM method with SMART PLS3 software. It can be concluded that fear of missing out (FOMO) and self-pressure to be member of fandom inspire presence in the online space, which can increase purchase intention towards K-goods, Results shows that the examined psychological elements have the greatest impact on two age groups (20-23 and 30-43 years old); however, due to its higher level of income and already established living circumstances the second group can respond to marketing activities to a greater extent. It has also been determined that the level of fandom involvement has a positive effect on purchase intention, something which can be further enhanced by FOMO and peer pressure. Based on the correlations identified, more effective marketing activities can be planned among fans through social media and influencers in fan groups.

Influencers serve as crucial role models, influencing the behavior, aesthetics, and ideologies of their followers. This cross-sectional study aims to explore the perspectives of Portuguese social media users toward influencers. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire from 759 participants obtained through snowball sampling. The majority (75.5%) were female, averaging 26 years in age. Descriptive statistics, mean comparisons, and correlations were utilized for analysis. Portuguese followers of social media influencers, primarily consisting of young women with lower formal education, are active on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube. They spend considerable time on social media, engaging with influencers through actions such as liking or tagging friends. Fashion and beauty influencers are particularly favored. Followers value influencers who interact with them, appreciate personal posts and disclosures, and form parasocial relationships with influencers. While many express a willingness to purchase products promoted by influencers, a noteworthy portion hasn't made such purchases. Participants express uncertainty about the guaranteed quality of products endorsed by influencers, yet 36.5% acknowledge the significance of influencers in discovering new products or trends. This study provides valuable insights for influencers and brands targeting a specific audience. It also underscores potential concerns for followers, emphasizing the link between excessive social media use and problematic behavior.

This paper presents an analysis of the perceptions surrounding the traditional and alternative educational systems. The aim of this study is to explore the various perspectives and attitudes towards these two approaches to education, considering their strengths and weaknesses. The analysis draws upon a comprehensive review of existing literature, examining both empirical research and theoretical frameworks. The data was collected with a questionnaire and a logistic regression equation was estimated with the help of SPSS 23 statistical software. The variable of interest was education system (traditional and alternative) and the independent variables were the following attributes: main benefits, capability, growth mindset, gender, age and degree. The findings reveal a wide range of perceptions and opinions, with proponents of the traditional system emphasizing its long-standing effectiveness and familiarity, while supporters of alternative approaches highlight their adaptability and potential for innovation. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of these perceptions for policymakers, educators, and students, and suggests avenues for future research.

Spatial data analysis approaches have grown in popularity in recent years as there has been an increased interest in studying migration at the regional level. We employed in our analysis the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) level, which offers a more thorough view of migratory patterns inside a nation as well as among EU countries. Using spatial data analytic tools, this research aims to investigate the key determinants of international migration at the NUTS2 level. Using data from the Eurostat database, we undertake an extensive analysis of migration movements in a sample of European Union countries. We apply spatial econometric models to examine the relationship between crude rate migration and other relevant variables as independent variables. Although the available data at the NUTS2 level of regional ranking are limited, we believe that we included the most comprehensive set of relevant variables in our analysis. Our study contributes to the existing literature on migration determinants by highlighting the importance of spatial analysis techniques in understanding migration factors at the NUTS2 level.