Tracing the invisible: How CBDCs can strengthen anti-money laundering in small open economies

This study holds significance due to the increasing impact of influencer marketing on consumer behavior, particularly among the youth demographic in Saudi Arabia. This study aims to examine how influencer marketing influences perceived credibility and purchase intention, emphasizing the roles of transparency and cultural factors in shaping consumer behavior.
A descriptive-analytical method was utilized, the research was conducted at University of Bisha, incorporating a structured survey to gather data from 384 university students, both male and female. The sample was meticulously chosen to embody the characteristics of young consumers, a group recognized for its significant involvement with social media channels and vulnerability to influencer marketing tactics. The findings indicate that the traits of influencers play a crucial role in boosting purchase intention (β = 0.42, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the influence of brand credibility on purchase intention is significant (β = 0.51, p < 0.001), and it serves as a partial mediator in the connection between influencer characteristics and purchase intention (indirect effect = 0.27, p < 0.001). The results underscore Snapchat’s prominence as the leading platform among participants, illustrating its significance for focused influencer marketing initiatives. Marketers are advised to prioritize transparent and authentic collaborations with influencers to strengthen brand credibility and foster consumer trust. Emphasizing partnerships with influencers whose values align with students’ interests on Snapchat will enhance engagement and drive purchasing behavior. This information provides actionable direction for marketers aiming to enhance their influencer marketing approaches, cultivating enduring consumer confidence and sustainable brand development among younger demographics.

Economic policy uncertainty has a profound impact on firms’ investment decisions, mainly in terms of increased risk and uncertainty for firms when planning future investments. This study aims to explore the impact of corporate economic policy uncertainty on corporate investment, as well as how corporate social responsibility disclosure moderates the relationship between economic policy uncertainty (EPU) and corporate investment. The analysis uses a sample of Chinese listed companies from 2010 to 2022, including 33,791 observations. The study uses ordinary least squares (OLS) regression with clustered standard errors. The basic and robust regression empirical results show that economic policy uncertainty has a negative impact on corporate investment. However, corporate social responsibility plays an important moderating role between them. The two-stage least squares method (2SLS) is used to solve the endogeneity problem of reverse causation. The heterogeneity results show that economic policy uncertainty significantly dampens business investment, while corporate social responsibility (CSR) is effective in mitigating this negative effect, especially among non-state-owned and low-cash-flow firms, where this moderating effect is more pronounced. The study concludes that as corporate social responsibility disclosure enhances information transparency and investor confidence, companies should prioritize CSR programs that ultimately help companies remain competitive and attractive to investors in volatile markets. Meanwhile, this also highlights the strategic importance of CSR in mitigating external risks, such as those presented through volatile economic policies.

Artificial intelligence in public administration is critical for the modernization of the public sector and adaptation to the challenges of modern society. The paper analyzes studies dedicated to the impact of artificial intelligence on the efficiency, innovation, and transparency of management processes in the public sector using meta- and bibliometric analysis. The goal is to identify the main areas and keywords that highlight theoretical and practical aspects of artificial intelligence in public administration. In total, 879 scientific articles were analyzed, of which 598 works are devoted to artificial intelligence. Dynamic time analysis revealed a significant surge in scientific interest in artificial intelligence in public administration: from 2010 to 2019, 135 publications were devoted to this issue, and from 2020 to 2024, 421. Bibliographic maps of keywords and publication maps showed the main thematic areas of research on artificial intelligence: the application of AI in public administration and the public sector, decision-making in public administration, data management and digital technologies in public administration, and the strategic use of AI to forecast socio-economic trends.
The obtained data became the basis for expanding the scientific and practical potential of using artificial intelligence in public administration. The main areas of future research will concern the regulation of ethical issues to ensure the trust of citizens, the development of a regulatory framework and standards, increasing the efficiency of public services, the integration of artificial intelligence into strategic planning, and the use of artificial intelligence to achieve sustainable development goals.

Acknowledgment
The analysis was carried out within the framework of the implementation of the perspective plan for the development of the scientific area “Social Sciences” of Sumy State University, number d/r 0121U112685.