Issue #3 (Volume 23 2025)

Women’s empowerment is crucial for achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5, which seeks to eliminate all discrimination against women and promote effective female participation and equal opportunities. Education is one of the most powerful tools for empowering women. Therefore, this paper aims to examine the relationship between access to technology, digital literacy, digital entrepreneurial intent, and female empowerment, using data from 217 female university students in Saudi Arabia. Conformity factor analysis (CFA) and multivariate covariance-based structural equation modelling (CB-SEM) were utilised to explore this complex relationship. The path analysis reveals a significant link between access to technology and female empowerment. Technology can substantially influence individuals’ lives by enabling women to make informed decisions and shape their futures, thus promoting gender equality. For young students especially, access to and use of technology can positively support their social inclusion and independence. An important positive effect of digital literacy on both digital entrepreneurial intent and female empowerment is also observed. The ability to effectively use communication and information technology depends on access to and proficiency with such technology. Additionally, individuals’ motivation to seek information and their plans to attain business objectives using the Internet rely on their digital literacy. Finally, the results confirm a significant mediating role of digital literacy in the influence of access to technology on digital entrepreneurial intent and female empowerment, suggesting that individuals can only benefit from access to technology if they have the ability to utilise communication and information technology.

The industrial era is gradually giving way to a creative economy driven by human resources. This study aimed to assess the impact of human resources within the creative economy on countries’ economic growth. The focus was on human capital involved in the creative economy. Panel data from 21 countries (2016–2023) were analyzed. The ILO classification methodology for employment types was applied. A fixed-effects regression model was employed to assess the impact of human capital on economic growth, while controlling for relevant factors. The model’s coefficient of determination increased from 0.494 to 0.652 with the addition of new variables, indicating improved accuracy. These variables were used to assess the effect of creative economy indicators on GDP per capita across countries. A direct correlation has been established between the share of employed people involved in the creative economy and the country’s level of economic development, specifically in terms of GDP per capita (Gini coefficient: r = –0.431, P = 0.01). The quantitative importance of human resources of the creative economy was calculated for both developed and developing countries of the world. The practical value of the obtained results lies in the possibility of their use for the development of public management decisions to stimulate the economic growth of the country.

Religious affiliation is one of the indicators of the internal personality and spirituality of an employee. Although it can increase organizational effectiveness through motivation and job satisfaction, managers have not yet implemented this indicator in their work for various reasons. The purpose of this study is to test whether religious affiliation has a significant effect on the motivation and job satisfaction of faculty members at management schools in Norwegian and French higher education institutions. A survey of 96 academic workers was conducted in the spring of 2023. The results were examined using a one-way ANOVA test. The findings revealed a significant disparity in motivation and job satisfaction among academics of different religious affiliations. Only 10% of the considered motivators turned out to be significantly equal for all surveyed academic workers, while the majority showed a significant difference. Representatives of Western religions and atheists in general are significantly less motivated and satisfied with their work than representatives of Eastern religions. Significant differences were also found between representatives of various Eastern religions, indicating the impact of religion on the motivation and job satisfaction of academic workers. These findings provide an opportunity for university management to better motivate and satisfy academic staff based on their religious affiliations. When forming the teams to perform work tasks, managers can consider these findings to achieve better interaction and quality and improve organizational effectiveness.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
Chinese leadership dynamics have a significant impact on job performance in Chinese enterprises, influencing long-term success and fostering innovation, which highlights the importance of a positive organizational atmosphere in enhancing employee motivation. This study aims to examine how transformation and ethical leadership dynamics influence employee empowerment, organizational learning, and the subsequent long-term sustainability and job performance in Chinese industries. Data were collected from 500 employees across various Chinese industries, e.g., manufacturing, technology, and service. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to analyze the data. The results reveal that transformational leadership (β = 0.45, p< 0.001), employee empowerment (β = 0.45, p< 0.001), and organizational learning (β = 0.28, p< 0.001) significantly enhance organizational climate, which in turn strongly influences job performance (β = 0.50, p< 0.001). Organizational climate also mediates the effects of transformational leadership (indirect effect: β = 0.23, p< 0.001), employee empowerment (indirect effect: β = 0.16, p< 0.001), and organizational learning (indirect effect: β = 0.14, p< 0.001) on job performance. Furthermore, ethical leadership moderates the impact of transformational leadership (β = 0.19, p< 0.001) and employee empowerment (β = 0.15, p< 0.01) on organizational climate. These findings emphasize the importance of integrating ethical and transformational leadership, employee empowerment, and continuous learning to foster a supportive organizational climate and drive sustainable development. This study offers actionable insights for organizational leaders and policymakers, contributing to a deeper understanding of leadership and organizational dynamics that facilitate long-term success.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
The wave of layoffs in Indonesia’s startups has increased employees’ concerns about job insecurity, raising the need for a deeper understanding of its determinants. This study examines the associations between work stress, self-efficacy, and job insecurity in Indonesia’s startup ecosystem. Specifically, it investigates direct and indirect effects of work stress on job insecurity through self-efficacy. Data were collected from 262 digital startup employees in Jakarta using an online survey at the beginning of 2024 and analyzed using covariance-based structural equation modeling with LISREL software. The findings suggest that work stress does not directly influence job insecurity (T-value of 0.79 < 1.967), indicating that startup employees may perceive stress as a regular aspect of their dynamic and high-pressure work environment. However, work stress significantly and positively impacts self-efficacy (T-value of 11.32> 1.967), implying that stress can enhance employees’ confidence in their abilities when managed effectively. Self-efficacy has a significant and positive effect on job insecurity (T-value of 9.98 > 1.967), highlighting its pivotal role in shaping perceptions of job stability. Furthermore, work stress indirectly influences job insecurity through self-efficacy (Indirect effect 0.7392 > direct effect 0.045), emphasizing the mediating role of self-belief in mitigating the adverse effects of workplace stress. The findings emphasize the importance of fostering self-efficacy through supportive management, training programs, and clear communication to lessen job insecurity and promote resilience. These insights provide practical implications for enhancing employee well-being and organizational sustainability in the rapidly evolving startup environment.