Issue #1 (Volume 24 2026)

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
This study aims to examine the factors influencing early warning behavior in trade defense through the mediating role of the decision to adopt artificial intelligence (AI). Data were collected in the first quarter of 2025 from a survey of 328 managers working in the customs sector in Vietnam. Using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), the findings reveal that the decision to adopt AI is directly influenced by six factors: perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived risk, organizational commitment to innovation, technological readiness, and external pressure. These six factors also exert indirect effects on early warning behavior through the mediating role of AI adoption decisions. In contrast, organizational support does not generate a statistically significant moderating effect on the relationship between AI adoption and early warning behavior. The results provide further evidence of the critical role of AI adoption in enhancing effectiveness and efficiency within customs authorities, particularly in strengthening behaviors that safeguard the interests of exporting firms and protect national interests. These findings offer practical implications for emerging economies with conditions similar to Vietnam, where leveraging AI can serve as a strategic tool to improve trade defense mechanisms.

Acknowledgment
The authors would like to thank the Editor-in-Chief and a reviewer for their helpful comments that in our view have helped to improve the quality of the manuscript significantly. Besides, this study is the result of collaboration between researchers from the University of Law, Hue University, and School of Business and Economics, Duy Tan University. The authors would like to thank both institutions for their support and facilitation in the publication of this research.

Type of the article: Review Article

Abstract
As disruptions intensify in frequency and complexity, municipalities face growing pressure from society to strengthen their resilience to navigate these disruptions, maintain critical functions under unstable conditions, recover effectively, adapt, and transform. Hence, this study examines how resilience strategies and digital governance maturity interact to shape municipalities’ capacity to cope with disruptions, and how the domains of strategy, people, and processes enable this relationship. Using a systematic literature review, we found that resilience is a multifaceted phenomenon, in which bounce-back, bounce-forward, and bounce-beyond strategies are complementary rather than sequential, requiring municipalities to balance continuity with adaptation and transformation. The synthesis also allowed us to conclude that the feasibility of these strategies varies with digital governance maturity: digital consistency tends to support robust continuity and reliable service delivery, digital adaptation enables learning and flexible reconfiguration, and digital transformation underpins structural change and renewal. Finally, we revealed that these strategy-maturity linkages are enabled by the extent to which strategy, people, and processes are aligned, including leadership and governance arrangements, employee capabilities, and redesigned procedures and routines.
Building on these findings, we propose an integrative synthesis of the literature and derive concluding propositions linking municipal resilience strategies, i.e., bounce back, bounce forward, bounce beyond, with digital governance maturity levels, i.e., digital consistency, digital adaptation, digital transformation, through the alignment of strategy, people, and processes as the enabling mechanism shaping this relationship.

Acknowledgment
This research has received funding from the Research Council of Lithuania (LMTLT), agreement No. S-VIS-23-10.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
The university is the primary facilitator of students’ entrepreneurial spirit, and digitalization is the best way to launch new businesses during university years. This study investigated the relationship between entrepreneurship education and digital entrepreneurial intention mediated by two variables, entrepreneurial motivation and entrepreneurial mindset. Data were collected from students in entrepreneurship workshops at Brawijaya University, followed by students from several public and private universities across Indonesia, with 461 respondents selected using quota sampling. Students come from exact (e.g., Physics, Chemistry, or Mathematics) and non-exact (e.g., Management, Psychology, or Law) majors, with the majority in the third year of study. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling partial least squares (SEM-PLS). The results indicated that entrepreneurship education has a positive and significant effect on digital entrepreneurial intention (path coefficient = 0.081, p = 0.003). Entrepreneurial mindset does not significantly affect digital entrepreneurial intention (path coefficient = 0.043, p = 0.256). Entrepreneurship education significantly affects entrepreneurial motivation and entrepreneurial mindset (path coefficient = 0.423, p < 0.001). In addition, this study confirms the mediating role of entrepreneurial mindset on the relationship between entrepreneurship education and digital entrepreneurial intention (path coefficient = 0.284, p < 0.001). Surprisingly, entrepreneurship motivation failed to mediate the relationship between entrepreneurship education and digital entrepreneurial intention (path coefficient = 0.014, p = 0.283). Furthermore, entrepreneurship education shows no significant effect on digital entrepreneurship intention among female students and those from non-exact fields, indicating substantial individual differences in responses to such education.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
Income inequality remains a key socio-economic challenge in Kazakhstan, where persistent disparities reflect institutional weaknesses, structural imbalances, and limited effectiveness of redistribution mechanisms. This study aims to assess the influence of institutional quality, economic structure, and social policy on income inequality in Kazakhstan. The analysis is based on annual national and international statistical data for 2001–2023, covering indicators of governance quality, investment activity, labor market dynamics, and social protection. Methodologically, the study uses Spearman’s rank correlation analysis to identify statistically significant associations between the Gini coefficient and selected explanatory variables, without assuming linear relationships. The robustness of results is verified through significance testing at multiple confidence levels. The findings indicate that stricter rule of law and lower corruption are associated with reduced inequality (Spearman’s ρ ≈ –0.44 to –0.50, p < 0.05), while a higher share of state-owned enterprises correlates with greater disparities (ρ ≈ +0.47, p < 0.05). Investment per capita and household expenditures exert a moderate equalizing effect (each ρ ≈ –0.47, p < 0.05), whereas growth in real incomes and an expanding manufacturing sector are linked to wider gaps. Manufacturing share shows a strong positive association with inequality (ρ ≈ +0.80, p < 0.001), and overall income growth correlates positively as well (ρ ≈ +0.72, p < 0.001). Social transfers and pensions operate primarily as reactive measures, smoothing short-term fluctuations rather than achieving sustained redistribution. The findings provide guidance for public policy aimed at reducing income inequality and indicate that the strongest equalizing effects are associated with improvements in the rule of law, reductions in corruption, and higher investment activity, while growth in real household incomes and existing social transfers are largely reactive and do not ensure sustained redistribution.

Acknowledgment
This paper was prepared within the framework of the scientific and technical program IRN BR28713593 “Sustainable development of Kazakhstan’s economy in the context of new challenges: foresight, strategies and scenarios of modernization, institutions.”

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
The emphasis on responsible business practices has increased interest in how socially responsible human resource management (SRHRM) shapes employee attitudes and behaviors. However, empirical evidence on how SRHRM contributes to employee job performance in emerging economies remains limited. This study examines the influence of SRHRM on job performance through employee commitment and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). The analysis was conducted among full-time employees working in production, technical, and administrative positions in foreign direct investment (FDI) enterprises located in Vietnam’s Southern Key Economic Region. To ensure respondents had sufficient exposure to organizational HR practices, only employees with a minimum tenure of six months were included in the sample, consistent with recommendations that employees require adequate organizational experience to reliably evaluate HRM practices.
A quantitative survey was administered from March to May 2025 using a structured questionnaire, yielding 868 valid responses collected through a stratified–convenience sampling approach. Structural equation modeling was applied to test the proposed relationships. The results show that SRHRM significantly enhances employee commitment (β = 0.579, p < 0.001) and OCB (β = 0.615, p < 0.001). Both mediators positively affect job performance, with employee commitment (β = 0.322) and OCB (β = 0.440) demonstrating meaningful contributions. Significant indirect effects were also observed via commitment (β = 0.187) and OCB (β = 0.271). The model explains 39.7% of the variance in job performance. These findings confirm the role of SRHRM in fostering positive employee attitudes and behaviors, thereby improving job performance in FDI enterprises operating in emerging markets.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
This study examines whether job satisfaction predicts nurses’ intention to stay with their employer and whether work engagement (conceptualized as vigor, dedication, and absorption) mediates this relationship. We conducted a two-phase repeated cross-sectional survey of hospital nurses in Slovakia to replicate and validate findings across time periods; data were collected in May–November 2022 (n = 742) and September–October 2024 (n = 500). The samples were comparable in demographic characteristics, and the results were consistent across both phases. Descriptive statistics and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) were employed. Results showed that job satisfaction significantly predicted nurses’ intention to stay (β = 0.281, p < 0.001). Work engagement also positively predicted intention to stay and acted as a partial mediator between job satisfaction and intention to stay (indirect effect β = 0.142, p < 0.001). Among satisfaction facets, remuneration and benefits (standardized loading = 0.829) were the strongest predictors of retention, followed by managerial support (0.791), workload (0.787), and career advancement opportunities (0.783). Engagement was thus confirmed as a statistically significant mediator between job satisfaction and intention to stay. These findings quantify the pathway from satisfaction to intention to stay via engagement and prove the stability of these relationships over time, including during the period of changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Practically, targeted HR policies that strengthen satisfaction and engagement, especially through competitive pay and benefits, supportive supervision, effective communication, and clear developmental and career pathways, are essential to stabilize the nursing workforce and mitigate turnover.

Acknowledgments
This study was supported by the ESG project No. D12_2024, “The impact of human resource practices on the sustainability of the nursing workforce (nurses) in hospitals,” and was also conducted as part of the completed APVV project No. 19-0579, “Personnel management processes set up in hospitals and their impact on the migration of physicians and nurses to work abroad.”

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
This study investigates how networking capabilities shape collaborative engagement, healthcare ecosystem development, and stakeholder partnerships among local primary clinics in Indonesia, a sector facing persistent resource and connectivity constraints. Using a quantitative survey of 370 clinic managers across the archipelago, we applied partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to test the hypothesized relationships. The findings reveal that networking capabilities significantly enhance collaborative engagement (β = 0.727, p < 0.001), strengthen the healthcare ecosystem (β = 0.677, p < 0.001), and improve stakeholder partnership effectiveness (β = 0.296, p < 0.001). Both collaborative engagement and healthcare ecosystem quality further contribute positively to partnership outcomes, with the model explaining 58.7% of the variance. The results conclude that primary clinics with stronger networking capabilities are more likely to integrate into broader healthcare ecosystems and build effective, trust-based stakeholder partnerships. In practical terms, this study highlights the importance of clinic managers investing in relationship-building, multisectoral collaboration, and knowledge-sharing platforms, while policymakers are encouraged to support these efforts through regulations and incentives that connect clinics to wider healthcare networks.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
This study aims to examine the effect of digital transformation in the Jordanian government on the efficiency of government accounting, with organizational culture as a moderating factor. Two hundred and fifty valid responses were obtained from the auditors of the Jordanian Audit Bureau, internal auditors at the Ministry of Finance, and employees of innovation, transformation, and digital empowerment at the Jordanian Ministry of Digital Economy. The study employed regression analysis using PLS-SEM. The results indicated that perceptions of digital transformation, technological infrastructure, digital transformation benefits, and barriers to digital transformation significantly affected the efficiency of government accounting. Conversely, human resources efficiency was negatively associated with government accounting efficiency. Regarding the moderating variable, it strengthened the relationship between digital transformation benefits and government accounting efficiency (O = 0.115, T = 4.354, p < 0.001) and between technological infrastructure and government accounting efficiency (O = 0.047, T = 2.724, p = 0.006). It also reinforced the positive effect of barriers to digital transformation (O = 0.057, T = 2.411, p = 0.016). In contrast, it weakened the impact of both digital transformation perception (O = –0.124, T = 3.763, p < 0.001) and human resource efficiency (O = –0.087, T = 4.492, p < 0.001) on government accounting efficiency. The findings recommend that the government strengthen its organizational culture to complete the digital transformation process, as it significantly influences the efficiency of government accounting. Furthermore, it should improve the efficiency of government human resources and enhance the perception of digital transformation.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
Ownership concentration remains a defining feature of global corporate governance, with significant implications for economic development and inequality. This study aims to analyze the determinants of corporate ownership concentration in OECD and partner countries, focusing on the interplay between macroeconomic factors and distributional dynamics. The analysis relies on a short-balanced panel of 48 countries for 2020 and 2022, using OECD’s newly published indicator of concentrated ownership and applying OLS, Fixed Effects, and Random Effects models in R Studio. The results show that GDP per capita is negatively and significantly associated with ownership concentration (RE model, β = –1.73, p < 0.01), confirming that higher development levels are linked to more dispersed ownership structures. Wealth inequality exerts a dual effect: the top 10% wealth share is negatively related to ownership concentration (β = –135.4, p < 0.05), while the top 1% wealth share is positively related (β = 58.1, p < 0.05), underscoring the reinforcing effect of elite concentration. Income inequality measures were less robust, though the FE model indicated a positive association with the top 10% income share (β = 281.1, p = 0.021) and a negative association with the top 1% income share (β = –125.5, p = 0.006). Country-specific effects revealed persistent structural deviations, with Luxembourg (+43.5), the Slovak Republic (+29.5), and Indonesia (+27.0) exhibiting systematically higher ownership concentration. At the same time, India (–32.5), South Africa (–30.4), and Japan (–29.6) consistently displayed lower levels than predicted.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
Sustainable management and corporate sustainability communication (CSC) have become central themes in both research and practice. Within sustainability reports, CEO messages serve as strategic communication channels that reveal how firms construct legitimacy and align with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) imperatives. Despite their importance, limited research has compared these messages across institutional contexts. This study aims to uncover institutional differences in CEO messages within sustainability reports of Korean and global firms. For this purpose, this study analyzes CEO messages from 343 Korean and 323 global sustainability reports (from Fortune Global 500 firms following GRI standards) using text mining techniques (e.g., semantic network analysis, word embedding, and topic modeling). Results of semantic network analysis show that Korean firms emphasize management (centrality = 0.345922), growth (0.32013), and market (0.152733), while global firms highlight community (0.362553), customer (0.331332), and commitment (0.182617). Word embedding indicates that the terms “sustainability” and “stakeholder” are linked to symbolic gratitude and external recognition in Korean messages, but to citizenship and responsibility in global ones. Topic modeling reveals four performance- and evaluation-oriented themes in Korean firms versus three execution- and long-term value-oriented themes in global firms. These findings show how different levels of institutionalization shape CEO discourse and suggest that Korean firms rely more on symbolic legitimation, while global firms stress substantive sustainability commitments.

Acknowledgment
This research was supported by Hallym University Research Fund, 2025 (HRF-202503-001).

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
This study examines the determinants of internal audit effectiveness and its impact on sustainability information disclosure in Vietnamese non-financial enterprises. Drawing on agency theory, legitimacy theory, and the International Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing, the study develops and tests a structural model linking five governance-related factors (independence, objectivity, auditor competence, the scope of internal audit activities, and management support) to internal audit effectiveness and, subsequently, to sustainability information disclosure. Enterprise size is incorporated as an explanatory and moderating variable.
Empirical data were collected through a quantitative survey of 209 managers and employees in accounting, auditing, finance, and governance positions across 103 listed non-financial enterprises. The data were analyzed using reliability analysis, factor analysis, and structural equation modeling.
The results show that management support, objectivity, audit scope, and auditor competence significantly enhance internal audit effectiveness, with management support exerting the strongest influence, while independence is not statistically significant. Furthermore, both internal audit effectiveness and enterprise size positively affect sustainability information disclosure, with enterprise size playing a more dominant role, consistent with legitimacy pressures and resource-based considerations. The findings highlight the mediating role of internal audit effectiveness in translating governance practices into improved sustainability disclosure. This study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence from a developing-country context and demonstrating the strategic role of internal audit in enhancing transparency and supporting sustainable development.

Acknowledgment
This study is conducted within the framework of the doctoral project subject to Decision No. 3922/QĐ-ĐHDT dated August 21, 2024, Duy Tan University, Vietnam. We would like to acknowledge the reviewers and the editor-in-chief for their assistance.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
The accelerating digital and green transition has intensified the role of financial centers as investment conduits, making the relationship between financial strength and smart city development both timely and policy-relevant. This study aims to examine whether and to what extent the Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI) explains variation in the Smart Centres Index (SCI) across a global sample of cities. The analysis relies on panel data covering 78 cities from 2019 to 2025, with all calculations performed in R Studio using fixed effects, random effects, and robust error-corrected estimators. The findings reveal a sharp contrast between specifications: while the fixed-effects model detects no significant relationship (β = 0.0013, p = 0.963), the random-effects model identifies a positive and statistically significant link (β = 0.0858, p < 0.001), explaining about 56% of SCI variation (R² = 0.557). Robustness checks with clustered and Driscoll–Kraay standard errors confirm the stability of this result. City-level effects highlight London (+60.24), New York (+54.39), and Singapore (+39.46) as leading overperformers, while New Delhi (–74.49) and Mumbai (–68.15) emerge as underperformers. These outcomes demonstrate that financial strength matters for smart city advancement, but local governance, infrastructure, and innovation ecosystems critically shape whether financial capacity translates into smart development.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
Entrepreneurship is a strategic rehabilitative approach within correctional institutions, offering incarcerated individuals viable opportunities for economic independence and social reintegration. The high recidivism rates and severe social stigma faced by women upon release underscore the relevance of identifying effective psychological and social drivers to maximize the success of these initiatives. The study aims to examine the impact of prison entrepreneurship programs (PEP) on the entrepreneurial intentions of female inmates following their release, specifically exploring whether the moderating influences of personal resilience or external social support are the predictors in this process. A quantitative research design was adopted, utilizing primary data collected through a structured survey. The population comprises 225 female inmates who are currently incarcerated but have actively participated in vocational and entrepreneurship-oriented training for a minimum of three months in four selected correctional facilities. Data processing and model estimation were performed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The findings demonstrate that participation in the PEP has a substantial and positive effect on entrepreneurial intention (β = 0.345, p < 0.001), with the overall model explaining 62.2% of the variance in entrepreneurial intention (R² = 0.622). The moderating analysis reveals that resilience does not have a statistically significant moderating effect on the relationship between PEP participation and entrepreneurial intention (p > 0.05). In contrast, social support emerges as a significant positive moderator, strengthening the effect of PEP participation on entrepreneurial intention (β = 0.265, p < 0.001). The study concludes that PEPs are highly effective, but their success hinges more on the assurance of post-release social support networks than on the inmates’ individual psychological resilience.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
Professional performance of teachers is a crucial aspect of the education system. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effects of digital learning and local wisdom on teachers’ professional performance in the context of the mediation of Islamic teaching competence. The study participants included 425 Indonesian madrasah teachers. The data were collected in 2025 through questionnaires on a Likert scale. With the support of descriptive and correlational matrices, the data analysis employed structural equation modeling. The results indicated that digital learning has a direct effect on professional performance (γ = .19, p = .01), local wisdom has s direct impact on professional performance (γ = .23, p = .01), and Islamic teaching competence directly affects professional performance (β =.37; p = .01). Further, digital learning directly influences Islamic teaching competence (γ = .36, p = .01); similarly, local wisdom also directly affects Islamic teaching competence (γ = .19; p = .01). Additionally, Islamic teaching competence indirectly transmits digital learning and local wisdom on professional performance (β = .13, .07; p = .01). This evidence offers a novel empirical model for understanding how digital learning and local wisdom impact teachers’ professional performance through Islamic teaching competency. This is a new insight worthy of critical, in-depth, and comprehensive further discussions, along with input for school practitioners (management) to enhance teacher professional performance by leveraging digital learning, local wisdom, and Islamic teaching competence.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
This study examines whether CEOs receive higher compensation when their firms establish high-quality sustainability committees and obtain independent third-party assurance of their sustainability reports, and whether board gender diversity and CEO board membership moderate these relationships. The empirical dataset comprises publicly listed firms from 13 countries in the MENA region. It includes 2,183 firm-year observations drawn from 486 firms over the 2014–2023 period. The data were primarily obtained from the Refinitiv database and analyzed using panel regression models with firm and year-fixed effects. The results reveal that both sustainability committee quality and external assurance quality are positively associated with CEO compensation (r = 0.17, p < 0.05; r = 0.05, p < 0.05), supporting the signaling and stakeholder theories by emphasizing how robust ESG governance conveys legitimacy and aligns executive incentives with sustainable value creation. Board gender diversity weakened the positive effect of sustainability committee quality on pay (interaction β = –0.00, p < 0.01), suggesting stronger oversight and reduced symbolic ESG use. Conversely, CEO board membership shows no significant moderating effect, indicating limited influence in this context. Additional analyses confirm the robustness of these relationships and reveal that improvements in ESG and CO₂ performance partially mediate the link between governance structure and executive remuneration. This study offers practical insights for policymakers and boards aiming to align CEO compensation with sustainability objectives in contexts with limited regulatory enforcement.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
Managing human resources is crucial for ensuring organizational success. This paper aims to identify the impact of job analysis and human resource planning on staffing strategies in the United Arab Emirates. It also aimed to verify the mediating effect of human resource planning. A research model was developed based on the literature review and theoretical framework. A quantitative cross-sectional questionnaire was used to assess employee attitudes in banks in Abu Dhabi. Specifically, the required data were gathered from 309 banking employees in Abu Dhabi via convenience sampling over the period from February to April 2025. This study employed the structural equation modeling (SEM) approach, with AMOS as the chosen method of analysis. The findings indicate that staffing strategies are positively affected by both job analysis (β = 0.702, p < 0.05) and human resource planning (β = 0.143, p < 0.05). Furthermore, the results verified the mediating role of human resource planning between job analysis and staffing strategies (β = 0.143, p < 0.05). These findings demonstrate a direct, beneficial influence of job analysis and human resource planning on staff strategies and offer noteworthy implications for managers in the banking context.

Type of the article: Research Article

This paper explores the extent to which adaptability and resilience affect dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation in a sample of 239 Greek startups operating in various sectors registered in Elevate Greece. Α quantitative research design was applied to collect data from November 2024 to May 2025, using a structured 18-item questionnaire developed from existing measurement scales of entrepreneurial orientation and measured on a 5-point Likert scale. Descriptive statistics, chi-square independence tests, hypothesis testing, and multiple regression analyses were applied to examine the relationships between adaptability, resilience-related factors, and dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation. Statistical analysis documents a strong association between entrepreneurial orientation and both adaptability and resilience, as all hypotheses are strongly supported (p < .001). In addition, the findings indicate that adaptability-related factors significantly predict proactiveness (p < .001), while two of the three resilience-related factors (allocation of research and development resources and strategic alliances) appear to have a strong positive effect on innovativeness (p < .001). Autonomy demonstrates partial strong associations with both constructs, through one adaptability factor (organizational structure) and one resilience factor (employees’ connection to work). Finally, resilience-related factors have less predictive effect on risk-taking. Overall, the results indicate that the adaptability and resilience of Greek startups require a combination of internal and external capabilities.

Acknowledgment
This study has been funded by the Democritus University of Thrace.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
The growing pressure to operate sustainably has pushed many hotels in emerging markets, including Vietnam, to rethink how innovation and digital technology contribute to their financial performance. This study explores the extent to which a strategic focus on green innovation and the adoption of digital tools shape hotel financial outcomes, and whether these effects occur through the way environmental information is collected, managed, and used. Environmental leadership was also considered as a possible factor that might strengthen these relationships.
A survey of 243 hotel managers in major Vietnamese cities provided the empirical basis for the analysis. Using partial least squares structural equation modeling, the study finds that a clear strategic commitment to green innovation encourages hotels to engage more deeply in environmental information practices, particularly in proactive information gathering. This proactive behavior shows the strongest link with improved financial performance (β = 0.444, p < 0.001). By contrast, information transparency and formal reporting procedures produce weaker or inconsistent effects. The moderating influence of environmental leadership was not supported, implying that leadership and strategic orientation operate in parallel rather than amplifying one another.
These results suggest that hotels benefit most when they actively seek and use environmental intelligence, rather than relying solely on compliance-oriented reporting systems. Proactive green information management appears to be the critical mechanism through which sustainability-focused strategies translate into financial gains.

Acknowledgment
The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to the participating hotels in Vietnam’s hospitality industry for their valuable cooperation and insights, which made this study possible. We also acknowledge the academic support provided by Faculty of Marketing, University of Finance – Marketing, and we are grateful to colleagues who offered constructive feedback during the development of this research.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
Every developing country, including Indonesia, relies on SMEs as an important part of its economic structure. However, SMEs encounter significant problems in terms of competition on the local and global markets. This study aims to examine the mediating role of innovation capability in the relationships between customer relationship management, market orientation, and SME performance. The survey targeted 103 SMEs in the food and beverage sector in East Java, Indonesia. This is quantitative research. SEM-PLS (SmartPLS software) was used to evaluate the study model. Empirically, customer relationship management has a marked influence on the performance (p = 0.000) and innovation capability (p = 0.005) of SMEs. Besides, market orientation has a significant impact on both SME’s performance (p = 0.001) and innovation capacity (p = 0.000). The capability of innovation also has an influence on the performance of SMEs (p < 0.001). Further, the study revealed that innovation capability partially mediates (p = 0.042) the relationship between customer relationship management and SME performance, as well as the relationship between market orientation and SME performance (p = 0.002). Therefore, the findings reveal that customer relationship management and market orientation in SMEs in East Java, Indonesia, have direct effects on SME performance and indirect effects through innovation capabilities.

Acknowledgment
The research process would not have been possible without the Rector of Universitas Wijaya Putra Surabaya, whose support and dedication have been instrumental in the completion of this article. Support and cooperation, which might have been missed or taken for granted in the conduct of the research, are deeply appreciated. This research would not have been successful without the countless hours and contributions of many, and for that, they have my sincerest appreciation.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
Private higher education institutions (HEIs) in the Philippines face persistent governance and accountability challenges due to weak internal control systems. These weaknesses contribute to financial inefficiencies, compliance risks, and a decline in institutional trust. Addressing this issue is crucial as HEIs adapt to evolving regulatory requirements and sustainability demands. This study aims to examine the effectiveness, implementation challenges, and strategic risk management practices associated with internal control systems among eight private HEIs in Nueva Ecija, the Philippines, during the 2024–2025 academic year. A descriptive-quantitative approach was employed, utilizing a validated survey instrument administered to 69 finance-related personnel, including cashiers, budget officers, and accountants, yielding a high reliability score (Cronbach’s α = 0.917). The findings reveal that internal control systems are generally effective (mean score = 4.12, SD = 0.56), yet constrained by weaknesses in risk mitigation, monitoring, and personnel engagement. Significant correlations (p < 0.05) were observed between control effectiveness, implementation challenges, and risk management practices, indicating that organizational culture and institutional capacity strongly influence system performance. The study concludes that strengthening audit communication, monitoring mechanisms, and staff competence through technology-supported risk management initiatives can enhance institutional governance, accountability, and long-term sustainability in private higher education institutions.

Acknowledgment
The authors used an AI-based assistant (ScholarGPT, built on the GPT-5 framework and Gemini) to support the organization and refinement of the literature review section. The tool was employed strictly for improving structure, clarity, and coherence. All conceptual analyses, interpretations, and conclusions were developed and verified by the authors to ensure accuracy and compliance with Problems and Perspectives in Management editorial and ethical standards.