Issue #2 (Volume 24 2026)

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
Organizational justice, a critical aspect of organizational behavior, significantly influences employees’ behavior, including job satisfaction and job performance. This study investigates the impact of organizational justice (specifically procedural, distributive, and interactional justice) on social loafing, with the moderating effect of organizational ethical culture on the relationship between organizational justice and social loafing. To achieve the study’s objectives, a quantitative research method utilizing a structured questionnaire was employed to test the proposed hypotheses. Of the 750 questionnaires distributed to employees of five-star hotels in Amman City, Jordan, 527 were returned, yielding a 70% response rate. As predicted, the results of the main hypothesis (β = 0.827, t = 26.21, p < 0.01) indicate that organizational justice has a statistically significant impact on reducing social loafing. The three dimensions of organizational justice also showed significant impact in reducing social loafing: procedural justice (β = 0.315, t = 4.371, p < 0.000), distributive justice (β = 0.321, t = 5.751, p < 0.000), and interactional justice (β = 0.268, t = 5.426, p < 0.000). Regarding the moderating effect, the hierarchical multiple regression analysis demonstrates that organizational ethical culture moderates the relationship between organizational justice and social loafing behavior. These results confirm that organizational justice is critical to enhancing employees’ self-efficacy; more specifically, procedural justice, which encompasses the processes and methods used in decision-making, conflict resolution, and resource allocation, is of paramount importance.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
This study examines how perceived organizational support for the environment and green transformational leadership encourage green employee behavior, and whether environmental self-identity strengthens these two influences among employees of 4-star hotels on the island of Sulawesi (North Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, and Gorontalo), Indonesia. To address the gap in the implementation of sustainability practices at the operational level, the survey was conducted among 379 employees (>2 years of service). The data were analyzed using PLS-SEM (SmartPLS 4) by bootstrapping. The results showed that perceived organizational support for the environment had a positive and significant effect on green employee behavior (β = 0.298; t = 6.520; p = 0.000), and green transformational leadership had a positive and significant effect on green employee behavior (β = 0.299; t = 6.585; p = 0.000). Environmental self-identity had the strongest direct influence on green employee behavior (β = 0.413; t = 9.538; p = 0.000). The moderation test confirmed that environmental self-identity strengthened the relationship between perceived organizational support for the environment and green employee behavior (β = 0.176; t = 4.147; p = 0.000) and between green transformational leadership and green employee behavior (β = 0.140; t = 4.340; p = 0.000). This suggests that the “green signal” from organizations and leaders is most effective when aligned with employees’ environmental identity. Based on social exchange and social identity theories, these findings affirm the importance of strengthening organizational support, developing green leadership, and building environmental self-identity to maintain green employee behavior across work units.

Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge BPI (the Indonesian Education Scholarship), PPAPT (the Center for Higher Education Funding and Assessment), and LPDP (the Indonesian Endowment Fund for Education) for awarding the scholarship and supporting this research under No. 00077/BPPT/BPI.06/9/2023.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
Digital transformation is central to customs modernization, yet empirical evidence on how regulatory digitization translates into employees’ job proficiency through capability-building remains limited in Peru. This study aims to test the relationships among digital customs regulations, digital transformation, professional competencies, and job proficiency in Peruvian customs agencies, including the mediating role of professional competencies, using PLS-SEM. A quantitative explanatory–predictive, cross-sectional design was applied. Data were collected via a five-point online survey of 104 employees in Peruvian customs agencies (Lima–Callao) in October–November 2025, recruited through WhatsApp-based convenience/snowball sampling. The model was estimated in ADANCO 2.4.1 with a two-stage approach for the higher-order digital transformation construct and bootstrap inference. Digital customs regulations strongly predicted digital transformation (β = 0.872, p < 0.001) and generated a sizeable total indirect effect on job proficiency (β = 0.757, p < 0.001). Digital transformation increased professional competencies (β = 0.853, p < 0.001) and had a direct effect on job proficiency (β = 0.464, p = 0.026), while professional competencies also enhanced job proficiency (β = 0.473, p = 0.023). Mediation was supported for the pathway digital transformation → competencies → job proficiency (β_ind = 0.403, p = 0.034), yielding a total digital transformation effect of β = 0.867. Explanatory power was high (R²: DT = 0.761; competencies = 0.725; job proficiency = 0.814; SRMR = 0.041). The findings indicate that regulatory-driven digitization improves work proficiency primarily when accompanied by systematic competency development, highlighting training and institutional enablers as priorities in customs reform.

Acknowledgments
A la Dirección de Investigación de la Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas por el apoyo brindado para la realización de este trabajo de investigación a través del incentivo UPC-EXPOST-2026-1. [We would like to thank the Research Directorate of the Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas for their support in carrying out this research through the UPC-EXPOST-2026-1 grant.]

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
This study examines whether participation in targeted higher education courses is associated with differences in perceived social integration among refugees. Using survey data from 255 Ukrainian refugees in Norway (93 program participants and 162 non-participants), the study applies one-way ANOVA to compare value orientations, perceived well-being, and integration barriers and facilitators across groups. The findings indicate that participants report significantly higher levels of well-being and more positive assessments of education-related integration supports compared to non-participants. Differences in civic value priorities, including freedom, human rights, and equality, are positive but not consistently statistically significant, while dignity remains uniformly high across both groups. The results suggest that participation in structured higher education courses enhances refugees’ perceptions of professional development opportunities and future prospects. The expanding access to higher education and reducing institutional barriers may enhance long-term integration outcomes beyond immediate labor market activation. Overall, the study highlights the role of higher education institutions as institutional contributors to integration and suggests that educational initiatives can complement traditional language-based integration policies.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
Recent global disruptions have substantially reshaped organizational environments and labor markets, including the COVID-19 pandemic, rapid diffusion of publicly accessible artificial intelligence technologies, accelerated digitalization of organizational processes and remote work, and geopolitical instability such as Russian-Ukrainian war. This study aims to map and analyze the structure of research on human resource management (HRM) transformation in the context of global economic and technological challenges. The analysis is based on bibliometric methods applied to WoS-indexed publications from 2020 to 2025, using keyword co-occurrence analysis, thematic clustering, and network visualization techniques. The dataset includes 1,248 scientific publications and 4,317 author keywords, indicating a rapid expansion of research on HRM transformation during the analyzed period. Five major thematic clusters were identified, with the largest cluster related to digital HRM, artificial intelligence, and algorithmic management, accounting for approximately 28% of publications. Research on sustainable and green HRM is the second-largest thematic area (21%), reflecting the growing importance of environmental and ESG-related organizational strategies. Studies on employee well-being, remote work, and crisis-driven HRM adaptation account for about 18% of the literature, highlighting the long-term organizational consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results also reveal emerging yet underdeveloped research directions in AI-driven HR analytics, the ethical aspects of algorithmic decision-making, and HRM responses to geopolitical and economic instability. The findings demonstrate that contemporary HRM research is increasingly shaped by digital transformation, sustainability pressures, and global systemic crises, emphasizing the need for interdisciplinary approaches to understanding HRM adaptation in rapidly changing environments.

Acknowledgment
This paper was supported by the Agency for Research and Development Support based on the contract no. APVV-VV-MVP-24-0299 entitled “New trends in human resource management in the context of global challenges of the 21st century”.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
Microenterprises are crucial for economic development, but face resource shortages and market pressures that make sustainable business performance difficult. The present study seeks to investigate the effect of self-development on micro-enterprise performance in a sustainable manner mediated by necessity-driven entrepreneurship, opportunity-driven entrepreneurship, and innovative work behavior. Data were collected via a quantitative cross-sectional survey among 365 food and beverage micro-entrepreneurs in Greater Jakarta, Indonesia, followed by data analysis through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). SEmpirical findings show that self-development results in a high positive effect on opportunity-driven entrepreneurship (β = 0.675, p < 0.001), whereas the effect on necessity-driven enterprise has been lower than others (β = 0.269, p < 0.001) as well as on innovative work behavior (β = 0.379, p < 0.001). Results show that opportunity-driven entrepreneurship is an important positive predictor of both innovative work behavior (β = 0.394, p < 0.001) and sustainable business performance (β = 0.317, p < 0.001), respectively. Innovative work behavior proved to be the most significant predictor of sustainable business performance (β = 0.518, p < 0.001). However, necessity-driven entrepreneurship does not show a significant influence on innovative work behavior and contributes significantly less to sustainable performance (β = 0.067, p = 0.032). Mediation analysis indicates that opportunity-driven entrepreneurship and innovative work behavior mediate the impact of self-development on sustainable business performance together. Our findings validated the idea that self-development improves sustainable microenterprise performance primarily through being oriented toward motivating opportunities and innovative work behavior.

Acknowledgments
The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to the Research and Community Service Institute of Universitas Mercu Buana for providing research funding support, which has contributed significantly to the successful completion of this study and the preparation of this article.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
The study examines the nexus between environmental tax revenues, renewable energy adoption, transport research and development expenditure, and green growth across EU-27 countries from 2000 to 2024. The study addresses the critical gap in understanding how fiscal environmental instruments and technological innovation in transport sectors contribute to sustainable development outcomes. Using panel data analysis, the paper employs cross-sectionally augmented autoregressive distributed lag (CS-ARDL) and method of moments quantile regression (MMQR) models to analyze both short-run and long-run relationships while accounting for cross-sectional dependence and heterogeneity. Results reveal that environmental tax revenues positively influence green growth with a long-run elasticity of 0.358, indicating that a 1% increase in environmental taxes enhances adjusted net savings by 0.358%. Renewable energy adoption demonstrates a stronger positive effect with an elasticity of 0.531 in the long run, while transport R&D expenditure exhibits a coefficient of 0.289, suggesting significant contributions to sustainable outcomes. The MMQR analysis demonstrates heterogeneous effects across quantiles, with stronger impacts observed at higher green growth levels. Cross-sectional dependency tests confirm significant spatial spillover effects among EU member states. The findings provide empirical evidence supporting the effectiveness of coordinated environmental fiscal policies and targeted innovation investments in transport sectors.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
The purpose of this study is to analyze the roles of knowledge management and digital marketing in improving the perfor-mance of local food home industries (LFHIs), which are crucial to strengthening regional food security and community in-comes in the Indonesian archipelago. However, LFHI performance remains hampered by limited digital adoption and integration of knowledge. The analysis was conducted in Maluku Province, particularly Central Maluku Regency, Tual City, and Southeast Maluku Regency. A total of 101 entrepreneurs in Central Maluku, 336 in Southeast Maluku, and 336 in Tual City were identified. Data were analyzed using SmartPLS-SEM. The coefficient of determination (R²) was 0.523, indicating that collaboration networks, marketing capacity, consumer satisfaction, digital marketing, and knowledge management explain 52.3% of the variation in LFHI performance. In comparison, factors outside the model influence the remaining 47.7%. Model fit was confirmed by NFI = 0.852 and SRMR = 0.078, indicating an acceptable fit. The t-statistic results suggest that collaboration networks significantly influence digital marketing and knowledge management, whereas consumer satisfaction has no significant effect on either. Both digital marketing and knowledge management significantly enhance LFHI performance, whereas marketing capacity significantly influences digital marketing but not knowledge management. The results indicate that locally embedded collaboration and knowledge-sharing practices drive digital transformation. The study provides a practical development model to strengthen food-based MSMEs in archipelagic regions.

Acknowledgment
We want to express our gratitude to the DPPM Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology for providing research funding to support our research activities in 2025, as outlined in contract No. 096/C3/DT.05.00/PL/2025, dated May 28, 2025.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
This study examines how innovation and sustainability influence the recovery of Jordan’s tourism and hotel sector, and whether their combined effect accelerates recovery beyond separate contributions. Annual data for 2010–2024 are compiled from the United Nations World Tourism Organization, the World Bank World Development Indicators, the Jordan Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the Global Innovation Index, and the Environmental Performance Index. A recovery index tracks sector performance relative to the 2019 baseline, while conditions are controlled using gross domestic product per capita, inflation, and exchange rate stability. Fixed-effects regression results indicate that innovation is positively associated with recovery (coefficient 0.41, probability value 0.001), and sustainability is positive and statistically significant (coefficient 0.34, probability value 0.032). The interaction between innovation and sustainability is positive and statistically significant (coefficient 0.48, probability value 0.009), showing complementarity: innovation yields larger recovery gains when sustainability performance is stronger. Exchange rate stability supports recovery (coefficient 0.19, probability value 0.021), and the model explains variation in outcomes (adjusted coefficient of determination 0.72). Robustness checks with alternative specifications confirm stable coefficient signs and significance. The findings support policy packages that align innovation investment with sustainability improvements to strengthen resilience and speed recovery in Jordan for long-term competitiveness.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
The freelance economy opens new ways for direct interaction between freelancers and customers without intermediaries. This study aims to systematize the forms of the freelance economy in the context of Industry 5.0. A structured review methodology focusing on technological progress and human-centric solutions of the freelance economy is used. Freelancing and Industry 5.0 are closely intertwined and complement each other, forming new economic models and work processes. Their relationship lies in the combination of technological development and human creativity, which allows for the formation of efficient and flexible economic structures. Personalization and customization of consumption within Industry 5.0 promote the freelancing (individualization) of the production sphere, building a win-win strategy both for consumers and producers. Freelancing economy focuses on information processing of work, enables remote communications, promotes creativity of work, provides opportunities for the synergistic combination of human cognitive abilities with AI, ensures the development of personalization and customization of consumption, and contributes to the social development of workers. The structure of the forms of the freelance economy is characterized by the integration of decentralized financial systems, the use of artificial intelligence and blockchain, and the transition to new forms of labor organization based on global digital platforms and self-regulated organizations. One of the key barriers to the freelance economy is the lack of legal regulation of cryptocurrencies and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), as well as the associated cybersecurity risks. To summarize, the significance lies in creating a more adaptive, flexible, and decentralized labor market that meets the challenges of today’s digital world.

Acknowledgments
This research was funded by a grant “Fundamental grounds for Ukraine’s transition to a digital economy based on the implementation of Industries 3.0; 4.0; 5.0” (No. 0124U000576) and “Digital transformations to ensure civil protection and post-war economic recovery in the face of environmental and social challenges” (No. 0124U000549). 

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
The study examines how parallel imports affect company efficiency and consumer satisfaction in Kazakhstan amid shifting global supply chains and trade restrictions. It assesses their impact on business expectations and consumer perceptions by identifying price asymmetries, risks, and cost optimization effects linked to intermediary shipments. A quantitative survey was conducted using purposive sampling of legally registered firms involved in the sourcing and distributing branded goods (n = 50) and urban consumers who regularly purchase such products (n = 51), ensuring respondents’ direct exposure to the relevant market mechanisms. The results confirm significant price asymmetry: consumers tend to perceive domestic prices as inflated, while firms only partially realize cost optimization opportunities through alternative supply channels. Specifically, 80.4% of consumers believe branded goods are more expensive domestically than abroad, whereas 70% of firms report negative economic effects from intermediary-based sourcing. The findings also reveal a substantial risk-reality gap. While 90.2% of consumers report encountering counterfeit goods, only 25% of firms identify counterfeiting as a primary risk. At the same time, evidence of proportional convergence between firm-level cost optimization (55%) and consumer price-oriented purchasing behavior (54.9%) suggests partial cost-price transmission under the current restrictive trademark regime.
This study provides recommendations for improving government policy on trademark regulation and parallel imports, as well as for refining companies’ pricing strategies. The identified price asymmetry and discrepancies in perceived counterfeit risks underscore the need to strengthen consumer protection and optimize supply chains.

Acknowledgments
This research is funded by the Science Committee of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Grant No. AP23489368).

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
In emerging economies, youth unemployment and limited entrepreneurial education remain persistent challenges for higher education institutions. This study aims to examine how the dimensions of design thinking (empathy, creativity, and problem-solving) influence the development of entrepreneurial competencies among university students in Peru. A structured questionnaire was administered to 385 undergraduates enrolled in business programs at two private universities in Metropolitan Lima between August and November 2024. Business undergraduates were selected because they represent the segment most actively involved in university-based entrepreneurial initiatives in Peru. Data were analyzed using covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) to assess the structural relationships between design thinking dimensions and entrepreneurial competencies. The results reveal strong and statistically significant associations across all constructs. Problem-solving exerted the strongest effect on willingness to innovate (β = 0.42), followed by entrepreneurial motivation (β = 0.37) and creativity (β = 0.33). Empathy demonstrated positive effects on motivation (β = 0.35) and resilience (β = 0.28), with all coefficients significant at p < .001. Model fit indicators confirmed robust adequacy (CFI = 0.94; GFI = 0.92; NFI = 0.91; RMSEA = 0.06). These findings indicate that design thinking strengthens the cognitive and behavioral foundations of entrepreneurial performance, particularly adaptability, creative ideation, and user-centered problem-solving. Integrating this human-centered iterative methodology into higher education represents an effective strategy for enhancing students’ innovation capacity and resilience. The study advances theory by empirically validating design thinking as a pedagogical mechanism for entrepreneurship education, and advances practice by offering evidence-based guidance for universities operating in emerging economies.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
As the global economy increasingly emphasizes sustainable development, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in emerging economies face growing pressure to integrate environmental responsibility with long-term business performance. This study aims to examine how environmental leadership and corporate social responsibility contribute to sustainable success in women-owned SMEs through the roles of green innovation and green competitive advantage. The paper analyzes survey data collected from 536 female business leaders in Vietnam using partial least squares structural equation modeling and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis. The results reveal that environmental leadership and corporate social responsibility do not exert a direct influence on sustainable success (p > 0.05). Instead, their effects operate through a full serial mediation mechanism in which corporate social responsibility stimulates green innovation, which subsequently strengthens green competitive advantage and ultimately enhances sustainable success. The structural model explains 52.1% of the variance in sustainable success. In addition, market orientation significantly strengthens the relationship between green competitive advantage and sustainable success (β = 0.176, p < 0.001). Configurational analysis further identifies two alternative strategic pathways leading to high sustainable success, both highlighting the central role of green innovation and green competitive advantage. These findings demonstrate that ethical leadership values must be transformed into concrete green capabilities to generate sustainable competitive performance in resource-constrained environments.

Acknowledgment
This research is funded by Vietnam National Foundation for Science and Technology Development (NAFOSTED) under grant number 504.05-2023.05.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
Digital transformation has emerged as a key driver of structural change in labor markets worldwide, especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 shock. In the European Union, the pandemic particularly accelerated the adoption of digital technologies and remote work across economic activities. This study estimates the causal effect of the digitalization potential of economic activity (proxied by a binary classification into highly and less digitalized groups based on telework feasibility and digital intensity) on three labor market indicators: employment, hourly wages, and remote work. Using the COVID-19 shock as a quasi-natural experiment within a difference-in-differences (DiD) framework, the empirical analysis draws on quarterly panel data for a consistent sample of 27 EU Member States (excluding the United Kingdom) over 2018–2024 (N = 36,685). The results indicate that higher sectoral digitalization potential (telework feasibility and digital intensity) does not significantly affect aggregate employment levels, as evidenced by a near-zero DiD coefficient (0.06, p ≈ 0.98). In contrast, it has a statistically significant positive effect on wages, with a DiD coefficient of 0.52 €/hour (p < 0.001), corresponding to an increase of approximately 4.6% in the wage gap between highly and less digitalized activities. The strongest effect is found for remote work: the DiD estimate is 40.74 percentage points (p < 0.001). Remote work rose from 17.6% to 82.1% in highly digitalized sectors, compared with only 1.3% to 6.6% in less digitalized economic activities.

Acknowledgment
This article was prepared within the framework of the research project “Modelling the impact of economic digitalisation on public health in Ukraine in the context of preserving human capital” (State Registration No. 0126U001085).

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
The innovative development of Ukraine’s regions requires advanced assessment approaches that account for regional specificities and ensure the effective use of existing potential. This study aims to evaluate the level of innovative development of Ukrainian regions under current socio-economic and wartime challenges. Innovative development is conceptualized as a process of transforming regional economic systems through the generation and implementation of new knowledge, technologies, and managerial solutions, ensuring both qualitative and quantitative changes, sustainable development, post-war recovery, improved resource efficiency, and enhanced competitiveness. The methodological framework is based on a comprehensive multi-stage analytical model for determining an integral indicator. The approach involves a system of input indicators reflecting innovation activity in wartime conditions, followed by correlation analysis to detect multicollinearity among variables. To increase analytical accuracy, regions are clustered by their contribution to gross value added using the interval multiplicity method. The results showed that the Integral Innovation Index of Ukraine for 2018–2024 was characterized by unstable dynamics, a significant decrease in 2022 (0.608), and the absence of a trend. This indicates the sensitivity of innovative development to adverse transformational factors, particularly the challenges posed by war. However, despite the significant deterioration in the value of the Integral Innovation Index during the period of the beginning of large-scale war operations on the territory of Ukraine, the situation improved in the following period (2023 – 0.840, 2024 – 0.952).

Acknowledgments
This research is carried out within the framework of the ERASMUS+ SUSTED project “Education for sustainable development: synergy of competencies for the recovery of Ukraine” (Project number: 101178414). The project is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
Growing stakeholder expectations regarding ethical employment and sustainability have increased academic interest in socially responsible human resource management (SRHRM) as a mechanism influencing employee behavior and organizational outcomes. This study performs a bibliometric analysis of 112 English-language publications indexed in the Scopus database from 1998 to 2025, using Bibliometrix and VOSviewer to assess publication performance, citation patterns, geographical distribution, and thematic relationships. The results show significant growth in SRHRM research since 2016, with publication output peaking in 2024, confirming SRHRM as a distinct research stream. Six key thematic clusters are identified. Sustainable and responsible HRM practices and employee citizenship outcomes cluster focuses on how HRM practices influence behaviors like organizational citizenship. Employee attitudes, ethical leadership, and workplace behavior cluster examines ethical leadership’s role in shaping employee attitudes. CSR-oriented HRM systems and organizational performance cluster explores CSR-driven HRM systems and their impact on performance and employee outcomes. Strategic sustainability, work engagement, and person–organization fit cluster investigates sustainability-oriented HR strategies and employee engagement. Leadership, organizational culture, and workforce context cluster explore how leadership and culture influence SRHRM practices. Responsible leadership in emerging economy contexts cluster focuses on leadership in emerging economies, especially Vietnam. The findings demonstrate increasing integration of SRHRM with sustainability and ESG perspectives, reflecting the global, interdisciplinary nature of this research. These results highlight the growing strategic importance of responsible HRM practices in shaping employee attitudes and provide a foundation for advancing future research in sustainable HRM.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
The growing dominance of services in global trade raises the question of whether employment structure and labor market participation shape countries’ ability to compete in international service markets, particularly in financial and insurance services. This study examines how the service-sector employment structure and labor market participation affect trade in services, with particular attention to insurance and financial services exports, across countries at different income levels. Using an unbalanced panel of 159 countries from 2010 to 2023, the study analyzes two dimensions of service trade: total trade in services as a share of GDP and insurance and financial services as a share of service exports. The results reveal that total service exports increase with higher labor participation (β = 0.0157, p < 0.001), but decrease as the service employment share rises (β = –0.0048, p < 0.05). GDP per capita and FDI are positive drivers (β = 0.217; β = 0.013), whereas the rule of law is negatively associated (β = –0.211). In insurance and financial services, labor participation reduces specialization (β = –0.0059, p < 0.001), and service employment is only weakly positive (β = 0.0027, p ≈ 0.07). Income-group results show heterogeneity: service employment is strongly negative and FDI positive in low and lower-middle income economies (x1 β = –0.015/–0.019; x5 up to β = 0.039), whereas service employment becomes positive in high-income countries (β = 0.022, p < 0.05); here, higher income and participation reduce the relative weight of financial services (β = –0.212; β = –0.0109).

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a pivotal role in driving economic growth, employment generation, and regional competitiveness in emerging economies such as Indonesia. Yet, they face increasing pressure to enhance innovation and performance amid dynamic market and sustainability demands. This study investigates the impact of supply chain management, corporate social responsibility, and intellectual capital on performance mediated by innovation. Data were collected through an online survey conducted in 2025 involving 453 SME owners across Indonesia and analyzed using a quantitative approach with structural equation modeling (SEM) through Smart PLS 4.0. The results demonstrate that supply chain management (t-statistic = 8.83, p = 0.004), corporate social responsibility (t-statistic = 5.15, p = 0.000), and intellectual capital (t-statistic = 5.64, p = 0.000) exert significant positive effects on innovation. Furthermore, SME performance is strongly influenced by supply chain management (t-statistic = 9.04, p = 0.000), directly affecting innovation. However, corporate social responsibility (t-statistic = 8.83, p = 0.004) and intellectual capital (t-statistic = 1.80, p = 0.070) do not affect innovation. Additionally, innovation partially mediates the relationship between supply chain management (t-statistic = 2.14, p = 0.030), corporate social responsibility (t-statistic = 2.14, p = 0.030), and intellectual capital (t-statistic = 2.36, p = 0.010) to performance. These findings highlight innovation as a critical transformational mechanism that converts strategic and intangible organizational resources into measurable performance gains within the SME context.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
The rapid digitalization of logistics and transport sectors under the Industry 4.0 paradigm has reshaped operational models, workforce requirements, and managerial decision-making. Understanding how professionals perceive these technological changes and what competencies they prioritize is vital for effective adaptation. This study aims to assess the level of Industry 4.0 awareness and identify key training needs among logistics and transport professionals. A quantitative survey was conducted in Vilnius, Lithuania, in January 2025 with 172 respondents from logistics (56%) and transport (44%) sectors. The survey covered four thematic areas: demographic profile, perception of Industry 4.0 components, perceived benefits and barriers, and training priorities. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Results show that 58.2% of respondents view Industry 4.0 as an integrated ecosystem of technologies, with software (13.9%) and Internet technologies (11.1%) most often cited as individual elements. Key training priorities include cybersecurity (80%), augmented/virtual reality (75%), and 3D printing (72.1%). High maintenance costs (26.4%) and implementation complexity (16.7%) were identified as the main obstacles to adoption. The findings show that although professionals recognize the transformative potential of Industry 4.0, significant skill and resource gaps persist. Closer collaboration between academia, policymakers, and industry is needed to address these gaps and prepare the workforce for a human-centered transition toward Industry 5.0.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
The widening development gap between well-governed and poorly governed nations – highlighted by the reversal since 2020 of two decades of human development convergence – underscores the need to understand which specific governance capabilities drive development and how. This study aims to estimate the effect of government leadership and foresight on national development and to identify the institutional channels through which this effect is transmitted. Drawing on the Chandler Good Government Index merged with World Bank and UNDP indicators, the analysis employs pooled OLS with year fixed effects, mediation analysis with bootstrap inference, and a comprehensive set of robustness tests on an unbalanced panel of 120 countries over 2021–2025. Leadership and foresight are positively and significantly associated with GDP per capita, life expectancy, and the Human Development Index (β = 4.049, p < 0.01 for ln GDP per capita; a one-standard-deviation increase corresponds to a 79% increase in GDP). The mediation analysis – the study’s central contribution – reveals that 152.1% of the total effect is transmitted indirectly through other governance capabilities, principally robust laws (157.4%), strong institutions (137.6%), and attractive marketplace (133.4%), while the direct residual effect is negative (β = −2.110, p < 0.01), indicating a “vision–capacity gap.” The effect is significant only in high-income economies (β = 1.506, p < 0.01) and absent in lower-income contexts. These findings demonstrate that leadership functions as a meta-governance capability whose developmental impact is channeled through, rather than independent of, the broader institutional architecture.

Type of the article: Research Article

Abstract
The increasing emphasis on educational quality in higher vocational colleges has highlighted the importance of teachers’ professional development and competence. This study aims to investigate the effect of incentives on teachers’ competence, with professional identity serving as a mediator and self-efficacy as a moderator variable. A total of 497 Fu Dao Yuan Chinese university teachers filled out the online questionnaires from July 1 to August 31, 2025. The participants are active and have more than 1 year of teaching experience. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine research hypotheses. The incentive system has a positive effect on teachers’ professional identity and competence. Furthermore, incentives positively affect professional competence both directly and indirectly in relation to professional identity. Moreover, self-efficacy plays an inevitable role as a moderator in the relationship among the incentive system, teachers’ professional identity, and competence. The results provide evidence of the beneficial effect of incentives in enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of the education system, particularly teachers’ competence. The findings demonstrated that both economic and social values can significantly enhance teachers’ professional competence. Furthermore, the university should offer teacher career development and continuous professional development opportunities to support school growth and improve working conditions by providing essential office resources and logistical support.