Search Results (2,359)

The dominant agri-food system’s well-documented failures—biodiversity loss, deepening rural inequalities, and the erosion of small-scale farming livelihoods—have elevated SSE initiatives and social innovation in the agri-food sector and bioeconomy from a niche policy concern to a structural priority. This paper examines how SSE arrangements drive meaningful transformation in agri-food chains while advancing sustainable development at local and regional scales. Through a narrative review of interdisciplinary peer-reviewed literature and key institutional sources, the paper synthesizes evidence that SSE initiatives generate transformation through three interconnected mechanisms: (a) the reconfiguration of governance structures; (b) the deepening of producer–consumer relationships through spatial proximity and relational transparency; and (c) the more equitable redistribution of value across agri-food territories. These findings suggest that place-based SSE models occupy a central—rather than peripheral—role in sustainability transitions and local development. The paper presents a structured analytical framework linking SSE practices to agri-food chain transformation and develops nine concrete policy implications for scaling and sustaining SSE innovations through coordinated collaboration among public, private, and social economy stakeholders. The findings contribute to a sharper understanding of the conditions under which SSE-driven models can foster sustainable, socially inclusive, and community-oriented agri-food systems and of why the solidarity dimension, rather than organisational form alone, is the decisive criterion for identifying genuinely transformative initiatives. Full article

The objective of this research is to analyze the relationship between ESG factors and financial development, measured by Domestic Credit to the Private Sector by Banks (DCB). The empirical analysis employs a balanced panel of 82 countries for the years 2016 to 2022, obtained from the World Bank database. The proposed econometric model incorporates multiple ESG factors, including environmental (E), social (S), and governance (G). The list of econometric models under consideration includes fixed effects, random effects, WLS (weighted least squares), dynamic panel, and fixed effects with HAC estimation. Based on the conducted tests, the fixed effects estimation method has been chosen because the presence of serial correlation, heteroskedasticity, and cross-sectional dependence suggests that other methods will not provide an adequate model. As a result, fixed effects enable obtaining reliable estimates regarding the relationships between ESG factors and DCB. In addition, a KNN (K-Nearest Neighbors) regression was used to analyze potential nonlinear effects of the factors. The results show the strong positive relationship between ESG factors and financial development. More specifically, the presence of clean energy sources is associated with a positive DCB, and the depletion of natural resources is negatively associated with DCB. Moreover, social and governance factors are positively associated with financial development. Full article

The main purpose of the research is to rank EU member states by the intensity of their efforts to implement the CE model. Understanding EU member states’ differences is crucial to formulating effective policy measures that foster sustainable development and enhance economic resilience across the EU. The degree of CE development was examined through three sub-indicators: (i) private investment related to CE sectors; (ii) persons employed in CE sectors; and (iii) gross value added as a percentage of GDP. Data from the Eurostat database for the last five available years were used. Hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis is used to identify groups of structurally similar countries. Countries are ranked using the PROMETHEE II multi-criteria decision-making method with objectively derived CRITIC weights, complemented by GAIA visualisation. The analysis identifies five distinct clusters with a highly heterogeneous CE landscape across the EU. The PROMETHEE-GAIA research results reveal two different paths on which European countries are moving towards CE. The first, characterized by high structural maturity but limited dynamic flexibility, is evident in Sweden and Belgium. And the second path, illustrated by Estonia and Croatia, is distinguished by a rapid pace of transformation and lower historical structural capacities. Full article

Background/Objectives: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), also referred to as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), affects roughly one-quarter of the global population and represents a major public health concern. Despite its rising prevalence and potential for serious complications, NAFLD remains underrecognized and poorly understood in many communities. This study aimed to assess knowledge of NAFLD and its determinants among adults in the Northern Border Region of Saudi Arabia. Methods: A descriptive, population-based cross-sectional study was conducted using a previously validated online questionnaire adapted from published NAFLD awareness instruments, administered to adults residing in the Northern Border Region of Saudi Arabia. Data were analyzed using Python (statsmodels, version 0.14), and non-parametric tests, correlation analyses, and multivariable linear regression were used to examine NAFLD knowledge and its associated determinants. Results: A total of 1016 adults (mean age 34.7 ± 11.8 years) were included in the analysis. The mean NAFLD knowledge score was 14.6 ± 8.3 out of 30 (48.7% correct responses), with a median of 16 (interquartile range 8–21). Overall, 59.2% of participants had poor knowledge, 26.8% had moderate knowledge, and 14% had good knowledge. In bivariate analyses, educational level (χ² = 15.62, p < 0.001), family history of liver disease (p = 0.001), body weight category (p = 0.003), and smoking status (p = 0.007) were significantly associated with NAFLD knowledge. In multivariable linear regression, university education (B = 2.783, 95% CI 0.627–4.940, p = 0.011) was an independent positive predictor of higher knowledge scores. Current smoking (B = −1.857, 95% CI −3.477 to −0.237, p = 0.025), private-sector employment (B = −1.934, 95% CI −3.867 to −0.001, p = 0.050), and overweight status (B = −4.119, 95% CI −7.337 to −0.901, p = 0.012) were independently associated with lower knowledge scores. The final model explained 2.2% of the variance in knowledge (adjusted R² = 0.022). Conclusions: This study demonstrates generally low levels of NAFLD knowledge among adults in the Northern Border Region of Saudi Arabia, with only a minority achieving good knowledge scores. The findings underscore the need for targeted health promotion initiatives, educational interventions, and public campaigns to improve awareness of NAFLD and to support its prevention and management. Full article

This short communication synthesizes evidence on how the Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) altimetry data are used by private sector actors and the implications for economic value creation. Using secondary research that collected and summarized information from existing data from reports, journals, websites, and databases, the work identifies 54 companies across 9 sectors leveraging ICESat-2-derived elevation, canopy height, bathymetry, and surface measurements to inform decision-making, risk assessment, and new business models. The analysis situates ICESat-2 within a broader context where freely available Earth observation data can generate substantial private- and public-sector value, potentially exceeding hundreds of billions in aggregate when scaled across industries such as geospatial services, climate management, real estate, and insurance. The paper uses a four-pillar conceptual model to guide valuation of data-driven impacts: Data Utility (intrinsic information value of altimetry and related metrics), Decision Impact (tangible economic benefits from improved models and operations), Strategic Integration (emergence of new business models and market opportunities), and Data Ecosystem Exclusivity (development of proprietary datasets and workflows that enable competitive differentiation). Empirical findings illustrate how these pillars manifest in practice. The paper seeks to connect private-sector uptake to NASA’s Earth Science to Action framework and related capacity-building efforts, highlighting pathways for broader utilization through training, tutorials, and accessible interfaces. Limitations of the study include partial sector coverage and reliance on publicly reported use cases. Future work should quantify economic returns with standardized metrics and extend the dataset to capture dynamic shifts in data products, governance, and IP development within the evolving data ecosystem. Full article

The purpose of this study is to determine the most suitable Destination Management Organization (DMO) model for the sustainable development of the Rize destination. Approached from the perspective of Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS), the research is of strategic importance in order to overcome systemic entropy threats, such as coordination deficiencies and unplanned growth, faced by the destination through a scientific model. Methodologically, a sequential exploratory mixed method integrating qualitative and quantitative methods was adopted. In the qualitative phase, system bottlenecks were identified through interviews with 15 strategic stakeholders; in the quantitative phase, Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Quality Function Deployment (QFD) analyses were applied with 271 participants. Key findings indicate that the most critical factors disrupting the system’s homeostatic balance are weak inter-institutional coordination and inadequate infrastructure. AHP results confirm that market diversification, sustainable planning, and quality standards are priority activities. The final analysis conducted using the QFD decision matrix identified the PPCP (Public–Private–Community Partnership) model, which synchronizes public oversight with private sector innovation and integrates community-based feedback mechanisms, as the most effective structure for enabling resource integration and value co-creation among actors. The model’s adaptive architecture further accommodates emergent stakeholder dynamics, including the growing role of tourists as co-creators of destination experiences through digital platforms. The study contributes to the literature by offering a rational decision support mechanism for complex system management through AHP-QFD integration and proposes a three-phase evaluation framework to ensure results-oriented governance adaptation. Full article

Creative tourism is increasingly discussed as a pathway for tourism development in rural and peripheral destinations, yet empirical evidence remains uneven and is still drawn mainly from contexts where it is already explicitly labelled and institutionally supported. This article examines whether and how creative tourism-aligned practices are present in Kupiškis District, a peripheral rural municipality in north-eastern Lithuania where creative tourism has not been formally institutionalised as a tourism development category. The study adopts a qualitative single-case design combining a multi-stakeholder focus group and semi-structured interviews with municipal, intermediary, and private-sector actors. The findings reveal a meaningful but weakly integrated experiential base shaped by educational activities, water-based leisure, symbolic narratives, routes, and micro-entrepreneurial initiatives. Although these practices are rarely named locally as creative tourism, they display several of its defining characteristics, including participatory learning, host involvement, small-scale interaction, and local embeddedness. The study suggests that the main development challenge lies not in the absence of creative resources, but in limited coordination, weak articulation, and the difficulty of translating dispersed practices into coherent and consistently bookable visitor experiences. The article conceptualises this condition as a latent experiential portfolio and, in doing so, makes three contributions: it offers a sensitising concept for describing pre-consolidation stages of creative tourism where relevant practices exist but remain only partly articulated; it supports a practice-based rather than label-based identification of creative tourism in weakly institutionalised settings; and it extends the empirical scope of creative tourism research to a peripheral rural case in the Baltic region. Full article

Organizations increasingly invest in sustainability, yet limited knowledge exists regarding the psychological and leadership mechanisms through which Green Human Resource Management (GHRM) fosters employees’ green innovative behavior. This study addresses this scientific problem by examining how GHRM relates to green innovation through sequential psychological processes and under which leadership conditions these relationships become stronger. Using multi-source data from 300 employee–supervisor dyads across three industries in the Greek private sector, the study tests a serial mediation model linking GHRM to green innovative behavior through psychological safety and work engagement, as well as the moderating role of Green Transformational Leadership (GTL). Structural equation modelling supports all hypothesized associations: GHRM is positively related to psychological safety, which predicts work engagement, which in turn strongly predicts green innovative behavior. GTL strengthens the relationship between GHRM and psychological safety, resulting in a stronger indirect effect on green innovation. The findings provide an integrative understanding of how HR systems, psychological conditions, and leadership jointly support employee-driven environmental innovation. Full article

Background/Objectives: This study examines the legislation governing forest therapy in healthcare, centered on nature-based environments as workplaces for professional forest therapy specialists within international, EU, and national legal frameworks from a labor law perspective. Methods: Using systematic legal analysis, comparative document analysis, and analysis of the scientific literature, the study examines current relevant international, EU, and national (Lithuania, the Republic of Korea) regulations. Results: Based on a cross-sectoral legal norms analysis, the legal conception of forest therapy in healthcare systems and the general regulatory framework for the professional use of nature-based environments as workplaces were identified, along with their impact on the realization of the right to work, workplace requirements, and the provision of forest therapy services. Regulatory mechanisms and conditions governing the use of nature-based environments for forest therapy purposes, under schemes administered by public and private bodies, were identified and analyzed. The interaction between nature-based workplace factors and legal liability arising from professional, contractual, and service-based relationships was also defined and clarified. Conclusions: Fragmented legal regulation of nature-based environments as workplaces for forest therapy creates legal uncertainty, limits the realization of the right to work, and increases legal risks in employment, service provision, patient protection, and resource use. Strengthened interdisciplinary integration between health and forest policy is essential to ensure service quality, accessibility, and legal certainty. Therefore, future regulation should prioritize integrated and harmonized legal frameworks that recognize forest therapy within healthcare systems, ensure fair working conditions, and establish clear rules for the professional use of nature-based environments in therapeutic practices. Full article

This research examines market reactions to financial distress announcements by small privately held Canadian oil firms operating in the upstream sector between 2015 and 2021, employing an event study methodology, with daily spot prices for Brent and WTI crude oil serving as market benchmarks. The sample includes 11 firms that filed for insolvency, giving 99 observations for analysis. Data were collected from the publicly available Haynes Boone repository, ensuring transparency and verifiability. Abnormal returns were computed using market-adjusted returns to control for general market movements, isolating event-specific effects. The findings reveal statistically significant yet modest abnormal returns around the announcement day, indicating a measured market reaction. These results indicate that investors may partially anticipate such events and interpret them as potential restructuring opportunities rather than indicators of sector-wide collapse. The study underscores the importance of transparent disclosure and structured legal frameworks in moderating market volatility during financial distress. While the analysis is confined to short-term effects and small firms, it provides valuable insights into how financial distress in small upstream oil firms influences commodity markets, contributing new evidence to the literature on event studies and financial distress in energy markets, and offers implications for policymakers aiming to enhance market stability. Full article

This article critically analyses Lisbon’s Green Participatory Budget (GPB), launched in 2020 within the symbolic context of the city’s designation as the European Green Capital. Rather than treating the GPB as a radical democratic innovation, the study situates it as a thematic and digital reconfiguration of Lisbon’s long-standing participatory budgeting process, which has been active since 2008 and already incorporated environmental dimensions. Drawing on critical urban studies, political ecology, and literature on participatory governance, the analysis explores the democratic and justice implications of digital participatory climate governance. The article identifies structural limitations in the design and implementation of the GPB, including technocratic gatekeeping, digital exclusion, restricted deliberation, and the significant involvement of private sector consultancies. Beyond these internal constraints, the article argues that the most critical limitation of Lisbon’s GPB lies in its lack of continuity. Despite the mobilization of financial resources and public expectations, the GPB was not renewed after 2021, nor were its outcomes systematically evaluated or integrated into long-term governance strategies. This discontinuation compromises the potential of participatory climate governance as a learning process and raises broader questions about symbolic policy-making, institutional memory, and democratic accountability in urban climate action. The study concludes by proposing a set of redistributive and justice-oriented principles to restructure participatory mechanisms toward genuine climate democracy. Full article

The contemporary crisis of trust in institutions and organizations has intensified what recent literature describes as a “leadership recession”, characterized by declining ethical legitimacy and limited capacity to manage systemic change. This article introduces the concept of leadership recession as a systemic and ethical phenomenon and proposes an ethical–systemic leadership model as potential pathway toward leadership recovery. Drawing on Aristotelian ethics—particularly the concepts of phronesis (practical wisdom), justice, and virtue—combined with systems theory and change management, the study develops an integrated theoretical framework that reconceptualizes leadership legitimacy as both a moral and organizational condition. Empirically, the study is based on a quantitative survey of 402 employees from the public and private sectors in Greece. The findings indicate that employees’ perceptions of effective leadership are positively associated with ethical virtues and leaders’ capacity to understand and manage organizational interdependencies. Ethical legitimacy emerges as an important relational mechanism that enhances trust, participation, and acceptance of organizational change. The article contributes to leadership and administrative sciences literature by introducing the notion of leadership recession and by proposing an ethical–systemic leadership paradigm that integrates values-based leadership, systemic thinking, and change management. The findings offer both theoretical insights and practical implications for leaders and organizations seeking sustainable and ethically legitimate transformation. Full article

The current educational transformation driven by the incorporation of digital technologies has required teachers to acquire new technical and pedagogical skills. The purpose of this study was to identify the level of pedagogical implementation of interactive whiteboards (IWBs), analyze the levels of technical competence in the use of IWBs, and identify the advantages, limitations, challenges, and perceived impact of IWBs in regular basic education, considering the differences between public and private institutions. The methodology adopted a descriptive-comparative approach, with the application of a structured questionnaire to teachers in public and private basic education institutions. The results showed the growing use of IWB as a teaching resource to facilitate learning, as well as a significant gap in the skills and frequency of use of IWBs between teachers in the public and private sectors. It was also found that IWBs foster greater student interaction, motivation, and participation, particularly when they are integrated into active and collaborative teaching strategies. However, limitations related to technological infrastructure, teacher training, and equipment maintenance were recognized. In conclusion, IWB integration is effective, but it requires equipment and ongoing training in digital and pedagogical skills. Full article

This study examines the dynamic interactions between oil price shocks, monetary policy, and non-oil output in Saudi Arabia using Vector Autoregressive Model (VAR), and quarterly data spanning 2010: Q1–2025: Q3. The study aims to provide policy-relevant insights through which external oil price shocks and domestic monetary policy shocks affect inflation and non-oil economic activity in the context of Saudi Arabia’s structural transformation under Vision 2030. The results show that global oil prices behave largely as exogenous shocks, with limited feedback from domestic monetary conditions, implying that monetary policy effectiveness operates primarily through inflation and domestic demand channels rather than through oil prices directly. The findings underscore the importance of gradual and predictable monetary tightening, coordinated with fiscal and macroprudential policies, to mitigate the indirect spillovers of oil price volatility on the non-oil sector. While monetary policy plays a stabilizing role by containing inflation and supporting macroeconomic balance, sustaining diversification and non-oil growth under Vision 2030 requires complementary measures, including targeted credit support, financial market deepening, and structural reforms that enhance productivity and private-sector investment. Full article

Experimental Governance (EG) has emerged as a strategic framework for managing complexity in high-uncertainty environments. However, its application in the private sector remains fragmented, often conflated with purely operational tools. This study addresses this gap by performing a conceptual transfer of EG principles into the domain of business processes. Through an expanded Systematic Literature Review (SLR) of 41 peer-reviewed articles (covering the period 2004–2026), we identify what we term the ‘Internalization Paradox’: while firms rapidly adopt experimental methodologies like Agile or Lean, they often fail to embed them into formal governance structures that ensure long-term accountability and institutional learning. This updated review incorporates cutting-edge discussions on Artificial Intelligence (AI) governance, experimentalist metagovernance, and the strategic regulation of uncertainty. Our findings suggest that organizational resilience is not merely a byproduct of technological readiness, but an emergence of ‘Institutionalized Experimentalism’. We propose a Conceptual Framework that operationalizes EG through iterative feedback loops, corporate sandboxes, and adaptive decision rights, providing a robust roadmap for future empirical research in management and organizational theory. Full article