The paper examines the motivations, financing, expansion and challenges of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The BRI was initially designed to address China’s overcapacity and promote economic growth in both China and in countries along the “Belt” and “Road” through infrastructure investment and industrial capacity cooperation. It took into account China’s strategic transition in its opening-up policy and foreign policy to pay more attention to the neighboring countries in Southeast Asia and Central and West Asia when facing greater strategic pressure from the United States in East Asia and the Pacific region. More themes have been added to the initiative’s original framework since its inception in 2013, including the vision of the BRI as China’s major solution to improve international economic cooperation and practice to build a “community of shared future for mankind”, and the idea of the Green Silk Road and the Digital Silk Road. Chinese state-owned enterprises and policy and commercial banks have dominated investment and financing for BRI projects, which explains the root of the problems and risks facing the initiative, such as unsustainable debt, non-transparency, corruption and low economic efficiency. Measures taken by China to tackle these problems, for example, mitigating the debt distress and improving debt sustainability, are unlikely to make a big difference anytime soon due to the tenacity of China’s long-held state-driven investment model.

Generational differences shape technological preferences and fundamentally influence workplace motivation and interactions. Our research aims to examine in detail how different generations assess the importance of workplace communication and leadership styles and how these diverse preferences impact workplace motivation and commitment. In our analysis, we studied the behavioral patterns of four generations—Baby Boomers, Generations X, Y, and Z—through anonymous online questionnaires supplemented by in-depth interviews conducted with a leader and a Generation Z employee. To verify our hypotheses, we employed statistical methods, including the Chi-Square test, Spearman’s rank correlation, and cross-tabulation analysis. Our results clearly demonstrated that different generations evaluate the importance of applied leadership and communication styles differently. While Generations Y and Z highly value flexible, supportive leadership styles, older generations, such as the Baby Boomers prefer more traditional, structured approaches. The study confirmed that aligning leadership and communication styles is crucial, as it significantly impacts the workplace atmosphere and employee performance. Our research findings hold both theoretical and practical significance. This research highlights how understanding generational preferences in leadership and communication styles can enhance workplace cohesion and efficiency. The results provide specific guidance for leaders and HR professionals to create a supportive and adaptable environment that effectively meets the needs of diverse generations.

The 2019 Social Enterprise Promotion Act in Thailand represents a pivotal step towards promoting social enterprises by fostering self-reliance and a fair and sustainable future for the country. Despite their significance, there is a noticeable research gap focusing on the factors that motivate Thai entrepreneurs to venture into social entrepreneurship. This study seeks to fill that gap by analyzing data from 2000 respondents in Thailand, utilizing linear regression to explore whether the awareness of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the adoption of digital technologies, extrinsic motivations, such as the overall societal view of entrepreneurs, social awareness, and perceptions of entrepreneurial capabilities influence the decision to start a social enterprise. In a gender comparison, our findings reveal that the societal context plays a crucial role for both genders, although in distinct ways: Male entrepreneurs are more influenced by individualistic extrinsic values, with motivations linked to power, respect, and societal recognition. In contrast, female entrepreneurs display a collectivistic orientation, being more likely to be inspired by intrinsic motivations, such as the success and visibility of other successful startups within their society. These findings underline the need for a gender-sensitive approach by government bodies, educational institutions, and other relevant organizations aiming to boost start-up rates of enterprises who “make a difference in the world”. Tailored support and educational programs to address the unique motivations and perspectives of male and female entrepreneurs could play a crucial role in enhancing the effectiveness of strategies designed to promote social entrepreneurship in Thailand and beyond.

The global significance of the energy crisis and the need for a sustainable European electricity system have intensified interest in renewable energy sources. This study aims to explore the attitudes toward solar energy systems among the population of the North Transdanubian region, which is crucial for companies in the region specializing in solar system installation. The research sheds light on trends in energy prices, potential strategies for addressing the energy crisis, and the regulatory environment for solar systems in Hungary and Austria, focusing on the Burgenland region. The study is divided into two main sections: secondary and primary research. The secondary research presents various applications of renewable energy sources, especially solar energy, and examines energy pricing trends in the two countries, with particular emphasis on the payback period and the impact of changes in energy prices. The primary research is also divided into two parts: the first examines the satisfaction of customers who already use solar systems, and the second focuses on the attitudes of potential customers toward solar investments. The findings provide a comprehensive view of both current users’ and prospective investors’ perspectives on solar energy systems. The practical significance of this research lies in identifying development opportunities for companies, advancing energy efficiency goals, and supporting sustainability efforts.

This research analyses digital nomads’ relationship with tourism, their motivations for travelling and their expectations of the destinations they visit. In addition, it aims to understand the lifestyle of this public and their preference for sustainable destinations, as well as the implications for policies and the organisation of tourism infrastructure, in line with their specific needs. A questionnaire was administered to users of open-access social networks or members of online digital nomad communities (n = 34), between December 2022 and March 2023. Descriptive statistics, construct validations, reliability and internal consistency of the measures were carried out and Pearson’s linear correlation coefficient (r) was applied between items of the same scale and different scales. The results indicate that quality of life, life-work balance, living with other cultures, being in contact with nature, escaping from large urban centres, indulging in tourism all year round and travelling for long stays, are the main motivations of this public. The importance of quality Wi-Fi, flexible tourist services and support services is emphasised as the main attributes to be considered in tourist destinations.

This study was designed to study the push and pull motivational factors affecting the foreign backpackers travel behavior towards Full Moon Party in Koh Phangan District, Surat Thani Province. In the sample 300 foreign backpackers aged 18 or older were included, who came to attend the Full Moon Party solely for vacation purposes and not for any work or income generating activities. The study was executed using a structured questionnaire. The statistical tools for the analysis of the data included, but were not limited to, frequency counts, computed percentages, means, standard deviations, chi-square analysis, one- way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation at the 0.05 level of significance. The research demonstrated that with respect to the first-time foreign visitors in Thailand to attend the Full Moon Party, then, they have habitually stayed at the resorts and the bungalows. It was a general observation that such visitors preferred to seek out information on the Internet, social websites as well as tourism websites. Their activities included horse riding, general activities, seeing natural sights including waterfalls and mountains, going for mountain hikes, participating in physically hard and risky outdoors activities, and nighttime activities. Tourists are sufficiently motivated to visit Thailand for its various appealing attributes, as revealed by the analysis. Furthermore, 10 motivational components were identified with 24 variables; Push Motivation Components: (1) Escape and Novelty Seeking, (2) Feel Free, (3) Open the World, and (4) Social Need. Pull Motivation Components: (1) Party, (2) Unique, (3) Only for Myself, (4) Sea Lover, (5) Diversity, and (6) Loner. Demographic characteristics for example gender, age, marital status, education level, occupation, and place of residence were also studied. The push factors, as well as the pull factors of travel, were found to co-relate with the behavior of female foreign backpackers on the other hand where both were significant.