The main objective of this article is to analyze the relationship between increases in freight costs and inflation in the markets due to the increases reflected in the prices of the products in some economies in destination ports such as the United States, Europe, Japan, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, New Zealand and South Korea. We use fractionally integrated methods and Granger causality test to calculate the correlation between these indicators. The results indicate that, after a significant drop in inflation in 2020, probably due to the confinement caused by the pandemic, the increases observed in inflation and freight costs are expected to be transitory given their stationary behavior. We also find a close correlation between both indicators in Europe, the United States and South Africa.

Purpose: This research aims to investigate the impact of technological challenges, including techno-overload, techno-complexity, and techno-insecurity, on employee job satisfaction within the banking sector of Saudi Arabia. Additionally, the study examines the mediating roles of supervisor support and job clarity in buffering the effects of technological challenges on job satisfaction. Method: The study employs a quantitative research design, utilizing an online questionnaire to collect data from banking employees in Saudi Arabia. The sample size of 135 participants was determined using the rule of thumb technique. Random sampling was utilized to ensure representativeness. Data analysis was conducted using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) to explore the relationships between technological challenges, supervisor support, job clarity, and employee job satisfaction. Findings: The findings of the study reveal a significant negative impact of techno-overload, techno-complexity, and techno-insecurity on employee job satisfaction within the banking sector of Saudi Arabia. Moreover, supervisor support and job clarity were found to mediate these relationships, highlighting their importance in mitigating the adverse effects of technological challenges on job satisfaction. Originality/Significance: This research contributes to the existing body of knowledge by providing empirical evidence on the relationships between technological challenges, supervisor support, job clarity, and employee job satisfaction within the specific context of Saudi Arabian banks. The findings have significant implications for organizational leaders and managers in developing evidence-based strategies to manage technological challenges and promote employee well-being in the banking sector of Saudi Arabia.

The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic has precipitated a paradigm shift in education, marked by an increasing reliance on technology and virtual platforms. This study delves into the post-pandemic landscape of Islamic higher education at the State Islamic Institute of Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, focusing on students’ readiness, attitudes, and interests toward sustained engagement with e-learning. A cohort of 300 students across all semesters of Islamic Education partook in the investigation. Utilising Structural Equation Modelling, the study gauged students’ preparedness, perceptions, and inclinations toward online learning. Results indicate a general readiness among students for online learning, with a pivotal role attributed to technological devices and internet connectivity. Positive attitudes toward online learning were prevalent, with flexibility and accessibility emerging as significant advantages. Moreover, students showed keen interest in online learning, valuing its technological advancements, affordability, and intellectually challenging nature. These findings highlight the digital transformation of traditional teaching methods among Islamic higher education students, who are typically known for their emphasis on direct interaction in teaching and learning. Their receptivity to innovative learning modalities and adaptability to the digital era’s difficulties highlight the need for educational institutions to leverage this enthusiasm. Comprehensive online learning platforms, robust technological support, and a conducive learning environment are advocated to empower Islamic higher education students in navigating the digital landscape and perpetuating their pursuit of knowledge and enlightenment.

Online shopping has eliminated the need to visit physical commercial centres. As a result, trips to these centres have shifted from primarily shopping-motives to leisure, companionship, and dining. The shifting in consumer behaviour is implicated in the growing spatial agglomeration of restaurants/cafes within commercial centres in European cities. Conversely, in southern cities, various casual restaurants/cafes also serve as leisure and companionship hubs. However, their spatial patterns are less explained. This article aims to elucidate the spatial pattern of these diverse restaurants/cafes in a typical southern city, Surabaya City. In this study, we employ the term ‘food services’ to encompass the various types of restaurants/cafes found in southern cities. We gather Points of Interest (POIs) data about food services via web scraping on Google Maps, then map out their spatial distribution across 116 spatial units of Surabaya City. Utilising k-means cluster analysis, we classify these 116 spatial units into six distinct clusters based on the composition of food service variants. Our findings show that City Centres and Sub-City Centres are locations for different types of restaurants/cafes. The City Centre is typically a location for fine dining restaurants and cafes, whereas Sub-City Centres are locations for fast casual dining and fast food restaurants. Cafes and fast food restaurants are centralised throughout downtown areas. Casual food service restaurants, such as casual style dining, coffee shops, and food stalls, are dispersed along business, residential zones, and periphery areas without intense domination of any specific variant.

Accurate prediction of US Treasury bond yields is crucial for investment strategies and economic policymaking. This paper explores the application of advanced machine learning techniques, specifically Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) models, in forecasting these yields. By integrating key economic indicators and policy changes, our approach seeks to enhance the precision of yield predictions. Our study demonstrates the superiority of LSTM models over traditional RNNs in capturing the temporal dependencies and complexities inherent in financial data. The inclusion of macroeconomic and policy variables significantly improves the models’ predictive accuracy. This research underscores a pioneering movement for the legacy banking industry to adopt artificial intelligence (AI) in financial market prediction. In addition to considering the conventional economic indicator that drives the fluctuation of the bond market, this paper also optimizes the LSTM to handle situations when rate hike expectations have already been priced-in by market sentiment.

This study investigates how financial literacy affects the financial health of Saudi Arabian banking industry workers in Saudi Arabia. The study uses a sample of 183 individuals and a comprehensive framework that includes components like financial behaviour, risk management, financial planning, financial knowledge, financial confidence, financial communication, and overall financial pleasure. The study finds strong positive correlations between many aspects of financial well-being and financial literacy through correlation and regression analysis. Notably, risk management, financial behaviour, overall financial contentment, and financial confidence are all positively impacted by financial literacy. The results underscore the multifaceted character of financial well-being and underscore the critical function of financial literacy in moulding favourable financial consequences. Furthermore, the study pinpoints particular domains in which focused financial literacy initiatives might be executed to augment the general financial welfare of banking industry staff members. The study sheds light on the relationship between financial literacy and well-being in a particular occupational context, which is significant information for both the academic and practical domains. The banking industry needs customized financial education programs because of the social and management ramifications. These programs will help the community’s overall financial health in addition to providing benefits to individual employees. In its conclusion, the study makes recommendations for other research directions, such as longitudinal studies and examinations of the function of digital financial literacy in the changing banking environment.