Sustainable development has attracted widespread attention worldwide, and the circular economy has become one of the essential policies of many countries. Small and medium-sized enterprises are important drivers of world economic growth and can significantly impact the environment. Therefore, SMEs are critical players in implementing a circular economy as the basis for creating a sustainable society. Although a wealth of research on SME environmental management issues can be found in the literature, more must be known about the infusion of green practices in SMEs. The primary purpose of this study is to explore the green practice infusion of Taiwanese SMEs, a context that is particularly relevant due to Taiwan’s strong focus on environmental sustainability and its circular economy industrial development policy. Through a questionnaire survey, this study examined the factors that influence green practice infusion behavior in Taiwanese SMEs and the impact of green practice infusion on circular economy performance. The findings show that the relative advantages and compatibility of the circular economy, organizational support, human resource quality, regulatory pressure, and government support significantly impact the green practice infusion of Taiwanese SMEs. The effects of complexity, customer pressure, and environmental uncertainty on SMEs’ infusion of green practices are not statistically significant. Circular economy performance is positively correlated with green practice infusion. This study can broaden the research scope of SMEs’ environmental management and contribute to a deeper understanding of SMEs’ green practice infusion and circular economy.
In the rapidly evolving landscape of technological innovation, the safeguarding of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) emerges as a critical factor influencing economic growth and technological advancement. This study, conducted in the context of organizations operating in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), meticulously explores the intricate dynamics between IPR awareness, enforcement, and their implications for information security practices. The research undertakes a thorough investigation with three primary objectives: a comprehensive examination of IPR awareness, an exploration of the relationship between IPR enforcement and information security practices, and an assessment of the impact of information sensitivity. To achieve these objectives, a sample population of 150 respondents from various sectors was engaged, employing a combination of survey instruments and robust statistical analyses. The findings of the study illuminate a strong positive correlation between IPR awareness and information security practices, underscoring the pivotal role of cultivating IPR awareness among organizations. Furthermore, the enforcement of IPR, intricately connected with a resilient legal framework, regulatory authorities, international agreements, and effective customs and border control measures, is identified as a significant influencer of information security practices. The study employs a statistical model that exhibits a high explanatory power, elucidating approximately 85.9% of the variance in information security practices. In conclusion, the research offers profound implications for organizations, policymakers, and stakeholders in the UAE, advocating for strategies such as education, legal and regulatory support, international collaboration, and robust access control mechanisms to fortify IPR awareness, enforcement, and information security practices. The integration of advanced tools such as the smart PLS software adds depth and reliability to the study’s analytical framework, contributing to its comprehensive insights.
Purpose: Kindergartens are an important educational environment for the development of children at an early age, and they also play a crucial role in developing the values of sustainable development. The purpose of this study is to investigate kindergarten teachers’ perceptions of observable and sustainable development practices. Design, methodology, approach: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 302 Saudi kindergarten teachers. Additionally, observation cards were utilized to collect data on actual practices of sustainable development in kindergartens. Data were analyzed using Nvivo12, a qualitative data analysis software, and descriptive analysis methods. The main themes were produced first, and then the perspectives were organized around them. Finding: The impact of social and cultural factors on the development of values, the lack of resources available to implement educational activities, and teacher awareness and training gaps were found to be the main barriers to the development of sustainable development values in kindergartens. Originality, value: To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first study in Saudi Arabia that has looked into the environmental and social perceptions of early childhood teachers about sustainable development practices, so the study’s findings can highlight the importance of reorienting teacher education programs toward sustainability in order to bridge knowledge and practice gaps.
Over the last few decades, demographic growth combined with poorly controlled urbanization has confronted African cities with a variety of environmental protection challenges. As part of a gradual awareness-raising process, African countries have ratified conventions and adopted a series of laws to protect the environment. Since independence (1960), Gabon has adopted legal instruments to provide a better framework for environmental protection. Despite the existence of well-developed legislation, the Libreville conurbation faces difficulties in waste management. This situation contributes to the degradation of the coastal zone. This study aims to analyse stakeholders’ perceptions of environmental protection regulations in solid waste management practices along the coastline of the Libreville metropolitan area in Gabon. The methodology includes documentary research, field observations, and surveys of 300 study area participants. The results show that the degradation of the coastline is due to a lack of awareness and compliance with the laws governing environmental protection and waste management. As a result, waste disposal practices such as dumping in nature, waterways, illegal dumps, and gutters are commonplace among the population. To achieve sustainable coastal zone management, it is essential to apply regulatory texts and involve stakeholders in improving planning and the quality of the coastal environment.
The dairy industry is considered one of the most needed industries in almost every country; this is due to the continuous daily demand of its different products. Nevertheless, this industry consumes large amount of water, energy and material resources, and generates large quantities of liquid and solid wastes. In the sequel, under the pressure of fulfilling the 17 sustainable development goals (17 SDGs), it is important to address the sustainability of this sector in the world and particularly in developing countries. This study aims at assessing the impact of environmental, economic and social sustainability practices on the organizational performance of dairy industry in Palestine. To this end, a quantitative-research approach, based on a questionnaire for data collection, was adopted. Data has been collected from a convenient sample of 15 dairy factories working in West Bank in Palestine during a three-month period from March to May, 2023. Inferential statistical analyses were conducted as well. The results revealed that there is a difference between the median values of environmental and economic practices. In addition, the results showed that there is a medium relationship between sustainability practices and organizational performance. However, the economic practices proved to have the strongest impact then social practices; while, there is no impact of environmental practices on organizational performance. Furthermore, the results showed that this industry consumes larger amount of water as well as it generates large amounts of wastewater that mainly discharged to the drainage system without treatment for recycling or reuse. Several sound recommendations are given at the end of this paper. It worth mentioning that there are no previous studies conducted on the dairy industry sector in Palestine about sustainability assessment.
There is a growing emphasis on employee engagement in organizations and academia. It is reflected through an increasing number of academic publications that explores the link between human resource management practices and employee engagement. The present study investigates this relationship using bibliometric analysis. It is crucial to understand how human resource management practices influence employee engagement for creating a more productive and engaged workforce. The publications that focused on “human resource management” and “employee engagement” between 1996 and 2023 were analysed using the Biblioshiny package in R from the Web of Science (WoS) database. The analysis examined the existing research trends and also included comparative analysis across different geographic regions. It identified the emerging trends in human resource management research and the interconnectedness of various sub-disciplines within human resource management. This study offers a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between human resource management practices and employee engagement that revealed new avenues for future research and collaboration within the human resource management field. In other words, it will certainly provide valuable insights for future research agendas.
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