Public open spaces, such as squares, parks, and sports fields, serve as crucial hubs during and after disasters, fostering a sense of normalcy and community, promoting social cohesion, and facilitating community recovery. Additionally, they offer opportunities for promoting physical and mental well-being during such crises. This study aims to enhance the responsiveness of public open spaces to disasters by prioritizing disaster resilience in their planning and design. This study consists of two main stages. Firstly, a literature review is conducted to explore the current trends in research on public open space planning and design and the incorporation of disaster resilience. Results indicate that the primary focus of the current research on planning and designing public open spaces centers around sociocultural, psychological, environmental, and economic benefits. There is limited emphasis on integrating disaster resilience into public open space planning and design, leading to a lack of clear guidance for planners and architects. The emphasis on disaster resilience in public open space planning and design mainly began after 2010, with a notable increase observed in the last six years (2017–2023). This emphasis notably centers on climate change impacts, followed by floods, and then earthquakes. Secondly, drawing on the pivotal role of public open spaces during disasters, the importance of urban planning and design, and the existing gap in incorporating disaster resilience in current research on public open space planning and design, this study develops a novel framework for enhancing public open spaces’ responsiveness to disasters through resilient urban planning and design, based on four main disaster resilience criteria: multifunctionality, efficiency, safety, and accessibility. The insights gleaned from this study offer invaluable guidance to planners, architects, and decision-makers, empowering them to develop public open spaces that can effectively respond to various circumstances, ultimately contributing to bolstering community resilience and sustainability.
The rise of fintech in the financial sector presents a transformative shift towards digitalisation and sustainability on a global scale, leveraging technologies like AI to minimise environmental footprint. Neobanks not only challenge traditional banking models but also offer innovative solutions that align with sustainable objectives. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the impact of neobanks on global sustainability from economic, environmental, and social points of view. A comprehensive literature review of existing literature and current sustainable practices of neobanks was conducted. Results reveal that neobanks significantly positively contribute towards environmental sustainability with reduced paper use and logistics requirements of banking services. By offering more accessible and affordable banking services they importantly contribute towards higher financial inclusion, and with innovative products towards more competitive and innovative financial markets. AI-based tools they employ are increasing financial literacy and social inclusion. This article also highlights concerns regarding electronic waste management, potential high energy consumption, required digital literacy and cybersecurity risks. In conclusion, despite the mentioned risks, neobanks importantly contribute to global sustainability in many ways and will even more in the future. These findings can help neobanks shape sustainable practices and guide policymaking, as well as spread awareness of the sustainable impact of banking services.
This research aimed to investigate the role of humanizing leadership in enhancing the effectiveness of change management strategies within organizations. Specifically, it focused on how humanizing leadership influences change outcomes and the extent to which organizational culture moderates this relationship. The study addressed critical questions regarding the impact of leadership behaviors, such as model vulnerability, emotional intelligence, open communication, and psychological safety on effective change management and employee performance. A quantitative approach was employed to provide a comprehensive analysis of the phenomena. Quantitative data were collected from a sample of 325 employees through surveys that measured perceptions of Humanizing leadership behaviors, organizational culture, and change outcomes. Data was analyzed by IBM SPSS 26.0. The findings revealed that humanizing leadership behaviors significantly enhances the success of change initiatives, primarily through improved employee engagement and reduced resistance. Organizational culture was found to play a moderating role, amplifying the positive effects of empathetic and inclusive leadership practices. The study provides actionable recommendations for organizational leaders and managers to foster a culture that supports humanizing leadership. By adopting leadership strategies that emphasize vulnerability, empathy, and inclusivity, organizations can enhance their adaptability and resilience against the backdrop of continuous change. These findings are particularly valuable for enhancing managerial practices and informing policy within corporate settings.
Introduction: Chatbots are increasingly utilized in education, offering real-time, personalized communication. While research has explored technical aspects of chatbots, user experience remains under-investigated. This study examines a model for evaluating user experience and satisfaction with chatbots in higher education. Methodology: A four-factor model (information quality, system quality, chatbot experience, user satisfaction) was proposed based on prior research. An alternative two-factor model emerged through exploratory factor analysis, focusing on “Chatbot Response Quality” and “User Experience and Satisfaction with the Chatbot.” Surveys were distributed to students and faculty at a university in Ecuador to collect data. Confirmatory factor analysis validated both models. Results: The two-factor model explained a significantly greater proportion of the data’s variance (55.2%) compared to the four-factor model (46.4%). Conclusion: This study suggests that a simpler model focusing on chatbot response quality and user experience is more effective for evaluating chatbots in education. Future research can explore methods to optimize these factors and improve the learning experience for students.
Despite being controversial, teacher tenure policies are understudied, particularly in higher education contexts outside the Western world. Using semi-structured interviews with 15 university faculty members, this study explored how tenure systems influence the teaching practices, motivations, and job satisfaction of language teachers in Macau's universities. It was revealed that Macau implemented competitive, “up or out” tenure policies that were based on research output. Faculty were anxious as vague expectations heightened research priorities over teaching quality and student support. Requirements also strained collegial relationships as faculty goals focused on promotion. Veteran professors demonstrated resilience, maintaining intrinsic motivation despite policies. They advocated improving policies by promoting transparency, balancing workloads, accommodating disciplines, and communicating effectively. Using empirical data, this study identifies key policy implications for supporting teacher motivation while balancing inequality constraints. It provides empirical insight into optimizing tenure for teacher engagement and fulfillment.
Electric cars are manufactured to address environmental problems, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and nullify climate change. Their production aligns with sustainability objectives by encouraging cleaner transportation options, promoting energy efficiency, and contributing to a transition towards eco-friendly mobility in an answer to global environmental challenges. In Jordan, similar to any international market, car dealers and traders import electric cars. However, the prevailing perceptions and attitudes of Jordanian consumers need strong consideration. Nevertheless, there is still uncertainty and a need for more trust in electric vehicles among Jordanian consumers. Therefore, this research aims to ascertain whether electric cars have a lasting positive perception among Jordanians through an inductive research approach. Employing thematic qualitative analysis, this research is supported by the diffusion of innovation theory. Notably, the research findings provided robust insights, further leading to reinforcing the idea about the pervasive attitudes of Jordanian consumers. Thus, this research concludes that there still needs to be more confidence regarding electric vehicles among most consumers in Jordan. Furthermore, this research offers practical and theoretical contributions to Jordan’s policymakers and electric vehicle companies.
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