This study aims to: (1) analyze the need for digital marketing capabilities in Thai MSME; (2) develop an online digital marketing course; and (3) enhance Thai MSME’s digital marketing capabilities, particularly in Thailand’s manufacturing sectors. The survey was conducted using questionnaires distributed to a sample group of 400 digital marketing staff, executives, or business owners, complemented by in-depth interviews with marketing experts, business managers, and owners, totaling 10 participants. The research findings reveal a significant demand for digital marketing skills among MSME entrepreneurs in the manufacturing sector. The top three skills identified as most crucial for enhancement are: (1) communication and marketing information presentation skills; (2) brand building and public relations; and (3) video marketing execution. The study further revealed that the design of the digital marketing course, along with the developed online learning platform, attracted and successfully enrolled 104 MSMEs who participated in the online program. The pre- and post-training assessment results demonstrated a statistically significant difference in test scores, with a mean post-training score of 16.10 ( Mean = 16.10, S.D. = 1.396), representing a notable increase from the pre-training mean score of 6.47 ( Mean = 6.47, S.D. = 3.634) at the 0.05 significance level. Furthermore, the results of the follow-up evaluation on the application of acquired knowledge revealed that the overall level of knowledge and skills application is at its highest, with an average score of 4.64. This indicates that the developed course and online learning platform effectively enhance learners’ knowledge.
The employees in academic sector had to face an abrupt change due to Covid-19 pandemic and transformation of education into online and remote learning. This has led to virtual work intensity as an aftermath that negatively influences employees’ job satisfaction. In addition, due to remote working conditions, the lines between work and life had been dimmed and thus, the current situation is important to be addressed for wellbeing of academic staff. This research specifically aims to examine impact of virtual work intensity on job satisfaction among university staff. Furthermore, mediating effect of organizational support and work-life balance on the aforementioned relationship are analyzed to better understand the underlying effects. Through PLS-SEM and using a questionnaire survey, a total of 183 data were collected from teachers and administrative staff of two universities. The results show that virtual work intensity can hinder job satisfaction, while organizational support and work-life balance can improve job satisfaction of academic employees. This is due to the fact that support, and balance act against work intensity that diminishes wellbeing of individuals. This implies the vital role of organizations (e.g., human resource department) in providing support for their staff, and creating an environment, where academic staff can have a better work-life balance, leading to higher rates of job satisfaction as an important factor for psychological wellbeing.
Sustainability is a top priority for municipal administrations, particularly in large urban centers where citizens rely on transportation for work, study, and daily errands. Public transportation faces a significant challenge beyond availability, performance, safety, and comfort: balancing the cost for the city with fare attractiveness for passengers. Meanwhile, bicycles, supported by public incentives due to their clean and healthy appeal, compete with public transit. In Curitiba, the integrated transport system has been consistently losing passengers, exacerbated by the pandemic and the rise in private vehicle usage. To address this, the city is expanding bicycle infrastructure and electric bike rental services, impacting public transit revenue, and prompting the need for financial compensation to maintain affordable fares for those reliant on public transport. Therefore, this study’s objective is to analyze the bicycle’s impact on public transportation, considering the impact of public policies on economic and social efficiency, not just ecological and environmental factors. Data from six main bus lines were collected and analyzed in two separate linear regression models to verify the effects of new bicycles in circulation, bus tariffs, and weather conditions on public transportation demand. Research results revealed a significant impact of bus tariffs and fuel prices on the number of new bicycles that are diverting passengers from public transportation. The discussion may offer a different perspective on public transport policies and improve city infrastructure investments to strategically change the urban form to address social and economic issues.
Given the eclectic and localized nature of environmental risks, planning for sustainability requires solutions that integrate local knowledge and systems while acknowledging the need for continuous re-evaluation. Social-ecological complexity, increasing climate volatility and uncertainty, and rapid technological innovation underscore the need for flexible and adaptive planning. Thus, rules should not be universally applied but should instead be place-based and adaptive. To demonstrate these key concepts, we present a case study of water planning in Texas, whose rapid growth and extreme weather make it a bellwether example. We review historic use and compare the 2002, 2007, 2012, 2017 and 2022 Texas State Water Plans to examine how planning outcomes evolve across time and space. Though imperfect, water planning in Texas is a concrete example of place-based and adaptive sustainability. Urban regions throughout the state exhibit a diversity of strategies that, through the repeated 5-year cycles, are ever responding to evolving trends and emerging technologies. Regional planning institutions play a crucial role, constituting an important soft infrastructure that links state capacity and processes with local agents. As opposed to “top-down” or “bottom-up”, we frame this governance as “middle-out” and discuss how such a structure might extend beyond the water sector.
Research on retailers’ behavioral intention and behavior of using the omnichannel ecommerce solution (OES) used the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) model and supplemented the other factors such as seamless supply, omnichannel integration. Research concerns about behavioral intention and behavior of using OES as this is a global trend; OES has become one of the top priorities for businesses to thrive in the rapidly changing market and retain customers; increasingly high standards are being set for digital experiences. Therefore, retailers must quickly adapt to new trends for sustainable development to keep up with the transformation and increase the use of OES. The results show that effort expectation, social influence, hedonic motive, retailers’ capacity, seamlessly connecting have a positive impact on retailers’ behavioral intention and behavior of using OES. Behavioral intention and favorable conditions have a positive impact on behavior of using OES. Meantime, omnichannel integration have a negative impact on behavior of using OES in Vietnam. This research helps managers and OES providers to develop their skills and expertise, and the study results may prove diagnostically useful to the retailers’ behavioral intention and behavior of using OES.
To achieve the energy transition and carbon neutrality targets, governments have implemented multiple policies to incentivize electricity suppliers to invest in renewable energy. Considering different government policies, we construct a renewable energy supply chain consisting of electricity suppliers and electricity retailers. We then explore the impact of four policies on electricity suppliers’ renewable energy investments, environmental impacts, and social welfare. We validated the results based on data from Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China. The results show that government subsidy policies are more effective in promoting electricity suppliers to invest in renewable energy as consumer preferences increase, while no-government policies are the least effective. We also show that electricity suppliers are most profitable under the government subsidy policy and least profitable under the carbon cap-and-trade policy. Besides, our results indicate that social welfare is the worst under the carbon cap-and-trade policy. With the increase in carbon intensity and renewable energy quota, social welfare is the highest under the subsidy policy. However, the social welfare under the renewable energy portfolio standard is optimal when the renewable energy quota is low.
Copyright © by EnPress Publisher. All rights reserved.