Nowadays, urban ecosystems require major transformations aimed at addressing the current challenges of urbanization. In recent decades, policy makers have increasingly turned their attention to the smart city paradigm, recognizing its potential to promote positive changes. The smart city, through the conscious use of technologies and sustainability principles, allows for urban development. The scientific literature on smart cities as catalysts of public value continues to develop rapidly and there is a need to systematize its knowledge structure. Through a three-phase methodological approach, combining bibliometric, network and content analyses, this study provides a systematic review of the scientific literature in this field. The bibliometric results showed that public value is experiencing an evolutionary trend in smart cities, representing a challenging research topic for scholars. Network analysis of keyword co-occurrences identified five different clusters of related topics in the analyzed field. Content analysis revealed a strong focus on stakeholder engagement as a lever to co-create public value and a greater emphasis on social equity over technological innovation and environmental protection. Furthermore, it was observed that although environmental concerns were prioritized during the policy planning phase, their importance steadily decreased as the operational phases progressed.

During property renovations, sustainability is increasingly playing a crucial role in reducing environmental impacts, utilizing resources efficiently, and improving the quality of living environments. In our research, we examined the environmentally conscious thinking of potential clients for sustainable renovations, including their requirements for materials, which encompass enhancing energy efficiency, the importance of waste reduction, the significance of using alternative energy, and the application of eco-friendly, durable, and local materials. According to the results of our quantitative survey, respondents recognized the importance of sustainability considerations and expressed their commitment towards energy-efficient and eco-friendly solutions, although costs and payback periods continued to be decisive factors. We found that advocates of sustainable property renovations in our sample displayed environmentally conscious characteristics, and environmentally conscious consumers are willing to spend more for significant and long-term results. As part of our research, we conducted in-depth interviews with real estate agents and general contractors to understand sustainability considerations in the decision-making process of property renovations. The key lesson from the interviews was that buyers can be segmented into different groups, with those prioritizing environmental awareness being of significant importance. Based on the findings, sustainability is increasingly coming to the forefront in property renovations. Thus, our publication offers a detailed insight into market trends and practices.

The rapid advancement of financial technology (Fintech) has revolutionized the way financial transactions are conducted, with E-payment services becoming increasingly integral to daily commerce. This paper examines consumer perceptions and attitudes towards E-payment services offered by Fintech companies, identifying key factors that influence their acceptance and usage. Employing a quantitative approach, the research integrates quantitative data from surveys and applied SEM (Structural Equation Modelling) through AMOS. Out of 450, 420 respondents have given their views on perceptual preferences and attitudes with the help of SPSS. KMO and Bartlett’s Test are executed to understand and to check the factors for implementing factor analysis further through extractions. Anticipated findings are expected to reveal a spectrum of consumer attitudes shaped by factors such as trust, security, convenience, and technological familiarity. It contributes to the existing literature by providing updated insights into consumer behaviour in the Fintech sector and suggesting actionable strategies for service providers to enhance user engagement and satisfaction. It holds the potential to inform both theoretical frameworks in technology acceptance and practical marketing strategies for Fintech companies aiming to optimize E-payment services for diverse consumer bases.

Metaverse technology has various uses in communication, education, entertainment, and other aspects of life. Consequently, it necessitates using some interactive mobile applications to enter the virtual world and gain real-time, face-to-face experiences, particularly among students. This research focused on the factors accelerating metaverse technology acceptance particularly, Metaverse Experience Browser application acceptance among the students under the factors proposed by the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model. Notably, lack of studies in metaverse browsers and their prevalence during the post pandemic era, indicates a strong literature gap. The researchers gathered data from n = 384 higher education students from the two cities in the United Arab Emirates and applied Structural Equation modelling (SEM) for data analysis. Results revealed that Performance Expectancy (p < 0.003) and Social Influence (p = 0.000) were significant factors affecting the Behavioral Intention of the students to consider Metaverse Experience Browser as an interactive mobile application. On the other hand, behavioural Intention significantly affects (p = 0.000) Effort Expectancy, which shows how fewer efforts and greater accessibility are associated with one’s behavioural Intention. Besides, the effect of Behavioral Intention (p = 0.000) on Metaverse Experience Browser acceptance also remained validated. Finally, Effort Expectancy (p = 0.000) also indicated its significant effect on the Metaverse Experience Browser. These results indicated that the factors proposed by UTAUT have greater applicability on the Metaverse Experience Browser as they showed their relevance to its acceptance. The present study concludes that the acceptance of Metaverse Experience Browser as an interactive mobile application is a level ahead in improving students’ experiences. Thus, the Metaverse Experience Browser is considered a modified way of creating, sharing, participating, and enjoying the virtual world, indicating its greater usage among students for different purposes, including education and learning.

This paper presents a practical approach to empowering software entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia through a unique course offered by the Software Engineering department at Prince Sultan University. The course, SE495 Emergent Topics in Software Engineering: Software Entrepreneurship, combines software engineering and entrepreneurship to equip students with the necessary skills to develop innovative software solutions that solve real-world problems. The course covers a range of topics, including platform development, market research, and pitching to investors, and features guest speakers from the industry. By the end of the course, students will have gained a deep understanding of the software development process and its intersection with entrepreneurship and will be able to develop a working prototype of a software solution that solves a real-world problem. The course’s practical approach ensures that students are well-prepared to navigate the complexities of the digital and software sectors and succeed in an ever-changing business landscape.

With the popularity of smartphones, consumers’ daily lives and consumption patterns have been changed by using multi-functional apps. Convenience store operators have developed membership apps as a platform to promote their brands to consumers to create the benefits of “membership economy”. This study examined consumer behavior towards convenience store membership apps using UTAUT2. Consumers who have installed the convenience store membership apps were recruited as the target population. SPSS 23.0 was used to conduct item analysis and reliability analysis in the pretest questionnaires. The formal questionnaires were distributed online by convenience sampling method, with 375 valid questionnaires collected. Smart PLS 3.0 was conducted by analyzing the confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation model analysis. The results of the study, “performance expectancy”, “social influence”, “price value” and “habit” of convenience store member app users showed positive and significant effects on “behavioral intention”. “Facilitating conditions”, “habit” and “behavioral intention” have positive and significant effects on “actual use behavior”. “Gender” affects “habit” to have a significant moderating effect on “use behavior”. “Use experience” affects “habit” to have a significant moderating effect on “behavioral intention”. Based on the study results, the further suggestions of marketing management implications and feasible recommendations are proposed for convenience store operators to refer to in the implementation of membership app marketing management.