The operational performance of container ports is crucial for efficient logistics and trade. However, there is limited understanding of how external integration through Customer and Supplier Integration (SCI-CI and SCI-SI) impacts port operational performance (POP), particularly in emerging markets like Oman. This study addresses this gap by examining the relationship between SCI-CI, SCI-SI, and POP, and explores the mediating role of supply chain management (SCM) practices in this context. Using the Resource-Based View (RBV) as the theoretical framework, the study employed a quantitative cross-sectional survey method. A total of 377 questionnaires were distributed to managers at Sohar and Salalah ports, with 331 usable responses obtained, representing an 88 percent response rate. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that SCI-CI and SCI-SI have significant direct and indirect positive effects on POP, and they directly influence SCM practices. SCM practices, in turn, significantly enhance POP. Notably, SCM practices partially mediate the relationship between SCI-CI and SCI-SI with POP. These findings underscore the strategic importance of external integration and SCM practices as internal resources for improving port performance. This research provides valuable insights for decision-makers and policymakers in optimizing port operations.
China-Africa economic integration generally looks lucid, as evidenced by rising bilateral trade, as well as Chinese FDI, aid, and debt financing for infrastructure development in Africa. The engagement, however, appears to be strategically channeled to benefit China’s resource endowment strategy. First, Chinese FDI in Africa is primarily resource-seeking, with minimum manufacturing value addition. Second, China has successfully replicated the Angola model in other resource-rich African countries, and most infrastructure loans-for-natural resources barter deals are said to be undervalued. There is also a resource-backed loan arrangement in place, in which default Chinese loans are repaid in natural resources. Third, while China claims that its financial aid is critical to Africa’s growth and development processes, a significant portion of the aid is spent on non-development projects such as building parliaments and government buildings. This lend credence to the notion that China uses aid to gain diplomatic recognition from African leaders, with resource-rich and/or institutionally unstable countries being the most targeted. The preceding arguments support why Africa’s exports to China dominate other China’s financial flows to Africa, and consist mainly of natural resources. Accordingly, this study aims to forecast China-Africa economic integration through the lens of China’s demand for natural resources and Africa’s demand for capital, both of which are reflected in Africa’s exports to China. The study used a MODWT-ARIMA hybrid forecasting technique to account for the short period of available China-Africa bilateral trade dataset (1992–2021), and found that Africa’s exports to China are likely to decline from US$ 119.20 billion in 2022 to US$ 13.68 billion in 2026 on average. This finding coincides with a period in which Chinese demand for Africa’s natural resources is expected to decline.
Ideological and political education is not only a basic course to cultivate students’ moral quality, but also an important part of modern education outline. The current intelligent electronic technology course should strengthen the gradual integration of curriculum and ideological education. Under the background of the new era, the state pays more attention to education, aiming to integrate the concept of ideological and political education into the classroom to effectively improve the effectiveness of comprehensive education for students. The course of intelligent electronic technology should integrate ideological and political education resources and innovate educational means from teachers to classrooms. This paper analyzes the principle of Integrating ideological and political education into intelligent electronic technology curriculum, and hopes to put forward constructive suggestions on the research and innovation path.
The article addresses the issue of educational development policy in Ukraine: the main trends and ways, means, technologies of their implementation. It has been observed that educational policy is developing and changing under the influence of such factors as Russia’s military actions against our country, European integration and globalisation. It has been taken into account that globalisation trends in the world integration, according to which globalisation processes should be reflected not only in the foreign economic, political or technological spheres, but also, as a consequence, in the development of technologies for training future teachers. Integration of digital technologies in the educational process is one of the key tendencies in the modern educational policy in Ukraine. The characteristics of the most used technologies of augmented reality in the modern school of Ukraine have been outlined. The algorithm for displaying generalized information about a particular application was proposed, namely: payment, accessibility, language, system requirements; learning opportunities; practical value; website; video about the application. The model of the formation of future teachers’ skills to use augmented reality technologies in the process of natural sciences studying has been proposed. We consider it as a component of a holistic system of future teachers’ professional training. The conceptual basis for the development of the model is a multi-subject educational paradigm, which is considered to be open, self-developing and self-organizing, causing a fundamental change in the behavior and relationships of the educational process participants. The proposed model is implemented in the authors’ methodological system, which ensures the interconnected activities of all participants in the educational process. Its systemic factor is the goal of improving the quality of the future natural sciences teachers’ professional training by developing their skills in using AR technology. The end result is an increase in the level of future natural sciences teachers’ readiness to use AR technology in their professional activities.
With the continuous development of globalization, communication among countries around the world is increasingly frequent, and multicultural integration has become the mainstream of the development of the current era. Language, as the carrier of multicultural integration, is an important tool to promote international communication and integration, especially English, as an international language with the largest number of users and the widest range, has extensive practicability and communication. With the continuous deepening of China's reform and opening up, communication with foreign countries has become increasingly close. English has become a basic language skill that college students must master proficiently. The transformation of English education is an inevitable trend that conforms to the development of the times. However, in the current process of English teaching in universities, there are outdated educational ideas and methods, and English teaching and cross-cultural awareness cultivation have not been effectively combined, Causing a lack of interest in English among college students, the inability to truly apply learning outcomes to practical situations, and the loss of its true significance in English teaching. This article analyzes the important impact of the current multicultural integration environment on college English teaching, as well as the problems existing in contemporary college English teaching practice, and proposes targeted transformation paths for college English education in the context of multicultural integration.
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