This study investigates the impact of digital payment infrastructure accessibility on the social influence of microenterprises in Barranquilla, Colombia, while examining the mediating roles of financial inclusion, digital literacy, social support networks, and collaboration with social innovation initiatives. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study analyzes data from a sample of 25 microenterprises operating in various sectors. The findings, based on statistical techniques such as multiple regression, path analysis, and structural equation modeling (SEM), provide strong evidence for the positive influence of digital payment infrastructure accessibility on the social relationship of microenterprises. The results also highlight the crucial roles played by financial inclusion and social support networks in mediating this relationship. The study contributes to the growing body of literature on the factors driving the social effect of microenterprises and offers valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners aiming to foster inclusive economic development in the region. The findings suggest that investing in the development and expansion of digital payment systems, alongside efforts to promote financial inclusion and strengthen social support networks, can have far-reaching benefits for microenterprises and their communities.

The nighttime economy has always been an important part of tourism in Thailand. The alcohol industry contends that lifting alcohol restrictions will promote tourism and, consequently, generate additional income. Endogenous Growth Theory, however, emphasizes on investing in human capital, innovation, and knowledge as the most important factors that affect economic growth for a nation. Alcohol consumption incurs opportunity costs, as households lose financial resources and time that could be invested in children’s development. Relaxing control measures to promote alcohol consumption should impede economic development by diminishing the quality of human resources. The paper, therefore, aims to estimate the impact of alcohol consumption on economic growth by using 1990–2019 annual data from Thailand. By adopting Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) approach, the results reveal that alcohol consumption has significant and negative effects on economic growth in the long run. The statistic tests demonstrate no presence of serial correlation, heteroskedasticity, as well as, endogeneity problems. The finding has been corroborated in international studies, in which alcohol consumption contributes to substantial social and economic costs of the society.

We present an interdisciplinary exploration of technostress in knowledge-intensive organizations, including both business and healthcare settings, and its impact on a healthy working life. Technostress, a contemporary form of stress induced by information and communication technology, is associated with reduced job satisfaction, diminished organizational commitment, and adverse patient care outcomes. This article aims to construct an innovative framework, called The Integrated Technostress Resilience Framework, designed to mitigate technostress and promote continuous learning within dynamic organizational contexts. In this perspective article we incorporate a socio-technical systems approach to emphasize the complex interplay between technological and social factors in organizational settings. The proposed framework is expected to provide valuable insights into the role of transparency in digital technology utilization, with the aim of mitigating technostress. Furthermore, it seeks to extend information systems theory, particularly the Technology Acceptance Model, by offering a more nuanced understanding of technology adoption and use. Our conclusion includes considerations for the design and implementation of information systems aimed at fostering resilience and adaptability in organizations undergoing rapid technological change.

Border areas can play a crucial role in market integration and infrastructure development between Central Asian countries, thus creating favorable economic growth and regional cooperation conditions. This study aims to assess the economic impact of border areas between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, focusing on their role in enhancing market integration and infrastructure development to foster regional growth and cooperation.  Focusing on labor and capital as essential production drivers, this study employs a sophisticated panel data regression model to explore the Cobb-Douglas production function’s application in these border territories. The research findings indicate that regions’ elasticity towards capital and labor inputs vary, necessitating differentiated economic strategies. For capital-intensive areas, we recommend prioritizing investments in infrastructure and technology to boost production outputs. Conversely, in regions where labor significantly influences production, the emphasis should be on human capital development through education, training, and improved labor market conditions. The study’s insights into the evolving trade relations between the two countries underscore the need for flexible economic policies to enhance regional integration and cooperation. This research not only fills a crucial knowledge gap but also offers a blueprint for leveraging the diverse economic landscapes of Central Asia’s border areas in future policy-making and regional economic strategy.

Technological innovation allows nations to produce sophisticated products more efficiently and at higher quality to increase exports. Countries that aim to produce and export sophisticated products can improve their economic complexity and lead to the country’s economic development. Hence, the study investigates the impact of technological innovation on economic complexity in South Africa. Technological innovation, exports, and manufactured products were used as variables to examine South Africa’s economic complexity index. The study employed the ARDL method to determine the relationship among the variables. The ARDL F-bounds test reflected the long-run cointegration among the selected variables. The study produced long-run positive estimates of technological innovation, exports, and manufactured products on economic complexity, however, manufactured products and exports were insignificant. Granger causality indicated unidirectional causality on economic complexity to manufactured products, exports to technological innovation, and a bi-directional causal effect from exports to economic complexity and technological innovation to economic complexity. The study recommends that South Africa focus on innovation, create more diversified and sophisticated products and processes, and promote more manufacturing firms, particularly Agri-processed products.

The global COVID-19 crisis has precipitated an economic downturn in many countries, subsequently raising concerns about the potential challenges faced by marginalized populations, such as refugees, in accessing essential healthcare, hygiene facilities, and critical health information and safety guidelines within the context of Jordan. Consequently, it is of paramount importance to investigate and evaluate the specific economic hurdles related to COVID-19 that refugees are encountering. This inquiry will serve as a valuable foundation for shaping public health interventions aimed at containing the virus’s spread and guiding policymakers on strategies to enhance the well-being of refugees in Jordan. This paper offers a comprehensive examination of Syrian refugees in Jordan, including an analysis of the policies implemented by Jordan concerning Syrian refugees in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the report assesses whether international assistance, both through bilateral and multilateral channels, can mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on Jordan’s capacity to continue hosting Syrian refugees. It also delves into the economic consequences of COVID-19, covering aspects such as poverty, education, the health sector budget, healthcare accessibility, essential needs, livelihoods, the labor market, and food security among Syrian refugees in Jordan.