The issue of policy changes to support teacher professional development is an important factor shaping the career trajectory, efficacy, and ultimately the success of Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) instructors and the performance of the secondary students they serve and whose lives they affect. Although a rich body of research associated with policies regarding teacher preparation and professional development exists, a more closely related area of research focused specifically on the policies regarding preparation and professional development of JROTC instructors is limited. This lack of research presents a unique opportunity to explore the experiences of JROTC instructors and their perspectives on policies affecting teacher preparation and professional development. This qualitative exploratory single-case study can help to advance understanding of the complexities and nuances of teacher preparation and professional development policies supporting the JROTC instructors serving in high schools across the United States and overseas. One-on-one interviews with 14 JROTC personnel who had completed required teacher preparation requirements and professional development initiatives were conducted. Data analysis revealed 11 themes. Recommendations for improving policies concerning JROTC instructor preparation and professional development, including placing greater emphasis on the unique requirements, as well as suggestions for future research, are provided.

Total factor productivity (TFP) is essential for disentangling the determinants of economic growth, productivity, and the standard of living. Understanding the variations in TFP, however, is greatly challenging because of the many assumptions that comprise the theoretical growth framework. In this paper, we aim to explore the determinants of TFP growth for countries at different stages of information and communication technology (ICT) development. To address the endogenous nature of the associated growth variables, we implement a three-stage-least (3SLS) square panel regression to improve the efficiency and asymptomatic accuracy of the estimators. We find that transmission channels, such as financial openness and trade globalization, have contributed substantially to growth in both advanced and developing countries. However, we also discover that greater financial openness can undermine a country’s TFP growth if the financial system is not sufficiently developed. When time horizons are decomposed into pre-ICT development and post-ICT development periods, a significant crowding-out effect is observed between ICT investment and financial openness in the pre-period, implying that the allocation of resources is critical for countries in the developing stage. Trade and finance policies that are adopted by advanced and developed countries might not be ideal for underdeveloped countries. Discretion in choosing adequate policies regarding financial integration and trade liberalization is advised for these emerging countries.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system utilization and Environmental, Governance, Social (ESG) practice incorporation have jointly wielded significant influence on various aspects of accounting operations. On the other side, leveraging the robust information infrastructure, Taiwanese firms have widely implemented ERP systems and have been aligning with international ESG initiatives in recent years. The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of ERP utilization and ESG practices on real and accrual earnings management among firms listed in Taiwan over an 19-year span from 2003 to 2021. The results of this study suggest duration of ERP implementation has a negative impact on accruals earnings management, but has a positively influence on real management. The results underscore the significant influence of ERP utilization duration on the different aspects of corporate earnings management activity. Additionally, our investigation illustrates a negative association between the corporate assimilation of ESG practices and both real and accrual earnings management. This reveals that enterprises committed to implementing ESG practices highlight long-term substantive operations over the short term periodic performance of financial statements.

This paper provides a disaster resilience-based approach. For the definition of the approach, a three-step method (definition of components, analysis of the resilience pillars and definitions of resilience-based actions) has been followed. To validate the approach, an application scenario for mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic is provided in the paper. The proposed approach contributes to stimulating the co-responsibility quadruple helix of actors in the implementation of actions for disaster management. Moreover, the approach is adaptable and flexible, as it can be used to manage different kinds of disasters, adjusting or changing itself to meet specific needs.

The rapid rise of live streaming commerce in China has transformed the retail environment, with electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) emerging as a pivotal factor in shaping consumer behavior. As a digital evolution of traditional word-of-mouth, eWOM gains particular significance in live streaming contexts, where real-time interactions foster immediacy and engagement. This study investigates how eWOM influences consumer purchase intentions within Chinese live streaming platforms, employing the Information Adoption Model (IAM) as theoretical framework. Using a grounded theory approach, this research applies NVivo for data coding and analysis to explore the cognitive and emotional processes triggered by eWOM during live streaming. Findings indicate that argument quality, source credibility, and information quantity significantly enhance consumer trust and perceived usefulness of information, which, in turn, drives information adoption and purchase intention. Furthermore, the study reveals that social interaction between live streaming anchors and audiences amplifies the influence of consumers' internal states on information adoption. This study enhances the Information Adoption Model (IAM) by introducing social interaction as a moderator between consumers' internal states toward live streaming eWOM and their adoption of information, highlighting the value of social interaction in live streaming. It also incorporates information quantity, showing how eWOM quantity affects trust and perceived usefulness. Furthermore, the study contributes to exploring how factors like argument quality, source credibility, and information quantity shape consumer trust and perceived usefulness, offering insights into the cognitive and emotional processes of information adoption in live streaming.

This research focuses on addressing critical driving safety issues on university campuses, particularly vehicular congestion, inadequate parking, and hazards arising from the interaction between vehicles and pedestrians. These challenges are common across campuses and demand effective solutions to ensure safe and efficient mobility. To address these issues, the study developed detailed microsimulation models tailored to the Victor Levi Sasso campus of the Technological University of Panama. The primary function of these models is to evaluate the effectiveness of various safety interventions, such as speed reducers and parking reorganization, by simulating their impact on traffic flow and accident risk. The models provide calculations of traffic parameters, including speed and travel time, under different safety scenarios, allowing for a comprehensive assessment of potential improvements. The results demonstrate that the proposed measures significantly enhance safety and traffic efficiency, proving the model’s effectiveness in optimizing campus mobility. Although the model is designed to tackle specific safety concerns, it also offers broader applicability for addressing general driving safety issues on university campuses. This versatility makes it a valuable tool for campus planners and administrators seeking to create safer and more efficient traffic environments. Future research could expand the model’s application to include a wider range of safety concerns, further enhancing its utility in promoting safer campus mobility.