Business intelligence is crucial for businesses, from start-ups to multinationals. Examining the role and efficacy of business intelligence (BI) technologies in gathering, processing, and evaluating data to assist responsible management practices and decision-making is crucial in the modern age, especially for educational institutions. This study investigates the impact of Business Intelligence (BI) tools on Knowledge Management (KM) stages and their subsequent influence on Responsible Business Practices Outcomes in the educational sector of the United Arab Emirates. Using a quantitative research design, the study collected data from 406 faculty and staff members across various UAE universities via a structured survey. It analyzed the data using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results revealed a significant positive relationship between the use of BI Tools and the implementation of KM Stages, indicating that the utilization of BI tools is instrumental in enhancing knowledge management processes. However, the direct effect of BI Tools’ usage on responsible business practices’ outcomes was insignificant, suggesting the need for a mediating factor. KM Stages Implementation emerged as a significant mediator, indicating that the benefits of BI tools on responsible business practices are realized through their influence on KM processes. Moderation analyses showed that Institutional Culture, Training, and Expertise significantly moderated the relationship between BI Tools Usage and KM stage implementation, while Support from Management did not have a significant moderating effect. These findings highlight the importance of fostering an enabling institutional culture and investing in training and expertise to leverage the full potential of BI tools in promoting responsible business practices in educational settings. The study contributes to the literature on technology adoption in education and provides practical implications for educational administrators and policymakers seeking to integrate BI tools into their institutional practices.
Polyurethane is a multipurpose polymer with valuable mechanical, thermal, and chemical stability, and countless other physical features. Polyurethanes can be processed as foam, elastomer, or fibers. This innovative overview is designed to uncover the present state and opportunities in the field of polyurethanes and their nanocomposite sponges. Special emphasis has been given to fundamentals of polyurethanes and foam materials, related nanocomposite categories, and associated properties and applications. According to literature so far, adding carbon nanoparticles such as graphene and carbon nanotube influenced cell structure, overall microstructure, electrical/thermal conductivity, mechanical/heat stability, of the resulting polyurethane nanocomposite foams. Such progressions enabled high tech applications in the fields such as electromagnetic interference shielding, shape memory, and biomedical materials, underscoring the need of integrating these macromolecular sponges on industrial level environmentally friendly designs. Future research must be intended to resolve key challenges related to manufacturing and applicability of polyurethane nanocomposite foams. In particular, material design optimization, invention of low price processing methods, appropriate choice of nanofiller type/contents, understanding and control of interfacial and structure-property interplay must be determined.
In June 2023, the European Union (EU) enacted the Regulation on Deforestation-Free Products (EUDR), which requires agricultural products to enter and leave its territory free from deforestation. The regulations apply to seven commodities: cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, soya, wood, and their derivate products grown or raised on land subject to deforestation or forest degradation will be banned from entering the EU market. EUDR will have a significant impact on Vietnam’s Exports of Agricultural Products. Coffee, rubber, wood, and wood products are the main industries in Vietnam affected by this regulation, as the country exports a substantial portion of these products to EU markets. This article examines the impacts of the European Union Deforestation Regulation on Vietnam’s coffee supply chains, discusses possible unintended effects on coffee farmers and farming households, and explores strategies to mitigate these negative impacts while highlighting specific challenges that may arise. The results of this study contribute to a better understanding and management of Vietnam’s agricultural exports, particularly in the coffee sector. Additionally, the article gives some recommendations for improving Vietnam’s laws and policies on deforestation-free products.
The digital era has brought immense attention to the tourism industry through the pervasive influence of social media. Social media content profoundly shapes travel aspirations among the Chinese Generation Z, mainly through short videos. This study aims to unravel the intricate dynamics between short videos and Gen Z’s travel preferences, shedding light on their motivations, environmental consciousness, and adoption of sustainable tourism practices. Three regression models were applied in this study to shed light on this correlation. The initial model examines factors influencing the general travel intentions of Chinese Gen Z. The subsequent model delves into determinants affecting the adoption of responsible tourism practices among Gen Z. Then, the last model identifies factors contributing to tourism-related environmental awareness among this population. Through empirical analysis conducted via a structured questionnaire administered to 506 Chinese Gen Z individuals, this study’s findings confirm that well-crafted short videos significantly impact the travel intentions of Chinese youth, thereby fostering responsible tourism practices and increasing environmental consciousness. This highlights the pivotal role of argumentation quality and source credibility in shaping Gen Z’s travel intentions, underscoring the importance of credibility in promoting responsible tourism practices and environmental awareness. Furthermore, this study analysis reveals that females exhibit greater susceptibility to the influence of short video content on travel decisions than males. In conclusion, this study emphasizes the critical role of integrating short video content into marketing strategies within the tourism sector, particularly in the Gen Z demographic.
Graphene has been ranked among one of the most remarkable nanostructures in the carbon world. Graphene modification and nanocomposite formation have been used to expand the practical potential of graphene nanostructure. The overview is an effort to highlight the indispensable synthesis strategies towards the formation of graphene nanocomposites. Consequently, graphene has been combined with useful matrices (thermoplastic, conducting, or others) to attain the desired end material. Common fabrication approaches like the in-situ method, solution processing, and melt extrusion have been widely involved to form the graphene nanocomposites. Moreover, advanced, sophisticated methods such as three- or four-dimensional printing, electrospinning, and others have been used to synthesize the graphene nanocomposites. The focus of all synthesis strategies has remained on the standardized graphene dispersion, physical properties, and applications. However, continuous future efforts are required to resolve the challenges in synthesis strategies and optimization of the parameters behind each technique. As the graphene nanocomposite design and properties directly depend upon the fabrication techniques used, there is an obvious need for the development of advanced methods having better control over process parameters. Here, the main challenging factors may involve the precise parameter control of the advanced techniques used for graphene nanocomposite manufacturing. Hence, there is not only a need for current and future research to resolve the field challenges related to material fabrication, but also reporting compiled review articles can be useful for interested field researchers towards challenge solving and future developments in graphene manufacturing.
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