As digital technologies continue to shape the economy, countries are faced with increasing scrutiny in the use of digital transformation to aid productivity and improve performance. In South Africa, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated Small and medium-sized businesses’ (SMEs’) uptake of digital technologies, as many businesses had to shift their operations online and adopt new digital tools and technologies to solve the challenges posed by the pandemic. This has led to an increased focus on digital transformation mechanisms among South African firms. Therefore, the study examines the effect of digital transformation on the productivity of firms using cross-sectional data from the World Bank Enterprise Survey (WBES) (2020). The survey was based on firms and is a representative sample of the private sector in the South African economy and covers a wide variety of business environment themes, such as infrastructure, competitiveness, access to finance, and performance indicators. We found that digital transformation improved productivity of South African firms. Furthermore, empirical findings are reassuring robust to the IV-2SLS and quantile regression model, size of business, sectoral and provincial analysis. Finally, we recommend that policy makers should develop and implement initiatives to improve digital infrastructure, including high-speed internet access and reliable connectivity, especially in rural and underserved areas.

Information transparency is a basic principle of good governance that few studies in the literature have thoroughly examined. Riau Province in particular has a high record of land and forest conflicts that needs urgent response, yet environmental policies have mostly been scrutinized for its resource extraction and regulation aspects, not their aspect of information transparency. Low proactive disclosure of information from local governments is a recurring issue in Riau Province, so FITRA Riau initiated the Public Information Openness Index (IKIP) to cover the Riau Province and 12 regencies/cities. To address this research gap of governmental public bodies’ information transparency, this study conducted the novel substantive approach critical review to see the extent of local government’s transparency regarding their budgeting for one of Riau’s most prevalent issues, namely land and forest governance (TKHL). From March to September 2019, this study used a triangulation of data collected from information access tests, IKIP evaluation, and focus group discussion involving the Riau Information Commission, the Information Management and Documentation Officers (PPID) of the 12 regencies, and the Governor of Riau Province. After analyzing the four aspects of regulation, institution, budget, and TKHL information, results determined that the most open region in Riau Province is Indragiri Hulu, and the least open region is Kuantan Singingi. Information transparency is still limited in procedural terms, in which all regions have more or less fulfilled the administrative regulation demands but the substance of the public information across all aspects is too generic to truly inform the public of the regions’ TKHL.

The economy of Pakistan has faced many challenges due to COVID-19, leading to numerous systemic failures and leaving it struggling to recover. This research aims to shed light on the specific challenges faced by Pakistani textile companies during the pandemic. Comprehensive data was collected from one hundred fifty-three textile managers in Pakistan. Upon examining the impact of COVID-19 on businesses, it has been found that the most pressing issues revolved around working capital and strategies for generating new sales. Interestingly, many of these businesses were well-prepared in the digital realm, readily embracing digital knowledge and seizing opportunities by pivoting to the production of personal protective equipment (PPE) and N95 masks. This study aims to evaluate the early consequences of COVID-19 on Pakistan’s textile industry. Considering the scarcity of research on these challenges and opportunities, our work contributes to a better understanding of the hurdles the textile sector faces. Furthermore, it sets the groundwork for future research in this domain. It provides valuable insights for textile businesses, enabling them to align their strategies with the ever-evolving digital marketing landscape.

Transportation projects are crucial for the overall success of major urban, metropolitan, regional, and national development according to their capacity by bringing significant changes in socio-economic and territorial aspects. In this context, sustaining and developing economic and social activities depend on having sufficient Water Resources Management. This research helps to manage transport project planning and construction phases to analyze the surface water flow, high-level streams, and wetland sites for the development of transportation infrastructure planning, implementation, maintenance, monitoring, and long-term evaluations to better face the challenges and solutions associated with effective management and enhancement to deal with Low, Medium, High levels of impact. A case study was carried out using the Arc Hydro extension within ArcGIS for processing and presenting the spatially referenced Stream Model. Geographical information systems have the potential to improve water resource planning and management. The study framework would be useful for solving water resource problems by enabling decision makers to collect qualitative data more effectively and gather it into the water management process through a systematic framework.

Conflicts are inevitable in any human community, despite the fact that they are never desirable. One of the characteristics of the contemporary world is conflict. Different parties participate in disputes (individuals, organizations, and states). When disputes arise, interventionist methods are put into action. Conflicts arise in a variety of ways, such as disagreement, rage, quarrelling, hatred, destruction, killing, or war, because human requirements are diverse. Conflict takes many different shapes, and so do interventions. Individuals, groups (both local and foreign), and governments can all intervene in a conflict. The media and its functions are up for debate among those who mediate disputes. Can the media be seen as intervening in a dispute, or are they merely performing their mandated duties? The diversity of opinions is what drives conversations in peace journalism. In addition, peace journalism promotes media engagement and intervention in conflict situations in order to lessen and end conflict. Media intervention, according to some critics, is not objective journalism because those in charge of educational information management and journalists are not expected to make decisions about the news; rather, they should just tell it as they see it. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to examine the idea of conflict, the stages of conflict development, interventions in conflicts, and the contentious position of the media in conflicts from an educational information management perspective. Hence, this paper will contribute to the role of educational information management via social media and other new media platforms, which have occasionally been used to hold governments responsible, unite people in protest of violence, plan relief operations, empower people, dissipate tensions via knowledge sharing, and create understanding across boundaries.