Ukrainian Human Resource (HR) practices have multiple difficulties from economic changes combined with digital transformation and workforce instability brought on by the war in 2022. The study examines Ukrainian HR practices between 2015 and 2024, focusing on the digitalization of HR systems, talent development, staff engagement, and hiring strategies. It considers the effects of organizational size and industry type. The study combined interviews with 30 HR professionals and surveyed 150 organizations from different industry groups and sizes. Our data required both quantitative statistical tests and manual content breakdown with codes. Research has shown significant differences between Information Technology (IT) and farming firms, as 89% of IT businesses have integrated artificial intelligence (AI)-powered HR tools. In comparison, only 15% of agricultural companies have adopted them. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) showed less commitment to digital transformation and European Union (EU) requirements than large enterprises, which adopted these systems at rates of 75% and 88%, respectively. Western Ukraine first established mental health initiatives during the crisis, and Eastern Ukraine moved toward decentralized administration. Digitalization assistance for small businesses, along with EU and local human resources frameworks, should form the basis of our suggestions. This research calls for flexible people management methods to boost the Ukrainian workspace’s ability to recover from shocks.

In today's changing world of work, Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM)) still focuses on making workers more productive. This study systematically examines the mediating function of incentives both monetary and non-monetary between antecedent characteristics (e.g., leadership, organizational culture) and employee productivity using a systematic literature review (SLR) of papers published from 2010 to 2024. The review adheres to PRISMA principles and integrates 18 peer-reviewed studies chosen through a stringent screening and quality evaluation process from Scopus and Google Scholar. The results show that the success of incentives depends a lot on things like the ideals of the business, the style of leadership, and the demographics of the workforce. Thematic analysis, informed by the Ability-Motivation-Opportunity (AMO) theory and Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) frameworks, delineates four principal processes by which incentives affect productivity: goal alignment, perceived equity, motivational pathways, and cultural congruence. The research emphasizes the necessity of customizing incentive systems to specific organizational contexts and offers practical guidance for HR professionals. Recognizing limitations and publishing bias, suggestions for future incentive system design are presented.

This study investigates the integration of Yao ethnic cultural history into sustainable jewelry design and its implications for human resource planning, organizational management, and employee engagement techniques within creative sectors. The research emphasizes new approaches to improving employee well-being, work happiness, and organizational commitment by integrating cultural authenticity with circular economy concepts. The study specifically aims to (1) use Yao cultural elements to strengthen the organization’s identity and boost employee pride, (2) evaluate how consumers respond to circular economy ideas and how these ideas impact employee motivation and performance, and (3) explore how sustainability efforts based on culture affect consumer behavior and the morale of the workforce. We used a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative interviews with fifteen experts in design, sustainability, and cultural heritage with a quantitative survey of 240 participants. Research indicates that using Yao motifs—such as traditional needlework and nature-inspired designs—enhances market attractiveness and promotes more employee alignment with business ideals, hence improving satisfaction and performance. The increasing customer acceptance of recycled and upcycled items enhances employees’ sense of purpose and engagement. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating sustainable HR practices, including culturally oriented training and open ethical principles, to enhance labor relations and foster equity. Utilizing cultural heritage in design innovation serves as a strategic instrument to enhance human capital and promote long-term organizational sustainability.

The rapid expansion of smart cities has led to the widespread deployment of Internet of Things (IoT) devices for real-time data collection and urban optimization. However, these interconnected systems face critical cybersecurity risks, including data tampering, unauthorized access, and privacy breaches. This paper proposes a blockchain-based framework designed to enhance the security, integrity, and resilience of IoT data in smart city environments. Leveraging a private blockchain, the system ensures decentralized, tamper-proof data storage, and transaction verification through digital signatures and a lightweight Proof of Work consensus mechanism. Smart contracts are employed to automate access control and respond to anomalies in real time. A Python-based simulation demonstrates the framework’s effectiveness in securing IoT communications. The system supports rapid transaction validation with minimal latency and enables timely detection of anomalous patterns through integrated machine learning. Evaluations show that the framework maintains consistent performance across diverse smart city components such as transportation, healthcare, and building security. These results highlight the potential of the proposed solution to enable secure, scalable, and real-time IoT ecosystems for modern urban infrastructures.

The food supply chain in South Africa faces significant challenges related to transparency, traceability, and consumer trust. As concerns about food safety, quality, and sustainability grow, there is an increasing need for innovative solutions to address these issues. Blockchain technology has emerged as a promising tool to enhance transparency and accountability across various industries, including the food sector. This study sought to explore the potential of blockchain technology in revolutionizing through promoting transparency that enable the achievement of sustainable food supply chain infrastructure in South Africa. The study found that blockchain technology used in food supply chain creates an immutable and decentralized ledger of transactions that has the capacity to provide real-time, end-to-end visibility of food products from farm to table. This increased transparency can help mitigate risks associated with food fraud, contamination, and inefficiencies in the supply chain. The study found that blockchain technology can be leveraged to enhance supply chain efficiency and trust among stakeholders. This technology used and/or applied in South Africa can reshape the agricultural sector by improving production and distribution processes. Its integration in the food supply chain infrastructure can equally improve data management and increase transparency between farmers and food suppliers.There is need for policy-makers and scholars in the fields of service delivery and food security to conduct more research in blockchain technology and its roles in creating a more transparent, efficient, and trustworthy food supply chain infractructure that address food supply problems in South Africa. The paper adopted a qualitative methodology to collect data, and document and content analysis techniques were used to interpret collected data.