The article discusses the actual problems of practical training in the tourism and hospitality industries in Russia and identifies the main problems of training specialists at Russian specialized universities. The main focus is on building partnerships between universities and employer organizations in order to train highly qualified specialists. Purpose: The research is aimed at creating an effective model of practical training based on the interaction of the university with employer organizations within the framework of the training of specialists in the tourism and hospitality industries. Design/Methodology/Approach: The work is based on scientific publications devoted to evaluating the effectiveness of the existing system of personnel training for the tourism and hospitality industries, studying its features, building models of vocational education, and using practice-oriented programs in the training of specialists. To study the problems of practical training of personnel for tourism and hospitality, systematic and structural approaches were used as a methodological basis, as well as methods of analysis and synthesis, the study of models of cooperation between universities and employers, and methods of monitoring and evaluating the quality of training specialists. To obtain empirical data, an analysis of the needs of the labor market for specialists in the hospitality industry was carried out, as was the study of models of cooperation between universities and employers. Results: In the course of the work, the author has formed a model of practical training for specialists in the tourism and hospitality industries, including the purpose and objectives, process requirements, organization conditions, and requirements for the results of the process. The innovative nature of the proposals lies in the development of new models of practical training based on gamification technology. The direction of further research may include the development of a methodology for the organization of the university’s interaction with employer organizations in the framework of practical training. Conclusion: The results of the study can be used by professional educational organizations to organize the process of practical training of students, which will effectively solve the problem of training personnel for tourism and hospitality. The social consequences of organizing the process of practical training for students will include increasing the competitiveness of graduates in the labor market, improving the quality of tourist and hotel services, introducing innovations into the tourism and hospitality industries, and developing startups.

How to improve enterprise performance has been a research topic widely studied by scholars for a long time. As economic globalization deepens, the business competition becomes increasingly harsh. Technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play an important role in the rapid development of the country’s economy, especially in China. This study aims to investigate the mediating effect of knowledge integration capability in the relationship between corporate social capital and enterprise performance. The sample group used in this study were 300 technology-based SMEs in China. The research tool was a questionnaire adapted from previous scholars, which passed assessment in terms of content validity and reliability. Data were analyzed using structural equation modelling. The results show that: 1) corporate social capital has a positive impact on enterprise performance, but the impact differs between well-performing and poor-performing enterprises; and 2) knowledge integration ability plays a mediating role in the relationship between corporate social capital and enterprise performance, and the mediating role is the same for both well-performing and poor-performing enterprises. But it played a partial mediating role in the good-performance comparison group and a complete mediating role in the poor-performance comparison group. This study is useful for enterprise management in cultivating and developing the abundant social capital of enterprises and expanding channels for knowledge integration ability to increase enterprise performance.

The interest in smart grids and new technologies is growing around the world. Countries are investing in the development of new technologies that will help achieve environmental goals, energy supply efficiency, improve energy efficiency and increase consumer involvement in the energy generation. One of such technology is a blockchain. It is believed that the blockchain, combined with a smart grid, provides an opportunity to integrate the activities of all stakeholders, including: generators, distributors and consumers of electricity. The aim of the article is to identify the key research areas discussed by the researchers of both the smart grid and the blockchain issues. An analysis of the Scopus database from 2015 to 2023 was conducted. Using a created bibliometric query, a systematic literature review was conducted. 476 scientific publications relating to the issues addressed were identified. Using the VOSviewer software, a bibliometric analysis was performed using the author’s keywords. The bibliometric maps obtained allowed for the identification of key research areas. The article also presents potential future directions of scientific considerations, which should be focused on the issue of green smart grid and green blockchain. The results presented in the article can inspire researchers looking for research gaps or describing the current state of knowledge in the field of the smart grid and the blockchain issues.

Blockchain technology is poised to significantly transform the corporate world, heralding a new era of innovation and efficiency. Over the past few years, its impact has been noted by leaders, academics, and government representatives around the globe this growing interest underscores businesses’ need to evolve and reconsider traditional operational models. To remain competitive, organizations must embrace this change. Before introducing such ground-breaking technology, it is crucial to assess the motivations of primary stakeholders concerning its implementation. This study looks into what influences the use of Blockchain technology in the oil and gas sector, primarily using a quantitative survey of Iraqi oil and gas companies. A questionnaire was distributed among 250 top-level managers, senior executives, project managers, and IT managers for analyzing the data, the study employs the Structural Equation Modelling-Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) technique, with Smart PLS for data processing. The findings suggest that the intention to utilise blockchain technology is influenced by one’s attitude towards it. Competitive pressure (environmental factors), functional benefit, and privacy/security (technological factors) significantly affect blockchain adoption intention. Nevertheless, there was no discernible correlation between regulatory backing and the desire to use Blockchain. Additionally, cost concern and perceived risk (organizational factors) two factors contribute negatively to the perception of blockchain technology. Besides the direct relationship, the findings revealed that attitude toward blockchain technology mediate the relationship between cost concern, perceived risk, and intention to adopt Blockchain. Built upon the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) model and the Theory of Reasoned Action, this research offers a comprehensive framework for investigating the intention to adopt blockchain technology. The results enhance both theoretical understanding and practical implementation by providing valuable insights into the emerging area of blockchain adoption intentions.

This study examined the role of cryptocurrencies in tourism and their acceptance across EU regions, with particular attention to the digital transformation precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis focuses on the relationship between cryptocurrency acceptance points and the intensity of tourism, highlighting that the acceptance of cryptocurrencies is significantly correlated with tourism services. The literature review highlighted that Web 3.0, especially blockchain technology and decentralized applications, opens new possibilities in tourism, including secure and transparent transactions, and more personalized travel experiences. The research investigated cryptocurrency acceptance points and the intensity of tourism within the EU. The study illuminates that the acceptance of cryptocurrencies significantly correlates with tourism services. The data and methodology demonstrated the analysis methods for examining the relationship between cryptocurrency acceptance points and tourism intensity, including the use of clustering neural networks and Eurostat data utilization. The results showed a positive correlation between the number of cryptocurrency acceptance points and tourism intensity in the EU, affirming the research hypothesis. According to the regression analysis results, each additional cryptocurrency acceptance point is associated with an increase in tourism intensity. The significance of the research lies in highlighting the growing role of digital payment solutions, especially cryptocurrencies, in tourism, and their potential impacts on the EU economy. The analysis supports that the intertwining of tourism and digital financial technologies opens new opportunities in the sector for both providers and tourists.

Studies show that Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies can enhance compliance with COVID-19 guidelines within the parties in the construction industry in the future and mitigate job loss. It implies that mitigating job loss improves the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 1 (SDG 1) (eliminate poverty). There is a paucity of literature concerning 4IR technologies application and COVID-19 impact on South Africa’s construction industry. Thus, this paper investigates the impacts of the pandemic on the sector and the roles of digital technologies in mitigating job loss in future pandemics. Data were collected via virtual semi-structured interviews. The participants proffered unexplored insights into the impact of the pandemic on the sector and the possible roles that 4IR technology can play in mitigating the spread of the virus within the sector. Findings show that the sector was hit, especially the low-income earners, threatens to achieve Goal 1, despite government institutions’ intervention, such as economic support programmes, health and safety guidelines awareness, and medical facilities. Findings group the emerged impacts into health and safety, environmental, economic, productivity, social, and legal and insurance issues in South Africa. The study shows that technology can be advantageous to improving achieving Goal 1 in a pandemic era due to limited job loss.