Consumers, particularly women, pursue beauty and health in order to uphold their image within society, which has contributed to consistent demand for cosmetics. The cosmetics market, driven by globalization and cultural exchange, sees Thai cosmetics gaining popularity among Chinese women. There has been a significant rise in the popularity of Thai cosmetics, known for their natural ingredients and innovative formulations. With a growing interest in cross-cultural consumer behaviour, particularly in the context of skincare and make-up products, understanding how different age groups perceive and choose Thai cosmetics is crucial for effective marketing strategies. The main issue is the development of consumer preferences over time among Chinese women who have only recently been given the opportunity to choose among many brands. This qualitative study explores the intergenerational differences in Chinese female consumers’ preferences for Thai cosmetics, aiming to uncover rich insights into their perceptions, attitudes, and behaviours. The target population is female Chinese who have visited Thailand and purchased or used Thai-branded cosmetics. Key themes emerge regarding the perception of product efficacy, the cultural authenticity and the role of digital media and trends in influencing product choices. Findings highlight nuanced generational preferences, with older cohorts emphasizing trust and familiarity with established brands, while younger cohorts prioritize innovation, sustainability, and personalized beauty experiences. These insights provide valuable implications for marketers seeking to tailor strategies and product offerings to engage effectively diverse generational segments within the competitive cosmetics market.

This study delves into the role of pig farming in advancing Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8—Decent work and economic growth in Buffalo City, Eastern Cape. The absence of meaningful employment opportunities and genuine economic progress has remained a significant economic obstacle in South Africa for an extended period. Through a mixed-method approach, the study examines the transformative impact of pig farming as an economic avenue in achieving SDG 8. Through interviews and questionnaires with employed individuals engaged in pig farming in Buffalo City, the study further examines pig farming’s vital role as a source of decent work and economic growth. The study reveals inadequate government support and empowerment for pig farming in Buffalo City despite pig farming’s resilience and potential in mitigating socio-economic vulnerabilities and supporting community’s livelihoods. To enhance pig farming initiatives, this study recommends government’s prioritization of an enabling environment and empowerment measures for the thriving of pig farming in Buffalo City. By facilitating supportive policies and infrastructures, the government can empower locals in Buffalo City to leverage pig farming’s potential in achieving SDG 8.

Leadership and personality traits of leaders always remained a hot debate among researchers and practitioners. However, there is still limited literature in the context of higher education. Thus, this research aimed to identify the most important personality traits in the workplace from the perspectives of higher education system leaders in four countries. The data were gathered by interviewing six participants from different nations, and those participants identified six personality traits that they considered positive at work. These traits include integrity, passion, adaptability, positivity, creativity, and compassion. Moreover, the findings revealed how program leaders can modify their recruitment and placement strategies to promote positive workplace practices and what methods can be used to reduce bad practices and their elimination, leading to higher business prospects. The results of this study can serve as guidelines for managers, program administrators, or intermediaries who want to improve their organizational performance. Moreover, the propositions developed by the findings can be investigated empirically.

This study examines factors associated with an increasingly poor perception of the novel coronavirus in Africa using a designed electronic questionnaire to collect perception-based information from participants across Africa from twenty-one African countries (and from all five regions of Africa) between 1 and 25 February 2022. The study received 66.7% of responses from West Africa, 12.7% from Central Africa, 4.6% from Southern Africa, 15% from East Africa, and 1% from North Africa. The majority of the participants are Nigerians (56%), 14.1% are Cameroonians, 8.7% are Ghanaians, 9.3% are Kenyans, 2% are South Africans, 2.1% are DR-Congolese, 1.6% are Tanzanians, 1.2% are Rwandans, 0.4% are Burundians, and others are Botswana’s, Chadians, Comoros, Congolese, Gambians, Malawians, South Sudanese, Sierra Leoneans, Ugandans, Zambians, and Zimbabweans. All responses were coded on a five-point Likert scale. The study adopts descriptive statistics, principal component analysis, and binary logistic regression analysis for the data analysis. The descriptive analysis of the study shows that the level of ignorance or poor “perception” of COVID-19 in Africa is very high (87% of individuals sampled). It leads to skepticism towards complying with preventive measures as advised by the WHO and directed by the national government across Africa. We adopted logistic regression analysis to identify the factors associated with a poor perception of the virus in Africa. The study finds that religion (belief or faith) and media misinformation are the two leading significant causes of ignorance or poor “perception” of COVID-19 in Africa, with log odd of 0.4775 (resulting in 1.6120 odd ratios) and 1.3155 (resulting in 3.7265 odd ratios), respectively. The study concludes that if the poor attitude or perception towards complying with the preventive measures continues, COVID-19 cases in Africa may increase beyond the current spread.

Divorce for female civil servants in Indonesia is more complex than for non-civil servants due to a pseudo-administrative process. This condition requires submitting a written application for divorce permission to their agency and proceeding through multiple lengthy stages. During this process, women must verbally disclose sensitive personal details to state authorities. Failure to obtain written permission or to report the divorce within a specific period can result in disciplinary action. This paper examines how female civil servants protect their privacy while seeking divorce permission, focusing on managing personal information, controlling divorce-related details at work, and handling the information turbulence that arises. The researcher collected data from 12 female civil servants at Indonesia’s Directorate General of Taxes (DGT) who had applied for divorce permission. The findings reveal the subjective experiences and strategies women civil servants use to manage sensitive personal issues. The quasi-administrative nature of the divorce permit process introduces complexities that extend beyond formal procedures. Regulations governing the submission of divorce permits, overseen by government agencies, often add to the burden these women face, neglecting their privacy and psychological well-being. Impartial individuals and gender preferences in the verification team can exacerbate distress. Therefore, revising the divorce permit regulations to enhance privacy and sensitivity is crucial. The study recommends early information about the process and communication training for maintaining privacy.

Leadership is one of the important factors that ensured organizational achievement. Servant leadership offers a unique point of view on leadership which developed around the idea of service to subordinates. The implementation of servant leadership can lead to various positive outcomes, including increased engagement, organizational citizenship behavior, and improved performance. However, engagement and organizational citizenship behavior can serve as mediators to enhance organizational performance even further. The present study aimed to explore a prediction model of servant leadership using mediating variables such as employee engagement and organizational citizenship behavior, with employee performance as the outcome. The sampling method used was purposive sampling. This study used a structural equation model analysis approach to determine the predicted model of servant leadership. The research showed that the role of mediating variables indicated that employee engagement and organizational citizenship behavior had a positive effect in mediating the relationship between servant leadership and employee performance. The study indicated that applying servant leadership, with employee engagement, and organizational citizenship behavior as mediating variables would have an impact on better results of employee performance.