The use of infrastructure as a catalyst for Indonesia’s economic growth faces significant challenges. One example is the construction projects, which have not reached the intended goal and have led to an increase in investment cost compared to the original plan. Additionally, the interaction between the government and companies involved in toll-road construction projects under the public-private partnerships (PPP) mechanism has yet to produce good quality project governance and expected project performance. This study aimed to find empirical data on the determination of project intellectual capital and project ownership structure through good project governance on toll-road project performance in Indonesia. This study adopted a quantitative approach that involved data collected through a survey conducted among toll-road projects from 2015 to 2019. The data was analyzed with Structural Equation Modeling Partial Least Square (SEM-PLS). The results showed that project intellectual capital and project ownership structure significantly affected good project governance. Good project governance Practices significantly affected project performance. Project intellectual capital and project ownership structure influenced project performance through the mediation of good project governance. Conversely, two hypotheses were not supported by the data, i.e., the effect of project intellectual capital and project ownership structure on project performance. The findings of this research contributed to the literature regarding the implementation of collaborative governance in PPPs toll road development projects in Indonesia by providing a framework and assessment tools, which could be valuable for researchers and policymakers in analyzing and evaluating the governance and performance of toll road construction PPP projects.

Within the Saudi Arabian banking sector, the quality of work life emerges as a crucial determinant shaping employee performance. This research delves into the nuanced impacts of diverse job quality facets on employee efficacy within this domain. Employing a stratified random sampling methodology, 500 institutions were selected, yielding a 49.6% response rate, or 248 completed surveys, with the active engagement of senior management. Utilizing a quantitative paradigm, the study harnessed descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling (SEM) to elucidate the interplay between job quality dimensions and performance outcomes. The analysis revealed that elements like compensation structures, work-life equilibrium, and growth opportunities substantially influenced employee productivity. In contrast, most job quality facets garnered positive evaluations, and aspects related to wage and compensation exhibited room for enhancement. The research accentuates the imperative of elevating job quality benchmarks within the banking sector to augment employee contentment and performance metrics. This study’s insights advocate for stakeholders and policymakers to champion job quality as a pivotal driver for optimizing organizational effectiveness.

Graphene and derivatives have been frequently used to form advanced nanocomposites. A very significant utilization of polymer/graphene nanocomposite was found in the membrane sector. The up-to-date overview essentially highlights the design, features, and advanced functions of graphene nanocomposite membranes towards gas separations. In this concern, pristine thin layer graphene as well as graphene nanocomposites with poly(dimethyl siloxane), polysulfone, poly(methyl methacrylate), polyimide, and other matrices have been perceived as gas separation membranes. In these membranes, the graphene dispersion and interaction with polymers through applying the appropriate processing techniques have led to optimum porosity, pore sizes, and pore distribution, i.e., suitable for selective separation of gaseous molecules. Consequently, the graphene-derived nanocomposites brought about numerous revolutions in high-performance gas separation membranes. The structural diversity of polymer/graphene nanocomposites has facilitated the membrane selective separation, permeation, and barrier processes, especially in the separation of desired gaseous molecules, ions, and contaminants. Future research on the innovative nanoporous graphene-based membrane can overcome design/performance-related challenging factors for technical utilizations.

The undeniable importance of migrants’ remittances to the welfare of developing countries was again demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic. This has therefore led to a significant shift in attention to the relevance of remittances and has likewise spurred research interest in factors that motivate the inflows of remittances. However, in spite of the increasing recognition of the roles of digital technology in the macroeconomic performance of developed and developing economies alike, empirical analysis of its possible impacts on remittance inflows has not been well explored in the literature. Therefore, pooling the annual data of 35 sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries from 2011 to 2020, this study investigates the nexus between digital technology and remittance inflows within the generalized method of moments (GMM) framework. Using two measures of digital technology infrastructure—internet usage and mobile cellular subscription—the study finds a positive relationship between digital technology and remittances inflow. In addition, the findings indicate that the magnitude of the effect is relatively higher for internet usage. The study thus shows that the increased rate of remittance mobilization constitutes a significant pathway through which digital technology impacts the economies of the SSA region. Moreover, it offers further insight on the importance of digital technology in the socioeconomic development of developing countries. From a policy standpoint, governments and policymakers in SSA countries should intensify efforts to promote the diffusion and penetration of digital infrastructure.

This study introduces a cross-country comparative analysis of the role of News Ombudsperson in the public media corporations in Spain and France. It investigates the specific media self-regulatory processes established to reduce reputational risks and increase the trust and credibility of the media organisations. It aims to fill in the gaps in prior research by applying a qualitative framework developed using indicators derived from scholarly work on regulation and governance and media management. The variables selected for the analysis are extracted from prior interdisciplinary research and focus on media self-regulatory processes, complaints management mechanisms, election, reporting procedures, checks and balances, roles, visibility and transparency of News Ombudspersons in two countries which represent the Polarised Pluralist media system category. Research questions are raised in relation to the main variables identified for the comparative analysis. Data were collected from multiple publicly available international sources, including public media organizations databases, national media regulatory authorities, and academic studies. Results reveal cross-country variations. The systematic investigation of different forms of self-regulatory procedures might lead to concrete recommendations and best practice models for media organizations beyond the European Union. Further research could address the role of media audiences as relevant stakeholders in media governance processes.

Online shopping has eliminated the need to visit physical commercial centres. As a result, trips to these centres have shifted from primarily shopping-motives to leisure, companionship, and dining. The shifting in consumer behaviour is implicated in the growing spatial agglomeration of restaurants/cafes within commercial centres in European cities. Conversely, in southern cities, various casual restaurants/cafes also serve as leisure and companionship hubs. However, their spatial patterns are less explained. This article aims to elucidate the spatial pattern of these diverse restaurants/cafes in a typical southern city, Surabaya City. In this study, we employ the term ‘food services’ to encompass the various types of restaurants/cafes found in southern cities. We gather Points of Interest (POIs) data about food services via web scraping on Google Maps, then map out their spatial distribution across 116 spatial units of Surabaya City. Utilising k-means cluster analysis, we classify these 116 spatial units into six distinct clusters based on the composition of food service variants. Our findings show that City Centres and Sub-City Centres are locations for different types of restaurants/cafes. The City Centre is typically a location for fine dining restaurants and cafes, whereas Sub-City Centres are locations for fast casual dining and fast food restaurants. Cafes and fast food restaurants are centralised throughout downtown areas. Casual food service restaurants, such as casual style dining, coffee shops, and food stalls, are dispersed along business, residential zones, and periphery areas without intense domination of any specific variant.