Objectives: The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the stress on blood banks and deprived the blood sources due to the containment measures that restrict the movement and travel limitations among blood donors. During this time, Malaysia had a significant 40% reduction in blood supply. Blood centers and hospitals faced a huge challenge balancing blood demand and collection. The health care systems need a proactive plan to withstand the uncertain situation such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigates the psychosocial factors that affect blood donation behavior during a pandemic and aims to propose evidence-based strategies for a sustainable blood supply. Study design: Qualitative design using focus group discussion (FGD) was employed. Methods: Data were acquired from the two FGDs that group from transfusion medicine specialists (N = 8) and donors (N = 10). The FGD interview protocol was developed based on the UTM Research Ethics Committee’s approval. Then, the data was analyzed using Nvivo based on the General Inductive Approach (GIA). Results: Analysis of the text data found that the psychology of blood donation during the pandemic in Malaysia can be classified into four main themes: (i) reduced donation; (ii) motivation of donating blood; (iii) trends of donation; and (iv) challenges faced by the one-off, occasional, and non-donors. Conclusions: Based on the emerging themes from the FGDs, this study proposes four psycho-contextual strategies for relevant authorities to manage sustainable blood accumulation during the pandemic: (1) develop standard operating procedure for blood donors; (2) organize awareness campaigns; (3) create a centralized integrated blood donors database; and (4) provide innovative Blood Donation Facilities.

This study analyzes the dynamic relationships between tourism, gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, exports, imports, and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions in five South Asian countries. A VAR-based Granger causality test is performed with time series data from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. According to the results, both bidirectional and unidirectional relationships among tourism, economic growth, and carbon emissions are investigated. Specifically, tourism significantly impacts GDP per capita in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, yet it has no effect in Bangladesh or India. However, the GDP per capita shows a unidirectional relationship with tourism in Bangladesh and India. The unidirectional causal relationship from exports and imports to tourism in the context of India and a bidirectional relationship in the case of Nepal. In Pakistan, it is observed that exports have a one-way influence on tourism. The result of the panel Granger test shows a significant causal association between tourism, economic growth, and trade (import and export) in five South Asian economies. Particularly, there is a bidirectional causal relationship between GDP per capita and tourism, and a significant unidirectional causal relationship from CO₂ emissions, exports, and imports to tourism is explored. The findings of this study are helpful for tourism stakeholders and policymakers in the region to formulate more sustainable and effective tourism strategies.

The study aims to examine the labor market challenges and motivational factors for employee retention through the example of a small machinery company in Hungary. In recent years, Hungary’s labor market has faced significant difficulties, particularly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in temporary unemployment followed by labor shortages. The research aims to identify the motivational, welfare, and financial factors that contribute to employee retention. Due to the small sample size, we did not investigate the relationships concerning loyalty, commitment, and performance. The research methods included comprehensive data collection at a machinery company employing 24 people located near the Austrian-Hungarian border. During the data collection, we conducted a questionnaire survey that included questions related to benefits, performance, commitment, and loyalty. The collected data were processed by calculating weighted averages and differences. The results indicate that flexible working hours and easy accessibility to the workplace are of utmost importance to employees. There is also a significant demand for performance-based pay and diverse, flexible benefit packages. Employees require both formal and informal professional recognition, such as praise and awards. The research has practical significance for both organizational management and employee well-being. Understanding employee opinions and implementing measures based on these can have four primary effects: improvement in employee performance, reduction in turnover, increase in organizational commitment, and enhancement of the company’s positive perception.

The present study is designed to analyse how the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model is helping to create sustainable livelihood opportunities for women. It draws an inference from ‘Marudhara Rangsaaz’, a producer company operating in the textile sector in Rajasthan, India. It explains how this woman-based organisation operates in a PPP model to create economic value for women. It also tries to understand the specific role of the Rajasthan Grameen Aajeevika Vikas Parishad (RAJEEVIKA), The Rajasthan Government partner and ‘Rang Sutra’, the private partner, and the women members of ‘Marudhara Rangsaaz’ in the PPP model. The paper adopted a case study research design. The data was collected using in-depth interviews with all stakeholders and analysis of the documents. The findings indicate that in the said PPP model, Government took the role of mobilizer, financer, mentor, and private player, took the responsibility of building up capacity and arranging market links, and the women members worked together to help themselves sustain the project.

This study investigates the impact of digital payment infrastructure accessibility on the social influence of microenterprises in Barranquilla, Colombia, while examining the mediating roles of financial inclusion, digital literacy, social support networks, and collaboration with social innovation initiatives. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study analyzes data from a sample of 25 microenterprises operating in various sectors. The findings, based on statistical techniques such as multiple regression, path analysis, and structural equation modeling (SEM), provide strong evidence for the positive influence of digital payment infrastructure accessibility on the social relationship of microenterprises. The results also highlight the crucial roles played by financial inclusion and social support networks in mediating this relationship. The study contributes to the growing body of literature on the factors driving the social effect of microenterprises and offers valuable insights for policymakers and practitioners aiming to foster inclusive economic development in the region. The findings suggest that investing in the development and expansion of digital payment systems, alongside efforts to promote financial inclusion and strengthen social support networks, can have far-reaching benefits for microenterprises and their communities.

Business ethics plays a crucial role in developing modern business and the entire society. Thus, to develop the conceptual framework of business ethics, it is extremely interesting to study the concepts connected with it. The article identifies the main terms and concepts associated with business ethics. On this basis, the authors’ conceptual framework of business ethics was created. Within this conceptual framework, it is shown that each business unit builds and maintains relationships with stakeholders within two “circles of business ethics”: the inner circle of business ethics and the outer circle of business ethics. The article proves the hypothesis that business ethics should be considered in the context of relationships with all stakeholders, i.e., it is the ethics of business relationships with partners and competitors in the external environment, as well as within the internal environment (primarily with employees). The article will be of interest to specialists in the field of management, and corporate governance, as well as for anyone interested in the problems of corporate social management.