The sustainable development of the global economy and society necessitates the integration of environmental and socially responsible management, known as ESG (environmental, social, and corporate governance). Despite growing recognition of ESG’s importance, the strategic management of ESG factors in Kazakhstan’s telecommunications industry remains underexplored. This study bridges this gap by analyzing Kazakh telecom’s ESG strategies from 2019 to 2021 through a cross-sectional design and semi-structured interviews with 12 industry experts. Utilizing the National Rating Agency (NRA) methodology, the research evaluates environmental, social, and governance variables. Key findings reveal that Kazakh telecom excels in “Climate Change” and “Human Capital Management” but needs significant improvements in “Environmental Impact” and “Society.” The study offers specific recommendations such as enhancing corporate volunteering, responsible marketing, service quality, and integrating sustainable practices. The primary contributions of this research include actionable insights for improving ESG strategies in telecommunications companies and advocating for more systematic and standardized ESG assessment approaches. This study expands the understanding of how ESG principles can enhance competitiveness and sustainable development in the telecommunications industry, providing valuable guidance for industry practitioners and policymakers. It offers insights into effective ESG implementation practices and highlights critical areas requiring attention to drive sustainable development in telecommunications.
Malaria is an infectious disease that poses a significant global health threat, particularly to children and pregnant women. Specifically, in 2020, Rampah Village, Kutambaru sub-district, Langkat Regency, North Sumatra Province, Indonesia, reported 22 malaria cases, accounting for 84% of the local cases. This study aims to develop a malaria prevention model by leveraging community capital in Rampah Village. A mixed-method sequential explanatory approach, combining quantitative and qualitative methods, was employed. Quantitative data were collected through questionnaires from a sample of 200 respondents and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) with Smart PLS (Partial Least Squares) software. The qualitative component utilized a phenomenological design, gathering data through interviews. Quantitative findings indicate that natural capital significantly influences malaria prevention principles. There is also a positive and significant relationship between developmental capital and malaria prevention. Cultural capital shows a positive correlation with malaria prevention, as does social capital. The qualitative phase identified cultural capital within the Karo tribe, such as ‘Rakut si Telu,’ which signifies familial bonds fostering mutual aid and respect. The results of this study are crucial for formulating policies and redesigning community-capital-based malaria prevention programs. These programs can be effectively implemented through cross-sectoral collaboration among health departments, local government, and community members. Malaria is a communicable disease threatening global health, particularly affecting children and pregnant women. In 2020, there were 229 million cases of Malaria worldwide, resulting in 409,000 deaths. In Indonesia, specifically in North Sumatra’s Langkat Regency, Kutambaru District, Rampah Village had 22 cases (84%). The purpose of this research is to formulate a Malaria prevention model using community resources in Rampah Village, Kutambaru District, Langkat Regency. The study employed a mixed-methods sequential explanatory approach, combining quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative data was collected through questionnaires, with 200 respondents, and structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis using smart PLS (Partial Least Squares) software. Qualitative data was gathered through interviews. The research findings showed a positive relationship between cultural modalities and Malaria prevention (p = 0.000) with a path coefficient T-value of 12.500. The cultural modality and Malaria prevention relationship were significantly positive (p = 0.000) with a path coefficient T-value of 3.603. A positive and significant correlation also exists between development modalities and Malaria prevention (p = 0.011) with a path coefficient T-value of 2.555. Qualitative research revealed the Rakut si Telu cultural modality of the Karo tribe, meaning that family-based social connections create a sense of helping and respecting one another. The Orat si Waluh cultural modality represents daily life practices in the Karo tribe as a form of community-based Malaria prevention.
With the continuous development of network has also greatly developed, exploring the role of social network relationships and attachment emotions on consumer intention helps community managers to promote community purchases for more consumer. As another core component of social e-commerce, social media influencer also has a significant influence on consumer intention. This study systematically analyzed the effects of social network relationships and social media influencer characteristics on consumer purchase intentions. Introduced consumer attachment and perceived value as mediating variables to construct the research framework of this study. This article adopts quantitative analysis methods to test the research hypotheses proposed. This article collected 600 first-hand data in the form of a survey questionnaire and analyzed the data using AMOS and SPSS statistical software. The empirical analysis in this article confirms that social network relationships has a significant impact on consumer purchase intentions; social media influencer characteristics has a significant impact on consumer purchase intentions; consumer attachment has a significant impact on perceived value; consumer attachment plays a mediating role in the effect of social network relationships on consumers purchase intentions; perceived value plays no mediating role in the effect of social media influencer characteristics on consumer purchase intentions; perceived value plays a mediating role in the effect of consumer attachment on consumer purchase intentions; consumer attachment and perceived value have a chain mediating role between social network relationships and consumer purchase intentions.
Tourism experiences are inherently multisensory, engaging visitors’ senses of sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. This study addresses the gap in literature by investigating the impact of visual and auditory landscapes on tourist emotions and behaviors within coastal tourism settings, using the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) model. Data collected from tourists in Sanya, China, were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results indicate that both visualscape and soundscape significantly influence tourist emotions (pleasure and arousal) and subsequent loyalty. Pleasure and arousal mediate the relationships between environmental stimuli and tourist loyalty, emphasizing their roles as emotional bridges between the environment and behaviors. These findings highlight the importance of integrating local cultural and community elements into tourism to enhance socio-economic benefits and ensure sustainable development. By fostering a deep connection between tourists and the local environment, these sensory experiences support the preservation of cultural heritage and promote sustainable tourism practices, aligning with the goals of economic development and public policy. The study contributes to the theoretical understanding of multisensory tourism by integrating the SOR model in coastal tourism and emphasizes the roles of visual and auditory stimuli. Practically, it provides insights for tourism managers to improve tourist experiences and loyalty through careful management of sensory elements. This has implications for infrastructure development, particularly in enhancing the quality of soft infrastructure such as cultural and social systems, which are crucial for sustainable tourism and community well-being. Future research could include additional sensory dimensions and diverse destinations for a comprehensive understanding of sensory influences on tourist behaviors and emotions. This research aligns with the broader goals of the policy and development by addressing critical aspects of infrastructure and socio-economic development within the tourism sector.
Current studies in disaster sociology, which were initiated and developed mostly in the USA upon the request of the army, are far from meeting the needs today. Today, more than ever, new theoretical and methodological approaches that are not human-centered are needed. The research, a part of which is presented here, aims to render invisible the damages and losses suffered by those who are marginalized by the powerful, in disasters in general and earthquakes in particular. The main question of this research is how to address the damages suffered by soil plants and animals, including immigrants in Turkey, due to the disaster on 6February 2023.(Based on this, the main question of the study is how to address the damages of the natural environment, including plants, animals and soils, as well as Syrian immigrants in Turkey, who were affected by the earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş on 6February 2023, which we experienced most recently, will be addressed with an antipositivist approach.) For this purpose, unlike classical sociological approaches, based on relational sociology, how immigrants, plants, animals and soil are affected together during the uncertainty and complexity in daily life has been analyzed based on available written and visual documents. The findings were discussed with a holistic view, based on the ‘One World’ terminology suggested by relational sociologist Bruno Latour. It has been revealed that due to the earthquake turning into a major disaster, the resident population has become openly or secretly immigrants, and they have been marginalized like other creatures, especially international immigrants, most of whom are Syrians, have been blamed, excluded and rendered invisible. While the research results reveal the inadequacy of classical essentialist sociological approaches based on the basic duality of nature and society, they also show that ‘differences’ and ‘uncertainties’ come to the fore in daily life instead of linear determinations. In addition, while the importance and contributions of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary studies with concepts such as ‘liminality’ and ‘turning point’ are exhibited, on the other hand, some suggestions are made based on Bruno Latour’s ‘One World’ approach.
This study aims to empirically analyze the impact of budget allocation by the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI) on national research competitiveness, thereby reassessing the value of investing in research infrastructure within a knowledge-based society. In the 21st century, research and development (R&D) have emerged as a pivotal element of national competitiveness, underlining the increasing importance of investments aimed at constructing and enhancing research infrastructure. However, empirical studies examining the causal relationship between research infrastructure investment and national research competitiveness are still notably scarce. Accordingly, this research endeavors to systematically delineate the effect of research infrastructure investment, with a focus on KISTI’s budget allocation, on enhancing national R&D outcomes. To achieve this, the structural relationship between KISTI’s budget, national R&D budget, and various academic and industrial performance indicators was analyzed using multiple regression and simple regression analysis. In particular, by demonstrating the mechanism through which the budget management of research support organizations like KISTI contributes to strengthening national research competitiveness, this study aims to shed new light on the strategic value of research infrastructure investment in a knowledge-based society. Furthermore, these findings are expected to provide valuable evidence for the formulation of national R&D policies in Korea and the strategic planning of budget operations for research support organizations. Through strategic investment of limited budgets, this could enhance the efficiency of national R&D investments and contribute to strengthening the capacity for scientific and technological innovation required in a knowledge-based society.
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