This paper examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on financial inclusion in China, a country with a significant agricultural sector and an evolving digital landscape. The pandemic has accelerated the shift towards digital financial services, underscoring disparities in access. This study explores the pre- and post-pandemic scenarios of financial inclusion in China, evaluates the economic and social impacts of the pandemic, and assesses the role of digital transformation in the financial sector. It also investigates the changing roles of commercial banks and microfinance institutions, the integration of technology in finance, and the development of rural-urban economic linkages. The paper aims to propose strategies to enhance financial inclusion, ensuring it reaches the most vulnerable, and concludes with recommendations for creating a more equitable and robust economic system.

This research seeks to identify the value of a few common factors determining the speed of economic growth in Baltic states and analyzes their impact in detail on Latvia’s lagging. Latvia’s economic starting point after regaining independence because of the collapse of the Soviet Union was at least comparable to its neighbors. Still, after the implementation of liberal reforms towards a free market’ economy and 20 years of operation as an EU full member, Latvia is lagging in growth, prosperity, and innovation. Within the analysis, this scientific paper pays special attention to the three less discussed factors, namely, the impact of post-Soviet mind-set effects as a part of local innovation culture, lasting since regaining independence in 1991; the importance of the availability of talent pull, its density, diversity, and accessibility; and readiness and capability to capture external knowledge and technology adoption. The overall approach is the systemic assessment of the national innovation system and/or innovation ecosystem, trying to understand the differences between these two models. Research is performed by analysis of the performance of the local innovation ecosystem in connection with export- and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policies. The authors present a novel method for visually representing economic growth and its application in analyzing process development within transitional economic nations. The study uses an analytical and synthetical literature review. It offers a new GDP data visualization method useful for monitoring economic development and forecasting potential economic crises—the outcomes from aggregative literature analysis in a consolidated concept are provided for required talent policy proposals. The post-Soviet mindset is seen as a heritage and devious underdog that has left incredibly diverse consequences on today’s society, power structures, economic growth potential, and the emergence of healthy, well-managed, and sustainable innovation ecosystems. The post-Soviet mindset is a seemingly hidden and, at the same time, an intriguing factor that has a significant impact on the desire to make and implement the right decisions related to innovation, education, and other policies promoting business development. The key outcome of the article is that sociocultural aspects and differences in innovation culture led to a slow-down of Latvia’s economic growth compared to Estonia’s and Lithuania’s slightly more successful economic reforms.

In today’s highly competitive environment, enterprises strive for competitive advantages by actively responding to changes in the network environment through digital technology. This approach fosters continuous innovation and establishes new paradigms by creating new network structures and relationships. However, research on the relationship and transmission mechanisms between digital technology and innovation performance in dynamic environments is still in its early stages, which does not fully address the demands of current social practice. Therefore, exploring the impact mechanisms of digital technology applications on enterprise innovation performance is an important research area. Based on the dynamic capability theory, this paper utilized SPSS 26.0 and AMOS 24.0 software to conduct an empirical analysis of 490 valid samples from the network perspective, exploring the pathways through which digital technology capability influences enterprise innovation performance. The results indicate that (1) digital technology capability is positively correlated with enterprise innovation performance; (2) digital technology capability is positively correlated with network responsiveness; (3) network responsiveness is positively correlated with enterprise innovation performance; (4) network responsiveness plays a mediating role in the impact of digital technology capability on enterprise innovation performance; (5) environmental dynamism positively moderates the relationship between digital technology capability and enterprise innovation performance. This paper enhances the understanding of how digital technology capability influences enterprise innovation performance in dynamic environments, offering new insights for future research. The results suggest that enterprises should focus on enhancing their digital technology capabilities, optimizing network structures, and strengthening network relationships to drive digital innovation.

This article delves into an examination and analysis of leadership models within local government institutions in Indonesia, employing the conceptual framework of new institutionalism. We contend that informal local institutions within communities not only influence the behavior and identity of leaders as actors but, within the context of decentralization, have also undergone a process of reinstitutionalization regarding roles and functions, employing distinct patterns of appropriation. Employing an interpretive approach, this article focuses on phenomena within the management of local governance in the West Nusa Tenggara province. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, literature studies on local history, and online news searches. Through a case study of local governance in West Nusa Tenggara province, particularly Lombok, the article reveals that the Tuan Guru, an informal local institution in Lombok society, has experienced reinstitutionalization through vertical and horizontal appropriation. The conclusion drawn is that decentralization has created opportunities for informal institutions to re-establish their roles within formal governance through appropriation patterns.

With the development of college education and the increasing demand of students' comprehensive quality training, the second classroom in colleges and universities has attracted much attention as an important form of education. The purpose of this study is to investigate and analyze the development of the second classroom in colleges and universities, and put forward corresponding countermeasures and suggestions. Through mixed research methods, including questionnaire survey, interview and literature research, we have a comprehensive understanding of the type and quantity of college second classroom projects, student participation, project quality and effectiveness, and organization and management. On this basis, we put forward a series of targeted countermeasures and suggestions, including strategies and measures to improve student participation, suggestions to improve the quality and effect of the project, and optimize the program of organization and management. The results of this study have important theoretical and practical significance for universities to improve the level of the second classroom and promote the all-round development of students.