The purpose of this study is to investigate the correlation between sponsorship and the performance and development of early career athletes transitioning from junior level to professional sports, because this issue has not been fully explored in the Czech Republic. The reason is the almost absolute absence of financial or material support for such early-career athletes, when their transition from junior categories and the entire junior category is almost always exclusively financed and supported by their parents and families. We also emphasise the absolute absence of legislative provisions that would give supporters of such athletes at least a tax or other advantage. The research is based on research of Cardenas (2023), Hong and Fraser (2023) and Moolman and Shuttleworth (2023) and aims to assess how financial and material support provided by sponsors can enhance an athlete’s performance and long-term career trajectory. A mixed method approach was adopted, combining quantitative analysis through surveys and performance data with qualitative interviews. Data from 173 early career athletes from various disciplines were analysed using t-tests and ANOVA statistical methods to assess financial stability, access to better training, and community participation. Results indicate that sponsorship significantly contributes to better performance metrics, with sponsored athletes showing a 20% improvement in competition results compared to nonsponsored athletes. Furthermore, sponsorship financial support improved training opportunities and access to elite facilities, which was shown to increase athletes’ performance by 15%. However, some challenges related to sponsorship obligations, such as marketing commitments, were highlighted by athletes, underscoring the pressures that sponsorship can introduce. The implications of this study suggest that effective sponsorship strategies can play a vital role in an athlete’s career development, offering not only financial stability but also opportunities for personal branding and increased community engagement. Another implication is a possible consideration for legislators in the context of preparing a legislative framework enabling tax or other benefits for companies and organisations sponsoring or supporting these young athletes. More research is recommended to explore the long-term impact of sponsorship on athlete mental health and career sustainability, as well as the differences in sponsorship effects across various sports disciplines.

Loans are a critical transmission channel for commercial banks as well as an important revenue source. Macroeconomic factors are not within the control of commercial banks, however, select factors are observed to have a direct impact on lending behaviour in studies around the world. This study examined the relationship between macroeconomic variables and the lending behaviour of banks in South Africa for the period ranging from 2001 to 2022. Quarterly time series data was employed using the Autoregressive Distributed Lag Model (ARDL). The empirical results of the paper revealed that there is a long-run relationship between the repurchase rate (repo rate), inflation, the real effective exchange rate (REER) and lending behaviour in South Africa. The REER and inflation were both found to have a positive relationship, whilst the repo rate had a negative relationship. In addition, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the activity rate and sovereign credit rating (SCR) changes returned insignificant results. Overall, these findings show that select macroeconomic factors do influence lending behaviour in South Africa. Furthermore, the results suggest that monetary policy decisions have a direct influential effect on lending and the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) has implemented their policies effectively.

Rising fuel prices can affect driver behavior and thus the number of accidents, which is a key road safety issue. The aim of this paper was to assess and quantify the relationship between fuel prices (FP) and the number of road accidents in Europe. Content analysis of statistics from the countries was used to collect data, which were examined using Ramsey resets and Poisson distributions and then processed using negative binomial regression (NB), cluster analysis and visualization using contour plots. The results show that in Germany and Poland there is a statistically significant low negative correlation between fuel price and the number of traffic accidents, while in the Czech Republic and Denmark the relationship is weaker and statistically insignificant. In Iceland, no significant correlation was found. The contribution of this paper is to provide important insights that can be used in the development of transport policies and regulations to improve road safety. The main limitations include the difficulty of data collection, as many countries do not publish detailed statistics, and the low number of accidents in Iceland, which makes it impossible to perform a robust analysis for this country and may cause generalization of the results.

Noise pollution in construction sites is a significant concern, impacting worker health, safety, communication, and productivity. The current study aims to assess the paramount consequences of ambient noise pollution on construction activities and workers’ productivity in Peshawar, Pakistan. Noise measurements have been recorded at four different construction sites in Peshawar at different times of the day. Statistical analysis and Relative Importance Index (RII) are employed to evaluate the data Risk variables, such as equipment maintenance, noise control, increased workload, material handling challenges, quality control issues, and client satisfaction. The results indicated that noise levels often exceeded permissible limits, particularly in the afternoon, posing significant worker risks. In addition, RII analysis identified communication difficulties, safety hazards, and decreased productivity as significant issues. The results show that noise pollution is directly linked with safety risks, decreased performance, and client dissatisfaction and needs immediate attention by authorities. This paper proposes a strategic policy framework, recommending uniform hand signals and visual communication methods without noise for workers, worker training about safety, and using wearable devices in noisy settings. Communication training for teams and crane operators, proactive quality control, and customer-oriented project schedules are also proposed. These recommendations aim to mitigate the adverse effects of noise pollution, enhance construction industry resilience, and improve overall operational efficiency, worker safety, and client satisfaction in the construction sector of Peshawar, aligning with policy and sustainable development objectives.

In recent years, environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues have emerged as a significant area of focus for companies. Furthermore, the international trend is reinforced by the emergence of relevant regulations and the obligation to prepare sustainability reports in leading economies and in the European Union. The impact of ESG and its constituent elements (environmental, social, and governance) on financial performance has been the subject of extensive investigation, with the majority of studies documenting a positive correlation. This evidence substantiates the assertion that sustainability initiatives can yield financial benefits. Concurrently, research has accorded much less attention to the impact of ESG performance on brand value, which can be identified as an indicator of consumer perception. This study, based on data from 26 global corporations between 2012 and 2021, demonstrates that efforts in the areas of environmental and social responsibility have a positive impact on consumer perception, which translates into increased brand value. Nevertheless, such a relationship was not found in case of the governance component.