This article examines how financial technology determines bank performance in different EU countries. The answer to that question would allow banks to choose their development policy. The paper focuses  on the main and most popular bank services that are linked to financial technology. A SWOT analysis of FinTech is also presented to show the benefits and drawbacks of FinTech. FinTech-based services are very diverse and are provided by financial  firms and banks alike. This paper looks at the financial technology provided by banks: internet usage (internet banking), number of ATMs, credit transfers in a country, percentage of the population in a country holding a debit or credit card and whether that population has received or made a digital payment. Using the multi-criteria assessment methods of CRITIC and EDAS, the authors analysed and compared the countries of the European Union and the financial technology used in them. As a result of the application of these methods, the EU countries under consideration were ranked in terms of the use of financial technology. Subsequently, three banks from different countries with different levels of the use of financial technology were selected for the study. For these banks, financial ratios of profitability were calculated to characterise their performance. Correlation and pairwise regression analyses between the banks’ profitability ratios and financial technology were used to assess the relationship and influence between these ratios. The main conclusion of the study focuses on the extent to which financial technology influences the performance of banks in the selected countries. It is likely that further research will try to take into account the size of the country’s population when analysing all financial technologies. Researchers also needed to find out what influence financial technologies have on the such financial indicators as operational efficiency (costs), financial stability, and capital adequacy.

This study aims to have a more diversified view of the online visibility through attempting to evaluate the effectiveness of various SEO strategies in placing on website in search engine result. This research involves 400 respondents where it checks how keywords as one of the SEO strategies affect website ranking as well as technical SEO and off-page strategies. The appropriateness of the relevant keyword, as the result shows, there is a significant connection with the website ranking, closely trailing the importance of technical SEO in positioning the website on the first page, exerting a pronounced impact. While off-page strategies are the third most dazzling one: a significant degree of its residence/impact on website ranking. This research is a significant contribution to the field of digital marketing and its literature as it delivers an in-depth understanding on the major factors that affects online visibility and website ranking.

The covid-19 pandemic has adversely affected the sustainability of micro and small enterprises (MSEs), with a particularly pronounced impact in Central Java. Entrepreneurs who struggle to adapt to reduced consumer purchasing power and the increasing reliance on digital technology are at heightened risk of business closure. Despite these challenges, inclusivity remains a crucial element for MSEs in fostering local economic development. Accordingly, this study seeks to examine the role of inclusivity in the sustainability of MSEs that are based on digital technology. Data were collected through the use of questionnaires and focus group discussions. Respondents were digital-based MSEs entrepreneurs from five selected regions, with Central Java having the largest number of digital media users. Key informants included experts from Diponegoro University, the International Council of Small Business (ICSB), the Department of Cooperatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises at the provincial and district levels, and non-governmental organizations. The collected data was analyzed using the Rapid Appraisal for Micro and Small Enterprises (Rap-MSE’s) method. To assess the sustainability status, the study utilized several dimensions, including economic, environmental, social, institutional, technological, and inclusivity factors. Both multidimensional and individual analyses indicated that the sustainability status was relatively robust. MSEs that integrated digital technology into their operations were able to withstand the challenges posed by covid-19 and adapt to the new normal. In conclusion, the inclusivity dimension in the adoption of digital technology has gained increased importance in driving local economic development.

This study explores the interactions between inflation and stock market. We carried out a bibliometric analysis with R package to highlight the worldwide research trends in the field, covering the period of three crises (financial, health crisis and war of Ukraine). Next, using monthly data for the period from 1 March 2020 to 31 August 2023 and based on a vector autoregressive model, impulse response and variance decomposition are performed to explore the dynamic relationships between inflation and Greek stock market. The results reveal the existence of high volatility in Athens’ stock market during COVID-19 pandemic, owning to a shock of the inflation. Regarding the period of Ukrainian war, the study verified the Fama’s hypothesis that there is a negative relationship between inflation and stock returns. The findings have significant implications for investors and policy makers.

This study investigates the potential predictors of resource creation behaviours in the Shanxi merchant courtyard scenic areas based on resource dependence theory. The research was conducted in China using questionnaire survey, and data analysis employed structural equation modelling, including mediation and moderation effects. The model was tested using a sample of 376 individual managers from scenic areas. The results show that external resource integration, internal resource integration, and shared value significantly affect resource creation in scenic areas. The findings indicate that shared value plays a significant mediating role in the relationship between resource integration and resource creation, while environmental dynamism significantly moderates this relationship. This study clearly demonstrates the relationship among resource integration, shared value, and value creation in scenic areas. This research contributes to the tourism management literature by identifying gaps and offering a comprehensive perspective to understand resource creation behaviours in the tourism industry.

From the perspective of the corporate life cycle, this study investigates the transmission mechanism of ‘technological innovation-financing constraints-carbon emission reduction’ in energy companies using panel data and mediating models, focusing on listed energy companies from 2014 to 2020. It explores the stage characteristics of this mechanism during different life cycle phases and conducts heterogeneity tests across industries and regions. The results reveal that technological innovation positively influences carbon emission reduction in energy enterprises, demonstrating significant life cycle stage characteristics, specifically more pronounced in mature companies than in growing or declining companies. Financing constraints play a mediating role between technological innovation and carbon reduction, but this is only effective during the growth and maturity stages. Further research shows that the impact of technological innovation on carbon emission reduction and the mediating role of financing constraints exhibit heterogeneity across different stages of the life cycle, industries, and regions. The conclusions of this paper provide references for energy companies in planning rational emission reduction strategies and for government departments in policy-making.