State support for agriculture is a crucial tool for adjusting the competitive advantages of agricultural producers to a volatile market environment. In countries with diverse natural conditions for agriculture, however, the allocation of subsidies often focuses on bridging spatial development gaps rather than maximizing the return on inputs. To improve the efficiency of resource use in agriculture, it is essential to tailor subsidy criteria to regional disparities in agricultural potential. Using the example of Russia’s 81 administrative regions, the authors have tested a five-stage methodology for determining the support-generated parameters of output, efficiency, impact, revenue, and profitability. This methodology takes into account both natural and economic factors that contribute to the competitive advantages of each region. The study aims to identify the parts of the performance indicators, such as gross agricultural output and revenue, that are influenced by the amount of subsidies in five different types of territories, which are categorized by the cadastral value of their farmland. It has been found that the allocation of subsidies is not entirely based on the return on the funds allocated. There is a discrepancy between the competitive advantages of these territories in agricultural production and the amount of funds they receive through government support programs. The efficiency of government support differs significantly depending on the type of agricultural product produced in each territory. The approach developed by the authors provides a tool that policy makers can use when tuning the allocation of subsidies based on the differences in the agricultural potential of each territory.

The high demand for quality healthcare services in Portugal is generating concerns about meeting the optimum number of healthcare professionals in the private sector, such as doctors and clinicians. Critical interventions are currently in progress, aiming to provide quality healthcare that will be accessible and sustainable through actionable retention strategies such as investing and developing human capital, introducing better conditions of service to attract and retain talent in the private healthcare sector, and prioritizing the needs of patients. The objective of this study is to understand which factors promote the migration of physicians from the public to the private sector according to the theoretical assumptions of incentives. In this context, a phenomenological study was carried out, using semi-structured interviews with fifteen physicians working in the private health network. Content analysis was done using NVivo 12. The results indicate that performance evaluation in the private sector exists but has no alignment with incentives. The condition makes the private healthcare sector unattractive, however, other policies of remuneration remain promising. Current proposals that could revive the image of the sector include collective decision-making and strong labour relations advocacy for physicians in the private sector.

Several studies have discussed the benefits of blockchain in human resources management (HRM) policies to support the efficiency of HRM routine practices in organizations. The discussion ranges from selection and recruitment to employee separation. With the growing interest in digital application usage, research focused on utilization and effective measurement is needed. However, the existing literature review on blockchain-based HRM practices linked to cost efficiency still needs to be improved. Hence, this study aims to review current studies on blockchain human resources management systematically. This study investigates the trends in blockchain application usage in terms of practices, methodologies, and settings. This study used a literature survey and Publish or Perish software with Google Scholar and Scopus as the databases. 123 articles published in 19 journals from 2010 to 2022 were selected. This study used systematic data to reveal trends in HRM practices and qualitative inductive analysis to define relevant themes within the topic. The results show that blockchain applications for efficiency are used mainly in the recruitment and selection process, ranging from personal data verification to the quality of decision-making in skill development and maintenance. Five HRM practices have been discussed, indicating potential explorative and exploitative future research to improve the effectiveness of using blockchain in HRM practices.

This research aims to explain the management of the Cekungan Bandung Urban Area with a focus on three policy formulations, namely process, content and context in the social, environmental and economic dimensions. The research method used is a qualitative approach. Data collection techniques include observation and interviews with stakeholders, using purposive sampling techniques, including the Head of West Java Province Regional Development Planning Agency, district/city Bappeda heads, planners (Badan Perencanaan Dan Pembangunan Daerah, Bappeda), Regional People`s Representative Assembly (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Daerah, DPRD members), Legal Bureau and Collaboration Bureau Heads in West Java Province, and Academic Manuscript Compiler. Due to the absence of comfortable, safe, and punctual public transportation, people continue to use private vehicles, leading to unresolved traffic congestion and environmental pollution, thus resulting in economic losses. The results show the formulation of policies for managing the urban area of the Cekungan Bandung, specifically the establishment of BP Cek ban, faced challenges due to a lack of authority in managing financial and human resources. The agency couldn’t execute programs or activities and implement the development due to limitations in legal authority over state finances. Alternative policies were not effectively synchronized between government levels and lacked legislative support, hindered by regional autonomy. The contribution of the research is as reference material for the government in formulating management policies for the Cekubgan Bandung urban area.

The carbon footprint, which measures greenhouse gas emissions, is a good environmental indicator for choosing the best sustainable mode of transportation. The available emission factors depend heavily on the calculation methodology and are hardly comparable. The minimum and maximum scenarios are one way of making the results comparable. The best sustainable passenger transport modes between Rijeka and Split were investigated and compared by calculating the minimum and maximum available emission factors. The study aims to select the best sustainable mode of transport on the chosen route and to support the decision-making process regarding the electrification of the Lika railroad, which partially connects the two cities. In the minimum scenario, ferry transport without vehicles was the best choice when the transportation time factor was not relevant, and electric rail transport when it was. In the maximum scenario, the electric train and the ferry with vehicles were equally good choices. Road transportation between cities was not competitive at all. The comparison of the carbon footprint based on minimum and maximum scenarios gives a clear insight into the ratio of greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles in passenger transport. It supports the electrification of the Lika railroad as the best sustainable transport solution on the route studied.