The principal objective of this article is to gain insight into the biases that shape decision-making in contexts of risk and uncertainty, with a particular focus on the prospect theory and its relationship with individual confidence. A sample of 376 responses to a questionnaire that is a replication of the one originally devised by Kahneman and Tversky was subjected to analysis. Firstly, the aim is to compare the results obtained with the original study. Furthermore, the Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT) will be employed to ascertain whether behavioural biases are associated with cognitive abilities. Finally, in light of the significance and contemporary relevance of the concept of overconfidence, we propose a series of questions designed to assess it, with a view to comparing the various segments of respondents and gaining insight into the profile that reflects it. The sample of respondents is divided according to gender, age group, student status, professional status as a trader, status as an occasional investor, and status as a behavioural finance expert. It can be concluded that the majority of individuals display a profile of underconfidence, and that the hypotheses formulated by Kahneman and Tversky are generally corroborated. The low frequency of overconfident individuals suggests that the results are consistent with prospect theory in all segments, despite the opposite characteristics, given the choice of the less risk-averse alternative. These findings are useful for regulators to understand how biases affect financial decision making, and for the development of financial literacy policies in the education sector.

This article focuses on analyzing the achievements, challenges, and lessons learned in the process of building the Socialist Rule of Law in Vietnam after nearly 40 years of renovation, with the goal of proposing the direction of building and perfecting the Socialist Rule of Law in the new period, and ensuring its conformity with Vietnamese realities and international integration. The article draws on data from documents of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the 2013 Constitution, relevant laws and resolutions, along with data from reports on administrative reform and the promulgation of legal documents. The research methods used include document analysis, comparison, and synthesis in order to assess the reality and propose solutions to the problems identified. Alongside the achievements gained, building a Socialist Rule of Law State in Vietnam still faces many challenges. This article identifies the main orientations for constructing a Socialist Rule of Law State in Vietnam in the coming period.

South Africa’s border posts are increasingly becoming crucial hubs for organized crime posing serious national and regional security implications with far-reaching consequences. The country’s national security, economic stability, and community safety are significantly jeopardised by organised criminal enterprises at border posts. As a result, the porous borders of South Africa have fostered an environment that is conducive to a variety of unlawful activities, such as the smuggling of drugs into the country and human trafficking. This paper seeks to identify political, economic, and social factors that lead to organised crime, corruption, and weak border management systems. The paper employed a secondary data analysis of existing scholarly articles, government reports as well as relevant case studies. The study found that local communities are most affected by illegal activities at the ports of entry. The findings further emphasize the importance of inclusive approaches in responding to security challenges that address cross-border flow regulation, fight corruption in service delivery, and promote community resilience. The paper concludes with recommendations for strengthening border controls towards enhancing cooperation between countries and curbing transnational crime networks.

Nowadays, finding a suitable solution to the problem of generational change in case of small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) is becoming increasingly challenging. The aim of this research to investigate whether entering into the stock exchange could be a realistic alternative for Hungarian companies to eliminate this issue. This study reviews the process of Initial Public Offering (IPO) and summarises the advantages and the difficulties of going public. The paper focuses on the opportunities for value creation and saving offered to SMEs by listing on the stock exchange. As primary research on practical experiences, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with the managers of 10 involved companies, and some financial indicators were examined. The research does not cover all relevant companies; however, it is still suitable for drawing a conclusion. The presence on the stock market proved to be useful for the companies and played a significant role in the preservation of the company’s value as well as in financing opportunities. The path demonstrated in this article is suitable for other businesses to follow the pioneers.

This paper addresses the main logistics challenges in used car maritime traffic from Europe to West Africa. Thus, the methodology (quantitative and qualitative) analyses data from the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA), from 2015 to 2023 of government and port authorities to show the importance of used car market for mobility and socioeconomic activities. This is supplemented by surveys based on direct observation in the field, questionnaires and interviews involving in Europe 55 stakeholders and 127 in Africa. The results demonstrate that cars used and their parts, but not wrecks, are essential for motorization in West Africa. A pre-export process needs to be set up to ensure that exported vehicles are parked in better condition to meet the required common environmental standards for sustainable mobility.

Bamboo is one of the noble plant species in Ethiopia. Household (HH) income and construction role of highland bamboo (Oldeania alpina (K. Schum.) Stapleto) stands were assessed at Masha district, Southern Ethiopia. Three peasant associations (PAs), Yepo, Yina and Gada, 7–15 key informants and 68, 46, 31 households, respectively were interviewed about the cost and income of bamboo to compare with woody climbers, honey, and mushroom in 2021. Bamboo was one of the main sources of income in all PAs, at least for fencing or house construction. In Yepo, Yina and Gada bamboo accounts 0.7%, 28.1%, 16.3% of the HH NTFP income, respectively. The local people responded that bamboo constructed houses and fences were durable for 15–30 and 2–10 years, respectively. In constructing a 2.44–4.27 m radius local house in Yepo, Yina and Gada 2.4–6 m³, 4.1–5.82 m³ and 3.1–4.3 m³ bamboo culms were harvested at 15, 20, and 30 years interval, respectively by each HH. Bamboo young shoots were also seasonally used for food. Although bamboo provides multiple uses, like substitute for wood and environmental services, it was facing different problems of deforestation. Therefore, policy attention is highly important for bamboo sustainable utilization.