Recently, Agile project management has received significant academic and industry attention from due to its advantages, such as decreased costs and time, increased effectiveness, and adaptiveness towards challenging business environments. This study primarily aims to investigate the relationship between the success factors and Agile project management methodology adoption and examine the moderating effect of perceived compatibility. The technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework and technology acceptance theories (UTAUT, IDT, and TAM) were applied as the theoretical foundation of the current study. A survey questionnaire method was employed to achieve the study objectives, while quantitative primary data were gathered using a carefully designed methodological approach focusing on Omani oil and gas industry. The PLS-SEM technique and SmartPLS software were used for hypotheses testing and data analysis. Resultantly, readiness, technology utilization, organizational factors, and perceived compatibility were the significant factors that promoted Agile methodology adoption in the oil and gas industry. Perceived compatibility moderated the relationship between success factors and Agile methodology. The findings suggested that people, technology, and organizational factors facilitate the Agile methodology under the technology acceptance theories and frameworks. Relevant stakeholders should adopt the study outcomes to improve Agile methodology adoption.

The state delivery of affordable and sustainable housing continues to be a complicated challenge in Africa, and there is a need to encourage private sector participation. As a result, this study examines the risks associated with private sector participation in affordable housing and supporting infrastructure investment and the strategies towards mitigating the risks from an Afrocentric perspective. The evidence from a systematic literature review was coupled with the opinion of an international expert panel to address the paper’s aim and provide recommendations for developing improved housing and supporting infrastructure in Sub-Saharan Africa. The review outcomes and the qualitative data from the panel discussion were analysed using thematic analysis. The results revealed that market dynamics, land supply and acquisition constraints, cost of construction materials, unsupportive policies, and technical and financial factors constitute risks to affordable housing in the region. Mitigation strategies include leveraging joint efforts, strengths, and resource bases, increasing access to land and finance for private sector participation, developing a supportive government framework to promote an enabling environment for easy access to land acquisition and development finance, local production of building materials, research and technology adoption. In line with the United Nations (UN) Agenda 2030 targets and principles, reforms are required across the housing value chain, involving the private sector and community. Application of the study’s recommendations could minimise the risks of affordable housing delivery and enhance private sector participation.

Climate change plays a vital role in shaping the knowledge construction of farmers for managing their agricultural land. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the coffee farmers’ knowledge construction process regarding climate change. This research utilizes qualitative methods. This research approach uses the grounded theory, which can help researchers uncover the relationship between the coffee farmers’ knowledge construction and climate change. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using constant comparative methods. The transcription of the field notes was analyzed using NVivo version 12, a program for analyzing qualitative data. There were 33 informants in the study. This study found that the conditions and situations of wind speed and uncertain whether strongly influence the farmers’ construction of climate knowledge. Coffee farmers are looking for new ways to respond to climate change, such as increasing the intensity of the care they give to their coffee plants, gradually harvesting according to the ripeness of the coffee fruits, finding alternative ways to dry the coffee beans, and reducing the use of fertilizer. However, coffee farmers are also starting to adapt old knowledge from their parents to the latest perceived climate phenomena, so that they can look for alternative sources of livelihood outside their farms. This knowledge construction process serves as a form of adaptation by the coffee farmers to climate change, and reflects the dynamic between traditional knowledge and current experience. Understanding this knowledge construction helps coffee farmers to cope with climate change and to design appropriate policy strategies to support the sustainability of coffee farming in an era of climate change. Further research is needed at the regional level.

Crowd humanitarian fund, otherwise termed as mutual fund, has overwhelmingly been discussed by many scholars and researchers in western countries. There is obscurity in existing literature in Islamic countries with respect to the interconnectedness between various Islamic financial concepts within the Islamic legal framework and the conceptualization of crowd humanitarian funds. The primary objective of this paper is to address this obscurity by investigating the perspectives of middle- and high-skilled workers among members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) with respect to the crowd humanitarian fund. Hence, the central research question (CRQ) was formulated as follows: How do the middle and high-skilled workers perceive the generation of crowd-humanitarian funds for the purpose of helping the less privileged citizens in Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries? The qualitative method was used as the methodology of the study. In order to collect data for the study, an open-ended interview was employed, and a total of 22 participants were interviewed. Three major themes were generated from the interview, namely: An overview of crowd humanitarian funds, categories of less privileged people in OIC countries, and the use of humanitarian funds for poverty reduction. The findings indicated that the traditional method of collecting funds from crowds is to assist with any humanitarian issue is still applicable in many Muslim countries. In addition, the unity in contributing to the humanitarian fund from the crowd, that is, common practice in Muslims’ culture is what Western society terms as crowdfunding. It is further revealed that there are different categories of people, such as the poor, the needy, and people with low incomes, who can benefit from crowdfunding, especially by using it for investment purposes. In addition, crowdfunding is considered an essential monetary relief to less fortunate individuals or communities in order to have a sustainable life. It can also be used for provision of social amenities such as food, shelters, clothes, hospitals, schools, and job opportunities.

The history of organic polymers is a remarkable journey from the discovery of natural materials like rubber and silk to the development of sophisticated synthetic polymers that have transformed industries and modern life. This comprehensive review article presents a detailed account of the evolution of organic polymers. It begins with the early uses of natural polymers and explores key breakthroughs, including the invention of Bakelite, nylon, and neoprene. The theoretical foundations of polymer science, laid by Hermann Staudinger, are discussed, and the post-war surge in polymer development is examined, including the introduction of polyethylene, polypropylene, and PVC. Notable advances in polymer chemistry, such as isotactic polypropylene and silicone polymers, are highlighted. The article also delves into the development of high-performance polymers like Kevlar and carbon-based materials, offering insights into their applications. Moreover, it discusses the current trends in polymer science, emphasizing sustainability and biodegradability. As the world continues to rely on polymers for numerous applications, this review provides a historical perspective and a glimpse into the future of organic polymers, where innovations are expected to shape various aspects of technology, healthcare, and environmental protection.

The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of single and mixed infections of nematode (Meloidogyne javanica), fungus (Fusarium oxysporum) and bacterium (Xanthomonas axonopodis) on nodulation and pathological parameters of Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterrenea (L.) Verdc.) in field condition. Nematode infested field was used while other pathogens were obtained from diseased plants. The Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) was adopted in a 5 × 9 × 5 factorial design (5 blocks, 9 treatments and 5 replicates per treatments) resulting in 225 experimental units. In each experimental unit, three seeds were sown to a depth of 5cm and thinned to one plant per planting hole after germination at day 7. Treatments were inoculated into test plant following standard methods. As a result, the control treatment recorded the highest number of nodules (64.0 ± 6.91), followed by bacterium (45.2 ± 5.11) while N + F + B had the lowest number of root nodules (23.4 ± 2.42). Simultaneous treatment (N + F + B) gave the highest percentage reduction in nodulation (63.44%), followed by treatment N + F7 (56.25%). Fungus treatment recorded the highest mean wilted plants (3.8 + 0.20) followed by N + F7 treatment (3.40 + 0.40). Gall formation in the nematode treatment increased proportionately by 56.33% as the highest recorded, followed by treatment N + F7 with 50.0%. Treatment N + F7 had the highest reproduction factor (Rf) value of 9.30 followed by nematode (8.30), N + B7 (7.40), N + F + B (6.80) and N + F14 (6.50). Zero (0) Rf value was recorded in fungus, bacterium and control treatments. The observed differences in nodulation and pathological parameters among the treatments are significant (P < 0.05). The data provided in this work is important in the control of the three pathogens affecting the productivity of Bambara nut. Formulation of a single protectant should be designed to have potent effects on the three pathogens to achieve effective protection and good production of Bambara nut.