This research seeks to identify the value of a few common factors determining the speed of economic growth in Baltic states and analyzes their impact in detail on Latvia’s lagging. Latvia’s economic starting point after regaining independence because of the collapse of the Soviet Union was at least comparable to its neighbors. Still, after the implementation of liberal reforms towards a free market’ economy and 20 years of operation as an EU full member, Latvia is lagging in growth, prosperity, and innovation. Within the analysis, this scientific paper pays special attention to the three less discussed factors, namely, the impact of post-Soviet mind-set effects as a part of local innovation culture, lasting since regaining independence in 1991; the importance of the availability of talent pull, its density, diversity, and accessibility; and readiness and capability to capture external knowledge and technology adoption. The overall approach is the systemic assessment of the national innovation system and/or innovation ecosystem, trying to understand the differences between these two models. Research is performed by analysis of the performance of the local innovation ecosystem in connection with export- and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policies. The authors present a novel method for visually representing economic growth and its application in analyzing process development within transitional economic nations. The study uses an analytical and synthetical literature review. It offers a new GDP data visualization method useful for monitoring economic development and forecasting potential economic crises—the outcomes from aggregative literature analysis in a consolidated concept are provided for required talent policy proposals. The post-Soviet mindset is seen as a heritage and devious underdog that has left incredibly diverse consequences on today’s society, power structures, economic growth potential, and the emergence of healthy, well-managed, and sustainable innovation ecosystems. The post-Soviet mindset is a seemingly hidden and, at the same time, an intriguing factor that has a significant impact on the desire to make and implement the right decisions related to innovation, education, and other policies promoting business development. The key outcome of the article is that sociocultural aspects and differences in innovation culture led to a slow-down of Latvia’s economic growth compared to Estonia’s and Lithuania’s slightly more successful economic reforms.

Psychological capital is recognized as a positive and unique factor that plays a crucial role in human resource development and performance management. It has the potential to increase employees’ efforts towards achieving organizational goals and improving their entrepreneurial strategy skills. The objective of this study was to examine the contribution of psychological capital in enhancing the entrepreneurial strategy skills of employees in Saudi universities. The study employed a descriptive approach, specifically utilizing the survey study method. The study sample was intentionally selected from different categories within the study population. Data was collected from 530 participants using two questionnaires. The findings revealed that employees exhibited an average level of psychological capital, while their practice of entrepreneurial strategy skills was rated as poor. The study also demonstrated that psychological capital significantly contributes to enhancing employees’ entrepreneurial strategy skills. Furthermore, statistically significant differences were observed in the psychological capital of employees across certain variables, such as personal and functional aspects. The average level of psychological capital among employees indicates the need for further development in this area. By focusing on enhancing psychological capital, organizations can effectively improve the entrepreneurial strategy skills of their employees. It is clear that investing in the psychological capital of employees can lead to significant improvements in their entrepreneurial strategy skills. This highlights the potential for organizations to foster a more entrepreneurial mindset and approach among their staff members. Additionally, the study’s findings underscore the need to tailor interventions and development programs to address specific aspects of psychological capital that may vary across different employees. Overall, the study emphasizes that psychological capital is a valuable resource that should be nurtured and developed within the organizational context. By doing so, organizations can not only enhance the entrepreneurial strategy skills of their employees but also cultivate a more resilient, motivated, and engaged workforce. This has the potential to contribute to the overall success and innovation of Saudi universities and similar institutions.

This study delves into the nuanced impact of leadership styles on state-owned enterprises (SOEs) performance in Northeast China. It aims to discern how transformational, transactional, and authoritative leadership approaches influence organizational outcomes, framed within the context of sustainable leadership theory. Employing a quantitative methodology, the research analyzes survey data from employees across various SOEs to assess the relationship between leadership styles and company performance, including aspects such as job satisfaction, employee motivation, and operational efficiency. The findings reveal a clear dichotomy: transformational and transactional leadership styles positively correlate with improved performance metrics, fostering an environment of innovation, motivation, and job satisfaction. Conversely, authoritative leadership is shown to detrimentally affect these same metrics, potentially hindering organizational growth and employee morale. This research contributes to the broader discourse on leadership and organizational performance by highlighting the critical role of leadership style in enhancing the sustainable development of SOEs, particularly within China’s socio-political and economic fabric. Practical implications suggest a shift towards more adaptive, employee-centered leadership approaches to spur performance and sustainability in SOEs. The originality of this study lies in its specific focus on the Chinese context, offering insights into the leadership dynamics within SOEs and proposing actionable strategies for fostering leadership that align with sustainability and organizational excellence principles.

As China’s urbanisation continues, the building area is expanding, of which the occupancy of rural residential buildings is also very large. However, most rural buildings have poor thermal performance. This paper analyses the energy-saving potential of green facades for rural buildings in China by simulating typical buildings with different types of facades in rural China. The simulation results show that indirect green façades can achieve good energy savings. Buildings with four types of facades: red brick, rubble, hollow brick, and concrete achieve energy savings of 18.39%, 17.85%, 14.47%, and 11.52%, respectively, after retrofitting with green facades.

Language is fundamental to human communication, allowing individuals to express and exchange ideas, thoughts, and emotions. In early childhood, some children experience communication disorders that impede their ability to articulate words correctly, posing significant challenges to their learning and development. This issue is exacerbated in developing countries, where limited resources and a lack of technological tools hinder access to effective speech therapy. Traditional speech therapy remains vital, but the latest technological advancements have introduced robotic assistants to enhance therapy for communication disorders. Despite their potential, these technologies are often inaccessible in developing regions due to high production costs and a lack of sustainable manufacturing models. For these reasons, this paper presents “FONA,” a robotic assistant that employs rule-based expert systems to provide tactile, auditory, and visual stimuli. FONA supports children aged 3 to 6 in speech therapy by delivering exercises such as syllable production, word formation, and pictographic storytelling of various phonemes. Notably, FONA was successfully tested on children with cochlear implants, reducing the number of sessions required to produce isolated phonemes. The paper also introduces an innovative analysis of the Make To Order (MTO) manufacturing system for producing FONA in developing countries. This analysis explores two key perspectives: collaborative networks and entrepreneurship, offering a sustainable production model. In a pilot experiment, FONA significantly improved children’s attention spans, increasing the period by 17 min. Furthermore, the economic analysis demonstrates that producing FONA through collaborative networks can significantly reduce costs, making it more accessible to institutions in developing countries. The findings suggest that the project is viable for a five-year period, providing a sustainable and effective solution for addressing communication disorders in children.