Water splitting has gained significant attention as a means to produce clean and sustainable hydrogen fuel through the electrochemical or photoelectrochemical decomposition of water. Efficient and cost-effective water splitting requires the development of highly active and stable catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Carbon nanomaterials, including carbon nanotubes, graphene, and carbon nanofibers, etc., have emerged as promising candidates for catalyzing these reactions due to their unique properties, such as high surface area, excellent electrical conductivity, and chemical stability. This review article provides an overview of recent advancements in the utilization of carbon nanomaterials as catalysts or catalyst supports for the OER and HER in water splitting. It discusses various strategies employed to enhance the catalytic activity and stability of carbon nanomaterials, such as surface functionalization, hybridization with other active materials, and optimization of nanostructure and morphology. The influence of carbon nanomaterial properties, such as defect density, doping, and surface chemistry, on electrochemical performance is also explored. Furthermore, the article highlights the challenges and opportunities in the field, including scalability, long-term stability, and integration of carbon nanomaterials into practical water splitting devices. Overall, carbon nanomaterials show great potential for advancing the field of water splitting and enabling the realization of efficient and sustainable hydrogen production.
In recent years, China’s economy has undergone rapid development. Increased disposable income and the rapid expansion of Internet-based financial services have positioned China as the largest market for luxury goods. Gen Z, the youngest demographic within emerging markets, is expected to play a pivotal role as the primary driver of the luxury market. However, while China’s luxury market continues to exhibit a high growth rate, this growth has gradually decelerated in comparison to the previous two years according to researchers. This presents a significant challenge for the luxury industry, as maintaining and enhancing the global growth trend has become a pressing concern where consumer behavior is concerned. The second key issue addressed in this study revolves around the concepts of compulsive buying and brand addiction, which can lead individuals, particularly Gen Z, to develop an addiction to luxury consumption. This study is based on an integrated model of conspicuous consumption, social comparison, and impression management theory. The key variables are materialism, brand consciousness, status-seeking, peer pressure, and collectivism to predict the luxury consumption model with debt attitude introduced as a moderating variable to study consumer behaviour in this age group. A non-probability sampling method and 480 people were selected as research samples. Quantitative analysis was used in this study, and SPSS and Smart PLS were used as data analysis tools. Structural equation model (SEM) using partial least squares method was used to determine the relationship of the variables and the moderating effect of debt attitude. The results showed that brand consciousness, status seeking, debt attitude and materialism had the strongest relationship with luxury consumption. Debt attitude as a moderating factor has a significant impact on the hypothesized relationship of the model. This paper provides empirical evidence for research on Gen Z’s luxury consumption, which has practical implications to marketers, luxury companies, local luxury brands and credit institutions.
This study investigates non-academic employees’ perceptions of their line managers’ leadership styles at a private university in Malaysia and how these perceptions influence their intention to remain employed. Employing a qualitative approach and the path-goal theory as a theoretical framework, data were collected through purposive sampling from 10 non-academic employees and analyzed thematically using NVivo 12 software. The findings reveal that a supportive and participative leadership style fosters an informal leadership dynamic between line managers and subordinates. Informal leadership behaviors encompass affective qualities and effective communication that enable the development of close relationships outside the workplace, facilitating increased employee engagement and motivation levels. Consequently, this approach notably improves employee retention. This study offers a comprehensive understanding of informal leadership styles contributing to enhanced human resource management at the private university while providing an inclusive perspective on employees’ perceptions and their intention to remain employed. Finally, we propose a model of employees’ perception of leadership styles as the main driver that better serves their intention to stay in organizations.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a critical role in achieving environmental sustainability, particularly in developing economies where regulatory enforcement and resource constraints remain significant challenges. Drawing on Institutional Theory, this study examines how green leadership influences environmental performance in Ghanaian SMEs, with digital innovation as a mediating variable and environmental culture as a moderating variable. Institutional Theory provides the conceptual foundation for explaining how normative pressures embedded in leadership values and organizational culture, alongside mimetic pressures associated with digital innovation adoption, shape firms’ environmental outcomes. Using survey data collected from SMEs in Ghana and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), the results revealed that green leadership has a significant positive effect on both digital innovation and environmental performance. Digital innovation also significantly enhances environmental performance and partially mediates the relationship between green leadership and environmental performance. Notably, the findings demonstrated that environmental culture significantly moderates the relationship between digital innovation and environmental performance, with the effect stronger in organizations with a well-developed environmental culture. This indicates that internalized environmental values amplify the effectiveness of digital innovation initiatives. The study contributes to the sustainability and organizational literature by extending Institutional Theory to the SME context in a developing economy and by clarifying the conditional role of environmental culture in translating digital innovation into superior environmental performance. Practically, the findings suggest that SME leaders and policymakers should promote environmentally oriented leadership, invest in digital innovation, and cultivate strong environmental cultures to enhance sustainability outcomes.
This study conducts a systematic literature review to analyze the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) within business excellence frameworks. An analysis of the findings in the reviewed articles yielded five major themes: AI technologies and intelligent systems; impact of AI on business operations, strategies, and models; AI-driven decision-making in infrastructure and policy contexts; new forms of innovation and competitiveness; and the impact of AI on organizational performance and value creation in infrastructure projects. The findings provide a comprehensive understanding of how AI can be integrated into organizational excellence emerged frameworks to address challenges in infrastructure governance, and sustainable development. Key questions addressed include: how AI affects consumer behavior and marketing strategies. What AI’s capabilities for businesses, especially marketing and digital strategies? How can organizations address the drivers and barriers to help make better use of AI in these business operations? Should organizations even do anything with these insights? These questions and more will be tackled throughout this discussion. This paper attempts to derive a comprehensive conceptual framework from several fields of human resources, operational excellence, and digital transformation, that can help guide organizations and policymakers in embedding AI into infrastructure and development initiatives. This framework will help practitioners navigate the complexities of AI integration, ensuring profitability and sustainable growth in a highly competitive landscape. By bridging the gap between AI technologies and development-related policy initiatives, this research contributes to the advancement of infrastructure governance, public management, and sustainable development.
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