Social Prescribing (SP) is an approach which aims of improving health and well-being and connecting patients to community services. Examples of these services include physical activity and cultural activities. Despite its benefits, SP has still not been fully implemented in Portugal. This case study is part of a larger study on Social Prescribing Local System (SPLS) implementation, which comprised a quantitative approach, a pilot study and a qualitative approach, and aims at exploring patients’ and healthcare workers’ perspectives on SP. The study was carried out to understand the motivations of different stakeholders for participating in the pilot project, the anticipated benefits for patients, healthcare professionals, and the health unit, as well as their perceptions and experiences within the scope of the SP project. Data collection was carried out in December 2020 through semi-structured individual interviews and a focus group. A total of seven participants were included, of which one patient, one museum representative and five healthcare professionals. Different common dimensions related to SP emerge, including health and well-being, social interaction and community engagement, accessibility and inclusivity, motivation and adherence, collaboration and coordination, and education and awareness. The patient considered the adequacy of the activity to the patient’s state of health and capabilities, adoption of a phased approach, with a focus on progress, in order to promote long-term adherence as facilitators. For the museum, disseminating its activities to healthcare professionals and patients through different channels such as posters at the health center, social media pages, and training sessions can significantly enhance visibility and engagement, while direct phone contact and digital publications can further promote adherence, ensuring a comprehensive and coordinated approach to patient participation and institutional benefit. Healthcare professionals identified several benefits, including reduction of social isolation and sedentarism, as well as a means of strengthening the therapeutic relationship with patients. The design and implementation of SP programs should be participative and involve all stakeholders participating in the process. Barriers to adherence included time for activity and the associated costs or prerequisites, availability of activities and lack of perceived interest in health.

The aim of this article is to investigate the impediments to creativity perceived by managers, the levels of creativity, its indicators, and personal characteristics conducive to creativity, as well as to elucidate the correlations among them. An experimental study was conducted involving 300 participants. Methods employed include surveying, testing, and mathematical statistical analysis. As the level of creativity increases, participants tend to assess their opportunities more favorably. The expression of creativity depends on the interconnection among the barriers to creativity, indicators of creativity, and personal qualities of creativity. A high level of creativity is manifested when there are fewer barriers and personal qualities such as Imagination and a propensity for Risk-taking. Conversely, the level of expression of creativity is low when there is an interconnection between Creativity and Complexity, Imagination, and creativity barriers such as lack of confidence and conformity to majority opinion.

This study aimed to examine and assess the impact of the logistics industry’s environment, entry-level graduates’ characteristics and the logistics and supply chain management (LSCM) program design on the transformation of knowledge and skills at Sohar port in the Sultanate of Oman. The study employed a pragmatic research philosophy involving a structured questionnaire. The sample size included 49 mid-managers from the logistics industry who were working at Sohar Port. The study found that entry-level graduates’ characteristics and LSCM program design positively and significantly influenced the transformation of knowledge and skills. However, the organisational environment had a negative and insignificant impact on the transformation. This study revealed several dimensions that may require further research. It is pertinent to broaden the research scope to other towns, ports, and other countries in the Gulf Council Countries (GCC) to broaden the scope and generalisability of the results. According to the study findings, several recommendations are proposed for the logistics and supply chain sector in Oman to enhance the transformation of knowledge and skills by entry-level graduates, as well as for higher education institutions (HEIs). To meet the sector requirements, HEIs may improve the current university-industry collaborations by increasing the inputs of the industry in designing and developing the LSCM program. The organisational environment must reconsider the knowledge and skills transformation by entry-level graduates in their strategic plan of resources management, which must be emphasised by the remuneration system and career paths incentive. While other studies have explored knowledge and skill transformation in the context of employee training, this study aims to fill a specific research gap by focusing on the transformation of knowledge and skills by entry-level graduates, an area which has not been extensively studied before. Furthermore, this study is unique as it examines the impact of the industry’s environment, entry-level graduates’ characteristics and the LSCM program on the transformation of knowledge and skills within the unique context of Oman. This novel approach provides an opportunity to understand the specific challenges and opportunities faced by entry-level graduates in Oman and suggests strategies for addressing them.

The development of entrepreneurship in fisheries operations is an important component of eliminating poverty. Fisherman obviously produce fishery goods, despite the broad recognition of the positive role that entrepreneurship can play in the reduction of poverty. Integration into one’s society and economy are increasingly beginning to be seen as an essential component of entrepreneurial success. This study aims to investigate the cultural and entrepreneurial attitudes of fishermen involved in the production of fishery products in the Province of West Sumatra, Indonesia, accordingly with a particular focus on marine resource conservation areas in village development. In this development, the descriptive design of capitals was utilized. This design included interviews, a questionnaire survey, and a review of the relevant body of literature. As a result, the purpose of the study was to propose an alternative model for the development of villages that would be considered novel in Indonesia. The findings demonstrated that the model makes a contribution to enhancing the socio-economic, cultural, and social capabilities of a group of fishermen. In conclusion, tourism that is focused on social entrepreneurship has the potential to boost entrepreneurial attitudes as well as the atmosphere surrounding community understanding of creative village development. We came to the conclusion that implementing tourism with a focus on social entrepreneurship could increase entrepreneurial attitudes and create an atmosphere that is more conscious of the needs of the community in village development.

Outsourcing logistics operations is a common trend as businesses prioritize core activities. Establishing a sustainable partnership between businesses and logistics service providers requires a systematic approach. This study is needed to develop a more effective and adaptive framework for logistics service provider selection by integrating diverse criteria and decision-making methodologies, ultimately enhancing the precision and sustainability of procurement processes. This study advocate for leveraging industry-based knowledge in procurement, emphasizing the need to define decision-making elements. The research analyzes nearly 300 logistics procurement projects, using a neural network-based methodology to propose a model that aids businesses in identifying optimal criteria for evaluating logistics service providers based on extensive industry knowledge. The goal of this study is to develop and test a practical model that would support businesses in choosing most suitable criteria for selection of logistics service providers based on cumulative market patterns. The results of this study are as follows. It introduces novel elements by gathering and systematizing unique market data using developed data processing methodology. It innovatively classifies decision-making elements, allocating them into distinct groups for use as features in a neural network. The study further contributes by developing and training a predictive model based on a prepared dataset, addressing pre-defined goals, expectations related to green logistics, and specific requirements in the tendering process for selecting logistics service providers. Study is concluded by summarizing suggestions for future research in area of adopting neural networks for selection of logistics service providers.