The Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration (HVAC&R) industry is pivotal to Europe’s goals for energy efficiency, sustainability, and technological advancement. As demand for skilled HVAC&R professionals rises, the effectiveness of educational programs in this field has become a focal point. This article explores the Portuguese case to analyze how pedagogical strategies and student motivation contribute to the quality of HVAC&R training across Europe. The study highlights innovative teaching methodologies such as active and competency-based learning, as well as the use of laboratory training and digital simulations to provide hands-on experience. Additionally, it emphasizes Bloom’s Taxonomy as a framework for curriculum development, ensuring that students advance from foundational knowledge to complex problem-solving abilities. Motivation is also identified as a critical factor for student engagement and long-term career commitment. The article concludes that a balanced integration of theoretical knowledge, practical skills, and motivational support is essential for producing highly qualified HVAC&R professionals. This approach not only meets current industry needs but also aligns with Europe’s broader environmental and technological objectives, offering valuable insights for educators, policymakers, and industry stakeholders.

In learning, one of the fundamental motivating factors is self-efficacy. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the level of students’ self-efficacy in learning programming. This article presents a quantitative study on undergraduate students’ perceived programming self-efficacy. 110 undergraduate computing students took part in this survey to assess programming self-efficacy. Before being given to the respondents, the survey instrument, which included a 28-item self-efficacy assessment and 30 multiple-choice programming questions, was pilot-tested. The survey instrument had a reliability of 0.755. The study results show that the students’ self-efficacy was low when they solved complex programming tasks independently. However, they felt confident when there was an assistant to guide them through the tasks. From this study, it could be concluded that self-efficacy is an essential achievement component in programming courses and can avoid education dropouts.

Generational differences shape technological preferences and fundamentally influence workplace motivation and interactions. Our research aims to examine in detail how different generations assess the importance of workplace communication and leadership styles and how these diverse preferences impact workplace motivation and commitment. In our analysis, we studied the behavioral patterns of four generations—Baby Boomers, Generations X, Y, and Z—through anonymous online questionnaires supplemented by in-depth interviews conducted with a leader and a Generation Z employee. To verify our hypotheses, we employed statistical methods, including the Chi-Square test, Spearman’s rank correlation, and cross-tabulation analysis. Our results clearly demonstrated that different generations evaluate the importance of applied leadership and communication styles differently. While Generations Y and Z highly value flexible, supportive leadership styles, older generations, such as the Baby Boomers prefer more traditional, structured approaches. The study confirmed that aligning leadership and communication styles is crucial, as it significantly impacts the workplace atmosphere and employee performance. Our research findings hold both theoretical and practical significance. This research highlights how understanding generational preferences in leadership and communication styles can enhance workplace cohesion and efficiency. The results provide specific guidance for leaders and HR professionals to create a supportive and adaptable environment that effectively meets the needs of diverse generations.

The global significance of the energy crisis and the need for a sustainable European electricity system have intensified interest in renewable energy sources. This study aims to explore the attitudes toward solar energy systems among the population of the North Transdanubian region, which is crucial for companies in the region specializing in solar system installation. The research sheds light on trends in energy prices, potential strategies for addressing the energy crisis, and the regulatory environment for solar systems in Hungary and Austria, focusing on the Burgenland region. The study is divided into two main sections: secondary and primary research. The secondary research presents various applications of renewable energy sources, especially solar energy, and examines energy pricing trends in the two countries, with particular emphasis on the payback period and the impact of changes in energy prices. The primary research is also divided into two parts: the first examines the satisfaction of customers who already use solar systems, and the second focuses on the attitudes of potential customers toward solar investments. The findings provide a comprehensive view of both current users’ and prospective investors’ perspectives on solar energy systems. The practical significance of this research lies in identifying development opportunities for companies, advancing energy efficiency goals, and supporting sustainability efforts.

This study empirically examines the complex relationship between materialism and economic motivation, proposing an inverted U-shaped relationship. The research analyzes three dimensions of materialism: happiness pursuit, social recognition, and uniqueness, and their impact on economic motivation. The findings suggest that materialism, when balanced, positively influences economic motivation without causing adverse effects. This relationship remains consistent across demographic characteristics and life satisfaction levels, challenging the traditional negative view of materialism. The implications of these findings extend to marketing strategies, policy design, and infrastructure development, offering actionable insights for real-world contexts. This research underscores the importance of balancing materialistic values to foster sustainable economic growth and well-being.

In today’s changing world of work, Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM)) still focuses on making workers more productive. This study systematically examines the mediating function of incentives both monetary and non-monetary between antecedent characteristics (e.g., leadership, organizational culture) and employee productivity using a systematic literature review (SLR) of papers published from 2010 to 2024. The review adheres to PRISMA principles and integrates 18 peer-reviewed studies chosen through a stringent screening and quality evaluation process from Scopus and Google Scholar. The results show that the success of incentives depends a lot on things like the ideals of the business, the style of leadership, and the demographics of the workforce. Thematic analysis, informed by the Ability-Motivation-Opportunity (AMO) theory and Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) frameworks, delineates four principal processes by which incentives affect productivity: goal alignment, perceived equity, motivational pathways, and cultural congruence. The research emphasizes the necessity of customizing incentive systems to specific organizational contexts and offers practical guidance for HR professionals. Recognizing limitations and publishing bias, suggestions for future incentive system design are presented.