Consumers’ interest in green consumption has increased rapidly in recent years with heightening concerns for environmental, social, and health risks. However, increased concerns and interest of consumers may not translate to their behavioral outcome which may be attributed to socio-economic and consumers’ internal stimuli. Furthermore, contextual differences in the marketplace may influence how consumers form their green attitudes and behavior. The purpose of this study is to assess the role of consumers’ intrinsic traits such as consumers’ personal values, their self-motivation for sustainable consumption (i.e., perceived consumer effectiveness), green skepticism, and environmental involvement in their green attitude and behavior, and to see if the country-specific contextual condition may influence consumers’ behavior. In addition, price sensitivity and environmental protection emotions are considered moderating constructs to explain the gap between green attitude and green behavior. Findings from this study provide insights into understanding Chinese and Singaporean consumers’ green behavior which is driven by their intrinsic traits and by extrinsic conditions. This understanding can help companies to develop effective green marketing communication strategies and to enhance consumer engagement in sustainable activities and consumption.
Electrical energy is known as an essential part of our day-to-day lives. Renewable energy resources can be regenerated through the natural method within a reasonably short time and can be used to bridge the gap in extended power outages. Achieving more renewable energy (RE) than the low levels typically found in today’s energy supply network will entail continuous additional integration efforts into the future. This study examined the impacts of integrating renewable energy on the power quality of transmission networks. This work considered majorly two prominent renewable technologies (solar photovoltaic and wind energy). To examine the effects, IEEE 9-bus (a transmission network) was used. The transmission network and renewable sources (solar photovoltaic and wind energy technologies) were modelled with MATLAB/SIMULINK®. The Newton-Raphson iteration method of solution was employed for the solution of the load flow owing to its fast convergence and simplicity. The effects of its integration on the quality of the power supply, especially the voltage profile and harmonic content, were determined. It was discovered that the optimal location, where the voltage profile is improved and harmonic distortion is minimal, was at Bus 8 for the wind energy and then Bus 5 for the solar photovoltaic source.
This paper presents a practical approach to empowering software entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia through a unique course offered by the Software Engineering department at Prince Sultan University. The course, SE495 Emergent Topics in Software Engineering: Software Entrepreneurship, combines software engineering and entrepreneurship to equip students with the necessary skills to develop innovative software solutions that solve real-world problems. The course covers a range of topics, including platform development, market research, and pitching to investors, and features guest speakers from the industry. By the end of the course, students will have gained a deep understanding of the software development process and its intersection with entrepreneurship and will be able to develop a working prototype of a software solution that solves a real-world problem. The course’s practical approach ensures that students are well-prepared to navigate the complexities of the digital and software sectors and succeed in an ever-changing business landscape.
This article evaluates the Didactic Strategies for Teaching Mathematics (DSTM) program, designed to enhance the teaching of mathematical content in primary and secondary education in a hybrid modality. In alignment with SENACYT’s Gender-STEM-2040 Policy, which emphasizes gender equality as a foundational principle of education, this study aims to assess whether initial teacher training aligns with this policy through the use of mathematical strategies promoting gender equality. A descriptive-correlational approach was applied to a sample of 64 educators, selected based on their responses during the training, with the goal of improving teaching and data collection methodologies. Findings indicate that, although most teachers actively engage in training, an androcentric approach persists, with sexist language and a curriculum that renders girls invisible, hindering the fulfillment of the National Gender Equality Policy in Science, Technology, and Innovation of Panama (Gender-STEM Policy 2040). Additionally, through a serendipitous finding, a significant gap in student activity levels, especially in secondary school, was discovered. While in primary school, activity levels were similar between genders, a decline in active participation among girls in secondary school was observed. This discovery, not initially contemplated in the study’s objectives, provides valuable insights into gender differences in active participation, particularly in higher educational stages. The serendipity suggests the need for further exploration of social, environmental, and family factors that may influence this decrease in girls’ active participation. The article concludes with a preliminary diagnosis and a call to deepen gender equality training and the effective implementation of coeducation in Panama’s educational system.
Currently, there is a unique situation in the global economy, industrial eras coexist together, there is interaction and transformation of financial systems simultaneously within the framework of Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0. New, digital resources are entering the economy, intellectual capital is becoming virtual, artificial intelligence is increasingly finding its application in the structure of financial support. Financial intermediation in developing countries is also subject to global trends, the active development of new instruments for developing economies is especially important. The aim of the study is to identify effective ways to develop financial intermediation in Industry 5.0 for the economies of developing countries. Based on the results of the study on the development of financial institutions mediation revealed a problem related to the lack of reasonable tools that could be used to improving the efficiency of the financial intermediaries market, proposed the main directions of such a process: mobilization of savings, distribution financial assets, payment system, risk management and control over market agents involved in financial operations.
The performance of Public Enterprises (PEs) in Namibia has been a long and contentious issue, clamored by continuous bailouts in the face of constant poor performance. The trend of financial bailouts to PEs in Namibia over the years has attracted increased attention into the dynamics of poor PE performance and their fiscal burden on the state. The Namibian government has taken active steps in cutting on PE bailouts and demanding improved performance or face closure. By looking at recent developments in the governance of PEs in Namibia, the purpose and objective of the current study is to analyze whether the current stance and trajectory of government decisions spells a post-honeymoon period in which poor performing PEs will ‘wither and survive or die’ if they do not improve their sustainability index by not relying on financial bailouts. This analysis is aided by the insights provided by the stakeholder, institutional and principal-agent theories. Through the qualitative research method, this study finds that the Namibian government has taken a new attitude and approach in which it will no longer blindly accept and tolerate the poor performance of PEs through continuous bailouts as seen in the past. PEs that are withering will now either survive (through reforms) or die (through liquidation or dissolution).
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