Human settlement patterns in the South are clearly inequitable and dysfunctional, with tenure insecurity remaining a significant issue. Consequently, there has been a dramatic increase in housing demand driven by rising household sizes and accelerated urbanization. Local governments have a clear mandate to ensure socio-economic development and promote democracy, which necessitates ongoing consultations and renegotiations with citizens. This paper critically examines the de-densification of informal settlements as a pivotal strategy to enhance the quality of life for citizens, all while maintaining essential social networks. Governments must take decisive action against pandemics by transforming spaces into liveable settlements that improve livelihoods. A qualitative method was employed, analyzing data drawn from interviews to gain insights into individual views, attitudes, and behaviors regarding the improvement of livelihoods in informal settlements. The study utilized a simple random sampling technique, ensuring that every individual in the population selected had an equal opportunity for inclusion. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty community members in Cornubia, alongside discussions with three officials from eThekwini Municipality and KwaZulu Natal (KZN) Provincial Department of Human Settlements. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis, and the findings hold substantial benefits for the most disadvantaged citizens. Therefore, municipalities have an obligation to transform urban areas by reducing inequality, bolstered by national government policy, to achieve a resilient, safe, and accessible urban future. The evidence presented in this paper underscores that local governments, through municipalities, must prioritize de-densifying informal settlements in response to pandemics or hazards. It is vital to leverage community-driven initiatives and reinforce networks within these communities. The paper calls for the establishment of a socially centered government through the District Development Model (DDM), emphasizing socio-economic transformation as a pathway to enhance community quality of life.

Performance Management is a major concern to various stakeholders in Education System, it is considered to be key driver to improve school effectiveness and learning quality. However, the complexity of education Systems, has made it challenging to apply an effective PM model. This study paper introduces a maturity model with six dimensions, fifteen Capability Areas and forty-two Best-Practices to assess education systems’ organizational capacity for performance management. It provides deep insights into their structural and functional characteristics and serves as a framework for decision-makers to identify and implement missing practices while enhancing existing ones. The maturity model was developed following the Design Science Research methodology to ensure both rigor and relevance. A bottom-up approach guided its design, integrating insights from extensive literature reviews and lessons learned from benchmark countries. The evaluation process employed a qualitative approach, using focus groups with a carefully selected cohort of academics, experts, and practitioners. The Moroccan case study serves as part of the “Reflection and Learning” phase, providing an initial test for the model and paving the way for further empirical research. Future studies will aim to test, refine, and extend the model, facilitating its application across diverse educational contexts.

In the recent years, with global warming and the change in climatic characteristics, buildings and interior arrangements in dry and cold climates, that previously did not have cooling problems, now require built and pre-planned cooling systems as well as heating. On the other hand, the enormous increase in energy consumption and the rapid depletion of energy resources causes concern and anxiety for future generations. In this regard, utilizing natural resources and incorporating sustainable solutions into building design are critical. Vernacular technical systems and design ideas can still be accepted and applied to create sustainable solutions. In this context, design strategies for energy efficiency and provision of physical and spatial comforts could be considered based on traditional architecture. In this study, sustainable building design solutions that have been used in Iran’s vernacular houses, which has four distinct climate zones, aimed to create a paradigm for the general modern passive house designs in the global context. Traditional Iranian residential architecture incorporates architectural features for physical, spatial, and climatic needs, as well as aesthetic comfort for the user. In this manner, user needs and interior space organization in vernacular residential architecture can be considered as a sustainable housing model that meets today’s technology requirements in passive house design.

Leadership behavior is a critical component of effective management, significantly influencing organizational success. While extensive research has examined key success factors in road management, the specific role of leadership behaviors in road usage charging (RUC) management remains underexplored. This study addresses this gap by identifying and analyzing leadership behavior dimensions and their impact on management performance within the RUC context. Using a mixed-methods approach, focus group discussions with industry practitioners were conducted to define eight leadership behavior dimensions: Central-Level Leadership Guidance (LE1), Local-Level Leadership Guidance (LE2), Central-Level Leadership Commitment (LE3), Local-Level Leadership Commitment (LE4), Subordinate Understanding from Central-Level Leadership (LE5), Subordinate Understanding from Local-Level Leadership (LE6), Work Motivation (LE7), and Understanding Rights and Obligations (LE8). These dimensions were further validated through a quantitative survey distributed to 138 professionals involved in RUC management in Vietnam, with the data analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) and partial least squares (PLS) estimation. The findings revealed that LE3 (Central-Level Leadership Commitment) had the strongest direct impact on management performance (MP) and mediated the relationships between other leadership dimensions and management outcomes. This study contributes to the theoretical understanding of leadership in RUC management by highlighting the centrality of leadership commitment and offering practical insights for improving leadership practices to enhance organizational performance in infrastructure management.

The major goal of decisions made by a business organization is to enhance business performance. These days, owners, managers and other stakeholders are seeking for opportunities of modelling and automating decisions by analysing the most recent data with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). This study outlines a simple theoretical model framework using internal and external information on current and potential clients and performing calculations followed by immediate updating of contracting probabilities after each sales attempt. This can help increase sales efficiency, revenues, and profits in an easily programmable way and serve as a basis for focusing on the most promising deals customising personal offers of best-selling products for each potential client. The search for new customers is supported by the continuous and systematic collection and analysis of external and internal statistical data, organising them into a unified database, and using a decision support model based on it. As an illustration, the paper presents a fictitious model setup and simulations for an insurance company considering different regions, age groups and genders of clients when analysing probabilities of contracting, average sales and profits per contract. The elements of the model, however, can be generalised or adjusted to any sector. Results show that dynamic targeting strategies based on model calculations and most current information outperform static or non-targeted actions. The process from data to decision-making to improve business performance and the decision itself can be easily algorithmised. The feedback of the results into the model carries the potential for automated self-learning and self-correction. The proposed framework can serve as a basis for a self-sustaining artificial business intelligence system.

E-learning has become an integral part of higher education, significantly influencing the teaching and learning landscape. This study investigates the impact of student characteristics such as gender, grade, and major on E-learning satisfaction. Utilizing Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and collecting data through 527 valid questionnaires from Nanjing Normal University students, this research reveals the nuanced relationships between these variables and E-learning satisfaction. The findings indicate that gender, grade, and major significantly and positively impact student satisfaction with E-learning, highlighting the need for tailored E-learning resources to meet diverse student needs. The study underscores the importance of continuous improvement in E-learning resources and platforms to enhance student satisfaction. This research contributes to the understanding of effective E-learning strategies in higher education institutions.