Technological advancements are transforming agriculture, yet adoption rates among agricultural extension officers, especially in regions like West Java, remain modest due to several challenges. This study applies the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to investigate factors influencing the adoption of agricultural technologies by agricultural extension officers in West Java. Specifically, we explore the role of socialization, training, access to technology, cost, perceived ease of use, and perceived usefulness in shaping behavioral intention and actual adoption. Data were collected from 295 agricultural extension officers via structured surveys and analyzed using SmartPLS 4 software. The findings indicate that socialization and training collectively enhance both perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness, while Technology Investment Worth specifically enhances perceived usefulness by emphasizing the value of the investment. Access to technology also plays a critical role in increasing ease of use perceptions. Both perceived ease of use and usefulness positively influence behavioral intention, which in turn is a strong predictor of actual adoption. The results provide valuable insights for policymakers aiming to increase technology uptake among agricultural extension officers, promoting sustainable agricultural practices through improved access, support, and cost reduction initiatives.

The causation conundrum in climate change litigation has long plagued the legal and scientific communities. This article explores the role of climate attribution theory in solving the loss and damage causation puzzle in climate change litigation. First, it describes the limitations of traditional causation theories in climate change litigation and analyzes the performance of emerging theories, such as the “substantial contribution” theory and the “market share” theory, in addressing this issue. The paper then evaluates the application of climate attribution theory in actual litigation through specific case studies and puts forward a series of policy recommendations. These include strengthening funding and support for climate attribution research, establishing a platform for interdisciplinary cooperation, developing a unified standard of proof, promoting public and judicial education, and promoting the improvement of the international legal framework. Finally, the paper points out the main problems and limitations in the application of climate attribution theory and proposes key directions for future research. The paper posits that by fostering continuous scientific research and enhancing the legal framework, climate attribution theory will assume a more prominent role in climate change litigation and facilitate the process of global climate governance.

Orientation: Rewards are integral to keeping employees happy, efficient and engaged in their work. Thus, the engagement of academic staff within higher education institutions has become a top priority for organisational productivity and competitiveness. Research purpose: This study investigated the impact of total rewards on work engagement among the academic staff at a South African higher education institution. Motivation for the study: Engagement of academic staff is vital as higher education institutions are influential in the country’s development. Literature, however, has shown that most studies on total rewards and work engagement focus on sectors such as financial institutions, the mining industry and others. However, few reports have been on total rewards and work engagement in higher education. Research design, approach and method: This study employed a cross-sectional survey design, following a quantitative approach. From a population of 100 academic staff, 74 respondents responded to a self-administered questionnaire. Main findings: The results show a positive relationship between two dimensions of total rewards (work-home integration and quality work environment) and work engagement. However, no relationship was found between base pay, benefits, performance and career management, and work engagement. From the five dimensions of total rewards, a quality work environment was the only significant predictor of work engagement. Contribution: The study provides theoretical contributions through new literature and possible recommendations. The study may guide management in developing a rewards strategy that can promote staff work engagement.

This study aims to examine the mediating role of institutional trust (IT) between perceived corruption and subjective well-being (SWB) using data from 1566 households in a developing country. It deploys ordinary least square (OLS) and an ordered logit model within the generalized structural equation model. Results show that individuals who perceived no corruption in a country report more IT and higher levels of SWB. Furthermore, the direct effects of good governance, perceived IT, and the absence of corruption on SWB is also positive. Moreover, satisfaction with hospital services also improves happiness and life satisfaction levels. This study improves and validates how corruption is assessed to support future measures that reduce its harmful effects. Moreover, the masses must have widespread awareness about the critical nature of corruption and IT relative to well-being. This study also highlights the need to develop strong institutions to improve trust and minimize corruption.

The COVID-19 crisis, which occurred in 2020, brought crisis events back to the attention of scholars. With the increasing frequency of crisis events, the influence of crisis events on stock markets has become more obvious. This paper focuses on the impact of the subprime crisis, the Chinese stock market crash crisis and the COVID-19 crisis on the volatility and risk of the world’s major stock markets. In this paper, we first fit the volatility using EGARCH model and detect asymmetry of volatility. After that, a VaR model is calculated on the basis of EGARCH to measure the impact of the crisis event on the risk of stock markets. This paper finds that the subprime crisis has a significant influence on the risk of the stock market in China, US, South Korea, and Japan. During the COVID-19 crisis, there was little change in the average risk of each country. But at the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, there was a significant increase in the risk of each country’s stock market. The Chinese stock market crash crisis had a more pronounced effect on the Chinese and Japanese stock markets and a lesser effect on the US and Korean stock markets.

Climate change is occurring more quickly and has more complex effects than expected. The well-being of populations in general and financial resources have been impacted by climate change in recent years. Children, pregnant women and the elderly bear the brunt of the impacts caused by climate-related risks. This research aims to assess the perceptions of health personnel and clients on climate change as well as these impacts in the Greater Lomé health region in Togo. Furthermore, this research examines the differences between the perceptions of caregivers, patients and scientific observations in this area. Based on field observations, an interview guide and a questionnaire, the information collected shows that nearly 75.95% of those questioned perceived climate change, particularly in the form of an increase in precipitation concentrated on a cost duration causing floods and the scarcity of rain at the end of the year leading to droughts. More than 25.40% and 61.86% respectively perceive that droughts and floods impact their livelihoods, but do not fully understand the causes. The results are useful for planning useful actions to facilitate the management of climate-related risks in health establishments in the Greater Lomé health region. It is therefore important to carry out awareness campaigns, train stakeholders and take necessary measures to make health systems resilient.

The improper disposal of litter by tourists poses a significant threat to tourism destinations worldwide, including in Indonesia. To mitigate marine litter, promoting eco-friendly behavior (EFB) among tourists is essential. This study applies the extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), which posits that an individual’s behavior is driven by their attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, to better understand the factors influencing eco-friendly behavioral intentions. In this research, ecological consciousness and ecological knowledge were added to the traditional TPB framework to gain deeper insights into tourist behavior. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire from 876 visitors to Lake Singkarak, Indonesia. The findings demonstrate that the inclusion of ecological consciousness and ecological knowledge significantly enhances the predictive power of the TPB model in explaining eco-friendly behavioral intentions. Based on these results, raising public awareness, improving government management, and enhancing the quality of lake attractions are recommended to encourage responsible tourism. These measures can reduce litter and conserve lake habitats, ultimately contributing to the sustainability of tourism in the region.