As China’s urbanisation continues, the building area is expanding, of which the occupancy of rural residential buildings is also very large. However, most rural buildings have poor thermal performance. This paper analyses the energy-saving potential of green facades for rural buildings in China by simulating typical buildings with different types of facades in rural China. The simulation results show that indirect green façades can achieve good energy savings. Buildings with four types of facades: red brick, rubble, hollow brick, and concrete achieve energy savings of 18.39%, 17.85%, 14.47%, and 11.52%, respectively, after retrofitting with green facades.

This study determines the efficiency and productivity of Mexico’s urban and rural municipalities in generating economic welfare between 1990 and 2020. It establishes the incidence of context and space on efficiency, using Data Envelopment Analysis, the Malmquist-Luenberger Metafrontier Productivity Index, and Nonparametric Regression. The results indicate that 4 of the 2456 municipalities analyzed were efficient, that productivity increased, and that context and space influenced efficiency. This highlights the need for policies that optimize resource utilization, enhance investment in education, stimulate local business development, encourage inter-municipal cooperation, reduce rural-urban disparities, and promote sustainability.

Global economic competition is leading companies to improve their competitiveness by increasing production and eliminating the main obstacles to the process of making products available. This approach concerns both SMEs and SMIs as well as multinationals. Thus, the Compagnie Minière de l’Ogooué (COMILOG), a subsidiary of the French group ERAMET, which until recently had a monopoly on manganese mining in Gabon, must now face competition from Asian operators. To export its ore, COMILOG must first transport it by rail for nearly 650 km, from the Moanda site (south-east of the country) to the port of Owendo. However, port operations, which until then took place exclusively during the day, limited the company’s export capacities and the profits made, while increasing the stopover time of ships and their operating costs. To remedy this, the French company introduced nighttime docking and departures. This work addresses the challenges of the performance of port operations at the Owendo ore terminal and the security and natural risks of night manoeuvres. The general objective of the study is to assess the impact of these night services on ship traffic, on the one hand, and to identify the related socio-economic and security issues, on the other hand. Data collection was carried out using documentary research in libraries and research centres, consultation of websites, semi-directed interviews, questionnaire surveys and participatory observation. The sample of 50 people surveyed took into account management staff, supervisors and line managers, integrating the diversity of actors involved in the processing of ships calling at the port of Owendo. Finally, the surveys attest to a clear reduction in the time spent by ships at the Owendo Ore Port and an increase in their number calling. They also confirm the improvement in tonnages embarked and the improvement in turnover achieved by COMILOG. This study led to the conclusion that the introduction of night manoeuvres at the port of Owendo allowed COMILOG to increase its exports and the number of ore carriers received in stopover and then improve its turnover.

This study aims to explore the factors influencing people’s intention to use home fitness mobile apps in the post-pandemic era. By incorporating the perspective of playfulness into the decomposed theory of planned behavior, it seeks to construct a behavioral model for the public's use of AR sports games for home exercise. The research focuses on Active Arcade users residing in Taiwan, employing the snowball sampling method to conduct an online questionnaire survey. A total of 340 valid questionnaires were collected and analyzed using linear structural equations. The study reveals three main findings: first, the behavioral model for Active Arcade users constructed based on the decomposed theory of planned behavior demonstrates a good fit; second, users’ attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control have a positive and significant impact on behavioral intention; third, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and perceived playfulness all positively and significantly influence attitudes, with perceived playfulness having the highest impact coefficient; fourth, perceived benefits of exercise are the most crucial factor affecting subjective norms; and fifth, convenience technologies are the key factor influencing perceived behavioral control. This study provides valuable insights for theory and management practice, offering guidance on the use of home fitness apps in the post-pandemic era while addressing research limitations and suggesting future directions.

Personal branding is a conscious activity that utilizes classic product marketing methods to make a person more marketable. In our study, we employed a quantitative research methodology. Through a survey, we examined the importance respondents assign to visible and non-visible traits and characteristics. During the data analysis, we established a ranking of the most important traits identified by the survey participants, which they believe contribute to a more favorable perception. Among the top five ranked traits—reliability, appearance, charisma, grooming, and authenticity—three are recognizable during the first encounter. Our findings suggest that women place greater emphasis on social perception than men, making them more likely to remain unnoticed. At the same time, younger generations tend to overvalue their presence on social media platforms.

This study investigates the career expectations of individuals in Thailand’s emerging economy, emphasizing the critical factors that shape these expectations within the context of a rapidly evolving labour market in the digital era. A quantitative approach was employed, collecting data from 1230 Thai respondents through convenience sampling, utilizing a structured survey as the primary research instrument. Data analysis involved the use of percentages, means and logistic regression to provide a comprehensive understanding of the findings. The results indicate that factors such as gender, age, monthly income, professional identity, values, culture and technology usage (including devices like laptops, social media platforms, home internet access and usage hours) significantly influence career expectations. Understanding these influential factors is crucial for developing targeted strategies to enhance career satisfaction, preparedness and overall competitiveness in an increasingly globalized and digital economy. By addressing the unique needs and aspirations of the Thai workforce, particularly in this digital age, stakeholders can cultivate a more responsive and adaptive professional environment, ultimately contributing to national economic growth in the digital era.

This study addresses the critical issue of employee turnover intention within Malaysia’s manufacturing sector, focusing on the semiconductor industry, a pivotal component of the inclusive economy growth. The research aims to unveil the determinants of employee turnover intentions through a comprehensive analysis encompassing compensation, career development, work-life balance, and leadership style. Utilizing Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory as a theoretical framework, the study hypothesizes that motivators (e.g., career development, recognition) and hygiene factors (e.g., compensation, working conditions) significantly influence employees’ intentions to leave. The quantitative research methodology employs a descriptive correlation design to investigate the relationships between the specified variables and turnover intention. Data was collected from executives and managers in northern Malaysia’s semiconductor industry, revealing that compensation, rewards, and work-life balance are significant predictors of turnover intention. At the same time, career development and transformational leadership style show no substantial impact. The findings suggest that manufacturing firms must reevaluate their compensation strategies, foster a conducive work-life balance, and consider a diverse workforce’s evolving needs and expectations to mitigate turnover rates. This study contributes to academic discourse by filling gaps in current literature and offers practical implications for industry stakeholders aiming to enhance employee retention and organizational competitiveness.