This study aims to investigate what influences local workers over the age of 40 to work and stay employed in oil palm plantations. 414 individuals participated in a face-to-face interview that provided the study’s primary source of data. Exploratory Factor Analysis was used to analyse the given data. The study revealed that factors influencing local workers over the age of 40 years to leave or continue working in oil palm plantations can be classified as income factors, internal factors and external factors. The income factor was the most significant factor as the percentage variance explained by the factor was 26.792% and Cronbach Alpha was high at 0.870. Therefore, the study suggested that the oil palm plantation managements pay more attention to income elements such as basic salary, wage rate paid to the workers and allowance given to the workers since these elements contribute to the monthly total income received by the workers and in turn be able to attract more local workers to work and remain in the plantations.

The use of firearms, their frequency, and legitimacy through self-defence and extreme necessity are socially relevant in Czechia and Slovakia. Legal firearm ownership for defence purposes impacts overall social security, influenced by factors like firearm legislation, cultural traditions, legal awareness, and violent crime rates. Understanding this issue requires considering subjective interpretations, even among security experts. This paper explores the theoretical foundations of self-defence and extreme necessity from criminal law, alongside practical implications supported by police statistics on violent crimes involving firearms in Czechia and Slovakia. It also includes a comparison with selected EU countries. The authors’ research uses a questionnaire to assess attitudes towards choosing defensive firearms, preparation for firearms licensure, and potential support for state security forces. The findings provide insights into legal firearm owners’ behaviours and attitudes toward defence and security. The study aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of firearm use for self-defence, correlating training, weapon preferences, and willingness to enhance state security.

Creating products and services that satisfy individual and community needs is impossible without raw materials. This study takes a novel approach by integrating the economic dynamics and raw material consumption indicators of the European Union (EU). The study uses different econometric methods to analyze the relationship between GDP (gross domestic product) and the EU’s raw material consumption (RMC) from 2014–2023. Among the results, the panel data analysis model shows that the resource productivity of the EU improved during the period under review, whereas the material intensity decreased significantly. These trends significantly contributed to the relative decoupling of material consumption from GDP in the last decade. The results of the K-means cluster analysis highlight the regional economic differences within the EU. According to the results of the correlation analysis, EU member countries differ significantly in the efficiency of raw material use. Nevertheless, five member countries are robustly vulnerable to large-scale raw material use. The divergence calculation results show that while some countries use raw materials extremely efficiently to produce GDP, others achieve low efficiency. This unique approach and the resulting findings provide a new perspective on the complex relationship between economic growth and raw material use in the EU.

Our study is based on the premise that every crisis has historical precedents and antecedents. First, we analyze past crises, beginning with the experiences of the Dutch tulip bulb crisis. Then, we review major cataclysms, such as World War I, the Spanish flu crisis, the Great Depression of 1929–1933, World War II and the subsequent transition to socialism, the 1973 oil shock, the regime change of 1989, and the 2008–2009 global financial crisis from both general and corporate perspectives. Throughout history, periods of crisis have alternated with phases of development. During times of crisis, people’s behavior changes as they search for solutions and support. This pattern is evident across all levels of economic activity, where governments, organizations, and individuals do their utmost to achieve a quick recovery. Sometimes, they look to external aid, forgetting that lessons from the past may provide guidance for crisis management. Without claiming to be exhaustive, we have identified points worthy of consideration. Our goal is to offer guidance for business organizations, complemented by thoughts addressed to individuals and governments alike. Organizations must pay attention to the first signs of crises and either proceed according to a pre-developed fitting strategy or revise it according to specific circumstances. They cannot avoid the consequences, but they can mitigate the negative effects.

The study employed a qualitative approach to determine the influence and effectiveness of storytelling in shaping the Alpha generation’s buying decisions and consumption behaviours. The students of the University of Lagos Junior Secondary School were selected for the study. The interview questions were set to focus on factors like experiences, sources of storytelling communication, the outcomes and the affective effects. Twenty-five students were purposively selected out of one hundred and twelve (112) population for the interview based on the conditions for selection. Thematic analysis was used and a total of 244 themes were identified. Four (4) major themes were later identified in thematic synthesis through coding translation. The findings revealed that storytelling is effective and strategic in brands targeted at the Alpha generation, hence, the generation relied on storytelling to choose brands in convenience, impulsive and shopping products, and radio and television were the main sources of storytelling campaigns among the generation. Storytelling wrapped in songs, entertainment, dancing, drama, etc. captivated and influenced the generation, and children used the information from the storytelling campaigns to influence family purchase decisions and parents’ buying decisions and behaviours.

The study examines the acceptance and sustainability of vegetarian, vegan, and flexitarian diets, focusing on the health and environmental benefits of reducing animal-derived proteins. Our objective was to investigate the level of acceptance of these dietary trends across different age groups and health statuses and understand how sustainability awareness and health consciousness impact dietary decisions. We used a mixed-method approach to achieve this, conducting eight in-depth interviews and a survey with 329 participants from various demographic backgrounds. Our qualitative analysis revealed that individual and family health consciousness, along with sustainability considerations, play a significant role in dietary choices, particularly among younger generations who are more open to sustainable eating. Quantitative results show that access to information and educational resources strongly influences dietary decisions, further supporting the spread of environmentally conscious eating habits. The practical significance of our research lies in highlighting the importance of educational campaigns and public health policies that can foster broader societal acceptance of sustainable diets. Educational institutions and community organizations can help facilitate the transfer of knowledge necessary for adopting such diets. Our findings emphasize the role of targeted communication strategies in increasing awareness of the benefits of plant-based diets. Furthermore, these insights underline the potential of policy interventions to make sustainable food choices more accessible and appealing to a wider population. Future research could focus on exploring economic incentives and examining long-term health and environmental outcomes associated with these diets.