Search results

We aimed to determine how remote management support (MS) practices and staff diversity influenced employee performance (EP) within the digital workplace (DW) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The article highlights the challenges managers face in achieving EP in the DW compared to traditional work environments.

We developed a theoretical model (MS→DW→EP) and tested it based on the computer-assisted web interview (CAWI) conducted in mid-2022. Factors of primary, secondary and organizational diversity moderated the relationship between the variables. We purposely selected a sample of 1,000 respondents with remote working experience.

The results show that the DW partially mediates the relationship between MS and EP. The greater the uncertainty in managing people, the more flexibility, trust and job satisfaction required in the DW to achieve EP. Organizational diversity influenced the model more (i.e. teamwork vs individual work) than the primary and secondary diversity (i.e. gender and education).

Although the sample size was large, we cannot consider it statistically representative.

Zoomers and Millennials reflect full mediation in the model that supports EP.

Broader work autonomy, smaller organizations and teams as well as hybrid work arrangements, reduce the necessity for in-person meetings with superiors.

Supervisors had to reduce control over the DW while expanding organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) to enhance job satisfaction and thus ensure the expected EP during the pandemic. We may consider allowing an employee to postpone work as a new managerial activity within MS.

In this research, we explore the dynamics among measures of income inequality in the USA, male and female unemployment rates, and growth in government transfer using time series data.

This research adopts a macro-econometric approach to estimate a structural VAR model using time series data.

Our structural impulse responses found that growth in government transfer increases unemployment rates for both males and females. Female income inequality declines with increased government transfer. When the female income ratio rises, we observe that government transfer outlays fall over the forecast horizon. Variance decomposition finds that growth in government transfers is impacted by the male unemployment rate relatively more than the female unemployment rate. This research, therefore, suggests gender-specific government transfers to reduce income inequality. This, in effect, may reduce government transfer outlays over time.

This research, therefore, suggests gender-specific government transfers to reduce income inequality. This, in effect, may reduce government transfer outlays over time.

This research investigates the dynamics among income inequality, government transfer, and unemployment rates. There is a dearth of research articles that adopt a macro-econometric in this area.

Public opinion regarding autonomous vehicles (AV) heavily influences how quickly the technology will be implemented and adopted in the future. However, there is a dearth of empirical evaluations in the literature about riders' perceptions toward service characteristics of shared autonomous vehicles (SAVs) and their attitudes toward developing AVs. Therefore, the aim of this study is to identify attitudes, views and concerns regarding a self-driving demonstration called RAPID (Rideshare, Automation and Payment Integration Demonstration) incorporated with an already-existing on-demand ridesharing service in Arlington, Texas.

This study developed a ridership survey to collect data from those who had experience using the service at least once during the service deployment. As the RAPID service operations were restricted to the areas near the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) campus, sample population of this study is highly skewed with all participants being affiliated with UTA.

Findings indicated that survey respondents positively perceived the service features, including comfort, boarding the vehicles, ride safety, booking and scheduling, vehicle speed, climate control and service cost. To complement the survey results, the authors conducted interviews and a focus group study and used conventional content analysis to gain more in-depth insights about RAPID service operations from the perspectives of users and non-users in the post-implementation period. The results indicated that geographic accessibility, service availability and trip cost were the primary concerns of the focus group participants.

This study offers critical insights into individual attitudes and perceptions toward shared AVs (SAVs) that will assist local, state and federal transit authorities and planners in formulating policies and transportation strategies to target SAV ridership when the service is more widespread.

This study looked at the potential applications of geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) for inclusive community development and participation, sustainable tourism, and rural community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) in sub-Saharan Africa and other rural areas worldwide.

To evaluate resource management systems for rural tourism and the environment in Africa and abroad. The study makes use of reviews of relevant literature and documents, and while linking applications for sustainable tourism and local community empowerment with CBNRM and GIS, vital content was manually analyzed.

The study shows a potential affinity between agricultural and tourism businesses that GIS in line with the CBNRM conception can strengthen. In many rural and underdeveloped regions of the continent, this highlights the need for a credible and varied tourism strategy to develop and empower the relevant communities.

Most agricultural communities in Africa are located in low-income regions. Such areas are rich in natural wildlife and have popular tourist destinations. A mix of regional community development initiatives can be built using GIS, sustainable tourism, CBNRM, and community-based tourism (CBT).

This current review examines the scientific literature report on non-timber forest products (NTFPs) commercialisation and forest conservation in different jurisdictions.

A systematic review using Scopus-indexed articles on NTFP commercialisation and forest conservation was done using the PRISMA framework.

The review categorised the factors influencing the commercialisation of NTFPs and forest conservation into five broad factors and sub-factors: socioeconomic, market-based, ecosystem, cultural and institutional factors. The scholarly publications on NTFP commercialisation and forest conservation have been undulating, with two years recording no publication on the subject matter under review. Besides, China and India in Asia are leading in the number of publications on NTFPs’ commercialisation. The review revealed ambivalence and symbiotic relationship among the factors influencing the commercialisation of NTFPs and forest conservation. Specifically, tenure arrangement, strict regulations to forest entry, market information asymmetry, bureaucracy in certification acquisition, seasonality and distance were identified as barriers to NTFPs’ commercialisation. While market demands for NTFPs increased, NTFPs’ prices and unsustainable harvesting activities were threats to forest conservation. Policymakers should focus on safeguarding customary property rights and indigenous knowledge in forest conservation, designing workable capacity-building schemes for NTFP entrepreneurs and reducing the cost and processes in certification acquisition.

There are reviews on NTFPs’ commercialisation and livelihoods, but a synergy between NTFPs’ commercialisation and forest conservation for forest policy direction is yet to be done in the literature. Also, while earlier studies systematically reviewed literature on NTFPs’ commercialisation, they did not relate the studies to forest conservation.

This study aims to understand the investments made by Indian MNCs in different tax havens to optimize their tax liabilities. The study also aims to provide insights into the conceptual framework of such practices, highlighting potential benefits and risks and providing policy recommendations that promote transparency, fairness and sustainable economic practices.

The study involves a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches. The quantitative aspect analyzes investments made by Nifty 50 companies in tax haven jurisdictions from the financial data of the parent company from 2019 to 2023. The qualitative aspect involves a conceptual framework developed from previous studies and examining the role of various organizations in combating tax avoidance. This mixed-method approach enables a comprehensive understanding of the motivations, impacts and regulatory responses related to the use of tax havens.

The paper provides conceptual and descriptive insights on investments made by Indian MNCs in tax havens during 2019–21 to save tax. The study suggests that while investing in tax havens, businesses give more priority to ease of doing business and other considerations such as a lower tax rate.

The present study suggests policymakers about the effectiveness of current tax laws and their enforcement, highlighting loopholes and potential avenues for modification.

This paper assesses the reasons for Indian MNCs starting subsidiaries and making investments in different tax haven jurisdictions and suggests appropriate measures to avoid the menace of tax havens.

This research aims to analyze the primary social factors influencing the mental health and happiness of older adults. Specifically, the paper identifies the elements of social influences on the psychological well-being of elderly individuals.

Employing a quantitative research methodology, survey data were collected to examine the psychological well-being of older adults, utilizing SPSS software version 28.0 for data analysis.

Psychological well-being in the elderly is intricately linked to personal, cognitive, emotional and social aspects. Seniors experiencing reduced loneliness, ample communication opportunities, active social engagement and living with family members demonstrate higher levels of psychological well-being. Surprisingly, details of daily activities in senior age showed little impact on psychological well-being.

The research results may lack generalizability due to the chosen approach, prompting a need for further testing of proposed propositions.

This study fulfills an identified need to explore how psychological well-being is established in an elderly society, shedding light on critical social determinants.

The purpose of this review paper is to investigate the consequences of tourism development and economic growth within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, focusing specifically on Lao PDR post-pandemic. The adverse effect of COVID-19 on tourism and economic sectors has been pervasive across the ASEAN region, with varying degrees of impact. Some of these difficulties are set to continue, though there are positive signs of recovery and of the resilience of the tourism industry. Utilising case material from Lao PDR in Southeast Asia – an area frequently neglected in tourism studies – the paper sheds light on the post-pandemic landscape to address existing gaps in the current literature.

A case study approach was taken in this review paper, utilising secondary data such as media reports, official reports from Tourism Laos and international governing bodies like United Nations and the World Bank to form a viewpoint discussion in the Lao PDR post-pandemic condition.

This paper reveals that contrary to a long period of recovery post-pandemic, there has been a degree of continuity from the pre-pandemic period. Considerable numbers of backpackers have returned to Vang Vieng, along with Vientiane and Luang Prabang. While the pre-pandemic emphasis on mass tourism persists, there is also an increased focus on regional and domestic markets. Laos, with its strategic location and cross-border connections, aims to take advantage of this shift.

The paper highlights a detailed exploration of the Lao tourism industry post-pandemic. It goes beyond the initial expectations in literature of a complete transformation post-pandemic, highlighting the continuity in visitor sources and traditional tourist attractions. It emphasises the Lao PDR strategic position for market reorientation, providing insight into the nation’s adaptive strategies and a nuanced perspective on the evolving landscape of Lao tourism.

In today’s rapidly evolving work landscape, the design of office spaces is a crucial concern for organizations. Companies are redefining offices as collaboration hubs to entice employees back to in-person work. However, the understanding of how employees choose their workspaces, especially for collaborative activities, and how this should inform office design is lacking. Workers’ collaborative activity patterns can help better understand workspace choice behavior (WCB). In two studies, this paper aims to explore which characteristics of collaborative activities to consider when reshaping offices.

Data collected in a cross-sectional study design at a research institution (n = 285) and a university (n = 352) were used for confirmatory factor analyses and regression analysis.

The first study shows that collaborative activities can be classified into three distinct types: coordinative activities (planned and formal), deep collaboration (planned and complex) and spontaneous communication (informal and short encounters). The second study revalidates this classification and reveals patterns impacting WCB. Frequency and location preference of spontaneous communication and work environment satisfaction are strong predictors of on-site work. Personal characteristics like gender, age, managerial position or commute time are less consequential than assumed.

The results pinpoint guidelines for office designers and leaders in shaping effective workspaces and policies.

This paper provides new insights into classifying collaborative activities and personal characteristics, activity characteristics and environmental factors influencing WCB.