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This paper aims to explore how recently designed and built urban public spaces in Estonia address the concept of age-friendly environments and consider older adults as users of these spaces. This paper presents the evaluation of public spaces built as a result of urban design competitions in ten small towns of Estonia from 2014 until today.

This study explored and assessed how contemporary urban outdoor places meet the needs of older adults. For this purpose, this study developed an assessment instrument of age-friendly environment principles based on various sources and conducted fieldworks.

This study assumed that the needs of older adults were considered during the design competition and construction, as all towns of competition areas have a significant aging population. The findings suggest that various fundamental principles of universal or age-friendly design are not met, and there are areas of improvement in the inclusive design for all people that supports healthy aging.

This study can be used as improvement tool for current places in Estonia and basis for future design projects to make public places more age-friendly, specifically senior-friendly.

This study examined the revisit intention of tourists in Muslim-friendly hotels in nexus with Halal-friendly hotel attributes (social environment, facilities, food and beverage, locals and staff, and services), corporate image, customer engagement, perceived value, and service encounter evaluation. It further examined the mediating role of corporate image, customer engagement and perceived value between Halal-friendly hotel attributes and service encounter evaluation.

Using a structured survey instrument, 390 valid responses were gathered from international tourists who visited Malaysia. The collected data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares – Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to test the assumed relationships.

The research shows that corporate image (CI), customer engagement (CE), and perceived value (PV) are directly influenced by Halal-friendly hotel attributes (HFHA) and exert influence on service encounter evaluation (SEE). Findings also suggest the mediating effect of CI, CE, and PV between HFHA and SEE. SEE further positively and significantly enhances the revisit intention and positive word-of-mouth.

The findings of this study stipulate that hotel owners should ensure the presence of HFHA in their offers to retain their existing guests and ensure their positive communication towards potential visitors through developing a fascinating image, engagement, and lucrative value.

Grounded on the attribution theory, this study contributes to the Halal tourism literature by exploring the role of Halal-friendly hotel attributes in enhancing the hotel’s image, customer engagement, and perceived value to enhance positive service encounter evaluation and revisiting intention for the hotel.

The growth of sustainable tourism has emerged as a major topic of discussion on a global scale, and the hospitality industry is playing a crucial part in the achievement of this goal. The hospitality industry in China is experiencing rapid growth, and with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI), the country may be able to realize sustainable growth in the tourism sector. Within the context of the Chinese hospitality industry, this chapter investigated the role AI plays in promoting sustainable tourism and how the Chinese government is supporting the hospitality industry in doing so. Sustainable tourism practices increase travellers' trip experiences while protecting the environment and local people; however, China could invest more in AI technology to promote sustainable tourism, which might benefit the economy, environment and society. This chapter examines AI deployment in the Chinese hotel industry and its challenges and benefits. AI technology can increase service quality, operational efficiency and hospitality operators' competitiveness, according to the authors. AI application requires careful consideration of employee training, ethics and customer privacy.

This paper aims to explore how sub-national or regional cultural differences influence backers’ willingness to crowdfund projects. The paper also explores how migrant transnationalism influences the impact of backer’s sub-national culture and crowdfunding relationships.

This paper is based on the experimental design technique using analysis of covariance methods. The authors tested the study hypotheses on a sample of 790 respondents.

The study results suggest that individuals differ in their intent to crowdfund product campaigns depending on value congruence between their cultural values derived from the region to which they belong and the nature of the product category, such as environmentally friendly or happiness-enhancing products.

This paper explores the role of regional cultural differences in determining the intention to crowdfund different campaigns based on the nature of the product. Value congruence, as driven by regional cultural differences with crowdfunding campaigns, has not been explored before.

Due to population ageing, the European Union (EU) has adopted active ageing as a guiding principle in labour and retirement policies. Among the strategies for active ageing, age-friendly workplaces play a crucial role. This study compares age-friendly human resource (HR) practices in the Baltic and Nordic countries. The latter are pioneers in active ageing, and as the employment rate of older employees in the Baltics is like that in the Nordic countries, we may assume equally age-friendly workplaces in both regions.

We used the latest CRANET survey data (2021–2022) from 1,452 large firms in seven countries and constructed the fuzzy logic model on age-friendliness at the workplace.

Despite a high employment rate of older individuals in the Baltics, HR practices in these countries fall short of being age-friendly compared to their Nordic counterparts. Larger firms in the Nordic countries excel in every studied aspect, but deficiencies in the Baltics are primarily attributed to the absence of employer-provided health and pension schemes. The usage of early retirement is more frequent in the Nordic countries; however, its conceptualisation as an age-friendly HR practice deserves closer examination. Our findings suggest that the success of active ageing in employment has translated into age-friendly HR practices in larger organisations in the Nordics, but not in the Baltics. It is likely that high employment of older individuals in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania is a result of the relative income poverty rate.

Our model represents one of the few attempts to utilise fuzzy logic methodology for studying human resource practices and their quantitative evaluation, especially concerning age-friendly workplaces.

In this study, we evaluated university students’ attitudes towards environmental issues, with a particular focus on the cohort’s understanding of climate change and knowledge of environmental issues. We also explored whether students’ gender or university major (natural sciences vs humanities and social sciences) impact attitudes to environmental issues.

We surveyed undergraduate students (n = 1,310) using an online questionnaire comprising 17 statements that reflect attitudes towards environmental concerns. This questionnaire was constructed using a 5-point Likert Scale and was tested for reliability and validity to ensure its precision and consistency in assessing the targeted constructs.

The results revealed that the surveyed students had a medium level of positive attitudes towards the environment. While no significant differences based on gender were observed, students from different university majors significantly differed in the degree to which they endorsed positive attitudes towards the environment, with those majoring in natural sciences reporting stronger attitudes to environmental issues. These findings warrant the implementation of mandatory courses on the environment at UAE universities so as to enhance students’ awareness and foster positive attitudes towards the environment.

Unlike previous studies that may have focused narrowly on specific environmental attitudes or behaviors, this research offers a broad yet detailed assessment by incorporating factors such as students' academic majors and gender. By comparing attitudes across different fields of study—natural sciences versus humanities and social sciences, the study provides new insights into how educational background and demographic variables shape environmental perceptions. This approach allows for a more nuanced understanding of the factors that influence environmental attitudes among young adults, potentially guiding more targeted educational interventions.

Ecological degradation is causing various medical hazards worldwide. Modern globalization is enhancing several polluting factors that cause ecosystem deterioration. This situation leads to the increasing significance of implementing green environmental practices. Previous studies emphasize various green concepts, mainly in finance, encouraging investors to make ethical and responsible decisions to promote clean ecological practices. But still, emerging concepts like socially responsible investment (SRI) require more understanding and acknowledgment, particularly in developing economies.

This study has focused on exploring the impediments to SRI-adopting practices. It is conducted in two phases. Initially, a systematic literature review was conducted to identify the hurdles in promoting SRI. Later, open-ended interviews from the active investors of Pakistan Stock Exchange Limited were executed to explore the barriers to implementing the SRI system. The responses were transcribed and tested through NVivo software.

The information extracted from the recorded statements was further classified into three themes: initial, subordinate and cluster, which provides an understanding of the identified factors. The findings suggest that the significant complications hindering SRI are a lack of regulatory framework, inadequate conceptual knowledge and limited resources.

The findings state that the identified impediments can help in developing a framework for successfully implementing SRI practices in emerging economies. It can strengthen the stakeholders' knowledge and suggest a guideline for investment decisions, providing them with socially, ethically and financially positive returns. Therefore, this study will inspire active and potential investors to adopt SRI practices, making the economic uplift certain.

This study will add value to the existing body of knowledge related to SRI and highlight the importance of SRI by suggesting it as a source to ensure sustainable green efficiency, particularly in the postpandemic era. It emphasizes the urgent need for a policy framework for effective investment decisions in emerging economies.

As technology becomes more widely accessible, there is a growing concern about internet gaming disorder (IGD) around the world. The aim of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of IGD and also assess the effects of depression, anxiety, stress and insomnia levels on the IGD of youths in Bangladesh.

A cross-sectional quantitative study design was used to collect data from the youths of different locations in Bangladesh between October 21, 2023 and January 15, 2024. A total of 501 samples were collected using the convenience sampling technique. The following measurement scales were Internet Gaming Disorder Scale short form, depression, anxiety and stress scales and insomnia severity index, which were used to assess scores for IGD, psychological distress and insomnia, respectively.

The study found that the prevalence of IGD was 9.8%. IGD was shown to be significantly associated with depression, anxiety and stress. Aside from that, IGD and insomnia had a significant association, as did a friendly family environment.

The generalizability of the results could be improved by conducting additional studies with a more diverse sample, such as the general population or a different age group.

The study will help the government reduce the prevalence of IGD, improving the mental and physical health of youth.

No research has been conducted on youth and different professions in Bangladesh. There has also been very little research on the prevalence of gaming addiction and mental health.

In the recent few decades, there has been a rampant increase in the demand of sustainable food products around the world because of high cognizance of consumers toward environment and health. Asian countries, especially India and China, are also expecting a tremendous boost in the domestic demand for organic food products in the upcoming few years. Therefore, it becomes pertinent to explore the factors affecting the purchase intention behavior of organic food items, especially in emerging economies, i.e. India. Hence, the paper aims to explore the factors driving the purchase decision of organic consumers by collecting data set from 603 organic food item consumers in India.

The study has applied advanced statistical tools, i.e. structural equation modeling, Harman’s single factor test and other statistical measures, to analyze the collected research data.

The results posit that consumers’ purchase intention has a favorable impact on health aspects; trustworthiness; social innovativeness; functional value; subjective norms and organic product knowledge. Moreover, the result explicates that health consciousness and trustworthiness are vital predictors of organic food purchase intention.

The findings may assist the producers, processors, marketers, policymakers and regulators in devising appropriate policies and strategies for comprehending the complex phenomenon of organic consumers’ purchase behavior.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to explore the drivers of purchase intention of organic food items by collecting data from well-defined consumers of organic food items in India.

This paper aimed to study business model innovation by a work-integration social enterprise (WISE). Specifically, the study investigated how the organization developed novel value propositions and created and delivered value for multiple stakeholders.

An in-depth qualitative study was conducted at Foreword, a for-profit organization that uses persons with disabilities, mental health conditions and special needs. Data was drawn from semi-structured interviews with stakeholders of the organization and several secondary information sources.

The authors’ inductive analysis revealed the existence of an innovative and powerful business model that is integrated by the organization’s overarching social mission and anchors its ability to deal with multiple conflicting logics such as economic, social, ecological sustainability and community development, to co-create value with and for multiple stakeholders.

The study underscores the need for business model innovation through enhancing value creation for multiple stakeholders for for-profit WISEs. Since the analysis and resulting model in the study are based on a single organization in a geographically small, affluent country with a hands-on government, they may need to be modified before applying in other contexts.

The study identifies several pointers for other social enterprises – specifically the need for managers to build business models appropriate for their organizational and environmental contexts.

The study’s originality stems from the adoption of a stakeholder lens to examine business model innovation. It also proposes an integrative conceptual model of the antecedents and outcomes of business model innovation.