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This paper aims to investigate the role of collaborative leadership in government digital transformation in the Sultanate of Oman. To analyze collaborative leadership, the research examines four exogenous variables: self-directed team, power-sharing, relational intelligence and agility. The endogenous variable chosen to represent Oman's e-Government performance is organizational performance.

A quantitative method was applied to gather cross-sectional data in a questionnaire survey. Using a stratified sampling technique, the data were collected from 100 information and communication technology and e-government officials who assume leadership responsibilities. Partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) examined measurement and structural models.

The role of collaborative leadership in the performance of government digital transformation in the Sultanate of Oman was examined in this study. Collaborative leadership was categorized into four exogenous variables: self-directed team, power-sharing, relational intelligence and agility. Oman’s e-government performance operationalized as the organizational performance was selected as the endogenous variable. The results show that the self-directed team and agility components of collaborative leadership significantly positively impacted the performance of government digital transformation in the Sultanate of Oman.

The major limitation of this research was that the study covered only four collaborative leadership attributes: self-directed teams, power-sharing, relational intelligence and agility. The study should have covered building trust, commitment, emotional intelligence, vision and communication skills.

These results are important for government policy creators and decision-makers aiming to enhance government digital transformation performance by leveraging collaborative leadership.

Addressing collaborative leadership in management can be done through awareness of its importance to critical decision-makers and embedding it in the organization's governance, policies and human resource career path. In particular, it is recommended that public sector leaders continuously monitor self-managing teams and teamwork practices within the organization.

The originality and contribution of the above article lie in its investigation of the role of collaborative leadership in the context of government digital transformation in the Sultanate of Oman. The study contributes to the existing literature by examining the impact of four exogenous variables, self-directed team, power-sharing, relational intelligence and agility, on collaborative leadership. Additionally, the research uses a quantitative approach and uses PLS-SEM to analyze the data. The findings highlight the significant positive impact of self-directed team and agility components of collaborative leadership on the performance of government digital transformation. These insights provide valuable implications for government policy creators and decision-makers aiming to enhance digital transformation in the public sector by effectively implementing collaborative leadership strategies.

This study examines the impact of agricultural credit on rice farmers' technical efficiency (TE) in Côte d'Ivoire by considering the heterogeneity among credit sources.

A multistage sampling technique was used to collect data from 588 randomly sampled rice farmers in seven rice areas of the country. The authors use the endogenous stochastic frontier production (ESFP) model to account for the endogeneity of access to agricultural credit.

On the one hand, agricultural credit has a significant and positive impact on rice farmers' TE. Rice farmers receiving agricultural credit have an average of 5% increase in their TE, confirming the positive impact of agricultural credit on TE. On the other hand, the study provides evidence that the impact of credit on rice production efficiency differs depending on the source of credit. Borrowing from agricultural cooperatives and paddy rice buyers/processors positively and significantly influences the TE, while borrowing from microfinance institutions (MFIs) negatively and significantly influences the TE. Moreover, borrowing from relatives/friends does not significantly influence TE.

Future research can further explore the contribution of agricultural credit by including several agricultural productions and using panel data.

The study provides evidence that the impact of agricultural credit on agricultural production efficiency depends on the source of credit. This study contributes to the literature on the impact of agricultural credit and enlightens policymakers in the design of agricultural credit models in developing countries, particularly Côte d'Ivoire.

This paper aims to investigate the relationships between key mediators, namely, Muslim-friendly context and the intention of tourists to revisit edu-tourism destinations in Terengganu.

The study engages tourists and visitors who have explored seven distinct edu-tourism destinations, with a total sample size of 384 participants. Data analysis is conducted using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences and Analysis of Moment Structures for structural equation modeling.

Findings indicate that Muslim-friendly does not mediate the relationship between tourism operators, events and investment concerning tourists revisiting Terengganu. However, it plays a significant mediating role between local communities, educational institutions and tourism organizations.

Despite valuable insights, limitations arose due to a lack of Terengganu-specific literature on Muslim-friendliness in edu-tourism, leading to reliance on studies about Sharia-compliant hotels, the broader tourism industry and Islamic tourism.

The thriving halal tourism industry’s growth has heightened awareness of Muslim-friendly destinations, like Terengganu. The state actively promotes diverse halal services for Muslim travelers, encouraging operators to prioritize Sharia-compliant facilities. Strategic marketing and government support for Sharia-compliant edu-tourism investments aim at fostering economic growth and ensuring sustainability.

Social implications stress the need for inclusivity and cultural sensitivity in Terengganu’s tourism. Prioritizing Muslim-friendly services not only boosts economic growth but also fosters an inclusive and welcoming environment for diverse travelers. Government support for Sharia-compliant edu-tourism investments aligns development with cultural and religious values, promoting a harmonious and inclusive society.

This research explores Terengganu’s innovative edu-tourism approach, prioritizing Muslim-friendly services for diverse travelers. By emphasizing Sharia-compliant facilities and investments, the region aims to foster economic growth and create an inclusive cultural environment.

The principal objective of this research is to delve into the intricate dynamics surrounding the contentious exploitation of incentive-based marketing tactics within online food delivery (OFD) services in Malaysia.

The data collection process involved the development of an online survey questionnaire rooted in quantitative research methodology. To ascertain a representative sample, a probability-based simple random sampling approach was undertaken, and the data was gathered using the Google Form survey tool. To empirically test the proposed model, data was collected from a sample of 350 participants. The hypotheses were evaluated using the PLS-SEM technique to scrutinize the relationships within the model and assess potential variations across different groups.

The results delineated that all the hypotheses were supported; however, Irritation was rejected and unable to have an influence on consumer attitudes and purchase behaviour towards mobile advertising.

By offering incentives, marketers can foster greater acceptance of advertising among consumers, thereby enhancing their engagement and interaction with mobile advertising in the OFD services.

The advancement of mobile technology has facilitated the emergence of innovative marketing tactics, enabling firms and brands to establish direct communication channels with prospective consumers.

This study investigates the quantitative aspect of the various strains of operational excellence (OE) and competitive-potential (CP) in the SME sector. It has five steps, i.e., identifying the key performance constructs of OE and their hypothesized relationship pattern from literature, validating these constructs through factor analysis, formalizing their empirical relationships by structural-equation-modeling (SEM), path analysis of performance constructs with the empirical results, and lastly proposing a framework for OE deployment in SMEs.

Data for the deployment scores of operational excellence procedures (OEPs) were collected through a structured questionnaire survey. Nine hundred participants from a stratified random sample were approached for the survey, and 473 responses were received. Sample stratification was based on Gender, Education, Experience, Position, Department and Industry. Respondents had 5–30 years of experience managing manufacturing operations, holding the manager position and above.

The path analysis of the structural model provides unique insights into OE's practical aspects in SMEs (small and medium enterprises). For example, Contractual-conformance and Process-efficiency play pivotal roles as both have a significant positive impact on CP. Supplier efficacy, Consistency and Product-excellence do not improve CP unless mediated by Contractual-conformance or Process-efficiency.

The study provides important implications for academia, policymakers and managers. The study identifies and validates the operational excellence key performance practices and proposes a framework for manufacturing organizations. SME managers can follow the framework to develop effective operational excellence strategies to help them achieve their organizational goals. Additionally, the study emphasizes the need for continuous culture in SMEs, which will help to support operational excellence deployment. Overall, the implications presented in the study will help SMEs to enhance their competitiveness and operational performance.

The study explores the empirical investigation of the operational excellence deployment in SMEs. The study uses a mixed method approach for research design, including qualitative and quantitative approaches, and uses SEM to test the proposed framework. Validation of OE's six key performance constructs and establishing their empirical relation is an attempt to advance the Operations excellence theory. Unlike large enterprises, SMEs demonstrate an incohesive response to the practices pertaining to Supplier efficacy, Consistency and Product-excellence. This unique response pattern requires special treatment, which is incorporated into the proposed framework.

Government employees must comply with policies on information security regulations, online security practices, social networking usage, internet addiction, online cyberthreats and other related habits. These activities are considered cybersecurity behaviors. Government social media (GSM) accounts are increasingly used to educate employees about cybersecurity risks. To support the effectiveness of cybersecurity practices in government organizations, the purpose of this study is to investigate the impacts of GSM and organizational policy compliance on employees’ cybersecurity awareness, motivation and behaviors.

Data were obtained by administering a questionnaire survey to public personnel in Vietnam. A total of 330 valid responses were obtained, and the research hypotheses were tested using partial least squares–structural equation modeling.

First, cybersecurity awareness enhances information protection motivation and employee protective behavior. Second, GSM has positive impacts on cybersecurity knowledge and information protection motivation. Third, there is a strong positive association between information protection motivation and employee protective behavior. Finally, while organizational compliance significantly increases cybersecurity awareness, its impact on employee protective behavior is ind irect.

This research enhances the literature on the behavioral dimension of cybersecurity. The primary objective of this study is to assess the influence of cybersecurity awareness on protective behaviors rather than intents and attitudes alone. Furthermore, this research integrates protection motivation theory and cultivation theory to provide a more thorough assessment of cybersecurity awareness and protective behavior. By investigating the impact of GSM on the level of cybersecurity awareness among employees within government organizations, this study provides valuable insights into the efficacy of recent governmental initiatives aimed at fostering cybersecurity.

The study aims to explore the impact of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) enrolment on farm investments in a developing country setting. We classify farm investments into (1) soil and land investments and (2) hired adult labour.

This study used data on 5,883 farm households from the sixth round of the Ghana Living Standard Surveys (GLSS), which is nationally represented data at the household level. The data also includes a Labour Force Survey module. The sample frame was divided into a primary and secondary sampling unit, with interviews taking place in 1,200 enumeration areas (EAs). The estimation of impacts was carried out using ordinary least squares (OLS) estimations and addressed endogeneity concerns using propensity score matching (PSM) and instrumental variable (IV) estimators.

The study finds a strong positive association between the NHIS enrolment status of farm households and investments in agricultural land and soil health improvement. Precisely, farm households who are enroled in the health insurance system tend to invest about 32% more in soil and land improvement activities and 30% more in hired farm labour than households who are not enroled in NHIS.

The overall evidence from our study suggests that instead of high investments in fertilizer and other input subsidy programmes in Africa, sustainable smallholder agricultural investments can be achieved if concerns and issues of farmers’ health coverage are adequately addressed.

This is one of the first papers that have explored the impact of NHIS in developing countries on farm investments.

Since smartphones became ubiquitous, online grocery and food purchases through take-away delivery platforms have steadily increased in China. Nevertheless, whether the development of take-away delivery can ameliorate urban–rural wage inequality still requires further analysis. The purpose of this paper is to clarify whether this positive effect exists.

This paper makes estimations based on city and individual levels combining the Chinese Household Income Project (CHIP) 2008, CHIP 2013, CHIP2018 survey data and the take-away delivery site data. At the city level, the Oaxaca-Blinder (O-B) decomposition method is employed to construct wage inequality index of urban and rural labors. At the individual level, this paper analyzes urban–rural wage differentials with high or low formal education level.

The rapid establishment of take-away delivery sites has resulted in an increase of 52.425 yuan on average in the annual wage of rural labors with low formal education level. When the cumulative number of sites increases by 1 unit, the annual wage inequality index decreases by 0.007 on average. Labors with the characteristics of rural household registration and low education can enjoy more dividends. Through inter-/within-industry decomposition, this paper elaborates formal education, age and cross-industry transfer as the main factors for the improvement of urban–rural wage inequality. Narrowing effect of wage differences between different groups in multiple sample slices also contributes to the mechanism analyses.

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this paper is the first to analyze the impact of take-away delivery development on the urban–rural wage inequality from the perspective of the establishment of take-away delivery sites. This empirical study will enrich the existing theoretical perspectives on urban–rural divide under the emergence of new forms of employment. The results indicate that new forms of employment represented by take-away delivery can not only promote economic growth, but also eliminate urban–rural inequality.

Educational accountability and student achievement polarization, which result in high dropout rates, pose significant challenges and pressures on teachers' pedagogical leadership. Whether pedagogical leadership, which originates in the Western educational environment, can significantly improve student achievement in Chinese high schools remains unclear. This concept has not yet been fully explored in the Chinese educational environment, and its direct impact on student achievement and the mediating role of English teaching methods remain to be investigated. However, existing research has concentrated on the effectiveness of principals' pedagogical leadership, with variations in teachers' pedagogical leadership practices. Many reform measures have been implemented in China to improve student achievement, but past educational practices have analyzed the impact on student achievement from a single instructional leadership, school capital or teaching method perspective. Furthermore, there is a lack of multidimensional and systematic assessments of the direct effects of teacher pedagogical leadership on student achievement and the mediating effects of English teaching methods.

To address this gap, this study analyzed the impact of teachers' pedagogical leadership on student achievement and the mediating effect of English teaching methods with the support of the theory of action for teacher leadership, specifically using pedagogical leadership and English teaching methods models.This study conducted a questionnaire survey of 968 participants in Taian City, China, and quantitatively analyzed the data using SmartPLS structural equation modeling (SEM).

This study revealed that pedagogical leadership has a positive direct effect on student achievement. Meanwhile, among the four mediating factors, the Direct Method, Audio-Lingual Method and Communicative Language Teaching had significant mediating effects.

This study shows that the effective use of academic and professional capital allocation in pedagogical leadership, combined with effective measures of using multiple effective English teaching methods, helps achieve high-quality student achievement.

This study explores green consumer behaviour among Generation Y (Gen Y) and Generation Z (Gen Z) in India, applying the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to assess how digital literacy and eco-friendly behaviour, alongside knowledge, attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control, shape purchase intentions in line with Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG 12).

The research involved a survey of 680 randomly selected respondents from educational institutions across three northern Indian cities. Data collection was conducted using a structured questionnaire with items measured on a 5-point Likert scale. Statistical methods, including confirmatory factor analysis, were used to validate the measurement model, while descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, and regression analysis were employed to analyse the data.

The study uncovers differences between Gen Y and Gen Z regarding the factors influencing green product purchase intentions. Gen Y’s purchase intentions are shaped by attitude, digital literacy, eco-friendly behaviour, and perceived behavioural control, whereas Gen Z’s intentions are also affected by environmental knowledge and subjective norms.

This research provides significant insights into the factors determining green consumer behaviour among Gen Y and Gen Z in India, enriching the knowledge of sustainable consumption practices. It highlights the importance of digital literacy and eco-friendly behaviour in promoting green purchase intentions, and the differing roles of environmental knowledge and subjective norms across generational cohorts.

Understanding the drivers behind green product purchase intentions for Gen Y and Gen Z enables stakeholders to craft specific marketing strategies, educational programs, and policy initiatives that promote sustainable behaviours and mitigate environmental impacts.

The study’s findings have significant social implications, promoting sustainable lifestyles and behaviours among younger generations. By influencing peer groups and communities, and guiding the development of effective public campaigns and CSR initiatives, the study contributes to fostering a more informed and engaged citizenry that advocates for environmental sustainability.

The uniqueness of this study comes from its focus on the Indian youth demographic, the application of the TPB framework with additional variables, and its contribution to SDG 12, enhancing our comprehension of green consumer behaviour and supporting sustainability advancements in India and globally.