Search Results (6,988)

This study investigates hotel employees’ perceptions of AI-driven human resource (HR) management systems within the Accor Group’s properties across three major European cities: Paris, Berlin, and Amsterdam. These diverse urban contexts, spanning a broad portfolio of hotel brands from luxury to economy, provide a rich setting for exploring how AI integration affects employee attitudes and work–life balance. A total of 437 employees participated in the survey, offering a robust dataset for structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis. Exploratory factor analysis identified two primary factors shaping perceptions: AI Perceptions, which encompasses employee views on AI’s impact on job performance, communication, recognition, and retention, and balanced management, reflecting attitudes toward fairness, personal consideration, productivity, and skill development in AI-managed environments. The results reveal a complex but optimistic view, where employees acknowledge AI’s potential to enhance operational efficiency and career optimism but also express concerns about flexibility loss and the need for human oversight. The findings underscore the importance of transparent communication, contextual sensitivity, and continuous training in implementing AI systems that support both organizational goals and employee well-being. This study contributes valuable insights to hospitality management by highlighting the relational and ethical dimensions of algorithmic HR systems across varied organizational and cultural settings. Full article

Outdoor thermal comfort in tropical cities is increasingly threatened by rapid urbanization, high humidity, and insufficient climate-sensitive planning. Despite numerous studies on urban heat mitigation, there is a lack of empirical and numerical research that evaluates the synergistic application of bioclimatic strategies under humid tropical conditions. This paper addresses this gap by analyzing the combined effect of arborization, dry mist systems, water bodies, and sprinklers on outdoor thermal comfort at the Víctor Levi Sasso Campus of the Technological University of Panama. We hypothesized that synergistic application of these strategies provides greater thermal comfort improvements than isolated interventions. The central research question guiding this study was: To what extent can combined bioclimatic strategies enhance outdoor thermal comfort compared to individual strategies in humid tropical environments? To answer this, a hybrid methodology was employed, integrating ENVI-met dynamic simulations with in situ measurements and thermal comfort surveys based on the physiological equivalent temperature (PET) index and subjective comfort scales. The results demonstrate that combined strategies achieve superior reductions in mean radiant and surface temperatures while improving subjective comfort perceptions, highlighting their potential for context-sensitive urban design in tropical regions. Full article

Artificial Intelligence (AI) holds significant potential to enhance sustainable non-chemical agricultural methods (NCAM) by optimising resource management, automating precision farming practices, and strengthening climate resilience. However, its widespread adoption among farmers’ remains limited due to socio-economic, infrastructural, and justice-related challenges. This study investigates AI adoption among NCAM farmers using an Integrated Mechanism for Sustainable Practices (IMSP) conceptual framework which combines the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) with a justice-centred approach. A mixed-methods design was employed, incorporating Fuzzy-Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) of AI adoption pathways based on survey data, alongside critical discourse analysis of thematic farmers narrative through a justice-centred lens. The study was conducted in Tamil Nadu between 30 September and 25 October 2024. Using purposive sampling, 57 NCAM farmers were organised into three focus groups: marginal farmers, active NCAM practitioners, and farmers from 18 districts interested in agricultural technologies and AI. This enabled an in-depth exploration of practices, adoption, and perceptions. The findings indicates that while factors such as labour shortages, mobile technology use, and cost efficiencies are necessary for AI adoption, they are insufficient without supportive extension services and inclusive communication strategies. The study refines the TAM framework by embedding economic, cultural, and political justice considerations, thereby offering a more holistic understanding of technology acceptance in sustainable agriculture. By bridging discourse analysis and fsQCA, this research underscores the need for justice-centred AI solutions tailored to diverse farming contexts. The study contributes to advancing sustainable agriculture, digital inclusion, and resilience, thereby supporting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Full article

With the rapid development of urbanization and tourism in China, increasing attention has been paid to the protection and utilization of historical and cultural heritage, while tourists’ demands for travel experiences have gradually shifted towards in-depth cultural perception. This paper selects Beijing Fayuan Temple Historic and Cultural District as the research case, and adopts methods such as the LDA (Latent Dirichlet Allocation) topic model, collection and analysis of online text data, and field research to explore the current situation of pedestrian space in Fayuan Temple District and its optimization strategies from the perspective of tourists’ perception. The study found that the dimensions of tourists’ perception of the pedestrian space in Fayuan Temple District mainly include six aspects: historical buildings and relics, tour modes and transportation, natural landscapes and environment, historical figures and culture, residents’ life and activities, and tourists’ experiences and visits. By integrating online text data, questionnaire surveys, and on-site behavioral observations, the study constructed a “physical environment-cultural experience-behavioral network” three-dimensional IPA (Importance–Possession Analysis) evaluation model, and analyzed and evaluated the high-frequency perception elements in tourists’ spontaneous evaluations. Based on the current situation evaluation of the pedestrian space in Fayuan Temple District, this paper puts forward optimization strategies for the perception of pedestrian space from the aspects of block space, transportation usage, landscape ecology, digital technology, and cultural symbol translation. It aims to promote the high-quality development of historical blocks by improving and optimizing the pedestrian space, and achieve the dual goals of cultural inheritance and utilization of tourism resources. Full article

In recent years, corporate perceptions of environmental sustainability have shifted from viewing it as a compliance burden to recognizing it as a strategic driver of innovation and competitive advantage, prompting a demand for effective sustainable design tools. Traditionally, tools like the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) tool have been used to evaluate environmental impacts, yet their complexity, cost, and retrospective focus make them impractical for driving early-stage, disruptive innovation. Although biomimicry has emerged as a promising approach, adopting this novel interdisciplinary design practice within a corporate setting requires significant resources and time, disrupting established processes. Therefore, the biomimicry Life Principles (LPs) tool, a guiding sustainable design tool of the practice, provides an opportunity to lower the barrier to the entry of biomimicry within a corporate setting and potentially increases adoption of the broader practice. This comparative study seeks to explore the creative potential, and practical value of the biomimicry LPs tool compared to the traditional LCA approach while exploring the intrinsic motivation of R&D practitioners to implement these tools within a virtual product redesign workshop. To derive our conclusions, we employed a mixed-methods approach comprising a 23-item survey designed to assess practitioners’ intrinsic motivation and perceived practical value of the implemented tool alongside an external evaluation of the creativity of all generated design concepts. Together, these methods provide empirical evidence of the biomimicry LPs tool’s potential to enhance creative output, require minimal adoption effort, and act as a catalyst for whole-systems thinking in sustainable innovation. These findings offer compelling evidence to support their strategic addition to existing R&D toolkits and workflows. By highlighting the efficacy, accessibility, and intrinsic motivation of R&D professionals to use biomimicry LPs, the results underscore the viability of this tool to streamline the integration of biomimicry design thinking into real-world workflows. As such, they represent a pragmatic and scalable pathway to catalyze broader and deeper engagement with biomimicry across corporate contexts. Full article

Digital transformation has fundamentally altered how individuals manage their finances. The expansion of financial technologies and the digitalization of banking services underscore the need for digital financial literacy, defined as the ability to safely use financial applications and make informed decisions within virtual environments. This study examined the perceptions of financial application use across age groups and their corresponding level of digital financial literacy. This exploratory study used a convenience sample of 41 semi-structured interviews conducted in 2025. The data were analyzed using content analysis and descriptive statistics. The findings indicated that most participants prioritized digital apps over traditional channels and expressed confidence in their use, although concerns about data security remained. Participants identified key advantages, including convenience, efficiency, and centralized access, yet few used apps for financial planning. Most respondents demonstrated an intermediate level of digital knowledge, with limited proficiency in executing complex financial tasks. Perceptions revealed both optimism and apprehension: while participants valued the practicality of digital tools, they also recognized risks such as fraud, exclusion of vulnerable groups, and technological dependence. The limited and non-representative sample limits generalization, suggesting the need for broader surveys. Enhanced public policies promoting digital financial education in Brazil are recommended. Full article

As the global economy undergoes rapid digital transformation, cryptocurrencies have emerged as a prominent alternative class of financial assets. Their decentralized nature, pseudonymity, and lack of centralized oversight have attracted considerable interest among investors while simultaneously raising significant concerns among regulators and compliance professionals. While cryptocurrencies offer benefits such as enhanced accessibility and transactional privacy, they also pose notable risks, particularly their potential misuse in financial crimes, including money laundering. This study explores the perceived risks associated with cryptocurrencies in the context of money laundering, drawing on insights from a survey conducted among 50 financial sector professionals. A quantitative research design was employed, using a structured online questionnaire to assess participants’ awareness, investment behavior, and perceptions of the role of cryptocurrencies in illicit finance and financial system security. The results reveal a complex perspective: while 70% of respondents acknowledged the potential for cryptocurrencies to facilitate money laundering, 60% expressed support for their wider adoption. Notably, statistically significant correlations emerged between active investment in cryptocurrencies and the belief that they could enhance financial market security and reduce laundering risks. However, self-reported knowledge levels and general awareness did not show a significant relationship with perceived risk. The findings underscore the importance of a balanced approach to regulation, one that fosters innovation while mitigating illicit finance risks. The study recommends increased investment in user education, the development of blockchain analytics, the adoption of global regulatory standards and enhanced international cooperation to ensure the responsible evolution of the cryptocurrency ecosystem. Full article

This study evaluated emergency preparedness, covering knowledge, challenges, and culturally and linguistically appropriate resources among five resettled refugee communities in Central Ohio: Afghan, Bhutanese, Congolese, Ethiopian/Eritrean, and Somali. It also explored youth perceptions of community engagement and the effectiveness of current crisis support initiatives. A mixed-methods approach was used, consisting of a cross-sectional quantitative survey of 266 adults and a qualitative 60-min focus group discussion with 10 youth from the resettled communities. Quantitative data was analyzed with descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests assessing differences in preparedness across communities. Quantitative findings showed that the Bhutanese group reported the highest familiarity with preparedness concepts (33.3%), while Afghan and Congolese communities showed significant gaps. Of the 266 overall respondents, only 39.5% had an emergency plan, and 15.8% felt extremely confident in handling emergencies. Language barriers were major challenges, along with those related to race and ethnic identity, religious practices, and cultural norms. Effective platforms for engagement included community meetings, religious sites, and social media, with text messages and phone calls preferred for emergency communication. Youth discussion highlighted key public health concerns, particularly gun violence, substance abuse, and mental health crises, with stigma and limited resources further hindering preparedness efforts. Participants emphasized the need for culturally relevant interventions and stronger community engagement. Full article

Since the 1970s, avian populations have decreased by about 29% in North America, sparking concerns about their continued survival. Birds are essential to ecosystems for seed dispersal and fertilization, insect and rodent control, and as a food source, yet people often under-value them. Research increasingly shows that human empathy is essential to the sustainability of species. Past work indicates that animal photo portraiture can activate empathy, but researchers have primarily focused on charismatic mammals and have poorly measured empathy for others, especially birds. We extend this research by creating the Empathy for Animals Scale (EAS) and conducting an online survey experiment with 793 people from the United States to examine whether bird photo portraiture activates empathy for birds in the same way it does for mammals. We find that bird photo portraiture, compared to traditional wildlife images, more effectively activates empathy for birds and enhances people’s perception of animals in general. Our findings have important implications for avian conservation and sustainability, potentially helping photographers, organizations, and scholars address public perceptions in promoting the sustainability of birds. Full article

The research in this paper aims to analyze the perception and degree of involvement of employees from a Romanian shipyard in the process of preparing sustainability reports, with a focus on the integration of ESG criteria into organizational performance. The motivation for this study is to understand how directly productive employees within a shipyard see the usefulness of improving sustainability performance by integrating ESG criteria. To conduct this research, the authors used a survey-based analysis method, which was carried out using a questionnaire. This was sent online to target employees, and the defined hypotheses were validated based on the results obtained using IBM SPSS Statistics 22 statistical analysis software. The statistical results have shown that the employees in the analyzed departments perceive the importance of measuring, monitoring, and reporting sustainability performance in the company’s value chain. The originality of the work lies in the fact that this is the first study of its kind to be carried out within a shipyard in our country, with direct implications for the development of future sustainability reports. Full article

Urban school environments often face significant thermal discomfort due to extensive paved surfaces, limited vegetation, and outdated building designs. This study examines how green spaces can mitigate temperature extremes and improve thermal comfort at two secondary schools in Coimbra, Portugal: Escola Secundária José Falcão (ESJF) and Escola Secundária D. Dinis (ESDD). Using a mixed-methods approach that combined school community surveys with on-site microclimatic measurements, we integrated user feedback on comfort with data on temperature and humidity variations across different indoor and outdoor spaces. Results revealed that tree-shaded areas consistently maintained lower air temperatures and higher relative humidity than unshaded zones, which experienced intense heat accumulation—up to a 5 °C difference. At ESJF, the older infrastructure and large asphalt surfaces led to severe heat retention, with east-facing classrooms recording the highest indoor temperatures. ESDD’s pavilion-style layout and existing green spaces provided comparatively better thermal conditions, although insufficient vegetation maintenance and limited shade reduced their effectiveness. The findings demonstrate a clear correspondence between the school community’s perceptions of thermal comfort and the measured microclimatic data. Vegetation—particularly deciduous trees—plays a critical role in cooling the school microclimate through shading and evapotranspiration. Strategic interventions such as expanding tree cover in high-exposure areas, installing green roofs and walls, and carefully selecting species can significantly reduce temperature extremes and improve outdoor usability. In addition, fostering environmental education and participatory co-design programs can encourage sustainable behaviors within the school community, underlining the importance of inclusive, nature-based solutions for climate adaptation. This research highlights that integrating green infrastructure in school design and management is a cost-effective strategy for thermal regulation. Green spaces, when co-designed with community involvement, not only enhance climate resilience and student well-being but also contribute to broader sustainable urban development goals. Full article

This study investigates the perceptions of halal food among theology students from three culturally diverse cities: Istanbul, Berlin, and Kuala Lumpur. As individuals receiving formal religious education, theology students are expected to exhibit strong awareness of Islamic dietary principles. Utilizing a quantitative research design, data were collected from 210 participants via online surveys using validated Likert-type scales measuring halal awareness, halal literacy, religious commitment, social influence, perceived behavioral control, price value, hedonic motivation, and consumption habits. One-way ANOVA and post hoc Tukey tests revealed significant differences between cities in nearly all variables. Students in Kuala Lumpur consistently demonstrated higher scores, indicating a stronger alignment with institutionalized halal systems and collectivist cultural norms. Berlin participants reported lower awareness and influence levels, likely reflecting a more secular and individualistic environment. Istanbul students fell between the two, showing strong religious motivation but less structural support. The findings highlight how halal food perceptions are shaped not only by individual religiosity but also by cultural, political, and economic contexts. This study contributes to the literature by offering a cross-cultural perspective on halal consumption and underscores the importance of integrating structural and cultural factors into religious food behavior research. Full article

Soft skills are increasingly recognised as decisive factors for employability and career advancement in the global labour market. This study examines their role in the professional trajectories of university graduates in Ecuador, analysing both the competencies supplied by higher education and the structural demand of the labour market. Based on institutional surveys applied to 3358 graduates from the Salesian Polytechnic University (Cuenca campus), the results show that more than $90\%$ of graduates remain in operational positions, while only $5\%$ reach tactical or managerial levels. To address this phenomenon, five key soft skills—leadership, effective communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and adaptability—were evaluated through a structured questionnaire using Likert-type items. The findings reveal a persistent concentration of professionals in lower organisational levels and heterogeneous perceptions of the applicability of academic training. These outcomes highlight both individual skill gaps and structural limitations of the Ecuadorian labour market, such as the scarcity of managerial positions and the prevalence of family-based business structures. In response, the study proposes a sector-based curricular improvement strategy that systematically incorporates soft skills into university programmes, differentiated by economic sectors such as education, health, commerce, public administration, industry, and primary activities. Grounded in empirical evidence, this approach provides a practical framework to enhance graduates’ career progression, foster more equitable professional mobility, and strengthen the relevance of higher education. The model can be replicated across other Latin American universities facing similar challenges, while also aligning with international standards for competency-based education. Full article

This initial exploratory study examined the perceptions of teachers and school leaders in the Republic of Ireland regarding diversity in promotions to school principalship, framed by Equity Theory, Organisational Justice Theory, and Legitimacy Theory. A mixed-methods approach was utilised within this study. Data was collected from 123 participants via an online survey comprising Likert-type statements and open-ended questions. This data was analysed using descriptive statistics and quantitative analysis for the Likert-type statements and thematic analysis was used to examine the qualitative responses, allowing for the identification of recurring patterns and themes to complement the quantitative findings. Findings indicated disparities between perceived and desired prioritisation of diversity, alongside varied perceptions of its impact on school performance and leadership. Disability, social class, and religious diversity were perceived as the least prioritised in promotion practices, while gender and cultural diversity received greater support and were more frequently linked to positive leadership outcomes. Participants reported mixed perceptions across diversity dimensions, with gender, age, and cultural diversity associated with the most positive impacts. Concerns about tokenism and the perceived undermining of merit-based promotion were widespread, reflecting the importance of fairness, transparency, and alignment with stakeholder expectations. The study underscored the need for promotion processes that are both equitable and credible, and for organisational cultures that enable diverse leaders to thrive. These findings provided a foundation for further research and policy development to foster inclusive and representative school leadership in Ireland. Full article

The integration of STEAM education is widely recognized as a pathway to foster creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration, yet its implementation remains fragmented due to systemic and organizational barriers. This study examines educators’ perspectives on STEAM by focusing on three key questions: their attitudes toward STEAM, the challenges and needs they report, and how these vary by professional development experience, disciplinary background, and teaching experience. Drawing on a large-scale survey of in-service educators, the analysis shows that teachers hold strongly positive attitudes across dimensions of application, higher-order thinking, motivation, and collaboration. However, these attitudes are accompanied by substantial needs, particularly in curriculum guidance, instructional time, resource availability, and assessment frameworks. Professional development was found to strengthen educators’ enthusiasm but did not reduce broader systemic challenges, while disciplinary background and years of experience shaped specific needs and perceptions. The findings highlight that teacher motivation is a necessary but insufficient condition for meaningful STEAM implementation. Addressing the gap between vision and practice requires a multi-level approach that integrates competence-based professional development with structural reforms in curriculum, leadership, and institutional culture. Full article