Search Results (4,128)

Digital transformation in higher education necessitates a central role for university faculty, yet there is a lack of comprehensive tools to measure their actual pedagogical use of technology. This study aims to refine the definition of a composite indicator to evaluate mobile technology adoption among social science university teachers. Using the results of the validated MOBILE-APP questionnaire, administered to a sample of N = 295 teachers from various social science degree programs, we employed multilevel structural equation modeling (SEM) to develop and implement a synthetic indicator for assessing mobile technology adoption levels among educators. The analysis of the considered factors (motivation, training, tools, and use) revealed differences in mobile technology adoption based on degree program, age, and previous experience. High motivation, training, use of institutional tools, and propensity for use promote the adoption of mobile technologies. Three levels of mobile technology adoption are identified and characterized. This synthetic indicator can be used both technically and socially to track the evolution of mobile technology adoption, enabling comparative analyses and longitudinal assessments that inform strategic decisions in training, infrastructure, and curriculum development. This research represents a step forward in the development of quantitative indicators and the assessment of research practices. Full article

This study investigates the influence of technostress (Tech) on the well-being (WB) of employees in manufacturing sectors employing Industry 4.0 in Turkey, examining the effect of work exhaustion (WE) as a mediator in the association between technostress and well-being. How digital leadership (Dg) moderates these relationships is analyzed and discussed accordingly. This article also presents strategies for digital leaders to mitigate employees’ technostress in the digital transformation era and discusses their positive role. Using the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) framework and Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, data were gathered from 329 workers employed at three manufacturing firms located in Istanbul. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to test this study’s hypothesis. The results indicate that increased technostress notably reduces employee well-being, primarily because it heightens work exhaustion. Moreover, robust digital leadership effectively lessens these negative impacts, underscoring its value in managing technological stress. This research explains the importance of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 3) for better health and well-being practices in workplaces. It suggests practical implications for organizations, including developing digital leadership skills, routinely assessing technostress, and applying targeted actions to sustain employee health during digital shifts. Full article

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

Against the backdrop of the rapid proliferation of electric vehicles (EVs), gender-oriented behavioral mechanisms remain underexplored, particularly the unique pathways of female users in usage experience, value assessment, and purchase decision-making. This study constructs an integrated framework based on the Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) model, leveraging social media big data to analyze in depth how gender differences influence EV users’ purchase intentions. By integrating natural language processing techniques, grounded theory coding, and structural equation modeling (SEM), this study models and analyzes 272,083 pieces of user-generated content (UGC) from Chinese social media platforms, identifying key functional and emotional factors shaping female users’ perceptions and attitudes. The results reveal that esthetic value, safety, and intelligent features more strongly drive emotional responses among female users’ decisions through functional cognition, with gender significantly moderating the pathways from perceived attributes to emotional resonance and cognitive evaluation. This study further confirms the dual mediating roles of functional cognition and emotional experience and identifies a masking (suppression) effect for the ‘intelligent perception’ variable. Methodologically, it develops a novel hybrid paradigm that integrates data-driven semantic mining with psychological behavioral modeling, enhancing the ecological validity of consumer behavior research. Practically, the findings provide empirical support for gender-sensitive EV product design, personalized marketing strategies, and community-based service innovations, while also discussing research limitations and proposing future directions for cross-cultural validation and multimodal analysis. Full article

Background/Objectives: In the age of digitalization, nomophobia has emerged as a relevant issue, especially among university students who utilize smartphones heavily for academic and social purposes. The Stressor–Strain–Outcome (SSO) framework explains the relationship between stressors, strain, and outcomes. Stressors such as nomophobia induce psychological strain. This strain subsequently influences outcomes like mindfulness. Nomophobia has been linked to higher distress, including depression, anxiety, and stress, that can negatively impact students’ focus. However, the mechanisms by which nomophobia impacts mindfulness remain less explored. Hence, this study aims to analyze the mediating effect of distress on the relation between student’s nomophobia and mindfulness. Methods: In this quantitative study, the researcher employed a structured close-ended survey to collect data from 723 students at the University of Ha’il in Saudi Arabia. Nomophobia was measured using the Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q). The level of distress was measured using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress scale (DASS-21) Furthermore, the assessment of mindfulness was conducted using the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS). Structural equation modeling was utilized to test the hypotheses of this study. Results: The results from PLS-SEM indicate that nomophobia did not directly reduce mindfulness, as its effect was statistically non-significant (β_1 = −0.052, p-value = 0.168). This suggests that nomophobia alone may not weaken focus. However, it significantly increased distress, particularly depression (β_2a = 0.327, p-value < 0.001), anxiety (β_2b = 0.294, p-value < 0.001) and stress (β_2c = 0.259, p-value < 0.001). In plain terms, students with higher nomophobia reported more depression and stress, which in turn reduced mindfulness. Anxiety, however, did not significantly affect mindfulness (β_3b = 0.006, p-value < 0.933), indicating its influence may be negligible or context-specific. Mediation analysis confirmed indirect effects of nomophobia on mindfulness through depression (β_4a = −0.096, p-value < 0.001) and stress (β_4c = −0.045, p-value < 0.020). Together, these mediators explained a substantial portion of the variance in mindfulness. Conclusions: The findings align with the SSO model, indicating that nomophobia acts as a stressor, exacerbating distress, which in turn reduces mindfulness. From a practical perspective, the results highlight the need for comprehensive student support. Universities should integrate digital wellness programs, stress-management resources, and mindfulness training into their services. Limitations and Future Research: The cross-sectional design and convenience sampling restrict causal inference and generalizability. Future studies should employ longitudinal research designs. They should also examine diverse cultural contexts. In addition, researchers should investigate potential mediators such as social support and sleep quality. Full article

Green banking is a significant financial strategy for balancing environmental sustainability with economic progress. Banks can help address Indonesia’s environmental concerns by promoting sustainable behavior, financing green projects, and implementing environmentally friendly regulations. This study investigates how green banking practices affect perceived environmental performance and financial sustainability, with a particular emphasis on the involvement of young Indonesian bankers. A structured questionnaire was issued to 314 young bankers from various parts of Indonesia, using Likert-scale measures of three domains: banks’ perceived environmental performance, green banking activities, and sources of green finance. The findings show high perceived links between green banking operations and banks’ environmental performance, with green financing serving as a crucial mediator. Specific methods, such as paper reduction, internet banking, and supporting sustainable initiatives, were thought to improve bank performance. The findings underline the importance of younger generations in supporting and carrying out green activities, emphasizing their role in encouraging long-term change. Using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), the study demonstrates that green finance improves perceived environmental performance and promotes sustainable banking practices. These findings emphasize the importance of incorporating green principles into banking strategy in order to achieve both financial and environmental sustainability in developing countries. Full article

Artificial intelligence-enhanced digital twins are widely acknowledged as effective instruments for facilitating digital transformation in the building industry. Nonetheless, their implementation remains uneven, with little knowledge regarding the organizational conditions that convert these technologies into enhanced project outcomes. This study investigates the critical success factors (CSFs) that shape the effectiveness of AI-integrated digital twins in Saudi Arabia’s construction industry. A hierarchical structural equation model was developed to capture three dimensions of CSFs, including human-centric, technological, and governance-related, and to evaluate their impact on project deliverables, including time, cost, resource utilization, quality, and risk. Data from a survey of 120 industry professionals were assessed utilizing a PLS-SEM approach, incorporating rigorous measurement and structural assessments. Results indicate that technology and infrastructural factors have the most significant impact on critical success factors, followed by governance and human-related enablers. Consequently, CSFs substantially forecast project outcomes, mediating the influences of all three domains. These findings underscore the importance of investing in data quality, scalable infrastructure, and governance frameworks, complemented by workforce training and incentives, to realize the benefits of AI-enabled digital transformations fully. The study presents a validated paradigm that elucidates how enabling conditions enhance performance improvements, providing practical direction for industry players and policymakers. Full article

Tourism plays a vital role in promoting local economic growth and preserving cultural heritage, with creative cultural tourism increasingly recognized as a strategy for enhancing tourist engagement. This study examines antecedent factors influencing tourist engagement in creative cultural tourism activities at the Tha Plee Fishing Market community, focusing on creative tourism experience, cultural and emotional perception, and travel motivation. The research also evaluates the overall level of tourist engagement and explores the relationships between these factors and engagement. A quantitative research design was employed, with data collected from 400 Thai tourists visiting the community. Descriptive statistics and Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) were used to analyze the data. The results indicate that all three antecedent factors and overall tourist engagement were rated at a high level. Creative tourism experience had a significant positive effect on tourist engagement (β = 0.286). These findings suggest that immersive, hands-on cultural activities and strong emotional connections to local heritage can enhance engagement. From a practical perspective, community stakeholders and tourism planners should focus on developing unique cultural experiences, improving visitor interaction with local traditions, and promoting storytelling to strengthen emotional bonds. Future research should include international tourists to broaden the generalizability of the results. Full article

Mobile commerce has transformed the retail landscape, yet the determinants of impulse buying behavior in this environment remain understudied, particularly in emerging markets. This research investigates the factors influencing impulse buying in mobile commerce in Chile using the Stimulus–Organism–Response framework. A quantitative cross-sectional study collected data from 451 mobile shoppers via an online survey. Structural equation modeling with PLS-SEM revealed that eight of the thirteen hypothesized relationships were significant. Mobile application factors (visual appeal and portability) positively influenced hedonic and utilitarian values. Among personal factors, economic well-being, family influence, and credit card use directly impacted impulse buying, while time availability did not. Hedonic value strongly influenced impulse buying behavior, but utilitarian value showed no significant effect. Contrary to expectations, the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted impulse buying. These findings extend theoretical understanding of mobile impulse buying determinants and provide practical insights for mobile commerce developers and marketers to enhance their platforms and strategies. Full article

In the ecologically fragile western Shanxi Loess region, stand density regulation of artificial Robinia pseudoacacia L. forests plays a crucial role in sustaining the water regulation functions of the litter-soil system, yet multi-scale mechanistic analyses remain scarce. To address this gap, we established six stand density classes (ranging from 1200 to 3200 stems/ha) and quantified litter water-holding traits and soil physicochemical properties. We then applied principal component analysis (PCA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine density-litter-soil relationships. Low-density stands (≤2000 stems/ha) exhibited significantly higher litter accumulation (6.08–6.37 t/ha) and greater litter water-holding capacity (maximum 20.58 t/ha) than the high-density stands (p < 0.05). Soil capillary water-holding capacity decreased with increasing density (4702.63–4863.28 t/ha overall), while non-capillary porosity (5.26–6.21%) and soil organic carbon (~12.5 g/kg) were higher in high-density stands (≥2800 stems/ha), reflecting a structural-carbon optimization trade-off. PCA revealed a primary hydrological function axis with low-density stands clustering in the positive quadrant, while high-density stands shifted toward nutrient-conservation traits. SEM confirmed that stand density affected soil capillary water-holding capacity indirectly through litter accumulation (significant indirect path; non-significant direct path), highlighting the central role of litter quantity. When density exceeded ~2400 stems/ha, litter decomposition rate decreased by ~56%, coinciding with capillary porosity falling below ~47%, a threshold linked to impaired balance between water storage and infiltration. These findings identify 1200–1600 stems/ha as the optimal density range; in this range, soil capillary water-holding capacity reached 4788–4863 t/ha, and available phosphorus remained ≥2.1 mg/kg, providing a density-centered, near-natural management paradigm for constructing “water-conservation vegetation” on the Loess Plateau. Full article

Within the context of urban sustainability, the renewal and activation of communities have received growing attention. Public art, as a common approach to community revitalization, has long been regarded as an effective means of addressing urban and community issues. Basic human senses serve as a bridge between residents and community spaces, offering an effective entry point for creating human-oriented spaces. This study addresses the challenge of insufficient spatial vitality in community spaces by examining how sensory interventions can enhance residents’ participation in public art and thereby contribute to the revitalization of communities. To guide this inquiry, a theoretical framework was constructed based on sensory marketing theory and the Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) model, focusing on three core dimensions: sensory stimuli, perceptual responses, and behavioral intention. The study further investigated the relationship between public art and residents’ willingness to participate through five types of sensory stimuli, using a measurement scale and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), with eight public art installations in Shanghai serving as case references. It also assessed the relative strength of each effect. Participant interviews and non-participatory observations were subsequently conducted for validation and supplementary analysis. The results show that residents’ participation willingness in community public art is directly influenced by perceptual responses (emotional fluctuations, cognitive memory, and physiological responses), and indirectly influenced by different sensory stimuli. Cognitive memory, shaped mainly by olfactory and visual stimuli, emerged as the most important factor in encouraging participation. Participation willingness also varies across generations, and different sensory stimuli are associated with distinct participation patterns. Based on empirical data from Shanghai’s community activation practices, the study proposes implementation strategies guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to enhance spatial vitality, promote community activation, and support sustainable development. Full article

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of integrity-related considerations, such as ethics, privacy, protection, security, and trust, on online consumer shopping intention within the interactive marketing environment. To achieve this, the research uses partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), analysing data from a sample of 260 respondents collected through an online survey. The findings reveal that protection is the most influential factor driving consumer buying intentions, followed by trust, ethics and security. Privacy, while significant, has a more moderate influence on consumer behaviour compared to other factors. The study makes a key theoretical contribution by advancing the understanding of how these constructs interact to shape consumer behaviour in the digital marketplace, particularly highlighting the importance of data protection and ethical practices. Practically, the research offers actionable recommendations for e-commerce businesses, based on building a digital integrity model, suggesting the focus on enhancing data security and ethical transparency to build consumer trust. Furthermore, the findings highlight the need for policymakers to strengthen data privacy regulations and harmonise international security standards in e-commerce. Future research should consider longitudinal studies and explore these dynamics in different regulatory environments. Full article

Fostering mathematical thinking, communication, and creativity has become a central goal in mathematics education as these competencies are strongly linked to flexible problem solving and innovative engagement. Prior research has shown that students’ beliefs and dispositions play a crucial role in shaping their learning, strategy use, and persistence, yet limited evidence exists on how these constructs interrelate among pre-service elementary mathematics teachers. Addressing this gap, the present study examines the relationships among mathematical thinking perceptions, mathematical communication dispositions, and creative thinking dispositions. A correlational survey design was employed to test a hypothetical model developed within the framework of structural equation modeling (SEM). Data were collected from 615 pre-service teachers. Analyses involved descriptive statistics, correlations, and predictive algorithms via IBM SPSS Statistics 24, along with standardized regression coefficients and fit indices using AMOS. The results revealed that while perceptions of problem-solving and higher-order thinking predicted creative thinking dispositions both directly and indirectly, perceptions of reasoning did so only indirectly through mathematical communication. Mathematical communication dispositions had the strongest direct effect on creative thinking dispositions, underscoring their mediating role. These findings highlight the importance of fostering communication alongside creativity in teacher education, thereby equipping future teachers to promote creative thinking through cognitive, social, and representational processes. Full article

As self-service technologies (SSTs) such as kiosks become embedded in service infrastructure, understanding the socio-cognitive drivers of adoption has grown in importance. This study extends the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) by integrating Digital Readiness (DR), Trust in Technology (TT), Perceived Usefulness (PU), and Perceived Barriers (PB) into a single framework, and tests it using structural equation modeling (SEM) with survey data from 750 kiosk users in China. TT emerges as the strongest direct predictor of intention to use (IU) and also increases PU while reducing PB. The deterrent effect of PB exceeds the positive effect of PU. DR promotes adoption indirectly by raising TT and PU and lowering PB, whereas its direct path to IU is negative, suggesting a tension between readiness and heightened expectations. Multi-group analyses show that non-digital natives and low-frequency users are more sensitive to trust-related factors, whereas digital natives and high-frequency users respond more to barrier reduction. These findings integrate trust and barrier perspectives into TAM and reconceptualize DR as an ambivalent antecedent. Practically, a segment- and journey-oriented design frame centered on trust and friction provides a common reference for aligning kiosk design, KPIs, and investment decisions across industries. Full article

Tourist loyalty is vital for destination success, fostering repeat visits and positive word-of-mouth. This study explores the psychological and safety-related factors driving tourist loyalty to natural attractions in Oman, a rising destination known for its stability and safety. Using Social Cognitive Theory as a foundation, the research incorporates perceived risk and novelty seeking as key moderating variables. Data were collected via an online survey of 165 international tourists and analyzed through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings show that attachment, satisfaction, and novelty seeking significantly affect both attitudinal and behavioral loyalty. While perceived value strongly influences behavioral loyalty, its impact on attitudinal loyalty appears more complex, suggesting possible unobserved mediators. Additionally, risk perception and novelty seeking moderate the link between destination familiarity and loyalty, underscoring the role of tourists’ internal evaluations of safety and desire for new experiences. This study advances the limited literature on tourist loyalty in developing countries by integrating psychological and risk-related dimensions. It offers actionable insights for tourism planners and marketers in Oman: emphasizing the country’s safety reputation, improving satisfaction levels, and crafting experiences that blend familiarity with novelty can enhance tourist loyalty and ensure sustained competitiveness in the global tourism market. Full article