Business, Management and Economics Engineering

The role of networking competencies in social enterprise performance

Aija Sannikova — 2025-01-14

Purpose – The goal of this research was to identify the need for networking competencies in social enterprises rated by the managerial personnel of social enterprises and academic staff of universities in Latvia.

Research methodology – A survey among representatives of Latvian social enterprises and academic staff of Latvian higher education institutions (HEIs) was conducted. The data was processed by means of average ranking, Kruskal-Wallis H test, and one-way-ANOVA test.

Findings – The analysis of the results of Latvian survey revealed that: 1) social enterprise per- sonnel and university academic staff rated the role of networking competencies in social enterprise performance differently; 2) social enterprises rated cooperation with local governments higher and with industry associations as less important than the group of university academic staff.

Research limitations – The research is limited to the analysis of only networking competencies.

Practical implications – The research results contribute to the institutional framework for the social entrepreneurship ecosystem through recommendations to universities in creating training programmes of social entrepreneurship competencies.

Originality/Value – The conducted empirical study is the first study of its kind in the Latvian social enterprise ecosystem, and it offers unique data that can be used for planning the development of networking competencies.

The need for financial education in the face of the social media and cryptocurrency phenomenon

Sonia Martin Gomez — 2025-01-30

Purpose – is to provide evidence of how social networks act as an indispensable channel in the cryptocurrency phenomenon and its public perception, analysing the context in which it occurs, as well as the patterns followed and the most commonly used channels.

Research methodology – this article explores and provides evidence on the relationship between cryptocurrencies and social networks through the use of digital social listening tools, exploring data retrieved from the most prominent social networks, as well as websites, forums and blogs.

Findings – the urgent need to provide an adequate level of financial education in the digital
economy.

Research limitations – the study should be carried out by age segments to assess whether it is only a problem of the younger population, which are the habitual users of social networks.

Practical implications – the cryptocurrency user or investor is aware of the existing risks associated with cryptocurrencies, especially among the young population, without underestimating the influence that social networks have had and continue to have on the perception and acceptance of digital currencies, and even on their popularity.

Originality/Value – investing in cryptocurrencies requires social responsibility on the part of institutions, demanding adequate legislation and financial training for potential investors.

How macroeconomic factors impact residential real estate prices in Eastern Europe

Laima Okunevičiūtė Neverauskienė — 2025-02-11

Purpose – This study examines how GDP growth, interest rates, and unemployment rates influence residential real estate prices in politically and economically stable Eastern Euro- pean countries, aiming to identify key drivers of property value changes in the region.

Research methodology – The study uses multiple linear regression and Pearson correlation (r) to assess the relationship between variables and housing prices, with ARIMA (3,1,0) applied for short-term price forecasts based on cyclical time series trends.

Findings – The findings show a strong correlation between macroeconomic indicators and residential real estate prices, with the key influencing factor varying by country, reflecting diverse market sensitivities and regional economic contexts.

Research limitations – The research is limited to Eastern European countries with stable political and economic conditions, excluding those facing instability. Future studies could expand the analysis to include such regions to provide a more comprehensive view.

Practical implications – The results provide valuable guidance for policymakers and investors in crafting strategies tailored to specific macroeconomic conditions, enhancing market predictions and stability.

Originality/Value – By focusing on the underexplored residential real estate market in Eastern Europe, this study contributes novel insights into regional housing price determinants and offers a foundation for further research on macroeconomic impacts in real estate markets.

Employee commitment in Ghanaian healthcare: a multi-factor analysis

Emmanuel Erastus Yamoah — 2025-02-11

Purpose – The study investigates the factors influencing organizational commitment among employees at a Municipal Health Directorate (MHD) in Ghana. It focuses on identify- ing key organizational and individual factors that drive commitment and examining potential gender differences.

Research methodology – A quantitative approach was employed, using a cross-sectional survey of 204 MHD employees, with a final sample size of 153. A structured questionnaire measured organizational commitment and influencing factors. Multiple regression analysis was used to examine relationships between variables.

Findings – Key drivers of commitment include training and development, salary, leadership style, work environment, job satisfaction, and involvement in decision-making. Training and development were the strongest predictors of commitment, while job-related stress negatively influenced commitment. No significant gender differences in commitment were found.
Research limitations – The cross-sectional design limits causality. Future research should adopt longitudinal designs to track changes in commitment over time and explore gender differences in other contexts.

Practical implications – The findings emphasize the importance of investing in employee development, fostering supportive leadership, managing job stress, and involving employees in decision-making to enhance commitment.

Originality/Value – This study provides valuable insights into the determinants of employee commitment in healthcare, contributing to the limited research on organizational commitment in resource-constrained healthcare settings in Ghana.

Will the use of cashless subsidy potentially reduce illegal underground economy activity? A case study in Indonesia

Joshi Maharani Wibowo — 2025-02-14

Purpose – This study was conducted to understand the potential of cashless subsidy to reduce illegal underground economy activity in Indonesia.

Research methodology – The research was done through a qualitative approach then analyzed based on the content analysis and sentiment analysis using Digital Public Services Index frim Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) research methodology as base. The data used on this study are Indonesia e-news on kompas.com, detik.com, and tempo.co from March 2021- 2022 using two keywords “subsidi” (subsidy), “non-tunai” (cashless) and “nirsentuh” (contactless).

Findings – The result of this study shows illegal underground economy activity can be reduced by implementing cashless subsidy policy.

Research limitations – The data used on the research were big data obtained from e-news be- cause the lack primary reliable respondent. We could not estimate the cashless subsidy after COVID-19 was ended in Indonesia because the declaration of the end of COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia was on 29 June 2023.

Practical implications – This study also provides two recommendations for those problems: (a) increase digital financial literacy awareness; (b) improve the formal economy activity.

Originality/Value – There still no specific research of cashless subsidy and their practice in shad- ow economy perspective, especially in developing countries such as Indonesia.

An exploratory study of high-educated poverty through machine learning approach: a case study of East Java, Indonesia

Dias Satria — 2025-03-21

Purpose – the purpose of the article is to compare the importance factors for high-educated poverty modeling in the four cultural regions of East Java.

Research methodology – using data from the Indonesian National Survey, this study employs Random Forest (RF), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), Artificial Neural Network (ANN), and K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) algorithms as classification methods in machine learning.

Findings – the analysis results show that all agorithms has high accuracy with XGboost as the best performing model. The number of household members and the use of internet technology are among the most important variables affecting high-educated poverty in each cultural region in East Java.

Research limitations – the research was exclusively carried out in East Java, Indonesia, potentially restricting its applicability to other geographical areas or nations. Additionally, it relied on cross-sectional data, implying that a causal relationship between the independent and dependent variables cannot be inferred.

Practical implications – based on the results of this analysis, it is recommended that the government and related parties focus more on improving access to education and the internet in cultural areas in East Java.

Originality/Value – this study addresses a significant knowledge gap by exploring regional variations in the factors affecting high-educated poverty, emphasizing the importance of tailored strategies for each cultural region in East Java.

The capacity of absorption and the management of human resources in asymmetrical strategic alliances: the case of Moroccan SMEs

Ahmed El Hammoumi — 2025-03-21

Purpose – The aim of this work is to analyze human resources mechanisms in order to enhance the absorption capacity of SME in strategic alliances with foreign partners, the goal being to favor the transfer of know-how to these enterprises.

Research methodology – The methodology applied is quantitative, based on a questionnaire addressed to 108 SME. SPSS 25 software was used to analyze the result.

Findings – The results of the study underline the critical role employees’ play in the knowledge transfer process by dwelling on the need of an absorption and assimilation capacity since businesses with such capacities are conducive to the acquisition, putting into use and development as well as the creation of new skills and know-how.

Research limitations – The quantitative approach of this research could be complemented by qualitative analysis. Additionally, generalizing the results from a sample of SMEs opens avenues for future research in other developing countries. Temporal and contextual extension could also enhance the relevance of the conclusions.

Practical implications – Our results could be used to provide key indicators for managers of SMEs engaged in strategic alliances. The guidelines aim to streamline the transfer, acquisition, and development of new skills and know-how from foreign partners.

Originality/Value – This study innovatively clarifies the administration of human resources in SMEs’ in asymmetrical strategic alliances, offering valuable insights for research into management practices.