A crisis context, as COVID-19 pandemic, is a situation in which maladaptive buying behaviors are irrationally born. In this context, vulnerability and resilience, as opposed states of being, are two variables that can influence the final behavioral outcome. In a pandemic case, panic buying, impulsive and compulsive behavior, hoarding, and stockpiling are the most common effects. The present paper is a systematic literature review aiming to underline the main theories and variables used in explaining abnormal buying behavior during the coronavirus pandemic, the place of vulnerability and resilience among them, and the managerial implications emphasized by the existing studies. The analyzed research papers (N=63) are selected from 2020-2022 time frame. The results show that Theory of planned behavior and the Stimulus-organism-response are the most frequently used models for understanding and explaining panic conduct. The variables affecting maladaptive consumer behavior are both external and internal, the range of factors being wide and complex. Vulnerability and resilience are believed to mediate the relationship between these factors and panic behavior. The managerial implications born from the analyzed studies include four stakeholders (i.e., retailers, policy makers, governments, and mass-media) that, during a crisis, are advised to improve their communication abilities and to better manage their resources. Read more

The paper analyzes the behavior of business entities based in the Emirate of Dubai in the context of crisis communication responses by government institutions during the Dubai 2024 floods. The research aims to identify if there are key differentiating factors that influence the understanding of government crisis communications by businesses. Numerous literature sources indicate the importance of employee wellbeing policies for reducing crisis risks and hazards. A document analysis of public announcements of Dubai Government institutions, as well as responses, announcements, and policies of 69 companies operating in Dubai, has been performed to understand what and how the government communicated during the crisis, how companies behaved during the crisis, and what policies and procedures are in place in the companies. The crisis communication of the Dubai government and official authorities was proactive and in line with principles defined by the Situational Crisis Communication Theory. This resulted in the successful mitigation of the crisis risks and the timely restoration of the basic functioning of the city's critical infrastructure. At the same time, the crisis response of business entities was not univocal: some businesses decided to work remotely or temporarily cease their operations, while others decided to carry on with the “business as usual” approach, returning the employees to their workplaces quickly and putting them at risk. Findings of the research indicate that companies with a clear focus on employee wellbeing and developed health, safety, and environment policies were less involved in putting their employees at risk than companies that did not highlight employee wellbeing as one of their priorities. Further, the findings highlight the importance of employee wellbeing policies in crisis risk mitigation and contribute to the body of knowledge in terms of crisis communication, employee wellbeing, and emergency management. Read more

The article proposes an alternative approach to study migration flows based on gravity models. This approach does not reject gravity theory; on the contrary, it expands it to some extent. The relevant models are suggested to be described using diffusion-convection approaches. The intensity of human flows is proposed to identify on the basis of determinant gradients, and the very structure of the domain for studying these processes can be represented as a graph with nodes in the form of continuous areas of social space. The proposed approach is suitable for different dimensions of mobility studying, i.e. permanent migration decisions, touristic flows, academic mobility, transportation etc. The developed conceptual approach and mathematical formalization allow for understanding the patterns of migration applying fundamental principles of mathematic physics for economic processes. Read more

This paper examines the self-perceived leadership readiness of first-year bachelor’s students enrolled in economics and business programmes, utilising the Korn Ferry Leadership Architect™ as a diagnostic tool within the broader conceptual framework of the Synced Integrated Leadership Development Model (SILDM). SILDM is a theoretically informed synthesis of established leadership and intercultural frameworks, designed to reflect the multifaceted nature of contemporary leadership. It integrates behavioural, ethical, relational, and cultural dimensions into a unified developmental perspective, addressing a key limitation in leadership education: the tendency to apply models in isolation without accounting for their interdependent dynamics. To operationalise this framework, a survey instrument based on 29 selected Korn Ferry competencies was administered to a sample of 1,307 first-year students, enabling structured self-assessment across four leadership domains: Thought, Results, People, and Self. The findings revealed higher levels of confidence in cognitive and task-oriented domains (Thought and Results), and notable developmental gaps in ethical self-regulation and interpersonal influence (Self and People). The paper proposes six pedagogically grounded interventions designed to foster more integrated, ethically grounded, and culturally responsive leadership development during the early stages of students’ academic and professional formation. Read more

This study investigates the determinants of research productivity in Uzbekistan’s public universities using a balanced panel of 15 institutions over 2010–2023. The analysis integrates three complementary dimensions: human capital, institutional efficiency, and macroeconomic conditions to explain why research output varies markedly across universities during a period of rapid reforms. A fixed-effects instrumental-variable model is employed to control for unobserved institutional characteristics and potential endogeneity in spending efficiency and economic indicators. The results show that academic staff capacity is the strongest predictor of research productivity, while GDP growth also contributes positively by creating more stable conditions for long-term academic development. Education spending efficiency has a meaningful effect, suggesting that governance and internal management shape how resources translate into research outcomes. These findings underscore the need to strengthen faculty development, improve institutional accountability, and align higher education policy with national economic priorities. Read more

The growing world population is gradually disrupting the balance of the natural world and the environment. Unawareness and improper use of resources contribute to environmental imbalances, leading to ecological problems. To prevent or address these issues, it is crucial for individuals to possess a certain level of ecological citizenship. It is found that there is no scale aiming to assess the level of adolescents‘ ecological citizenship. The purpose of the research conducted is to develop a valid and reliable tool to assess the ecological citizenship levels of adolescents. As part of this goal, a literature review on ecology and ecological citizenship was carried out. The Ecological Citizenship scale was originally developed for adolescents ages 14–17 years old and was presented as valuable for comparing that age group with older participants. This study aims to assess the validity evidence of the Ecological Citizenship Scale (ECS) designed for adolescents. The scale comprises three key constructs: Knowledge, Responsibility and Duty, and Behaviour. This paper presents the results of factor analysis, internal consistency reliability, and normality tests, demonstrating the validity and reliability of the scale. Findings indicate that the ECS exhibits strong internal consistency, with high Cronbach’s alpha values across the components, and provides an empirically grounded measure of ecological citizenship for adolescents.  Read more

As digital fitness platforms and wellness technologies become the norm in modern health routines, understanding what impacts the user's engagement is key to creating inclusive, ethical and sustainable solutions. Specifically, we explore participation in online fitness environment and related purchasing behavior through the lens of personal traits, digital trust, and motivational drivers. Utilizing 680 respondents' survey data, the analysis uses statistical testing and behavioral segmentation to reveal specific user patterns and preferences. Findings indicate that younger users who are physically active, especially females and those having higher trust in personal data privacy, were more likely to use online exercise programs and to share personal health data. Behavioural segmentation uncovers three distinct user clusters with varying degrees of digital engagement, which demonstrates a considerable diversity in how users engage health-related technologies. In addition, purchases of products in the fitness and nutrition category seem to be motivated not by price or by ethical issues but by financial incentives and gender differentiation. The study emphasizes that privacy and trust, existing workout habits and cost are the prime factors driving the use of digital fitness offerings. In contrast, poor digital readiness, concerns around data management, and the influence of ethical product attributes act as key hindrances in driving sustainable adoption. This study provides a new perspective by combining the behavioral, attitudinal and demographic predictions into one model of engagement with digital fitness products. These findings add to the broader discussions on sustainable consumption, identifying routes for improving health, equity, and digital wellbeing through inclusive and affordable technology uptake. Read more

Earth's ecosystems face increased pressure from human economic activities, which has led businesses to adopt various sustainability principles in their operational frameworks and disclosure systems. This research examines the degree to which major Western and Central-Eastern European banks include the planetary and social boundaries defined by Rockström et al. (2009) and Raworth (2012) within their sustainability disclosure reports. The content analysis of 134 official sustainability reports from leading banks in Germany, France, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Austria, Poland, Hungary, Romania and the Czech Republic, between 2017 and 2024, reveals selective sustainability reporting practices. Banks throughout both regions maintained continuous focus on climate change since the European Union introduced its Green Deal in 2019. However, other planetary boundaries such as biodiversity loss, freshwater use and land-system change received minimal attention. Social boundaries, including education, employment, gender equality, income and healthcare received significant attention from banks because of the socio-economic disruptions, especially during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Western European banks demonstrated stronger environmental regulatory compliance, while Central-Eastern European banks focused on developing their socio-economic aspects. The study demonstrates that European banking sector sustainability reporting is primarily compliant rather than transformational, underscoring a need for enhanced regulatory frameworks and strategic sustainability integration to achieve systemic change. Read more