This paper examines the significance of foresight and active forecasting as integrative frameworks for strengthening defense capability. Using Ukraine as an illustrative example, the study demonstrates how these approaches provide a nuanced understanding of current security challenges and enable the anticipation of future scenarios – both essential for effective strategic planning and state-level decision-making.
The influence of foresight on the formation of self-defeating prophecies in the context of active forecasting and its role as a management tool capable of public policy adjustment are considered. Examples of NATO Strategic Command and DARPA leadership experience of improving the effectiveness of defense plans using this methodology are considered.
The authors discuss various approaches to the use of foresight in the field of defense, including open and confidential options, as well as their possible outcomes in a confrontational international environment. Particular attention is paid to the need to take into account the disinformation factor. The study confirms that foresight as an active forecast is a powerful tool that can significantly improve the state's defense capability and provide a strategic advantage in a rapidly changing international security situation. Read more

Films seem to be an essential form of entertainment in modern society, but as the literature review shows, the film industry is involved in subtle distortions of cultural, religious, and political ideas. Regardless of whether films are publicly or privately funded, there are many creative ways to influence or alter perceptions, to educate audiences, to stir irrational fears, and swiftly promote certain ideologies. Therefore, this study examines the socioeconomic narratives present in the Blade Runner film series and their connections to economic theories. The research aims to analyze the portrayal of capitalism, socialism, Malthusianism, Social Darwinism, and ecologism within a dystopian context, focusing on themes such as wealth distribution, labor exploitation, technological disruption, and environmental collapse. Using a qualitative methodology, the study employs socioeconomic content analysis, more specific thematic coding, discourse analysis, semiotic interpretation, historical contextualization, and audience reception assessment. The findings indicate that Blade Runner embodies Malthusian concerns about overpopulation, resource depletion, and environmental degradation. The films portray capitalism as a system that reinforces social stratification, in which technological advances serve the interests of elites while deepening the oppression of the working class. Immigration is framed as a destabilizing force, rooted in historical anxieties about cultural identity and economic competition, rather than being recognized for its real contributions to cultural exchange and economic growth. Furthermore, the films invoke the myth of the noble savage, suggesting that salvation lies in an outsider who remains untainted by capitalist corruption. Through a socioeconomic analysis of the Blade Runner series, this study highlights Hollywood’s influence in shaping dystopian fears and critiques of contemporary economic systems. Read more

This study explores the direct costs and risk factors associated with cancer across European Union member states, emphasizing the economic and public health implications. A Cancer Risk Factors Index (CRFI) is developed to quantify and compare the impact of various determinants, including obesity, smoking, alcohol consumption, socioeconomic conditions, and pollution. Using data from Eurostat and other authoritative sources, we analyze the correlation between CRFI scores, healthcare expenditures, and cancer mortality rates. Results reveal significant disparities in cancer risk factors and healthcare investments across countries, with lower CRFI scores generally associated with higher healthcare spending and improved outcomes. The findings underscore the importance of comprehensive public health strategies and targeted interventions to address modifiable risk factors, reduce cancer-related mortality, and promote equitable healthcare access. Read more

The eco-friendly products are digitally marketed through prioritising sustainable practices, adopting technological solutions, and other innovative approaches. New marketing strategies emerge better through human-centric innovation hubs since these platforms support integrated decision-making that combines data evaluation and customer experiences. These digital platforms provide a favourable environment to collaborate with policymakers and consumers for building effective sustainable product digital marketing strategies. Various elements determine how successful this collaborative approach becomes in its output. The aim of the research is to find out the factors influencing human-centric innovation hubs to enhance digital marketing of eco-friendly products. The study initiates a review of literature and a factor analysis method to determine these influential factors. Digital marketing of eco-friendly products depends on four significant elements, with data-driven elements taking the leading role at 25.715%, followed by motivational aspects at 16.675% and policy and engagement dimensions at 10.678%, along with persuasive components at 8.758%. Data-driven elements capture the most critical position among these influential factors. Digital marketing effectiveness increases for businesses and policymakers through their use of human-centric innovation hubs because these hubs offer clear insights into factors that influence eco-friendly product adoption. Read more

Because schoolteachers’ high occupational motivation is an essential prerequisite for their good performance, it is important to understand the personality characteristics that determine it. The present study involved 188 primary and secondary schoolteachers from three regions of Ukraine. Data collection relied on Zamfir’s Motivation for Professional Activities technique, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, the Personal Orientation Inventory, the communicative inclinations sub-test of the method identifying communicative and organisational inclinations, the Professional Self-Fulfilment Questionnaire and the Maslach Burnout Inventory General Survey. The data obtained showed that nine out of 10 personality characteristics used in our study significantly influenced schoolteachers’ occupational motivation. Of these, seven variables had a positive effect, contributing to schoolteachers’ intrinsic motivation, but two indicators of occupational burnout (personal accomplishment and emotional exhaustion) had a negative effect, reducing motivation. The most significant personality characteristics were communicative inclinations (explaining 16.6% of the variation in intrinsic motivation), personal accomplishment (9.3%) and self-efficacy (6.0%). Six additional indicators – three indicators of professional self-fulfilment and individual indicators of time competence, emotional exhaustion and inner-directed support – explained schoolteachers’ intrinsic motivation within 2.7–4.3% limits. A multiple regression analysis revealed that the set of 10 personality characteristics used in our study was highly informative (R = .503; R2 = .253), explaining 25.3% of schoolteachers’ intrinsic motivation. The results open up new perspectives to increase and stabilise schoolteachers’ occupational motivation. Read more

This article explores the Russian–Ukrainian war as a subjectively perceived social situation, emphasizing psychological dimensions of time (present, past, and future) and their role in shaping individual and collective attitudes. Based on a February 2023 survey of 1,200 respondents in government-controlled regions of Ukraine, four groups were identified according to the subjective length of the "present"—ranging from one year to over ten years. Statistical analysis revealed that a longer subjective present correlates with less negative evaluations of the current situation, a stronger pro-Ukrainian stance, greater resistance to enemy propaganda, and more optimism about the future. Conversely, those with a shorter time perspective expressed lower trust in fellow citizens and supported harsher penalties for collaboration. The findings highlight the role of subjective time in shaping perceptions of the war’s causes, course, and possible outcomes. Read more

Corporate embeddedness, the extent to which companies anchor themselves in a local context through political, economic, academic, social, and environmental connections, remains a key area of research in social and regional sciences. Due to the limited availability of secondary data on corporate relationships, measurement methods often rely on qualitative data. Corporate communication, especially CEO letters in annual reports, is a frequently neglected secondary data source that has grown in significance in meeting stakeholder expectations and providing insights into corporate strategies and operations. Despite the growing scholarly interest in CEO letters, little is known about embeddedness narratives and the cultural factors that influence them. Through an analysis of the cultural variations in embeddedness narratives found in CEO letters from the fashion and cosmetics industries, this study suggests a novel approach to operationalising corporate local embeddedness. The focus on these sectors is justified by the significant variations in embeddedness orientations across industries and the accessibility of relevant data. The study finds that CEO letters can serve as a complementary data source for assessing corporate embeddedness, as they reveal both local and global orientations. Using software-based content analysis, key themes and keywords were identified along the Quintuple Helix model, providing a structured approach to analysing embeddedness. The results highlight cultural influences, with reactive cultures emphasising social sustainability, while academic engagement challenges existing assumptions. In addition to reflecting corporate strategies, CEO letters offer insights into sectoral characteristics. However, more qualitative research is still required to fully comprehend a company’s level of embedding. Read more