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This paper explores the relationship between environmental, social, and governance performance (ESGP) and firm value in both emerging and developed economies, with the moderating impact of environmental uncertainty and competitive advantage. Using secondary unbalanced data spanning from 2011 to 2022, we examine both the direct and non-linear effects of ESG performance on firm value, employing advanced econometric estimation techniques such as two-step system GMM (2sGMM) and two-stage least square (2SLS). The analysis finds that: (1) ESG performance positively influences firm value in both Chinese and US banks, and the results remain valid after robustness test; (2) The results also confirm that ESG performance non-linearly influence firm value across the samples, with an inverted U-shape relationship; (3) Additionally, we further investigate the moderating effects of environmental uncertainty and competitive advantage, uncovering that environmental uncertainty dampens the ESGP-firm value relationship, while competitive advantage further amplifies it. This study contributes to the understanding of how ESG performance can act as strategic assets that align managerial and stakeholder interests, and improve firm performance, by underpinning agency, stakeholder, and the resource-based view theory. Practical insights are also provided for policymakers, regulators, and financial institutions regarding the use of ESGP as a competitive tool in uncertain and dynamic market environments.

Green human resource management, or GHRM, is a relatively new idea but is already thought to be an essential tool for fostering sustainable behavior in businesses. We intended to find out how GHRM affects worker pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) by using worker engagement (WENG) and the green psychological climate (GPC) as mediators. The study tested and analyzed the suggested model using the PLS-SEM technique via SmartPLS 4. To gather data from 324 valid respondents—HR managers and employees—we used a quantitative study approach. These participants were chosen randomly from three industrial parks in Afghanistan. The analysis's findings demonstrated that GHRM possessed a positive impact on employees' PEBs. Furthermore, the employees' pro-environmental behaviors PEBs are fostered by the green psychological climate GPC and worker engagement WENG. The study presents new findings indicating that, in the Afghanistan industrial context, GHRM both directly and indirectly affects employees' PEBs through the partially mediating effects of GPC and WENG. The present research is significant because it fills in the gaps in the literature and offers new perspectives on GHRM. Notably, there aren't many GHRM studies that focus on Afghanistan's industrial sector. Furthermore, in analyzing these connections and evaluating the mediation effects, this study contributes to the body of knowledge currently available on PEBs.  Additionally, this study makes a practical contribution to the industrial sector by offering guidance on how to improve managers' understanding of GHRM policies, enhance employee PEBs at work, and foster an environmentally friendly organizational culture.

Green human resource management practices are widely accepted and are essential for encouraging sustainable behavior in organizations. We aimed to ascertain the relationship between employees' eco-friendly behavior and Green HRM practices by employing environmental awareness as a mediator. we analyzed and tested the suggested model Employing the PLS-SEM method through SmartPLS 4. The current study employed a quantitative research approach to collect data from 346 actual respondents. From six major public universities in Afghanistan, these participants were selected randomly. Based on the investigation, it was shown that green recruitment and selection, green training and development, green performance management, and green reward and compensation possessed a positive impact on employees' eco-friendly behavior.  Additionally, environmental awareness promotes eco-friendly conduct among the staff. The research provides updated outcomes showing that, through the partially moderating impacts of environmental awareness, green HRM practices in Afghanistan's public universities both directly and indirectly influence employees' eco-friendly behavior. The current study is noteworthy since it provides fresh insights into green HRM. Additionally, by examining these relationships and assessing the mediation effects, this work adds to the amount of literature already accessible on environmentally friendly behaviors.  Furthermore, current research makes a practical contribution to public universities by suggesting guidelines on how to increase academicians' awareness of green HRM practices, enhance eco-friendly behavior at work, and develop environmentally friendly behavior.

This study examines the effect of credit access on both agricultural and off-farm activities based on a household survey of 371 rural farmer respondents in Ethiopia.it was analyzed using a logistic regression model and statistical description. Findings demonstrated that the demographic factors; gender, age, level of education, and family size have a positive and significant effect on credit access. Agricultural credit access is impacted by each of the demographic variables as independent variables. On the other hand, the result indicated that the relationship between credit access and non-farm economic activities has a negative relationship. Credit access has a significant effect on agricultural intensification and specialization rather than diversification. Therefore, a comprehensive policy and strategy needs for credit access in both the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors. The Ethiopian government should follow the integration policy between both sectors and participate in livelihood diversification strategies and achieve sustainable development goals by 2030 at large.

The financial performance of banks relies heavily on properly utilizing their capital. However, bank ownership can have varying effects on the relationship between financial performance and capital. This study delves into this relationship by examining the impact of ownership on financial performance and bank capital. The study analyzes data from 44 commercial banks in Bangladesh and uses a two-step system generalized method of moments to address heteroscedasticity and autocorrelation issues. Unlike previous studies, this study confirms the significant effect of ownership on the relationship between bank financial performance and bank capital. The study's main findings are: (1) an inverted U-shaped relationship exists between bank capital and financial performance, implying that increasing capital can improve and reduce financial performance. (2) Private and Islamic commercial banks perform better than state-owned and conventional banks. (3) private-owned and Islamic commercial banks with higher capital are more likely to achieve higher profitability and financial success, while state-owned and conventional commercial banks with higher capital show lower profitability and weaker financial performance. Overall, this study offers significant practical implications for academics, researchers, and regulators interested in leveraging these findings.

Youth student organizations, particularly Student Union Branches, play a vital role in ideological development and talent cultivation within Chinese higher education. Operating within a unique socio-educational context, these organizations must navigate the complex challenge of enhancing organizational effectiveness while ensuring ideological alignment. This study adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining surveys of 127 student cadres with in-depth case studies of 6 Student Union Branches, to investigate how sophisticated mechanisms for understanding, predicting, and managing individual thoughts and behaviors can improve organizational outcomes. The research proposes an integrated U-P-M (Understanding-Prediction-Management) framework. This includes a multi-layered understanding mechanism based on dynamic monitoring, dialogue, and data insight; a prediction mechanism utilizing intelligent forecasting and proactive intervention; and a management mechanism combining value guidance, organizational optimization, and environmental shaping. Quantitative results show that Student Union Branches implementing the systematic U-P-M framework achieved significant gains: a 28% increase in organizational belonging, a 35% rise in activity participation, and a 42% improvement in task execution efficiency. Qualitative findings further reveal contextual implementation challenges and success factors. This study contributes an evidence-based theoretical framework and reproducible pathways for enhancing youth student organization effectiveness within China's specific educational environment. It highlights the delicate balance between organizational autonomy and ideological conformity, offering valuable insights for educational administrators and student affairs professionals seeking to foster high-quality organizational development.

Increasing access to quality education in South Africa has led to a rise in enrollment by students from diverse backgrounds at higher education institutions. However, first-entering students transition from secondary school to higher education, and it is hypothesized that this will affect students psychologically, socially, and financially. Financially, many higher education students in South Africa rely on the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). This study investigates the relationship between students’ socioeconomic backgrounds and academic success at a South African university. A mixed-methods approach surveyed 74 first-year students in the Extended Curriculum Programme at the University of Venda, South Africa. Findings from regression and correlation analyses indicate that poor and low socio-economic backgrounds among Extended Curriculum Programme students significantly affect their academic performance and success. These findings challenge the notion that disadvantaged backgrounds necessarily hinder student achievement and emphasize the importance of creating an environment that supports students from all socio-economic backgrounds. Eight policy recommendations and strategies are provided to enhance student success and support for diverse socio-economic backgrounds in higher education institutions.

Individuals are becoming more aware of the negative effects of the rapid fashion industry and are shifting to second-hand clothes. Due to its potential to minimize clothing waste, purchasing second-hand garments is reflected as environmentally friendly. Using an online questionnaire survey, this research examines the factors influencing consumers’ purchasing intention of second-hand clothing via the mediation of individualism and product attitude by applying the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 25.0 and the Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) 25.0 to analyze the data collected information. The proposed models are expanded by additional construct factors to evaluate their influence on purchase intention. The results indicate that online second-hand clothing purchase intention (PI) is partially explained by the theory of planned behavior (TPB) with product attitude (PA) and individualism (IN). Among the additional factors encompassed, consumer perceived value (CPV) and consumer perceived risk (CPR) negatively impacted the consumer’s intention to buy second-hand clothing. Additionally, this study validates the effectiveness of the integrated model of TPB in interpreting customers’ buying intentions for second-hand clothing. This study also yielded theoretical and managerial implications, as well as proposals for further research.

Workplace stress and nurse retention are critical challenges in healthcare, affecting organizational stability and public health outcomes. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of stressors and job satisfaction on nurses’ turnover intentions in the western region of Ghana, with a focus on the moderating role of transformational leadership. Methodologically, a descriptive cross-sectional design was employed to collect data from 364 registered nurses working in four hospitals. Participants completed an online questionnaire measuring stress factors, job satisfaction, turnover intentions, and transformational leadership. Structural equation modelling was employed to analyze the data using Mplus 8.3. The results revealed stressors (stress from workload, superiors, and coworkers and daily life) significantly increased nurses’ turnover intentions while negatively influencing job satisfaction. Job satisfaction was inversely associated with turnover intentions, and transformational leadership moderated this relationship, reducing the likelihood of such intentions. The findings highlight the importance of fostering job satisfaction and implementing transformational leadership strategies, such as mentorship and effective stress management, to alleviate workplace stress and enhance nurse retention. These insights offer valuable guidance for hospital administrators and policymakers in designing interventions to improve nurse retention and overall organizational performance.

This paper explores the relationship between environmental, social, and governance performance (ESGP) and firm value in both emerging and developed economies, with the moderating impact of environmental uncertainty and competitive advantage. Using secondary unbalanced data spanning from 2011 to 2022, we examine both the direct and non-linear effects of ESG performance on firm value, employing advanced econometric estimation techniques such as two-step system GMM (2sGMM) and two-stage least square (2SLS). The analysis finds that: (1) ESG performance positively influences firm value in both Chinese and US banks, and the results remain valid after robustness test; (2) The results also confirm that ESG performance non-linearly influence firm value across the samples, with an inverted U-shape relationship; (3) Additionally, we further investigate the moderating effects of environmental uncertainty and competitive advantage, uncovering that environmental uncertainty dampens the ESGP-firm value relationship, while competitive advantage further amplifies it. This study contributes to the understanding of how ESG performance can act as strategic assets that align managerial and stakeholder interests, and improve firm performance, by underpinning agency, stakeholder, and the resource-based view theory. Practical insights are also provided for policymakers, regulators, and financial institutions regarding the use of ESGP as a competitive tool in uncertain and dynamic market environments.