Humanities and Social Sciences Letters

The influence of social cognitive factors on physical activity of Chinese university students: The moderating role of gender

2024-10-28T08:25:03-05:00

This study constructed a prediction model of physical activity among Chinese college students based on the social cognitive theory to investigate the factors and mechanisms influencing physical activity among Chinese college students. Questionnaires were dispensed to a cohort of 2000 university students hailing from 10 academic institutions located in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China resulting in the retrieval of 1897 questionnaires deemed valid. The conceptual framework was subsequently modeled using the PLS-SEM methodology based on the sample data collected. Sports social support (β = 0.191***), outcome expectation (β = 0.306***) and self-efficacy (β = 0.459***) positively impact college students' physical activity through self-regulation (β = 0.346***). Male self-efficacy has a weaker influence on self-regulation. Male college students' self-regulation also has a weaker effect on physical activity. External disturbance (β = -0.192***) negatively affects physical activity while internal disturbance has a minor impact (β = -0.135***, f2=0.010) almost negligible. The research validated the impact of various social cognitive elements on the exercise habits of university students. It offers a solid empirical foundation for advancing physical activity engagement among college students in China. Furthermore, the findings can serve as a fundamental reference point for Chinese educational institutions to develop comprehensive sports policies tailored specifically for college students.

The power of women in the success of business family: A case study of Kosovo, Albania and North Macedonia

2024-11-08T02:07:45-06:00

The main objective of this research is to emphasize the significant role women hold in leading family businesses in transitional countries such as Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Albania. It aims to demonstrate how women’s leadership can positively influence business performance, economic advancement and social development in these regions where traditional gender norms are shifting. Additionally, this study explores how empowering women in leadership roles can foster innovation, strengthen resilience, and ensure long-term sustainability for family-owned businesses ultimately contributing to the broader economic progress of these transitioning economies. This research aims to analyze family support, cultural factors and the influence of education on the advancement of women in leadership positions with a particular focus on family businesses. In this empirical research, 490 women from the countries above were included and the sample was randomly selected due to a lack of formal data. The results of the analyses were presented through descriptive analysis, Pearson correlation, Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and T-test. The results indicate that family support has already a significant impacted advancement. Similarly, cultural factors have a positive influence. These factors have changed and are no longer obstacles to women's advancement as in the past, although in some rural countries this is still seen as an obstacle. Another important factor is education where women prioritize before taking leadership positions and continue with various training even after taking positions to be fully prepared to achieve their business objectives.

The impact of financial literacy on saving behavior of the elderly people: The mediating role of digital financial literacy

2024-11-09T03:30:59-06:00

This study examines how financial literacy affects the saving habits of older people in Hanoi, Vietnam and the impact of digital financial literacy in mediating this relationship. The research is based on data collected from 250 participants aged 55 and above, surveyed in April 2024. The Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) method with SmartPLS 4 software estimates the relationship among variables. The study confirms a positive correlation between financial literacy and the saving behavior of elderly people. Additionally, digital financial literacy plays a positive mediating role in enhancing the effect of financial literacy on saving behavior by facilitating elderly people's utilization of digital tools for financial management and the pursuit of more effective saving strategies. However, traditional financial literacy maintains a more significant and direct impact on the saving behavior of this demographic group. These findings have practical implications for developing policies and interventions to enhance financial literacy and digital skills among the elderly, ensuring financial security and fostering saving behavior. The results underscore the importance of targeted educational initiatives that address both traditional financial literacy and digital financial competencies for elderly people, potentially leading to improved financial outcomes in this demographic group.

Examining the reliability and validity of self-efficacy beliefs, stress, perceived teachers' support and academic burnout scales using the PLS-SEM approach

2024-11-24T22:58:16-06:00

Likert scales were used in this study to collect data on measures such as the student academic burnout scale, the student stress scale, the student self-efficacy beliefs scale and the student perceived teacher support scale. The purpose of this study is to examine the four-part scales' reliability and validity used in this research. The number of measurement indicators for the four scales was 11, 13, 12 and 10, respectively. Seventy-five college students from five colleges and universities participated in the research and the partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) approach was applied to analyze the data. Consequently, the internal consistency and reliability of the measures were assessed using Cronbach's alpha (CA) and composite reliability (CR) both of which exceeded the clinical thresholds of 0.6 and 0.7, respectively. The average variance extracted (AVE) was used to evaluate the scales' convergent validity and the reported values were all stated above 0.5. The scales' discriminant validity was also framed within the range of threshold values. As a result, the scales used in this study demonstrated good validity and reliability and can be useful in assessing relationships throughout a range of study situations.

Organisational justice and employees’ commitment of selected Nigerian banking sector

2024-11-24T23:20:26-06:00

Nigerian banking institutions in the 21st century face significant workplace challenges, including employee commitment, managerial decision-making issues, perceptions of inequality, unfair treatment and a lack of stability and reliability due to competitive forces. This study investigates the effect of organisational justice variables on employee commitment in a specific sector. A descriptive research approach was used with 361 questionnaires distributed but only 332 returned resulting in a 91.97% return rate. This study used Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences (SPSS) for descriptive statistics and the Structural Equation Model (SEM-PLS) for inferential statistics to evaluate the generated hypothesis. This study reveals that employees' perception of distributive justice significantly influences their commitment; procedural justice affects their normative commitment and interactional justice influences their continuance commitment. It emphasises the importance of understanding the relationship between organisational justice and employee commitment to guide stakeholders in creating fair and positive work environments promoting employee well-being and enhancing organisational outcomes.

Think and act like owners in family firms: Does managerial level matter?

2024-11-25T00:17:44-06:00

Conventional thought believes that employees' concern for the firm has never been as great as that of its owners. Making non-owning employees think and act like owners leading to the best performance at work is an eternal challenge for many family firms. We investigate how employees’ sense of belonging attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavior control (PBC) affect their intention and behavior to provide the best performance at work. We also test whether the managerial level (supervisor and above vs. staff and operators) moderates these relationships. Using a moderated mediation model applied to a sample of 409 employees from Indonesian family firms, we find that employees’ sense of belonging, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control (PBC) are positively related to their intention to provide the best performance at work. However, the relationship pattern differs between the two employee groups, namely managerial and non-managerial employees. For managerial employees (supervisory and above), their PBC has no relationship to their intention or behavior. In contrast, their attitude and subjective norms have a positive relationship with their behavior through their intention. For non-managerial employees (staff and operators), the relationship between subjective norms and behavior is fully mediated by intention. In contrast, the relationship between attitude and behavior and between PBC and behavior is partially mediated by intention. We also find that the effect of attitude on intention is stronger for managerial employees but the effect of subjective norms and PBC is stronger for non-managerial employees.

Exploration green finance effect on Jordanian banks sustainable performance

2024-12-10T05:55:47-06:00

This paper investigates the effect of green finance on the sustainability of banks in Jordan. This paper is a quantitative used questionnaire to collect data from 25 banks operating in Jordan. Moreover, the data was collected between March and April 2024 in Amman. As a result, a total of 292 responses were received; they were selected using a random sampling technique, all of which were suitable for statistical analysis. 292 questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS-29 and Smart-PLS-4.1.0.3. The findings indicated that GF has a positive effect on Jordanian banks sustainable performance. In addition, environmental, social, and economic aspects have a significant and positive effect on Jordanian bank sustainable performance. However, this paper provides a result that will be useful to banks in understanding the factors that influence customers' decisions to use green finance as well as the challenges they may face. Future research could also provide a framework for other countries to use in designing their sustainable finance initiatives.

Appraisal of indigenous language risk communication intervention for COVID-19 in Lagos state

2024-12-11T00:13:47-06:00

This study sought to identify the language use, pattern of themes, and context of utterances used in risk communication messages for COVID-19 in Lagos State, Nigeria. COVID-19 pandemic poses a threat to the sustainability of public well-being globally. Hence, risk communication is becoming a plausible tool in curbing the spread of the virus. Existing studies have largely focused on clinical analysis for Covid-19, to the neglect of indigenous language risk communication interventions. In addition, to determine whether perceived panic resulting from exposure to indigenous language information on COVID-19 cases interferes with respondents’ comprehension of risk communication messages in Lagos state. The study employed the mixed methods of content analysis and survey to examine three indigenous language jingles. Four hundred respondents were also randomly selected for this study. The study found that indigenous language risk messages focused majorly on preventive measures while paying minimal attention to important factors such as COVID-19 causes, symptoms, and curative measures. Furthermore, the study revealed that unwholesome risk perceptions led to 52.8% of respondents paying little attention to indigenous language risk managers. Thus, the study advocates for the adoption of the COVID-19 Risk Communication Phases Model developed during the study.

The determinants of remittances: An investigation from legal perspectives

2025-01-09T01:53:48-06:00

This research aims to evaluate differences between micro-level determinants of remittance from immigrant workers and migrants in Vietnam. We employ the cross-sectional regression of 1680 observations collected by a survey across the country. We found that female workers had a lower frequency of supporting their household of origin through remittances than male workers while female migrants seemed to send more money to their home countries than male migrants. Interestingly, we document that overseas workers sent more money to those they left behind while migrants were found to send less remittance from the North to the South. In addition, other demographic determinants, including income, age, and marital status play a very important role in attracting remittance flows into Vietnam. Lastly, language proficiency might have a positive impact on remittance amount for both migrants and immigrant workers. These findings suggest that the government should improve and set regulations on foreign languages and skill training for overseas workers before they go abroad.

The relationship between transformational leadership and teacher organizational commitment: Empirical evidence from China

2025-01-09T05:09:52-06:00

This study examines the influence of transformational leadership on organizational commitment among teachers in private vocational schools in Chongqing, China, providing empirical evidence of the relationship. A quantitative approach was used employing a structured questionnaire to collect data from 120 teachers. Out of 150 distributed questionnaires, 111 were returned and analyzed. Statistical techniques, including regression and correlation analyses were conducted using SPSS to assess the relationships. The results show a significant and positive relationship between transformational leadership and organizational commitment (Beta = 0.56, p < 0.01), indicating that transformational leadership enhances teachers’ commitment to their institutions. This research provides insights into the role of transformational leadership in private vocational schools emphasizing its importance in fostering faculty engagement and retention. The findings offer practical recommendations for school administrators to improve organizational commitment and suggest further exploring contextual factors influencing leadership effectiveness.

Evaluating the perspectives and skills related to research among students in graduate teacher education within the context of the Philippines

2025-01-17T01:20:16-06:00

This study investigated the research attitudes and capabilities of 338 graduate teacher education (GTE) students taking a Master of Arts in Education who enrolled in a Research Methodology course at a Philippine state university from 2022 to 2024. A descriptive correlational research design was employed using adopted questionnaires to assess the respondents’ attitudes toward research using five components. Further, the research capabilities of the respondents were also evaluated. The respondents were chosen using convenience sampling from all subject enrollees within the prescribed school year. Descriptive and inferential statistics were utilized to treat the data. The results revealed that the respondents had a very positive attitude toward the usefulness of research, a very positive attitude towards research, and a positive attitude toward research relevance to life while having negative attitudes toward research anxiety and difficulties. Moreover, the respondents are highly capable in the research process while they are capable of participating in research-related activities. Furthermore, a significant relationship was found between the usefulness, positive attitude, and relevance of research and research capabilities. The findings highlight GTE students' research attitudes and capabilities, offering valuable insights that encourage and support their pursuit of the research writing process.

The determinants of perceived risk: A moderating role of investor sophistication

2025-01-22T22:55:38-06:00

This study investigates the factors affecting perceived risk and the moderating effects of investor sophistication. Young investors are known to possess low financial literacy, exhibit herding behavior, and rely heavily on social media for information. A cross-sectional method was used to collect data through online questionnaires developed with Google Forms. At the same time, partial least squares structural equation modeling was adopted for data analysis using SmartPLS version 4. Purposive sampling was applied using a sample size of 344 young Indonesian investors aged 30 years and below with one year of experience in stock investing. Herding behavior and investor sophistication were adopted as mediating and moderating variables, respectively. The results show that social media influence significantly affects the perceived risk and herding behavior of young investors. Additionally, social media has an indirect impact on perceived risk through herding behavior. In this context, investor sophistication is a critical moderating factor amplifying the effects of social media and herding on perceived risk. This study contributes to prospect theory, behavioral finance, and social influence theory.

Developing an active learning model using problem-based learning to enhance the 21st century skills

2025-01-23T03:31:32-06:00

This research aimed to develop and implement the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) model for 21st-century skills and evaluate the outcomes. The model went through three phases of research and development and was conducted with two groups of 55 third-year students selected using a clustered random sampling method. The research instruments used included a structured interview form, the PBL model, the 21st-century skill scales, and the satisfaction questionnaire. The instruments had quality and were assessed with the content validity and reliability. The data analysis involved the use of descriptive statistics, dependent t-tests, and content analysis. The results showed that the PBL model developed consisted of four components and was highly appropriate. Process of the PBL instruction included six steps: problem statement, problem analysis, research, synthesis, summary and evaluation, and presentation and discussion; students’ critical thinking skills, collaboration, teamwork, and leadership skills significantly improved after the implementation of the model, and students expressed high satisfaction. This model can help foster learners to achieve and should also be used with other groups.

External audit importance toward efficiency of public funds and the economic growth-a study case of Kosovo

2025-01-23T05:12:21-06:00

The purpose of this study is to shed light on the importance of the external audit towards the efficiency of public funds and to estimate further the impact of related macroeconomic determinants such as government expenditures, government debt to GDP, government revenue, and fiscal expenditure in economic growth in the case of Kosovo. The study employs a quantitative research method utilizing secondary data from 2012-2021 sourced from World Bank indicators. The econometric models employed in this study are the OLS and VAR models. The study finds that a point increase in public debt will decrease the GDP growth in the case of Kosovo. The empirical findings suggest further that an increase in government spending leads to a rise in GDP growth, whereas government revenues and fiscal expenditures are statistically not significant in the study circumstances. Budgetary expenditure is negatively signed, indicating that an increase in fiscal expenditure leads to a decrease in GDP growth, and it is statistically not significant. The study concludes that external audits play a crucial role in the efficiency of public funds and sheds light on macroeconomic determinants related to external audits that have an impact on economic growth in the case of Kosovo.

The impact of personality traits on entrepreneurial self-efficacy and intention among private university students: Gender as a moderating variable

2025-01-24T00:31:09-06:00

This study aims to explore the impact of different personality traits among students in private universities on the relationship between their Entrepreneurial Self-efficacy (ESE) and Entrepreneurial Intentions (EI) with gender as the moderating variable. This quantitative research collects data from six private comprehensive universities' undergraduate students in Chengdu through a questionnaire survey and analyzes it using structural equation modeling (SEM). Personality traits play a significant role in the relationship between ESE and EI with conscientiousness and neuroticism having the most significant impact. Gender shows significant differences in the moderating effect of different personality traits on the relationship between ESE and EI with women showing a more significant enhancement of entrepreneurial intention in the context of high entrepreneurial self-efficacy. The findings provide a theoretical basis and empirical support for improving the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education in private universities and propose targeted educational strategies.