Year 2026, Issue 3
Date published18.9.2026
CONTENTS
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Tran Thi Hoa, Nguyen Van Hiep, Nguyen Hai Anh, Nguyen Thi Nga
THE IMPACT OF PRODUCT QUALITY ON GREEN TECHNOLOGY PRODUCT CONSUMPTION BEHAVIOUR IN AN EMERGING MARKET: EVIDENCE FROM URBAN CONSUMERS IN VIETNAMAbstract: Green technology products have increasingly attracted attention due to growing environmental concerns and the transition toward sustainable consumption. However, consumer adoption of green technology products in emerging markets... Green technology products have increasingly attracted attention due to growing environmental concerns and the transition toward sustainable consumption. However, consumer adoption of green technology products in emerging markets remains inconsistent, particularly in an emerging market such as Vietnam. Therefore, this study examines the effects of product quality dimensions on green technology product consumption behavior among urban consumers in Vietnam. A quantitative research approach was employed using survey data collected from 350 urban consumers in Vietnam. The research model examined seven dimensions of product quality, including product performance, product features, durability, reliability, health safety, eco-friendliness, and conformance to standards. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was applied to test the proposed hypotheses. The findings reveal that all seven product quality dimensions positively and significantly influence green technology product consumption behavior. Among these factors, product performance emerged as the strongest determinant, followed by durability and conformance to standards. The results indicate that urban consumers in Vietnam prioritize functional effectiveness, long-term economic value, and certification credibility when evaluating green technology products. The study concludes that consumers in emerging markets integrate environmental concerns with practical and economic considerations in green purchasing decisions. -
Shovan Nasim Haider, Miloslava Chovancova
THE EFFECTS OF AI-WASHING ON CONSUMER’S TRUST, ETHICS AND PURCHASE INTENTIONKeywords: AI washing, consumer trust, perceived brand ethicality, behavioral intentions, technological literacyAbstract: As artificial intelligence becomes a dominant signifier of innovation in marketing, the practice of AI washing as the strategic exaggeration or fabrication of AI capabilities in marketing communications has emerged as a critical... As artificial intelligence becomes a dominant signifier of innovation in marketing, the practice of AI washing as the strategic exaggeration or fabrication of AI capabilities in marketing communications has emerged as a critical ethical concern. This article reports study results examining AI washing perception and its consequences for consumer trust, perceived brand ethicality, purchase intention, and word-of-mouth (WOM) intention. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) is employed with a survey sample of 854 consumers to establish predictive relationships. Drawing on the Trust-Action Model, Ethical Decision-Making Theory, and Consumer Information Processing Theory, the findings shows that AI washing severely and significantly damages all four consumer outcomes. Crucially, a serial mediation pathway Perceived Brand Ethicality-Brand-Trust-Behavioral Intentions was supported in the study, confirming that deception functions primarily as a moral failure before translating into eroded trust and suppressed behavior. Moderation analyses revealed a competence-based susceptibility gradient: technological literacy and prior AI experience amplified these negative effects, whereas age did not. Convergent cross-study effect sizes confirm robust findings with important implications for marketing practice, consumer protection, and AI governance. -
Pavel Ivanov, Borislav Borisov
DIGITAL CAPACITY, RULE OF LAW, AND REGULATORY QUALITY AS DETERMINANTS OF GOVERNMENT EFFECTIVENESS: A POOLED OLS INTERACTION MODEL FOR EU MEMBER STATESKeywords: public administration, government effectiveness, e-government, rule of law, quality of regulationAbstract: : Government effectiveness, as a measurable institutional outcome, has been extensively studied, assessed and discussed in the academic literature. Building on the theories of moderation and institutional complementarity, this study... : Government effectiveness, as a measurable institutional outcome, has been extensively studied, assessed and discussed in the academic literature. Building on the theories of moderation and institutional complementarity, this study argues that digital capacity, the rule of law, and regulatory quality are significant determinants of government effectiveness. The analysis draws on data for four internationally recognised composite indices used to assess the state of public administration. This study proposes a pooled OLS interaction model to examine whether the effects on government effectiveness depend on the levels of digital capacity, the rule of law and regulatory quality, and on the interactions among them. The aim of this article is: 1. To outline the theoretical basis for the application of an institutional interaction model to the study of governance effectiveness; 2. To construct and apply such a model using observed cross-national data for EU countries and Bulgaria. In this regard, the authors set themselves the following tasks: 1. To review a methodological framework for analyzing administrative structures; 2. To examine the influence of digital maturity, the quality of regulations, the rule of law and their multiplier effect on the effectiveness of public administration management in EU countries; 3. To draw conclusions about the institutional interaction of the three factors on the effectiveness of public administration in Bulgaria. The findings reveal significant positive effects of digital capacity, the rule of law and regulatory quality on government effectiveness. The analysis of internationally comparable composite indices with longitudinal coverage enables both cross-national and temporal comparisons, yielding policy-relevant insights for strategies aimed at enhancing public administration effectiveness. Comparable panel data for the DES, RoL and RQ coefficients for all 27 EU Member States for the period 2022–2024 were used as independent variables determining the levels of the dependent variable Government Effectiveness (GE). -
Krasimir Kulchev
LIQUIDITY ANALYSIS OF NON-MANUFACTURING ENTERPRISESKeywords: financial management, financial analysis, financial condition, financial ratios, liquidityAbstract: Economic analysis is a basic tool of business management, financial analysis being one of its structural parts. When assessing the financial condition of business organizations, liquidity analysis indicators are important. They are... Economic analysis is a basic tool of business management, financial analysis being one of its structural parts. When assessing the financial condition of business organizations, liquidity analysis indicators are important. They are also widely used in discriminating financially stable enterprises from business organizations at an increased risk of bankruptcy. The present paper aims to calculate mean values of some of the most commonly used liquidity analysis indicators. The research is based on information from the financial statements of non-manufacturing enterprises, some of which are financially stable, and some are declared bankrupt. As a result of the study, it is concluded that the usefulness of liquidity indicators depends on their individual capabilities, the socio-economic conditions in which the study is conducted, and the aims of the analysis. -
Ayberk Seker, Mahmut Kadir Isguven, Taner Ismailov
IS SUSTAINABLE TOURISM VALID FOR THE BALKAN COUNTRIES? EVIDENCE FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL KUZNETS CURVE HYPOTHESISKeywords: environment, sustainable tourism, carbon emission, environmental Kuznets curve, Balkan countriesAbstract: The transition toward sustainable tourism has become increasingly important for the Balkan countries, where tourism represents a significant source of economic activity but also generates growing environmental pressures. This study... The transition toward sustainable tourism has become increasingly important for the Balkan countries, where tourism represents a significant source of economic activity but also generates growing environmental pressures. This study examines the environmental implications of tourism development in eleven Balkan countries over the period 1995–2024 by investigating the relationships among greenhouse gas emissions, economic growth, electricity consumption, and international tourist arrivals within the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) framework. The empirical analysis applies panel cointegration tests, FMOLS and DOLS long-run estimators, the Pooled Mean Group (PMG) estimator, and the Dumitrescu–Hurlin panel causality test. The results provide evidence of a U-shaped EKC relationship, indicating that greenhouse gas emissions initially decline with economic growth but increase again at higher income levels. Electricity consumption and tourist arrivals exert positive and statistically significant long-run effects on greenhouse gas emissions. The causality analysis further reveals bidirectional causality between greenhouse gas emissions and electricity consumption, together with unidirectional causal relationships from GDP to greenhouse gas emissions, tourist arrivals, and electricity consumption, and from tourist arrivals to greenhouse gas emissions and electricity consumption. The study contributes to the existing literature by providing recent regional evidence for a heterogeneous group of tourism-intensive Balkan economies and by jointly examining tourism activity, energy consumption, economic growth, and environmental pressure within a unified panel framework. The findings indicate that tourism-led growth in the region cannot be assumed to become environmentally sustainable automatically as income increases, highlighting the need for tourism decarbonization, greater reliance on renewable energy, and country-sensitive environmental policies. -
Arsim Gjinovci, Dren Gjinovci
CONTESTS OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND PUBLIC ORGANIZATIONS: THE IMPACT OF ECONOMIC, POLITICAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL FACTORSAbstract: Public organizations face a number of economic and non-economic challenges that directly affect the performance and development of human resources. These challenges include excessive bureaucracy, political influence in the selection... Public organizations face a number of economic and non-economic challenges that directly affect the performance and development of human resources. These challenges include excessive bureaucracy, political influence in the selection of managers, high unemployment, lack of sustainable economic reforms, and non-transparent tendering practices. This study aims to identify the main obstacles to human resource management and to analyze the impact of economic, political, and organizational factors on the efficiency and professionalism of public organizations. The use of a combined approach of primary data, collected from institutional documents and organizational reports, and secondary data, extracted from scientific literature and surveys, allows for a comprehensive analysis of the current situation. The results of the study provide practical recommendations for improving organizational and human resource management, contributing to sustainable economic development and the professionalization of public institutions. This study is particularly relevant for human resource professionals and policies aimed at increasing efficiency and innovation in the public sector.