The study is about the; the influence project planning on the performance of church funded projects in Tanzania: A Case Study of Cardinal Rugambwa Hospital and St Francis Training College. A descriptive survey design was used to collect primary data from random sample of 350 respondents (project managers and the community. The study found that project planning positively and significantly affects the performance of Church-funded projects. The study recommends that more people with technical skills are needed, especially in information systems for monitoring and assessment. Church funded projects should ensure that there is adequate early planning for project monitoring and evaluation activities, including human resources and stakeholder involvement in the development and implementation of the monitoring and evaluation system.

Information products have gone beyond ordinary products to products of emphasis, information controls the world, no wonder the leading countries in the world today are those that invested in information communication technology, (ICT). The shift in information products promotes innovation in a variety of industries, increases market transparency, and aids in the effective sharing of knowledge. They help organizations reach new markets, optimize operations, and make well-informed decisions by improving information accessibility. This paper therefore examines the important role that information products can place in the current Nigerian economy which is filled with a high level of unemployment rate, key economy sectors where they become indispensable tools in enhancing the efficiency in productivity, challenges and way forward in order for the nation to move in direction that other leading countries of the world are moving.

This study investigates the role of gamification elements in driving user engagement within fintech credit applications, addressing a significant gap in understanding their differential effects. Employing a quantitative approach, we surveyed 315 users of fintech credit apps in Vietnam, analysing data through PLS-SEM and Necessary Condition Analysis. Results reveal a hierarchical impact of gamification elements on engagement, with challenges exerting the strongest influence, followed by leaderboards, badges, and points. The study uniquely identifies interaction effects between elements and elucidates the mediating roles of perceived usefulness and enjoyment. These findings advance gamification theory in fintech contexts and offer practical insights for app developers, contributing to the design of more effective, engaging digital financial services that can potentially enhance financial inclusion and literacy.

Book Details: Johnathan Sullivan and Lev Nachman’s Taiwan: A Contested Democracy Under Threat, 2024 New Castle Upon Tyne, U.K.: Agenda Publishing Limited And New York: Columbia University Press ISBN-13: 978-.78821-670-8 (cloth) $99.00 ISBN-13:978—788-671-5 (paperback) $35.00 Pages i – xi and 1 - 172

Book Details: The Transition to Capitalism in modern France Authored by Xavier Lafrance and Stephen Miller New York: Routledge 2024 pp. i-v and 1- 230 By Paul F. Gentle Visiting Professor of Economics and Business, NCC British Higher Education, Guangzhou Institute of Technology (GZIT), Guangzhou, China

This study investigates the complex relationships between cultural capital, visitor motivation, perceived authenticity, visitor engagement, tourism infrastructure, community involvement, and economic impact in cultural heritage tourism. Employing a mixed-method approach, we combine structural equation modeling (SEM) and fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to analyze data collected from 512 visitors to cultural heritage sites. The SEM results reveal that cultural capital and visitor motivation positively influence visitor engagement, which in turn mediates their effect on economic impact. Perceived authenticity moderates the relationship between cultural capital and visitor engagement, while tourism infrastructure and community involvement directly affect economic impact. The fsQCA findings uncover multiple configurational pathways leading to high visitor engagement and economic impact, demonstrating the principle of equifinality in cultural heritage tourism. Our research contributes to the field by integrating visitor characteristics, site attributes, and engagement in a comprehensive model, and by employing a novel methodological approach that captures both linear relationships and complex configurational patterns. The findings provide valuable insights for tourism managers and policymakers, suggesting tailored strategies based on destination strengths and visitor profiles to enhance engagement and maximize economic benefits in cultural heritage tourism.

This study investigates the complex relationships among factors affecting post-harvest losses in agri-food supply chains, with a particular focus on the role of logistics efficiency management. Using data collected from agricultural supply chain stakeholders, the study employs structural equation modeling and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to examine both direct relationships and configurational pathways leading to post-harvest losses. The results reveal that logistics efficiency management significantly reduces post-harvest losses both directly (β = -0.423) and indirectly through enhanced supply chain coordination. Information management efficiency demonstrates the strongest influence on logistics efficiency management, while infrastructure quality, technological adoption, and farmer knowledge contribute to reducing post-harvest losses with relatively small effect sizes. The fsQCA results identify multiple sufficient configurations for both high and low post-harvest losses, with the presence of logistics efficiency management and supply chain coordination consistently associated with lower losses. Climate and environmental conditions positively moderate the relationship between logistics efficiency management and post-harvest losses, while government policies and regulations show a negative moderating effect. This study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence for the complex interrelationships among factors affecting post-harvest losses, demonstrating the critical role of logistics efficiency management, and offering practical insights for policymakers and practitioners through configurational analysis.

Energy access is crucial for the advancement of society, the economy, and politics.  East Africa yet faces significant energy shortages while having huge potential for both fossil and renewable energy sources. The resources of the continent are underutilized, exported in raw form, or lost during extraction or transport. As a result, the local population has limited access to supplies, and biomass is mostly used for energy use. The countries in Eastern Africa have different levels of access to clean energy. In general, some nations have significantly improved access to electricity, while others continue to face difficulties. For some reasons, East Africa needs a comprehensive and multi-faceted approach. This approach should take into account the unique challenges and opportunities of the region. Thus, it’s critical to promote infrastructure investments for renewable energy sources including solar, wind, geothermal, and hydropower. Infrastructure for renewable energy can be built and expanded with the help of governments and private investors.  Government should consider collaboration with the private sector companies, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to leverage resources and expertise to accelerate the adoption of clean energy technologies and improve energy accessibility in the region.

This study investigates the complex relationships between environmental legislation, managerial environmental attitudes, organizational environmental strategies, and corporate sustainability performance, while considering the moderating effects of firm size and industry type. Using a mixed-methods approach, we collected data from 543 manufacturing firms and employed both partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA). Our findings reveal a cascading effect of environmental legislation on corporate sustainability performance, mediated by managerial attitudes and organizational strategies. The results demonstrate the critical role of environmental legislation in shaping managerial attitudes and organizational strategies, which in turn significantly influence corporate sustainability performance. The fsQCA results identify multiple pathways to high sustainability performance, highlighting the equifinality in achieving this outcome. Firm size and industry type were found to moderate several relationships in the model, providing a more nuanced understanding of the drivers of corporate sustainability. This study contributes to the literature by offering empirical evidence for the interconnected nature of regulatory, managerial, and organizational factors in driving sustainability performance, demonstrating the equifinality in achieving high sustainability performance, and highlighting the importance of contextual factors. These findings have significant implications for policymakers, managers, and researchers in the field of corporate sustainability.

This study investigates how digital platforms shape consumer behavior in sports streaming services, focusing on the interplay between platform characteristics, user engagement, and consumer loyalty. Employing a quantitative approach, we surveyed 320 sports streaming users and analyzed the data using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Results reveal that platform usability and content quality significantly influence user engagement, strongly predicting consumer loyalty. Notably, subscription models moderate the engagement-loyalty relationship, offering new insights into the dynamics of digital sports consumption. This research contributes to the field by integrating multiple theoretical perspectives into a comprehensive model of consumer behavior in sports streaming services. The findings provide valuable guidance for platform developers and content creators in enhancing user experiences and fostering loyalty in the competitive landscape of digital sports media.

Commodities are some of the basic inputs of an economy. An important contribution to the World’s economy is the input of platinum, which is a precious metal. Silver and gold are two others. This brief article describes platinum and some of the multitude of uses for platinum. Efforts to control pollution are one of the important uses of platinum via the prevalence of catalytic converters. The use of platinum in anti-cancer medicines have had mixed results. A graph in this article compares prices of gold to that of platinum and the pieces of silver. Surely any economist should be aware of some of the uses of platinum.

The objective of this research is to analyze the influence of political stability on foreign direct investment in Indonesia. The data used is secondary data sourced from the Central Bureau of Statistics and the PRS Group. The analysis tool used in this research is multiple linear regression using time series data during the period 2000-2022. Based on the regression results, it was obtained that the variables Political Stability and Absence of Violence partially had a negative effect on foreign direct investment (FDI) in Indonesia, while the variables Government Effectiveness and Regulatory Quality, respectively, had a positive and significant effect on foreign direct investment (FDI) in Indonesia. Meanwhile, simultaneously, the variables Political Stability and Absence of Violence, Government Effectiveness, and Regulatory Quality have a positive effect on foreign direct investment (FDI) in Indonesia. Although Political Stability and Absence of Violence do not have a direct effect on FDI in Indonesia, other factors such as Government Effectiveness and Regulatory Quality greatly influence investment decisions. Both of these variables can give investors a sense of security and confidence that despite political uncertainty, they can still operate well in Indonesia thanks to supportive government policies and transparent regulations. Therefore, although Indonesia can face political challenges, if the government can improve the effectiveness of government administration and the quality of regulations, this can be a more dominant factor in attracting foreign investment. The Indonesian government needs to focus on ensuring that existing policies and regulations can provide the necessary guarantees for investors to invest and run their businesses smoothly.