American women gave birth at the lowest rate in U.S, history and the number of births fell to a 30-year low (Adamy, 2018). The small number of births in the U.S. exacerbated the issues surrounding its aging population. As more people in the U.S. approached retirement age, fewer young workers were available to pay for Social Security and Medicare (Adamy, 2018). The US was among those economies that needed substantial gains in productivity to maintain its level of economic growth. This meant that younger workers faced slower economic growth and a lower standard of living since fewer of them were available to stimulate the economy. People were encouraged to postpone retirement and work longer (Romei, 2025). Digital services including smartphones and social media transformed how young people interacted with one another. They sharply reduced in-person socialising and contributed to the collapse fertility. Similar results were observed in other countries (Burn-Murdoch, 2026). US companies struggled to recruit engineers and researchers needed to be creative and innovative to stay ahead of international competitors. An insufficient number of U.S. citizens were available to fill these positions. In addition, the stock of Hi1-B visas was not sufficient to attract foreign workers with the desired skills. U.S. firms required access to more individuals with critical skills than those available in North America (Fifield, 2013). Immigration contributed to much of the U.S. global population expansion in the immediate past (Kiernan, 2024). A new policy under consideration required applicants for green cards to leave the country as applications were under review (Hackman, 2026A). These immigrants including workers and spouses of U.S, citizens needed to demonstrate extraordinary circumstances in their applications. Most were required to leave the country to apply at a U.S. Consulate. Many risked the real possibility of being unable to return if their applications were denied (Hackman, 2026A).
Enhancing Website Engagement in B2B SaaS Marketing: The Role of SEO Visibility and Organizational Factors in Indonesia Original Research Article Country Malaysia
This study examines the relationship between SEO visibility, website engagement patterns, and organizational factors in the content marketing of Dimensy, a B2B SaaS digital document security platform in Indonesia. The study uses a single-case, convergent mixed-methods design drawing on Google Analytics monthly reports, SEMrush visibility data, a content audit of five website articles, and semi-structured interviews with four internal stakeholders representing marketing, SEO, product management, and sales functions. Descriptive analysis of monthly data for January to June 2024 shows a general positive alignment between the SEMrush visibility index and the Google Analytics engagement rate, with April as a contextually explained exception: the month records the lowest visibility index of the period but sustains a moderate engagement rate attributable to returning authenticated users rather than new organic discovery. Website articles with higher SEO visibility scores consistently align with more views and higher engagement rates. Thematic analysis of stakeholder interviews identifies six organizational factors explaining the observed patterns: CPNS content used as a strategic awareness bridge; a reactive rather than strategically integrated SEO approach; uneven product and SaaS relevance across content assets; recognized gaps in consideration and decision-stage content; underdeveloped callto-action design; and a measurement system focused on surface-level indicators rather than conversion-oriented events. The study contributes to B2B digital marketing literature by demonstrating that SEO visibility operates as a discovery condition rather than a direct driver of engagement, and that the capacity to interpret analytics patterns is inseparable from understanding the organizational processes that produce them. Practical recommendations are offered for developing more integrated SEO and content strategies in Indonesian B2B SaaS platforms.
Commercializing Innovative Agri-Food Products: An Integrative Review of Marketing Challenges and Strategic Responses Original Research Article Country Georgia
Bringing agri-food innovation to market requires more than demonstrating technical superiority. Consumers, firms,
retailers, and institutions must interpret unfamiliar production methods, assess claims that are often difficult to verify, manage
uncertainty about product experience, and justify higher monetary or behavioural costs. This article examines the distinctive
marketing conditions surrounding innovative agri-food products and identifies responses suited to the barriers that arise during
commercialization. A structured integrative review synthesized 41 peer-reviewed analytical studies, together with 10 foundational or
methodological works and two authoritative institutional sources. The evidence was selected using explicit eligibility criteria, verified
through publisher or DOI metadata, appraised for relevance to the synthesis, and coded across innovation type, consumer evaluation,
communication, trust and risk, value, sensory experience, distribution, firm capabilities, and institutional context. The findings
identify six defining characteristics of innovative agri-food marketing and organize commercialization barriers across consumer,
product, communication, firm and market, and institutional and societal levels. The resulting challenge–response matrix and markettranslation framework show how benefit translation, credible assurance, product trial and co-creation, value-based pricing, layered
communication, staged channel development, and multistakeholder collaboration can transform innovation into understandable,
trustworthy, accessible, and commercially viable consumer value.
Knowledge Management Strategies and Organizational Performance of the National Police Service in Kenya. Original Research Article Country Kenya
Pages 31-37
Leah Mumbi Mathu || Dr. James Gitari || Dr. Grace Okello
Knowledge Management (KM) has become an essential organizational capability for improving efficiency, innovation, and service delivery, particularly in public sector institutions operating in complex environments. This study examined the effect of knowledge management strategies on the organizational performance of the National Police Service in Kenya. In particular, the study investigated the influence of knowledge acquisition, knowledge conversion, knowledge protection, and knowledge application on organizational performance. A descriptive research design was adopted, targeting 750 officers from selected NPS departments. Using stratified random sampling, a sample of 261 respondents was selected, with data collected through structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression. The findings stated that all four knowledge management strategies positively and significantly influence organizational performance, with knowledge application demonstrating the strongest relationship. The study concludes that strengthening knowledge management practices enhances operational efficiency, improves decision-making, supports institutional learning, and contributes to better service delivery within the National Police Service. It recommends institutionalizing comprehensive knowledge management policies, investing in digital knowledge systems, strengthening knowledge-sharing practices, and enhancing continuous staff training to improve organizational performance.
From Informal Work to Digital Entrepreneurship: Effects On Household Well-Being among Women-Led Smes in Indonesia Original Research Article Country Indonesia
This study examines how women’s ownership and control of e-commerce businesses are associated with household decision-making authority in Indonesia. Drawing on Collective Household Theory and the Capability Approach, it proposes that Women’s Digital Entrepreneurship Ownership and Control improves Earnings Quality, strengthening women’s Decision Power Index (DPI). A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted with 200 women operating e-commerce and social-commerce businesses in Indonesia. Data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The model examined the effects of Social Capital, Digital and Entrepreneurial Literacy, Motivation and Opportunity Openness, Financial and Formalization Facilitators, Platform and Market Constraints, and Unpaid Caregiving Burden on business ownership and control.
All nine hypotheses were supported. Social Capital, Digital and Entrepreneurial Literacy, Motivation and Opportunity Openness, and Financial and Formalization Facilitators were positively associated with Women’s Digital Entrepreneurship Ownership and Control, whereas Platform and Market Constraints and Unpaid Caregiving Burden were negatively associated. Business ownership and control positively influenced Earnings Quality (β = 0.658), which influenced DPI (β = 0.717). Earnings Quality significantly mediated the relationship between business ownership and control and household decision-making authority (β = 0.472). The findings indicate that women’s empowerment through e-commerce depends on meaningful ownership, strategic control, and sustainable earnings.
Beadwork Initiative Cooperative Role in Promoting and
Preserving Cultural Heritage in Narok County, Kenya. Original Research Article Country Kenya
This study investigated the role of beadwork initiative cooperatives in promoting and preserving cultural heritage in Narok County, Kenya. Although Maasai beadwork was widely celebrated for its cultural symbolism, aesthetic value, and economic importance, there remains a notable gap in empirical research examining how beadwork initiative cooperatives specifically sustain, protect, and promote both tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Existing literature mainly highlighted the artistic meaning of beadwork or its contribution to women’s livelihoods, yet very few studies interrogate the cooperative model as a structured system through which cultural knowledge, intergenerational skills, social cohesion, and community identity are preserved. This created a conceptual and empirical gap, particularly regarding how cooperative-led production, governance, and collective cultural practices shape long-term cultural sustainability in Narok County. To address this gap, the study focused on three objectives: (1) To investigate the role of economic activities within beadwork cooperatives in promoting and preserving cultural heritage among members in Narok County. (2) To examine the influence of socio-cultural aspects of beadwork cooperatives on the promotion and preservation of cultural heritage among members in Narok County. (3) To explore the contribution of cultural education within beadwork cooperatives to the promotion and preservation of cultural heritage among members in Narok County. The study was anchored on Cooperative Theory, Social Capital Theory, and Cultural Transmission Theory, which collectively explained how cooperative structures, social relationships, and intergenerational knowledge transfer reinforce cultural resilience. Given the cultural depth and community-centered nature of the topic, the study adopts a qualitative ethnographic design to capture lived experiences, community narratives, cultural expressions, and cooperative dynamics within their natural setting. The research targeted 18 beadwork initiative cooperatives in Narok County. A census approach was used to engage between 5 and 7 leaders from each cooperative in Focus Group Discussions, while key informants, including cooperative chairpersons, senior cooperative leaders, cultural elders, and county cultural officers was purposively selected for Key Informant Interviews. Data was collected through Focus Group Discussions, Key Informant Interviews, participant observation, and document analysis. The data was analyzed thematically with the support of NVivo software to identify emerging patterns, cultural meanings, and cooperative functions. The study also revealed that beadwork carries deep cultural meanings within the Maasai community in its conclusion. The study recommended that beadwork cooperatives, cultural organizations, and relevant government agencies should strengthen programs aimed at preserving indigenous beadwork knowledge among younger generations. The findings revealed that several social, economic, and environmental factors affect the productivity of members engaged in beadwork activities. The findings further showed that beadwork earnings are primarily used for “payment of school fees for children, purchase of food and basic household necessities, [and] access to healthcare services” Ultimately The findings from the Focus Group Discussions conducted in Suswa, Sekenani, and Narok Town revealed that beadwork remains a deeply rooted cultural practice among the Maasai community.
An Empirical Analysis of the Electoral Effects on Public
Expenditure Execution in Brazilian Municipalities Original Research Article Country Brazil
This study analyzes the effects of electoral cycles on the execution of public expenditures in Brazilian municipalities, in light of the Political Budget Cycle Theory, according to which government officials adjust fiscal policies to maximize electoral gains. The objective is to investigate the extent to which electoral processes influence the execution of public expenditures, considering conditioning factors such as reelection eligibility, electoral competition, and dependence on intergovernmental transfers. Methodologically, the study employs panel data from Brazilian municipalities covering the period from 2017 to 2024, applying econometric models with fixed effects and interaction terms, as well as complementary strategies to mitigate problems arising from unobserved heterogeneity and endogeneity. The results indicate that, on average, election years are associated with a reduction in outstanding unpaid expenditures not yet processed, suggesting fiscal responsibility signaling strategies. However, when reelection eligibility is considered, a significant increase in these liabilities is observed, indicating opportunistic behavior by public managers. The variables of electoral competition and dependence on intergovernmental transfers were not statistically significant. The study concludes that Political Budget Cycles are conditional in nature and are influenced by incentives to remain in office, thereby contributing to the debate on fiscal governance.
Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation as Drivers of Economic Transformation in Kenya’s Manufacturing Sector Original Research Article Country Kenya
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital transformation are reshaping global manufacturing, serving as transformative drivers of productivity, competitiveness, and sustainable development. In Kenya, where manufacturing is central to the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), the integration of AI with complementary digital technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, and big data analytics presents new opportunities for sectoral modernization. This paper examines how AI and digital transformation influence economic transformation through employment creation within Kenya’s manufacturing sector. Using mediation regression analysis based on Hayes’ Model 4, the study tests the mediating role of firm operational efficiency in the relationship between AI, digital transformation and employment outcomes. The findings reveal that while automation and AI adoption can displace routine and low-skilled labour, they simultaneously improve operational efficiency, generate high-skilled employment opportunities, foster innovation, and enhance sector-wide competitiveness. These dual disruptive and transformative effects underscore the importance of proactive policy frameworks, workforce reskilling, and inclusive innovation ecosystems. With strategic alignment, AI and digital transformation can reposition Kenya’s manufacturing sector as a catalyst for inclusive economic growth and sustainable development.
Relationship Between Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction – A Study in Banking Industry Sri Lanka. Original Research Article Country Sri Lanka
The banking industry in Sri Lanka operates in an increasingly competitive environment where high-quality service is essential for customer satisfaction and loyalty. This study examines the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction in the Sri Lankan banking sector, focusing on how service quality dimensions influence overall customer satisfaction. A quantitative research approach was adopted, and data were collected from bank customers using a structured questionnaire. The SERVQUAL model was used to measure service quality. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression analysis were conducted to examine the relationship between the variables. The findings reveal a significant positive relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction. Among the service quality dimensions, reliability and responsiveness were identified as the most significant factors influencing customer satisfaction. The study recommends that banks improve service delivery, employee competence, and customer-oriented practices to enhance satisfaction and maintain competitive advantage. The st
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