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This study aims to achieve two key objectives. The initial objective is to construct a full latent structural equation model (SEM) for examining the cultural influences on the consumer purchasing habits of rakija, a culturally endorsed alcoholic beverage in Serbia. The second objective is to assess qualitatively the model’s suitability for analyzing alcoholic beverages that are culturally specific and nationally recognized rather than universally applicable.

Data for this study are collected online via a survey method. The sample consists of 393 (n = 393) rakija consumers.

The main finding of this study is that culture significantly influences consumer behavior and purchasing habits regarding a national drink, not only directly but also through its mediators. Moreover, the results of the multigroup analysis confirmed that the group of rakija drinkers who preferred this culturally and nationally endorsed beverage differed significantly from the group of rakija drinkers who still preferred beer.

The final SEM demonstrates broader applicability and can be used to examine the purchasing tendencies of alcoholic beverages in various nations, as long as they possess cultural significance and heritage.

This study aims to propose an extended model of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) in the fashion industry. This model helps to identify key enablers for consumers, which will facilitate the adoption of a circular economy (CE). These enablers were identified through extensive literature review.

An online survey was conducted with 362 respondents to test the model in the fashion industry. Convenience sampling was used and the survey was distributed via social media and email. Data analysis was performed using partial least squares and structural equation modeling was used to explore the relationships among the variables.

The findings indicate a positive and significant relationship between consumers’ environmental knowledge and their attitudes toward adopting the CE model. In addition, the results demonstrate that providing consumers with a channel to return used clothing positively influences their attitude. The availability of such a channel significantly impacts consumer attitudes toward CE.

This study contributes three novel elements to the TPB framework: availability, environmental knowledge and monetary benefits. This finding posits that consumers’ attitudes toward CE are significantly influenced by their environmental knowledge. This study also highlighted that attitude acts as a mediator in the relationship between environmental knowledge and intention, as well as between availability and intention.

This paper examines the relationship between the degree of information asymmetry among investors and the occurrence of bubbles in cryptocurrency markets.

The study applies the Philipps, Shi and Yu (PSY) methodology to identify bubbles in 74 cryptocurrencies from July 2014 to April 2021.

The findings indicate that there is a negative relationship between the degree of information asymmetry among investors and the number and duration of bubbles across cryptocurrencies.

This finding supports the riding-bubble argument of Asako et al. (2020), which suggests that when the information asymmetry among investors is high, rational investors are less certain about what irrational, inexperienced investors might decide. This strategic uncertainty leads rational investors to close out their positions more quickly, resulting in a shorter duration of the bubble and a reduced propensity for new bubbles to emerge. The study’s findings hold regardless of the proxies used to measure information asymmetry and noise trading, cryptocurrency characteristics and regression model specifications.

The cyber insurance market in Germany shows a notable gap: while many large corporations are already demanding cyber insurance, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are still reluctant, despite its benefits. This study aims to analyze the behavioral and informational factors that influence cyber insurance decision-making and uncover the determinants that may inhibit demand among German SMEs.

Using the data from a questionnaire survey of 1,248 German SME executives, the influence of behavioral and informational factors on cyber insurance demand is assessed utilizing logistic regression.

The results reveal that the estimated financial impact and anxiety about a potential cyberattack significantly increase the likelihood of SMEs purchasing cyber insurance. Conversely, the perceived probability of future cyberattacks and prior experience do not significantly influence insurance decisions, probably due to challenges in probability estimation. In addition, confidence in the organization’s cyber risk management has a positive but insignificant influence on cyber insurance demand. External cybersecurity specialists positively impact cyber insurance demand, while internal cyber risk assessment has no significant influence, highlighting the challenges SMEs face in cyber risk assessment. Independent Internet research negatively impacts the purchase of cyber insurance, probably due to information overload.

This study significantly contributes to the literature on corporate (cyber) insurance purchasing by primarily focusing on behavioral influences on SMEs’ insurance decision-making. It is also the first empirical analysis of the key information sources used by SMEs in their insurance decision-making, thereby providing various academic and practical implications.

Purpose: The study aims to explore the profound impact of virtual currencies and decentralised finance (DeFi) protocols on financial dynamics, user engagement, and operational aspects within the Metaverse.

Methodology: This research employs mathematical modelling and quantitative analysis to comprehensively investigate the pivotal roles of these elements within the dynamic virtual environment.

Findings: The mathematical equations applied in our study have illuminated the intricate mechanics of financial expansion, operational efficiencies, and user dynamics in the Metaverse’s virtual currency and DeFi systems. These insights underline the transformative influence of these digital ecosystems on future economies, emphasising the critical role of quantitative analysis in navigating and maximising their potential.

Significance: This research aims to shed light on the pivotal roles of virtual currencies and DeFi protocols through mathematical modelling and quantitative analysis. It contributes to a deeper understanding of their significance in shaping the future of virtual economies and financial interactions within the ever-evolving Metaverse.

This article identifies some of the challenges facing health tourism development in Hungary and uses research with expert respondents to make recommendations for the sector.

A combination of literature review, recent statistics and Delphi study data involving health tourism experts is used to identify challenges in product and service development which affect customer satisfaction.

Spas need to concentrate on improving their infrastructure where funding allows and to create better quality products and services that are tailored and marketed to specific segments. Investment may also be needed in staff recruitment and training to overcome shortages.

New insights are provided into the current situation in Hungarian health tourism using a comparative study of V4 countries. This helped to identify common challenges and solutions.

This study aims to investigate the mechanism of the influence of paradoxical thinking (PT), which characterizes the ability of college students to balance and integrate the conflict between hedonic and normative goals, on their campus low-carbon behaviors.

The conceptual model of “PT − Paradoxical salience (climate change concern, CCC) − Paradoxical acceptance (support for low-carbon behavioral norms, SN) − paradoxical resolution (campus low-carbon intentions and behaviors, CLCIs and CLCBs)” was developed. Then, it was tested by PLS-SEM using survey data obtained from 501 Chinese college students, and the relative importance of each factor of CLCBs was determined by the importance-performance map analysis method. Finally, a mechanistic difference analysis was conducted.

PT, CCC and SN have the potential to influence the CLCBs of college students, with each of the three factors showing approximately 40% room for improvement in their impact. There exists an influential pathway of “PT → CCC → SN → CLCIs → CLCBs.” Notably, PT exhibits a stronger direct influence on college students’ private-sphere CLCBs compared to the public-sphere CLCBs.

Colleges should integrate the development of PT into the foundational framework of the entire education for sustainable development curriculum, while emphasizing the provision of opportunities for training in PT through pedagogical methods, and PT training can be integrated across various social levels.

This study offers a paradox theoretical framework for comprehending and elucidating the decision-making process underlying personal low-carbon behaviors, and advances the quantitative research of microindividual paradox processing by effectively conceptualizing and measuring paradoxical salience and acceptance.

The purpose of this paper is to examine how the practices, processes and expertise embedded within Social Impact Bonds (SIBs) distinctively mediate the tensions between outcome payers’ competing and contradictory programmatic discourses.

We use qualitative research methods and employ concepts drawn from the governmentality literature to analyse interviews with SIB outcome payers.

SIBs are shown to challenge the degree of negative influence of biopolitics, neoliberalism and financialization by highlighting a broader and more holistic set of influences. SIB operations pre-empt and counteract perceived risks and are refined through a “learning by doing” effect. In contrast to other approaches to funding social interventions, the SIB structure attributes and independently validates outcomes. Payments to investors are based on the achievement of outcomes and are funded by the outcome payers. SIBs’ operational processes allow the responsibilities of the various parties to be explicitly assigned and contracted. The interests are aligned, yet the cultural differences harnessed.

This paper is one of the first to apply governmentality concepts to SIBs. By focusing on outcome payers, the paper provides new perspectives on the practices, processes and expertise of governing and the programmatic discourses of governing, as well as their relationship. The insights offered are supported by one of the largest and most diverse empirical SIB samples including 34 interviews where 43 individuals reflect on their experiences across 32 unique outcome payer organisations.