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This paper provides a snapshot of educational and economic trends across South Asia with an exploratory and comparative approach. Before COVID-19, South Asia was the world’s fastest-growing regional economy, concurrently achieving major strides in poverty reduction and access to education. Despite the region’s economic and educational accomplishments, the countries of South Asia fall short of international benchmarks in public education expenditure, resulting in a persistent lag in educational quality that hampers individuals, the workforce, and overall economic productivity. The paper highlights themes in the literature, including context-specific evidence for the various theories of economic growth, the returns to education, and educational inputs (e.g., teachers and private schools) that highlight how spending can be leveraged to increase educational outcomes. In addition, it examines the relationship between education, poverty, and marginalization factors that explain why some populations are deprived of education and its benefits. We provide a broad perspective of the dynamics of the economics of education and the related challenges in this region. This discussion aims to enhance the understanding of the inefficiencies in South Asia’s educational systems and, ultimately, in the development of the region’s human capacities.

This study aims to explore supervisors’ conceptions of successful and ideal doctoral students’ attributes and their implications for integrating equity and diversity considerations into the doctoral selection process.

This study uses a qualitative approach and analyses data from extensive interviews with senior academics and a member of the professional staff in England on their perspectives of the attributes of ideal and successful doctoral candidates. The study is conceptually framed by the Research Development Framework (RDF) and an adapted ecosystem model of the factors influencing PhD completion (Lovitts, 2005).

The findings reveal that supervisors value both cognitive and non-cognitive attributes, with the majority of the non-cognitive attributes categorised in the RDF sub-domains of personal qualities, self-management, working with others and communication and dissemination. Non-cognitive attributes were, moreover, valued not just for their contribution to doctoral success but also to the doctoral experience.

In contrast to the typically narrow criteria emphasised in UK doctoral selection, the authors argue that a wider, more holistic, range of attributes better represents what supervisors actually value, while offering greater opportunities for equitable selection of diverse doctoral cohorts. Two key macroenvironmental challenges are discussed: the difficulty of selecting for highly valued non-cognitive attributes and the importance of institutional support for the creation and sustainability of more equitable selection processes.

This paper deepens the literature on supervisors’ perceptions of the qualities or attributes of doctoral success and links this to the use of criteria that avoid reinforcing structural racial inequities in higher education.

This study explores the role of international schools in creating safe and inclusive environments for lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ+) youth, particularly in light of the challenging political climate of the current prevailing authoritarian education policy in Poland. Drawing upon Merton’s concept of “educational functions” influenced by socio‐political and economic factors, we investigate how international schools navigate and subvert authoritarian policies to promote LGBTQ+ inclusion. Through a multi‐faceted approach analyzing curricula, media discourse, and school law documents, we examine the potential of international schools as agents of change in fostering educational inclusivity for marginalized groups. By examining the interplay between planned educational functions and implementation, the study sheds light on the potential of international schools to serve as inclusive spaces for LGBTQ+ individuals in politically charged environments. Our findings highlight the positive impact of international education programs in supporting LGBTQ+ students and contributing valuable insights to ongoing discussions on promoting diversity and acceptance in educational settings. Ultimately, the findings contribute to ongoing discussions about the challenges and possibilities of fostering educational inclusivity for marginalized groups in such politically charged environments as authoritarian systems of education.

This study aims to investigate how long commutes negatively affect employees’ creative deviance at work, exploring the mediating role that impaired work–life balance plays in linking commute to restricted creative deviance, as well as examining whether access to flexible work arrangements can alleviate commuting’s detrimental indirect effects.

This study employed a three-wave survey methodology conducted over monthly intervals with 246 participants in China’s Pearl River Delta region. Rigorous screening ensured a demographically diverse sample.

Commuting time negatively affects creative deviance, both directly and indirectly through work–life balance. Flexible work arrangements mitigate the adverse effects of long commutes on work–life balance, subsequently weakening the indirect effect of commuting time on creative deviance through work–life balance.

A holistic approach is suggested for organizations aiming to foster a supportive and ethical work environment, which involves a combination of organizational policies, leadership practices and individual actions to promote both creativity and employee welfare.

This research breaks new ground by identifying commuting time as a key factor influencing creative deviance in the workplace, mediated by work–life balance. It integrates transportation research with organizational behavior, applying an ethics of care perspective to challenge traditional paradigms. The study’s interdisciplinary approach, bridging multiple fields, provides a novel, holistic view of how non-work factors impact workplace innovation.

The purpose of this study is to investigate and analyse the potential of existing buildings in the UK to contribute to the net-zero emissions target. Specifically, it aims to address the significant emissions from building fabrics which pose a threat to achieving these targets if not properly addressed.

The study, based on a literature review and ten (10) case studies, explored five investigative approaches for evaluating building fabric: thermal imaging, in situ U-value testing, airtightness testing, energy assessment and condensation risk analysis. Cross-case analysis was used to evaluate both case studies using each approach. These methodologies were pivotal in assessing buildings’ existing condition and energy consumption and contributing to the UK’s net-zero ambitions.

Findings reveal that incorporating the earlier approaches into the building fabric showed great benefits. Significant temperature regulation issues were identified, energy consumption decreased by 15% after improvements, poor insulation and artistry quality affected the U-values of buildings. Implementing retrofits such as solar panels, air vents, insulation, heat recovery and air-sourced heat pumps significantly improved thermal performance while reducing energy consumption. Pulse technology proved effective in measuring airtightness, even in extremely airtight houses, and high airflow and moisture management were essential in preserving historic building fabric.

The research stresses the need to understand investigative approaches’ strengths, limitations and synergies for cost-effective energy performance strategies. It emphasizes the urgency of eliminating carbon dioxide (CO₂) and greenhouse gas emissions to combat global warming and meet the 1.5° C threshold.

The purpose of this study is to examine the nonlinear relationship between executive stock options and strategic risk taking and to investigate the moderating effect of CEO characteristics (CEO age and tenure). This study aims to analyze whether the impact of executive stock options on strategic risk-taking is moderated by CEO compensation and characteristics.

This study is based on a sample of 90 French firms for the period extending from 2008 to 2021. To deal with the nonlinear relationship, the author adopts a dynamic threshold model.

The results reveal that the impact of CEO stock options on firm strategic risk-taking is nonlinear and moderated by CEO age and tenure. Using research and development (R&D) as a measure of risk taking, the author show a positive relationship between executive stock option and R&D below the threshold value of stock option, CEO age and tenure and it becomes negative above.

Stock options, CEO age and tenure shows that CEO characteristics and compensation structure are major determinants in defining the direction of the nonlinear relationship between CEO stock options and firm strategic risk-taking.

The author extends through this paper the existing research on executive stock option, strategic risk-taking and CEO characteristics using a nonlinear dynamic estimator that caters to the problems of endogeneity. Insights from the findings provide boards and regulators with a better understanding of structuring CEO compensation.

The aim of this paper is to review the psychological literature on curiosity and its relationship to information-seeking behaviour, and compare this with the information science literature on the same subject.

The approach adopted is that of a comparative literature review, with an analysis of the papers retrieved in terms of their theoretical approach, context, study population and research method.

Curiosity is understood as a multi-faceted cognitive trait in humans and the relationship to information-seeking behaviour is explored through an exploration of other personality characteristics. There is very little citation of the information science literature in the psychological papers, and only a little more citation of the psychological literature in the information science papers.

The author is not aware of any similar exploration of the literature on curiosity.