International Journal of Human Capital in Urban Management

Abstract BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In the rapidly developing urban digital economy of Sabah, Malaysia, the millennial workforce represents a critical segment of human capital. However, existing Marketing 4.0 models fail to explain how these demographics build trust in digital infrastructure, often leading to ineffective engagement strategies. This study aims to resolve the "Dash et al. Paradox" by proposing a culturally contingent "Asymmetrical Path" model of trust formation, specifically tailored for managing human capital behaviour in collectivist, financially sensitive urban environments. METHODS: The study employed a quantitative research design, surveying 253 millennial consumers in the urban and peri-urban administrative centres of Sabah’s West Coast Division. The theoretical framework integrates Uses and Gratifications Theory and the Theory of Planned Behaviour to analyze trust mechanics. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling to test the asymmetrical influence of individualistic versus communal branding strategies. FINDINGS: The results revealed a distinct bifurcation in trust formation. The "Individual Path" (Brand Image and Identity) was statistically non-significant, challenging Western branding dogmas. Conversely, the "Communal Path" (Brand Integrity and Brand Interaction) emerged as the dominant driver of trust. This confirms that for this segment of human capital, trust is not a derivative of visual appeal but a product of ethical consistency and communal validation. CONCLUSION: The study concludes that managing digital engagement in developing urban economies requires a shift from aesthetic signaling to "Ethical Kinship." These findings provide critical implications for urban management and policymakers aiming to foster a resilient digital ecosystem that aligns with the collectivist values of the local human capital.

Abstract BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Organizational effectiveness is the core criterion for assessing how well public organizations fulfill their mandated missions. Despite successive reform initiatives, the overall effectiveness of Mashhad Municipality remains contested among citizens, experts, and policymakers. This study aims to identify the deep‐rooted obstacles that undermine the organizational effectiveness of Mashhad Municipality, as perceived by senior and middle managers, professional staff, and urban governance experts. METHODS: The study adopted a multi-phase exploratory qualitative design. Strategic documents, performance reports, audit findings, and prior studies were first reviewed to identify 26 macro-level problems. A 30-member expert panel then prioritized the problems through 12 focus-group sessions, producing ten core macro issues. Next, 17 thematic focus-group sessions, with 5–8 participants per session, were conducted around these issues. Transcripts were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke’s six-phase procedure. Finally, deductive conceptual analysis, informed by public administration theory and the politicization literature, translated the empirical diagnosis into a conceptually derived transformative framework. FINDINGS: The analysis revealed the "politicization of Mashhad Municipality" as the central, cross‑cutting phenomenon that links and amplifies diverse organizational problems. Four interrelated macro-dimensions of ineffectiveness were identified: managerial instability and short-termism, collapse of meritocracy, marginalization of expertise, and regulatory opacity—all rooted in a persistent pattern of politicization. Politicization manifests through partisan influence over appointments and promotions, short‑term populist decision‑making, fragmentation of accountability, erosion of professional norms, and the weakening of evidence‑based planning and control systems. These dynamics aggravate long‑standing managerial issues such as unclear strategic priorities, duplicated structures, excessive bureaucracy, and poor coordination across departments and with external stakeholders. CONCLUSION: Sustainable improvement in the effectiveness of Mashhad Municipality requires tackling politicization as a systemic governance problem rather than as a series of isolated managerial shortcomings. The study proposes four interdependent transformation paths: strengthening data-driven governance and evidence-based decision-making; institutionalizing merit-based and transparent human resource systems; consolidating systematic transparency and accountability; and promoting human resource excellence through empowerment, capability development, and professional ethics. The conceptual framework developed here may guide diagnostic assessments and reform agendas in Mashhad and in other municipalities facing similar politicization challenges.

Abstract BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In the context of rapid urbanization, Algerian cities face significant challenges, particularly in resource management, urban mobility, and enhancing citizens' quality of life. This article examines the emergence of the smart city concept as a promising solution to address these urgent issues. By leveraging information and communication technologies, this innovative model aims to create more efficient urban environments. METHODS: The study focuses on the smart city concept, particularly its application in Algeria. A comprehensive analysis of the technological, economic, social, and political dimensions was conducted to identify the factors that have impeded the effective implementation of urban modernization reforms in the country. The research included a survey, supplemented by interviews with key industry players, providing qualitative data on the obstacles encountered. FINDINGS: The analysis reveals that, while some major cities have made significant progress, the implementation of smart city initiatives in Algeria remains limited and often ineffective. Key obstacles identified include insufficient technological infrastructure, significant economic constraints, low levels of citizen participation, and political challenges. These factors have hindered the sustainable and inclusive development of Algerian cities, thus limiting the potential of information and communication technologies to improve citizens' quality of life. CONCLUSION: In summary, this study offers insights into the necessary steps to harness the potential of smart cities for the benefit of Algerian society. To overcome the identified challenges, it is essential to adopt an integrated approach that promotes collaboration among various stakeholders, strengthens infrastructure, and encourages citizen engagement. By doing so, Algeria could not only enhance urban management but also promote sustainable and inclusive development, which is essential for addressing the challenges posed by rapid urbanization.

Abstract BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The roots of portfolio thinking can be traced back to ancient civilizations, where large-scale construction projects were coordinated at the empire level. During World War II, project control techniques were extensively applied to improve time management. While project control focuses mainly on schedule adherence, project management encompasses broader considerations, including cost, quality, and scope. With the increasing number of projects undertaken by organizations and the growing need for strategic alignment, resource prioritization, and cross-project integration, Project Portfolio Management has emerged as a critical discipline for achieving organizational coherence. Despite its importance, a comprehensive and practical conceptual model that guides managers in implementing Project Portfolio Management remains underdeveloped. This study therefore seeks to present an integrated conceptual framework for Project Portfolio Management. METHODS: The proposed model was evaluated within the framework of the Balanced Scorecard to categorize projects across strategic dimensions. The Analytic Hierarchy Process was applied to determine the relative importance of evaluation criteria. The Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution was then employed to assign performance scores to the projects, while Data Envelopment Analysis was used to assess their efficiency. Finally, Linear Integer Programming was implemented to incorporate budgetary constraints and identify the optimal project portfolio. To illustrate the applicability of the model, a case study of a hypothetical municipality managing 114 projects was conducted. FINDINGS: The Linear Integer Programming analysis revealed that Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution yielded superior results in the learning and growth and internal processes aspects, with objective function values of 0.22 and 0.164, respectively. By contrast, Data Envelopment Analysis was more effective in the customer and financial aspects, achieving values of 0.190 and 0.141. This divergence is largely attributable to budget allocation and methodological orientation: Data Envelopment Analysis emphasizes input–output efficiency, favoring projects with higher relative productivity, whereas Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution prioritizes projects with stronger weighted performance scores. Under budget constraints, however, portfolios composed of smaller, lower-scoring projects may collectively generate greater benefits than portfolios of fewer, high-scoring but resource-intensive projects. This highlights the inherent trade-off between single-project efficiency evaluation and portfolio-level optimization. CONCLUSION: This study introduces an eight-step conceptual framework for Project Portfolio Management, integrating Balanced Scorecard, Analytic Hierarchy Process, Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution, Data Envelopment Analysis, and Linear Integer Programming to support portfolio creation and project selection. The findings suggest that while both Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution and Data Envelopment Analysis offer valuable insights, their relative effectiveness depends on organizational constraints. The proposed framework provides a structured, systematic approach to portfolio decision-making, thereby enhancing the alignment of projects with strategic objectives and improving overall organizational performance.

Abstract BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Urban state-owned enterprises operate in complex and high-risk environments where weaknesses in human capital management and risk governance can disrupt essential services and undermine public trust. PT Pupuk Indonesia, a major Indonesian SOE with significant urban and national functions, requires a strong risk culture and competent personnel to maintain operational resilience. This study examines the effect of ERM maturity, human capital risk, leadership capability, and risk culture on employee experience optimization in an urban public enterprise in Indonesia.
METHODS: A quantitative approach and descriptive and correlational research designs were employed. The study population comprised 70 managerial-level respondents selected through purposive sampling. A validated instrument measuring ERM maturity, human capital risk, leadership capability, risk culture, and employee experience was used. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics.
FINDINGS: Risk culture was rated excellent by 38.57 percent of respondents and good by 48.57 percent. The most critical human capital risks identified were the lack of competent employees, ineffective human resource planning, and the absence of career development systems. Multiple regression analysis showed that ERM maturity, human capital risk, leadership capability, and risk culture significantly influenced employee experience optimization. Leadership capability emerged as the strongest positive predictor, followed by risk culture and ERM maturity, while human capital risk exerted a significant negative effect. The regression model explained 52.0 percent of the variance in employee experience optimization (R² = 0.520).
CONCLUSION: The study concludes that employee experience optimization is significantly influenced by ERM maturity, human capital risk, leadership capability, and risk culture. Leadership capability emerged as the strongest positive predictor, while human capital risk had a significant negative effect. The findings suggest that strengthening ERM practices, improving leadership capability, fostering a supportive risk culture, and reducing human capital risks can enhance employee experience and organizational resilience in urban public enterprises.

Abstract BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Rapid urban growth and increasing social and infrastructural complexity are placing growing pressure on metropolises worldwide, and conventional approaches to citizen engagement and human capital development are increasingly insufficient to address these pressures. Although artificial intelligence has shown considerable promise for urban management, most existing research emphasizes technical implementation rather than how AI can be integrated with participatory governance to genuinely support citizen empowerment. Guided by this gap, the present study examines how AI-related capabilities, digital empowerment, and citizen participation are interrelated in the urban management of Tehran, and develops a context-specific framework for explaining the factors associated with participation in AI-enabled urban systems. The study does not claim to measure human-capital enhancement directly over time; rather, it explains the mechanisms through which AI and data-driven governance can support digital capacities and participatory potential. METHODS: We employed an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design in which the qualitative phase directly informed the quantitative phase. Twenty semi-structured interviews with urban-management experts, policymakers, information-technology professionals, and AI researchers were analyzed using grounded theory; the resulting codes and categories were used to construct the items of a questionnaire subsequently administered to 384 respondents (citizens and urban managers) in Tehran, with overall instrument reliability of Cronbach's alpha = 0.87. As a complementary technological layer, behavioral data from active users of municipal digital platforms were analyzed using a multilayer neural network, random forest, and XGBoost to classify participation patterns; citizens, urban managers, and digital-platform users were treated as distinct respondent groups throughout. FINDINGS: Among the machine-learning models tested, XGBoost achieved the highest predictive accuracy (93.2%, AUC = 0.964) for classifying participatory behavior from platform-usage data; this result reflects predictive performance only and should not be read as a direct measure of human-capital enhancement. The qualitative analysis identified five interrelated dimensions of AI-enabled participation - digital education and empowerment, sustainable citizen participation, data-driven infrastructure, operational AI capabilities, and transparent ethical governance - with descriptive code co-occurrence values ranging from 0.79 to 0.90 across dimensions. These values represent the mean Jaccard co-occurrence coefficient across all sub-code pairs within each dimension (computed from MAXQDA's Code Relations Browser output) and should not be interpreted as statistical correlations, structural-equation path coefficients, or causal relationships. The qualitative analysis also identified four recurring implementation barriers, discussed most frequently in relation to digital-skill deficits (42 mentions), institutional constraints (35 mentions), technological limitations (31 mentions), and ethical concerns (26 mentions); these frequencies are treated as indicative of salience in expert discourse rather than as a standalone measure of theoretical importance. CONCLUSION: Realizing AI-supported human-capital development in urban governance requires addressing interlinked technical, institutional, social, and cultural barriers. Because the empirical evidence comes from a single metropolis and digitally active platform users, the findings are best understood as context-specific to Tehran; their applicability to other developing-country metropolises is a hypothesis for future comparative research rather than a conclusion demonstrated by the present data. Within this scope, the proposed framework points to actionable directions - strengthening bidirectional communication channels, transparent algorithmic processes, and continuous feedback between citizens and urban administrators - while underscoring the importance of algorithmic transparency and safeguards against digital exclusion as AI-enabled urban services expand.

Abstract BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Urban rail can strengthen city image and public-space visibility without necessarily producing equally supportive conditions for station access, walking and waiting. This distinction is particularly relevant in hot-arid cities, where exposed routes and limited shade may constrain everyday use. This study examined whether the perceived urban-image contribution of the Ouargla tramway exceeded the usability of its station environments and how any asymmetry could inform spatially differentiated management priorities. METHODS: A staged, multi-source mixed-methods case-study design with a partially sequential, expert-informed instrument-development phase combined a survey of 163 adult residents/users, independently coded open-ended responses, and a complementary assessment by 32 experts. The image–usability difference was tested within respondents using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Hodges–Lehmann estimation, and matched rank-biserial effect size. Polychoric exploratory factor analysis and a factor-aligned sensitivity analysis examined the robustness of the measurement structure. Space Syntax, EO–GIS, viewshed, and meteorological evidence contextualised the configurational and environmental conditions of the 16 station areas. Findings were integrated through a joint display because the evidence streams operated at different analytical levels. FINDINGS: Urban Image was rated more favourably than Station-Area Usability ( versus ). The paired difference was significant ( , ), with a Hodges–Lehmann estimate of 0.375 (95% CI: 0.250–0.500) and a matched rank-biserial correlation of 0.673. Exploratory polychoric analysis suggested two correlated factors, and the factor-aligned sensitivity analysis confirmed the direction of the asymmetry. Shade and vegetation formed the dominant resident-defined priority, while experts prioritised the combined criterion of mobility, accessibility and pedestrian safety, together with climatic adaptation. Spatial analyses differentiated weakly integrated and highly exposed western stations from wider-catchment nodes, local through-movement interfaces and environmentally sensitive eastern contexts. CONCLUSION: The tramway’s perceived urban-image contribution exceeded the everyday usability of its station interface. The study contributed a perception-led, contextually differentiated diagnosis linking user evaluation, resident priorities, professional assessment and spatial evidence. It positioned access, safety, shade and environmental adaptation as interdependent components of functional public-transport accessibility in hot-arid cities.

Abstract BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Many organizations in the Asia-Pacific region still use outdated annual workforce planning methods that fail to match the fast-evolving business landscape and changing skill needs. Agile Workforce Planning is gaining global recognition for its flexibility, but APAC organizations encounter structural, cultural, and governance obstacles that hinder its implementation. Most literature on Agile Workforce Planning is Western-centric, providing scant insight into its application in the Asia-Pacific region context. This study explores the perceptions and experiences of HR practitioners in APAC organizations regarding workforce planning and recruitment, aiming to identify the main enablers, barriers, and outcomes related to Agile Workforce Planning. METHODS: A qualitative research design involved semi-structured interviews with six HR practitioners from APAC organizations. A pilot with six interviews tested question clarity and relevance but was excluded from the final analysis. Purposive sampling was used for participant selection, and thematic analysis was performed to identify data patterns. FINDINGS: Agile Workforce Planning is facilitated by strong leadership, collaboration between HR and business leaders, and access to workforce data and analytics. Implementation is limited by governance frameworks, budgetary and approval processes, and cultural barriers such as managerial reluctance to redeploy talent and a general aversion to risk. Agile Workforce Planning is typically executed in a reactive, incremental way instead of as a comprehensive planning strategy. A more complete implementation can improve an organization's responsiveness, focus on essential roles, and alignment with market conditions. These positive outcomes may lead to increased pressure on talent acquisition teams and create uncertainty for employees. CONCLUSION: This study enhances the Agile Workforce Planning literature by offering qualitative insights from the APAC region. It highlights that achieving agility necessitates leadership-driven cultural changes, improved governance, and increased workforce visibility. The research provides a foundational framework and roadmap for APAC organizations' HR leaders to transform agile intentions into effective workforce planning outcomes.

Abstract BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Urban neighborhoods in developing countries have undergone substantial transformations due to rapid urbanization, which has resulted in a decline in their vitality. Although both physical and social environments play crucial roles in enhancing neighborhood vitality, few studies have simultaneously examined the impact of neighborhoods’ social and physical characteristics. This study aimed to analyze the effect of the physical environment on neighborhood vitality and to examine the mediating role of social relations in the impact of the physical environment on vitality. METHODS: A quantitative, cross-sectional survey was conducted in the Sabzeh-Meydan and Sad-Dastgah neighborhoods of Babol city, Iran. A sample size of 400 residents and users of the spaces of the two neighborhoods participated in the survey, with the sample size determined using GPower software. Data analysis involved confirmatory factor analysis and full structural equation modeling, which were performed using AMOS 24 software. FINDINGS: The structural model explained 41% of the variance in vitality (R2=0.41). Social relations (β=0.457, p=0.000) and the form and physical structure of public spaces (β=0.252, p=0.000) were found to be the most significant factors directly affecting vitality. Access to amenities indirectly impacted vitality through the total mediation of social relations. Furthermore, the Sabzeh-Meydan neighborhood (city center) had a significantly lower level of vitality than the Sad-Dastgah neighborhood (β=0.317, p=0.000) despite promoting higher social relations. CONCLUSION: ‌The study confirmed that social factors are the most critical determinants of neighborhood vitality, with social relations acting as a key conduit between the physical environment and vitality. The findings highlighted the necessity of implementing strategies that focus on regenerating the historical physical fabric and preserving community culture to enhance vitality, especially in central, older neighborhoods. Strategies for improving the physical and social environments to enhance vitality were proposed based on the research results.

Abstract BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Social commerce has received increasing attention from both researchers and practitioners as a new area in the electronic commerce field. This research aims to provide a deep understanding of the current state of social commerce literature by conducting a content analysis of the top relevant journal articles in the field. In addition, find the impact of geographical focus on social commerce research, the main commercial activities conducted in s-commerce, and proper approaches to solving the limitations identified in social commerce research. METHODS: This research adopted a qualitative content analysis approach. So, the sample size was 357 studies from the Scopus database using RStudio. Subsequently, the top 100 articles were used for content analysis via NVivo for data extraction and analysis to visualize and reveal the evolution of social commerce. FINDINGS: The study results reveal that major themes include social commerce adoption, trust, Facebook, social media marketing, technology acceptance, and brand loyalty. Empirical research is the main form applied in social commerce research, while Social Support Theory, Technology Acceptance Model, and Trust Transfer Theories are the most frequently adopted theories. Transaction-based social commerce activities were the most performed. Additionally, customers frequently shared commercial information. CONCLUSION: The limitations found were data collection through a cross-sectional survey approach that might lead to a lack of generalizability. The recommended solutions are to perform longitudinal studies since most of the earlier research was empirical. The current study results help researchers, practitioners, and businesses in this field gain deeper insight into the social commerce trends.

Abstract BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The global energy transition is fundamentally reshaping the strategic landscape of the energy industry, creating significant challenges for incumbent firms historically rooted in hydrocarbon-based business models. Increasing regulatory pressures, climate commitments, investor expectations, and technological shifts toward low-carbon energy systems require these firms to rethink their organizational structures, capabilities, and strategic orientations. However, transforming large and established energy organizations remains difficult due to structural inertia, legacy assets, and deeply embedded operational routines. In response to these challenges, organizational agility has emerged as a potential strategic approach for enabling adaptive transformation. Nevertheless, empirical explanations regarding how incumbent energy firms operate agile transformation in response to energy transition pressures remain limited. Therefore, this study aims to explain how incumbent energy firms undertake agile transformation in response to the complex pressures associated with energy transition. METHODS: This study adopts a qualitative case study approach to examine the transformation process within an incumbent energy firm referred to as EnergyCo for confidentiality reasons. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with organizational leaders and employees, supported by organizational documents and secondary industry reports, and analyzed using an iterative thematic coding process. The research applies analytical generalization to derive theoretical insights from in-depth empirical evidence, focusing on how external pressures trigger organizational transformation and how firms mobilize strategic capabilities to respond to these challenges. FINDINGS: The findings reveal that configurational institutional pressures, including market volatility, environmental, social, and governance expectations, geopolitical uncertainty, and cost pressures, trigger organizational transformation. These pressures increase perceived organizational vulnerability and stimulate managerial sensemaking. Through this interpretive process, firms activate dynamic capabilities that enable the redesign of strategies and the reconfiguration of organizational resources through agile practices. The successful implementation of agile transformation further depends on systemic alignment across strategy, structure, systems, organizational culture, and talent management, which together facilitate coordinated transformation efforts. CONCLUSION: Agile transformation strengthens the firm’s adaptive capacity, enhances organizational performance, and supports the development of long-term sustainability capabilities in the context of energy transition. Based on these findings, the study proposes an integrative model of agile transformation in energy transition that explains how incumbent firms translate external pressures into coordinated organizational change.

Abstract BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: With the unplanned urban expansion witnessed in many cities, the problem of the deterioration of green public spaces and their loss of environmental and social roles has emerged, making the sustainable revitalization of these spaces an urgent necessity for improving the quality of urban life. This research aims to assess the current state of green spaces in an unplanned urban area, diagnose their shortcomings, and test the hypothesis that applying the principles of sustainable revitalization contributes to improving the environmental, social, and planning performance of these spaces. METHODS: The research adopted a descriptive-analytical approach through the development of a theoretical framework addressing the concept of sustainable revitalization and urban public space, while drawing on global experiences to derive evaluation indicators. These indicators were applied using spatial analysis tools, field observation, and GIS software (ENVI-Met). FINDINGS: Based on the study, the sustainable regeneration indicators identified for the ecosystems, namely vegetation cover, limited biodiversity, recycling, and thermal comfort, were weaker than in real-world scenarios. It was observed that government and industry management of resources was generally efficient, yet this situation contributed to a reduction in green sector efficiency. The analysis indicated clear shortcomings in the current performance of urban green spaces. CONCLUSION: An alternative design for the study area based on a green cover and ecosystem approach was recommended when considering sustainable regeneration indicators in order to improve the overall health and sustainability of the green sector and thus urban landscapes. The research also concluded that sustainable regeneration, when used along with real-life planning and design, can support the regeneration of green zones and serve as a design model for green sector development in modern cities.

Abstract BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: In massive construction and civil engineering projects, project financing is of particular importance. This is because the majority of problems arising in construction projects, which lead to prolonged durations and even the loss of the project's economic justification, stem from disruptions in financing. One of the most significant causes of this is the failure to identify and forecast risks properly and to prioritize them based on their individual impact on project costs. METHODS: In this research, after reviewing methods and studying the internal and external risks of projects, as well as examining cost estimation methods and selecting the most appropriate one, the influencing factors were first gathered using a questionnaire. The consistency of this data was then measured using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Subsequently, the risks were prioritized using the DEMATEL method, and their impact and probability of occurrence were surveyed. Finally, the probability of occurrence and the impact of each risk were estimated as a probability density function, and the problem was simulated using the Monte Carlo method. FINDINGS: In a Monte Carlo simulation, risk analysis is performed by constructing models of potential outcomes, substituting a range of values from probability distributions for every factor that has inherent uncertainty. It then recalculates the results repeatedly, each time using a different set of random values from the probability distributions. Depending on the number of uncertainties and their specified ranges, it can perform thousands or tens of thousands of recalculations before completing, thereby producing distributions of possible outcome values. CONCLUSION: For this purpose, MATLAB software was used to simulate the Monte Carlo method for analyzing this research problem, to obtain the mean impact of the 7 prioritized risks. The impact of these 7 risks on the objective function was assessed based on the frequency of risk occurrence, the probability of occurrence during construction, and the range of their impact on the project cost. The probability density functions for each risk and the distribution functions for the impact ranges of each risk were derived based on the sample data collected via the questionnaire.

Abstract BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Emerging capital markets face challenges in allocating financial resources to firms pursuing sustainability objectives. While prior studies have documented positive associations between environmental, social, and governance performance and firm value in developed economies, evidence from emerging markets remains inconclusive. This study examines the effects of sustainability performance, sustainability ratings, and institutional investor ownership on firm valuation among publicly listed companies in Southeast Asia. METHODS: A balanced panel of 201 firm-year observations from 67 publicly listed companies (2022–2024) was analyzed using panel-data regression. Pooled Ordinary Least Squares. Fixed Effects, and Random Effects models were estimated, with model selection based on the Breusch-Pagan Lagrange Multiplier and Hausman tests. Firm value was measured using Tobin's Q, while explanatory variables included Refinitiv Environmental, Social, and Governance performance scores, Morningstar Sustainalytics ESG risk ratings, and institutional ownership characteristics. Firm size and leverage were included as control variables, and cluster-robust standard errors were applied. Statistical analyses were conducted using Python. FINDINGS: The Breusch-Pagan LM test rejected pooled OLS (p < 0.001), while the Hausman test supported the Random Effects model (χ² = 5.37, p = 0.372). Under the final specification, ESG performance (β = −0.005, p = 0.730) and sustainability ratings (β = 0.015, p = 0.304) were not significantly associated with firm value. In contrast, institutional ownership characteristics were positively associated with firm value (β = 0.443, p = 0.027), whereas firm size showed a significant negative association (β = −0.413, p = 0.001). A one-period-lagged robustness model found no significant delayed effects of the sustainability variables. The final model remained significant (F = 6.35, p < 0.001) and explained 14.8% of the variation in firm value. CONCLUSION: After accounting for panel heterogeneity, firm-level controls, and robust inference, neither internally reported ESG performance nor externally validated sustainability ratings exhibited a robust independent association with firm value. Institutional ownership characteristics emerged as the most consistent correlate of firm valuation, while firm size was negatively associated with Tobin's Q. These findings underscore the importance of rigorous panel-data methodology and institutional governance in understanding corporate valuation in emerging capital markets.

Abstract BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Rapid and disorganized urban expansion in developing countries often leads to severe imbalances in land-use distribution, undermining the core principles of sustainable development. The critical problem lies in the disconnect between strategic master planning and field enforcement, where market-driven growth frequently cannibalizes ecological resources. Focusing on Nasiriyah City, Iraq—a historic urban center facing intense demographic pressures and unregulated commercial growth—this research holds significant importance as it diagnoses institutional zoning deviations using spatial tools, thereby offering a replicable, science-based model for secondary cities facing sustainability deficits. To address these challenges, the primary objective of this study is to evaluate spatial land-use changes from 1990 to 2020. The methodology employs a multi-stage spatial and analytical framework, in which a comparative historical analysis of urban growth phases is conducted using Geographic Information System tools, and the official 2011 international master plan for Modern Nasiriyah is cross-examined against contemporary aerial and field data to detect deviations in zoning compliance. FINDINGS: The spatial analysis revealed structural shifts in Nasiriyah's urban fabric over the past 30 years. Industrial land use increased from 533.5 hectares (44.2%) to 1081.8 hectares (37.4%), shifting primarily to northern zones aligned with dominant wind vectors to protect residential quarters. Conversely, commercial zones experienced massive expansion, growing from 481.3 hectares (39.8%) to 1606.5 hectares (55.6%). This commercial sprawl directly compromised public infrastructure, resulting in a critical deficit of recreational green space, which dropped from 16.0% to a mere 7.0% of the active urban footprint. CONCLUSION: Unregulated commercial growth has severely cannibalized municipal green reserves, highlighting a significant disconnect between master-planning designs and on-the-ground development. To secure a sustainable urban future for Nasiriyah, municipal authorities must urgently implement rigid land-use enforcement, revitalize the Euphrates waterfront corridors, and structurally integrate the surrounding historic tourist clusters—such as the ancient City of Ur and the Mesopotamian Marshes—into the city's primary economic and spatial frameworks.

Abstract BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Green public financial management in decentralised fiscal systems is frequently constrained by limited administrative capacity to integrate fiscal, ecological, and digital expertise in expenditure verification. This study aimed to design and evaluate an Automated Ecological Verification framework intended to support fiscal-ecological verification capacity by embedding rule-based verification functions within budget information system architecture rather than relying exclusively on specialised personnel.
METHODS: A Design Science Research Methodology comprising six sequential development steps was applied to design a Semantic Translation Layer enabling real-time, bidirectional interoperability between fiscal expenditure classification codes and an ecological outcome registry. The artefact was evaluated through simulation using a synthetic regional government budget dataset of 240 transactions distributed across five programme categories. Ground-truth labels were assigned independently of the engine's classification output, and projected outcomes were assessed against a manual verification baseline and a deterministic environmental quality index model. No expert practitioner validation, user acceptance testing, field piloting, or real APBD transaction data were used at this stage.
FINDINGS: The AEV validation engine achieved an average classification accuracy of 97.1%, ranging from 95.8% to 97.9% across programme categories, and correctly identified all simulated instances in which environmentally suggestive expenditure labels concealed technical specifications that violated predefined ecological thresholds. Twenty-two of the 240 transactions (9.2%) required structured human adjudication. Under the Full Compliance scenario, the model produced an upper-bound projected environmental quality index improvement of 8.5 points. These findings represent simulated classification performance and scenario-based projections rather than observed administrative, fiscal, or environmental outcomes.
CONCLUSION: The findings demonstrate the technical feasibility of the proposed AEV architecture under controlled simulated conditions. The framework may reduce reliance on routine manual verification while preserving specialised human judgement for context-dependent cases; however, the present study does not establish improvements in staff workload, capability, decision quality, organisational learning, or operational governance effectiveness. These outcomes require validation through real APBD data, expert assessment, user testing, and field implementation.

Abstract BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: One of the key indicators in the evaluation of service quality is the execution of a Quality Management System (ISO 9001:2015) and the success of any organization lies in its ability to effectively manage its resources. Human resources play an integral role in this process, and their contribution to quality management systems is invaluable. This study described the profile of the respondents in terms of age, sex, working experience, employee position, and sector of an organization. This study also assessed respondents' attitudes toward hiring and selection, compensation and rewards, and training and development. Additionally, this study tried to establish a strong correlation between the respondent profile and their attitudes regarding education and training, recruitment and selection, and compensation and rewards.
METHODS: This study used a descriptive quantitative method. A total of 150 employees of the ISO 9001:2015 certified service sector within the Cities in Nueva Ecija were surveyed using a survey questionnaire.
FINDINGS: Findings present 40% of the respondents came from Generation Y and 26.67 respondents from Generation Z.  The respondents' attitudes toward the training and development practices of various service firms found that the highest mean of 3.52 representing a distinct plan for learning and development and encouraging employees to participate in relevant training programs got the second-highest weighted mean of 3.47. Having a criterion to measure the effectiveness of the training got the lowest weighted mean of 3.09. This study also determines the attitude of the employees on recruitment and selection practices of their respective organizations. Filling up vacancies with internally qualified employees got the highest weighted mean of 3.32 followed by informing the applicants about the job conditions needed to achieve a job before hiring, Furthermore, the posting of job advertisements got a weighted mean of 2.19. Lastly, the respondents' attitude toward rewards and compensation practices showed the highest score of 3.59 that Employees are encouraged to accomplish the company's goals by their compensation packages. Other rewards and compensation practices include satisfactory rewards and compensation system, salary satisfaction, rewarding employee collaboration, and reviewing salary increments, bonuses, and other allowances fairly and justifiably with a weighted mean of 3.37, 3.32, 2.85, and 2.77, respectively.
CONCLUSION: The results show that specific practices of Human Resource Management, which have been identified, are crucial to improving organizational performance since they contribute to the success of businesses.

Abstract BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: During the past decades, architects have faced serious challenges in renovating buildings. Renovated buildings require activities that, besides energy savings and less damages to the environment, could have psychologically positive effects on customers. Renovation plays an important role in the development of the city of Tehran so that it can bring environmental, economic and social benefits and preserve the originality of the urban environment of this metropolis. Therefore, the purpose of this study was Evaluation of psychological factors affecting the decision of citizens to purchase renovated buildings with emphasis on maintaining urban environment.
METHODS: The present study used a mixed approach to achieve a general model to investigate the effects of such factors on customers’ decision to buy renovated buildings. To validate the model, the qualitative approach was based on the Grounded Theory, and the quantitative approach used Structural Equation Modeling. In the qualitative analysis to identify the influential factors, the interview data were analyzed with ATLAS.Ti8 software version 8.0 by using the Grounded Theory coding method according to Strauss and Corbin’s approach. Finally, the effects of psychological factors on the consumer decision to buy renovated buildings were identified.
FINDINGS: Perception index with two components of personality (factor loading 0.60) and experience (factor loading 0.69), learning index with two components of capacity change and behavior change with factor loading 0.56, attitude index with two components of self-esteem (0. 70) and excitement (0.76) and in the motivation index of the external motivation component (0.58) were confirmed in the final model. The indicators of needs and desires (0.31), change of status (0.42), identity (0. 32) and intrinsic motivation (0.49) were rejected and removed from the final model.
CONCLUSION: The findings showed that in order to maintain the authenticity of the urban environment as well as the satisfaction of citizens, the managers of architectural companies and senior officials of urban planning can use the investigated methods to make better decisions and encourage citizens to buy renovated buildings.

Abstract This paper explores the developing of how designers can search for inspiration source which provided in the form of traditional elements and archetypes and also their role on idea generation in design from building to urban measure. In order to clarify of this, current study focuses on the Far-East region as an ancient part of the world in which there is a huge number of symbols like well known, Yin-Yang. To understanding of how designers inspired by the symbols and forming the character of place via those, the case study method is used to an in-depth evaluation. The result is presented in a table involving cases which selected in divers rang of Far-East countries. Based on result, historical symbols, as a rich source of ideas and stimulation can play a significant in meaning-making and also forming the identity of city. In addition, these symbols help highly to revival the exiting values which ignored in contemporary urbanization particularly in developing countries like Iran. Accordingly, evaluation of cases observed that the symbol-inspired design can prove the durability of the urban character. Finally, inspiration source divided in two main types including: visual and verbal. Based on results of exist study, most of designers inspired visually (i.e. visual analogy, external) and a low percent of them inspired verbally (i.e. abstract, internal). Moreover, minority of designer inspired mediocre by combination of these (i.e. visual/verbal).

Abstract The strategies to reduce the consumption of non-renewable energies in buildings are becoming increasingly important. In the meantime, nature-inspired approaches have emerged as a new strategy to achieve thermal comfort in the interiors. However, the use of these approaches in architecture and buildings requires a proper understanding regarding the features of ecosystems. Although acquiring this knowledge requires a high degree of familiarity with the fields such as biology and environmental science, review of achievements made by the use of these features could facilitate the understanding of ecomimicry processes and thereby contribute to environmental sustainability in buildings. In other words, this paper concerns the relationship between these features and the thermal comfort inside the building. Biomimicry is an approach to innovation that seeks sustainable solutions to human challenges by emulating nature’s time-tested patterns and strategies. The objective of this paper is to use such review to provide an approach to the use of natural features for achieving thermal comfort in the buildings of hot and dry climates. In this review, the successful examples are analyzed to identify and examine the principles that influence the thermal comfort in both building and urban levels. The results show that the three elements of water, wind, sun are the effective natural resources that must be utilized in the design in a way proportional and consistent with the natural features. In addition, functional features of ecosystem can be of value only in the presence of a processual  relationship between them.

Abstract The purpose of the present research was to investigate the relationships between justice perceptions, employee's misbehavior and cynicism to organization because very few studies have looked at the role of justice and cynicism in the prediction of employee's misbehavior in public organizations. According to the purpose of study, the present research is developmental research. Also according to way of data collection (research project), the present study are descriptive research. In classification based on the type of research, this study is correlational research. In the current research, the population under analysis consists of a public organization. Participants were 420 employees and all of them were administrative employee. The results of the present research revealed that justice perceptions will be negatively associated with employee's misbehavior; negatively predicted employee's cynicism and finally the relationship between organizational justice and misbehavior will be mediated by employee's cynicism. The present results both support previous research and extend our perception in relation with the mechanisms through which justice influences on employee's misbehavior.

Abstract This paper investigates empirically the effect of volatility of the exchange rate of the U.S. dollar vis-à-vis the euro on U.S. stock market volatility while controlling for a number of drivers of stock return volatility. Using a GARCH(1, 1) model and using weekly data covering the period from the week of January 1, 1999 through the week of January 25, 2010, it is found that the 9/11 terrorist attack, bear markets, fluctuations in jobless claims, and negative equity market returns increase financial volatility. On the other hand, no conclusive results are found regarding the effect of fluctuations in M2, or incorrect expectations of changes in the federal funds target rate. Finally, it is found that when major drivers of financial volatility are controlled for, increased exchange rate volatility exerts a positive and statistically significant effect on the volatility of stock returns. Monetary policymakers need to take this effect into account when formulating exchange rate actions within the prevailing managed float.

Abstract BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study investigated how Flexible Manufacturing Systems—including workstations, automated handling/storage, inspection equipment, ancillary components, and computer control—were related to Human Resource sustainability (justice, job well-being, and employee development) at the Samarra Pharmaceutical Factory. The objective was to identify which FMS dimensions most strongly supported sustainable HR outcomes.
METHODS: A descriptive–analytical design was used. A structured questionnaire was administered to 230 employees; 207 valid responses were obtained (response rate = 90%). The measurement model and hypotheses were tested in AMOS v26 using standard validation criteria and structural equation modeling.
RESULTS: Overall FMS capability was positively associated with HR sustainability (standardized regression weight = 0.932; unstandardized estimate = 2.079; 95% CI = 0.896–0.971; p = 0.02). Bivariate correlations between individual FMS components and HR sustainability were significant: workstations r = 0.841 (α = 0.05), handling & storage r = 0.833 (α = 0.05), inspection equipment r = 0.644 (α = 0.05), computer control systems r = 0.902 (α = 0.05), and other components r = 0.928 (α = 0.05). Model fit indices met accepted thresholds (e.g., GFI = 0.927, AGFI = 0.916, RMR = 0.068, NFI = 0.913, RFI = 0.905).
CONCLUSION: Strengthening Flexible Manufacturing Systems—particularly computer control systems—was associated with higher HR sustainability by improving safety, reducing physical/psychological strain, and expanding development opportunities. Managers seeking technology investments that advance operational efficiency and workforce well-being could prioritize FMS upgrades aligned with these results.