This study examines the perceptions of competence-oriented educational practices in the digital age among business school students from European and Asian cultures. The statement emphasizes the need for essential competencies and maintaining a balance between study and personal life. The study sampled 800 undergraduate students, equally in Thailand and Bulgaria, to assess the impact of key competencies, digital literacy, and the integration of digital technologies on students’ educational choices. The findings revealed significant differences in how students from these two regions perceive the importance of these factors. Thai students tend to emphasize a balanced set of competencies but are less inclined to value digital skills as highly as their Bulgarian counterparts. In contrast, Bulgarian students place a greater emphasis on digital competencies, reflecting the European education system’s broader integration of digital literacy into its curricula. The evidence suggests that a global trend towards the recognition of digital technologies is crucial for achieving a study–life balance with minimal differences between the regions in this regard. This convergence suggests an emerging global consensus on the role of digital education in promoting lifelong learning. The authors recommend incorporating region-specific teaching philosophies to improve student engagement and promote a healthy study–life balance.

Rural tourism is a key driver of social, economic, cultural, and environmental growth within the nation. This study examines residents’ attitudes toward rural tourism (economic, cultural, and social impacts) and how these attitudes influence supportive behaviours such as helping and tolerance. It also investigates the mediating role of resident-tourist interaction quality on the relationship between attitude toward rural tourism and supportive behaviours. This study employed a quantitative approach involving 380 residents from eight different rural areas in the northern and eastern regions of Malaysia. The findings revealed that cultural and social impacts are significantly related to helping behaviour, while only perceived social impact affects tolerance behaviour. Perceived social impact significantly influences the quality of interaction between residents and tourists. Further analysis also revealed that the quality of these interactions has a notable effect on helping behaviour. The mediation analysis revealed that the quality of resident-tourist interactions serves as a bridge between perceived social impact and helping behaviour. This study expands the knowledge on the multidimensionality of attitudes toward rural tourism by investigating both active resident engagement (helping) and passive resident engagement (tolerance). The study further concludes that residents' perceptions of rural tourism impacts are context-specific to the local area.

This study explores the relationships between Emotional Brand Attachment (EBA), Brand Nostalgia, Brand Involvement, and Brand Forgiveness, focusing on their roles in consumer-brand recovery dynamics. Using Emotional Brand Attachment Theory and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), the findings reveal that EBA strongly influences Brand Involvement and directly contributes to Brand Forgiveness, while Brand Involvement serves as a key mediator in restoring trust. However, Brand Nostalgia shows minimal direct impact on forgiveness, highlighting its context-dependent nature. These insights emphasize the importance of fostering emotional connections and consumer involvement in brand recovery strategies, while suggesting that the effectiveness of nostalgia may vary across scenarios. The study provides actionable recommendations for leveraging emotional attachment and involvement in post-failure brand management while encouraging further exploration of contextual influences.