Educators from various disciplines are using interactive components and brief videos in social media to create engaging and effective learning experiences. This study examines the integration of Instagram in higher education, focusing on short videos to teach economic concepts. Although social media's potential to enhance learning is recognized, there is limited understanding of its impact on communication, participation, and motivation among students. This research fills this gap by exploring the most effective ways to use Instagram to improve these aspects, aiming to increase student satisfaction. We present an exploratory theoretical model and test it on 338 Business Administration students. Using structural equation modeling with partial least squares (PLS-SEM), we analyze the relationships between Instagram usage, communication, participation, and motivation as predictors of student satisfaction. This approach is relevant for educators seeking to enhance student engagement through digital methods and offers a framework for further research. The findings reveal a significant correlation between Instagram usage and improved communication, participation, and motivation, leading to higher student satisfaction. This study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence of Instagram's positive impact on learning experiences and offers a theoretical model to guide future research and strategy development in educational settings.

Olive oil, a staple of the Mediterranean diet, encounters substantial commercial obstacles in Spain and other olive oil-producing nations. Historically, these obstacles have been examined from a consumer demand standpoint, focusing on aspects such as quality enhancement, pricing issues, and consumer awareness deficiencies. This study shifts the focus to the supply-side perspective, providing novel insights into the factors affecting the marketing and sale of olive oil. To investigate these factors, a comprehensive consultation with an expert panel consisting of industry leaders from olive oil mills was conducted. These experts evaluated 13 critical factors identified through a literature review and their practical experience. The findings from this panel offer immediate practical applications, emphasizing the importance of marketing strategies, professionalization, internationalization, and the utilization of social networks and e-commerce in driving olive oil sales. The implications of these findings suggest that companies must restructure to become more professional and market-oriented to navigate and surmount the traditional commercial barriers in the olive oil industry. Overall, this research enhances our understanding of the supply-side dynamics influencing the marketing and sale of olive oil in the Spanish context and beyond.

Research on the informal economy has traditionally emphasized its measurement and macroeconomic effects, focusing on structural and institutional determinants. Individual psychological factors that may help explain social tolerance toward informal practices have received far less attention. This exploratory study addresses this gap by examining how Big Five personality traits and dimensions of competitiveness are associated with two components of tolerance: the acceptance of informal behaviors, and justificatory beliefs. To this end, an ad hoc questionnaire was developed, and a cross-sectional design was implemented using a stratified sample of 339 students enrolled in Business Administration programs at a Spanish university. Multivariable models estimated these associations while adjusting for gender. The results indicate that conscientiousness and extraversion are negatively associated with both acceptance and justificatory beliefs, whereas competitive affectivity exhibits a positive and consistent association with both dimensions. Within the study sample, tolerance scores were higher among male respondents. These findings raise a hypothesis for future research: awareness campaigns may achieve greater precision when they account for psychological heterogeneity. This implication should be tested in broader and more diverse populations. Drawing on this exploratory evidence, we propose a preliminary analytical model that articulates the relationships between dispositional traits and competitiveness dimensions in relation to the two components of tolerance, providing a basis for future research. From a theoretical perspective, the proposed model offers a structured basis for longitudinal testing and future experimental designs aimed at deepening the understanding of the microfoundational mechanisms underlying the informal economy.

Active labor market policies (ALMPs) targeting self-employment have become a well-established and relevant instrument within employment promotion strategies across many European countries. However, despite their strategic and economic importance, there is limited evidence on their potential performance prior to implementation. This paper aims to address this gap by conducting an ex-ante cost–benefit simulation of different types of ALMPs designed to promote self-employment in Spain. The methodology is based on estimating public costs per beneficiary and quantifiable potential benefits, including avoided welfare payments, additional tax revenues, and the generation of economic activity. These benefits are adjusted using two key parameters: additionality (the proportion of the effect genuinely attributable to the policy) and persistence (the duration of the impact over time). In addition, three sensitivity scenarios (conservative, baseline, and favorable) are developed. The results suggest that financing and access to credit policies exhibit the most robust returns, while direct subsidies, general tax incentives, and emergency policies are more sensitive to intervention design features. Consequently, the effectiveness of ALMPs targeting self-employment depends fundamentally on their ability to align with the specific frictions faced by potential entrepreneurs and on the persistence of their effects.

Achieving the European objective of reaching 25% of agricultural land under organic farming by 2030 requires a deeper understanding of the underlying reasons behind territorial asymmetries in its adoption. This study examines the psychosocial, sociodemographic, and structural determinants influencing farmers' intention to adopt agroecological practices. Building on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Norm Activation Model (NAM) and incorporating elements from the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), we propose an integrated framework that captures the rational, altruistic, and utilitarian motivations underpinning decision-making. The model was estimated using data from a survey of Andalusian farmers, a context characterized by high levels of organic farming adoption, through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and multi-group analysis. The results reveal a substantial balance between rational and moral dimensions, as attitudes and personal norms exerted an equivalent influence on behavioral intention. Within the normative block, findings confirmed that the attribution of responsibility mediates the relationship between awareness of consequences and personal norms, supporting a sequential moral activation process. Moreover, perceived usefulness strengthened attitudes and indirectly influenced intention, whereas perceived ease of use acted only as a secondary facilitator. Finally, the multi-group analysis showed that structural factors such as certification, subsidies, and professional experience reconfigure the psychological architecture of decision-making, underscoring the need for more segmented and adaptive agro-environmental policies.