Green banking has become dominant in academics’ and practitioners’ discourse. The purpose of the research is to investigate whether banks’ attitudes, in deciding to go green, change under the influence of other banks through their mutual interaction and whether hysteresis plays a part in the process. A mathematical model, described by a differential system with time delay, considering three variables, i.e.: green, outsider and undecided banks, is used as a research method. We investigate the local stability of the two equilibrium points. Moreover, we look for the optimal control strategy targeting the undecided banks so that the outsiders’ group diminishes. The main contribution is that the paper sheds more light on the qualitative rather than on the quantitative side of the banking business given that banks’ behaviours are examined when it comes to implementing green policies. The research has policy implications since bank managers can decide whether to follow the greening trends of other banks and bank regulators can use the instrument for tracking the overall changes in banks’ behaviours in this respect.

Purpose: This study examines the influence of technology readiness on purchase behaviour toward sustainable Internet of Things (IoT) products. Specifically, it explores how technology readiness dimensions, including optimism, innovativeness, discomfort, and insecurity, affect perceived value, attitudes, and purchase intention while shaping consumer behaviour in a digital landscape. Design/methodology/approach: Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), the research assesses responses from a structured survey aimed at consumers of sustainable IoT products. The model analyzes the direct and indirect relationships between the technology readiness constructs and consumer attitudes and behaviours. Findings: The findings reveal that optimism and innovativeness positively impact perceived value and purchase intention, while discomfort and insecurity act as barriers. Moreover, a perceived value significantly mediates the relationship between technology readiness and purchase intention, reinforcing its critical role in influencing purchase behaviour. Research limitations/implications: This study has several limitations, including a focus on a relatively young demographic (ages 18–25), which may not fully represent older populations with potentially different levels of technology readiness, and its geographical specificity, which limits the broader applicability of the results to regions with varying technological infrastructures and cultural attitudes towards sustainability. Practical implications: Businesses and policymakers can leverage these insights to design targeted marketing strategies that enhance consumer optimism and innovativeness while addressing discomfort and insecurity to foster the adoption of sustainable technologies. Originality/value: This study expands the understanding of consumer readiness for sustainable technologies and underscores the importance of perceived value in promoting sustainable consumption behaviours in the digital age.

This paper examines students’ perceptions of factors influencing normative support for the integration of AI Chatbots in universities, providing an empirical basis for developing institutional policies and implementation strategies in higher education. Framed within the sustainability perspective, the study examines how ethical, cognitive, and perceptual factors shape the long-term adoption of AI technologies in academic environments. Our study employs a structural model comprising 10 constructs, 46 items, and 9 hypotheses, tested on a sample of 408 economics students from Timisoara. The research identifies AI literacy as the most influential factor in the formal integration of these technologies in universities. The following factors have a direct impact: teacher perception, student perception, and cognitive risks (reliance on AI Chatbots and avoidance of intellectual effort). Use for personalized learning is a factor with a significant direct effect on positive perceptions and intentions to use AI Chatbots among students. Academic integrity risks, as well as limitations on accuracy and reliability, have no significant impact. AI Chatbots represent an essential opportunity to transform higher education. However, their positive impact is realized only through responsible formal integration, grounded in ethical policies, adequate digital education, and the adaptation of pedagogical practices. Universities must regard AI as a strategic ally for teachers and students, while keeping human interaction, critical thinking, and academic integrity at the centre of the educational process. The study argues that students’ perceptions are that universities must approach AI Integration as a strategic component of sustainable educational ecosystems, aligning innovation with long-term academic integrity and the objectives of sustainable development, particularly Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education).

Education for sustainable development (ESD) is a strong debate subject that push education stakeholders of all levels to consider actual challenges of sustainability. The main objective is to re-shape the young generation behavior into an active and participatory one in order to face the actual challenges of climate change, scarce resources use, consumption efficiency, lifecycle thinking, social equity and other topics related to sustainable development dimensions and objectives. In this context, the article aims to present the research for the training needs assessment (survey based on a questionnaire applied internationally in Romania, Hungary, Slovenia and Portugal) that has contributed to the TeachSUS project development and implementation. The research results have been considered as valuable information for the innovative solution of the training programme design, in the context of the TeachSUS project.

In an era marked by the importance of sustainability and technological integration, this paper explores the drivers behind sustainable consumption in a rapidly evolving market, focusing on Romanian consumer perspectives towards sustainable products driven by the relationship between the circular economy and the Internet of Things (IoT). Leveraging structural equation modelling, we conduct a thorough survey to investigate the roles of shaping purchase behaviors within the context of the circular economy and IoT integration. The findings reveal that while environmental attitudes significantly influence purchase intentions, price sensitivity and perceived value play a crucial role in shaping consumer choices. From a theoretical perspective, this study highlights the interplay between sustainability concerns and market dynamics, contributing to the broader understanding of sustainable purchase behavior. From a managerial perspective, the results provide actionable insights for businesses to design value-aligned strategies, ensuring that sustainable products are both accessible and appealing to a diverse consumer base. This dual focus on theory and practice offers a roadmap for fostering responsible consumption in a competitive marketplace.

This paper analyses how network contagion affects the acceptance or rejection of mobile banking, emphasizing the risk of contagion that hinders the growth of users among bank clients. As a research method, a mathematical model based on the Susceptible, Infected, and Recovered framework is used within a nonlinear dynamic system with a distributed time delay and the optimal control strategy. The approach aims to find the behaviour dynamics of mobile banking users, non-users, and undecided ones. Our model adds value to the existing literature by employing a qualitative dynamic analysis, as opposed to other studies that study contagion empirically. The steady states and their conditions for stability are found, and the critical value for time delay causing oscillatory is determined. The optimal control strategies are identified to enlarge the number of mobile banking users and decrease the number of non-users. Numerical simulations support the theoretical findings. The research has practical implications given that the model predicts mobile banking user behaviour in assisting policy decision-making and addresses the possible policy measures that aim to increase the number of mobile banking users. The conclusions suggest that financial inclusion can contribute to the expansion of mobile banking users.