The objective of this study is to propose an instrument for identifying the level of maturity of purchasing and supply management in relation to Strategic Sourcing. Based on an initial model, a maturity measurement instrument was applied to a case study company in a chemical industry company in Vale dos Sinos, in order to validate the tool. Based on this, a survey was carried out with the aim of capturing the perception of purchasing professionals on the topic. By sending a questionnaire to 250 professionals in the purchasing and supply management area, a return rate of 28% (70 respondents) was obtained from this sample. For the data obtained, structural equation modeling (SEM) was carried out using Smart PLS 3.0® software. With the modeling, a load of 0.428 was obtained for the suppliers construct, 0.555 for the inventory construct and 0.158 for the indicators construct. Overall, the satisfactory constructs for this sample positively impact 67.8% on the Strategic Sourcing construct. Therefore, for this specific sample, the constructs referring to suppliers, inventory and indicators jointly impact Strategic Sourcing. The research in question proposed a model for a better understanding of Strategic Sourcing structures and aims to contribute to practical and organizational contexts regarding the maturity of this topic among purchasing professionals. This understanding aims to provide readers with greater empirical and academic understanding of this emerging and important topic for business and company competitiveness.

With the expansion of Sino–Thai higher education cooperation, many Chinese faculty members are teaching in Thai universities. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into teaching offers opportunities for innovation but also presents challenges, especially in cross-cultural contexts. Understanding how Attitude toward Artificial Intelligence (AIA) influence Teaching Satisfaction (TS) through Teachers’ Self-Efficacy of Teaching Innovation Skills (TISE) is therefore essential. This study surveyed 475 Chinese faculty in Thai universities to examine the relationships among AIA, TISE, and TS. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to assess the proposed mediation model, in which AIA was hypothesized to exert an indirect effect on TS via TISE. Reliability and validity analyses were conducted to ensure the robustness of the measurement instruments. Findings show that AIA has a weak but significant direct effect on TS (β = 0.084, p < .05), but a much stronger total effect (β = 0.441, p < .001). AIA significantly predicts TISE (β = 0.573, p < .001), and TISE strongly predicts TS (β = 0.658, p < .001). Mediation analysis indicates that TISE accounts for 81.6% of the total effect of AIA on TS, confirming a dominant partial mediation. The model demonstrates good fit indices (χ²/df = 3.959, RMSEA = 0.079, CFI = 0.936, SRMR = 0.042). Investigation of AI adoption among cross-cultural faculty represents the key contribution of this study to the literature, validating the TISE scale, and extending theoretical perspectives on faculty development. Practical recommendations include strengthening AI-related training, establishing institutional support mechanisms, and refining faculty evaluation to improve teaching satisfaction and facilitate the intelligent transformation of higher education in Thailand.

The automotive industry faces significant challenges stemming from market instability and supply chain complexities. This study examines how proactive risk management, collaboration with OEMs, and the adoption of digital tools influence supply chain performance in the Moroccan automotive sector. Survey data from 135 industry experts were analyzed using a structural equation modeling approach to test three hypotheses. The results show that proactive risk management significantly enhances service levels, while collaboration with OEMs strengthens risk management practices. Additionally, digital tools facilitate collaboration, albeit with a moderate overall effect. This research offers actionable insights for addressing uncertainties in automotive supply chains.

With globalization and the expansion of cities, the movement of goods and people has significantly increased, both economically and socially. This sector serves as a vital component of any economy, fostering economic and social development. However, its detrimental effects pose significant challenges for countries seeking to pursue sustainable development policies. Being one of the most energy-intensive sectors, it emits greenhouse gases and pollutants, contributing to environmental degradation and noise pollution. While increased traffic and mobility offer benefits, they also strain resources and lead to higher energy consumption. The primary objective of this article is to assess the sustainability of freight transport in the Moroccan city of Fez and propose supportive solutions for various stakeholders in urban logistics. This involves examining the complex relationship between different factors and the sustainability of Urban Freight Transport (UFT), including accessibility, congestion, road occupancy, environmental impacts, health impacts, and road safety. The research data were collected from 100 managers and employees of logistics and transportation companies in Morocco. Structural equation modeling was utilized to test and confirm the hypotheses and the research model. The results of these analyses demonstrated a positive impact relationship between the various factors and the sustainability variable. Subsequently, we suggest the establishment of delivery areas and an urban distribution center as two sustainable logistics solutions. The analysis and its findings can be applied to any other city.

This study investigates the impact of cloud-based supply chain management on organizational agility, using a Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach. The research is motivated by the growing importance of cloud computing in supply chain management and the need for empirical studies that assess its benefits and challenges. Drawing on a survey of 200 supply chain managers from various industries, we develop and test a theoretical model that explores the relationships between cloud adoption and organizational agility. Hypotheses for the study are tested using the structural equation model. According to the study, Cloud-based SCM has a statistically significant effect on agility and flexibility. The findings have important practical and theoretical implications and provide insights that can help managers and practitioners make informed decisions regarding the implementation of cloud-based SCM solutions and the development of strategies that enhance supply chain agility and competitiveness.

This article investigates the causal connection between social capital (SC), knowledge transfer, innovation and firm performance. Based on existing literature on social capital, we develop a research model showing that three dimensions of social capital, including network ties, trust and shared visions, have positive relationships with company performance via two mediators, namely knowledge transfer and innovation. Using a sample of 153 Vietnamese firms, including one to two respondents from each firm, our study applied structural equation modeling to confirm the hypotheses. The results show that all three dimensions of social capital were positively related to firm performance with knowledge transfer and innovation acting as mediators. Knowledge transfer and the company's innovation were found to have a strong as-sociation with each other. Academically, this paper offers an opportunity to investigate social capital in terms of other factors in one specific industry. Practically, our findings motivate firms to focus on improving knowledge transfer on both quantity and quality prospects to boost firm performance.

This study investigates the impact of project management capabilities on organizational performance, with a particular focus on the mediating roles of supply coordination, information technology integration, and process innovation. Data was collected from 85 suppliers providing goods and services to educational institutions in Irbid, Jordan, through questionnaires distributed from January 2025. The research adopts a causal quantitative approach, SEM-PLS to analyze the relationships between the variables. The findings reveal that project management capabilities positively influence supply coordination, information technology integration, and process innovation. Moreover, information technology integration and supply coordination significantly enhance organizational performance. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of how project management practices, supported by effective technology integration and strong supply chain coordination, can lead to improvements in organizational performance, especially within educational settings. The results underscore the importance of aligning project management capabilities with technological and collaborative strategies to promote innovation and efficiency.

In recent years, the issue of food packaging waste has become a vital environmental concern in the society which revolves around waste management practices particularly among food hawkers. The problem has been highlighted by many researchers and numerous suggestions have been made in order to improve sustainability with regard to green environment. Food packaging waste ranks the highest contributor to waste. Thus, environmentally friendly food packaging (EFFP) has been introduced in the market to ensure good management practices could be promoted among food hawkers so that environmental pollution can be reduced. However, even though many environmental programs have been implemented, the usage of EFFP among food hawkers has not improved. Hence, this paper aims to propose a specific actual behavior model to determine the usage of EFFP among food hawkers with personal value as a mediator. The development of the model used data that were collected from local food hawkers. Structural equation modeling was used to test related hypotheses. The findings indicated that personal values were a suitable mediator construct. Furthermore, attitudes, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral were all found to have had significant effects on the in-tention to use and the actual behavior. Finally, this paper also discusses the limitations of the present study and the contribution it has made.

Students’ loyalty enhances sustainability and survival rate of higher education institutions. Successful university managers and higher education thrive to improve service quality and to build loyalty among local and international students to sustain under the globalization. The aim of this research was to investigate the mediation effect of some key long-term relationship antecedent variables such as trust, satisfaction, and commitment between the perceived service quality and student loyalty latent variables. The relationship between the constructs in the instrument was tested through Partial Least squares (PLS) structural equations methodology using SmartPLS 3 program. The results of this research show that perceived service quality impacts loyalty specifically through commitment. Students’ loyalty is significantly influenced by commitment. However, student satisfaction has no significant direct effects on loyalty. Student trust has a negative effect on student loyalty so the results indicate that commitment fully mediates the effects of perceived service quality on student loyalty. Hence, university managers revitalize and sustain students’ loyalty if along with high quality services they also stimulate bonds and students identification with the university by reinforcing emotional force such as commitment.

The organizational performance at public hospitals differs from the corporate sector and faces maladministration. Further, performance at public hospitals is crucial as it directly affects human lives and endeavors for accessibility to medicines and equipment. This research is designed to determine the mediating role of inventory control practices in proficiency and organizational performance at public hospitals. This paper uses a quantitative research with a survey method using multistage cluster sampling which was performed on a sample size of 200. Exploratory Factor Analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis validated the model for Structural Equation Modeling. The findings of this research indicate a significant positive effect and full mediation of inventory control practices between the study variables. Further, the significance indicated that competent and well-trained staff manages inventory efficiently for improved organizational performance through better service quality and reduced cost. An integrated second-order model of this research will benefit the public hospitals, healthcare industry at large, organizations managing mega structured inventory, and to the body of knowledge.