Investigating e-Retailers’ Intentions to Adopt Cryptocurrency Considering the Mediation of Technostress and Technology Involvement

Cryptocurrencies have transgressed ever-changing economic trends in the global economy, owing to their conveyance, security, trust, and the ability to make transactions without the aid of formal institutions and governing bodies. However, the adoption of cryptocurrency remains low among stakeholders, including e-retailers. Thus, the current work explores the intentions of e-retailers in the Asia and Pacific region to adopt cryptocurrencies. This study considers the TAM-based SOR, with a combination of non-cognitive attributes (compatibility and convenience) proposed as stimuli for e-retailers to adopt the examined cryptocurrencies. The findings indicate that the proposed non-cognitive attributes are critical in determining e-retailers’ technostress (emotional state). Moreover, it was found that technostress among e-retailers profoundly impacts their intentions to adopt cryptocurrency in business settings. Meanwhile, regulatory support communication can be used to help regulatory bodies and governing institutions control the future economy worldwide. The proposed study offers significant theoretical and practical contributions through its investigation of e-retailers’ intentions to adopt cryptocurrency for the first time in the particular context of technostress and regulatory support.

Blended Learning: Past and Present with Special Reference to COVID-19 Pandemic

The Clayton Christensen academy describes blended learning as a structured educational program in which a student learns at least in part into internet-based content delivery and training with some characteristic of academic supervision from home. This process involved time, place, pattern, and careful monitoring facilities. It also encouraged the learners to feel more optimistic regarding their studies. The fundamental concept of driving blended learning is that it encourages a combination of self-learning and collective communication-oriented practices. However, during COVID-19 besides virtual and non-formal institutions, the formal educational institutes also moved to blended learning. As this was a new practice for the formal instructors and learners, therefore, this study was carried out for discovering the concept of blended learning with special reference to COVID-19 pandemic and for this reason three sub purposes were; shed light on the concept of blended learning; to describe terminologies used for blended learning in the past and present with special reference to COVID-19 pandemic and to discover blended learning strategies in the past and presnt with special reference to COVID-19. This study chartered a qualitative method with succeeding in the analysis of documents related to blended learning and how this strategy was used during COVID -19 for engaging the formal instructors with their students. The Study followed the five years documents available online since 2011-20. But some documents from 2021 were also viewed for methodology.The researchers’ inquiry into 10 years of data was for the purpose to discover the past strategies of blended learning in comparison to the strategies used during COVID-19. Data were analyzed through emerging themes from the documents. Therefore, the main themes aided to interpret the results. The results exposed dissimilar terms for blended learning such as F2F, hybrid, and the online teaching-learning process.The strategies used during COVID-19 were more advanced as compared to the past years. Traditional methods of blended learning included online sessions and face-to-face classes. Microsoft, Webinar, TREAD, zoom, and Google Classroom, and other applications have been commonly used throughout the COVID-19 affected countries. The formal institutions for the teaching-learning process to carry out in COVID-19 period frequently practiced some new strategies.

An Overview of Mindfulness and Its Implications for Children and Adolescents

Mindfulness is focusing on the present moment while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's thoughts, feelings, and body sensations as they are. The use of mindfulness practices on children and adolescents is burgeoning. This chapter covers the meaning and elements of mindfulness, their measurement, the various techniques, and exercises exclusive for children. Such techniques are typically individualized, tailor-made, personalized, contextualized, play-based, activity-oriented, reward-oriented, and maintained at the child's developmental level. Mindfulness parenting is vital. A mindful parent is aware of one's thoughts and feelings; is responsive to the child's needs, thoughts, and feelings; is better at regulating own emotions; is less critical of oneself or the child; is better at standing back from situations and avoiding an impulsive reaction. Issues related to professionalism, formal institutions for training mindfulness, and ongoing research on this theme, their achievements, and setbacks are listed before providing future directions for work in this area.

THE DYNAMIC TRANSFORMATION OF ISLAMIC EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN GAYO FROM 1900 TO 1986

<p>The dynamic development of Islamic education in Gayo cannot be separated from the turbulent period of education in Indonesia in general. The emergence and development and collapse of non-formal educational institutions and the transformation of formal institutions were influenced either directly or indirectly by the renewal of the dynamics of Islamic educational institutions in Indonesia. It was clear that the development of institutional transformation in Gayo from 1900 to 1986 was started by <em>umah</em> education. Graduates of homeschooling education usually continue their education to <em>Mersah</em> (<em>musalla</em>) or joyah for women of Gayo. These educational institutions are known as non-formal education. The formal education from 1900 to 1986 was started by Tarbiyah Islamiyah and Sekolah Rendah Islam (from 1902 to 1940). Meanwhile, in 1970 Pendidikan Guru Agama Pertama was established. Then, in 1980, this institution changed into Madrasah Aliyah Negeri 2 in Takengon. After that, in 1968 IAIN Persiapan was established in Temetas Lemah Burbana as Islamic higher education. However, this institution was transformed into Madrasah Aliyah Negeri 1 in Takengon in 1978. The Higher Education Institution was established in 1986 as a result of the transformation of STIE, STIT, and STIP into Perguruan Tinggi Gajah Putih Takengon. STIT tranformed into STAI Gajah Putih Takengon, and then it transformed into STAIN Gajah Putih Takengon, and today it is known as IAIN Takengon. Meanwhile, the STIE and STP transformed into Universitas Gajah Putih Takengon.</p>

Institutional listening in deliberative democracy: Towards a deliberative logic of transmission

This article explores the role of institutional listening in deliberative democracy, focusing particularly on its contribution to the transmission process between the public sphere and formal institutions. We critique existing accounts of transmission for prioritizing voice over listening and for remaining constrained by an ‘aggregative logic’ of the flow of ideas and voices in a democracy. We argue that formal institutions have a crucial role to play in ensuring transmission operates according to a more deliberative logic. To substantiate this argument, we focus on two recent examples of institutional listening in two different democracies: Australia’s Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and the United States’ Senate Judiciary Committee’s confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh. These cases show that institutional listening can take different forms; it can be purposefully designed or incidental, and it can contribute to the realization of deliberative democracy in various ways. Specifically, institutional listening can help enhance the credibility and visibility of minority groups and perspectives while also empowering these groups to better hold formal political institutions accountable. In these ways, institutional listening helps transmission operate according to a more deliberative logic.

Sufi Modernis: Peran Transformatif Mursyid TQN Suryalaya dalam bidang Pendidikan, Ekonomi dan Lingkungan Hidup

<p class="06IsiAbstrak">This study aims to reveal that the Tarekat in organizational review will develop rapidly if it is led by a Mursyid who has a transformative modernist role. This qualitative research was conducted using a phenomenological approach, participant observation approach and descriptive analysis. The results of the study reveal that TQN Suryalaya has modernist Sufi figures, namely the first Mursyid of TQN Suryalaya Abah Sepuh (Shaykh Abdullah Mubarok Bin Nur Muhammad) then followed by the second Murshid Abah Anom (Shaykh Ahmad Shohibul Wafa Tajul 'Airifn). Through these two Mursyids, it was found that the form of modernization typical of Sufis apart from in the field of ritual worship which is of course the main key, but furthermore has a role in transforming the quality of society towards a better direction in three fields: First, the field of education in the form of formal institutions in the field of basic education, secondary, and college. Second, in the field of Economics in the form of collaboration between Islamic boarding schools and SMEs in the surrounding community. The third is in the field of the environment in the form of nature conservation, irrigation technology, and plantations.</p>

Governance Trends among New EU Member States: Is There Institutional Convergence?

The main objective of this paper is to explore the institutional convergence of Central and Eastern European Union member countries as a possible consequence of both the transfer of selected Western formal institutions to those countries and the adoption of acquis communautaire. This issue dates back to the beginning of the 1990s when the predominant expectation was that the successful formal institutions in Western countries would yield the same results in transition countries. In the meantime, mainly because of informal constraints, this has shown to be a misconception in most cases. The methodology used in the paper is twofold. First, by means of descriptive statistics, and using the varieties of capitalism approach, we show that, when analysing institutional quality using the Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI), there are two divergent groups of EU countries. The first group consists of Liberal, Nordic, and Continental countries, and the second consists of Mediterranean and CEE member states that are further divided into liberal and coordinated market economies. Second, based on the calculation of the σ- and unconditional β-convergence of governance trends in the period 1996–2019, we empirically confirm that there are also variations within the CEE countries as well as within the specific dimensions of governance.

The Impact of Taxation Accounting of Value-Added-Tax in the Engineering of the Iraqi Economy

This study analyses the causes behind the difficulties encountered by Iraqi economy in rebuilding, provision of value added tax (VAT), formation and implementation effects in case of applying it to the Iraqi markets. In contrast to accounts that lay stress on Iraq’s statist past, we argue that the sustained decline in formal institutions and poor tax administration is the best explanation for Iraq’s economic decline. In addition to the selected micro-economic interventions, we recommend policies that more dependably and equitably distribute oil rents, such as a universal basic value added tax collection. Our recommendations thus contrast sharply with the approaches that emphasize a reduced role by the state. The aim is to facilitate the development of VAT model under conditions of lowered conflict and greater stability, a binding constraint on development for Iraqi economy. The development process for the VAT operational management in Iraqi markets. VAT operates as a transactional sales tax, often compliance in Iraqi market jurisdiction can be compromised where purchasers are a part of a scheme that operates a fraud mechanism or where supplies are made to consumers without any physical presence in destination countries. In this context, enforcement nexus must be reinforced through several mechanisms suggested in the literature.

Institutions, Strategic Posture and Performance of Micro, Small and Medum Enterprises

<p>The thesis of this study is that perceptions of formal and informal institutions permeating the business environment in a city in an emerging economy have significant influence on the strategic posture of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs); and that strategic posture is viewed to have significant influence on the firms' overall organisational performance. The study emphasises the mediating role of strategic posture, being the conduit through which perceptions of sub-national institutions exert their influence on organisational performance. Institutional theory, which considers institutions as 'the rules of the game' that govern human interaction, serves as the study's theoretical foundation. An extensive review of the literature was undertaken in the areas of institutional theory, strategic management, organisational performance, investment or business climates, MSME/entrepreneurial development, decentralisation and local economic development at the city level. The study adopts an empirical-deductive research design through which a survey generated a total sample of 900 MSMEs located in two cities in the south-eastern region of the Philippines. Hierarchical multiple regression modelling, using ordinary least squares method with confirmatory robust technique, was applied to test the hypotheses. Results suggest that all of the five formal institutions and two of the five informal institutions had positive relationships with an entrepreneurial strategic posture, which in turn, was shown to be positively associated with higher levels of product/service, strategic and financial performance. Moreover, strategic posture was shown to partially mediate the relationships between three formal institutions and two facets of organisational performance. However, when the five formal institutions and five informal institutions were aggregated into two sets of indices, mediation analysis revealed that the index of formal institutions - product/service performance relationship was partially mediated by strategic posture. The index of formal institutions - strategic performance relationship was shown to be fully mediated by strategic posture. On the other hand, the index of informal institutions - product/service performance relationship was shown to be fully mediated by strategic posture. Overall, the empirical results offer acceptable level of support to the main thesis of the study.</p>

Institutions, Strategic Posture and Performance of Micro, Small and Medum Enterprises

<p>The thesis of this study is that perceptions of formal and informal institutions permeating the business environment in a city in an emerging economy have significant influence on the strategic posture of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs); and that strategic posture is viewed to have significant influence on the firms' overall organisational performance. The study emphasises the mediating role of strategic posture, being the conduit through which perceptions of sub-national institutions exert their influence on organisational performance. Institutional theory, which considers institutions as 'the rules of the game' that govern human interaction, serves as the study's theoretical foundation. An extensive review of the literature was undertaken in the areas of institutional theory, strategic management, organisational performance, investment or business climates, MSME/entrepreneurial development, decentralisation and local economic development at the city level. The study adopts an empirical-deductive research design through which a survey generated a total sample of 900 MSMEs located in two cities in the south-eastern region of the Philippines. Hierarchical multiple regression modelling, using ordinary least squares method with confirmatory robust technique, was applied to test the hypotheses. Results suggest that all of the five formal institutions and two of the five informal institutions had positive relationships with an entrepreneurial strategic posture, which in turn, was shown to be positively associated with higher levels of product/service, strategic and financial performance. Moreover, strategic posture was shown to partially mediate the relationships between three formal institutions and two facets of organisational performance. However, when the five formal institutions and five informal institutions were aggregated into two sets of indices, mediation analysis revealed that the index of formal institutions - product/service performance relationship was partially mediated by strategic posture. The index of formal institutions - strategic performance relationship was shown to be fully mediated by strategic posture. On the other hand, the index of informal institutions - product/service performance relationship was shown to be fully mediated by strategic posture. Overall, the empirical results offer acceptable level of support to the main thesis of the study.</p>