Sustainability is becoming increasingly relevant in economic, social and governmental spheres and functions, so the examination of environmentally conscious behaviour is also a priority in marketing. This research therefore focuses on sustainability, especially on the environmental pillar, with the aim of exploring how social groups can be differentiated in the field of environmental protection based on the behaviour and habits of individuals. In addition to descriptive statistical calculations and cross-tabulation analyses of data from an online questionnaire survey, the study used a revised set of 32 statements based on the GEB (General Ecological Behaviour) Scale to measure consumers’ environmental attitudes and behaviour, of which 24 statements were retained for factor analysis. Factor analysis resulted in the identification of seven reliable factors representing different dimensions of environmental behaviour and their associated values. After that, in the cluster analysis, respondents were grouped according to the previously established factors, which allowed the exploration of different attitudes and behavioural patterns for six different clusters (Green consumers, Community environmentalists, Liability avoiders, Passive individuals, Environmental impact reducers, Unpredictable individuals). The results show that there is still a significant number of consumers who have not or only partially introduced environmentally conscious habits into their daily actions. The results of this research may contribute to a deeper understanding of environmentally conscious behaviour and to better adapt sustainability initiatives to the specificities of different consumer groups.

In the B2B sector, communication between individual organizations has undoubtedly always played a significant role. However, the changes of recent years have also significantly changed the structure and operation of certain higher education institutions, which has brought with it an increase in openness to the business world. Communication is one of the pillars of establishing successful business relationships, but traditional communication models are not always able to meet the dynamic needs of the modern business environment. Not only universities can benefit from improving communication processes and tools adapted to these expectations, but it can also be beneficial for students participating in higher education. In this research, we set the objective to explore what communication processes are currently taking place between institutions. In order to achieve our goal, we conducted qualitative research, as this allowed us to gain deeper insight into the position represented by companies on the topic. We conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with the partner institutions of the University of Debrecen in the second half of 2024 and in January 2025. During the discussions, the effectiveness of communication platforms in terms of maintaining contact with the university and other business actors was explored. The interviews highlighted that partners primarily consider the website and email to be the most reliable sources of information, while social media platforms (such as Facebook and LinkedIn) also play a significant role in day-to-day communication. In addition, personal meetings and networking events remain indispensable for building trust, and the importance of connections based on trade fairs and recommendations was also confirmed when it comes to reaching new partners. The findings clearly reveal both a need for and an openness towards developing new, multi-channel and targeted communication models that align with the specific characteristics of the domestic and international B2B sector. Alongside traditional tools (e.g., phone, email), the more conscious and strategic use of modern digital platforms may contribute to managing future relationships more effectively and strengthening the institution’s image.

The unpredictable labour market environment is forcing more and more organisations to look for sustainable long-term solutions to secure their workforce. Increasing employee satisfaction, which can largely be achieved through the application of appropriate motivational factors, is a key issue. The aim of the research is to explore whether regional differences in employee motivation and expectations at work make a difference. Using primary and secondary methods, I investigated the importance of individual motivational factors and whether there are regional differences in employee preferences. Descriptive statistical methods, correlation and cross-tabulation analysis were used to analyse the data (n=280) collected by questionnaire method. The results showed that respect and esteem were the most influential factors in Hunt's theory of goal motivation, especially in metropolitan settings. In contrast, Herzberg's hygiene factors were found to play a greater role for workers in smaller municipalities. Regional differences show that workers' expectations are adapted to environmental characteristics. The regional differences are mainly reflected in the fact that some factors are more important in smaller settlements (belonging), while other factors are more important for workers in metropolitan areas (stability, self-development).

The article examines the impact of catvertising on online shopping behavior in the Northern and Southern Great Plain Regions. Catvertising is a term derived from the English words "cat" and "advertising," and it refers to advertising campaigns that feature cats. The literature review primarily focused on catvertising, online marketing, and online shopping habits, utilizing both domestic and international sources. Furthermore, in our secondary research, we aimed to understand the emotional effects of catvertising by studying foreign psychological and neurological studies. The primary research was conducted using quantitative methods, specifically through an online questionnaire, which analyzed responses from 342 participants. Based on the responses, we analyzed differences in online shopping habits depending on whether or not a cat was featured in the advertisement, demonstrating the comparative nature of the study. The results suggest that advertisements featuring cats enhance brand recall success, particularly for product categories related to pet ownership.

The development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is of key importance from a national economic perspective, especially in the field of digitalization, as they play a significant role in Hungary's economy. The main objective of the research is to assess the digital maturity of SMEs within the client base of an accounting office in Hajdú-Bihar County, which can provide useful feedback to these businesses regarding their level of digital development. To date, no such study focusing specifically on businesses in the Hajdúság region has been published. The survey was conducted using a questionnaire based on the question set of the Digiméter research series, which evaluates businesses across six dimensions: digital presence, digital everyday operations, business management, sales and marketing, digital finance, and IT security. Based on the results, it can be stated that the companies participating in the study show a low level of digital maturity, with digital finance being the only area considered to be well-developed.

Nowadays, the management of operational risks in banking ̶ in particular conduct risks ̶ is becoming an increasingly important part of risk management. The financial crisis of 2008 and partly related to it, the Hungarian foreign currency loan crisis, have highlighted on the importance of this. Both crises were triggered, besides other reasons, by unfair banking practices and by the failure to respect the principle of fair banking. In my research I am looking for answers to the question to what extent can be considered unfair banking practices if banks impose several financial products on their customers, such as insurance and overdraft facilities, which they do not need. I will also examine to what extent the customers are aware of the fact, that they get a linked product and what it means for them in terms of risk-taking. My research consists of several parts. Firstly, I define operational and conduct risks. After that focusing on Hungary, I will examine the sales and commercial banking practices that played a role in the development of the foreign currency loan crisis, with a particular focus on the conduct risks. I will define what can be considered unfair banking practices. At the end of my theoretical overview I take into consideration why the linked products sold by today's Hungarian financial institutions are problematic and how information asymmetry drives a wedge between the bank and the customer. I also conduct primary research in the course of my research. Using an online questionnaire, I investigate the choice between current account structures of the Hungarian adult population. The results are analysed by using statistical methods.

Online media marketing is getting greater influence on the daily life, on the consumer and purchasing habits and on our health consciousness. The main goal of the research is to explore what the Hungarian women associate with health-consciousness on different social platforms, how their consumer activity look like and what kind of special groups can be formed. First of all, the posts appearing on the topic of health-consciousness on different platforms were analysed through a netnographic research. Then, with the involvement of 409 women, the influencing factors were measured to the participants on these pages in terms of health consciousness via questionnaire survey. As a result, special consumer groups appearing in the social platform were quantified and recommendations were formulated for companies who base their marketing strategy on online arenas.

Dual language education has been present in numerous institutions across the Northern Great Plain region of Hungary. Educational centres across the region have been running dual language programmes in secondary grammar schools and vocational schools for decades. As regional centre and traditional educational hub, Debrecen is also represented by a number of schools offering international programmes. Although recent socioeconomic and education policy changes have forced schools for constant renewal, bilingualism in educational programmes managed to remain popular, partly due to the achievements of foreign language subject teaching. Through the alignment of subject-specific content and the development of language competence, this form of education effectively contributes to the improvement of students’ language skills, shapes their mindset and expands their further education and increases their market value as potential workforce. This study will explore the role and impact of foreign language Geography teaching across the secondary schools of the Northern Great Plain region through the lens of teaching and educational research, by discussing some of the relevant regional findings of a broader PhD dissertation (including school visits, final exam results and a recent nationwide teacher survey). Research findings prove that Geography has been a popular subject choice to be taught in foreign languages: it has been present in the majority of the 15 dual language secondary schools of the region, it has been playing an important role in vocational school programmes and it has been chosen as final exam subject by nearly 1,000 candidates.

Advances in Artificial Intelligence and robotics have made it possible to automate many high-level cognitive skills, but different jobs and occupations may be affected differently by technological developments. High-skilled occupations are less at risk of automation, as they also require skills and competences that remain important bottlenecks to automation. However, according to OECD 2022 results, the jobs most at risk from automation will not disappear completely, as only 18-27% of the skills and competences required in these occupations are highly automatable. Rather, it is likely that the organisation of work will need to be radically changed and that workers in these jobs will need to retrain as technology replaces workers in many tasks. In my study, I aim to summarise, based on the literature of recent years, the key skills that will potentially equip workers for the diverse workplace demands of the near future, arising from technological developments. I conducted a keyword search of the Scopus database for future jobs, workplaces, occupations, skills, abilities and competences. I narrowed down the search results to the period 2021-2023, English language journal articles, economic and business fields and relevant keywords associated with the articles by the authors. In addition to these articles, I also reviewed the reporting materials of other relevant professional organisations (OECD, World Economic Forum) for the period. The geographical, regional and territorial differentiation of the studies was taken into account. In my findings, I have also discussed the role of universities and other educational institutions in meeting the employability expectations of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in order to ensure that they can provide skills that are as relevant as possible to market expectations. I will highlight the top 69 skills identified in the hospitality industry and their groupings, and the elements of the 4 important skill groups identified for accountancy professionals. I also cover the future-proof skills that entrepreneurs are expected to have. In general, I will describe the appreciation of soft skills based on the academic findings of recent years. The results collected can also serve as useful information for individual human capital investment decisions, organisational training and even the design of training frameworks for educational institutions.

The aim of our study is to reveal the attitude of consumers related to online shopping, the advantages and disadvantages of online purchasing, the regional characteristics of purchasing food online. The literature review was carried out by a comparative analysis of the publications of the factors influencing the purchase decision, the advantages and disadvantages of using online channels as a priority. The secondary research, in addition to the changes in global and then Hungarian online retail, the FMCG sector and customer behavior. Primary research the survey was conducted using a standardized, structured, online questionnaire with the participation of students from the University of Debrecen and the Sándor Wekerle College of Business. The socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents (623) were measured according to the defining characteristics of online shopping. The rate of online shopping by residents living in the Great Plains region is 6 percentage points lower than the national average, poor result in the online purchase of food. The advantages of online shopping, the importance of convenience and saving time is rated equally, while other factors, e.g. the assessment of home delivery was different. Diadvantages are the terms of payment and data security. The future intention to buy online is uncertain and they imagine it within limits, and the potential purchase can only be linked to durable foods. Region-specific and product-specific (food) analysis of online shopping. Attitudes towards online shopping, based on regional characteristics, justify the fact that it would be more appropriate for store chains to use a differentiated marketing strategy, which may primarily affect marketing communication and sales organization.