Shape Context Research Articles

Green entrepreneurial intentions in Saudi youth: cultural insights and implications

This study investigates green entrepreneurial intentions (GEI) and behaviors among Saudi Arabian youth, examining the influence of contextual factors such as entrepreneurial education, university environmental support, and entrepreneurial motivation. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as a foundational framework, this research contributes novel insights by contextualizing GEI within Saudi Arabia’s unique socio-cultural landscape and Vision 2030, a national initiative focused on economic diversification and sustainability. Data were collected from a sample of 441 university students and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Key theoretical contributions of this study include expanding TPB by integrating environmental and motivational factors specific to Saudi youth, thereby offering a nuanced understanding of how cultural and institutional contexts shape green entrepreneurial intentions. Practically, the findings underscore the importance of embedding sustainability-focused entrepreneurship into educational curricula and suggest policy strategies to foster green entrepreneurship. This study offers critical insights for educators, policymakers, and entrepreneurs aiming to align Saudi Arabia’s youth entrepreneurship initiatives with sustainable development goals, reinforcing the role of young entrepreneurs as drivers of a sustainable future.

Bridging the Gap: Practical Challenges and Strategic Imperatives in Adopting Gen AI

In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, Artificial Intelligence (AI) stands as the proverbial 'elephant in the room,' profoundly shaping diverse sectors and contexts. While debates rage among policymakers, practitioners, and politicians about regulating AI's widespread use, it's undeniable that AI represents a long-awaited digital technology poised to revolutionize organizational performance. Amidst the post-COVID era, the allure of AI has intensified, yet the critical question lingers: Can firms effectively harness AI and other technologies, such as Generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs), to enhance their existing systems? Through a systematic literature review, a clear correlation between firms’ implementation of AI, including the cutting-edge Generative AI, and their ability to adapt to changing market dynamics, drive operational excellence, and unlock new avenues for growth are explored. Moreover, key drivers of AI and digital adoption, such as the imperative for data-driven decision-making, the quest for customer-centricity, and the drive for sustainable business practices are explored. Our research not only highlights the transformative potential of AI and digital technologies but also provides actionable insights for business leaders navigating the complexities of technology adoption. By understanding the motivations, challenges, and strategic imperatives driving firms' technology choices, including the integration of Generative AI and LLMs, organizations can chart a path towards sustainable growth and competitive advantage in the digital age. This study underscores the revolutionary impact of Generative AI in digital transformation, offering a comprehensive understanding of their role in shaping the future of business.

Identity‐Based Motivation and the Motivational Consequences of Difficulty

ABSTRACTDifficulty is an under‐appreciated but powerful motivational force. As outlined by identity‐based motivation (IBM) theory, a social cognition theory of self, self‐regulation, and goal pursuit, people prefer to act (action‐readiness) and understand their experiences (procedural‐readiness) in ways that fit who they are (identity‐congruence). IBM also predicts that experienced identity congruence is context‐sensitive—though experienced as stable anchors, people's identities are dynamically constructed in context. Contexts shape which identities come to mind, what these on‐the‐mind identities imply for action, and what people infer when thinking about a task, goal, or life feels hard. People can draw two inferences (termed difficulty‐as‐importance and difficulty‐as‐impossibility) when a task or goal feels hard to think about and a third (termed difficulty‐as‐improvement) when their life feels hard to think about. IBM predicts, and studies support, a bidirectional relationship among these three components (action‐readiness, procedural‐readiness, and dynamic construction). Situations shape the identities that are on the mind and feel relevant (dynamic construction) and the inferences people draw from difficulty (procedural readiness). On‐the‐mind and context‐relevant identities shape inferences from difficulty. Inferences from difficulty affect identity and action—when applying a difficulty‐as‐importance lens, people feel more certain of attaining their self‐relevant goals. They perform better and find engaging a “me” thing to do—“no pain, no gain”. When applying a difficulty‐as‐impossibility lens, people find engaging a waste of their time and unlikely to yield self‐benefits unless an easy means to goal attainment exists—“cut your losses”. They focus on their virtuous character traits and prefer effortful means to attain self‐relevant goals when applying a difficulty‐as‐improvement lens—“the high road”. Difficulty can be a green light of importance signaling you to get going, a detour sign of impossibility signaling you to shift to something else, or angel wings pointing you to the effortful route.

Supporting Young Learners During Remote Education: How Context and Gender Shape Adolescent Experiences

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic prompted a global closing of schools that raised questions on the implications for students. This study examines the impact of remote education, and subsequent social isolation, on adolescent well-being among urban poor young adolescents worldwide. MethodsQualitative data were collected through focus group discussions with urban poor adolescents in 7 countries and 8 sites, for a total sample size of 249 adolescents. Discussion guides addressed attitudes toward remote education strategies and its perceived impact on health, relationships, and learning. Analysis used an inductive thematic coding approach, with comparison by site and gender. ResultsAdolescents experienced opposite extremes of remote education, with those from lower-income sites feeling abandoned by educators and systems and those from higher-income sites feeling increased external pressure and loneliness. Both boys and girls reported declining mental health, although boys reported more access to support structures than girls. All students missed connections with peers and teachers. DiscussionAlthough all adolescents struggled with remote education, their challenges differed by context and gender. School systems should consider conducting a student needs assessment to ensure future remote education is accessible and beneficial to adolescents in each site. Families and teachers should take a gender-equal approach to assistance, ensuring adolescents have equal opportunities and agency to reach out for, and receive, educational and emotional support.

EXAMINING THE FACTORS THAT AFFECT INTERNSHIP STUDENT TEACHERS' USE OF TECHNOLOGY: A STUDY OF UNIVERSITAS NEGERI MAKASSAR

This study investigates the factors influencing internship student teachers' use of technology at Universitas Negeri Makassar. The research aims to identify key determinants that shape their preferences and attitudes toward integrating technology into teaching practices. Data were collected and analyzed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), revealing several critical factors with varying levels of influence based on their loading factors. The strongest predictors of technology use included Student Interest and Motivation (0.81), Perceived Value (0.79), and Self-Efficacy (0.76). These highlight the importance of student engagement, personal confidence, and the perceived utility of technology in driving adoption. Other significant factors were Resources and Infrastructure (0.72), Alignment with Curriculum Goals (0.64), and Administrative Support (0.63), underscoring the role of institutional and logistical support. Moderate contributions were noted from Societal and Cultural Influences (0.61), Government Policies and Mandates (0.57), and Professional Development Opportunities (0.54). These indicate external and professional contexts shaping technology integration. Meanwhile, Innovative Teaching Practices (0.53) and Professional Development (0.43) demonstrated lower impacts, suggesting room for improvement in training initiatives.

Why Constitutional Courts Back Death Penalty? Insights from Indonesia and South Korea

This article explores the paradoxical affirmation of the death penalty by the Constitutional Courts in Indonesia and South Korea, despite constitutional guarantees for the right to life and the fundamental right of human dignity. Through historical and content analyses, it explores how these courts interpret these rights in relation to the death penalty and why they affirm it constitutional. Both countries recognise the nonderogable nature of these rights, yet their Constitutional Courts allow for legal restrictions. Constitutional Court’s decision to impose limitations on nonderogable rights demonstrates their preference for maintaining a cautious and conservative approach. The examination of Constitutional Courts’ decisions reveals that the debate over the death penalty’s constitutionality extends beyond legal considerations, involving political dynamics and historical factors. This article underscores the complex interplay between constitutional guarantees, judicial interpretation, and sociopolitical contexts in shaping the countries’ human rights protection trajectories, especially in the context of nonderogable rights. It also highlights the crucial role of Constitutional Courts in safeguarding the right to life, as their decisions can significantly impact human rights protection in these countries.

Classifying School Scope Using Deep Neural Networks Based on Students' Surrounding Living Environments

This research investigates school scope classification using Deep Neural Networks (DNN), focusing on students living environments and educational opportunities. By addressing the interplay of socioeconomic and educational factors, the study aims to develop an analytical framework for understanding how environmental contexts shape academic trajectories. The research provides a nuanced understanding of the importance of features in educational classification by developing DNN models based on Spearman's Rank Correlation Coefficient (SRCC). The methodology employs machine learning techniques, integrating data wrangling, exploratory analysis, and multiple DNN models with K-fold cross-validation. The study analyzes 677 student records from two schools. The research examined multiple model configurations. Results show that the 'All Data' model achieved 83.08% accuracy, the 'Top 5' model 81.54%, and the 'Non-Top 5' model 79.23%. The SRCC-based approach revealed that while top correlated features are important, additional variables significantly contribute to model performance. The study highlights the profound impact of family background, social environment, and educational contexts on school selection. Furthermore, it demonstrates DNN's capability to uncover intricate, non-linear relationships, offering actionable insights for policymakers to leverage machine learning's potential in developing targeted educational strategies.

Cultural and Regional Influences on Global AI Apprehension

The discussion surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) is primarily influenced by Western viewpoints, often neglecting the cultural, regional, and socio-political factors that affect global perceptions of AI. This study examines how these factors shape AI apprehension in various regions, including Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. A qualitative literature review was conducted, analyzing peer-reviewed articles, policy reports, and gray literature from multiple regions. The study used a comparative approach to assess the cultural, political, and economic contexts shaping AI perceptions. It found significant regional differences in AI concerns: Western countries emphasize privacy, surveillance, and ethics, while regions like Africa and Asia focus on technological dependency, state control, and socio-economic issues, such as job displacement. Brazil and Argentina were noted for their AI governance models, while South Africa and Kenya leverage AI to tackle socio-economic challenges. The findings underscore the need for inclusive AI governance frameworks that respect diverse local contexts and values. These frameworks would contribute to a better understanding of AI's global impact and inform future policy development.

Landscape forest cover and regional context shape the conservation value of shaded cocoa agroforests for bees and social wasps

ContextThe expansion of agricultural lands threatens biodiversity maintenance across the tropics. Although some agroforestry systems may be biodiversity-friendly, their conservation value likely depends on the landscape and regional contexts in which they are embedded—a poorly tested hypothesis.ObjectivesWe assessed the conservation value of shaded cocoa agroforests for bees and social wasps, and evaluated whether such value depends on the remaining forest cover at the landscape and/or regional scales.MethodsUsing a paired design, we compared α- (species number) and β-diversity of each taxon between cocoa agroforests and neighbouring rainforests in 30 landscapes from three regions with different deforestation levels from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We assessed whether the species number ratio (cocoa/forest) and β-diversity related to landscape-scale forest cover, and whether such a relationship differed among regions (interacting effect).ResultsCocoa agroforests held more bee and wasp species than forests, and β-diversity between habitats was moderate (bees) to high (wasps). Bees’ species number ratio peaked at the intermediate-deforested region, and β-diversity decreased with increasing forest cover, indicating that both land uses shared more species in more forested landscapes, especially in the high- and intermediate-deforested regions. Yet, for social wasps, β-diversity varied only within regions, with habitats sharing more species in the low-deforested region.ConclusionsOur findings highlight that the conservation value of shaded cocoa agroforests for bees and social wasps depends on local and regional landscape forest cover. With cocoa agroforest being highly permeable matrix which increases with higher forest cover especially for bees in high- and intermediate-deforested regions.

Pocketbook Voting in India’s 18th Parliamentary Elections (2024)

The economic theory of voting has long remained a cornerstone in the study of voting behaviour, especially in economically developed democracies. At the heart of it is the assumption that economic contexts shape voting choice and influence electoral outcomes as management of the economy is an important function of governments and that citizens hold elected representatives accountable for the nation’s as well as family’s economic situation. Voters support ruling party candidates when they think the incumbent government has delivered on the economic front—creation of employment opportunities, keeping price of essential goods and services under control, rise in income across social layers and so on. In India, much of the analysis of voting behaviour is focused on shifting allegiance of support across social constituencies—particularly caste and religion. Economic factors of voting choices have received little attention to the extent as if they do not matter. However, analysis of NES (2024) data suggests that economic factors swayed a significant chunk of voters and thus influenced the final electoral outcomes. Anchored in economic theoretical context of voting behaviour, this article particularly examines whether there was pocketbook voting and whether it influenced the electoral outcomes of the 18th general election to Lok Sabha (2024). The findings show that pocketbook voting had significant and substantial effect on political preference.

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) for Ethiopian Educators: Evaluating MOOCs as a global development tool

This study examines how global educational technologies interact with local development priorities through the lens of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in Ethiopian higher education teacher training. While digital learning platforms promise to democratize education globally, their effectiveness depends critically on alignment with local institutional contexts and development needs. Using survey data from 164 educators across 15 public universities, we investigate how institutional contexts shape technology integration patterns. Our analysis, integrating development theory with technology acceptance models, reveals three critical dimensions: the gap between awareness and participation reflects broader implementation challenges; previous experiences with development initiatives significantly influence adoption patterns; and state support proves crucial for enabling participation. While MOOCs offer potential for professional development in resource-constrained contexts, their effectiveness depends on complex interactions among infrastructure quality, institutional capacity, and material conditions. These findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of how global technological innovations interact with local institutional contexts to produce varied development outcomes, while offering practical insights for educational technology implementation in the Global South.

Deep-learning models reveal how context and listener attention shape electrophysiological correlates of speech-to-language transformation.

To transform continuous speech into words, the human brain must resolve variability across utterances in intonation, speech rate, volume, accents and so on. A promising approach to explaining this process has been to model electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings of brain responses to speech. Contemporary models typically invoke context invariant speech categories (e.g. phonemes) as an intermediary representational stage between sounds and words. However, such models may not capture the complete picture because they do not model the brain mechanism that categorizes sounds and consequently may overlook associated neural representations. By providing end-to-end accounts of speech-to-text transformation, new deep-learning systems could enable more complete brain models. We model EEG recordings of audiobook comprehension with the deep-learning speech recognition system Whisper. We find that (1) Whisper provides a self-contained EEG model of an intermediary representational stage that reflects elements of prelexical and lexical representation and prediction; (2) EEG modeling is more accurate when informed by 5-10s of speech context, which traditional context invariant categorical models do not encode; (3) Deep Whisper layers encoding linguistic structure were more accurate EEG models of selectively attended speech in two-speaker "cocktail party" listening conditions than early layers encoding acoustics. No such layer depth advantage was observed for unattended speech, consistent with a more superficial level of linguistic processing in the brain.

The role of Southern context in shaping life course exposures linked to dementia incidence for Black and White older adults in the United States

While racial inequities in dementia risk are well-documented in the United States, research has paid less attention to role of US Southern context in shaping dementia risk through life course exposures. In this study, we examine how Southern birth and Southern residence in adulthood are linked to dementia incidence for Black and White older adults in the United States. Using the Health and Retirement Study (N = 15,613), we estimate a series of hazard models to evaluate how life course risk factors such as childhood health and social disadvantage, education, adult socioeconomic status, health behaviors, and cardiometabolic conditions impact the association between Southern life course residency and dementia risk. We find different patterns in how Southern life course context shapes dementia risk among Black and White adults, with dementia risk among Blacks especially sensitive to combinations of Southern life course context. These findings demonstrate the importance of considering potential heterogenous life course pathways to cognitive aging and health that may be shaped by larger socio-historical experiences.

Unravelling spatial scale effects on elevational diversity gradients: insights from montane small mammals in Kenya

BackgroundMontane ecosystems play crucial roles as global biodiversity hotspots. However, climatic changes and anthropogenic pressure increasingly threaten the stability of montane community dynamics, such as diversity-elevation interactions, creating a challenge in understanding species biogeography and community ecology dynamics in these crucial conservation areas. We examined how varying sampling spatial grains influence small mammal diversity patterns within Kenya’s tallest montane ecosystems.MethodsEmploying a combination of multidimensional alpha diversity metrics and multisite beta diversity characteristics (species richness, phylogenetic and functional diversity and divergence, and multisite beta diversity) alongside spatial generalized additive multivariate regression analyses, we tested how spatial scaling influences elevational diversity gradient patterns and their associations with environmental and human activity variables.ResultsThe diversity-elevation associations were generally homogeneous across spatial grains; however, idiosyncratic patterns emerged across mountains. The total (taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional) beta diversity, nestedness, and turnover resultant components monotonically increased or decreased with varying spatial grains. The associations between the diversity patterns and the environmental and human footprint variables increased with spatial grain size but also presented variations across mountains and indices. Species richness and phylogenetic and functional richness indices were more strongly influenced by spatial scale variations than were the divergence and community structure indices in both the diversity distribution patterns and their associations with the environmental and human variables.ConclusionsThe diversity-elevation and diversity-environment (including human activity pressure) relationships across spatial grains suggest that montane small mammal diversity patterns portray subtle but systematic sensitivity to sampling spatial grain variation and underscore the importance of geographical context in shaping these elevational diversity gradients. For improved effectiveness, conservation efforts should consider these spatial effects and the unique geographical background of individual montane ecosystems.

The professional logics of accounting education in MENA countries: evidence from Egypt and KSA

PurposeThis study investigates the influence of the surrounding institutional context, with a particular focus on the professional perspective, on accounting education in two leading developing countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, Egypt and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), by focusing on public universities’ undergraduate level in the two countries.Design/methodology/approachFollowing an interpretative approach, this study uses data collected mainly through interviews with the members of the key accounting professional and regulatory bodies, accounting professors and accounting graduates in Egypt and KSA. Theoretically, this study uses insights from the institutional theory to understand the institutional context shaping accounting education in the two examined settings.FindingsDespite sharing several cultural aspects, we noticed differences in accounting education in the two MENA countries. We explained how the dominant institutional perspective in these contexts (i.e. the professional perspective) affects accounting education, resulting in various implications for accounting graduates and the accounting profession. In Egypt, we noticed a retreatment of the professional perspective due to the dominance of an economic perspective informed by the worse economic conditions in the country, negatively affecting accounting education. In contrast, accounting education in KSA is primarily driven by the professional context aided by the availability of facilities and resources as well as the centrality of the role played by professionals and regulators in accounting education, which has directed accounting educators towards incorporating professional knowledge into accounting curricula.Practical implicationsBy highlighting the influence of the professional context on accounting education in a particular developing country, the findings of this study can guide regulators and policymakers in other developing countries concerning developing their accounting education programmes. Furthermore, professionals should allow accounting academics to contribute to developing the accounting profession and employers should support accounting students’ training and development.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature by examining the situation of accounting education beyond Western developed contexts, presenting an extensive theoretical explanation of the salient institutional perspectives shaping that situation.

Neighborhood contexts shape how organizations connect communities

Neighborhood contexts shape how organizations connect communities

Financial literacy practices on family farms

Financial literacy has attracted significant interest in the past two decades with researchers predominantly focusing on two dimensions of its conceptualisation; knowledge and application. This paper answers calls for research on how context shapes financial literacy in Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs) using a practice framework drawn from established literacy theory. Financial literacy practices manifest in events and are influenced and shaped by social, cultural, temporal, technological, historical and institutional circumstances. This context-driven approach facilitates the examination of financial literacy in MSMEs where the owner-manager's financial literacy is entwined with that of the enterprise's practices. Using in-depth longitudinal case studies, we show how social and financial literacy practices on family farms are intrinsically interlinked and frame the timing of financial activities, the roles and tasks people undertake, the location where these activities occur, and how they are articulated. Institutional power relationships manifest in the disconnect between farm level financial literacy practices, many of which are informal and idiosyncratic, and those required by banks and government agencies. This power divide leads to frustration and sometimes apparent indifference to conducting more formal financial literacy practices. Temporality also emerges as a critical contextual factor. We identify the important moments in the farming calendar when farmers are focused on the financial aspects of the farm and propose that educational programmes aimed at improving the farmers' financial literacy could be more effectively targeted using a social practice lens.

Embryologists' Practices of Care in IVF-clinics in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Despite the centrality of the role embryologists in in-vitro fertilization, there is relatively little literature on the nature of their work. In this article, we draw on results from a large ethnographic study on the emerging IVF industry in South Africa and reproductive travel in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where IVF clinics and embryologists are scarce. Drawing on qualitative interviews with 12 embryologists, who work(ed) in SSA, we illustrate how their care practices are produced through the interaction of people and things. We emphasize the importance of context in shaping their practices, including: the shortage of embryologists; the need to set up 'first' clinics in their respective countries; the paucity of trained counsellors in clinics; and the mobility of IVF staff. The embryologists we interviewed performed multiple tasks on top of their laboratory work, including entrepreneurial tasks; advocacy; training; the development of regulations; mentoring and patient counselling. They enacted care in several ways, towards gametes and embryos, patients, clinics, and the profession. These multiple tasks and care practices make for dynamic and fulfilling careers of the interviewed embryologists, but also stretch their capacities. They also raise questions about their contribution to the scarcity of embryological work in SSA. If access to IVF is to be achieved in the SSA region, more embryologists need to be trained and retained.

"Resilience looks like me": Community stakeholder perspectives on resilience in Black boys and young men exposed to community violence.

Black boys and young men are disproportionately burdened with navigating contexts of community violence resulting from race-based structural inequities and concentrated disadvantage. Despite this chronic adversity, many Black boys and young men thrive; however, resilience research has traditionally focused on identifying individual- and family-level factors that support resilience. Research has yet to fully examine community-level resources that facilitate processes of resilience for Black boys and young men in the contexts of trauma, violence, and poverty. Guided by ecological frameworks and using the community-based participatory method of action-oriented community diagnosis, our qualitative study examines the perspectives of diverse community stakeholders (N = 29) whose roles and influence span systems levels and shape contexts of violence and healing for Black boys and young men in Greensboro, North Carolina. Findings point toward relationship (mentoring), community (safe spaces to heal), and societal (interventions to dismantle racism) level opportunities and barriers ("terroristic territorialism") to promote resilience in Black boys and young men. Implications for research and praxis that broadens the scope of resilience research from successful adaptation to conditions of community violence to community-level intervention to promote resilience and transformation are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

"Nobody's Pulling Up a Wheelbarrow of Money": How Campus Contexts Shape Fundraising for Leadership Education Initiatives

"Nobody's Pulling Up a Wheelbarrow of Money": How Campus Contexts Shape Fundraising for Leadership Education Initiatives