As global climate concerns intensify alongside China’s pursuit of carbon neutrality, the low-carbon transition of the manufacture industry has become an urgent necessity. As a key driver in the digital era, how FinTech can effectively facilitate this transition has emerged as a critical issue. Therefore, this study selects panel data from 30 Chinese provinces spanning 2004 to 2023 to examine the mechanisms through which FinTech influences low-carbon development of manufacture industry. The study shows: (1) FinTech exerts a direct promoting effect on the low-carbon development of the manufacture industry, but this effect is only significant in regions with high levels of FinTech. (2) FinTech indirectly facilitates low-carbon transformation through stimulating green technology innovation and reducing energy intensity. (3) Government environmental attention and human capital exhibit stage-specific moderating roles along the transmission pathway, the former amplifies FinTech’s driving force on technological innovation, whereas the latter accelerates the conversion efficiency of innovation outcomes. Building upon these findings, this study proposes the following targeted policy recommendations: regions with underdeveloped financial infrastructure should promote the integration of FinTech with traditional financial services; green technology innovation should be strengthened through dedicated funds, while energy efficiency should be enhanced via integrated “energy-efficiency loans with digital management systems”; government should build a phased and multi-party collaborative policy system, combining stronger policy guidance at the front end with enhanced cultivation of interdisciplinary talent at the back end, ultimately forming a comprehensive support system. This research elucidates the dual pathways and conditional mechanisms through which FinTech drives low-carbon development in manufacturing, offering strategic insights for aligning technological innovation, financial support, and policy guidance.

The convergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and sustainable banking is transforming the global financial landscape, presenting both extraordinary opportunities and significant challenges. This paper provides an in-depth review of AI applications in the banking sector, elaborating on their role in advancing efficiency, enhancing customer experience and promoting financial inclusion, while also examining their implications for sustainability. Drawing on a thematic analysis of scholarly literature, case studies, industry reports and studies, this analysis identifies key applications of AI in fraud identification, credit risk management, wealth management, customer service automation and regulatory compliance. Further than operational welfare, the review centre is evolving sustainability-focused on uses of AI, comprising environmental, social and governance (ESG) risk calculation and green finance simplification. However, major challenges remain, notably data privacy risks, algorithmic bias, regulatory uncertainty, high operational costs, workforce disruptions and the environmental impact of AI systems. The analysis underscores significant gaps in aligning AI adoption with broader sustainability goals, regulatory expectations and ethical standards. To address the identified loopholes, this research recommends future research strategies focused on the development of accountable AI frameworks, explainable AI, stronger regulatory harmonization and inclusive financial contact. The findings contribute to both theory and practice by combining fragmented insights, providing a structured framework for indulgent AI’s dual role in efficiency and sustainability and offering legal guidance for policymakers, regulators and banking authorities. Ultimately, this study highlights AI not only as a driver of operational conversion but also as a catalyst for building a more comprehensive, robust and practical global banking environment.

This study aims to identify the impact of guerrilla marketing dimensions on enhancing the competitive position of local travel and tourism companies in the city of Samarra. To achieve this objective, seven main dimensions of guerrilla marketing were identified: ambient marketing, ambush marketing, stealth marketing, sensory marketing, viral/buzz marketing, graffiti advertising, and word-of-mouth (WOM) marketing, which represent the independent variables. The competitive position represents the dependent variable of the study. The researchers adopted the descriptive-analytical approach and designed a special questionnaire to measure the research variables after presenting it to a group of professors and experts to ensure its validity and reliability. The value of Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient reached (0.879), indicating a high level of internal consistency. A total of (50) questionnaires were distributed to employees of travel and tourism agencies operating in the city of Samarra, all of which were retrieved and found valid for statistical analysis. Using (SPSS Ver. 26), both descriptive and inferential analyses were conducted, including correlation and simple and multiple linear regression analyses. The results revealed a significant and positive correlation and impact between the dimensions of guerrilla marketing and the competitive position, indicating that adopting these strategies contributes to enhancing the agencies’ ability to compete in the local tourism market. The study concluded with several recommendations, most notably the need to encourage travel and tourism agencies to use creative, low-cost marketing methods, adopt guerrilla marketing strategies that suit the characteristics of the local market, and promote a culture of marketing innovation among management and employees due to its direct impact on improving the agency’s competitive position.

This study examines the short-run and long-run impacts of external debt and institutional quality on sustainable development in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), using dynamic panel GMM estimation and panel ARDL ECM for robustness. It further explores four transmission channels, foreign direct investment (FDI), gross fixed capital formation (GFCF), inflation, and debt servicing. Results confirm that external debt positively influences sustainable development only when complemented by strong institutional quality. The negative and significant interaction between debt and weak institutions underscores the risk of debt undermining sustainability in poorly governed environments. Transmission channels reveal that inflation poses a mild threat to sustainability, while FDI, GFCF, and debt service lack consistent significance. These findings suggest that institutional quality is the most vital factor in enhancing the developmental returns of debt-financed interventions.

The study investigated the relationship between entrepreneurial leadership and innovative behavior within the packaged water industry in Rivers State, with a focus on the moderating role of strategic thinking and risk-taking. The study utilized a census of 298 representatives (owners, managers and supervisors) of 85 functioning packaged water companies based on a cross sectional research design and positivist paradigm. The questionnaire was a structured, closed-ended questionnaire based on other existing scales on entrepreneurial leadership and innovative behavior, and with a 5-point Likert scale to collect data. The reliability of the instrument was verified in a pilot test as the Alpha coefficients of Cronbach were found to be between 0.770 and 0.850. The Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient was used in the analysis of data. The results show that there is a strong positive correlation between strategic thinking, risk-taking behavior, and such innovative behaviors as the generation of ideas, championing, and implementation. Strategic thinking showed a positive relationship with innovative behavior with a moderate positive correlation whereas risk-taking behavior had a positive correlation as well. This implies that innovations in any small business are highly dependent on entrepreneurial leadership, especially in terms of visionary planning and readiness to take risks. Finally, with entrepreneurial leadership, the culture of innovation is highly stimulated. It is suggested that the small business in the packaged water sector ought to work towards instilling strategic thinking, and risk taking in a calculated manner in their organizations. This is possible through the introduction of strategy workshops, cross-functional teams in the area of an environmental scanning and the innovation challenge programs, which promotes experimentation and failure tolerance in order to increase the overall organizational resilience and competitiveness.

Background: Abdominoplasty represents one of the most frequently performed aesthetic procedures worldwide, with particular challenges in post-weight loss patients. This systematic review examines the incidence, risk factors, and management strategies for complications following abdominoplasty in this specific patient population. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane databases from January 2000 to March 2024. Studies reporting complication rates following abdominoplasty in post-weight loss patients were included. Meta-analysis was performed where appropriate data was available. Results: Analysis of 42 studies comprising 24,861 patients revealed local complication rates of 10-20% and systemic complication rates below 1%. Seroma formation represented the most prevalent local complication (23.6%), followed by infection (13.9%), bleeding (11.1%), and hematoma (6.9%). Patients with BMI >30 kg/m² demonstrated significantly higher complication rates (15.2%) compared to non-obese patients (7.3%). Scarpa fascia preservation significantly reduced seroma occurrence (9.4% vs 26.2%, p = 0.011). Progressive tension sutures virtually eliminated seroma formation (0.1% incidence) compared to traditional rates of 5-43%. Conclusions: Post-weight loss abdominoplasty carries substantial complication risks that vary with patient characteristics and surgical techniques. Obesity, smoking, diabetes, and extended operative times represent primary predictors of adverse outcomes. Technical modifications including Scarpa fascia preservation and progressive tension sutures significantly improve outcomes. Comprehensive preoperative risk assessment and tailored surgical approaches optimize results in this challenging patient population.

Strategic management has emerged as a critical discipline for organizations seeking to achieve and sustain competitive advantage in increasingly dynamic and complex global markets. This paper provides a comprehensive review of theoretical foundations, strategic tools, and emerging drivers that enable firms to attain sustainable competitive advantage (SCA). Classical frameworks such as Porter’s positioning strategies and generic strategies are discussed alongside contemporary perspectives, including the resource-based view (RBV) and dynamic capabilities, which emphasize the unique resources of firms and their capacity to adapt and reconfigure in response to environmental turbulence (Barney, 2022; Helfat et al., 2022). Furthermore, this paper examines the strategic importance of digital transformation and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices as enablers of SCA (SAGE Journals, 2024; Ideas/RePEc, 2022). Digital capabilities, including data analytics, artificial intelligence, and platform ecosystems, enhance the firm’s ability to sense opportunities, respond to threats, and improve operational efficiency (Redwerk, 2024; Deloitte, 2024). ESG-oriented strategies enhance legitimacy, stakeholder trust, and reputation, serving as inimitable resources increasingly valued by investors, regulators, and consumers (Mailani et al., 2024). Additionally, this paper explores strategic tools such as SWOT, PESTEL, value chain analysis, and the Balanced Scorecard as mechanisms for integrating internal resources with external environmental demands (ResearchSynergyPress, 2023). Organizational ambidexterity, which balances exploration and exploitation, is discussed as a critical factor for sustaining long-term advantage (JOTMI, 2024). Overall, the integration of RBV, dynamic capabilities, digital transformation, ESG practices, and strategic management tools enables firms to achieve enduring competitive advantage in the twenty-first century.