Advances in Social Sciences and Management

Work, Life, and Experience in Indian Aviation: A Cabin Crew Study

LRK Krishnan — 2026-05-06

This study examines how Quality of Work Life (QWL) shapes service outcomes by influencing Quality of Life (QOL) among cabin crew in the Indian aviation industry. Drawing on an interpretivist approach, the study employs reflexive thematic analysis of in-depth interviews with cabin crew across domestic and international airlines. The findings reveal a structured experiential chain in which demanding work conditions—characterized by temporal compression, emotional labour, and limited organizational support—erode employee well-being, which in turn influences the Quality of Experience (QOE) delivered to passengers. The analysis identifies QOL as a critical mediating mechanism linking work conditions to service outcomes. By integrating the Job Demands–Resources model with the Service-Profit Chain, the study develops a QWL–QOL–QOE framework that extends existing theory into a service-mediated experiential context. The findings contribute to aviation and HR literature by demonstrating how employee well-being functions as a dynamic process shaping customer experience, with implications for workforce design, fatigue management, and service strategy in high-intensity service environments.

The Institution of Hospital Libraries in the United States and Europe: Similarities, Differences, and Comparative Advantages

Eleni Semertzidou — 2026-05-06

Hospital libraries constitute a critical component of modern healthcare systems, supporting clinical decision‑making, medical education, and evidence‑based practice. This article examines the historical evolution of hospital libraries in the United States and Europe, compares their organizational structures and functions, and analyzes their contemporary roles in the digital era. Drawing on primary literature, historical sources, and statistical data from medical library associations, the paper highlights convergences and divergences across regions and evaluates comparative advantages that shape their future trajectories. The study reveals a strong shared mission of promoting clinical excellence, yet the U.S. model tends to emphasize accreditation-driven standards, while the European landscape reflects greater structural diversity shaped by national health policies. The paper concludes by underscoring the strategic importance of hospital libraries in improving patient care quality and supporting lifelong medical learning.

Reframing Digital Public Service Transformation: A Perspective of Community Empowerment in Smart City Practices in the Global South

Hj. Aulia Burhan — 2026-05-09

The transformation of digital public services has been more widely understood as an effort to improve the efficiency and quality of services. This approach tends to place technology as an administrative instrument, without considering its impact on community capabilities. This study aims to analyze how digital public service transformation contributes to community empowerment through three main dimensions, namely service accessibility, digital literacy, and community participation. This study uses a qualitative approach with a case study design in the city of Banjarmasin. Data were obtained through the analysis of policy documents, observations of digital service platforms, and the review of academic literature. The analysis was carried out through thematic coding. The results of the study show that digital transformation increases the accessibility of services, encourages the development of digital literacy, and opens up opportunities for community participation. However, the impact is not even due to the gap in access and user capacity. This research shows that digital public services not only function as an instrument of efficiency, but also as a mechanism that shapes community capabilities in the governance process.

Why The Punishment’s Retributive Component is Absurd: Jurists Facing Neuroscience

Edoardo Casiglia — 2026-05-18

The present paper argues that the Ego and the Unconscious are metaphors engaged in a continuous interaction: the Ego is not stable but constantly reshaped by unconscious contents emerging into consciousness, while the Unconscious absorbs what falls out of consciousness. Personal identity is therefore a dynamic and illusory construction. The author criticises the juristic concept of the person developed between the 17^th and 18^thcenturies by thinkers such as Descartes and Locke, claiming it rests on naïf psychology. The apparent continuity of the Ego derives from autobiographical memory, which is fragmentary and artificially reconstructed. The Ego is thus likened to a thread linking isolated pearls of memory. This perspective has major implications for law. Legal systems assume a stable, responsible subject endowed with consciousness and free will, yet neuroscience suggests that decisions arise unconsciously before they are experienced as voluntary. Conscious will is therefore an illusion created through backdating, while the Unconscious determines action. As a result, key juridical notions such as criminal responsibility, capacity to understand and to will, and personal accountability appear scientifically weak. Even judicial decision-making is not truly free but shaped by unconscious processes. In conclusion, the retributive aspect of punishment lacks rational foundation: it is illogical to punish the Ego if actions originate in the Unconscious. According to this paradigm, law focuses on prevention and education only, and jurists should be trained with knowledge of neuroscience in order to bridge the gap between legal practice and scientific understanding.Inizio modulo

Exploring Teachers' and Students' Perceptions of Using ChatGPT to Enhance English Paragraph Writing at a Foreign Language Center in Ho Chi Minh City

Uy Nhu Lieu — 2026-05-21

This study explores teachers’ and students’ perceptions of using ChatGPT to enhance English paragraph writing at a foreign language center in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Using a quantitative research design, survey questionnaires were administered to 73 students and 27 English teachers to examine their perceptions regarding the usefulness, instructional support, benefits, and challenges of ChatGPT in writing instruction. The findings indicate that both teachers and students generally hold positive attitudes toward the use of ChatGPT in English paragraph writing. Participants highly valued its ability to support idea generation, improve vocabulary and grammar, and provide immediate feedback. However, concerns related to content accuracy, over-reliance on AI, plagiarism, and academic integrity were also identified, particularly among teachers. In addition, teachers demonstrated a more comprehensive understanding of both the advantages and potential risks of ChatGPT compared to students. The study contributes to the growing body of research on AI-assisted language learning and suggests that ChatGPT should be integrated into writing instruction in a critical, ethical, and pedagogically guided manner.

Factors Governing and Affecting FDI in the Countries of Central and Eastern Europe

Helen Chytopoulou — 2026-05-21

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is a crucial part of the global economy, shaping economic relations between countries and influencing growth and competitiveness. After 1990, the opening of markets resulted in increased foreign investment flows, and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEEC) witnessed significant inflows of FDI. During the pre-2008 Global Financial Crisis era, CEEC attracted large inflows of FDI, primarily motivated by privatization initiatives and the likelihood of accession of some of them to the European Union. The period between the post-Global Financial Crisis and the pre-COVID-19 period is characterized by upward and downward swings in FDI inflows in the majority of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. It is worth mentioning that, after 2016, not only is there a downward global trend in FDI, but also the dynamics are changing in relation to other macroeconomic variables such as GDP and Trade. In this context, the countries of Central and Eastern Europe rebounded more strongly, while the recovery of the EU economy was modest and fragile. In the post-COVID-19 period, a series of factors, such as the two ongoing wars around Europe and the new terms imposed on the geopolitical game, have influenced and redirected FDI in critical sectors. Notwithstanding long-term challenges, the countries of Central and Eastern Europe will likely continue to attract interest for FDI, since they have significant technological and scientific potential, natural resources, and lower labor costs.