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Copyright of Al-Adab / Al-ādāb is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Preparing healthcare systems for emergencies is crucial to maintaining healthcare quality. Nursing homes (NHs) require tailored emergency plans. This article aims to develop a typology of French private NHs and study their early COVID-19 responses and mortality outcomes. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey among NHs of a French network consisting of 290 facilities during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. A Hierarchical Clustering on Principal Components (HCPC) was conducted to develop the typology of the NHs. Association tests were used to analyze the relationships between the typology, prevention and control measures, COVID-19 mortality, and the satisfaction of hospitalization requests. Results: The 290 NHs vary in size, services, and location characteristics. The HCPC identified three clusters: large urban NHs with low levels of primary care (Cluster 1), small rural NHs (Cluster 2), and medium urban NHs with high levels of primary care (Cluster 3). The COVID-19 outcomes and response measures differed by cluster, with Clusters 1 and 2 experiencing higher mortality rates. Nearly all the NHs implemented preventive measures, but the timing and extent varied. Conclusions: This typology could help in better preparing NHs for future health emergencies, allowing for targeted resource allocation and tailored adaptations. It underscores the importance of primary care territorial structuring in managing health crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the adaption of community-based organizations (CBOs) during the COVID-19 crisis. This study aimed to study how HIV CBOs and their community health workers (CHWs) faced the COVID-19 outbreak. Semi-structured interviews (n = 53) were conducted among CHWs in Burundi, Mauritania, and Lebanon in 2021. A thematic content analysis was performed. Results showed that CBOs had succeeded in maintaining HIV services and integrated COVID-19 prevention and awareness in their activities. COVID-19 led to innovation in terms of HIV services (eg, telemedicine and online psychosocial support) and to opportunities to try new modalities of antiretroviral therapy dispensation. Field workers (a specific group among CHWs) were negatively impacted by the COVID-19 crisis and showed resilience in their adaptation to ensure the continuity of their activities. Considering the essential role of field workers during the crisis, their status and the sustainability of their activities should be clearly supported by health policies and programs. Plain Language Summary: Role of community health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic This study explores how HIV community-based organizations (CBOs) and their community health workers (CHWs) adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted interviews with 53 CHWs from Burundi, Mauritania, and Lebanon in 2021 to understand their experiences. We found that despite the challenges posed by COVID-19, CBOs managed to continue providing essential HIV services. They also incorporated COVID-19 prevention and awareness efforts into their work. The pandemic prompted innovation, such as the use of telemedicine and online psychosocial support, and provided opportunities to explore new ways of dispensing antiretroviral therapy (ART). However, field workers, a specific group of CHWs, faced significant negative impacts due to the pandemic. Despite these challenges, they showed remarkable resilience and adapted to ensure the continuity of their services. Given the critical role of field workers during the crisis, it is important for health policies and programs to support their status and ensure the sustainability of their activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The most significant changes caused by the COVID-19 crisis were the sharp increase in working from home and the growing importance of e-commerce, which affected the development of some industries. This change also affects the investors' investment operations, which are based on analysis to ensure an unquestionable certainty of the invested financial amount and a satisfactory return. It is, therefore, interesting to analyze the possible return of the chosen investment strategy based on the optimization model of portfolio selection based on the CVaR risk measure. Purpose: The paper aims to present the possible use of the analysis of returns of effective portfolios constructed based on the optimization model of portfolio selection based on the CVaR risk measure during the crisis (COVID19) and the pre-crisis period. Study design/methodology/approach: Paper presents the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on investor decisionmaking through the CVaR risk measure, which was implemented on the historical data of the components of the Standard and Poor's 500 stock index (S&P 500) in the crisis period as well as in the pre-crisis period. Findings/conclusions: The presented approach based on the CVaR risk rate measure and the relevant portfolio selection model provides the investor with an effective tool for allocating funds to the financial market in particular segments in both monitored periods. Limitations/future research: Time series data are divided into two periods based on visible factors such as the number of COVID-19 cases. In future research, we aim to divide monitored periods based on unobservable factors influencing investors' decisions, such as bull or bear mood on the market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study delves into the impacts of the 2008 global financial crisis (GFC) and the COVID-19 health crisis on U.S. financial indices, exploring the intricate relationship between economic shocks and these indices during downturns. Using Markov switching regression models and control variables, including GDP, consumer sentiment, industrial production, and the ratio of inventories-to-sale, it quantifies the effects of these crises on the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), Standard & Poor's 500 (S&P 500), and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) from Q1 2000 to Q2 2023, covering crucial moments of both crises and stable periods (dichotomous variables). Results reveal that the 2008 crisis significantly heightened financial volatility and depreciated the valuation of S&P 500 and DJIA indicators, while the COVID-19 crisis had a diverse impact on market dynamics, particularly negatively affecting specific sectors. This study underscores the importance of consumer confidence and inventory management in mitigating financial volatility and emphasises the need for robust policy measures to address economic shocks, enhance financial stability, and alleviate future crises, especially during endogenous crises such as financial downturns. This research sheds light on the nuanced impact of crises on financial markets and the broader economy, revealing the intricate dynamics shaping market behaviour during turbulent times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted earnings management practices within both public and private firms in Korea. Amid active government efforts and policies to overcome the pandemic crisis, we anticipate that the earnings management of public sector managers, prioritizing public benefit as their key sustainability objective, will distinctly differ from those of private sector managers, who are influenced by a different set of pressures and incentives. Empirical analysis revealed a notable decrease in earnings management in the public sector post-COVID-19, with no significant change in the private sector. Our study distinguishes how public and private firms react to identical economic crises, deepening our insight into the ways different organizations handle financial reporting amid government intervention and economic stress. Such differentiation not only broadens our comprehension of strategies for managing earnings but also offers vital perspectives on the dynamics among corporate governance, regulatory environments, and sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The aim of this study is to investigate the serially mediating effect of knowledge management (KM) practices (namely, knowledge creation, storage and sharing) on the organizational learning (OL) and organizational performance (OP) relationships during a crisis. Design/methodology/approach – Based on theories-of-action, knowledge-based and resource-based theories, this study proposed a sequential mediation model where OL underlying mechanisms through which KM practices have facilitated OP during the crisis. The sample dataset contains 440 responses collected from the managers of the software development companies in Pakistan. The authors used Hayes Process macro with SPSS to test the study hypotheses. Findings – The results of the study reveal that knowledge creation, storage and sharing serially mediate the relationships between OL and OP. These findings strengthen the argument suggesting that OL plays the key role in KM that helps software companies to mend their performance in times of crisis. Originality/value – This study contributes to the KM literature in two ways: (1) grounded on the study's proposed framework, organizations can improve and manage their businesses in times of crisis and (2) learn how to generate new knowledge in response to business crises. 研究目的 – 本研究擬探討在危機中,知識管理做法(即知識的創造、儲存和分享),如何連續地在組織學習與組織績效之間的聯繫上起著仲介效應 研究方法 – 研究以行為理論、知識基礎理論和資源基礎理論之論據,提出了一個系統化的仲介模型,闡釋知識管理如何在危機中、透過以組織學習為基礎之機制,去促進組織之績效。數據集為取自在巴基斯坦的軟件開發公司工作的主管的440個調查答覆;我們以 Hayes, A. F. 的 PROCESS macro、並附以 SPSS,去測試我們的研究假設。 研究結果 – 研究結果顯示、知識的創造、儲存和分享,會在組織學習與組織績效之間的聯繫上,起著連續性的仲介效應。知識管理被認為可幫助軟件公司在危機中改善其表現不足之處,而組織學習在知識管理上或許扮演著關鍵的角色。研究結果強化了肯定這個角色的論據。 研究的原創性 – 本研究對知識管理文獻有兩方面的貢獻: (一)若以本研究提出的框架為基礎,組織可於危機中改善及管理其業務; (二)組織可學習如何創造新的知識,以能應對業務上極其困難的時刻。 關鍵詞 – 組織學習、知識管理做法、組織績效、行為理論、2019冠狀病毒疫情危機、軟件開發產業.

During the COVID-19 crisis, organizations had to demonstrate organizational resilience (OR) to continue to carry out their missions. We conducted qualitative research to identify the factors that contributed to the OR of police and penitentiary institutions in French-speaking Switzerland, in terms of their operations and management. The modes of action and crisis responses of these emergency services, regularly confronted with crises and particularly impacted during the pandemic, are worthy of attention. To this end, we synthesized the OR factors that are frequently identified in both theoretical and empirical review articles and identified four theoretical conceptualizations: (a) resilience engineering, (b) ecological resilience (these two are the most widely used), (c) a third way situating resilience at an intermediate stage in a metamodel representing the evolution of organizations from a fragile to antifragile state, and (d) a conceptualization focusing on the temporal dimension of OR. Based on the results of 25 semi-structured interviews with executives from cantonal police forces and prisons, we present what we consider to be the key levers in a three-phase resilience process (upstream, during, and after the shock): anticipatory and proactive organizational culture, information management and communication, liminal leadership practices, social and environmental practices, agility-enhancing governance practices, and learning capabilities. Our results largely confirm that these parameters significantly contributed to the OR of the institutions in question. They also enable us to propose winning configurations of factors that can increase the potential for OR.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a more stressful and uncertain work environments, disrupting personal and organizational lives, and particularly the impact of this crises on health care professionals (i.e., doctors and nurses) is unprecedented. COVID-19 has increased the workload and job risks for frontline health care professionals, causing them significant emotional stress. In such testing times, individual's personal effectiveness ensued by the utilization of one's personal energy may be helpful in not only ensuring wellbeing but also providing other desired results, for example, enhanced performance. Based on this notion, we conducted a study (amidst the third wave in mid-2021) using a multiwave design to investigate the role of professional self-efficacy of health care professionals in well-being and behavioral outcomes during crises of COVID-19. The hypothesized relationships were tested by collecting data from 361 frontline healthcare professionals dealing with COVID-19 patients in hospitals in Northern part of Pakistan. The study results verified our assumed relationships and revealed that health care workers' professional self-efficacy was positively related to their well-being, in terms of workplace thriving, and it also showed positive association with work role performance. In addition, the results of the study also revealed that perceived strengths use mediated the relationship between professional self-efficacy and outcomes. This study discusses implications, limitations, and future directions in detail, including how the findings can be used to inform interventions and support healthcare professionals dealing with the emotional and professional stresses brought on by the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 crisis and firm risk on working capital management policies among manufacturing firms listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE). The study sample consists of 1200 observations and 200 companies listed on the TSE over a six-year period from 2016 to 2021; furthermore, the statistical method used to test the hypotheses is ordinary least squares (OLS). The results show that the COVID-19 pandemic has led managers to increase current assets to total assets ratio (CATAR), current ratio (CR), quick ratio (QR), net working capital (NWC), cash to current assets (CTCA) ratio, while it has caused a decrease in operational cycle (OC), days account receivables (DAR), and current liabilities to total assets ratio (CLTAR). Furthermore, we find that the higher the company's risk, the more managers are motivated to embrace the working capital investment policy, net working capital, cash to current assets ratio, and cash conversion efficiency (CCE). In general, our findings indicate that during times of crisis, Iranian companies tend to adopt conservative working capital policies to ensure sufficient liquidity to respond appropriately to unforeseen events. In this study, the theory of liquidity preference aligns with the observed behavior of firms in response to the COVID-19 crisis and firm risk, where the emphasis on liquidity and short-term financial stability becomes paramount. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the COVID-19 crisis, organizations had to demonstrate organizational resilience (OR) to continue to carry out their missions. We conducted qualitative research to identify the factors that contributed to the OR of police and penitentiary institutions in French-speaking Switzerland, in terms of their operations and management. The modes of action and crisis responses of these emergency services, regularly confronted with crises and particularly impacted during the pandemic, are worthy of attention. To this end, we synthesized the OR factors that are frequently identified in both theoretical and empirical review articles and identified four theoretical conceptualizations: (a) resilience engineering, (b) ecological resilience (these two are the most widely used), (c) a third way situating resilience at an intermediate stage in a metamodel representing the evolution of organizations from a fragile to antifragile state, and (d) a conceptualization focusing on the temporal dimension of OR. Based on the results of 25 semi-structured interviews with executives from cantonal police forces and prisons, we present what we consider to be the key levers in a three-phase resilience process (upstream, during, and after the shock): anticipatory and proactive organizational culture, information management and communication, liminal leadership practices, social and environmental practices, agility-enhancing governance practices, and learning capabilities. Our results largely confirm that these parameters significantly contributed to the OR of the institutions in question. They also enable us to propose winning configurations of factors that can increase the potential for OR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is part of an ongoing research project investigating the climate and health nexus in EU policy-making discourse and communication (Bevitori and Russo 2023). Combining the theoretical and methodological tools of critical discourse analysis and corpus linguistics (inter alia, Baker 2023; Baker and McEnery 2015; Mautner 2015), the research for this study extends its scope by focusing on a specialized corpus, purposefully compiled to represent EU public communication discourse in the pandemic era (2020-2022). It draws on recent work on the politics and management of the Covid-19 virus as the expression of a wider politics and discourse of crisis (Krzyżanowski et al. 2023; Wodak 2022; 2021; Lipscy 2020) to investigate legitimation and consensus-building strategies in the discursive construction of the Covid-19 and climate change crises.

This paper examines the diversification benefits of commodity indices during the COVID-19 pandemic by analyzing both static and dynamic risk spillovers for the period from January 2, 1998 to September 16, 2020. Using variance decomposition forecasting, we employed static and dynamic analyses based on the estimation of 50-day moving window spillover indices. Globally, the results show significant spillovers between markets during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. The results show that stock markets are highly interdependent with other financial markets (in both directions), and that commodity markets (except energy) and the bond market are recipients of shocks emanating from stock markets. The main contribution of this paper is to study the return and volatility spillovers between stock and commodity indices before and during the pandemic. This study of shock transmission mechanisms will enable investors to develop optimal diversification and hedging strategies during the crisis. In this context, we found that commodities and US government bonds could offer diversification benefits to investors. In addition, some of these assets may serve as hedging instruments or safe havens during the COVID-19 crisis.

Background: Hospitals worldwide had to implement several measures to control SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, particularly in cardiac center. However, the extent to which these adapted measures have been perceived by the nurse care provider as effective needs to be explored in order to identify the most successful measures that can be considered in future health care crises. Aim: To explore the adaptation of patient management and cardiac health care services at a specialized cardiac center in the Kingdom of Bahrain during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study was employed among nurses working at the main cardiac in Bahrain centre using a convenience sampling method along with the Patient Management and Cardiac Health Care Services questionnaire. Results: A total of 214 nurses were enrolled in the study. Most participants were females (89.3 %) with a mean age of 34.6 ± 7.9 years. The majority of participants have experienced a reduction in the number of hospitalized patients (87.4 %) during the Coronavirus-19 pandemic. According to the participants, smartphone applications were used to overcome face-to-face consultations (52.8–65 %) and the appointments were changed to phone consultations (60.7 %). Outpatient and diagnostic services were the most affected services (95.8 % and 94.4 %, respectively). In contrast, the emergency and critical care units were the least affected services (56.6 % and 30.8 %, respectively), (p ˂ 0.001). Conclusion: Essential cardiac services continued to function during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, several diagnostic and outpatient services were disrupted. Thus, there is an urgent need for developing a protocol for care of patients admitted in cardiac center during health crisis times.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate empirically the role of corporate social responsibility engagement on stock returns during the COVID-19 crisis in the case of a sample of Moroccan-listed companies. The authors use a difference-in-difference (DiD) regression estimated on a panel dataset of a sample of 23 Moroccan listed companies for the period spanning from March 2019 to March 2021. We identified the connection between CSR activities and financial returns by comparing the monthly stock returns of the treatment and the control groups. Empirical results reveal that the pandemic-induced decrease in stock returns is stronger for firms with CSR activities. It means that engaging in CSR activities does not immunize Moroccan firms during the pandemic. Our findings show that Moroccan’s stock market is unable to positively value CSR activities. The results indicate that agency problems lead Moroccan investors to overinvest in costly CSR activities, which reduce the value of the firms in times of the COVID crisis and delay their recovery from it. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to investigate the relationship between CSR activities and the resilience of Moroccan companies. Also, this study is distinguished by using the DiD method and by exploiting data from the Eikon Refinitiv database.

Globalization has gotten increasingly intense in recent years, necessitating accurate forecasting. Traditional supply chains have evolved into transnational networks that grow with time, becoming more vulnerable. These dangers have the potential to disrupt the flow of goods or several planned actions. For this reason, increased resilience against various types of risks that threaten the viability of an organization is of major importance. One of the ways to determine the magnitude of the risk an organization runs is to measure how popular it is with the buying public. Although risk is impossible to eliminate, effective forecasting and supply chain risk management can help businesses identify, assess, and reduce it. As a result, good supply chain risk management, including forecasting, is critical for every company. To measure the popularity of an organization, there are some discrete values (bounce rate, global ranking, organic traffic, non-branded traffic, branded traffic), known as KPIs. Below are some hypotheses that affect these values and a model for the way in which these values interact with each other. As a result of the research, it is clear how important it is for an organization to increase its popularity, to increase promotion in the shareholder community, and to be in a position to be able to predict its future requirements.

In March 2021, the 3rd wave of COVID-19 pandemic had ended and the second emergency declaration in January in Tokyo and 3 other prefectures had been lifted. The restrictions on the social activities imposed on the Japanese people and it had become established as "the new lifestyle norm" for each age group. Following our first survey, we conducted a questionnaire survey again to determine the physical changes in all age groups and compared the findings. The 1st survey was conducted after the initial emergency declaration lifted in July 2020, and the 2nd survey was 10 months after the first survey March 2021. And the analysis was conducted by simple and cross tabulation. The number of valid responses were obtained over 12,000 samples for the both surveys. One year later, "Corona locomo" decreased from the previous year in all age groups, especially school students, while it increased in "80s∼". "Corona stress" decreased sharply among children, especially elementary school students, while it increased slightly in 20s, 30s, and "80s∼". The physical condition was closely related to the proportion of exercising population and duration in each age group. "The new lifestyle norm" as a countermeasure against COVID-19 crisis had a significant influence on physical condition in each age group as "the secondary health damage". Forcusing on "With Corona era", it is considered necessary for preventing "locomo-frail", to improve the exercise lifestyles by selecting tailor-made training methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of European Journal of Management & Business Economics is the property of Emerald Publishing Limited and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

As FinTech startups grow and develop, the nature of risks that need to be managed also changes. The insurance industry as one area of technology application plays a crucial role in supporting and enhancing the security of these companies. The purpose of this research is to identify the influencing factors and discover a paradigm model for insurance coverage of FinTech startups as an innovative product. The research method is qualitatively based on the Grounded Theory Method. The qualitative part includes semi-structured interviews with fourteen experts. The research conclusions show that the causal conditions provide requirements for the core category. Insurance strategies have an impact when context conditions are present. On the other hand, the COVID-19 crisis is known as the intervening condition. Ultimately, the use of strategies also yields consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globalization has gotten increasingly intense in recent years, necessitating accurate forecasting. Traditional supply chains have evolved into transnational networks that grow with time, becoming more vulnerable. These dangers have the potential to disrupt the flow of goods or several planned actions. For this reason, increased resilience against various types of risks that threaten the viability of an organization is of major importance. One of the ways to determine the magnitude of the risk an organization runs is to measure how popular it is with the buying public. Although risk is impossible to eliminate, effective forecasting and supply chain risk management can help businesses identify, assess, and reduce it. As a result, good supply chain risk management, including forecasting, is critical for every company. To measure the popularity of an organization, there are some discrete values (bounce rate, global ranking, organic traffic, non-branded traffic, branded traffic), known as KPIs. Below are some hypotheses that affect these values and a model for the way in which these values interact with each other. As a result of the research, it is clear how important it is for an organization to increase its popularity, to increase promotion in the shareholder community, and to be in a position to be able to predict its future requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current societies must make the necessary plans for effective responses and to reduce the destructive effects of disasters. For this reason, this research has developed a mathematical programming model under uncertainty for earthquake relief and response during COVID-19. In the presented model, the possibility of facility failure is considered according to the intensity of the earthquake and COVID-19 to increase reliability. The simultaneous occurrence of these disasters presents unique challenges in ensuring the timely delivery of essential supplies to affected regions. Distribution centers (DCs) are considered to be of two types: the first type is local DCs, which use public centers and are close to accident points. These types of centers are prone to failure because they use public facilities. Another type is the reliable DCs built outside the disrupted area, which have a very low probability of loss due to spending more money to build them. In addition, to consider the reliability capabilities, the new model has tried to provide a complete model for transportation planning by considering the multi-trip mode of vehicles. Moreover, this model considers distance restriction at the demand point for the first time because of COVID-19 during the earthquake. The proposed network design aims to offer effective solutions in promptly delivering essential items to affected areas, thereby enhancing disaster management strategies and minimizing the impact of these crises on vulnerable populations. Uncertainty is presented using the probability approach based on the modeling scenario and a case study from the city of Istanbul to illustrate the performance of the suggested model. Finally, the suggested mode is solved with an Lp-metric and goal programming (GP) approach. The results show that in this case, the proposed model shows that effective and efficient aid delivery is possible in terms of time and cost. Therefore, it can help crisis managers respond by providing the required budget and appropriate logistics planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to analyze the synergies between internal factors (i.e., emotional intelligence and resilience) and external factors (i.e., governmental support) on the performance of tourism organizations in the post-disaster recovery phase. Data collected from the sample of 390 managers and owners in the tourism industry were analyzed using structural equation modeling with partial least squares (PLS-SEM) as an appropriate model method with variables containing multiple items and multiple causal relationships. Our findings reveal that the resilience of tourism organizations (during and post-pandemic crisis) is positively influenced by the employees' and managers' emotional intelligence and government support. Planned and adaptive resilience significantly affects organizational response to disruptive events and organizational performance. Our findings guide tourism organization managers and government authorities and help them make timely decisions based on the relationship between resilience, emotional intelligence, and governmental support during and after a crisis. Managers need to be aware of the importance of emotional intelligence in managing the business in uncertain/turbulent times and to be concerned with improving emotional intelligence for themselves and their employees. Our study is one of the first to analyze the pandemic's effects in the post-disaster recovery phase and the first one focused on Romania's tourism organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research aims to identify the most promising regulatory and marketing tools for business risk management in the COVID-19 crisis and develop recommendations for improving the practice of these tools from a post-pandemic perspective. This paper is devoted to the scientific search for answers to two research questions: RQ1: What tactical tools of business risk management are most effective in the COVID-19 crisis? RQ2: How to carry out strategic risk management of the business from a post-COVID perspective? The authors perform dataset modeling of business risks in the COVID-19 crisis and data analysis of the post-pandemic perspective of managing these risks, relying on data for 2016–2023, reflecting international experience in a representative sample. The key conclusion of this research is that the most complete and effective business risk management in times of COVID-19 crisis requires the integrated application of tools of state and corporate governance, that is, two-tier management: At the state and business levels. On this basis, the authors recommended applying the systemic approach to business risk management in times of the COVID-19 crisis, which includes a set of the most effective regulatory (financial support from the state budget and protectionism) and marketing (use of big data and analytics) tools of business risk management. The practical significance of the research results is that the recommended systemic approach to using regulatory and marketing tools can improve the effectiveness of tactical and strategic risk management in the COVID-19 crisis, thereby increasing business resilience to this crisis. The novelty is due to the fact that we selected the most effective tools of business risk management under the conditions of the COVID-19 crisis and proved the necessity to combine the tools of state and corporate management, which are substantiated, for the first time, not as mutually interchangeable, but complementary practices of risk management in the unique context of the COVID-19 crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This longitudinal mixed method study investigated the education experiences among 38 Deaf/Hard of Hearing (DHH) students, 44 of their hearing peers, and three lecturers in two programs at a postsecondary institution in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Longitudinal data were collected at three points in time, summer 2020, winter 2021, and spring 2021. To investigate the differences between the two groups, GPA marks and responses to designed questionnaires for the different moments were collected from students. Repeated-measures ANOVA, the fixed effect regression approach, and one-way ANOVA were used to analyze the quantitative data. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews and personal communication with the students and the lecturers. Interviews were conducted with the addition of a sign language interpreter familiar to the DHH students. Results revealed a significant distinct digital divide between the two groups in academic achievement, degree of adaptation, and general perceptions of their education. The results of this study suggest that DHH students in postsecondary settings may be at risk of underachieving in the distance learning study mode. As a result, higher education institutions, universities, and curriculum designers need to take steps to improve the environment of distance learning platforms considering the diversity of students’ needs. This will ensure that students with hearing loss have equal access to lectures, course content, and their peers. Promoting equity and justice in the learning environment aims to bridge the knowledge gap and prepare DHH students for their future careers.

Research Question: Does Covid-19 crisis moderate significantly the relationship between mandatory International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) adoption and economic growth in developing countries, especially in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region and SSA (Sub-Saharan Africa) countries? Motivation: Two sources of motivation are behind this study. First, research works on the impact of mandatory IFRS adoption on macroeconomic indicators such as economic growth are still scarce. Second, studying the impact of mandatory IFRS adoption on economic growth before and during the Covid-19 crisis allows to better understand this relationship in times of crisis. Idea: This article aims to investigate the moderating role of Covid-19 crisis in the relationship between mandatory IFRS adoption and economic growth in developing countries. Tools: The study was conducted based on panel data from 30 developing countries (15 MENA countries and 15 SSA countries) during the period 2017–2020. Collected data were analysed by using the Generalized Least Squares (EGLS/weighted cross-section) with fixed effect estimation technique. Findings: The main results of the study show that mandatory IFRS adoption has a positive impact on economic growth of the full sample, and that this positive impact is reduced during Covid-19 crisis. Contribution: The study results are very useful to policymakers and regulators in developing countries, especially in crisis periods.

We analyze the allocation and effectiveness of government support in response to the COVID-19 outbreak across a nationally representative sample of firms in 32 countries representing different levels of institutional transparency. The probability of receiving government support is higher for larger firms, firms belonging to business support groups and innovative firms in low corruption countries. In high corruption, countries firms competing against unregistered establishments, with lack of internationally recognized quality certification and no formalized business strategy are more likely to receive government support. Using the panel structure of the data to address reverse causality, selection bias and unobserved heterogeneity, we then find that government support improves firm-level outcomes more strongly in low corruption countries. Among different types of government support, we find wage subsidies to be more effective in high corruption countries while technical assistance for adoption of digital technologies in low corruption countries. In addition, social distancing and lockdown policies do not seem to be as effective in improving firm-level outcomes in high-corruption countries most likely because of weaker capacities to enforce such policies. These results show the importance of enhancing systems of accountability and enforcement procedures that will ensure that fiscal stimulus aid is deployed to benefit those who need it the most.

This study delves into the impacts of the 2008 global financial crisis (GFC) and the COVID-19 health crisis on U.S. financial indices, exploring the intricate relationship between economic shocks and these indices during downturns. Using Markov switching regression models and control variables, including GDP, consumer sentiment, industrial production, and the ratio of inventories-to-sale, it quantifies the effects of these crises on the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), Standard & Poor’s 500 (S&P 500), and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) from Q1 2000 to Q2 2023, covering crucial moments of both crises and stable periods (dichotomous variables). Results reveal that the 2008 crisis significantly heightened financial volatility and depreciated the valuation of S&P 500 and DJIA indicators, while the COVID-19 crisis had a diverse impact on market dynamics, particularly negatively affecting specific sectors. This study underscores the importance of consumer confidence and inventory management in mitigating financial volatility and emphasises the need for robust policy measures to address economic shocks, enhance financial stability, and alleviate future crises, especially during endogenous crises such as financial downturns. This research sheds light on the nuanced impact of crises on financial markets and the broader economy, revealing the intricate dynamics shaping market behaviour during turbulent times.

This study investigated how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted earnings management practices within both public and private firms in Korea. Amid active government efforts and policies to overcome the pandemic crisis, we anticipate that the earnings management of public sector managers, prioritizing public benefit as their key sustainability objective, will distinctly differ from those of private sector managers, who are influenced by a different set of pressures and incentives. Empirical analysis revealed a notable decrease in earnings management in the public sector post-COVID-19, with no significant change in the private sector. Our study distinguishes how public and private firms react to identical economic crises, deepening our insight into the ways different organizations handle financial reporting amid government intervention and economic stress. Such differentiation not only broadens our comprehension of strategies for managing earnings but also offers vital perspectives on the dynamics among corporate governance, regulatory environments, and sustainability.

This paper investigates the effect of the COVID-19 crisis on the relationship between gender diversity in management and supervisory boards and the level of earnings management. The research sample comprised companies listed on the Croatian national stock exchange, and the panel data was obtained for the 2015- 2020 period to estimate regression models. Findings indicated that the presence and higher share of female directors on management boards were beneficial for curtailing earnings management but only for the financial statements disclosed during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time, such effort was vital due to the escalation of earnings management caused by extremely pessimistic economic expectations. In the financial statements disclosed during the second year of the pandemic, the level of earnings management considerably declined, and female directors were not as effective in restraining these activities as in the first year. It could imply greater prudence of female directors when anticipating the intensity of public scrutiny regarding financial statements in a period of crisis. Gender diversity in supervisory boards proved to be an insignificant determinant of earnings management during the COVID-19 crisis.

Distance education and training have developed strongly with the Covid-19 crisis. Since the end of the crisis, face-to-face teaching has once again become the rule and distance learning the exception. Have the uses of distance learning in teaching and research really disappeared? In practice, are there no traces of it left in the way academics carry out their work? Based on the contributions of two colleagues, this controversy aims to question the practices and points of view of academics on the use of distance learning, both in terms of their conceptions of the profession, the meaning they give to it and the relationship they have with the transmission of knowledge, but also from the point of view of how each of them has experienced the health crisis situation.

The article is dedicated to the impact of the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on the aviation industry and the measures taken by the governments, airports and home carriers to overcome the consequences of the said crisis. Government actions and state aid programs for airports and airlines are reviewed. Practical examples of government aid to airports and airlines are provided. It is also reviewed how these actions affected the performance of the largest European hub airports, namely – London (Heathrow), Istanbul, Paris (Charles de Gaulle), Amsterdam and Madrid. Threats and opportunities for both European airports and airlines are analyzed with the focus on the perspectives of London (Heathrow) airport. The operation of the mentioned airports was analyzed according to the following indicators - the recovery of passenger traffic (2023/2022 and 2023/2019), connectivity, GDP indicators of the countries where the mentioned airports are located. Information on the home carriers of the airports, i.e., the share of the airline's passengers in the total number of passengers handled by the airport, financial indicators of the airlines, plans for the development of the fleet and route network is provided. Recommendations on cooperation between airports and their base airlines are provided.

The study aims to analyze the synergies between internal factors (i.e., emotional intelligence and resilience) and external factors (i.e., governmental support) on the performance of tourism organizations in the post-disaster recovery phase. Data collected from the sample of 390 managers and owners in the tourism industry were analyzed using structural equation modeling with partial least squares (PLS-SEM) as an appropriate model method with variables containing multiple items and multiple causal relationships. Our findings reveal that the resilience of tourism organizations (during and post-pandemic crisis) is positively influenced by the employees’ and managers’ emotional intelligence and government support. Planned and adaptive resilience significantly affects organizational response to disruptive events and organizational performance. Our findings guide tourism organization managers and government authorities and help them make timely decisions based on the relationship between resilience, emotional intelligence, and governmental support during and after a crisis. Managers need to be aware of the importance of emotional intelligence in managing the business in uncertain/turbulent times and to be concerned with improving emotional intelligence for themselves and their employees. Our study is one of the first to analyze the pandemic’s effects in the post-disaster recovery phase and the first one focused on Romania’s tourism organizations. First published online 19 January 2024

Introduction: Community health workers (CHW) were integral in the COVID-19 response, particularly concerning services for populations vulnerable to HIV. Little is known regarding the mental health of CHW during the COVID-19 crisis. The objective of this study was to study resilience of CHW working in HIV non-governmental organizations. Methods: An anonymous online, cross-sectional questionnaire was implemented during 2021 among CHW in Benin, Colombia, Guatemala, and Spain. Three scales were used to assess mental health: the 6-item Brief-Resilience Scale, the 9-item Patient Scale Questionnaire and the 7‐item Generalized-Anxiety-Disorder scale. Logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with “low” resilience vs “normal” or “high” resilience. Results: Among 295 respondents, the median standardized resilience score was 58.33 (IQR = [50.0–75.0], n = 267), 18.52 (IQR = [7.4–33.3], n = 282) for standardized depression score and 19.05 (IQR = [4.8–33.3], n = 274) for standardized anxiety score. Standardized resilience score was negatively correlated with standardized anxiety score (rho = -0.49, p

The Covid-19 pandemic put organizations under very high stress. They had to be resilient to continue to carry out their missions in this context. Emergency institutions, regularly confronted with crisis situations, were no exception, and their modes of action and response to shocks deserve interest. Qualitative research was therefore carried out to identify the organizational, steering and management levers that contributed to the organizational resilience (OR) of police and penitentiary institutions in French-speaking Switzerland. The study is based on a synthesis of resilience factors frequently identified in theoretical and empirical review articles, as well as on data from 25 semi-structured interviews with executives of cantonal police and prison forces. The aim of this article is to highlight the organizational characteristics that are most important in nurturing the OR of the institutions in questions. The results show not only that the factors deduced from the literature review constitute levers on which to capitalize to demonstrate resilience in the face of large-scale shocks, but also that organizational agility and rigidity coexist and articulate within the crisis management of these organizations. The aforementioned factors are categorized as follows: building situation awareness; leadership; organizational culture; governance practices; human resources practices; information management and communication; social and environmental practices; redundancy, resourcefulness, alternative pathways; learning capacity; organizational change management. Résumé La pandémie de Covid-19 a mis les organisations en situation de très fort stress. Elles ont dû faire preuve de résilience pour garantir la réalisation de leurs missions dans ce contexte. Les institutions urgentistes, faisant régulièrement face à des situations de crise, n’y ont pas échappé et leurs stratégies de réponse aux chocs méritent l’intérêt. Une recherche qualitative a été réalisée afin d’identifier les leviers organisationnels, de pilotage et de management ayant concouru à la résilience organisationnelle (RO) des institutions policières et pénitentiaires de Suisse romande. L’étude repose sur une synthèse des facteurs de résilience fréquemment mentionnés dans des articles de revue théoriques et empiriques, ainsi que sur les données issues de 25 entretiens semi-directifs menés avec des cadres de polices et prisons cantonales. L’objectif de cet article est de mettre en lumière les caractéristiques organisationnelles les plus importantes pour nourrir la RO de ces institutions. Les résultats démontrent que les facteurs déduits de la revue de littérature constituent des leviers sur lesquels capitaliser pour faire preuve de résilience face à des chocs d’ampleur, de même qu’agilité et rigidité organisationnelles s’articulent dans le cadre de la gestion de crise de ces organisations. Lesdits facteurs sont catégorisés ainsi : construction de la connaissance de l’environnement ; leadership ; culture organisationnelle ; pratiques de gouvernance ; pratiques de ressources humaines ; gestion de l’information et communication ; pratiques sociales et environnementales ; réserves de ressources, détention de ressources variées, variantes de fonctionnement ; capacité d’apprentissage ; gestion organisationnelle du changement. Zusammenfassung Die Covid-19-Pandemie setzte Organisationen unter hohen Druck. Sie mussten widerstandsfähig sein, um ihre Aufgaben in solch einem Kontext weiterhin erfüllen zu können. Notfalleinrichtungen, die regelmäßig mit Ausnahmesituationen konfrontiert sind, waren davon nicht ausgenommen und ihre Handlungsweisen und Reaktionen auf Krisenverdienen Aufmerksamkeit. Daher wurde eine qualitative Forschung durchgeführt, um die organisatorischen, Steuerungs- und Managementhebel zu identifizieren, die zur organisatorischen Resilienz (OR) der Polizei- und Strafvollzugseinrichtungen im französischsprachigen Teil der Schweiz beigetragen haben. Die Studie basiert auf einer Synthese von Resilienzfaktoren, die häufig in theoretischen und empirischen Zeitschriftenartikeln erwähnt werden, sowie auf Daten aus 25 semi-direktiven Interviews mit Führungskräften von kantonalen Polizei- und Gefängnisbehörden. Ziel dieses Artikels ist es, die wichtigsten organisatorischen Merkmale hervorzuheben, die am wichtigsten für die OR der betreffenden Institutionen sind. Die Ergebnisse zeigen nicht nur, dass die aus dem Literaturüberblick abgeleiteten Faktoren Hebel darstellen, auf denen man aufbauen kann, um Resilienz gegenüber großen Krisensituationen zu demonstrieren, sondern auch, dass organisatorische Agilität und Rigidität nebeneinander existieren und sich durch das Krisenmanagements dieser Organisationen artikulieren. Die genannten Faktoren werden wie folgt kategorisiert: Aufbau von Umweltwissen; Führung; Organisationskultur; Führungspraktiken; Personalpraktiken; Informationsmanagement und Kommunikation; soziale und ökologische Praktiken; Redundanz, Besitz verschiedener Ressourcen, alternative Routen; Lernfähigkeit; organisatorisches Änderungsmanagement. Mots-clés : résilience organisationnelle; institutions policières et pénitentiaires; secteur public; recherche qualitative; crise de Covid-19 Schlagworte : organisatorischen Resilienz; Polizei- und Strafvollzugseinrichtungen; öffentlicher Sektor; qualitative Forschung; Covid-19-Krise

This longitudinal mixed method study investigated the education experiences among 38 Deaf/Hard of Hearing (DHH) students, 44 of their hearing peers, and three lecturers in two programs at a postsecondary institution in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Longitudinal data were collected at three points in time, summer 2020, winter 2021, and spring 2021. To investigate the differences between the two groups, GPA marks and responses to designed questionnaires for the different moments were collected from students. Repeated-measures ANOVA, the fixed effect regression approach, and one-way ANOVA were used to analyze the quantitative data. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews and personal communication with the students and the lecturers. Interviews were conducted with the addition of a sign language interpreter familiar to the DHH students. Results revealed a significant distinct digital divide between the two groups in academic achievement, degree of adaptation, and general perceptions of their education. The results of this study suggest that DHH students in postsecondary settings may be at risk of underachieving in the distance learning study mode. As a result, higher education institutions, universities, and curriculum designers need to take steps to improve the environment of distance learning platforms considering the diversity of students' needs. This will ensure that students with hearing loss have equal access to lectures, course content, and their peers. Promoting equity and justice in the learning environment aims to bridge the knowledge gap and prepare DHH students for their future careers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 11 March 2021, amidst the lingering grip of the COVID-19 pandemic, the art world witnessed an extraordinary event. Christie's, the renowned auction house, hosted a groundbreaking auction counting just one lot: a Non-Fungible Token (NFT)—a digital asset that had been generating buzz in recent times. The astounding price fetched by the NFT sent shockwaves through the art world. While the 255-year-old auction house was known for selling unique assets, its auctioning of an NFT was surprising as Christie's online marketplace was not on the blockchain, contrarily to NFT platforms such as Opensea, Nifty Gateway, etc. The resounding success, however, of its historic auction was followed by a surge of NFT off-chain sales at Christie's, Sotheby's, and Phillips. While extensive research has been done on the trade of NFTs on the blockchain, little research exists on the trade of NFTs at public auction houses. Based on more than two years' tracking of NFTs auctioned at major auction houses, our research identifies three phases in the development of the trade and provides valuable insights into the unique factors that contributed to the growth of NFTs at public auctions between the springs of 2021 and 2023. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to predict GCC financial stress on oil market, and GCC Stock and bond markets while considering the effect of the 2008 financial crisis, 2014 oil drop price and the 2019 novel COVID-19 outbreak. For this purpose, we use a new approach for predicting the financial stress, based on the One-Dimensional Convolutional Neural Network (1D-CNN). This article introduces a parameters optimization method, which provides the best parameters for 1D-CNN to improve the prediction performance of the financial stress indices. The results suggest that indexes of financial stress help to improve forecasting performance. It implies that the 1D-CNN model shows a better predictive performance in the out-of-sample findings.Regarding the influence of financial stress on hedging between Brent, and financial markets, the outcomes emphasize the role of oil in hedging stock market risks in positive market stress case. Another interesting result is that the out-of-sample estimates for stock–bond markets, hedging with oil have higher variability for negative (positive) financial stress. The findings highlight the predictive information captured by financial stress in accurately forecasting oil market volatility and financial markets, offering a valuable opening for investors to monitor oil market volatility using information on traded assets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal is to create a systemic risk profile of companies during the COVID-19 crisis, which reflects their cause-and-effect relationships and risk management. The research objects are the following types of risks for companies listed in "Global-500" (Fortune) and the top 55 most competitive digital economies of the world (IMD) in 2017–2022: (1) risk of reduction in competitiveness (rank), (2) risk of reduction in revenue, and (3) risk of reduction in profit. The research methodology is based on the method of structural equation modelling (SEM), which allowed for exploring the cause-and-effect relationships between risk changes and digital risk management for companies during the COVID-19 crisis. As a result, based on the SEM model, it was proven that risks for companies during the COVID-19 crisis only slightly increased compared with that at the pre-crisis level. It was determined that companies faced large risks during the COVID-19 crisis in developed countries. It was discovered that, due to successful adaptation, risk management of companies assuaged the manifestations of the COVID-19 crisis in the economy. The key conclusion is that, under the conditions of a crisis of a non-economic nature (e.g., the COVID-19 crisis), companies independently and successfully manage their risks with the help of measures of digitalisation: corporate risk management with the limitation of state intervention is preferable. The contribution to the literature consists of the development of the concept of risks for companies by clarifying the specifics of risks and risk management of companies during the COVID-19 crisis. The theoretical significance lies in the fact that the authors' conclusions rethought the risks for companies under the conditions of a crisis given the special context of a crisis of a non-economic nature (via the example of the COVID-19 crisis). The practical significance is that the developed novel approach to risk management of companies through digitalisation, which is based on the experience of the COVID-19 crisis, will be useful for risk management of companies under the conditions of future crises of non-economic nature caused by epidemics/pandemics and/or environmental disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent literature provides conflicting findings and remains inconclusive regarding the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on firms' dividend policies. In this paper, we examine the dividend policy of Moroccan firms listed in the Casablanca Stock Exchange during the COVID-19 shock. Using panel data from 2015 to 2021 of non-financial listed firms, we observe that the proportion of dividend cuts during the last seven years (2015–2021) achieved its highest level on the onset of the crisis. Furthermore, results of the ordinary least square (OLS) regressions demonstrate that the COVID-19 shock has negatively affected the dividend payout of Moroccan listed firms. This study implies that, in times of economic crisis, Moroccan firms exhibit risk-averse behavior by prioritizing the retention of earnings over distributing dividends, scarifying, therefore, the transmission of positive signals to investors and external stakeholders. Furthermore, our results reveal that profitability, growth opportunities, leverage, and size are relevant determinants of corporate dividend policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a rise in preprinting, triggered by the need for open and rapid dissemination of research outputs. We surveyed authors of COVID-19 preprints to learn about their experiences with preprinting their work and also with publishing their work in a peer-reviewed journal. Our research had the following objectives: 1. to learn about authors' experiences with preprinting, their motivations, and future intentions; 2. to consider preprints in terms of their effectiveness in enabling authors to receive feedback on their work; 3. to compare the impact of feedback on preprints with the impact of comments of editors and reviewers on papers submitted to journals. In our survey, 78% of the new adopters of preprinting reported the intention to also preprint their future work. The boost in preprinting may therefore have a structural effect that will last after the pandemic, although future developments will also depend on other factors, including the broader growth in the adoption of open science practices. A total of 53% of the respondents reported that they had received feedback on their preprints. However, more than half of the feedback was received through "closed" channels-privately to the authors. This means that preprinting was a useful way to receive feedback on research, but the value of feedback could be increased further by facilitating and promoting "open" channels for preprint feedback. Almost a quarter of the feedback received by respondents consisted of detailed comments, showing the potential of preprint feedback to provide valuable comments on research. Respondents also reported that, compared to preprint feedback, journal peer review was more likely to lead to major changes to their work, suggesting that journal peer review provides significant added value compared to feedback received on preprints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study is to examine the impact of financial constraints and financial distress on cash holdings, both in normal and crisis times. We collected the 4,406 firm-year observations of companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE). Our research shows that companies maintain higher cash holdings during a crisis than in a normal period. However, in contrast to our expectations, companies with financial difficulties (constraints and distress) have lower cash holdings both in normal and crisis times. The originality of our research lies in realizing that different sources of difficulties might overlap at the same time (external with internal). We also analyze how cash holdings react to a combined impact of difficulties of different natures (external and internal). We believe that cash holdings have recently increased their meaning as we face the situation of constant and increasing uncertainty: still ongoing COVID-19 crisis prolonged with Russian aggression on Ukraine and outburst of inflation.

The present study aims to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 crisis and firm risk on working capital management policies among manufacturing firms listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE). The study sample consists of 1200 observations and 200 companies listed on the TSE over a six-year period from 2016 to 2021; furthermore, the statistical method used to test the hypotheses is ordinary least squares (OLS). The results show that the COVID-19 pandemic has led managers to increase current assets to total assets ratio (CATAR), current ratio (CR), quick ratio (QR), net working capital (NWC), cash to current assets (CTCA) ratio, while it has caused a decrease in operational cycle (OC), days account receivables (DAR), and current liabilities to total assets ratio (CLTAR). Furthermore, we find that the higher the company’s risk, the more managers are motivated to embrace the working capital investment policy, net working capital, cash to current assets ratio, and cash conversion efficiency (CCE). In general, our findings indicate that during times of crisis, Iranian companies tend to adopt conservative working capital policies to ensure sufficient liquidity to respond appropriately to unforeseen events. In this study, the theory of liquidity preference aligns with the observed behavior of firms in response to the COVID-19 crisis and firm risk, where the emphasis on liquidity and short-term financial stability becomes paramount.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a rise in preprinting, triggered by the need for open and rapid dissemination of research outputs. We surveyed authors of COVID-19 preprints to learn about their experiences with preprinting their work and also with publishing their work in a peer-reviewed journal. Our research had the following objectives: 1. to learn about authors’ experiences with preprinting, their motivations, and future intentions; 2. to consider preprints in terms of their effectiveness in enabling authors to receive feedback on their work; 3. to compare the impact of feedback on preprints with the impact of comments of editors and reviewers on papers submitted to journals. In our survey, 78% of the new adopters of preprinting reported the intention to also preprint their future work. The boost in preprinting may therefore have a structural effect that will last after the pandemic, although future developments will also depend on other factors, including the broader growth in the adoption of open science practices. A total of 53% of the respondents reported that they had received feedback on their preprints. However, more than half of the feedback was received through “closed” channels–privately to the authors. This means that preprinting was a useful way to receive feedback on research, but the value of feedback could be increased further by facilitating and promoting “open” channels for preprint feedback. Almost a quarter of the feedback received by respondents consisted of detailed comments, showing the potential of preprint feedback to provide valuable comments on research. Respondents also reported that, compared to preprint feedback, journal peer review was more likely to lead to major changes to their work, suggesting that journal peer review provides significant added value compared to feedback received on preprints.

The emergence of the COVID-19 crisis has represented a challenge for the entire world, generating new social and economic paradigms. Besides the many negative effects, there are also positive effects of the pandemic, and here we must emphasise the change of perspective with regard to the funding policies, which no longer target only the return to the situation before the pandemic, but a step forward, towards a green, digital and more resilient Europe. The immediate effects in the case of the Romanian countryside highlight the different reception of the pandemic shock across the territory. Starting from the calculation of the Rural Development Index at the county level for the period 2018-2020, with 2018 being the reference year, the evolution of the index was analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively from the perspective of the effects induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, while before the COVID-19 crisis, the rural development level registered a slight translation of counties from the lower to the upper part of the ranking, during the pandemic the process was reversed, even though at national level there is a constant appreciation of the rural development index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]