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Item Open Access Effects of drought stress on morpho-physiological traits and mucilage yield in nine genotypes of Alcea rosea L(Springer Nature, 2026-05-11)Hollyhock (Alcea rosea L.) is an important medicinal and ornamental species characterized by high genetic diversity and mucilage content; however, its response to drought stress remains insufficiently understood. In this study, nine genotypes (‘Isfahan 1’, ‘Isfahan 2’, ‘Tabriz’, ‘Khomeini Shahr 1’, ‘Khomeini Shahr 2’, ‘Shahin Shahr’, ‘Shiraz 1’, ‘Shiraz 2’, and ‘Mahallat’) were evaluated under three irrigation regimes using a randomized complete block design. Drought stress (I3 vs. I1) significantly reduced vegetative growth, 1000-seed weight, and seed yield, while enhancing mucilage accumulation by 26% in leaves, 93% in petals, and 291% in seeds. In contrast to typical stress responses, chlorophyll content increased under severe drought, suggesting a compensatory acclimation mechanism. Clear genotypic differences were observed. ‘Khomeini Shahr 1’, ‘Tabriz’, and ‘Isfahan 2’ exhibited greater drought tolerance, maintaining higher growth, physiological performance, and yield stability under water-limited conditions. In contrast, ‘Shiraz 1’ and ‘Shiraz 2’ were identified as the most sensitive genotypes. Importantly, increased mucilage production under drought stress was not consistently associated with reduced yield, indicating a genotype-dependent relationship rather than a strict trade-off. These findings highlight the potential for selecting drought-tolerant genotypes that combine yield stability with enhanced production of bioactive compounds, offering valuable implications for hollyhock cultivation in arid and semi-arid regions.Item Embargo Conceptualizing the role of artificial intelligence in advancing sustainable development goals through tourism(SAGE, 2026-12-31)This study conceptualizes Artificial Intelligence’s (AI) pivotal role in shaping the tourism industry’s contribution to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), presenting AI as a transformative force capable of significantly accelerating SDG progress by enhancing sustainable tourism practices. Accordingly, we adapt and apply the FATE framework to propose a structured approach and insight into the responsible implementation of AI in the tourism industry to achieve SDGs. Specifically, the proposed framework postulates that harnessing AI’s potential responsibly requires deliberate integration guided by the principles of fairness, accountability, transparency, and ethics. Through a systematic literature review and the synthesis of interdisciplinary knowledge, this study establishes foundational insights into the intricate relationships between AI, tourism industry, and sustainable development, providing a theoretical lens and practical considerations for stakeholders aiming to leverage careful implementation of AI towards achieving SDGsItem Embargo The nexus between leadership, voice, and silence: evidence from Nigeria(Palgrave Macmillan, 2026-05-01)This study examines the interrelationship between leadership and employee voice in Nigeria. The extant literature on leadership and employee voice has generally overlooked this topic in the African context, especially Nigeria. Does leadership have any impact on employee voice and silence in this non-Western context? What are the forces or factors that shape employees’ voice behaviour in Nigeria? This chapter finds that transformational and transactional leadership styles; a high-power distance culture; and a patriarchal culture play prominent roles in employee voice behaviour in Nigeria. The chapter provides country-specific research on employee voice, and it is hoped that it will help organisations in the global South to reconsider their approach to managing employees’ voices.Item Open Access University-industry collaboration for academic success and employability: a connectivist perspective(Taylor & Francis, 2025-09-03)Despite the widespread recognition of university-industry collaboration benefits, a significant research gap exists in understanding the lived experiences of both students and industry practitioners regarding the effectiveness of feedback mechanisms and sustained employability development. Higher education institutions (HEIs) face growing pressure to equip graduates with industry-relevant skills to prepare them for the workforce. In marketing, where industry demands shift rapidly, university-industry collaborations can help enhance student engagement, academic performance, and employability. This study applies Connectivism Theory to examine how real-world industry engagement shapes students’ learning experiences. The research employed a qualitative approach, conducting three in-depth focus groups with marketing students and 16 structured interviews with expert industry guest speakers. Key findings revealed that students strongly valued hands-on experiences with industry-standard tools like Google Analytics and SEMrush, while advocating for more structured career preparation activities, including CV building and portfolio development. Industry speakers emphasized their role as knowledge facilitators but identified significant challenges, including time constraints, content alignment difficulties, and lack of interactive engagement opportunities. Both groups highlighted critical gaps in feedback mechanisms and called for more structured mentorship programs. Our study recommends strengthening partnerships through structured feedback loops, expanded mentorship, and industry-aligned education and certifications.Item Embargo Social media influencers and youth identity in Africa: Marketing implications in a disruptive era(Academy of African Business and Development, 2026-05-23)The rapid rise of social media influencers has changed the way youth interact with brands, culture, and identity in digitally expanding, socioeconomically dense African settings. The current body of research on influencer marketing is largely Western and behaviour-oriented, offering little information on the role of engagement with influencers in youth identity formation and its downstream marketing implications. This theoretical paper develops a complex, multifaceted model of influencer engagement in shaping youth identity development in Africa, with perceived relatability, aspirational appeal, authenticity, trustworthiness, and interaction frequency as key elements explaining this process. The paper reconceptualises influencers as identity architects within platform economies rather than promotional intermediaries, drawing on social identity theory, platform affordance theory, and civic engagement perspectives. The formation of youth identity, operationalised as identity congruence, aspirational self-alignment, identity salience, and perceived social belonging, is theorised to mediate the relationship between influencer engagement and consumer outcomes, including purchase intention, brand association, lifestyle adoption, and advocacy behaviours. Conditioning attributes are suggested to be platform characteristics and socio-cultural setting. The framework driving the theory proposes contextual moderators that are normally ignored in hegemonic Western models and frames identity formation as a dynamic, socially situated process rather than a fixed stage of development. A set of propositions is formulated in a clearly defined manner to be used in future testing. The research has implications for marketing strategy, policy and regulation, and interventions targeting youth in African digital ecosystems.
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