Journal of Management Sciences and Applications

RULES-IN-FORM AND RULES-IN-USE AS A DUAL-PROCESS ACCOUNT OF INSTITUTIONAL ACTION IN BULGARIAN REGULATORY GOVERNANCE

Pavel Ivanov — 2026-06-26

This study examines why formally valid regulatory regimes often perform weakly in practice. It argues that the deeper problem lies in the gap between contemporary better regulation methodologies and the institutional environment in which public administration and regulated businesses actually operate. This analysis applies the distinction between rules-in-form and rules-in-use to Bulgarian regulatory governance, drawing on bounded rationality, dual-process reasoning, transaction costs, information asymmetry, and regulatory capture. Empirically, it uses three surveys conducted in 2026 among regulatory experts, public administration officials, and business respondents. The findings show systematic underestimation of administrative burden, limited use of alternatives to regulation, weak cost-benefit analysis, unintended incentives for circumvention, and an and an underdeveloped incentive environment for compliance. The study concludes that regulatory quality does not result from more detailed rules alone. It requires institutional capacity to translate written provisions into working rules-in-use through clearer rules, lower compliance costs, safeguards against capture, and institutional learning.

THE FUTURE OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN BULGARIA POST-2027: TOWARDS A NEW PLANNING PARADIGM AND THE GENUINE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLACE-BASED APPROACH

Plamen Apostolov — 2026-06-26

This article examines the imperative for a fundamental paradigm and institutional shift in Bulgaria's regional policy ahead of the EU Multi-Annual Financial Framework for 2028–2034. The core thesis posits that the country requires a comprehensive transformation of its regional planning model - shifting from sectoral programming and absorption-oriented project execution to the genuine implementation of a place-based approach. Employing qualitative institutional, documentary, and comparative analysis, the paper identifies the primary limitations of the current model: project-financial dependency, weak regional governance, formalistic tool integration, and fragmented planning links. The conclusion outlines a conceptual framework for reform aligned with the 4-region NUTS 2 re-demarcation from 2027. It advocates for fiscal decentralization via autonomous regional funds, strategic empowerment of Regional Development Councils, and the scaling of Community-Led Local Development (CLLD). Future regional policy effectiveness must be evaluated through qualitative service access metrics rather than quantitative funding absorption.

INDUSTRIAL PARKS AS INSTRUMENTS OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT POLICY IN BULGARIA

Svetoslav Iliev — 2026-06-26

This study examines the role of industrial parks as instruments of regional development policy in Bulgaria. The growing importance of industrial infrastructure is closely linked to contemporary challenges associated with regional disparities, territorial cohesion, investment attraction, and sustainable economic development. Despite the increasing policy relevance of industrial parks, relatively limited academic attention has been devoted to their role as instruments of regional development policy in Bulgaria. This research addresses this gap and contributes to the growing discussion on industrial infrastructure as a tool for balanced territorial development.

The paper analyzes the relationship between industrial park development, regional economic performance, investment attraction, and employment dynamics within the context of regional disparities in Bulgaria. The research applies qualitative policy analysis combined with comparative regional analysis and secondary statistical data analysis.

The findings indicate that industrial parks support economic activity, investment attraction, and regional competitiveness; however, their effectiveness depends significantly on infrastructure accessibility, labor market conditions, institutional capacity, governance quality, and broader regional development factors. The study contributes to the existing literature by examining industrial parks not only as investment promotion mechanisms but also as instruments supporting territorial cohesion and balanced regional development. The Bulgarian case provides additional evidence regarding the opportunities and limitations of industrial parks as tools for addressing regional economic disparities in emerging European economies.

REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN FOCUS: ANALYSIS OF THE LEADING PARTIES’ PROGRAMS IN BULGARIA 2026 PARLAMENTARY ELECTIONS

Veselina Lyubomirova — 2026-06-26

Bulgaria has held 8 early elections for а National Assembly in the last 5 years. This political instability is affecting the effectiveness of public governance and the country's regional development. The study aims to compare the election programs of the political formations that entered the new parliament. The analysis assesses the extent to which the programs prioritize regional development. The paper outlines the relationship between a full-mandate parliamentary governance and the implementation of effective regional policy. Parliamentary election programs of six parties are evaluated with the OECD criteria for the implementation of regional policy. The results show the place regional development has in the political vision of the new legislative authority in the country. A limitation of the analysis turned out to be the weak applicability of the methodology used to election programs. The main conclusion is that regional policy is clearly and comprehensively represented in the parties’ proposals for the development of different sectors. A need is outlined for the development of a more precise tool for analyzing political documents on regional topics.

TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS AND FLOOD GOVERNANCE IN LOKOJA METROPOLIS

Chinedu Ofoma — 2026-06-26

The increasing rate of flooding across the globe has arguably compelled governments to intensify efforts toward addressing the challenge using flood governance. While the government is expected to provide direction in flood governance, it cannot singlehandedly effectively solve this problem given its multifaceted nature. Therefore, this study seeks to examine the role of tertiary institutions in flood governance in Lokoja Metropolis. It adopted mixed methods together with Chi-square and Statistical Package for Social Sciences for its data collection and analysis. The findings of the study revealed that the tertiary institutions have contributed significantly to generation of knowledge and awareness creation through various activities such as conducting on-site studies in flood-prone communities, gathering data on rainfall and river levels; and organizing seminars and workshops on flood risks and safety measures in Lokoja Metropolis but their efforts toward provision of relief materials/services to flood victims are not impressive. The study concluded that tertiary institutions have contributed significantly in flood governance in Lokoja Metropolis and recommended that tertiary institutions should collaborate with their alumni to set up a Foundation that will regularly raise funds for provision of relief materials etc.

PROPOSING A MEASUREMENT SCALE OF THE STAKEHOLDERS’ BASED SUSTAINABLE VALUE: A QUALITATIVE APPROACH

Houda Khlif — 2026-06-26

Given the limited reserves of fossil energy, the increasing consumption level of energy, and the problem of climate change, renewable energies are the best alternatives to other fossil energies. The number of ventures operating in the renewable energy sector has increased, there are approximately 160 active enterprises in 2019 (GIZ, 2019).

Usually, there is a constant tension between running an economically viable business and remaining faithful to environmental ideals. This research aims to examine how these challenges are achieved in different entrepreneurial firms by proposing a new construct labelled Stakeholders’ based Sustainable Value. This study also aims to provide a measurement scale of the value that emerged from ventures in the renewable energy sector. We use a qualitative approach, which consists of 25 in-depth interviews, thematic analysis and Q sort technique. The Q-sort technique is used to evaluate the content validity of the construct. 56 items were retained after the process of qualitative purification. Results show that the SSV (Stakeholders’ based Sustainable Value) is a multidimensional construct were enterprise value added and stakeholder value added are two sub-dimensions. This research is among the first studies that propose a valid measure of value creation in sustainable sectors like solar energy.

ANALYZING AND RESOLVING THE CONSEQUENCES OF TOURIST INFLUXES ON ENVIRONMENTAL METRICS AT A TOURIST DESTINATION

Rajesh Sharma — 2026-06-26

The primary objective of this paper is to examine the impacts of tourist influxes on environmental metrics and to develop strategies for enhancing sustainability awareness among tourists, thereby minimizing the adverse effects of tourist influxes. The tourist data were collected from: 1) the portals of the Ministry of Tourism of India, to obtain arrival data for the past eight years; and 2) an environmental sustainability questionnaire designed to gather tourists' demographic profiles, resource consumption, waste generation, and behavioral or knowledge-related data in Agra; 3) The designed SWOT questionnaire to get the rankings of SWOT groups and factors. This data is used to analyze resource consumption and waste generation patterns using explanatory analysis, the correlation between the demographic and behavior and knowledge to understand their sustainability awareness level, and use TOWS analysis to design strategies for reducing the negative consequences of tourist influxes. The results show that age group is a strong predictor for water consumption, energy consumption, and waste generation. The large effect size, R2 values, and VIF analysis indicated excellent fit and strong predictive performance. The awareness questionnaire analysis showed a gap between the behavioral factors and the knowledge level. Fifteen strategies are designed to improve the sustainability awareness of tourists coming to Agra. This study will enable destination managers to better understand tourists’ waste reduction and resource consumption behaviors, and to make long-term oriented decisions to conserve the tourist destinations for future generations same as earlier generations.

HOTEL ATTRIBUTES AND GUESTS RE-VISIT INTENTION IN STAR-RATED HOTELS

Oghenenyerhovwo Rita Inoni — 2026-06-26

The hospitality industry in Delta State, Nigeria, has grown rapidly in recent times, and rapid growth has intensified competition among practitioners. Therefore, this study is conceived to investigate the influence of hotel attributes on customer revisit intention in star-rated hotels. Primary data were collected from a cross-section of 395 guests of star-rated hotels, while regression and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. The findings show that patrons’ attitude, subjective norm, desk office services, employees’ appearance and attitude to guests, housekeeping and room outlook, and the quality of food and beverage services, exert positive and significant (p < 0.01) influence on customers’ re-visit intention. The dominant impact of staff attitude to guests underscores the need for hotel managers to train employees to cultivate a service-oriented culture that will motivate them to render excellent services that will exceed guests’ expectations, to foster customer loyalty and repeat visit.

REMOTE WORK, DIGITAL SURVEILLANCE, AND EMPLOYEE AUTONOMY: EXAMINING THE MODERATING ROLE OF TRUST IN LEADERSHIP IN SOUTHWEST NIGERIAN SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS

Zaccheaus Olufunminiyi Olonade — 2026-06-26

This study investigates the interplay between remote work, digital surveillance, and employee autonomy, with a focus on the moderating role of trust in leadership within service organizations in Osun State, Nigeria. Drawing upon Social Exchange Theory and Self-Determination Theory, the research explores how digital surveillance practices influence employees’ perceived autonomy and how trust in leadership mitigates potential negative effects. The study employed a quantitative research design, with data collected through a structured questionnaire administered to 120 employees from selected Financial Technology (FinTech) organizations in Southwest Nigeria. Findings indicate that digital surveillance negatively affects employee autonomy, while trust in leadership significantly moderates this relationship. The study contributes to leadership and human resource management literature by highlighting the importance of trust in fostering employee well-being and performance in digitally monitored remote environments.

AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE IMPACT OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY PRACTICES ON ORGANISATIONAL COMMITMENT AMONG SELECTED AVIATION WORKERS IN LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA

Zaccheaus Olufunminiyi Olonade — 2026-06-26

The study investigated the Influence of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) practices on Organizational Commitment among Aviation Workers in Lagos State, Nigeria. The objectives were to determine the impact of Occupational Hazard Prevention (OHP); Safety Procedure and Risk Management (SP &RM); Occupational Safety Support (OSS); First-Aid Support and Training (FAS&T); and Safety and Health Rules (S&HR) on Organizational Commitment (OC) among Aviation workers. This study adopted a descriptive survey design. The population for the study comprised all the staff of the four public agencies in the aviation industry operating in Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria, which was 2,560 as at the time of the study. Ten per cent of the population were selected as sample through proportionate sampling techniques. Linear Regression Analysis, tested at 0.05 alpha levels, were used to test the five hypotheses postulated to achieve the objectives. The results of the study showed the contribution of the indicators. Occupational Hazard Prevention (OHP) contributed with Beta value = .779 p <.05 (sig = .000) and t-value = 28.945; SP&RM contributed with Beta value = .812 p <.05 (sig = .000) and t-value = 22.626. OSS contributed with Beta value = .889 p < .05 (sig = .000) and t-value = 31.620. FAS&T contributed with Beta value = .857 p <.05 (sig = .000) and t-value = 31.620. S&HR contributed with Beta value = .857 p <.05 (sig = .000) and t-value = 31.620. Thus they all have significant influence on Organizational Commitment. The study then concluded that occupational health and safety practices have influence on Organizational commitment among Aviation workers in Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos State Nigeria in particular and other Airports in general. The study therefore recommended that Aviation related organizations should allocate adequate resources towards robust OHS Practices which include regular risk assessments, hazard identification and preventive measures. They should also prioritize the development and implementation of comprehensive Safety Procedure and Risk Management strategies.

UNDERSTANDING THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN CONSUMER EMOTIONS AND BRAND RELATIONSHIPS: A SYNTHESIS OF PREVIOUS LITERATURE

Tsvetelina Vladimirova — 2026-06-26

This article presents a literature review dedicated to the interplay between consumer emotions and brand relationships. For the purpose of this analysis, more than thirty-five papers have been reviewed. The earliest studies date back to 1987 and the latest to 2025.

The existing literature is organized into two main categories. The first broad group focuses on how consumer emotions influence brand performance. Among such publications, brand loyalty is the main focus. The second group examines the role of emotions in the interaction and experience consumers have with a brand.

Over the last three decades, authors have presented various perspectives on the subject. The consensus, however, is that emotions have a crucial role in shaping the consumer-brand bond. Positive emotions lead to measurable outcomes, such as brand loyalty. By contrast, negative emotions can cause negative word of mouth, brand switching and even retaliation.

A TWO-PATH BAYESIAN PROBABILITY MODEL FOR EXAMINING INDIVIDUAL AND PROCESS HETEROGENEITY IN THE AISAS FRAMEWORK

Hui-Hsin Huang — 2026-06-26

The AISAS (Attention-Interest-Search-Action-Share) model is widely utilized to explore the influence of social media on information diffusion and marketing campaign applications. However, traditional approaches often overlook the concurrent variations across individual consumers and transition processes. This paper constructs a Bayesian probability model to predict both consumer individual differences and process-specific variations across the AISAS steps. Utilizing empirical data from diverse social media platforms, including individual media behaviors and the specific duration of each AISAS stage, we estimate model parameters and evaluate the goodness of fit. The empirical results demonstrate satisfactory predictive power, offering critical insights and managerial implications for future marketing applications.