In an era of rapid global transformation, research and leadership are critical to maintaining competitiveness. This issue presents a diverse collection of empirical studies that address contemporary challenges at individual, organizational, and societal levels. Spanning topics from digital influences on travel behavior to structural inequalities in labor markets, the contributions highlight the complex intersections of psychology, economics, technology, and culture. Through interdisciplinary inquiry, these articles advance understanding of human behavior, organizational dynamics, and socio-economic structures in both digital and physical domains. Together, they emphasize the evolving and integrative nature of research in the social sciences and business studies. A summary of key findings from each contribution follows.
The Power of Connection: How Travel Vlogs Foster Emotional Engagement Leading to Increased Interest in Sri Lankan Heritage Tourism – This opening article centers the growing influence of digital media on tourism behavior, revealing a significant link between travel vlogs and the intention to visit heritage destinations. Emotional connection, acting as a partial mediator, emerges as a critical mechanism by which virtual stimuli translate into real-world actions, an insight with implications for digital marketing and heritage conservation.
Beyond Compliance: How Internal CSR Drives Organizational Commitment in Nepalese Life Insurance Sector – Continuing the focus on human motivation, the second article delves into organizational behavior and workplace psychology. The study highlights the pivotal role of work-life balance, health and safety, and development opportunities in enhancing organizational commitment, primarily through the mediating role of job satisfaction. Particularly, traditional labor relations appear less influential, signaling an evolution in employee expectations.
Disconnected in a Connected World: Exploring Employee Loneliness in Digital Workplace – The third article, grounded in conservation of resources theory and the loop of loneliness model, highlights the importance of emotional engagement, social support, and workplace culture in mitigating isolation and loneliness, and fostering sustained employee engagement in increasingly digital workspaces.
Unveiling Psychological Drivers of Retirement Planning: Mediating Role of Retirement Goal Clarity – The psychological underpinnings of long-term retirement planning are the focus of the fourth article, which identifies key factors, such as financial self-efficacy, risk tolerance, and future time orientation, that shape retirement planning behavior. The mediating role of retirement goal clarity emphasizes the importance of cognitive structure in transforming abstract intentions into concrete actions.
Heuristics Biases and Investment Decisions: The Mediating Role of Financial Literacy in the Nepalese Stock Market – Article five come across financial behavior and literacy. It investigates the roles of cognitive biases, particularly overconfidence and anchoring, in shaping investment decisions. Importantly, financial literacy serves as a partial mediator, enhancing the effectiveness of heuristic-driven strategies.
Financial Foundations: Role of Family Financial Socialization and Literacy in Enhancing Financial Well-Being of Gen Z – Article six explores financial well-being through the lens of financial socialization, demonstrating how early education, familial openness, and expected independence contribute to positive financial outcomes, mediated by financial literacy, reinforcing its significance across economic behaviors.
Stock Returns of Nepalese Commercial Banks: The Role of Size, Book Yield and Earnings Yield – In the realm of capital markets, the seventh study provides empirical insight into asset pricing. It finds that firm size (SIZE) and book-to-price ratio (B/P) significantly influence stock returns, with SIZE acting as a positive predictor and B/P a negative one. Interestingly, the earnings-to-price ratio (E/P) lacks predictive

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