Abstract:Digital financial transparency is crucial for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly for building accountable and trustworthy public institutions. Limited studies examine whether digitalization…
actually delivers accessible financial information and whether such transparency strengthens sustainable public governance. This study addresses that gap by constructing an original, multi-dimensional, portal-level Digital Financial Transparency Index (DFTI) and linking it to sustainable public governance, an association not previously tested at the Indonesian subnational level. Using a quantitative, explanatory design, financial management and public information portals are assessed through content analysis. Twenty-one indicators covering organizational information, financial transparency, and website accessibility are aggregated into the DFTI. Sustainable public governance is proxied by the 2024 electronic-based government system (SPBE) index, the only nationally standardized, externally assessed, and annually published measure of digital public administration maturity in Indonesia. Ordinary least squares regression tests the hypothesis, complemented by Spearman correlation as a non-parametric robustness check suited to the small city and regency subsamples. The findings show DFTI has a positive and significant effect on SPBE (β = 0.026; p = 0.032). The effect operates through content rather than appearance: among regencies, organizational information and financial transparency correlate significantly (p < 0.05) with SPBE, website accessibility does not. The results provide recommendations that local governments should adopt a standardized minimum financial-disclosure content and prioritize the weakest indicators, which are raw data, citizen-friendly budget summaries, and personal data protection. Also the provincial government should channel budget-capacity support to low-DFTI regencies, where transparency and maturity are most strongly associated with budget resources to advance SDG 17.
Abstract:The purpose of this study is to examine how product quality influences consumers' decisions to buy electric cars in Makassar City, using brand image as a mediating factor. The swift expansion of electric vehicle adoption…
necessitates a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing customer purchasing behavior in this nascent sector. A quantitative methodology utilizing an explanatory study design was implemented to examine the causal links among the variables. The population comprised consumers who had acquired or utilized electric vehicles in Makassar City, while the precise population size remained unspecified. A purposeful non-probability sampling strategy was employed, resulting in 105 respondents who completed a structured online questionnaire sent using Google Forms. The data were analyzed utilizing SEM-PLS with SmartPLS to investigate both direct and indirect effects among the constructs. The findings demonstrate that product quality positively and significantly impacts purchase decisions, product quality positively and significantly influences brand image, and brand image positively and significantly affects purchase decisions. Additionally, brand image serves as a partial mediator in the correlation between product quality and purchasing decisions. The findings indicate that superior product quality in electric vehicles is more influential in influencing purchasing decisions when it concurrently cultivates a favorable brand image in consumers' perceptions, thus offering strategic insights for manufacturers and distributors in formulating marketing strategies that enhance both product quality and brand image.
Abstract:Influencer marketing has emerged as a dominant strategy within the digital marketing landscape, particularly in the Indonesian beauty industry. This study investigates how consumers in Makassar City develop and sustain trust…
rust in influencer-based marketing content on social media platforms. Employing a qualitative descriptive approach, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 purposively selected participants who actively consume beauty content on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis encompassing open coding, axial coding, and selective coding procedures. The findings reveal five core themes: (1) authenticity as the primary driver of trust formation; (2) the negative impact of excessive commercialization on perceived credibility; (3) the role of influencer expertise and product knowledge in legitimizing recommendations; (4) parasocial relationships as amplifiers of emotional attachment and brand loyalty; and (5) consumer skepticism as an emerging critical evaluation strategy. The study demonstrates that trust remains the central mediating variable linking influencer characteristics to purchase intentions. Consumers exhibit nuanced evaluation behaviors, distinguishing between genuine advocacy and sponsored content. The research contributes theoretically by integrating Source Credibility Theory, Parasocial Interaction Theory, and the Trust-Commitment Theory within the influencer marketing context. Managerially, the findings suggest that brands should prioritize authentic, transparent, and expertise-driven influencer collaborations rather than high-volume promotional campaigns.
Abstract:This study aims to analyze the influence of Halal Awareness and Product Knowledge on Purchase Intention and its impact on Brand Loyalty of halal cosmetic products. This research employs a quantitative approach using the…
accidental sampling method, where respondents consist of consumers who have purchased and used halal cosmetic products. A total of 100 respondents participated in this study. Data were collected through online questionnaires and analyzed using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) method with SmartPLS 3 software. The results indicate that Halal Awareness and Product Knowledge have a positive and significant effect on Purchase Intention. Furthermore, Purchase Intention has a positive and significant effect on Brand Loyalty. Halal Awareness and Product Knowledge also have a positive and significant direct effect on Brand Loyalty. In addition, the indirect effect analysis reveals that Purchase Intention significantly mediates the influence of Halal Awareness and Product Knowledge on Brand Loyalty. These findings highlight the crucial mediating role of Purchase Intention in linking halal awareness and product knowledge with halal cosmetic brand loyalty. Therefore, halal cosmetic manufacturers are encouraged to continuously strengthen the communication of halal values and product education to build strong purchase intention and drive sustainable brand loyalty.
Abstract:This study examines the linkage between digital literacy, workforce development, and macroeconomic growth in the context of an increasingly digitalized economy. Moving beyond descriptive approaches, it investigates how digital…
igital competencies function as a critical mechanism shaping labor productivity, innovation capacity, and economic performance. Using cross-sectoral data and workforce survey evidence, the study analyzes the extent to which digital skills contribute to workforce adaptability and organizational efficiency. The findings reveal that higher levels of digital literacy significantly enhance workforce development by improving skill alignment, fostering innovation, and increasing competitiveness across industries. At the macro level, these improvements translate into measurable contributions to economic growth through productivity gains and structural transformation. Furthermore, the study underscores the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration among educational institutions, industry, and government in designing integrated digital literacy programs. Such coordinated efforts are essential to ensure sustainable skill development and long-term economic resilience. This research contributes to the literature by providing an integrated perspective that explicitly links digital literacy to both workforce development and macroeconomic outcomes, offering practical implications for policymakers and stakeholders in shaping inclusive and sustainable growth strategies.
Abstract:The rapid advancement of digital technology has fundamentally reshaped consumer behavior globally, with social media becoming the primary channel for product information seeking. Approximately 51% of Indonesians rely on…
user reviews before purchasing, and 62% have bought products under the direct influence of Social Media Influencers (SMIs). Despite this, the psychological mechanisms linking influencer characteristics to purchase intention remain fragmented across sectors and platforms. This systematic literature review synthesizes nineteen empirical studies published between 2020 and 2025, spanning beauty, fashion, gadget, and sustainable product sectors across multiple countries, to examine how Source Credibility (attractiveness, trustworthiness, expertise) and Parasocial Interaction (PSI) jointly shape consumer purchase intentions. Three core findings emerge: (1) trustworthiness is the sole credibility dimension that is universally and consistently significant across all contexts, fundamentally challenging assumptions about the equal contribution of the three credibility dimensions; (2) PSI operates not as a single mediator but as a multi-pathway psychological bridge through hedonic value, brand attitude, vicarious experience, and social-personal value whose specific active pathway is contingent on platform, product type, and cultural context; and (3) generational and cultural moderators systematically shape which credibility dimension most powerfully drives PSI. A Proposed Integrative Conceptual Framework and a synthetic cross-study comparison matrix (Table 2) consolidate these findings. Results offer strategic implications for influencer marketing practice and identify priority directions for future research.
Abstract:Islamic Religious Education (IRE) in the modern era is often trapped in an approach that is overly textual, dogmatic, and focused solely on legal aspects (fiqh) and rituals. This results in the marginalisation of the metaphysical…
aphysical dimensions of Islam—such as the concept of divinity (uluhiyah), the nature of humanity, the unseen world, the purpose of creation, and the spiritual relationship with Allah—which are in fact the foundation of the meaning and intrinsic motivation of all religious teachings. Without the internalisation of these metaphysical values, religious education risks becoming formalistic and unable to respond to existential challenges and spiritual crises amid the onslaught of materialism and secularisation in the modern world. This article aims to analyse the urgency and strategies for internalising metaphysical values within the framework of contemporary Islamic Religious Education, as well as to formulate an approach model relevant to the modern era. This study uses a qualitative method with a philosophical-analytical library research approach. Data were collected from primary sources such as the Qur'an, Hadith, and the works of classical and contemporary Islamic thinkers on education and metaphysics. The analysis was conducted hermeneutically and deductively to develop a conceptual framework. The analysis shows that the internalisation of metaphysical values in PAI is crucial for: (1) building a holistic Islamic worldview, (2) developing a deep spiritual awareness (ihsan), (3) providing a solid moral foundation that transcends positive law, and (4) creating mental-spiritual resilience in facing modern complexities. To achieve this, it is necessary to reorient the PAI curriculum to integrate metaphysical elements through an interdisciplinary approach (linking it to science, psychology, and philosophy), reflective and contemplative learning methods (such as tadabbur and tafakkur), and the use of digital technology as a medium for creative spiritual exploration.
Abstract:The objective of this study is to examine the management of water production residues and to analyze their implementation in environmental accounting at PERUMDA Air Minum Mutiara Tirta, Gorontalo City. This study employs…
a qualitative method with a case study approach. The research informants were selected using purposive sampling, consisting of individuals who were considered knowledgeable and directly involved in the issues under investigation, including the Production Coordinator, Maintenance Division, Laboratory Officer of Zone 1, Assistant Manager of Secretariat and Public Relations, and the Accounting and Budgeting Officer. Data were collected through interviews, observations, and documentation by applying data source triangulation to ensure data validity. The results indicate that the management of water production residues has been carried out in accordance with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs); however, its effectiveness remains limited due to constraints in budget allocation, facilities, and waste treatment technology. In terms of environmental accounting implementation, the recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure of environmental costs have not been optimally integrated, as environmental costs are still recorded within general operational budgets without specific classification and detailed reporting. This condition reflects existing challenges in linking waste management practices with environmental accounting records. The main obstacles include limited technological capacity, insufficient human resources with expertise in environmental accounting, and the absence of specific regulations governing environmental cost recording. Therefore, clearer regulatory support, dedicated budget allocation, improved waste treatment technology, and employee training are required to ensure a more effective and sustainable implementation of environmental accounting.
Abstract:This study aims to understand the teaching methods, challenges, and character education for deaf children at SLB Karya Murni Ruteng, NTT. Using a qualitative approach with a case study design, the research involved interviews,…
views, observations, and documentation with the school principal, a second-grade teacher, and deaf students. Deaf children face significant challenges in verbal and social communication, requiring specialized teaching methods focusing on direct experiences, sign language, and intensive training such as “language immersion.” SLB Karya Murni implements contextual methods linking instructional materials to daily life, such as tactile exercises to enhance sensory perception and integrated speech training to strengthen vocal abilities. Additionally, conversation visualization programs are employed to help children understand and develop vocabulary. The study found that the learning process demands patience, creativity, and technological support to improve the cognitive and communication skills of deaf children. The school also emphasizes practical skill development through activities like woodworking and beauty salon workshops, preparing students for independent living. This research highlights the importance of inclusion-based character education, family involvement, and a supportive social environment, which are expected to enhance the active participation of deaf children in their communities. These findings are anticipated to serve as a reference for developing more effective and inclusive learning programs in other special education schools.
Abstract:This study examines the development of fiscal decentralization and its relationship to regional financial independence in Indonesia through a systematic literature review. The objective is to synthesize empirical and conceptual…
ceptual findings published between 2017 and 2026 concerning the determinants, measurement, and consequences of regional financial independence, particularly the role of local own-source revenue (PAD), intergovernmental transfers, and capital expenditure. Using a systematic search of Scopus, Google Scholar, and Garuda databases, 30 relevant articles were screened, selected, and analyzed following defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The review finds that fiscal decentralization consistently strengthens local revenue mobilization and administrative accountability when accompanied by adequate institutional capacity, transparent governance, and effective management of natural and economic resources. However, the effectiveness of decentralization varies considerably across regions due to disparities in economic potential, human resources, and political commitment. The synthesis further shows that financial independence positively affects the quality of public services and regional economic growth, although the relationship is moderated by expenditure efficiency and governance quality. The novelty of this review lies in its integrative framework linking revenue-side determinants, expenditure behavior, and governance mechanisms within a single analytical narrative, an integration rarely addressed jointly in prior single-country studies. The findings offer practical implications for policymakers designing fiscal transfer formulas and for future researchers seeking to test moderating variables such as digitalization and institutional quality in the fiscal decentralization–financial independence nexus.