Open research questions in Energy and Environment Impacts

What the literature leaves open

• Therefore, future studies may focus on specific environmental issues: desert encroachment, biodiversity depletion, deforestation etc. However, few studies have examined how supply-side variables affect energy poverty. This study concludes that the authors have no consensus on what constitutes poverty.

  Understanding the Measurement, Drivers and Consequences of Energy Poverty: Insight from the Existing Literature · 2026 · DOI

• These recommendations are guided by stakeholder theory, which emphasizes the shared responsibility of all relevant actors in addressing challenges faced by small businesses. The study revealed gaps in coordination, energy access and institutional support, calling for practical and inclusive actions from all stakeholders involved. Build practical knowledge on clean energy for small businesses: The Thulamela Business Forum, NAFCOC and the Municipality should organize simple training sessions at local venues such as the town hall. These sessions can show small businesses how to use safe and affordable energy options in daily operations. Small business owners should attend and share their challenges so that training speaks to real needs. This can improve understanding, reduce unsafe energy use and help businesses move closer to clean energy goals. Create partnerships to improve access to affordable energy options: The Municipality and Business Forum should work with Eskom and private energy providers to explore small-scale solar or hybrid solutions. Suppliers can offer flexible payment options suited to rural businesses with limited income. Small businesses should be encouraged to adopt these i. ii. 78 Nethengwe et al.., International Journal of Business Ecosystem & Strategy, 8(3), (2026) 69-81 options step by step, based on what they can afford. This can reduce power interruptions, lower long-term costs and improve business stability. iii. Strengthen coordination and response among local stakeholders: The Municipality, GIS Office, Land Administration Office and ward councilors should improve how they communicate and respond to reported issues. Clear roles must be set, especially since Eskom is responsible for electricity provision. Regular meetings with business groups can help track problems and find quicker solutions. This can build trust, improve service response times and provide a more reliable environment for small businesses.

  Empowering small businesses for SDG 7 in Tshilamba Rural Township: enhancing state capacity for sustainable development in South Africa · 2026 · DOI

• References Root et. al., 2023 McKinsey& Company, 2023 Patel, 2023 Siddique, et. Al. (2025) McKinsey& Company, 2023 Kumar, et. al.

  VADYBA 2026 Nr. 1 (42) · 2026 · DOI

• This study is based on a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis using the Web of Science database and a defined set of search filters (language, document subject categories). As a result, several limitations should be acknowledged. First, restricting the search to a single type, publication years, and 22 Silver Economy as a New Dimension of the Labour Market of the Slovak Republic workplace adaptation for older employees and the development of the silver economy are strategically essential for sustainable growth in ageing societies. Similarly, Heshmati et al. (2019) emphasise that older generations are often particularly vulnerable and that it is important to create working conditions and social policies that support active ageing. The identified inequality factors—technological change, education, globalisation, and labour market reform—indicate that without targeted policies, the older workforce may be pushed to the margins, thereby weakening the potential of the silver economy as well. The text also highlights the need for reforms in taxation, education, and the labour market, which must be designed to support equal opportunities, including those for older employees. Overall, it shows that inclusive growth and effective age management are interlinked conditions for sustainable socio-economic development. In contrast, Barković et al. (2024) conclude that modern seniors are healthier, more active, and possess substantial purchasing power, making them a significant economic force and supporting the dynamic growth of the silver economy. Their study emphasises that global population ageing fundamentally changes demographic structures and the economic environment, creating new challenges and opportunities for age management and the silver economy. Overall, the text demonstrates that supporting silver entrepreneurship and age-friendly policies is key to productively managing demographic change and building a sustainable, inclusive economy. Research findings on the macroeconomic aspects of the silver economy have expanded significantly over the past decade, with authors increasingly pointing to the transformative nature of demographic ageing for modern economies. Initially, the concept of the silver economy was understood primarily as economic activity related to the consumption of goods and services intended for the older population. Today, however, this concept has shifted towards a comprehensive economic model that also includes the participation of older people in the labour market, the development of innovations, technological solutions, and new forms of social entrepreneurship (Harper, 2023; OECD, 2019). According to the works of Bloom, Canning, and Fink (2011), population ageing can be interpreted not only as a risk to fiscal sustainability, but also as a driver of economic growth – provided that society is able to effectively utilise the human capital of older generations. In this sense, the concept of the silver economy builds on endogenous growth theory, which emphasises the role of knowledge, experience, and innovation as driving forces of economic productivity. Within the European context, this concept has gained institutional support through initiatives of the the document European Commission, particularly “Green Paper on Ageing” (2021), which defines the silver economy as a strategic area of social and economic policy. Based on OECD recommendations (2020), several EU Member States are focusing on linking employment policies, social security systems, and lifelong learning in order to support productive ageing and increase the level of economic participation of the population aged 55+.

  VADYBA 2026 Nr. 1 (42) · 2026 · DOI

• Beulen, E., Plugge, A., & van Hillegersberg, J. (2022). Formal intelligence and outsourcing. Inf Syst E-Bus Manage, 20, 719-748. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10257-022-00562-7 relational governance of artificial Biggi, G., Iori, M., & Mazzei, J. (2025) Green intelligence: the AI content of green technologies. Eurasian Bus Rev. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40821-024-00288-1 Budhwar, P., Chowdhury, S., Wood, G., Aguinis, H., Bamber, G. J., Beltran, J. R., Boselie, P., Lee Cooke, F., Decker, S., DeNisi, A., Dey, P. K., Guest, D., Knoblich, A. J., Malik, A., Paauwe, J., Papagiannidis, S., Patel, C., Pereira, V., Ren, S., … & Varma, A. (2023). Human resource management in the age of generative artificial intelligence: Perspectives and research directions on ChatGPT.

  VADYBA 2026 Nr. 1 (42) · 2026 · DOI

• The article by Budhwar and colleagues provides a multidisciplinary perspective on the impact of generative artificial intelligence (GAI), particularly ChatGPT, on human resource management (HRM) in enterprises. It explains how tools such as ChatGPT are transforming the including recruitment, execution of HR functions, onboarding, performance evaluation, and training. The authors emphasize that while GAI can enhance efficiency in HR processes, it also entails certain risks, such as inaccuracies, biases, ethical dilemmas, and potential job displacement. Moreover, GAI can support sustainable HRM practices (e.g., personalized training, analysis of environmental impacts) but may also exacerbate inequalities (e.g., linguistic, cultural, and gender biases embedded in algorithms) (Budhwar et al., 2023). The contribution by Kolade and Owoseni provides a systematic review of the scientific literature on the effects of digital transformation on employment and the future of work in the context of Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0. They describe how skill-biased technological change – where technologies replace routine tasks while simultaneously fostering complex, creative, and social skills among employees – shapes labour market dynamics. They highlight that automation poses a threat to routine jobs. In connection with automation and digitalization processes, new sectors such as the App Economy are emerging, which results in uneven income distribution. The authors communication conclude technologies substantially transform the structure of the labour market, the location of work, and modes of production (Kolade & Owoseni, 2022). information that and Khogali and Mekid, in their article, analyse concerns related to AI, including fears of identity loss, obsolescence, and alienation among employees. These factors, according to the authors, may hinder the adoption of technologies and reduce their societal benefits. Since AI replaces routine work tasks, it leads to job losses and rising unemployment, thereby necessitating retraining and education for new positions. The authors also emphasize the dehumanization of labour, as employees may feel treated merely as “tools”. Monitoring employee well-being in the context of AI applications is therefore crucial, as AI can enhance productivity and flexibility but may also generate stress and uncertainty. Thus, attention to subjective and psychological well-being is essential (Khogali & Mekid, 2023). Mgaiwa, in his article, examines how universities – particularly in Tanzania – can enhance graduates’ employability in the context of high youth unemployment and a rapidly changing labour market shaped by globalization and technology (AI, automation). Many of his linkage between universities and employers, resulting in a mismatch between education and labour market requirements. Effective partnerships can improve curricula, internships, research, and consultancy (Mgaiwa, 2021). findings highlight the weak Among a total of 26 countries, the leading contributors in terms of publications on how artificial intelligence is reshaping resulting labour market and opportunities, prospects, and challenges are the United States with seven publications, the United Kingdom with the the six, and Spain with four, all of which were included in our analysis. Fig. 4. Map of the most productive countries in the world Keywords are technical terms that reflect the main content of an article. Keyword analysis helps identify significant and emerging topics within a specific research field (Mutlu Avinç & Yıldız, 2025). Fig. 5. Visualization of network relationships between keywords with timeline For this reason, we considered that analysing the occurrence of keywords would be useful for understanding the major themes in publications addressing how artificial intelligence is reshaping the labour market and the resulting opportunities, prospects, and challenges.

  VADYBA 2026 Nr. 1 (42) · 2026 · DOI

• identify relevant articles in WoS, a search string was constructed by combining keywords aligned with the study’s objective and Boolean operators (AND, OR) (Table 1). The search strategy encompassed concepts related to artificial intelligence and the labor market. Fig. 1. PRISMA 2020 flow diagram for new systematic reviews which included searches of databases and registers only Table 1. Search string for the identification of relevant studies in the Web of Science (WoS) database TITLE-ABS-KEY (“artificial intelligence” OR “AI”) AND TITLE-ABS-KEY (“labour market” OR “employment” OR “job roles” OR “workforce transformation”) AND TITLE-ABS-KEY (“automation” OR “job displacement” OR “new professions” OR “skill requirements”) AND TITLE-ABS-KEY (“social inequality” OR “wage disparities” OR “ethics” OR “lifelong learning” OR “education”) The selection process was carried out in several phases (Fig. 1). Figure 1 presents the details of the search and identification procedure. First, the search string was applied in the WoS database, considering titles, abstracts, and keywords. Through this search, 103 potentially relevant documents were identified. Second, duplicate records were removed, and studies were filtered according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Only peer-reviewed journal articles and review papers published in English between 2020 and 2025 were considered; publications, books, book chapters, and conference proceedings in languages other than English were excluded to ensure the consistency and academic rigor of the dataset. Third, the selected articles were read, and only those explicitly addressing the impact of artificial intelligence on the labour market were retained. Finally, the eligible documents were organized in an Excel spreadsheet, and the relevant information was systematically recorded. A total of 36 documents were ultimately included in the study. Table 2.

  VADYBA 2026 Nr. 1 (42) · 2026 · DOI

• Nedzinskas Egidijus, Seminavičė Renata............................................................................................... 55 New Corruption Challenges in the Context of Digital Transformation Španková Jana, Kráľová Katarína, Sochuľáková Jana........................................................................... 65 The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Transformation of the Labour Market: Challenges, Opportunities, and Perspectives Tarımer İlhan, Grigaliūnienė Simona, Tahir Zubair............................................................................... 73 Developing a Decision Support Interface Software for Property Valorization System REIKALAVIMAI STRAIPSNIŲ RENGIMUI...................................................................................... 85 REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PREPARATION AN ARTICLE 5 6 EDITORIAL The Vadyba / Journal of Management is a peer-reviewed applied sciences journal published by the Lithuania Business College. Since its establishment in 2002, the journal has continuously published scholarly articles, building a strong foundation of academic experience and earning international recognition. This year marks the journal’s 24th anniversary. It is widely acknowledged by the international research community, and the number of foreign contributors continues to grow steadily. The current issue presented to readers is Volume 42. Only manuscripts that meet the rigorous standards of the Editorial Board are accepted for publication. The authors represent a diverse range of academic institutions in Lithuania and abroad, including Lithuania Business College, Kaunas University of Applied Sciences, and others, as well as Alexander Dubček University of Trenčín (Slovakia), Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University (Turkey), the College of Business Administration (Latvia), the Hungarian University of Agricultural and Life Sciences (Hungary), among others. The Editorial Board seeks to ensure that published research encompasses a broad spectrum of topics in economics and management while maintaining relevance across industries and geographical contexts. Particular emphasis is placed on ongoing transformations in industries, human resource management, and managerial processes. Articles are selected based on these criteria, with the expectation that a focus on contemporary developments will foster scholarly discourse and contribute to the advancement of social sciences. The studies included in this issue reflect the journal’s interdisciplinary scope and international orientation. The first article, authored by Angelė Lileikienė and Justinas Jonušas, examines the demand for nursing professionals in Lithuania and the European Union.

  VADYBA 2026 Nr. 1 (42) · 2026 · DOI

• Rooftop photovoltaics (PV) can reduce reliance on fossil fuels, yet climate change alters both building energy demand and PV output, creating poorly understood spatiotemporal mismatches.

  Spatiotemporal supply-demand matching in residential building rooftop photovoltaics (PV) under climate change: a cross-climate zone assessment · 2026 · DOI

• Specific aims are to: (1) describe the burden and distribution of energy poverty by region in Africa; (2) capture health outcomes of gendered exposure to energy; (3) explore structural and governance drivers of the gender-energy nexus; (4) critically question policy actions and highlight persistent gaps in design and (5) identify gaps in evidence base.

  Energy Poverty and Gendered Inequities in African Communities: A Review of Health Impacts and Policy Gaps · 2026 · DOI

• Future research should explore integrating other data sources, such as utility billing data, geospatial information, and real-time energy use patterns. Moreover, the models should be replicated based on similar surveys done in other countries by looking for a common framework in the EU-SILC survey.

  Predicting energy poverty using household budget survey: a machine learning approach · 2026 · DOI

• This study investigates the long-term relationships between life expectancy (LE), economic growth (PGDP), and renewable energy consumption (REC) in Bangladesh, aiming to bridge gaps in understanding the driving force for the adoption of renewable energy in a developing country context.

  Economic Growth, Renewable Energy Consumption, and Health Outcomes in Bangladesh: An Analysis Using Canonical Cointegrating Regression (CCR) · 2025 · DOI

• When the cost-effectiveness of measures and guarantees of return on investment are insufficient for private investors or when measures that only indirectly contribute to energy efficiency are involved, financial support from the state is required, which should also be considered when developing approaches to ensuring the establishment of an effective system for investing in energy efficiency projects.

  Optimal strategies for attracting private investment in energy efficiency projects at the household level · 2024 · DOI

• The review of literature has shown that further renewables energy research remains necessary as the current conditions of the energy sector in Libya need to be examined to understand the challenges and difficulties to introduce renewable energy within competent authorities and businesses are examined in accordance with their managers.

  Barriers and current challenges facing the renewable energy implementation in Libya: a review · 2021 · DOI

• Energy consumption, food production, and economic growth are interdependent dimensions of sustainable development, yet their combined relationship remains insufficiently examined in low-electrification economies.

  Energy Consumption, Food Production and Economic Growth Nexus: A Review · 2026 · DOI

• Fourth, the threshold analysis should be further validated using formal Hansen-type threshold tests and dynamic threshold models in Stata or similar software before the final submission.

  Financial integration, trade openness, and CO2 emissions in BRI-MENA economies: nonlinear effects of renewable energy transition and governance quality · 2026 · DOI

• Future research should explore intra-household bargaining processes using qualita- tive or mixed-method approaches and examine regional and rural–urban differences in household energy transition.

  Women’s ownership and control of household resources and cooking fuel transition in Uganda · 2026 · DOI

• While smart grid technologies and resilience planning frameworks have improved moni- toring and operational flexibility, they remain insufficient in fully addressing prolonged, geographically widespread out- ages and cascading failures.

  A conceptual study examining solar energy adoption for community resilience · 2026 · DOI

• Although off‐farm employment has gained increasing attention as a driver of rural livelihood transformation, its specific relationship with household energy transition remains underexplored in the academic literature.

  Off‐Farm Employment and Rural Energy Transitions: A Systematic Review of Pathways and Gaps · 2026 · DOI

• Efforts to tackle this problem have proven unsatisfactory for many reasons, including insufficient data on who is experiencing energy poverty to a poor definition of what this concept entails.

  Energy poverty assessment: Indicators and implications for developing and developed countries · 2024 · DOI

• The major gaps in research from the empirical economic literature are how low‐income and vulnerable Australian households could be affected by price changes and how Australians respond to within‐day variation in prices.

  How Much do Households Respond to Electricity Prices? Evidence from Australia and Abroad · 2020 · DOI

• In the context of solar energy enterprises managed by women particularly in rural or peri-urban areas are much understudied, however, the impact of such women-led entrepreneurial energy-based start-ups has significant personal, social and community level consequential impact.

  ‘Women Power’ in Renewable Energy · 2020 · DOI

• The topic of hydropower projects, associated political-administrative processes, and the outcomes of these projects with regard to poverty reduction remain understudied.

  Hydropower, development, and poverty reduction in Laos: promises realized or broken? · 2020 · DOI

• In Romania, there is a very high potential for both geothermal energy that is insufficiently exploited to date and for the transformation of municipal waste into energy.

  Social Responsibility of Firms and the Impact of Bio-Economy in Intelligent Use of Renewable Energy Source · 2019 · DOI

• The paper thus provides insights that set an agenda for further research on gendered energy injustices beyond a simplistic, dichotomized victimization discourse.

  Gender and energy: domestic inequities reconsidered · 2019 · DOI

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