National University of Management

The rapid growth of digital payment systems in emerging markets has reshaped consumer behavior patterns, particularly in cash-dependent economies like Cambodia. This study investigates the determinants of digital payment adoption within Cambodia’s food and beverage (F&B) delivery application. This research reviews the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). From an analysis of 329 samples in Phnom Penh, the results reveal that perceived usefulness, ease of use, social influence, government support, and service quality significantly drive adoption. Notably, security and trust, which are often emphasized in prior literature, exerted negligible direct effects, suggesting these factors are now perceived as basic expectations. The findings identify the significant role of user-friendly interfaces, peer networks, and policy frameworks in accelerating cashless transitions. The study recommends simpler user interfaces, using social media to connect with users, and strong collaborations with governments and businesses to speed up the shift to digital payment systems. Theoretically, this research also contributes to technology adoption theories by contextualizing their applicability in emerging economies and offers actionable insights for stakeholders navigating Cambodia’s evolving digital landscape.

A qualitative research approach study was undertaken in two secondary schools in Namibia's Anamulenge Circuit to explore learners' attitudes and perceptions of Agricultural Science practical investigations. Using a case study design, the study attempted to get a thorough knowledge of learners' and teachers' experiences with agricultural practical investigations. A purposive sampling method was utilised to select four (4) Agricultural Science teachers and six (6) learners from grades 10, 11, and 12, all of whom were actively involved in the subject. Semi-structured interviews were utilised to gather thorough and introspective information, and thematic analysis was performed to uncover emergent themes and sub-themes. The study found that most learners had good opinions towards Agricultural Science investigations, rating them as enjoyable, attractive, and applicable to real-world agricultural conditions. However, factors such as poor facilities, a lack of materials, and inconsistency in teacher supervision hampered effective learning. Teachers reported difficulties implementing practical investigations due to insufficient resources and overcrowded classrooms, which had an impact on instruction quality and learner engagement. The study also discovered that positive feedback, hands-on evaluation, and encouragement from teachers and peers greatly improved learners' motivation and performance. Moreover, community and parental involvement were highlighted as significant in encouraging long-term interest in agriculture education and eventual career goals. The study suggests that policymakers and the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts, and Culture should allocate enough resources, provide ongoing teacher training in practical pedagogy, and update the Agricultural Science curriculum to emphasise inquiry-based and learner-centred approaches. Strengthening these areas would not only increase learners' participation and attitudes towards practical investigations but will also help to produce competent and motivated future agricultural professionals in Namibia.

Access to safe water, adequate sanitation, and improved hygiene (WASH) are essential for human health, dignity, and sustainable urban development. However, informal urban settlements in Namibia, particularly Havana in Windhoek, continue to experience severe WASH challenges such as unsafe water sources, inadequate sanitation, and poor hygiene practices despite ongoing government interventions. This qualitative study explores participatory approaches to improving WASH conditions in the Havana settlement through community engagement, behavioural change, and intersectoral collaboration. Using participatory action research (PAR) design, data was collected between 2018 and 2020 through interviews, focus group discussions, and community meetings involving 110 residents, four community leaders, and eight stakeholders. Thematic analysis, guided by Tesch’s framework and the use of ATLAS.ti software, identified key patterns and themes. A complementary systematic literature review (2020–2025) provided insights into recent WASH interventions and public health developments in informal settlements, ensuring methodological rigor through transparent inclusion and exclusion criteria. Findings show that poverty, overcrowding, insecure tenure, and poor living environments exacerbate WASH deficiencies, leading to frequent outbreaks of waterborne diseases. Participants reported irregular water supply, inadequate communal toilets, open defecation, and limited hygiene awareness. Nevertheless, strong community willingness to participate in WASH improvement initiatives emerged when supported by inclusive education, participatory governance, and adequate infrastructure. The study concludes that community-led and participatory approaches, particularly the proposed Community WASH Action Plan (COMWAP) enhance social inclusion, promote behavioural transformation, and strengthen resilience. Implementing such approaches will improve WASH conditions of informal settlements and advance Namibia’s progress toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 on clean water and sanitation for all.

Governance in the domain of Information Technology (IT) has gradually progressed into a strategic asset that empowers universities to synchronize and realign their technological aspirations with their institutional goals. In doing this, universities seek to maintain accountability in their decision-making processes. Within the Namibian higher education sector, the task of developing a functional IT governance framework entails more than merely applying technical tools. This is because it also requires strong leadership capabilities to ensure the relevance of such a framework. This research explored and examined how institutional leaderships facilitate IT governance within three prominent universities in Namibia. Using the mixed-methods approach, with data collected from the directors and professionals within IT departments of the universities and an amalgam of the Upper Echelon and Network Governance theories, the study explains how leadership traits, strategic institutional visions, and relational skills influence governance of IT in the universities. The findings of the study revealed that elements such as the dedicated leadership, digital proficiency, and collaboration of efforts and activities are crucial in developing an effective IT governance framework within the universities. The key conclusion of the study is that institutional leadership facilitates effective IT governance through elements such as shared vision, staff empowerment, and coordination of activities that synch structures of governance with the goals of universities. Based on this conclusion, the study recommends for upskilling of the institutional leaders, making IT governance a mandatory aspect within institutional structures, and installation of collaborative, yet, dynamic governance systems that promote accountability and innovation across institutional departments.

Over the past decade and accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Cambodia’s banking sector has transformed dramatically, with digital tools reshaping how everyday Cambodians manage their finance. However, what truly drives satisfaction with these new touch point? This study aims to discovers the key factors shaping customer satisfaction in Cambodia’s digital banking landscape, focusing on ease of use, accessibility, security, customer support, and how users adapt to new technologies. Surveying 280 Phnom Penh residents aged 18 and above. Regression analysis revealed that all five factors significantly impact satisfaction, Customers prioritize security and privacy of transactions. Adaptation and accessibility driven by intuitive platforms and multi-channel access are equally vital. Beyond ease of use and support, proactive engagement from providers is essential. The findings aren’t just numbers, this can be a roadmap for banks. By prioritizing ironclad security, user-friendly designs, customer service improvement, and ongoing customer education, institutions can build trust, loyalty and enhance their customer satisfaction in a competitive market. This study doesn’t just add to global research on digital banking it paints a vivid picture of Cambodia’s unique challenges and opportunities, offering actionable insights for banks aiming to thrive in an era where customer experience is king.

The archaeological complex of Sambor Prei Kuk is identified with Īśānapura, the capital of the Chenla Kingdom in the early 7th century, a political predecessor to the Angkor Empire. Previous studies have largely focused on the eastern temple zone, where numerous Hindu religious structures are concentrated, while the western moated city area—presumably the core of urban and political activity—has remained underexplored. This paper presents the results of recent archaeological excavations at a large central mound within the city zone, which is hypothesized to have functioned as a key administrative facility. The excavation revealed a large-scale and uniquely configured terraced structure, unprecedented within the site, and radiocarbon dating suggests its construction dates from the mid 6th to mid 7th century. Notably, a Chinese historical source from the same period, the Book of Sui, describes a “Great Hall” in Īśānapura where the king administered state affairs. The characteristics and spatial context of the excavated structure suggest a possible correspondence with this account. In addition, LiDAR-derived topographic data identified multiple linear and structural features extending eastward from the mound, indicating that it may have stood at the rear of a more extensive administrative compound. These findings offer new insights into the urban structure of Īśānapura and the political architecture of early Khmer civilization.

Ornamental pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L. var. ovifera) seeds are highly morphologically variable, and their classification is hence a complex task for the seed industry. Efficient and accurate classification is critical for agricultural production, breeding programs, and seed sorting for commerce. This study employs machine learning models-Random Forest (RF), LightGBM, and k-Nearest Neighbors (KNN)-to classify ornamental pumpkin seeds based on their morphological (mass, elongation, width, thickness) and colorimetric characteristics (L*, a*, b* values from CIELAB color space). Prior to model training, the data set was preprocessed through normalization and balancing to enhance classification performance. In this study, six different types of ornamental pumpkin seeds were used, with a total of 900 (150 each of SDE0619, SDE1020, SDE1620, SDE2621, SDE4521, and SDE7721). The classification performance of the models was evaluated using different metrics, such as Accuracy, Balanced Accuracy, Precision, Recall, F1 Score, Matthews Correlation Coefficient (MCC), and Cohen's Kappa. Among the tested models, the RF model performed best, with Accuracy of 0.959, Balanced Accuracy of 0.961, Precision (Macro) of 0.962, Recall (Macro) of 0.961, F1 Score (Macro) of 0.961, MCC of 0.951, and Cohen's Kappa of 0.951. In contrast, the worst classification performance of the tested models was with the KNN model across all the evaluation metrics. These outcomes reflect the potential of machine learning-based approaches for seed classification automation, error minimization in seed classification, and maximization of efficiency in the seed industry. The high classification performance of the Random Forest model with 95.9% accuracy and 0.951 MCC value shows that artificial intelligence-based automatic classification of ornamental pumpkin seeds according to their morphological and colorimetric characteristics can make significant contributions to the seed industry, while the integration of this approach into seed sorting and quality determination processes can enable the creation of effective breeding schemes for optimum seed selection by maximizing the accuracy of agricultural processes.

ABSTRACT Current research suggests digital financial inclusion (DFI) can promote economic resilience regionally by reaching marginalised groups. This paper aims to innovatively determine the function of DFI on urban economic resilience (UER) from a spatial perspective by taking Guangxi province in China as an example. The spatial Durbin model with dual fixed effects and panel data from prefecture-level cities over the period 2011–2022 were employed in our study. We find that (1) the advancement of DFI in Guangxi has a notable positive contribution to the improvement of UER, and the higher the DFI index of a city, the higher its UER level; (2) the expansion of DFI in surrounding regions has negative spatial spillover effects on the local UER level and (3) a distinct Siphon Effect is observed in the urban economic resilience among Guangxi cities. This study also provides recommendations for enhancing urban economic resilience in Guangxi.

PurposeMany authors have recognised multiple research gaps at empirical and theoretical levels regarding the interplay between the management of intellectual capital (IC) and the development of innovation capabilities from a strategic approach to technological opportunities, especially in knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS). This paper endeavours to provide answers to some of these research questions by relying on empirical observations in the context of an emergent economy.Design/methodology/approachAfter reviewing the literature through the lenses of the IC and knowledge-based view, the paper operationalises IC as a formative construct and explores its relationships with Technological Orientation, Innovativeness and Innovative Performance. This investigation employs structural equation modelling to analyse data collected through a questionnaire from a sample of KIBS members in a cross-sectional study.FindingsThe research confirms the positive influence of human capital on a company’s Technological Orientation, which in turn impacts Innovative Performance in KIBS. Structural and relational capital positively affect Innovativeness and the latter directly impact performance. All other IC components were found to determine the dependent variables through a mediated effect.Research limitations/implicationsThis research has several limitations. Firstly, it has to be stressed that the significance of the statistical findings is dependent on the sample size, and the results’ explanatory power and effect size cannot be extrapolated to other demographics in different regions or sectors. Secondly, it should be observed that the results of the empirical research can be affected by the respondents’ subjectivity in assessing the items and their perception of reality when providing the answers. Thirdly, this is a cross-sectional study, and results concerning, e.g. the Innovative Performance may be subject to change over a longer period of time, though items in this construct have inquired about results obtained over time. Finally, given the purpose of the research, the outcome may be limited to the research model design. Future research could attempt to replicate the results by investigating other demographics and other regions and by employing a longitudinal study.Practical implicationsThe study highlights the value added by adequate management of all IC elements, as they affect the output of organisational business strategies and processes in an integrated manner. An organisational technological strategy that is based on up-to-date technologies, the embeddedness of technology in the organisational processes and the staff’s continuous technical/digital upskilling are conducive to competitive advantage and business success in KIBS. High competencies and skills that are continuously renewed through training as well as the acquisition of digital competencies, play an influential role in generating innovative capabilities that lead to business performance. Flexible and efficient business processes, the company’s support for informal knowledge sharing between employees and its ability to exploit new knowledge to sustain growth are prerequisites for KIBS’ success. Promoting an organisational culture of trust and collaboration, making the staff feel valued and satisfied and effectively using digital technologies for communication are all significant factors in supporting the development of innovation capabilities.Social implicationsThis research proves that IC management, viewed as an integrated construct comprising human, structural and relational capital management, significantly affects Innovativeness through the development of technology-based innovative capabilities. Furthermore, in a context where KIBS (and other companies) nowadays compete in a digital environment, technology and technical knowledge are paramount for a company’s success. The study validates in an aggregated model the role played in innovation by the management of knowledge and technical knowledge embodied in the employees’ competencies and know-how, the management of tacit and explicit knowledge developed by the structural capital and the management of stakeholder knowledge accumulated by the relational capital.Originality/valueThis research takes a fresh and comprehensive perspective to investigate how IC management can impact Innovativeness and Innovative Performance in KIBS by focusing on the nexus with the organisations’ Technological Orientation. The paper makes an original contribution to research concerning IC, KIBS, technology and innovation based on empirical evidence and a new approach to assessing IC as an aggregate rather than by looking at individual components.

This study will investigate the relationship between the implementation of GHRM practices and its impact on EP in medium to large-scale manufacturing firms in Cambodia, with GIMS as a moderating variable. The design of the present study was a cross-sectional survey that gathered responses from 217 managers from firms practicing GHRM. A culturally adapted and validated questionnaire was used. SEM analysis indicated significant associations among GHRM, GIMS, and EP. Results also indicate that GHRM practices improve not only environmental performance but also sustainability culture. The contribution of this study is that it adds to the literature on green organizational practices and provides various insights to managers and policymakers on the integration of environmental sustainability into business strategy.