This study investigates the economic, sociological, and political consequences of Donald Trump’s 2025 protectionist trade policies, aiming to understand how public experiences influence attitudes toward international cooperation. It addresses gaps in existing research by revealing that negative policy experiences may paradoxically strengthen support for multilateralism. The analysis is contextualized within accelerating scientific and technological progress, particularly developments in information and communication technologies, arguing that forces once driving hyper-globalization now increasingly contribute to selective deglobalization. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design is applied, combining a systematic literature review of 160 sources (2016–2025) with an original survey of 209 respondents from 17 countries. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation coefficients, and thematic analysis to explore relationships between economic consequences, social attitudes, and political preferences. Results reveal a significant “cooperation paradox:” among respondents reporting negative national impacts from Trump’s policies (67.9%), support for international cooperation remains very high (85.2%), with a statistically significant negative correlation between perceived national harm and opposition to cooperation (r = –0.20, p < 0.01). The study also identifies a “macro–personal disconnect,” where perceptions of national economic harm exceed reported personal financial deterioration (r = –0.44, p < 0.001). These findings provide the first empirical evidence of this cooperation paradox, challenging theories linking negative economic experiences with isolationism. The study introduces selective deglobalisation as a theoretical concept describing rational public learning, where harmful policies are rejected while commitment to revised multilateral frameworks is reinforced. Integrating technological transformation into this analysis deepens understanding of public opinion on globalisation and offers valuable insights for policymakers.

This editorial addresses the evolving epistemological landscape of economics in the context of digitalisation, virtualisation, and the increasing interpenetration of disciplinary domains. It reflects on how the emergence of virtual economies—ranging from platform ecosystems and digital labour to metaverses, NFTs, and decentralised finance—necessitates a reassessment of the traditional boundaries between the “real” and the “virtual” in economic thought. As these domains become increasingly entangled, economic categories such as value, labour, capital, and consumption are being reconfigured within hybrid infrastructures that are simultaneously symbolic, technological, and material. The article explores the implications of this shift for economic theory, arguing that reflexivity and interdisciplinarity are no longer peripheral concerns, but central conditions for knowledge production. Drawing on developments in cultural studies, information theory, sociology, and law, the editorial examines how economic research is enriched by methodological pluralism and conceptual openness. It also considers the mechanisms through which interdisciplinary knowledge circulates—academic publishing, research networks, funding schemes, and policy discourse—while acknowledging structural and epistemological constraints that hinder integration. Finally, the editorial reflects on the role of journals such as Virtual Economics as platforms for epistemic experimentation and disciplinary renewal. It invites scholars from diverse fields to engage with the shifting boundaries of economic inquiry and to contribute to the construction of a more open, pluralistic, and digitally attuned economic science—one capable of grappling with the complexities of both the virtual and the real in the 21st century.

The article’s subject is the state of the United Arab Emirates, established in 1971 in a primarily desert area with approximately 180,000 inhabitants, almost entirely Arab. Today, the country is home to over 10 million people from over 200 nations and is undergoing a massive transformation. However, to avoid the consequences of becoming dependent on oil revenues, the UAE (top oil producer) is implementing economic diversification programs. This process is accompanied by a dynamic development of the state’s activity in space. The research objective is to examine the UAE’s space sector’s phenomenon and diplomatic activity, which impacts the country’s economic diversification. Consequently, research questions were posed: what initiatives can significantly contribute to the development of the UAE space industry, nonoil export, and, consequently, to economic diversification? What international space programs should be crucial for diplomacy? At the epistemology level, within the theoretical framework, the paper applied international political economy to explain the issue of diversification. Meanwhile, economic development theory focuses on production, consumption, and trade changes. In its light, the article discusses the rentier state theory, the concept of the resource curse, and the “Dutch disease” syndrome. To find answers to the research questions, appropriate empirical methods were used: quantitative research, statistical analyses, observation, including participant observation, and case studies. Additionally, the Herfindahl Hirschman Index (HHI), the Dickey-Fuller test (ADF), the autoregression model (VAR), the Johansen cointegration test, the vector error correction model (VECM), and the Granger causality test were applied. The methods contributed to obtaining the results and finding answers to the research questions. Hypothesis validation shows that numerous initiatives of the United Arab Emirates to build the space industry have not yet impacted economic diversification, but they have great future potential.

Cyberloafing is a new phenomenon. As a result of extensive internet and technology use in the workplace throughout the digital era, the practice of cyberloafing has emerged. With the advent of communication technologies, there is a continuous usage of the internet, mobile devices, and computer devices at the workplace. The online activities have been increasing every day. Therefore, in the present study, an attempt has been made to gather information about cyberloafing and its effects on employee behaviour. The purpose of this study is to know in which type of cyberloafing activities employees are engaged and how these cyberloafing activities impact employee behavioural factors (such as recovery, development, addiction and deviance) and innovative work behaviour. For this purpose, data were collected from public sector employees and private sector employees from the educational as well as healthcare sectors residing in Haryana. The data were collected from 150 respondents through questionnaires and analysed by using structural equational modelling SEM-PLS. The study is based on the concept considering cyberloafing as a multidimensional construct that includes cyberloafing activities (social, informational, virtual and leisure) and cyberloafing behaviour (recovery, development, deviance and addiction). The findings of the study indicate that cyberloafing activities have a significant positive impact on employee innovative work behaviour. The present research findings are beneficial for organisations to be aware of cyberloafing activities in which employees are engaged and cyberloafing behaviour which companies are interested to know. This study has important implications for organisations looking to adapt to new technologies and efficiently control cyberloafing behaviours in the digital world.

The crucial role education plays in fostering sustainable development, moving society toward a more environmentally and socially conscious future, and influencing the attitudes and behaviours of both the present and the future generations are explored in this article. The authors analyse the concept of education for sustainable development (ESD), a transformative learning technique designed to provide individuals and communities with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to encourage moral behaviour. ESD must be integrated into a number of learning contexts in order to have a full and all-encompassing impact, underscoring the need for interdisciplinary and holistic methods that are considerate of different learning styles, backgrounds, and circumstances. Moreover, the article examines the role of key stakeholders, such as educators, policymakers, and local communities, in designing and implementing transformative learning experiences that foster behavioural change, critical thinking, and social engagement. It discusses the significance of teacher training, curriculum development, and innovative educational resources in nurturing a culture of sustainability and encouraging collective action. Additionally, the article investigates the potential barriers to adopting ESD, including resistance to change, insufficient funding, and a lack of awareness, and proposes strategies for overcoming these challenges. The authors conduct a survey among university students to detect the key challenges of ESD and how to address them from their perspectives.

Recently, the topic of carbon neutrality has been gaining momentum. Such trends are mainly related to the adoption of important global agreements, such as the European Green Deal, as well as the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Such trends have a positive effect on countries, but in such situations, states must quickly respond to the challenges and needs of the world and have an understanding of how to respond to these trends. To date, there are many ratings that can be used to form a portrait of a country (investment, social, environmental, etc.), but currently the rating of the green brand of a country is becoming more relevant. There are problems regarding its improvement and filling, yet this is a new evaluation of a country for this period of time. It is relevant today to study the nature and architecture of the concept of a green brand, as well as the search for the main determinants of its impact. The purpose of the article is to analyse publications in order to identify patterns in the development of the green brand and the social responsibility of business. The article provides a bibliometric analysis of research in the field of green branding and corporate social and environmental responsibility. The authors selected more than 10,000 works published in 2000–2021 indexed by the scientometric databases Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar. Using VOSviewer, the results of the bibliometric analysis were visualized on the definition map. This made it possible to identify seven clusters that combine 58 terms. As a result of the research, using the constructed bibliographic map, the connection between the terms ‘green brand’ and ‘corporate social responsibility’ was revealed.

The article examines the monthly dynamics of exports, imports and balance of trade between Ukraine and Romania in the period from 2005 to 2021. Time series from 2015 to 2021 were used for modelling and forecasting (since the date the European Union–Ukraine Association Agreement took effect). Adequate models of the dynamics series of the Box-Jenkins methodology were built: additive models with seasonal component ARIMA (Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average) ARIMAS (or SARIMA) and Holt-Winters exponential smoothing with a dampened trend. Forecasting of exports, imports and trade balance for the fourth quarter of 2021 and first quarter of 2022 were completed. The forecast results showed a small relative error compared to the actual data. Thus, when forecasting the trade balance between countries using the Holt-Winters model, the relative prediction errors were: for October 2021 – 1.3%; for November 2021 – 2.6%; for December 2021 – 0.4%.

A strong positive image is an important asset for all countries around the world. Simple recognition of a name or geographic location is not enough to make a successful brand. People should want to visit, live, and preferably work and invest in the country. The research methodology for this article used Simon Anholt’s approach. Anholt is the author of the widely recognized system Nation Brands Index which measures the power and quality of each country’s “brand image” by combining the following six dimensions: Exports, Governance, Culture and Heritage, People, Tourism, and Investment and Immigration. In this article, the authors selected one important dimension, “Investment and Immigration,” using the case of the Astana International Finance Centre (AIFC), which was created to enhance and promote Kazakhstan’s investment image. The expected outcomes of the study include assessing the perception of how the AIFC used digital technologies to build its brand as a part of the country’s image, and discussing the digital context of developing investment attractiveness. It also covers a short literature review on the theoretical and empirical aspects of digital transformation and presents a case study and a questionnaire-based survey to illustrate the impact of digital transformation, and especially the use of digital technologies for the AIFC’s image promotion. The conclusion summarizes the findings of this research and discusses some implications for investment and immigration attractiveness and the image of the AIFC.

The author emphasised the importance of cognitive methods and business management methods, as well as the necessity to adopt an open-minded approach that requires combining multiple approaches in the research process. In order to make the research more credible, the author suggested using triangulation of research methods, allowing to expand the scope of the studied phenomenon. The application of combined research methods also permits achieving higher quality of conducted research, as well as limiting measurement errors that may occur when just one method is used. The author pointed out that for each research process an appropriate research methodology should be selected depending on the type of research problem. It might be necessary to refine the approach, tool or method in order to strengthen the research process. The author designed a concept of a modern formula for organisational changes in an enterprise in the form of a model and verified the model against the example of selected enterprises. He made an attempt to develop a research method to be used in the implementation of basic research processes in management sciences and in the implementation of organisational changes in an enterprise. The developed research method, called "LIDER" (covering three stages), has been used by the author to identify areas of activity and to assess the readiness of change leaders to carry out organisational changes in an enterprise. The nature of the research will determine the decision as to the precise research design, creation of a research model and selection of specific research methods.

The COVID-19 pandemic has suddenly swept across the world on an unprecedented scale, having a global and destructive impact on numerous areas of both social and economic life. For the most part, the effects of the current pandemic crisis have been evaluated negatively, although they may also bring about positive future trends, such as accelerated technological advancement or increased financial support for and development of areas such as smart cities. Given the above, the focal point of our deliberations is the concept of smart cities and the exemplification of smart solutions implemented in cities in the context of new environmental challenges triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of the article is, on one hand, to identify the key theoretical and research problems that define the framework for smart city development, and on the other, to present selected practical smart projects implemented in different city areas in Poland and around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. As far as the methodology, systematic literature analysis and case study have been opted for. To explain the essence of the smart city concept, Polish and foreign peer-reviewed scientific publications were analysed. To characterize smart solutions that are being implemented in different cities, findings from reports and materials retrieved from websites dedicated to smart initiatives were used. A search was carried out for scientific papers that contain the terms "smart city" and "COVID-19" in the title, abstract or among the keywords. Bibliometric analysis was the research method used to evaluate publications in terms of the smart city concept and the COVID-19 pandemic. To that end, research techniques such as trend analysis, citation analysis and word coexistence analysis were applied. In the article, selected issues of the smart cities functioning during a pandemic crisis are analysed. The findings show that cities have been keen on developing and implementing smart solutions during the COVID-19 pandemic, the latter obviously causing the accelerated development of smart-city systems. The pandemic-driven changes adopted so far by cities in the area of smart solutions are not only futureproof in terms of epidemic safety but also make other goals, such as limiting the use natural resources or increasing the quality of life for residents, more attainable.