The social integration of internally displaced persons in Ukraine is analysed based on 5 dimensions of social integration: economic, political and religious, social, socio-psychological, and integration into cultural and sports life. The study was conducted using a nationally representative sociological survey of internally displaced persons (500 respondents) and the population of host communities (850 respondents). Differences in the perception of integration are investigated based on comparing the assessments of internally displaced persons and the population of the host communities. The highest integration is obtained in the socio-psychological, political and religious dimensions. The lowest level is in integration into community life. An important empirical result is the lower scores of the population compared to IDPs in almost all 21 criteria for integration. This is an indirect sign of significant social distance and lower readiness of the population of host communities, compared to IDPs themselves, to seek opportunities for interaction. The cluster analysis reveals the links between the most significant factors for successful integration: mutual respect between IDPs and local residents, tolerance, active engagement in local policy-making, and support for country defence. The most crucial obstacles to successful integration according to IDPs’ judgements are lower possibilities compared to the local population in participation in projects aimed at local communities’ development (65,3%), entrepreneurship development (60% of responses), and participation in decision-making regarding the community development (55,9%). The findings are important for developing policies to reduce the social exclusion of IDPs in areas where integration is below average.

Weldability of high-strength steels is strongly influenced by welding thermal cycles, particularly through their effect on heat-affected zone (HAZ) microstructure, hardness, and susceptibility to hydrogen-assisted cracking. In this study, six commercially available high-strength steels (S355MC, S500MC, S700MC, S960MC, S960QL, and S1100MC) were investigated using Gleeble physical simulation to reproduce welding thermal cycles with cooling times t8/5 = 5-20 s. Microstructural characterization, hardness measurements, and instrumented Charpy impact testing were performed and complemented by Tekken weldability tests. The results show that thermomechanically controlled processed (TMCP) steels (S355MC, S500MC, and S700MC) exhibit stable transformation behavior, maintaining consistent hardness and toughness across the investigated cooling range. In contrast, steels with yield strengths of 960 MPa and above exhibit a narrow processing window, where rapid cooling promotes the formation of hard martensitic microstructures, while slower cooling leads to grain coarsening and reduced impact toughness. Instrumented Charpy testing revealed a significant decrease in absorbed energy and crack resistance with increasing cooling time. The findings demonstrate that weldability in ultra-high-strength steels cannot be reliably assessed based on hardness alone. A combined evaluation of cooling time, microstructural evolution, hardness, and fracture behavior is required to support the selection of appropriate preheating and welding conditions.

The paper presents the parallelisation of sequential (single-processor) finite element simulations with the use of domain decomposition methods. These domain decomposition methods are the Schur complement method and the Finite Element Tearing and Interconnecting (FETI) method. The execution time and speedup of these parallel finite element methods have been compared to each other and to the sequential one.

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Purpose – This study examines how the decisions and traits of top managers translate into indirect, symbolic and procedural barriers to organizational learning (OL) and sustainable change within fragmented higher education institutions (HEIs) that are increasingly characterized by digitally enabled, globally disparate online workforces (faculty and students). It addresses the critical issue of whether current managerial selection and development models are sustainable, specifically investigating how non-academic leaders, often ill-equipped for complex intellectual capital management, impede the development required for a modern, global online HEI. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative analysis was conducted on the Pedagogic Innovation Project, a strategic, digitally relevant change initiative across 10 French campuses. This context provides a rich context for observing managerial practices and outcomes associated with leading highly specialized, distributed workforces through transformation. We employ upper echelons theory (UET) to investigate how the top management team (TMT) acts as a barrier to OL in a fragmented, knowledge-intensive HEI. We move beyond general applications of UET to focus on the indirect, symbolic and procedural forms of managerial influence. By analysing these underreported mechanisms, we contribute novel insights into how the values of TMT shape learning failures and defensive routines at the organizational level. Findings – The findings show that non-academic senior leaders, often recruited via informal networks and overly focused on procedural control, tend to cultivate unsustainable human resource management (HRM) practices that undermine organizational capacity. Such leaders inhibit double-loop learning (DLL) and suppress faculty expertise, which constitutes the core intellectual capital of a global HEI. Their reliance on defensive routines (rebranding top-down mandates) fosters distrust, opposing the autonomy needed for online work. By promoting commodified “plug-and-play” staffing and prioritizing superficial compliance over genuine integration, these leaders fail to implement sustainable performance management or authentic employee well-being during digital transformation, both of which are detrimental to sustainable HRM practices. Their reliance on defensive routines (rebranding top-down mandates) fosters distrust, opposing the autonomy needed for online work. By promoting commodified “plug-and-play” staffing and prioritizing superficial compliance over genuine integration, these leaders fail to implement sustainable performance management or authentic employee well-being during digital transformation, both of which are detrimental to sustainable HRM practices. Research limitations/implications – This study offers fresh insights into top management's role in innovating the business model within a fragmented French HEI, which therefore limits the generalizability to other HE contexts or sectors beyond education. Findings may not hold in systems with stronger academic leadership or less marketized environments. The study reflects only faculty perspectives, omitting direct input from top managers, which limits visibility into executive constraints. Confidentiality also restricted analysis of TMT demographics, narrowing the use of UET. The single-case design reduces comparative scope. Practical implications – HEIs and organizations managing global, digitally enabled workforces must overhaul manager recruitment, prioritizing candidates with expertise in intellectual capital stewardship and sustainable HRM, not just procedural control. They must invest in developing existing managers to champion DLL and authentic employee well-being over superficial compliance. For HR departments, this study signals the immediate need to discontinue unsustainable practices such as “plug-and-play” staffing models that erode expertise, favouring long-term talent development and management that empowers faculty autonomy. Social implications – The managerial suppression of faculty expertise, coupled with the use of “plug-and-play” staffing, actively contributes to the erosion of academic identity and professional morale. This suggests a counter-productive societal trend where bureaucratic control and metric-driven compliance supersede deep intellectual capital, thereby marginalizing practitioner-led innovation. Moreover, the reliance on defensive routines breeds a culture of distrust, undermining the high autonomy necessary for effective knowledge work. Over time, public resources are invariably diverted towards symbolic governance (accreditations) instead of genuine pedagogical investment, raising concerns about the long-term quality and integrity of public service outputs. Originality/value – The originality of this study lies in its extension of established theory and its application to an understudied, non-corporate context. It provides a crucial, non-corporate extension of UET, highlighting the specific mechanisms (namely, indirect, symbolic and procedural managerial influence) by which TMT characteristics actively obstruct organizational adaptation and deep learning in fragmented public sector environments. It offers empirical evidence that top managers' decisions, particularly those rooted in non-academic managerial expertise and focused on procedural/metric compliance, can systematically undermine a university's core mission (teaching and research integration).

In this paper, the nonlinear identification (ID) of the lateral dynamics of a road vehicle is presented. The mathematical description of lateral dynamics is crucial for developing various self-driving functions. One method of describing dynamics is system identification from measured data. During the measurements, the steering servo of a test vehicle kept in straight-line motion by a self-driving function was artificially excited. A Hammerstein–Wiener model was successfully applied for the identification of these measurements. A nonlinear estimator was used during the fitting, which needed high computing power. For the Hammerstein–Wiener model, we used the two-stage algorithm (TSA) with a bilinear estimation method, which makes it possible to apply linear regression. We compared these methods during simulations and real data.

Corporate image is increasingly recognized as a critical factor influencing employee stability, particularly within the dynamic business environment of the Czech Republic. This study investigates the relationship between organizational image and employee stability, focusing on key aspects such as employee training, benefits, and workplace safety. Data were collected via a structured questionnaire distributed to 442 key managerial personnel across various enterprise sizes and sectors, using the CAWI methodology. Responses were measured on a five-point Likert scale, and linear regression modelling was employed to analyze the causal impact of corporate image on employee stability. The findings reveal a statistically significant and positive effect of organizational image on employee stability, with the strongest associations observed in areas related to employee education and benefits. These results underscore the importance of cultivating a positive corporate image as a strategic tool for enhancing employee retention and satisfaction. The study contributes to the broader understanding of human resource management and corporate social responsibility in Central Europe, providing practical implications for managers seeking to strengthen workforce stability through image-building initiatives.

Two new species of Sternoppia (Sternoppia) (Oribatida, Sternoppiidae)—S. (S.) venezuelaensissp. nov. and S. (S.) parareticulatasp. nov.—are described, based on materials collected from leaf litter in northern Venezuela. Sternoppia (Sternoppia) venezuelaensissp. nov. differs from the closely related species, S. (S.) sphaerodendron, by the morphology of the bothridial seta head, the length of the notogastral setae h2, h3, the presence of the notogastral seta c, number of the genital setae, and the distance between epimeral setae 3a. Sternoppia (Sternoppia) parareticulatasp. nov.differs from the closely related species, S. (S.) reticulata, by the body size, the morphology of the bothridial seta head, the location of the costulae, and the presence of the notogastral seta c. A new location and habitat for S. (S.) vicina are reported.

The study aimed to determine the factors of social capital (SC) of enterprises that can have a significant impact on achieving sustainable competitiveness. In this regard, the study tested the SEM-analysis method for evaluating hypotheses regarding the influence of factors of relational, cognitive and structural social capital of enterprises on financial and non-financial indicators of competitiveness. Empirical data for the study were obtained on the basis of a sociological survey conducted by the authors of managers and owners of enterprises in Ukraine from December 2020 to March 2021. The obtained results and modelled relationships of factors confirmed the significant influence of factors of social capital of enterprises on competitiveness. At the same time, the results revealed the most essential influence of efforts to develop strategic partnerships with suppliers (as part of structural SC), efforts to form a positive image of the enterprise and satisfaction with horizontal relationships (as part of relational SC), general satisfaction with the psychological climate in the team, the establishment of corporate culture as well as own efforts to support and develop corporate culture (among the factors of cognitive SC).