Regional Formation and Development Studies

climate. During the qualitative research, which involved semi-structured interviews with eight principals, it was found that mutual cooperation with the community, active participation in joint activities, and shared responsibility and decision-making, promote teamwork

and create emotional security and a positive school climate. The research also found that preschool educational institution principals

must constantly develop and improve their leadership skills, creating mutual relationships, trust, open communication and common

agreements in the institution. The research revealed that a clear institutional structure and a safe and inclusive environment directly impact

the school community’s ability to foster a positive climate. Leadership qualities such as respect, openness and shared responsibility

encourage the school community to engage in activities that foster a positive school climate. The principals recognise unanimously that

leadership is not a spontaneous process; it is cultivated by the entire school community, through collaborative initiatives and teacher

involvement in decision-making processes, as well as by fostering a positive climate in the preschool educational institution.

region, transforming energy from a market commodity into a strategic and geopolitical resource. While existing literature emphasises

disruption and vulnerability, this paper reframes the crisis as a catalyst for social innovation. Drawing on a comparative analysis of

Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland, the study examines how rising energy prices, supply insecurity and policy responses have stimulated

new forms of behavioural adaptation, collective action and institutional change. Particular attention is given to decentralised energy practices, prosumer models and governance innovation. The findings reveal that social innovation emerges unevenly across national contexts, shaped by structural conditions, institutional capacity and geopolitical positioning. The paper argues that energy shocks can function as transformative moments, fostering resilience while also exposing internal divergences within the European Union, and reshaping regional pathways toward sustainability.

A structured literature review of peer-reviewed studies (2019–2026; n = 35) is combined with directed content analysis and semiquantitative coding. Six implementation practice groups are evaluated across eight indicators: emissions, resource efficiency, circularity,

cost, responsiveness, integration, transparency, and retail/service applicability. Based on the evidence matrix, a phased scenario

model is designed for an urban retail-service network handling 10,000 weekly deliveries. The results indicate that IoT-enabled real-time

visibility, blockchain-based traceability, and route optimisation with warehouse-transport synchronisation generate the strongest multicriteria effect. In the modelled transition from baseline to full implementation (S0–S3), weekly CO2 emissions decrease by 36.9%, unit fulfilment cost decreases by 18.7%, and on-time delivery increases by 9.1%.

the rapid growth of tourist flows has led to the emergence of overtourism, which negatively affects local communities, natural environments, and the quality of tourist experiences. This paper examines legal and administrative instruments used to manage tourist

flows in the context of sustainable regional development. Particular attention is paid to the relationship between environmental law and tourism management, including the concept of “use exceeding common use” under environmental law. The study also analyses practical governance tools such as zoning, pricing policies, capacity limits, and stakeholder involvement. Using examples from Lithuania and Poland, the paper demonstrates that effective management of overtourism requires an integrated approach combining legal regulation, administrative measures, and innovative management strategies.

tourism supply chains. However, governance in tourism destinations is often characterised by dispersed responsibilities, uneven stakeholder engagement, and limited implementation coherence, creating barriers to integrated sustainability management. This article examines how governance fragmentation affects sustainable management at the destination. The study adopts an exploratory qualitative case study based on semi-structured expert interviews with key tourism supply chain stakeholders, including destination management organisations, tour operators, and accommodation and transportation sector experts. Thematic analysis was used to identify governance barriers and potential pathways for improvement. The findings reveal that governance fragmentation weakens sustainability implementation through dispersed accountability, uneven participation, and limited coordination across sectors. The study argues that stronger governance integration, clearer implementation structures, improved role clarity and shared monitoring practices are essential for advancing sustainable destination management.

Slovakia, divided according to the level of existential conditions, standard of living, relational needs, and awareness of the population,

and, through their measurement, to evaluate the level of the Regional Identity Index in the studied territories. In the processing of the

selected issue, quantitative research is applied, according to the authors Rosičová et al. (2016), in the form of calculating the Regional

Identity Index (IRI). It determines the level of IRI of selected regions, according to which the level of competitiveness of tourist destinations

can also be determined. Twenty-four selected factors are examined, divided into four groups: existential conditions, standard of living, relational needs, and awareness of the region’s inhabitants. The study sets two research questions, dealing with the examination

of the level of regional identity of individual tourist destinations, and the overall average regional identity of the regions in the years studied.

The results of the study show that the highest level of IRI is achieved by the Bratislava region tourist destination (a value of 57.15

in 2024) and the lowest value in the monitored period is the Košice region (a value of 23.70 in 2023, and 25.42 in 2024).

medium-size enterprises (SMEs), and whether perceived implementation barriers reduce that effect. The study draws on a cross-sectional

survey sample of 729 SMEs operating in 14 industries. The analysis uses hierarchical ordinary least squares moderation models with meancentred variables and HC3 heteroskedasticity-robust standard errors, controlling for firm size, firm age, and industry. Five item-level moderation models were estimated to assess specific barriers. The results indicate a positive association between CSR engagement and sustainable competitive advantage. However, the expected weakening effect of implementation barriers is not supported. The overall interaction was not significant, and the barrier-specific effects lacked robustness. The findings suggest that perceived implementation barriers should be understood as contextual challenges and boundary conditions, rather than as fixed constraints on CSR-related competitive advantage. Future research should test these relationships with longitudinal, broader regional and multi-respondent designs.

health status in Lithuania. The aim of the study is to identify the main technological and social barriers limiting the motivation and opportunities of older working-age people to remain in the labour market in the context of regional exclusion. Secondary data analysis was performed for the study, using data from a representative survey of the Lithuanian population in 2025 (n=650). Comparative analysis was applied, dividing respondents into two age groups (50 to 59 years and 60 to 64 years), and assessing their declared digital literacy according to place of residence and education. The study revealed a clear regional polarisation: in rural areas, low or zero digital self-awareness among 60 to 64-year-olds reaches 23.9%, while in the capital this indicator is eliminated. It was found that higher education acts as a protective factor against technological isolation, while people with secondary education usually have only basic competencies that are insufficient in the digitalised labour market. The employment trajectories of pre-retirement age people in Lithuania are determined by the complex interaction between declining investment in human capital, poorer subjective health status, and a lack of digital trust. The article concludes that active ageing in regions often becomes forced activity, determined by economic deprivation rather than successful technological adaptation.

consumption. The digital marketing and media ecosystem not only ensures the availability of information, but also shapes perceptions,

trust and social norms. This study develops and empirically tests an integrated model of sustainable consumer decision-making in a digital environment. The study applies a quantitative approach based on a survey of 384 respondents, and uses structural equation modelling to assess direct and indirect relationships between the digital environment, information, trust and sustainable decisionmaking. The findings show that the digital environment significantly shapes information perception, while information quality and credibility are key drivers of trust. The results enhance our understanding of sustainable consumption as a structured and socially influenced process, and explain the attitude behaviour gap. The study highlights trust as a key element, and provides recommendations for improving digital communication and governance to support sustainable development.