Taste Over Looks: How Product and Store Attributes Drive Satisfaction and Loyalty among Generation Z Coffee Shop Consumers

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Coffee shops targeting Generation Z increasingly compete on visually appealing beverages, on the assumption that this digitally native generation cares most about how products look. This study examined what actually satisfies Generation Z coffee shop customers and keeps them coming back, comparing the role of visual presentation with that of taste consistency, store ambience and value for money. A survey using a four-point Likert questionnaire was conducted in December 2025 among 87 undergraduate students at the Indralaya campus of Universitas Sriwijaya, Indonesia, who were selected by purposive sampling. The data were analysed in SPSS using descriptive statistics, the McNemar test, the Mann–Whitney U test, Cronbach’s alpha, Spearman’s rank correlation, multiple linear regression and bootstrapped mediation analysis with the PROCESS macro (Model 4). Respondents chose coffee shops mainly because the place was comfortable and conveniently located, whereas taste was mentioned far more often as a reason for being satisfied than as a reason for choosing a coffee shop. Although most respondents said that the presentation of a beverage matters to their satisfaction, the importance they attached to presentation was unrelated to how satisfied they actually were. Instead, satisfaction was driven mainly by consistent taste and, to a lesser extent, by a comfortable store environment. Satisfied customers were more willing to return and to recommend the coffee shop, and taste and ambience strengthened loyalty by first increasing satisfaction. Value for money did not raise satisfaction but directly encouraged customers to return. These findings challenge the assumption that visual appeal is decisive for Generation Z: whatever role presentation plays in attracting customers, consistent taste and a comfortable environment sustain their satisfaction, and fair prices bring them back.

“Balatro Madness” Exploring Addictive Game Elements in Indie Hit Through Octalysis Framework and Flow Theory

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This study explores the addictive elements of the hit indie game Balatro using the Octalysis Framework and Flow Theory. This study employed an explanatory mixed-method approach, combining quantitative survey data with qualitative open-ended responses. The questionnaire was answered by 59 players from the Balatro Game community on Facebook and Discord. Data were collected through a questionnaire structured based on the Octalysis Framework and the Flow model. The findings indicate that Balatro scored 66.78 out of 80 on the Octalysis scale, indicating strong addictive potential. The average Flow score was 28.5 out of 35, indicating high player engagement and an optimal FLOW state. Key addictive elements include: a balanced challenge-skill progression, objectives that adapt to players’ skill levels, collecting Joker cards, unpredictable strategy combinations, and a collectible card system. These elements are effective because Balatro gradually increases in difficulty as players’ skills increase, with eight Stake levels and an unlimited score cap (Naneinf). Players are rewarded with rare cards and encouraged to share achievements socially, which strengthens a sense of ownership and social influence. This research shows that the addictive mechanics in Balatro, developed by a single indie developer, can serve as a replicable model for designing educational and commercial games with high engagement potential.

Communicating Women’s Leadership in Higher Education: A Gendered Perspective on Visibility, Voice, and Recognized Authority

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Greater media visibility of women university leaders does not necessarily ensure equivalent recognition of their professional expertise, decision-making authority, or public voice. This conceptual article develops an integrative framework for examining how women’s leadership is communicated in higher education through a gender-sensitive lens. Drawing on an interpretive synthesis of scholarship on gendered organizations, role congruity, framing, feminist discourse analysis, and dialogic public relations, the article distinguishes three analytically separate phenomena: media visibility, representations of authority, and audiences’ recognition of authority. It proposes the Gendered Leadership Image-Communication Framework (GLICF), which connects five communicative stages with four dimensions for analyzing messages. Its central contribution is to articulate the visibility-authority gap: prominent representation does not necessarily convey a leader’s substantive agency or generate public recognition of her authority. Four theoretical propositions specify potentially testable relationships and their contextual qualifications. As a conceptual contribution rather than an empirical investigation, the framework should be treated as a research agenda whose assumptions require testing through content analysis, audience research, and experimental designs.

Kalighat Temple in Kolkata: Celebrating the Place for Ritualistic Perception and Togetherness

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Kalighat Temple is one of the most important places of celebrating ritualistic behaviour of people with diverse socio-economic background. The temple is located at Kolkata (earlier Calcutta) in West Bengal state and is considered as a significant cultural heritage site with the association of the Goddess Kali and the Shakti (Sati) Peetha tradition according to Hindu religious belief. People’s ritualistic perception attached to this temple spread from the temple’s inner sanctum and extends into the wider arena of the entire city.

The present study aims to identify the various aspects related to the nature of infrastructure and also investigate to explore the ritualistic perception that are linked to the religious activities of the Kalighat temple. Based on qualitative method of study, the present research reveals that, the Kalighat Temple represents a different significance for different people with diversity in social groups and economic classes and their continuous interactions and interdependencies. The study also points out that, the temple offers numerous possibilities to local people depending on daily, special and ceremonial temple functions both socially, economically, culturally and spiritually.

Reconstructing Thinking Process Indicators in Learning: An Integrative Synthesis of Vygotsky, Piaget, and Thorndike

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Research on thinking processes in learning has developed across theoretical traditions, yet related constructs are often examined separately. This fragmentation makes it difficult to develop an integrated understanding of how learners direct attention, process knowledge, draw inferences, and reflect on and regulate their thinking. This study synthesizes the literature on thinking processes in learning and develops an integrative conceptual framework linking core thinking processes with supporting conditions and developmental and social contexts. A systematic literature review using PRISMA-based selection procedures examined Scopus-indexed articles published between 2021 and 2026. Of 288 identified articles, 11 met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed through data extraction, thematic analysis, and narrative synthesis. The synthesis identifies three core processes: attentional regulation, knowledge processing and inference, and reflection and control. These processes operate within supporting conditions, including prior knowledge, task demands, self-efficacy, learning experiences, language, and social support, and are shaped by developmental and social contexts. The findings distinguish core thinking processes from constructs that function as supporting conditions. The proposed framework conceptualizes thinking as a dynamic system of interrelated processes rather than a fixed sequence of stages. It provides a conceptual basis for developing operational indicators and subsequent empirical validation.

The Effect of Servant Leadership Behaviors on Performance Outcomes and Job Satisfaction in Public Schools

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Servant leadership is one of the modern leadership theories, and its significance lies in the positive and tangible results it achieves at the individual and institutional levels. This study investigates the effect of servant leadership behaviors on performance outcomes and job satisfaction in public schools in Palestine from the teachers’ point of view, during the first semester of the academic year 2021/2022. A quantitative research methodology was used, specifically the descriptive survey method. The study sample was selected by simple random sampling and consisted of 300 teachers currently working in public schools in Hebron, West Bank. The questionnaire results show that principals of public schools in Hebron practice servant leadership to a high degree. They also indicate a relationship between the application of the servant leadership style and both performance outcomes and job satisfaction. In addition, the statistical analysis showed significant differences in teachers’ estimates of servant leadership attributable to the demographic variables (gender, years of experience, and educational qualification).

Cross-Border Cybercrime and Criminal Jurisdiction: Rethinking Indonesia’s Extraterritorial Enforcement Framework

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The decentralized architecture of cross-border cybercrime, where perpetrators, victims, data infrastructure, and digital evidence concurrently span multiple territories, routinely undermines traditional territoriality principles in criminal law. While Indonesia has expanded its domestic statutory reach through the Electronic Information and Transactions (ITE) Law, the New Penal Code (KUHP), the Criminal Procedure Code (KUHAP), the Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) Law, and the Personal Data Protection (PDP) Law, asserting prescriptive jurisdiction does not automatically confer enforcement authority abroad. Unauthorized extraterritorial investigative actions directly violate foreign state sovereignty. This article evaluates the systemic friction between Indonesia’s expansive prescriptive frameworks and the strict territorial limitations governing cross-border evidence gathering and coercive maneuvers. Utilizing a normative-doctrinal method paired with a comparative statutory analysis, this study evaluates contemporary domestic laws against international legal instruments and foreign legal developments. To resolve jurisdictional conflicts, this article constructs a novel Digital Jurisdictional Nexus Test based on five distinct connecting factors: the locus of conduct, victimhood and localized harm, operational data infrastructure, national economic interest, and proximity to the data custodian or service provider. This framework clearly demarcates the legislative capacity to criminalize conduct from the procedural authority to seize electronic evidence globally. Consequently, the study introduces an operational Five-Stage Cross-Border Digital Investigation Protocol navigating nexus verification, sovereignty and comity assessments, evidentiary taxonomy, international cooperation channel selection, and judicial oversight. Finally, this paper evaluates the strategic implications of Indonesia’s September 2026 signature of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime, mapping out its potential to modernize mutual legal assistance frameworks ahead of its formal ratification and entry into force.

Predictive Effects of Sleep Deprivation on the Academic Performance of Grade 12 General Academic Strand Learners

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This study investigated the predictive effects of sleep deprivation on the academic performance and personal behavior of Grade 12 General Academic Strand (GAS) learners at Racman Pimping Maniri Dumarpa (RPMD) National Science High School during the academic year 2023–2024. Adequate sleep is a foundational physiological mechanism necessary for the human brain to function at its maximum capacity, whereas persistent sleep loss severely diminishes vital cognitive skills, alertness, memory, concentration, and general classroom productivity. To examine these complex dynamics within a localized Senior High School context, the researcher utilized a quantitative descriptive-correlational research design. The target population and respondent universe comprised sixty-two (62) officially enrolled Grade 12 GAS learner-respondents, encompassing both male and female. Data collection was systematically executed using a structured survey questionnaire explicitly divided into specific analytical blocks to assess the learner-respondents’ baseline demographic profiles, determine the underlying causes of their late-night habits, and measure the subsequent structural impacts of sleep loss on their academic performance and personal behaviors. To overcome environmental and field tracking difficulties, strategic local tracking methods were successfully employed. Statistical treatment of the gathered data utilized frequency and percentage distributions for baseline demographic sorting; weighted means, standard deviations, and statistical rankings for categorical appraisal; and the Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient to establish the statistical significance of relationships between the variables. Preliminary demographic results indicated that the largest portion of the learner population clustered within the 20 to 22 years old bracket (46.77%), followed closely by the 17 to 19 years old cohort (43.55%), demonstrating a predominant late-adolescence profile with unique variations in academic entry age. The outcomes indicated that the subjects routinely endure sleep deprivation during late adolescence. Conclusively, the analytical computations established that the learner-respondents’ baseline profiles and the specific catalysts behind their lack of sleep yielded no statistically significant relationship with their academic ratings or behavioral tendencies. Crucially, the absence of a significant relationship demonstrates that sleep deprivation uniformly affects the entire learner-respondents pool, showing no variance based on demographic traits such as age or sex. This established dataset provides an empirical foundation for understanding the behavioral and cognitive vulnerabilities driven by severe nighttime sleep debt among specialized senior high school learners.

A Resource-Based and Local Wisdom-Based Approach to MBG Program Governance as a Strategy for Community Empowerment at the Local Level

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The Free Nutritious Meals Program (MBG) is a government priority program aimed at improving the nutritional status of the community while promoting local economic empowerment. However, the MBG’s governance structure, which tends to be centralized (top-down), poses challenges in optimizing the utilization of local resources and local wisdom at the implementation level. This study aims to examine patterns of resource utilization and local knowledge in the MBG’s governance through partnerships between Nutrition Service Units (SPPG) and MSME actors in Makassar City. The study employed a qualitative approach using a case study design across ten SPPGs in Makassar City. Informants were selected using purposive sampling, including SPPG heads/managers and local business partners in the program’s supply chain. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, observations, and documentation, with data validity ensured through triangulation of sources and techniques. The results indicate that the actors’ involvement is divided into three complementary roles: MSMEs as food suppliers, SPPG personnel as processors, and SPPG heads as quality controllers who actively source suppliers from traditional markets. This partnership has had positive impacts, including stable product demand, market certainty, and expanded business networks for MSMEs, although they still face challenges such as capital constraints, fluctuations in raw material prices, and supply delays. The study concludes that the success of integrating local resources and local wisdom into the governance of the Free Nutritious Meals program in Makassar City depends on strengthening organic partnerships at the SPPG level through mentoring, training, and consistent payment guarantees to local business partners.

The Role of Opinion Leaders in Advancing Teenage Education Through Behaviour Change Communication: Evidence from Mount Elgon Sub-County, Bungoma County, Kenya

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Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) plays an important role in influencing knowledge, attitudes and behaviours that affect educational outcomes among teenagers. Within rural communities, opinion leaders can serve as important communication actors because of their familiarity with local contexts and the trust placed in them by community members. However, limited empirical evidence exists on how opinion leadership communication approaches contribute to advancing teenage education in rural settings such as Mt. Elgon Sub-County. This study examined the perceived effectiveness of opinion leadership communication approaches used by Restore A Dream Africa (RADA) in advancing teenage education in Mt. Elgon Sub-County, Bungoma County, Kenya. The study adopted a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative data were collected using structured questionnaires administered to students, parents/guardians and teachers, while qualitative data were obtained through interviews with community leaders and RADA staff and focus group discussions with students and parents/guardians. Quantitative data were analyzed using frequencies and percentages, while qualitative data were organized thematically. The findings indicated that opinion leaders were perceived to play an important role in advancing teenage education through encouraging teenagers to remain in school, influencing education-related decisions, providing trusted educational information and helping to change attitudes towards teenage education. Questionnaire findings showed generally positive perceptions of opinion leaders, with agreement across the four indicators ranging from 73.6% to 78.7%. Community leaders were particularly identified as important links between RADA, parents and teenagers through community meetings, sensitization activities and direct engagement with families and young people. Religious leaders also communicated educational messages through sermons, worship settings and informal community discussions. The study concludes that opinion leadership communication approaches were perceived to provide an important mechanism through which BCC messages could be communicated, interpreted and reinforced within the community. The study recommends strengthening the involvement of trusted community and religious leaders in education-focused communication initiatives and enhancing their collaboration with RADA, parents, schools and teenagers to support continued school participation.