International Journal of Social Science Research and Review

Role of Strategic Marketing in Survival of Small Business and Creating Job Opportunities in the U.S. Economy

2025-12-24T11:53:52+00:00

Small businesses are essential drivers of US economic growth and employment; however, many struggle to remain viable because of inadequate strategic marketing capabilities. This study filled the existing gap on a measurable effect of strategic marketing practices on small business survival and job creation, which has not received much attention in empirical studies. The purpose of the research was to analyze the effect of marketing orientations such as market research, branding, pricing and digital marketing on business performance and employment creation. After quantitatively surveying 410 small business owners and managers in the context of different U.S. regions, analyses were conducted through Descriptive statistics and Structural Equation Modelling. Findings indicated that strategic marketing practices were associated with 62.4% of the variation in survival of firms and 54.7% in firm job creation. In terms of marketing dimensions, digital marketing performance (β = 0.41, p < 0.01) and customer relationship action plans (β = 0.36, p < 0.01) had the greatest effect on firm survival and workforce growth. The results indicated that businesses with a regular marketing planning and customer‐centric approach were 1.8 times more likely to achieve sales growth, job creation. Original evidence on marketing strategy and socioeconomic outcomes was provided, with policy implications for the support of small firms’ marketing capacity to increase employment and develop regions.

Event-Driven Economic Behavior in Virtual Economies: Evidence from Hypixel Skyblock

2025-12-23T12:27:04+00:00

This study investigates how consumer economic behavior changes in response to short-term, event-driven conditions, taking the “Season of Jerry” event in the virtual economy of Hypixel Skyblock as its focus. The research tracks spending, saving, and investment choices across four distinct phases: pre-event, immediate pre-event, event, and post-event, spanning December 1 to December 25, 2024. Six randomly selected players provided daily records of their financial activity in-game, which were then examined to identify recurring patterns and trends. The analysis shows that players who favored balanced strategies, built around reinvestment and the use of passive income methods, generally achieved more consistent and profitable results. By contrast, those who leaned heavily on speculative approaches or short-term consumption often experienced losses. Several real-world economic concepts could be observed in action within this virtual setting, including prospect theory, bounded rationality, and the sunk cost effect. While the modest sample size and the limitations of a game-based context make broad generalization difficult, the results suggest that virtual economies can serve as valuable environments for studying consumer behavior. They may also provide insights that are useful to educators, economists, and digital platform designers who are interested in decision-making under temporary shocks.

Beyond Dichotomies: Rethinking Conflict Dynamics between the Refugee-Host Community in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh

2025-12-23T12:27:04+00:00

Why does the relationship between refugees and hosts in long-term displacement always seem to fail? Global displacement presents a significant challenge; yet existing analytical frameworks frequently simplify complex dynamics into a binary struggle. This study argues that such reductionism conceals the true drivers of conflict. Our objective is to systematically examine the multi-layered conflicts, exemplified by the protracted displacement in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, using the complexity paradigm, analysing actor, issue, and behavioural complexity. The methodology relies on qualitative fieldwork, including 40 in-depth interviews with refugees, host community members, local leaders and humanitarian practitioners, and document analysis. The main findings show that the conflict is a complex adaptive system, where hostility is not inevitable but induced by policy-driven competition (such as the restriction of legal work) and interconnected loops of escalation. Specifically, substantial cuts in humanitarian aid intensify desperation, promote illegal activities, and perpetuate host community bias, systematically undermining initial solidarity. This study confirms the limitations of reductionist crisis management and presents explicit implications: mitigating conflict requires systemic policy initiatives aimed at addressing statelessness and establishing sustainable integration models, rather than merely managing symptoms.