Advanced Journal of Management, Humanity and Social Science

Abstract This study examines the impact of microfinance services on the financial sustainability and performance of medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan, using data from 100 firms selected through systematic random sampling. The primary objective is to assess how microcredit access, savings services, and entrepreneurial development training affect return on assets (ROA) and financial sustainability (FS), while controlling for firm age and size. Data were collected via structured questionnaires administered to SME owners/managers, with reliability confirmed by Cronbach's alpha of 0.780 (N=100 items) and content validity established through review by 10 Afghan microfinance experts. Analysis employed descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation matrices, and multiple linear regression models following established SME research methodologies. The first regression model revealed that internal finance (β=0.012, t=10.78, p<0.001) and trade credit (β=0.008, t=7.23, p<0.001) significantly enhance ROA (R²=0.61, F=24.37, p<0.001), while non-institutional finance shows a negative effect (β=-0.130, p=0.017). The second model demonstrated strong positive impacts of microcredit (β=0.287, t=5.02, p<0.001), savings services (β=0.214, t=3.67, p=0.01), and entrepreneurial training (β=0.176, t=3.11, p=0.002) on financial sustainability (R²=0.65, Adj. R²=0.62, F=28.45, p<0.001), with larger/younger firms benefiting most. Nine of ten hypotheses were supported, underscoring microfinance's comprehensive role (financial + non-financial services) in fragile economies. Policy recommendations include government investment in energy infrastructure, transportation networks, and SME training programs to enhance competitiveness. These findings offer actionable insights for post-conflict development strategies.

Abstract The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) systems into core societal institutions—from criminal justice and welfare administration to employment and border governance—has generated unprecedented challenges for international human rights law. This article examines three intersecting dimensions of the AI-human rights nexus: the contested question of AI legal personhood, the allocation of responsibility for AI-induced harms across complex value chains, and the evolving architecture of global AI governance. Drawing on the Council of Europe's Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence (2024), the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights as applied to AI (2025), and emerging regulatory frameworks including the EU AI Act, this analysis argues that granting legal personhood to AI systems is neither necessary nor desirable for effective accountability. Instead, a functional approach that mandates human rights due diligence throughout the AI lifecycle, establishes accessible remedy mechanisms for affected individuals, and promotes regulatory coherence across jurisdictions offers a more promising pathway. The article synthesises findings from a doctrinal analysis of 45 international legal instruments, UN reports, and scholarly sources to propose a rights-based governance framework centred on mandatory human rights impact assessments, independent oversight, and meaningful stakeholder engagement with affected communities.

Abstract The aim of this study is to design and evaluate a hybrid model based on SEO metrics and explainable machine learning algorithms (XAI) to improve the ranking of digital advertisements. The research data consisted of 5,000 simulated records, which after preprocessing were analyzed using XGBoost, Random Forest, and Elastic Net models. Performance evaluation using metrics such as Accuracy, MAE, and RMSE indicated that the XGBoost model outperformed the others. To understand the model's decision-making logic, SHAP and LIME were employed. The results highlight the significant role of content quality, keyword relevance, and click-through rate in determining ad ranking. Additionally, fidelity and stability metrics of explanations showed that the best-performing model not only offers appropriate accuracy but also exhibits high transparency and stability in providing explanations. In the structural analysis, the mediating role of "user trust" in strengthening the effect of SEO metrics was confirmed. Overall, the findings suggest that combining SEO metrics with explainable models can lead to both improved prediction accuracy and enhanced transparency and trustworthiness in ad ranking.

Abstract This expanded article examines whether cognitive flexibility and emotional regulation predict post-traumatic growth (PTG) among adult survivors of natural disasters. Drawing on post-traumatic growth theory, the organismic valuing perspective, and the regulatory-flexibility framework, the manuscript argues that growth after disaster depends not only on the severity of exposure but also on survivors’ capacity to revise assumptions, tolerate emotional distress, and select regulation strategies that fit changing demands. A cross-sectional design is proposed with 328 adult survivors recruited 6 to 36 months after an earthquake, flood, landslide, storm, wildfire, or related natural hazard. The study uses the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory-Short Form, the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory, the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, together with demographic, loss-severity, displacement, and social-support variables. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, hierarchical regression, and assumption checks are specified in detail. The editable results show that cognitive flexibility and cognitive reappraisal are significant positive predictors of PTG, whereas expressive suppression and broader emotion-regulation difficulties are significant negative predictors after controlling for age, gender, education, injury, property loss, displacement, time since disaster, and perceived social support. The model explains a meaningful proportion of variance in PTG and highlights the need for integrated disaster mental-health interventions that combine cognitive flexibility training, reappraisal skills, emotional awareness, culturally sensitive expression, and community-based support. The manuscript is prepared in the AJMHSS style and includes APA in-text citations and an APA-formatted reference list. Statistical values, affiliation details, ORCID, and ethics information finalized with the author’s actual dataset before submission.

Abstract Effective communication is increasingly recognized as the critical determinant of success in complex project environments. Yet, despite decades of empirical research, communication, documentation, and knowledge management remain fragmented constructs within project management theory. This study proposes the Communicative Infrastructure Model CIM, a conceptual and mathematical framework that reconceptualizes project communication as a dynamic control system. The CIM integrates documentation usability D, knowledge integration K, risk communication efficiency R, and communication network quality CQ into a unified model based on systems theory, information entropy, and control stability analysis. Using a mathematical foundation derived from Shannon’s information theory and Lyapunov stability criteria, the model defines a Communicative Infrastructure Function CIF that quantifies how communication reduces uncertainty, mitigates risk, and stabilizes decision-making processes. The proposed framework positions communication not as a soft skill but as a measurable, strategic infrastructure that governs project equilibrium. By demonstrating that project systems achieve stability when communication efficiency exceeds a calculable threshold, this study establishes formal criteria linking communicative quality to project performance outcomes. A comparative analysis of recent studies (2020–2025) illustrates how existing empirical models of Agile collaboration, cross-functional coordination, and documentation practices can be mathematically integrated within the CIM. This theoretical advancement offers both researchers and practitioners a quantitative foundation for assessing and optimizing communicative effectiveness in project environments. It opens pathways for future empirical calibration through data-driven simulations, AI-enabled communication analytics, and real-time performance monitoring. The CIM thus redefines project communication as a cybernetic infrastructure of project management, capable of transforming risk, uncertainty, and knowledge flow into measurable system stability.

Abstract In 2026, the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into Urban Security Management in Iran has emerged as a strategic and transformative technology, playing a pivotal role in enhancing cyber surveillance, threat prediction, critical infrastructure protection, and urban resilience. This trend, embedded within the National Artificial Intelligence Document of the Islamic Republic of Iran (approved by the Islamic Consultative Assembly in 2025/1404) and the agendas of the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, is observable in major municipalities such as Tehran (through intelligent systems for detecting violations of hijab regulations and traffic monitoring) and smaller cities like Nushabad (focusing on safeguarding cultural heritage and the underground city of Ouyi against cyber and physical threats). However, this integration has engendered profound legal and jurisprudential challenges, primarily stemming from tensions between the security efficacy of AI and fundamental principles of civil rights and Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah. Recent jurisprudential scholarship (e.g., 2025-2026 analyses of AI ethics in Imami jurisprudence) emphasizes that AI must not become an instrument for violating individual rights; rather, it should be subject to oversight by religious scholars and jurisprudential-legal committees to ensure conformity with Islamic values (such as the principles of lā ḍarar wa lā ḍirār). In this context, proposed models, such as integrating Maqāṣid into the NIST RMF or adopting Islamic ethical frameworks (as implemented in Islamic countries like the UAE and Malaysia), may offer viable pathways. The paper concludes by recommending that Iranian municipalities adopt a hybrid governance approach integrating global technical standards with jurisprudential principles to mitigate AI risks and progress toward sustainable and ethical development. This research is valuable for policymakers, urban security managers, jurists, and legal scholars, and may serve as a foundation for future articles in ISI/Scopus journals on AI Ethics, Islamic Jurisprudence, and Urban Governance.

Abstract The indigenous music of Gilan, as part of the musical heritage of northern Iran, possesses extensive structural, modal, and functional diversity. This research, adopting a descriptive-analytical approach, examines the typology of Gilan's indigenous music and conducts a structural analysis of several selected pieces from various regions of this province. In this study, alongside a brief introduction to the cultural and ritual context of Gilani music, several vocal and instrumental pieces from mountainous and lowland areas are selected and analyzed in terms of modal structure, rhythm, meter, tempo, and form. Furthermore, a graphical model is proposed for representing modal relationships and the role of central pitches within the melodic structure, which, through the use of color, melodic space, and motion density, enables comparative study of the pieces. The results indicate that the biological and cultural differences between the mountainous and lowland regions of Gilan are reflected in the melodic structure, internal tempo, and rhythmic behavior of the pieces. Pieces from mountainous regions generally exhibit greater melodic motion, higher internal tempo, and greater temporal density, whereas pieces from lowland regions display longer durations, relative stasis, and slower tempos.

Abstract Project-Based Learning (PBL) has emerged as one of the most influential student-centered instructional approaches in contemporary education. The present study investigated the effect of Project-Based Learning on creativity and problem-solving skills among elementary school students. A quasi-experimental research design with pre-test and post-test control groups employed. Sixty elementary school students selected and randomly assigned to either an experimental group receiving Project-Based Learning instruction or a control group receiving traditional teacher-centered instruction. The intervention lasted for twelve weeks and involved interdisciplinary projects requiring collaboration, inquiry, and real-world problem-solving. Creativity assessed using the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking, while problem-solving skills measured through a standardized Problem-Solving Skills Inventory. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential methods. Results indicated significant improvements in both creativity and problem-solving skills among students exposed to Project-Based Learning compared to those in the control group. Furthermore, moderate-to-large effect sizes suggested that the instructional approach had meaningful educational benefits. Findings support constructivist theories emphasizing active engagement, collaboration, and authentic learning experiences. The study highlights the potential of Project-Based learning to foster higher-order thinking skills essential for success in the twenty-first century. Educational implications suggest that teachers and curriculum developers should integrate project-based strategies into elementary education to enhance creativity and critical thinking capacities. Future studies are encouraged to examine long-term effects, different age groups, and variations in project design. Overall, Project-Based Learning represents an effective pedagogical framework for promoting cognitive and creative development among young learners and preparing them for complex real-world challenges.

Abstract Romantic epics in world literature often serve as arenas for the representation of conflicts between love, duty, and morality. Beyond their narrative dimensions, these conflicts are also amenable to analysis from the perspective of moral philosophy. One of the most significant theoretical frameworks for examining such tensions is the moral philosophy of Immanuel Kant, which emphasizes the primacy of practical reason and the principle of duty. The present study, employing a descriptive-analytical method with a comparative approach and relying on library-based research, draws upon Kant's theory of ethics and aesthetics to investigate moral conflicts in two prominent examples of romantic epics in world literature: the story of Khosrow and Shirin in Persian literature and the narrative of Paris and Helen in the Iliad. The central question is how the conflict between moral imperatives and the aesthetic allure of love can be explained in these two narratives. The findings indicate that in both narratives, love as an aesthetic and emotional force stands in opposition to moral and social obligations; however, the manner in which characters confront this conflict differs. In the epic of Khosrow and Shirin, the characters ultimately approach a kind of equilibrium between love and morality, whereas in the narrative of Paris and Helen, the predominance of personal desire over moral duty leads to tragic consequences. This difference reflects the cultural and moral distinctions between the two literary traditions, which can be elucidated from the perspective of comparative literature.

Abstract The present study, entitled "A Sociological Investigation of Social Anxiety in the Risk Age: In recent decades, human society has increasingly confronted two fundamental forms of insecurity: first, environmental crises such as climate change, drought, air pollution, and the depletion of natural resources, which pose a serious threat to human life; and second, digital insecurities including cyberattacks, privacy violations, and the expansion of technological surveillance, which undermine the psychological and social security of individuals. These two domains appear distinct on the surface, yet at a deeper level they converge on a common point: the production of social anxiety and the reproduction of fear of an uncertain future. Employing a documentary analysis approach within the theoretical framework of Ulrich Beck's "Risk Society" and the sociology of emotions, this research investigates the representation of environmental and digital insecurities in scientific, media, and policy documents. The findings indicate that social anxiety is not merely an individual reaction but a social and structural phenomenon reproduced through the salience of threats in public discourse and deficiencies in institutional management. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that factors such as policy transparency, enhancement of environmental and digital literacy, institutional trust, social capital, and resilience education can play a fundamental role in reducing social anxiety. Based on the findings, it can be asserted that social anxiety in the risk age reflects the manner in which societies confront modern threats, and its management requires a combination of sustainable environmental policies, efficient digital security, and the strengthening of cultural and social capacities. This study, by revealing the sociological dimensions of social anxiety, can contribute to the design of effective social and cultural policies aimed at mitigating the psychological and social consequences of contemporary threats.