Factors and its Dynamics of Retention of Military Personnel in the Lithuanian Armed Forces /

Geopolitical tensions, particularly Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine in 2022, have prompted many European countries to bolster their Armed Forces. This includes increasing military personnel numbers. The idea behind the research is that small countries like Lithuania have limited resources for recruiting new personnel; therefore, it is important to retain existing military personnel. However, the military service struggles to retain personnel due to its greedy nature. In the evolving world order featuring a transition towards individualisation, fragmentation and permanent change, the boundaries between the military and civilians are becoming blurred. In this context, the military profession takes on a new meaning and role in individuals' professional careers. It has become commonplace to leave the Armed Forces at a relatively young age with the intention of moving into a civilian profession. In other words, the military profession is competing with numerous other professions in today’s labour market. The research aim is to explore how interrelation between motives to become a military professional predict a long-lasting stay in the armed forces, and what is dynamics of such interrelation. The research is based on the data of continuous quantitative surveys collected in Lithuania between 2020-2024, i.e. before and after military invasion into the Ukraine, and in the context of an increased external military threat to the country. The primary results reveal interrelation between non-material motives to become military professional and stay in the Armed Forces for long-lasting period. While material motives at the start, in the long run shorten stay in the Armed Forces. At the same, it is evident that trends change together with service duration, and over years. The research was performed under project ‘Factors of attracting staff to professional military service in Lithuania: incentives, motives, potential candidates and a value proposition’ (grant No.S-REP-25-5), funded from the Research Council of Lithuania

Challenges related to using of solar modules and batteries by households /

Despite numerous attempts to transition towards renewable sources, this process is problematic. Governments in many countries support households intending to install solar modules and batteries and obtain other devices using solar energy (e.g., chargers for electric cars). Those essential tools of economic policies are partly wasted since many barriers still exist. One such barrier is the absence of available digital solutions that allow the efficient use of solar batteries. Analysis of numerous cases revealed that solar batteries can be charged just using energy generated by solar modules. It is a pity, alas, that their function finishes here. Solar power is not always the cheapest one. The market price of electric energy in grids during some periods is negative. It would be reasonable to have an innovative battery charging system to take surplus energy from grids and store it for later use. Solar energy could be used when energy prices in grids are unfavourable. Alas, batteries lack a smart system allowing them to choose between energy sources for their charging since they can be charged just from one source selected in advance. The described barrier hinders the effective use of electric energy. It seems that creating a simple program would solve the issue. Alas, the challenge is deeper: state infrastructure is devised in a way that does not allow consumers to use different electrical energy supply channels simultaneously. Hence, on the one hand, subsidies are provided for renewable energy consumers; on the other hand, monopolistic suppliers possessing grids hinder the efficient use of electricity

Assessment of the Link Between Urban Quality of Life and Migration Flows: The Case of Lithuania /

One of the main reasons for migration is the search for a better quality of life. The concept of quality of life is very broad, encompassing economic, social, political, and cultural factors. According to the World Migration Report 2022, 3.6 percent of the world’s population are migrants. This number is growing due to geopolitical reasons. Increasing migration flows affect the growth of the part of the population living in urban areas, that is, urbanisation. The scale of migration is growing along with the search for a better life. In Lithuania, according to the Department of Statistics, as well as throughout the world, the number of people living in cities is constantly growing; for comparison, a 3% growth has been observed over 4 years, in the European Union, according to the World Bank, 1%, and in the world—1%. The term urbanisation also describes social changes that are determined by the concentration of the population. To ensure quality of life, cities face challenges such as ensuring security, integration of migrants into society and the labour market, the functioning of the health and education system, and sustainable development of cities. Despite growing interest, the impact of migrant flows on the quality of life in cities has not been sufficiently studied in the world scientific literature. Most research is focused on the causes of migration, migrant integration, demographic changes, or labour market interactions. However, less attention is paid to how the dynamics of migrant flows affect the quality of life in cities. Comprehensive assessment is lacking. The goal is to assess the link between quality of life and the dynamics of migration flows in urbanised areas. The article, which conducted a systematic and comparative analysis of concepts published in the scientific literature, formed the concept of quality of life in urban areas, identified the factors that determine quality of life, and studied the link between the quality of life in the city and the dynamics of migration flows. This assessment will allow us to combine the factors that determine quality of life in terms of changes in migrant flows into a common system. To achieve this goal, statistical processing, correlation analysis, and CRITIC methods will be applied

Building Adaptive and Resilient Distance Military Education Systems Through Data-Driven Decision-Making /

Distance learning has become essential to higher education, yet its application in military officer training presents unique academic, operational, and security challenges. For Lithuania’s future officers, remote education must foster not only knowledge acquisition but also decision-making, leadership, and operational readiness—competencies traditionally developed in immersive, in-person environments. This study addresses these challenges by integrating System Dynamics Modelling, Contemporary Risk Management Standards (ISO 31000:2022; Dynamic Risk Management Framework), and Learning Analytics to evaluate the interdependencies among twelve critical factors influencing the system resilience and effectiveness of distance military education. Data were collected from fifteen domain experts through structured pairwise influence assessments, applying the fuzzy DEMATEL method to map causal relationships between criteria. Results identified key causal drivers such as Feedback Loop Effectiveness, Scenario Simulation Capability, and Predictive Intervention Effectiveness, which most strongly influence downstream outcomes like learner engagement, risk identification, and instructional adaptability. These findings emphasize the strategic importance of upstream feedback, proactive risk planning, and advanced analytics in enhancing operational readiness. By bridging theoretical modelling, contemporary risk governance, and advanced learning analytics, this study offers a scalable framework for decision-making in complex, high-stakes education systems. The causal relationships revealed here provide a blueprint not only for optimizing military distance education but also for enhancing overall system resilience and adaptability in other critical domains

Modeling Dynamic Regime Shifts in Diffusion Processes: Approximate Maximum Likelihood Estimation for Two-Threshold Ornstein–Uhlenbeck Models /

This study addresses the problem of estimating parameters in a two-threshold Ornstein–Uhlenbeck diffusion process, a model suitable for describing systems that exhibit changes in dynamics when crossing specific boundaries. Such behavior is often observed in real economic and physical processes. The main objective is to develop and evaluate a method for accurately identifying key parameters, including the threshold levels, drift changes, and diffusion coefficient, within this stochastic framework. The paper proposes an iterative algorithm based on approximate maximum likelihood estimation, which recalculates parameter values step by step until convergence is achieved. This procedure simultaneously estimates both the threshold positions and the associated process parameters, allowing it to adapt effectively to structural changes in the data. Unlike previously studied single-threshold systems, two-threshold models are more natural and offer improved applicability. The method is implemented through custom programming and tested using synthetically generated data to assess its precision and reliability. The novelty of this study lies in extending the approximate maximum likelihood framework to a two-threshold Ornstein–Uhlenbeck process and in developing an iterative estimation procedure capable of jointly recovering both threshold locations and regime-specific parameters with proven convergence properties. Results show that the algorithm successfully captures changes in the process dynamics and provides consistent parameter estimates across different scenarios. The proposed approach offers a practical tool for analyzing systems influenced by shifting regimes and contributes to a better understanding of dynamic processes in various applied fields

Attractiveness of the Lithuanian Armed Forces as an employer: An empirical perspective from the military sector /

Type of the article: Research Article AbstractNowadays, the challenge of increasing personnel retention by aligning organizational values with the expectations of active-duty soldiers remains relevant in the Lithuanian Armed Forces. Using the parallel mediation modeling method, this study focuses on the value of interest as a symbolic component of employer attractiveness, reflecting the perception of meaningful, intellectually engaging, and purposeful work. The research hypotheses are tested using a sample of 276 Lithuanian active-duty soldiers. The mediation effects are checked using PROCESS v3.5 and bootstrap 5000. The results show that the value of interest significantly predicts the perception of four main employer attributes: social, economic, developmental, and application values. The validated theoretical framework showed that symbolic perceptions shape several aspects of employer attractiveness. Furthermore, the study shows that developmental value and economic value significantly mediated the relationship between interest value and intention to continue serving, demonstrating that symbolic engagement alone is not sufficient, as soldiers are more likely to remain in service when clear career growth opportunities and adequate financial rewards reinforce such engagement. Conversely, social and applied values did not show a significant mediating effect, suggesting that they are less important in shaping long-term decisions about personnel retention in the military. Overall, the findings offer practical implications for employer branding and human resources strategies, highlighting the need to integrate both symbolic meaning and instrumental benefits to meet the evolving expectations of military personnel. AcknowledgmentWe acknowledge the General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania for financial support in publishing this article

Evaluation of renewable energy sources sector development in the European Union /

The global energy landscape is transforming, driven by the urgent need to address climate change, reduce dependency on fossil fuels, and promote sustainable economic growth. Renewable energy sources (RESs) have emerged as a cornerstone of this transition, offering environmental benefits and significant potential to catalyze economic development. By harnessing inexhaustible natural resources, such as solar, wind, hydro, and biomass, renewable energy systems provide a pathway to achieving energy security, fostering innovation, and generating new economic opportunities. In this article, the economic effect on the RES sector development was examined. The authors defined the set from seven indicators: real GDP growth, unemployment rate, inflation rate, exports of goods and services, government debt, foreign direct investments, and labor cost index, which allowed them to evaluate the EU countries’ economic situation and rank the countries by economic stability level. The results, which were obtained using a multi-criteria evaluation method, show that the EU countries whose economies are the strongest according to the evaluated macroeconomic indicators are Luxembourg, Malta, Estonia, and Ireland. The countries with the lowest scores are Greece, Italy, and Spain. Seeking to evaluate the development level of the RES sector in all ranked EU countries, the analysis of RES sector development during the 2012–2022 period, using these RES indicators—share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption by sector—in general, in transport, in electricity, and in heating and cooling, was carried out and, through a different multi-criteria method, the countries were ranked by RES development. After the analysis was carried out, it could be stated that the economic situation stability in the country does not directly affect the growth of the RES sector development, and the two rankings by different indicators are heavily uncorrelated. RES sector development can be affected by many other circumstances. RES development is still stagnating in some countries, despite macroeconomic stability, for several reasons: institutional and political barriers, differences in the availability of finance, infrastructure limitations, and technological and human resource shortages

Recruitment to Professional Military Service in Lithuania: Motivating and Limiting Factors /

Following the Russian military invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Lithuania faced an increased external military threat, forcing the recruitment of new military personnel into the Armed Forces. As new recruits tend to be young, it is necessary to look for new motivational factors. The objective of this research is to investigate the compatibility and intersection between the subjective motives and limiting factors for becoming a military professional. Based on motivation theories, the subjective factors that motivate people to choose a career in the military may include a sense of patriotism, self-realisation, the need to belong, identity, etc. In late modernity, which is characterised by individualisation, the latter factors have become extremely important. Conversely, the extent to which individual motives are realised depends on numerous external factors. At the macro level, these include the country's geopolitical and economic situation and unemployment rates. At the meso level, these factors may include family commitments and dependence on particular social groups, e.g. religious groups. At the micro level, they may include individual attitudes towards the military and war and physical status. The research is based on the quantitative data collected in Lithuania, 2025, under the project ‘Factors of attracting staff to professional military service in Lithuania: incentives, motives, potential candidates and a value proposition’ (grant No.S-REP-25-5), funded from the Research Council of Lithuania. Preliminary research results reveal that young people from smaller settlements, where there are limited attractive job opportunities, often have no choice but to join the military, meaning their dreams about their future profession may be limited by macro-level factors. Meanwhile, young people from big cities and well-off families have more opportunities to choose from a variety of professions. For them, the motivating factors for choosing a career in the military may be patriotism, self-realisation, or even a desire for adventure

Sustainable Approaches in Professional Higher Education: The Role of Distance Learning, Integrity of Teaching Methodology, and Classroom Innovation /

The rapid digital transformation of higher education creates opportunities and challenges, particularly in professional programmes where students must balance academic learning with preparation for operational duties, such as in medicine, engineering, and defence. While digital technologies are widely used in higher education, their sustainable integration into professional contexts, especially security and defence education, remains underexplored. This study investigates the determinants of perceived e-learning usefulness among undergraduates (cadets) at the Lithuanian Military Academy, applying an adapted technology acceptance model framework. A structured questionnaire was used to measure constructs related to distance learning effectiveness, classroom innovation, security, sustainability of digital systems, and individual learning preferences, with hypotheses tested through mediation and moderated mediation models. The results indicate that the effectiveness of distance learning is the strongest factor influencing intention to use it, supported by the roles of classroom innovation and system security. Perceived usefulness further emerges as both a direct predictor of adoption and a conditional factor shaping the impact of pedagogical and infrastructural design on acceptance. These findings extend traditional technology acceptance frameworks and provide new insights into how sustainable digital teaching can be fostered in higher professional education, where academic quality and operational readiness must be aligned