Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16050228

Authors: Iselgis Garcia Siri Terjesen Yannick Thams Mark Packard

Business schools, and universities more generally, find themselves within a constant tension between different and often conflicting institutional logics. Scholars have identified two primary and coexisting institutional logics in particular—an academic logic and a market logic—that universities must reconcile. To date, however, we still know little about how university leaders navigate persistent frictions between these institutional logics. To fill this gap, we conduct a grounded qualitative study of business schools’ top leaders who have recently introduced new revenue-generating programs. We develop a process model of institutional alignment that explains how leaders navigate and resolve tensions between competing logics over time. Our aim was to explore how these administrative leaders navigated frictions across institutional logics throughout the process of introducing, motivating, developing, and implementing these programs. We find that frictions between the competing institutional logics were indeed prominent in decision-makers’ minds and actions throughout the entire process. These frictions occurred at various levels, both within and outside the business school. To reduce these frictions, leaders describe employing adaptive strategies such as framing, collaboration, and structural adjustments to align the logics and position the new program as consistent with both. That is, the new programs are interpreted as institutional innovations that serve to align the logics.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16050227

Authors: Taoufik Elkemali

Previous research has highlighted several firm-specific determinants of ESG disclosure; however, the link with R&D activities remains largely underexplored, despite the distinctive characteristics of such investments. We argue that R&D is characterized by asset specificity, uncertainty, and growth prospects, which generate informational frictions and shape firms’ disclosure incentives. This study is motivated by the need to understand how innovation-related opacity influences ESG reporting in the context of increasing demand for non-financial disclosure by capital market participants. Based on 12,025 European firm-year observations over the period 2014–2024 and fixed-effects estimations, we find that R&D intensity is positively associated with ESG disclosure, and this relationship is strengthened by board independence. Robustness tests using GMM estimations and disaggregated ESG components confirm the results. The study is relevant because R&D-related opacity can affect how investors and stakeholders assess firms’ long-term value creation and sustainability orientation. Theoretically, the study extends ESG disclosure literature by highlighting innovation-related informational frictions as a key determinant of sustainability reporting. Practically, the findings suggest that investors and regulators should consider firms’ R&D intensity and governance structures when evaluating ESG transparency and disclosure quality.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16050226

Authors: Inese Mavlutova Eriks Vilunas Janis Valeinis Kristaps Lesinskis

The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled technologies and information technology (IT) systems in entrepreneurship education has accelerated alongside the digital transformation of higher education. With a particular focus on gender-related disparities, this study examines how digital business modeling tools influence students’ entrepreneurial intentions. It conceptualizes digital tools along a continuum, ranging from non-AI solutions to AI-embedded and fully AI-driven systems. Data from 440 students taking part in entrepreneurial workshops using the AI-enabled digital tool KABADA served as the basis for empirical investigation. Changes in entrepreneurial intention and its key antecedents—attitude toward entrepreneurship, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control—are examined by comparing the pre-workshop and post-workshop groups using structural equation modeling. According to the findings, the KABADA workshop has a statistically significant positive indirect effect on entrepreneurial intention, which is mainly mediated by perceived behavioral control. Significant gender differences are revealed by multi-group analysis: for female students, the main factor influencing entrepreneurial intention is perceived behavioral control, while for male students, the main factor is attitude toward entrepreneurship. These results emphasize the significance of IT systems that integrate guided user engagement with AI-based analytics to improve entrepreneurial self-efficacy, especially among women.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16050225

Authors: Ahmed Mohamed Hasanein Bassam Samir Al-Romeedy

This study examines the role of digital talent in driving marketing innovation within tourism and hospitality organizations in the context of ongoing tourism digitalization. Specifically, it investigates how digital culture and digital strategy mediate the relationship between digital talent and marketing innovation. Data were collected from employees working in Class A travel agencies and five-star hotels in Greater Cairo, Egypt. Using a purposive sampling approach, a bilingual e-survey was distributed, yielding 432 valid responses for analysis. The findings indicate that digital talent plays a crucial role in enabling marketing innovation in tourism and hospitality organizations. Its influence occurs both directly and indirectly through digital culture and digital strategy, highlighting the importance of aligning digital competencies with an organization-wide digital mindset and a clearly defined digital strategy. The results demonstrate how digital capabilities support the transformation of tourism and hospitality marketing practices in the era of digital transformation. This study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence on the mechanisms through which digital talent enhances marketing innovation in tourism organizations. The findings offer important theoretical and practical implications for researchers, managers, and tourism and hospitality practitioners seeking to strengthen innovation-driven marketing strategies in an increasingly digital tourism environment.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16050224

Authors: Ander De Ara Aguirre Manel Valcarce-Torrente Oscar Villanueva-Guerrero Rafael Albalad-Aiguabella Elena Mainer-Pardos Alberto Roso-Moliner

Customer loyalty has become a critical factor for the sustainability of fitness centers amid growing industry competition, yet limited research has examined recommendation patterns across user profiles in mid-cost facilities. This study aimed to analyze customer recommendation in a mid-cost fitness center in Spain using the Net Promoter Score (NPS) and to identify factors associated with loyalty by gender, age, membership duration, and service usage pattern. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted with 102 adult members (63.7% women) who completed a self-administered questionnaire distributed via QR code. The NPS served as the primary outcome measure, complemented by open-ended questions on perceived strengths and areas for improvement. The center achieved a high overall NPS of +66.7, with 70.6% of respondents classified as promoters and only 3.9% as detractors. Women reported significantly higher NPS scores than men (p = 0.037), whereas no significant differences emerged by age, membership duration, or service usage pattern. Qualitative analysis revealed that instructor quality, service organization, and facility management were the primary drivers of recommendation. These findings support the utility of the NPS as a practical tool for assessing customer loyalty in fitness centers and underscore the role of service quality in shaping recommendation behavior.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16050223

Authors: Katalin Nagy-Kercsó Sándor Kovács Lei Zha Enikő Kontor

The increasing number of sustainability claims may reduce the perceived reliability of formal eco-labels, creating an environment in which greenwashing can erode institutional trust. This study explores how consumers navigate significant information asymmetry when standardized environmental signals are absent. Using a qualitative research design, we conducted focus group discussions with Hungarian- and Romanian-speaking consumers in Transylvania, Romania, a multiethnic transitioning market. Computational text analysis, including topic modeling, was used to support this interpretive approach and effectively decode the complex typologies of green claim evaluation. The findings suggest that signal degradation among the participants was associated with culturally embedded heuristic substitution rather than a uniform rejection of green claims. Romanian-speaking participants described more analytical, information-seeking heuristics that are tightly integrated into routine purchasing decisions. Conversely, Hungarian-speaking participants articulated a looser connection between generalized skepticism and their purchasing routines. This study contributes to signaling theory and administrative science by suggesting that standardized governance tools may be less effective when they are not aligned with localized trust structures. Reconceiving greenwashing as a failure of signal fit rather than as deceptive marketing communication, the study contributes to a process-oriented understanding of how consumers evaluate sustainability claims under uncertainty. Future research should quantitatively test these heuristic pathways across diverse regulatory and cultural environments.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16050222

Authors: Manabu Fujimoto

Career development spans higher education through post-entry adaptation, retention, and transition. Organizational career management (OCM) links human resource management, career attitudes, and employability, yet lacks a coherent account of how organizational provisions become concrete developmental experience in daily work. This article re-specifies OCM as a developmental system comprising four layers: OCM as superordinate architecture, developmental HR practices as implementation infrastructure, developmental networks as a relational access layer, and proactive career behaviors/career self-management (CSM) as self-regulatory behaviors conditioned by institutional and relational support. The central contribution is proposing collective leadership behaviors (CLB) as a candidate for specifying the missing workplace-practice layer. Developmental networks explain who employees turn to for support; CLB explains how support is enacted in team interaction so that organizational provision becomes developmentally usable. CLB is treated not as shared leadership or a substitute for supervisor support, but as enacted workplace practice once institutional provision and relational access are in place. Because empirical studies linking CLB to career development remain limited, this framework advances as a theory-building integrative review: developmental networks matter most when the bottleneck is access to heterogeneous support, whereas CLB matters most when support exists but is not yet enacted as usable developmental experience.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16050221

Authors: Fabricio Miguel Moreno-Menéndez Saúl Nilo Astuñaupa-Flores Yamill Alam Barrionuevo-Inca-Roca Casio Aurelio Torres-López Jorge Vladimir Pachas-Huaytan Javier Amador Navarro-Veliz Vicente González-Prida Angela María Rivera-Paucarpura Julima Gisella Chuquin-Berrios

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has increasingly become a strategic and governance-relevant domain that depends on internal capability development to translate stakeholder and sustainability expectations into credible action. In emerging economies, higher education institutions (HEIs) are key arenas where future managers and intrapreneurs acquire human-capital foundations relevant to CSR-related strategy implementation. This exploratory study examines whether students’ self-reported transformational leadership (TL) is associated with entrepreneurial competencies (EC) that are relevant for responsible value creation and stakeholder-oriented execution. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional correlational design, we surveyed 207 senior undergraduate students from business-related programs in a private HEI in Peru. TL was measured using the MLQ-5X (transformational subscale), and EC were assessed through a content-validated and reliability-tested eight-dimension scale (networking, problem solving, achievement orientation, risk taking, teamwork, creativity, autonomy, and initiative). Given distributional characteristics, Spearman’s rho was used for hypothesis testing. Because the design was intentionally limited to first-order associations, no control variables or multivariate models were incorporated. Results show a strong, positive association between TL and overall EC (ρ = 0.822, p < 0.001), with statistically significant positive relationships across all EC dimensions (ρ = 0.709–0.807). These findings are consistent with a microfoundational view of CSR, indicating that leadership-related developmental behaviors are systematically aligned with competence bundles that may support CSR-related strategy enactment under stakeholder complexity and sustainability constraints. The study does not measure CSR outcomes or CSR communication directly; rather, it provides capability-level evidence with implications for HEI curricula and leadership development aimed at preparing graduates for responsible innovation and stakeholder-sensitive decision-making in emerging-economy contexts.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16050220

Authors: Mathew Azarian Asmamaw Tadege Shiferaw Tor Kristian Stevik

Public administration research provides structured explanations of collaborative governance. PPP scholarship, however, has largely emphasized macro governance frameworks, leaving micro-level collaborative drivers between internal partners underexplored. Additionally, internal transparency has seldom received attention as a governance outcome of collaboration. Building upon collaborative governance theories, this study conceptualizes collaboration in PPPs through four focal collaborative elements (FCEs): organizational capacity asymmetries, commitment to process, effective communication, and trust building. A survey instrument was used to collect experts’ opinions regarding the impact of PPP-specific characteristics, as practical mechanisms, on collaboration. The results show strong endorsement of mechanisms related to post-procurement capacity asymmetries, role/authority shifts, contractual complexity, and lifecycle discontinuities (staff changes and phase transitions). Such PPP characteristics undermine communication and information continuity. Trust building appeared to have an ambivalent role shaped by long-term incentives alongside goal drift and contractual rigidity. This study identifies the most salient mechanisms framing collaborative elements in PPP and translates them into governance implications for sustained collaboration and strengthened internal transparency across PPPs’ lifecycle. Limitations and future avenues for research based upon these findings are presented.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16050219

Authors: Siri-on Umarin Thanwadee Chinda Takashi Hashimoto

With globalization and rapid changes in the international research environment from technological advancement, political instability, and economic crisis, knowledge management (KM) is crucial to help research institutions operate international research collaboration (IRC) effectively and sustainably. This study uses systematic literature review to extract key KM factors for IRC enhancement. Exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modeling methods are performed to confirm KM factors and explore how key KM and IRC factors relate to each other. Several KM strategies are established based on study results to achieve sustainable IRC development. The results show that five key KM factors, including knowledge sharing (KS), knowledge creation (KC), knowledge retention (KR), knowledge storage (KT), and knowledge utilization (KU), influence each other. They have both direct and indirect impacts on IRC. The KU factor is crucial for immediate IRC improvement. Research institutions can use existing knowledge and resources to address current IRC opportunities. For example, personnel with IRC experience can act as coaches and mentors to facilitate activities, and integrating IRC into career paths can be beneficial. Activities related to KC, KR, and KT should support KU implementation. Setting up a task force, improving organizational structure, and engaging management in KM can help achieve better IRC performance. The KS factor should be emphasized for sustaining IRC. The plan should involve activities to raise the processes of knowledge sharing effectively. The study results provide guidelines for research institutions aiming for sustainable IRC in the long term.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16050218

Authors: Elizabeth Guilarte-Barinaga Alexander Sánchez-Rodríguez Rodobaldo Martínez-Vivar Gelmar García-Vidal Reyner Pérez-Campdesuñer

Cooperatives are key organizational forms for economic and social development; however, the factors shaping their development are often examined in a fragmented manner. This study identifies the main dimensions of cooperative development and tests their interrelationships using structural equation modeling (SEM). Based on a literature review and expert validation, a measurement instrument was developed and applied to 410 members from 82 cooperatives in Cuba between March and July 2025. The model was estimated and validated using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and SEM. The findings support an integrated framework in which cooperative values, cooperative principles, organizational objectives, community relations, and the institutional environment jointly explain cooperative development. All hypothesized relationships are positive and statistically significant, with organizational objectives and the institutional environment showing relatively stronger effects compared to normative and relational dimensions. The results demonstrate that cooperative development is a multidimensional and context-dependent process that cannot be explained by normative principles alone. Instead, it depends on the organization’s capacity to translate cooperative identity into strategic objectives and to operate within enabling institutional conditions. The study provides an empirically validated framework for analyzing cooperative governance and offers practical insights for strengthening organizational performance in emerging economies.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16050217

Authors: Mustapha Olanrewaju Aliyu Betty Portia Maphala Chux Gervase Iwu

Although organisational climate is increasingly examined, explicit modelling of demographic interaction effects remains comparatively underrepresented. A search strategy was conducted (25 September 2025), and 358 records were identified and filtered in the Scopus and Covidence databases; subsequently, 60 peer-reviewed articles met the inclusion criteria following PRISMA-guided screening. R-project, reference to VOSviewer, and Biblioshiny were used to perform the bibliometric mapping to demonstrate three (3) large thematic clusters: (1) conceptual models with a focus on the Job Demands–Resources (JD–R) framework; (2) growing cross-sector and post-COVID literature; and (3) small but growing incorporation of interactive demographic variables (age, gender, tenure) other than control-variable treatment. The results show that organisational climate is always placed at the forefront as an important predictor of satisfaction, but intersectional demographic modelling is underdeveloped and geographically biased to Western and Asian factors. Yet improvements have been made in theoretical integration; however, a lack of constructs, methodological conservatism, and geographic skewness limit theoretical cumulation and practical translation. The proposed multi-factor model is conceptually derived from bibliometric patterns and requires empirical validation using CFA, SEM, and multilevel modelling. However, organisations should integrate satisfaction policies that reflect diverse demographic and contextual realities, rather than adopting a general approach. The study advances the model of employee satisfaction research by offering practical evidence and a theoretical framework to support the sustainability of industrial and organisational psychology.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16050216

Authors: Esteban Maurin Saldaña María-Luisa Pérez-Delgado Javiera Canales

The assessment of managerial competencies in information technology (IT) organizations requires robust and validated instruments capable of predicting performance in volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous environments. This study presents a preliminary validation of the MLPD (Machine Learning Predictive Development) model, which integrates 360° multidimensional evaluation, situational awareness, and exploratory analytics. Conceived as a pilot application and proof-of-concept, the research was conducted within the IT organization of a Chilean Defense Institution responsible for the management and administration of information and communication technologies. This study aims to determine how the three most commonly cited managerial competency domains (Transformational Leadership, Situational Awareness, and Collaborative Management) are weighted in additive models of 360° performance evaluation in a defense IT context, and also seeks to determine whether these weightings differ between civilian and military evaluators. Although the study focuses on a specialized case study with a limited sample of 9 IT leaders, the robustness of the preliminary findings is supported by the analysis of 165 rating records from 360° evaluations clustered within 9 leaders. Through this granular data set, multiple linear regression models were developed to examine the predictive relationships among three core competency domains—Transformational Leadership, Situational Awareness, and Collaborative Management—and their impact on overall managerial performance. The results identify Collaborative Management as the strongest predictor of performance, and highlight significant differences between civilian and military evaluators. This finding challenges conventional assumptions about leadership effectiveness in IT contexts and suggests that horizontal coordination capabilities are more critical than vertical authority. These preliminary results validate the model’s internal structure within a highly hierarchical environment, establishing a foundational benchmark for future large-scale applications of the MLPD model in diverse organizational contexts.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16050215

Authors: Nahida Sultana Afruza Haque Rasheda Akter Rupa

Digital Payment Tools (DPTs) are increasingly promoted as catalysts for financial inclusion, operational efficiency, and sustainable growth among Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in developing economies such as Bangladesh. However, prior research predominantly treats DPT adoption as a static decision, offering limited insights into how pre-adoption perceptions evolve into post-adoption satisfaction and continued use, particularly from a sustainable development perspective. Addressing this gap, this study aims to examine the determinants of SME entrepreneurs’ satisfaction (SAT) and continued intention to use (CIU) DPTs by integrating the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Post-Adoption Model (PAM), with SAT and sustainability attitude (SUS) positioned as a mediating mechanism linking digital payment usage to long-term sustainable behavior. Data were collected from 219 SME entrepreneurs in Bangladesh and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling. Results reveal that Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU) directly impacts Perceived Usefulness (PU) and SAT but does not impact CIU. Although PU does not influence CIU, it has a significant impact on SAT, which in turn influences CIU. Additionally, SAT fully mediates the relationship between PEOU and PU with CIU. Moreover, PEOU and PU have a significant impact on SAT through the partial mediation of SUS, while SUS fully mediates the relationship between PU and CIU. By bridging pre-adoption and post-adoption perspectives and embedding sustainability within the digital payment adoption framework, this study advances understanding of how DPTs contribute to sustainable SME development in emerging economies. The insights offer practical implications for Fintech developers and policymakers aiming to enhance long-term adoption and impact of DPTs in emerging economies.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16050214

Authors: Sultan Gül Özdamar Süleyman Ersöz

This study examines how manufacturing SMEs can structure digital transformation as a strategic, risk-managed process under demand uncertainty and resource constraints. Integrating digital maturity assessment with cost–benefit analysis (D3A–CBA framework), the study evaluates a phased investment strategy at a Turkish metal processing SME, grounding the analysis in real production order data and firm-level financial records. The phased structure—informed by real options reasoning—conditions capacity expansion on measurable Phase-1 performance thresholds, thereby limiting downside risk while preserving strategic flexibility. Under the base scenario (10% real discount rate), Phase-1 yields an NPV of TRY 3,830,738 and an IRR of 12.4%; the combined portfolio reaches TRY 17,365,066. However, a 10,000-iteration Monte Carlo simulation reveals a 29.8–33.0% probability of negative NPV, and sensitivity analysis exposes an asymmetric risk profile in which moderate demand shocks—rather than cost shocks—drive non-viability. The findings demonstrate that digital transformation in resource-constrained SMEs requires not only positive financial returns but also strategic mechanisms to manage demand uncertainty, exchange rate volatility, and organizational adaptation. The proposed framework offers SME managers a reproducible, evidence-based approach to aligning investment decisions with strategic objectives while containing capital risk.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16050213

Authors: Uturestantix Uturestantix Ari Warokka Aina Zatil Aqmar

Growing consumer awareness of environmental and health issues has increased demand for sustainable products, yet a persistent gap remains between positive attitudes and actual purchasing behavior. This study addresses inconsistent findings in prior literature regarding the effects of psychological drivers on willingness to pay a premium for green products. Drawing on the Theory of Planned Behavior and value-based perspectives, this study examines how environmental concern, health consciousness, and consumer innovativeness influence purchase intention and willingness to pay a premium (WTP) for green cosmetics. Data were collected from 872 respondents in Indonesia and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with multi-group analysis (MGA) to capture demographic heterogeneity. The results show that all three drivers significantly influence purchase intention, which in turn affects WTP and acts as a partial mediator. Demographic differences further moderate several relationships, highlighting heterogeneity in green consumer behavior. This study contributes by integrating psychological drivers, behavioral mechanisms, and demographic heterogeneity into a unified framework to explain willingness to pay for green cosmetics. The findings offer practical insights for developing targeted strategies to promote sustainable consumption in emerging markets.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16050212

Authors: Maria-Eugenia Manzi-de-Rotela Roberto Sánchez-Cabrero Marta Sandoval-Mena

Inclusive leadership and collective teacher efficacy are key dimensions for understanding school improvement processes in Latin America. To synthesize recent developments in the field, this systematic review—conducted in accordance with the PRISMA protocol—aimed to: (1) compile the quantitative and qualitative evidence on inclusive leadership and collective teacher efficacy from empirical studies carried out in Latin America between 2015 and 2025, and (2) identify current trends and main gaps in the scientific literature, considering the educational reality of the region. Searches conducted in Web of Science, Scopus, and ERIC resulted in the selection of ten studies that met the established methodological criteria. The findings indicate that inclusive leadership promotes structures for participation, professional collaboration, and the creation of positive school climates, while collective teacher efficacy emerges as a shared perception influenced by organizational support, staff cohesion, and opportunities for collaborative work. The reviewed studies primarily focus on teachers working at the primary and secondary education levels. Overall, the evidence outlines a field in consolidation that offers valuable insights into the development of school leadership policies and the strengthening of inclusive educational cultures in Latin America in the future.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16050211

Authors: Junjie Yang Xinyi Feng

In the context of the global sustainability agenda, firms are increasingly expected to incorporate environmental considerations into their global expansion strategies. However, existing studies mainly focus on formal institutions and economic factors, while the role of informal institutions remains underexplored. This study examines how Confucian cultural values influence Chinese firms’ outward foreign direct investment (OFDI), particularly their investment behavior in environmentally stringent host countries, such as Germany, Sweden, and Canada. Using panel data of Chinese A-share listed firms from 2009 to 2024, this study employs panel regression analysis to test the effects of cultural values, environmental pressure, and CEO power. The results show that cultural values are positively associated with both OFDI intensity and the likelihood of investing in environmentally stringent countries. In addition, environmental pressure strengthens this relationship, whereas CEO power weakens it. This study contributes to the literature on responsible global expansion by highlighting the role of informal institutions and firm-level characteristics. The findings also provide practical implications for policymakers and firms seeking to promote environmentally responsible international investment behavior.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16050210

Authors: József Poór Allen Engle Szonja Jenei Szilvia Módosné Szalai Zdeněk Caha

The employment and labor market landscape has undergone significant transformations globally, including the three Central European countries examined in this study. Over the past decades, organizations in this region have transitioned from a state of full employment to labor shortages, raising the question: What factors have driven these changes? Our study aims to present a theoretical framework highlighting key macro-level factors, such as demographic trends, economic development, labor market dynamics, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the role of robotization and artificial intelligence. Based on two empirical studies conducted in 2019 and 2022 among Czech, Hungarian, and Slovak organizations, we analyzed the extent and causes of labor shortages, as well as the labor market effects of robotization. Using descriptive and non-parametric statistical methods, including frequency analysis and Mann–Whitney U tests, the study examined key trends and compared the two periods to identify significant shifts. The analytical approach of this study primarily aims to compare perceptions across occupational groups and between the two survey waves (2019 and 2022). Because most variables were measured on ordinal Likert-type scales and the datasets represent independent cross-sectional samples rather than a panel dataset, non-parametric methods were considered the most appropriate. More advanced causal modeling techniques, such as regression or factor analysis, were not applied because the objective of the research was exploratory and comparative rather than to establish causal relationships between variables. The findings reveal significant shifts in the perceived causes of labor shortages across occupational groups in the surveyed Central European organizations. In particular, increasing labor shortages were observed in specific job categories, alongside changes in the relative importance of the underlying drivers of labor shortages. While adopting robotization and artificial intelligence has been positively received, demographic decline and emigration remain critical challenges. The study provides practical insights for policymakers and corporate leaders regarding labor market challenges, workforce planning, and the potential role of robotization and artificial intelligence in addressing labor shortages. Although the research is based on a non-representative sample, it offers valuable insights into the Central European region’s employment and labor market trends. Future research could examine whether, in hard-to-fill positions, robotization and AI primarily provide indirect support by augmenting and reallocating human work, or whether they may serve as direct substitutes.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16050209

Authors: Victoria Nayeli Flores Katty Yirabel Flores Renato M. Toasa

Digital transformation represents a strategic factor for enhancing organizational performance in the energy sector; however, its impact on operational productivity in Latin American public enterprises remains understudied. The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between Digital Transformation 4.0 and Operational Productivity at the Esmeraldas Refinery of EP PETROECUADOR, Ecuador’s most significant public oil-refining facility. A quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional design was employed, with a structured survey administered to 200 employees and analyzed through descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression. The results confirmed a positive and statistically significant relationship between Digital Transformation 4.0 and Operational Productivity. Among the dimensions analyzed, Process Digitalization emerged as the strongest predictor of operational performance, followed by Digital Infrastructure, which recorded a favorable assessment among respondents, and overall Digital Transformation, which reflected a moderate level of strategic implementation within the organization. Digital Talent, while positively correlated with productivity, did not yield an independent significant effect within the joint regression model. These findings provide empirical evidence of the value of technological adoption in public industrial contexts and suggest that future research should incorporate mediating variables such as organizational culture, change management, and sustainability-oriented digital strategies to further explore this relationship.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16050208

Authors: Tsuyoshi Aburai

Motivation: In modern organizations where remote and hybrid work has become normalized, fostering trust without frequent face-to-face interaction is a critical management challenge. This study aims to explore how non-verbal digital dynamics associate with trust formation within hybrid product development teams from a teamwork science perspective, integrating Big Five traits and established trust scales. Methods: The empirical study observed twelve product development teams (N = 40) participating in a major innovation competition over an eight-month period. Dynamic behavioral data, including speaking time, nodding, smiling, and silence, were extracted from online workshop recordings using synchronized behavioral coding validated by high inter-rater reliability (Cohen’s Kappa k ≥ 0.78). These were integrated with Big Five personality traits, mutual trust scales, and idea value metrics into a Bayesian Network (BN) to model probabilistic dependencies. The structural model was validated using the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) to ensure predictive robustness. Furthermore, we performed sensitivity analysis on the BN to quantify how specific shifts in non-verbal cues—particularly nodding and the functional categories of silence—disproportionately affect the “Mutual Trust” node. While this exploratory study utilizes a sample of “digital native” student teams, it provides a critical baseline for “high digital fluency” collaboration, which we contextualize against the “asymmetric cues” found in multi-generational corporate environments. Results: Sensitivity analysis identified specific probabilistic associations suggesting that effective role fulfillment is the strongest predictor of idea originality. Crucially, nodding was identified as a behavioral ‘digital reward’ that enhances psychological safety, facilitating divergent thinking. Smiling showed a strong association with feasibility and consensus-building during convergent phases. The model further identifies distinct behavioral ‘fingerprints’: high-trust sequences are characterized by frequent non-verbal backchanneling and deliberate “thinking silences,” whereas low-trust sequences exhibit a disproportionate increase in unproductive lapses (e.g., a 10% increase in lapses correlating with an 18% decrease in trust probability). Furthermore, a probabilistic pathway was identified where teams with highly open members and frequent non-verbal validation exhibit higher mutual support behaviors. Conclusions: This research offers empirical insights into how trust can be modeled in hybrid environments through specific combinations of behavioral and personality traits. Practically, this study proposes “Hybrid Team Protocols”—such as intentional backchanneling and the normalization of deliberative silence—as actionable Organizational Development (OD) interventions. These provide managers with data-driven guidelines to visualize and monitor the quality of digital collaboration while emphasizing the ethical necessity of transparent implementation to prevent “digital performance” and ensure psychological safety across diverse organizational structures.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16050207

Authors: Ayesha Lian Bevan-Dye Liandi Van den Berg

While the popularity of eSports continues to grow, academic research on the topic remains limited, particularly in the African context. To address this scholarly limitation, this study applied the stimulus-organism-response theory to determine the influence of flow and competitiveness on young adult non-professional gamers’ attitude and continued play intentions toward eSports in South Africa. Guided by the explanatory research design and using a single cross-sectional sample, an online questionnaire was used to collect data from 327 young adult non-professional gamers in South Africa. Data analysis included summary statistics and structural equation modeling. Summary statistics indicated that young adult non-professional gamers experience a sense of flow whilst playing eSports, that such gameplay ignites their sense of competitiveness, that they have a positive attitude toward eSports, and intend to continue playing eSports. The measurement model displayed robust reliability, convergent and discriminant validity, and acceptable model fit. Both flow and competitiveness had a positive statistically significant effect on young adult non-professional gamers’ attitude toward eSports, which in turn, had a positive statistically significant influence on their continued play intentions toward eSports. The study extends the application of the stimulus-organism-response theory to the under-researched context of eSports in a developing market.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16050206

Authors: Kanellos S. Toudas Pandora P. Nika Nikolaos T. Giannakopoulos Damianos P. Sakas Panagiotis Karountzos

Despite the growing importance of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance in shaping brand perception and consumer trust, limited empirical evidence exists on how ESG indicators translate into measurable digital consumer engagement outcomes, particularly in ethically driven markets such as the vegan food sector. This study addresses this gap by examining how ESG performance translates into digitally observable consumer engagement and frames this relationship as a strategic performance measurement and decision-support problem. Building on the sector’s reliance on ethical positioning, trust, and online visibility, we integrate ESG indicators with digital marketing and web analytics metrics (e.g., traffic and engagement proxies) for a panel of five leading vegan food firms [Nestlé SA (Vevey, Switzerland), Kellanova (Chicago, IL, USA), Beyond Meat Inc. (El Segundo, CA, USA), Danone SA (Paris, France), and Conagra Brands Inc. (Chicago, IL, USA)], using data from the Semrush web analytics platform and the Eikon Refinitiv ESG database for the period January–December 2024. We employ a mixed-method design combining descriptive analytics with correlation analysis and simple linear regression to estimate the direction and strength of ESG–digital performance links, and we extend inference through Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping (FCM) using the MentalModeler platform to simulate “what-if” scenarios that support managerial foresight under digital uncertainty. Results indicate that stronger ESG profiles are associated with more favorable digital outcomes, with specific ESG mechanisms (e.g., human-capital and environmental initiatives) aligning with deeper engagement signals. The FCM scenarios further suggest that coordinated ESG improvements can amplify digital traction and reinforce sustainable brand growth. The proposed framework contributes to strategic management by operationalizing an ESG-enabled digital performance measurement system and a lightweight Decision Support System (DSS) that can guide resource allocation, KPI monitoring, and risk-aware positioning in sustainability-oriented markets.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16050205

Authors: William Makumbe Emmanuel Mutambara

The rapid and accelerating depletion of natural resources has spurred governments and pressure groups to call for effective environmental management initiatives. One such initiative is the creation of a green organisational culture to combat environmental degradation. As a result, there has been a burgeoning of the literature on the concept of green organisational culture; however, the research is still in its nascent stage. For this reason, this study investigated the mediating role of green employee behaviours in the relationship between green organisational culture and environmental performance in the mining industry. Data were systematically collected from 277 participants and analysed using SMARTPLS 4. The results revealed that, while green organisational culture significantly impacted environmental performance, green employee behaviours partially mediated this relationship. These results offer important insights for mine managers.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16050204

Authors: Vu Thi Thanh Binh Robert C. Rickards Nguyen Thi Hong Duyen

Amid rapid digital transformation in emerging economies, firms face increasing pressure to modernize accounting information systems (AIS) to enhance transparency and decision usefulness. Limited evidence exists on when IT investment yields differential returns across firm life-cycle stages, particularly in transition economies. Vietnam, as a transition economy with a state-led digital transformation agenda, provides a relevant context to examine whether firm age moderates the relationship between information technology (IT) investment and AIS quality. AIS quality is conceptualized through two dimensions: system quality and information quality. Using survey data from 649 Vietnamese enterprises, the study employs SPSS and the PROCESS macro (version 4.2) to test moderation effects. The results show that IT investment positively affects both system quality and information quality, while firm age also has a positive direct effect on AIS quality. However, the interaction between IT investment and firm age is negative, indicating that the marginal benefits of IT investment are weaker in mature firms than in younger firms, as structural rigidity and legacy system constraints limit the effective leverage of additional IT investment despite higher baseline AIS quality. The study contributes by linking the IS Success Model with an Organizational information processing theory-based contingency perspective, identifying firm age as a structural boundary condition that explains heterogeneous IT returns within an institutional digital governance context. The findings suggest that managers and policymakers should align digital investment and regulatory strategies with organizational maturity to support sustainable digital business ecosystems.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16050203

Authors: Ignacio Ruiz Guerra Santos Manuel Cavero López Jesús Barreal Pernas

The Spanish tourism sector is experiencing an unprecedented boom. However, this macroeconomic success coexists with a growing crisis of burnout and job insecurity. While the macroeconomic effects of minimum wage policies are widely debated, the micro-level psychosocial reality of employees operating within these cost-pressured environments remains largely unexplored. This research uses the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) framework to descriptively explore the current state of employee well-being in the Spanish hotel sector, operating within the macroeconomic context of recent minimum wage increases. Specifically, the study evaluates how environments characterized by high cost-containment pressures are associated with exacerbated labour demands and depleted resources, a pattern consistent with burnout, thus analysing the implications for social sustainability. Our data come from a survey of 384 hotel employees in Spain and were analysed using the Labour Demands–Resources (JD-R) framework and bootstrap methods. The results reveal that employees report very low agreement that their workloads are reasonable and manageable (mean = 1.8/5) and perceive limited development opportunities (mean = 1.9/5), despite acknowledging the importance of well-being for sustainability (mean = 4.8/5). Work intensification is particularly acute in regions with high seasonality and among cleaning staff. Furthermore, sustainability awareness moderates the negative impact of workload on employee engagement. The study concludes that within high-pressure hospitality environments, macroeconomic wage improvements can be offset by a decline in job quality, threatening the long-term social sustainability of the sector. We advocate for more nuanced policies and a shift in human resource management strategy toward genuine investment in human capital.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16050202

Authors: Moses Nyakuwanika

Entrepreneurship is recognised globally as the vehicle for economic development and poverty eradication, yet in developing economies, it is not receiving the support it deserves. Based on the institutional framework, this study explores its role in fostering the development of an entrepreneurial mindset in Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe. Being grounded in the interpretivist research philosophy and following an inductive qualitative research design, the study adopted a case study strategy. Data were collected through in- depth interviews with 12 participants, purposively selected from industry leaders and entrepreneurs. Thematic analysis was used to inductively generate contextual insights from the interaction between the regulatory, socio-economic, and cultural pillars of the institutional framework and individual capabilities. The findings show that entrepreneurship development in Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe, is influenced to a greater extent by the institutional framework, which is characterised by economic volatility, infrastructure gaps, and evolving regulatory demands. The formal institutional framework was noted to confer legitimacy while, at the same time, imposing obligations on institutions; informal institutional frameworks rooted in communal values, social capital, and professional bodies helped fill gaps in the formal framework. The study also demonstrates that entrepreneurial mindset development is an integrated output of continuous learning, strategic networking, and individual capability. In reinforcing the normative dimensions of institutional theory, it was noted that entrepreneurs do not only have profit-maximisation goals but also long-term sustainability and survival targets. The study contributes to scarce empirical research on the nexus between institutional framework and entrepreneurship development in emerging economies. The findings reinforce the need for an integrated approach that streamlines the regulatory process, strengthens infrastructure, supports capacity building, and recognises the role of the informal institutional network in enhancing entrepreneurship development. Even though the qualitative, cross-sectional design limits the generalizability of the study’s findings, the study offers insights into fostering entrepreneurship development in emerging markets.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16050201

Authors: Juliana Juliana Ira Brunchilda Hubner Diena M. Lemy Arifin Djakasaputra Ferry Jie

Increasing pressure for innovation-driven competitiveness requires hospitality firms to integrate technological capability, market intelligence, and customer-focused innovation into coherent strategic configurations. However, prior research has largely examined these capabilities separately, limiting understanding of how their integration influences restaurant marketing performance in emerging markets. This study develops and empirically tests an integrated capability framework linking techno-resonance innovation capability, competitor orientation, consumer-centric innovation strategy, and new service development to restaurant marketing performance using survey data from 300 restaurant managers in Java and Bali, Indonesia. The results of PLS-SEM analysis indicate that techno-resonance innovation capability significantly strengthens consumer-centric innovation strategy and new service development, which subsequently improves marketing performance outcomes. The findings extend dynamic capabilities theory by demonstrating that capability integration—rather than isolated strategic actions—supports innovation-driven competitiveness in emerging hospitality markets and provides practical guidance for restaurant managers seeking to enhance performance under resource-constrained conditions.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16050200

Authors: Kiriakos Tsaousiotis Konstantinos Panitsidis Marina Vezou Eleni Zafeiriou Ioannis Maniadakis

Amid Europe’s demographic decline and the intensifying global “war for talent,” migration is increasingly viewed as a critical source of human capital capable of sustaining economic growth and welfare systems. Nevertheless, the literature on Macro-Talent Management (MTM) has primarily focused on the attraction of highly skilled expatriates, paying limited attention to how national integration systems shape the broader capacity of countries to attract and retain migrant talent. Addressing this gap, the present study conceptualizes migrant integration as a strategic component of macro-level talent management and evaluates the “talent attractiveness” of different European welfare and migration regimes. Methodologically, the study develops a multi-criteria evaluation framework based on the PROMETHEE II (Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment of Evaluations) outranking method, enabling the simultaneous assessment of institutional, socio-economic, and administrative dimensions of migration governance. The model integrates nine indicators combining policy inclusiveness (e.g., Migrant Integration Policy Index—MIPEX (Migrant Integration Policy Index), citizenship accessibility), labor market outcomes (employment and gender gaps), and systemic pressures on migration management (asylum applications). By integrating policy indicators with real-world labor market performance and administrative capacity, the proposed framework offers a novel analytical tool for comparative migration policy evaluation and decision support. The empirical application covers six European countries representing distinct migration regimes: Portugal, Sweden, France, Poland, Greece, and Germany. The results challenge the conventional assumption that economic strength alone determines migrant attractiveness. Portugal emerges as the most attractive destination, demonstrating that inclusive rights-based integration policies can offset lower GDP levels. In contrast, Germany ranks last in the sample, revealing signs of systemic overextension due to extreme administrative pressure, while Greece occupies the fifth position characterized by structural integration deficits. The study contributes to the literature by linking migration governance, integration policy effectiveness, and macro-level talent management and by introducing a multi-criteria decision-analytic approach for evaluating national migration systems in Europe. The study offers a reassessment of the ‘talent attractiveness’ of European welfare models in a post-pandemic context (2023).

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16050199

Authors: Lize van Hoek Sam Lubbe Phumla Nkosi

This study examines workplace bullying within the middle-management tier of a large Gauteng-based retail organisation in South Africa, with a focus on structural organisational pressures and perceptual differences among managers. While traditional research often emphasises individual personality traits or victim demographics, this study explores how organisational conditions—particularly the “middle management squeeze” and performance-driven Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)—are reflected in workplace behaviours. Grounded in a positivist paradigm, a quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among a probability-based sample of 253 retail managers. Data were collected using the Negative Acts Questionnaire (NAQ-22) and analysed using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and nonparametric inferential tests. The findings indicate that task-related negative acts, such as micromanagement (M = 2.00) and persistent monitoring (M = 1.87), are frequently experienced. EFA identified two dimensions—General Harassment and Managerial Control—accounting for 62% of the total variance. Inferential results show that perceptions of General Harassment differ significantly across educational groups (p = 0.0268), whereas perceptions of Managerial Control remain consistent (p = 0.3378). These findings indicate that social forms of incivility are interpreted differently across educational cohorts, while task-related managerial practices are widely normalised. The study highlights the importance of understanding workplace bullying as both a structural and perceptual phenomenon and underscores the need for organisational interventions that address systemic pressures rather than relying solely on individual-level approaches.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16050198

Authors: Soyoung Kim Wooje Kim Richard Clark Feiock

This study investigates emotional patterns in state government disaster guideline documents using keyword-level emotion analysis and TF–IDF based topic modeling, framing disaster policy communication as an emotional–cognitive dual structure, drawing from Situational Crisis Communication Theory. The findings demonstrate a strong negative relationship between fear and neutrality, indicating a functional separation between risk awareness and administrative clarity. Nine topics were identified and organized into clusters centered on operational support, administrative structures, and policy frameworks, while content related to hazards and recovery emerged as a distinct semantic category based on cosine similarity analysis. In the integrated analysis of sentiment and topics, neutral language predominates, reflecting the cognitive dimension of government guidelines, with fear and sadness appearing as secondary but systematically patterned emotions. Fear concentrates in topics addressing hazardous conditions and risk-related content. Emotionally neutral language has traditionally been privileged in public administration, but the findings highlight disaster policy communication shaped by governance objectives that privilege specific emotional orientations aligned with coordination, participation, and risk management. State disaster guidelines function not only as technical instructions but also as structured communicative instruments that operate along a dual cognitive–emotional model, shaping public attention and response.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16050197

Authors: Lidija Kraujalienė Alytis Gruodis

This study addresses the growing need for structured, measurable organizational development (OD) models amid digital transformation, geopolitical uncertainty, and increasing managerial complexity. Contemporary middle- and top-level managers are expected to ensure productivity, strategic clarity, resilience, and data-driven decision-making; however, existing leadership methodologies are often examined separately and lack integrated evaluation frameworks. The research analyses two prominent approaches: the American Action Science methodology and the Scandinavian (particularly Finnish) consensus-based leadership concept. While Action Science emphasizes explicit reasoning, double-loop learning, accountability, and measurable performance outcomes, the Finnish consensus model prioritizes trust, participation, and relational cohesion. The aim of the study is to develop and empirically test the original digital model LeadWinO (LEADership for WINning Organizations) for evaluating the organizational development activities of middle- and top-level managers. The model was empirically tested on managers in Lithuania. The novelty of the research lies in combining management and informatics perspectives by embedding organizational development evaluation into a digital, indicator-based, and potentially predictive framework. The type of study is quantitative research integrating questionnaire analysis in the case of multi-profile sections. Analytical tool used for data simulation is Feedforward Neural Network for constructing sufficient gapless sets of digitalized data. Research results showed that the American Action Science methodology is most effectively used by managers working in very small and small enterprises in the service and maintenance sectors. The findings are expected to contribute to the operationalization of leadership effectiveness under uncertainty and provide organizations with an auditable structure linking managerial behaviour, decision-making processes, and organizational performance outcomes.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16050196

Authors: Yechale Mehiret Geremew Carina Kleynhans

The research landscape in tourism and hospitality often feels like a house divided. On one side, there is the quantitative camp searching for broad, linear patterns; on the other side, there are qualitative scholars who prefer deep, contextual dives. This division suggests that scholars may overlook valuable insights in the middle. Therefore, this study examines how Fuzzy-Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) and Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA) are transforming the landscape and bridging the methodological and analytical divide. For this purpose, authors analyzed 91 peer-reviewed articles using PRISMA 2020 systematic review principles from six databases. The findings highlight that this multi-methodological triangulation addresses causal asymmetry, acknowledging that the drivers of success are not necessarily mirror images of those of failure. The study implies that, in theory, it bridges the gap between qualitative nuance and quantitative rigor, moving from universal linear assumptions to complexity theory. Methodologically, it allows for a prioritized roadmap in which NCA pinpoints exact operational thresholds and fsQCA provides strategic flexibility. In practice, the findings offer a two-tiered decision-making framework for industry managers: first, addressing non-negotiable bottlenecks, and second, selecting the strategic configuration that best aligns with their unique resource base. The review concludes that, while challenges such as data calibration and interpretative complexity remain, integrating these paradigms offers a more authentic and comprehensive understanding of the volatile landscape of tourism and hospitality.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16040195

Authors: Jale Minibas-Poussard Tutku Seckin Haluk Baran Bingöl

Background: Workplace bullying constitutes a persistent psychosocial risk in public service settings, where hierarchical structures and limited exit opportunities may intensify employees’ psychological strain. Although previous research has documented associations between workplace bullying and burnout, less is known about the psychological processes through which bullying translates into emotional exhaustion and the contextual conditions under which these processes are activated, particularly in public sector contexts. Method: This study used survey data from 234 public service employees working in administrative, educational, and non-clinical healthcare institutions across three major cities in Türkiye (Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir). Participants who were frequently exposed to workplace bullying were selected to examine the detrimental cycle that victims experience. A moderated mediation model (PROCESS Model 7) was tested to examine emotion-focused coping as a mediating mechanism between workplace bullying and burnout, operationalized through emotional exhaustion, and to assess whether this indirect effect was conditional on perceived bystander silence. Results: Findings indicated that workplace bullying was associated with increased reliance on emotion-focused coping only when perceived bystander silence was high. The conditional indirect effect of workplace bullying on burnout via emotion-focused coping was significant at higher levels of bystander silence, whereas no indirect effect emerged under low silence conditions. Conclusions: These findings suggest that burnout does not arise as an automatic consequence of bullying exposure but unfolds through coping processes that are activated in socially silent environments. By highlighting the conditional role of bystander silence, this study emphasizes the value of social context in shaping how public service employees respond to workplace bullying and how burnout develops. We discuss the practical implications for organizational interventions that aim to reduce bystander silence and support healthier coping processes in organizations.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16040194

Authors: Andra Modreanu Sorin-George Toma

The corporate social responsibility (CSR) approach from a managerial point of view has become a topic of interest especially in the European ex-Communist countries. This paper explores the intentions of Romanian managers of small and medium-sized enterprises and multinational corporations operating in Romania to implement corporate socially responsible practices (CSRPs). To this end, a quantitative research methodology based on an online survey was employed, and partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. The results show that the research model based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) has been validated. The values of composite reliability and Cronbach’s alpha exceed 0.7, the value of average variance extracted exceeds 0.5, while the values of average block variance inflation factor and average full collinearity are below 3.3. The findings also indicate that the intention of managers to integrate CSRP within their business organizations is mostly influenced by the stakeholder pressure, suggesting that the attainment of social approval is a crucial driver of responsible behavior, rather than other constructs related to the TPB. The study concludes that while negative attitudes towards CSR do not significantly affect managers’ intentions to engage in CSRP, positive attitudes exert a favorable influence.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16040193

Authors: Vânia Oliveira Isabel Soares Silva Daniela Costa Ana Luísa Veloso

Job satisfaction (JS) is a key indicator in health-related professions. This variable can be crucial to the performance of healthcare workers as well as to patients’ perception of the care provided. However, JS can be influenced by personal and organizational variables and the variables that interface between these two domains, such as work–family conflict (WFC), organizational support, and work–family support programs. In this sense, the main objective of this study is to analyze the relationship between family-friendly practices (FFPs) made available by organizations and used by workers, WFC, and JS. To this end, the present study uses mixed data (quantitative and qualitative) obtained from healthcare workers in Portugal. A total of 1495 workers participated in the study. The results indicate that the number of FFPs made available and used by healthcare workers is very small. There is a negative relationship between FFP availability and WFC as well as between WFC and JS. Conversely, FFP availability is positively associated with JS. Finally, FFP availability partially mediates the relationship between WFC and JS. Qualitative data support the importance of practices that help reconcile work and family life, which may have an impact on occupational indicators such as JS.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16040192

Authors: Nenad Novaković Aleksandar Sofić Ranko Bojanić Ognjen Dopuđ Aleksandra Sitarević

The increasing adoption of servitization has led many manufacturing companies to operate simultaneously in manufacturing and service activities, creating dual-sector business models characterized by heightened organizational complexity. Although prior research acknowledges that both internal capabilities and contextual conditions shape organizational outcomes, fewer studies have examined these variables within the same empirical model in companies operating under both manufacturing and service logics. Drawing on the resource-based view and contingency theory, this study examines the effects of organizational culture, organizational commitment, knowledge management, environmental uncertainty, and employee retention on organizational performance in dual-sector companies, while also assessing whether these relationships vary by company size. Survey data were collected from 433 employees working in dual-sector companies and were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis, covariance-based structural equation modeling, and supplementary hierarchical regression analysis. The findings indicate that environmental uncertainty and employee retention did not receive empirical support as independent direct predictors in the structural model. Organizational commitment, knowledge management, and two dimensions of organizational culture—consistency and adaptability—are significant positive predictors of perceived organizational performance. The moderation analysis does not provide strong evidence that company size changes these relationships, although the interaction suggests that environmental uncertainty may be more consequential in large firms. This study contributes to research on servitization by showing that, in dual-sector companies, performance is most strongly associated with internal capabilities that support coordination, shared meaning, and knowledge integration across manufacturing and service activities. For managers, the results highlight the importance of strengthening commitment, adaptive coordination, and cross-domain knowledge processes rather than relying on retention efforts alone.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16040191

Authors: Suzan Matsila Mmakgabo Justice Malebana

Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges in South Africa continue to experience challenges related to staff commitment, organisational performance, and institutional effectiveness. These challenges highlight the need to better understand leadership approaches that sustain academic engagement and stability. This study examines the relationship between transformational leadership and organisational commitment among academic staff at a selected TVET college in Gauteng, South Africa. Grounded in the transformational leadership theory of Bass and Avolio, the study adopted a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design. Data were collected from 203 academic staff across six campuses using a structured self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis were performed using SPSS. The findings revealed low levels of organisational commitment among academic staff. While transformational leadership, as a composite construct, did not significantly predict organisational commitment, specific components—namely intellectual stimulation, inspirational motivation, and individualised consideration—showed significant positive relationships with organisational commitment. Theoretically, the study refines the application of transformational leadership theory within the TVET context by demonstrating that its components may operate differentially rather than as a unified construct in predicting organisational commitment. These findings challenge assumptions regarding the holistic predictive power of transformational leadership and extend leadership scholarship within under-researched TVET settings in developing-country contexts. Practically, the results provide evidence-based guidance for TVET management to design targeted leadership development interventions that emphasise specific transformational leadership behaviours to enhance academic staff commitment.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16040190

Authors: Abdallah Mishael Obeidat

The study examines the impact of Work Social Media Usage (WSMU) on employee skills through the mediating roles of perceived relatedness, perceived autonomy, and perceived competence. A comprehensive questionnaire was formulated to measure WSMU and employee skills, based on self-determination theory, along with collecting data using a five-scale Likert questionnaire. The study focused on local and international consulting and training firms that are registered and operational in Jordan. Managers, trainers, marketers, evaluators, consultants, and academics were the main participants of the sample, which was chosen with convenience sampling. There was a total of 518 employees in the sample. The results obtained through structural equation modeling show that WSMU greatly increases employee skills, with perceived competence being the strongest mediator. The research illustrates how social media is useful in promoting the sharing of knowledge, emotional care, and skill acquisition, which can be helpful to organizations in making use of digital interactions for the development of employees.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16040189

Authors: Moses Nyakuwanika

The study explores the role of management accounting education in cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset among management accountants and entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe. This study was motivated by the lack of a deep understanding of how management accounting education can contribute to the development of the entrepreneurial mindset, despite the growing importance of entrepreneurship in driving innovation and economic development. This study seeks to bridge the gap by providing insights into the intersection of accounting education and the formation of an entrepreneurial mindset in Zimbabwe. The study utilised an inductive research approach, which aligned with the interpretivist research philosophy adopted. Data for the study were collected through in-depth interviews with 11 management accountants and entrepreneurs regarding management accounting education and its role in fostering an entrepreneurial mindset and analysed using thematic analysis. The findings elucidate how management accounting education fosters entrepreneurial thinking, emphasising strategic decision-making, risk evaluation, and innovation. Participants underscored the need for courses that integrate practical skills with academic knowledge to better equip students for entrepreneurial challenges. This research study contributed to the literature by providing context-specific insights from Zimbabwe, a developing country, and thereby extending the understanding of how management accounting education shapes entrepreneurial mindset development in resource-constrained and volatile environments. Furthermore, it provides an integrated viewpoint that connects entrepreneurial thinking, experiential learning, and accounting education in the context of the Global South. This study concluded that management accounting education is essential for shaping the entrepreneurial mindset in Zimbabwe. Suggestions for improving the relevance and efficacy of accounting education in promoting entrepreneurship include changes to the curriculum and teaching methods.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16040188

Authors: Elena S. Panayiotou Andreas Efstathiades

Organizational commitment constitutes a challenge for organizations. Despite the growing body of literature describing organizational commitment as a positive outcome of ideal job conditions, how organizational commitment develops has not been explored extensively. This study examines how organizational commitment develops in small and medium enterprises in Cyprus by modelling the roles of work–life balance, flexible work arrangements, employee remuneration, motivation, and job satisfaction. To test the hypothesized relationships among the variables, structural equation modelling was used to analyze survey data collected from 462 employees. The findings of this study show a strong effect of work–life balance and employee remuneration on organizational commitment. The results indicate a sequential pattern, in which work–life balance and employee remuneration showed stronger effects within the model, while motivation acted as a first-stage mediator and job satisfaction as a second-stage mediator linking these effects to organizational commitment. These findings suggest that organizational commitment develops primarily through earlier motivational and evaluative experiences, rather than resulting solely from favorable job conditions. The study offers theoretical insight into the process through which organizational commitment develops and provides practical implications for managers of small and medium enterprises seeking to strengthen employee commitment through everyday work conditions.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16040187

Authors: Paula Cristina Nunes Figueiredo Sandra Miranda

Research on Employee Experience Management (EXM) has traditionally emphasized demographic segmentation—age, gender, or educational level—as the main differentiators in how employees perceive their career path within organizations. However, this demographic focus shows fragmented evidence and limited explanatory power regarding the mechanisms that truly shape EX. To fill this gap, this study proposes a structural and contextual reformulation of EX segmentation, arguing that employee experiences vary less depending on who they are and more depending on their position within organizational systems. Using data from 403 employees across various sectors and an 18-item EXM scale covering Reputation, Recruitment, Physical, Technical, and Cultural Experiences, we performed t-tests, ANOVAs, cluster analysis, and effect size estimates. Findings show that hierarchical position is the main predictor of EX in the dimensions of Physical, Technical, and Cultural Experience, as well as in the overall dimensions, while demographic differences—especially age and education—are negligible. Employee seniority and organisational size have a significant impact on Cultural Experience, which emphasizes how socialisation and organisational structure shape the EX. These findings reveal that EX segmentation is essentially structural, underscoring the necessity of EXM strategies that prioritize employees, particularly those without management functions, and enhance cultural integration through leader communication and onboarding procedures.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16040186

Authors: Elena Rusu Cigu Marius Brănici

The aim of the paper is to precisely identify the impact of regulatory quality and the rule of law on business demographic dynamics in European countries during the 2015–2024 period. The first aim is to provide a theoretical approach by reviewing aspects of the regulatory system in European countries and the most relevant studies on the issue. The second aim is to develop a linear regression model to evaluate the roles of regulatory quality and the rule of law during periods of economic volatility and changing business demographics in European Countries. The OLS estimation technique for panel data models will be chosen. The results support the hypothesis of an institutional convergence effect, indicating that regulatory quality and the rule of law significantly enhance net firm performance creation, but this impact is conditional on the level of economic development. The paper offers a useful perspective on the complex relationship between regulatory quality and the rule of law in advancing business demographics and promoting performance in the business environment, thereby adding to the existing literature.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16040185

Authors: Abobakr Aljuwaiber

This study comprehensively reviews the literature on knowledge management (KM) to explain its impact on organizational performance and business sustainability. It examines the dominant KM frameworks and theories; performance and sustainability outcomes; and key contextual enablers and constraints across sectors. Following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis), a systematic review was used to find and collect relevant empirical and theoretical studies through Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science. Thematic descriptive analysis of articles published between January 2020 and January 2026 revealed major themes, research trends, and conceptual gaps, which informed the key research agenda. A total of 70 studies were included after screening and eligibility assessment. The findings indicate that KM consistently enhances innovation capability and operational efficiency to boost competitive advantage and support social, economic, and environmental outcomes. These relationships are largely mediated by organizational learning and innovation, especially green innovation, and are moderated by leadership, organizational culture, and technological integration. Adoption patterns vary across industries and sectors based on differences in resources, digital maturity, and regulatory environments. Ongoing challenges include resistance to change, difficulties in managing tacit knowledge, measurement limitations, and limited longitudinal and cross-sectoral research. Overall, this systematic review highlights the need for integrated KM frameworks that align leadership, culture, and technology to strengthen performance and sustainability outcomes. It advances KM theory by clarifying the dominant models and mechanisms to offer actionable insights for managers and policymakers.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16040184

Authors: Yunlu Cai Siti Rohaida Mohamed Zainal

This study explains how strategy–execution gaps become self-reinforcing during digital process transformation in layered manufacturing organizations. Drawing on an embedded qualitative process study of a large Chinese brewery’s transformation (2020–2024), we triangulate 10 semi-structured interviews across hierarchical levels with longitudinal public disclosures to reconstruct the initiative timeline and trace mechanisms across change phases. The analysis shows that platform-based process governance can scale faster than shared meaning and dialog, producing frontline sensemaking gaps and formalistic, top-down communication. These conditions thin employee voice and weaken feedback closure, which in turn erodes the legitimacy of organizational diagnosis and fragments implementation support. As interface problems are handled through local workarounds, management intensifies visibility-based monitoring, further suppressing voice and reinforcing the execution gap. We develop an organizational development process model that centers feedback closure and diagnosis legitimacy as bridging mechanisms linking soft change dynamics (meaning, trust, voice) with hard digital governance (process standards, data infrastructures, monitoring). The model offers actionable implications for leaders to build closure and legitimate diagnosis as operational capabilities throughout transformation.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16040183

Authors: Camilla Reis Florian Ratz Christiana Ropposch

A business model is an essential concept for securing long-term success and competitive advantage, where technologies take on an enabling role. Without the respective technology, the business model becomes unviable. Digital technologies are well known to enable business models, and various definitions of the term digital business models and their characteristics are discussed in the existing literature. However, scholars sometimes use this term interchangeably with the term technology-based business models, although not all technologies are digital in nature. In fact, many different types of technologies other than digital ones exist. A strong theoretical foundation for digital business models is available, while the research on technology-based business models is fragmented and incomplete. This term has been used without further defining its meaning or the definitions provided are too narrow and decisive characteristics are missing. Although authors have used these two terms interchangeably, they cannot be seen as equivalent, and the definitions and characteristics of digital business models cannot be simply transferred to the concept of technology-based ones. Therefore, the absence of a holistic and comprehensive definition of the term technology-based business models in the existing literature represents a significant gap that this research seeks to address. The aim of our study was to examine how business models are based on a particular technology. We use the results of a systematic literature review and semi-structured expert interviews to construct a comprehensive definition for the term technology-based business models, and we identify the major and minor characteristics of both terms. In addition to adding to the business model literature, these findings help practitioners understand technology-based business models in more detail and how technology can enable business models to meet customers’ needs.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16040182

Authors: Anh Phuong Hoang Vinh Thi Vu

This study examines how artificial intelligence (AI) contributes to the formation of new quality productive forces (NQPF) at the employee level. While prior research has largely treated AI as an external technological driver, this study investigates whether AI becomes embedded within employees’ capabilities through confidence and skill transformation. Using survey data from 303 employees in Vietnamese commercial banks, the study applies exploratory factor analysis and regression models to analyze the relationships among AI confidence, skill transformation, work experience, and NQPF. The results show that AI confidence has a significant positive effect on NQPF, and this relationship is strengthened by skill transformation. However, work experience weakens this effect, suggesting uneven adaptation across employee groups. These findings indicate that the impact of AI on productive transformation depends not only on technological deployment but also on workforce capability development. The study contributes to the literature by providing micro-level evidence on how AI may be internalized within labor processes in emerging economies.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16040181

Authors: Tamás Zelles Bernadett Domokos Sándor Remsei

Leaders and managers frequently face the need to make highly complex decisions with incomplete or fragmented information. Traditional decision support systems largely emphasize the visualization of data but often fall short in producing context-sensitive insights that can directly inform decision-making. This paper examines how narrative techniques combined with machine learning can strengthen communication across organizational hierarchies, particularly by improving the transfer of tacit expertise and contextual knowledge. To explore this, a transdisciplinary literature review was conducted using articles published within the last five years from databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect. The review highlights that narrative-driven reporting has been most commonly applied in fields such as accounting and sustainability, where expert interpretation replaces purely numerical summaries with more meaningful analytical explanations. Such approaches can also embed sentiment and personalization, commonly referred to as Narrative Disclosure Tone. Building on this foundation, the study investigates how Artificial Intelligence-driven decision support can formally integrate narrative elements to enhance report clarity, usability, and strategic relevance. Findings suggest that combining machine learning with expert-driven narrative reporting supports more innovative decision support systems and facilitates the alignment of tacit knowledge with data-driven insights.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16040180

Authors: Pieter Schaap Melodi Botha

Robust measurement of entrepreneurial competencies (ECs) is crucial for entrepreneurship education, yet their internal structure remains theoretically contested and empirically underexamined. This study examined whether the four-factor Entrepreneurial Career Competency Instrument (ECCI) exhibits a hierarchical (bifactor) structure among South African entrepreneurs. Using two non-probability samples (N = 1305; N = 280), we analysed competing models, including a bifactor exploratory structural equation model (ESEM). The selected 56-item bifactor ESEM solution was examined for conceptual replicability in the smaller sample using Bayesian structural equation modelling (BSEM) with informative priors and sensitivity analyses to address small-sample uncertainty. Our findings revealed a theoretically supported hierarchical structure with a strong general factor and distinct specific factors: entrepreneurial career mindset, innovativeness, motivation, and implementation, enhancing the interpretation of scores. This study guides ECCI usage by suggesting total scores for broad assessments and domain scores for diagnostic feedback. Methodologically, the findings demonstrate that combining frequentist and Bayesian approaches across samples strengthened structural validity and provided insights into evaluating imprecise responses to self-report measures and addressing sampling constraints. Overall, this work contributes a robust structural model of the ECCI and enriches the EC literature, serving as a framework for refining, testing and applying attribute-based EC measures in diverse contexts.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16040179

Authors: Arzu Karaman Akgül

Today’s global and competitive environment forces companies to revise their competitive strategies and assess their operations’ performance. Customers are demanding new products and services, and organizations should adapt to the changing requirements of the customers. Companies may achieve excellence in their operations with cost reduction, by reducing time-to-market, and through improvements in delivery and quality. The main contribution of this study is assessing the linkages among operational performance (OP), environmental dynamism (ED), and competitive strategy (CS) in an emerging economy, Turkey. This study also aims to define the dimensions used to assess the operational performance, which are called the competitive manufacturing priorities in the operations management literature. To test the linkages between environmental dynamism, operational performance, and competitive strategy, a structural model is proposed. Analyses are conducted in SPSS 28.0 and AMOS 24.0 programs using the data gathered from Turkish manufacturing companies. Since 99.8% of firms operating in Türkiye are SMEs, most of the companies participating in this study (124 of 211) are also SMEs, and another contribution of this study is understanding the dimensions affecting the operational performance of SMEs According to the results, environmental dynamism has a significant relation to operational performance, and operational performance has a positive linkage with competitive strategy as well. The results also indicate that the most important dimensions used in assessing operational performance are customer satisfaction and supplier performance, as expected for manufacturing companies. Furthermore, the results of this study are expected to support organizations in developing and implementing effective strategies that integrate new capabilities and environmental considerations into their competitive strategy. As expected in SMEs, the most used competitive strategy is found to be “cost leadership,” because they can achieve operational performance by efficiently using resources, and by minimizing the production and transaction costs, they can enhance their competitiveness in the market.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16040178

Authors: Mustapha Jebor Hanaa Hachimi Ikhlef Jebbor Hayet Benhamida Zoubida Benmamoun

Lean production philosophy and sustainability approach have become a critical framework for efficiency improvement, waste reduction, and promoting sustainable manufacturing practices. In the age of artificial intelligence (AI), there is a synergy, which has now found new dimensions, data-driven decision-making, predictive analytics, and operational agility. AI technologies promise to transform industrial processes by converging lean production and sustainability principles, a synergy explored in this paper. AI APIs enable the use of AI to improve resource utilization, reduce environmental pressure, and maintain economic growth inherent to all business sectors while also fostering social accountability. In this study, a robust regression model is employed to study the role of AI in moderating the lean practices and sustainability outcomes relationship, using a sample of 528 manufacturing firms. The results show that the contribution of AI technologies to economic, ecological, and social sustainability is effectively multiplied by that of lean production. This research offers a framework to help practitioners and policymakers optimize production systems in line with Sustainable Development Goals. Finally, the study delivers actionable recommendations for navigating skill gaps and cybersecurity risks that were identified. In sum, this paper contributes to the rapidly emerging conversation by providing empirical evidence on AI’s moderating role in the lean–sustainability relationship and offering a strategic framework for practitioners.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16040177

Authors: Karam Zaki Wagih Salama

This study examines the development and consequences of student–institution distrust (SID) in higher education. While prior research has predominantly focused on trust, limited attention has been given to distrust as a distinct psychological construct influencing student experiences. Guided by Institutional Logics Theory, the study investigates how perceived institutional practices, institutional support, and cost–value (ROI) perceptions shape SID and how distrust influences sense of belonging, academic engagement, and help-seeking intentions. Data were collected from 600 undergraduate students enrolled in Business Administration and Tourism programs at public universities in Saudi Arabia. Multi-Group Structural Equation Modeling (MG-SEM) was employed to examine the proposed relationships and the moderating role of academic discipline. The results indicate that institutional practices, perceived support, and ROI perceptions significantly predict student–institution distrust. In turn, distrust exerts significant negative effects on students’ sense of belonging, academic engagement, and help-seeking intentions, confirming the theorized detrimental role of distrust in shaping student outcomes. The findings further reveal that academic discipline strengthens the negative impact of distrust on student outcomes, with stronger effects observed among Tourism students. By conceptualizing distrust as a multidimensional construct rather than simply the absence of trust, this study contributes to the literature on student–institution relationships and provides practical insights for designing transparent and supportive institutional environments that reduce distrust and enhance student engagement.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16040176

Authors: Leandro Bitetti Carmine Garzia Emanuele Carpanzano

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is increasingly portrayed as a transformative technology capable of simultaneously enhancing operational efficiency and enabling strategic growth. Yet small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) experience heterogeneous outcomes, suggesting that GenAI does not generate value uniformly across firms. This study develops and empirically informs a contingency framework explaining how distinct GenAI functions relate to differentiated strategic objectives and how technological, organizational, and environmental (TOE) readiness conditions shape this relationship. Using a three-round Delphi study with an interdisciplinary expert panel, including GenAI consultants, corporate managers, legal experts, academic researchers, and public-sector policymakers, we identify six core GenAI functional domains associated with efficiency-oriented and growth-oriented strategies. The findings suggest that operational automation and data intelligence are more strongly associated with efficiency objectives, whereas market intelligence, market testing, linguistic expansion, and idea generation are more closely related to growth objectives, although none is exclusively linked to a single strategic goal. Importantly, TOE readiness is found to play a key role in shaping the extent to which function-specific GenAI deployment translates into realized strategic value, with organizational readiness appearing more prominent than technological or environmental conditions. By shifting the focus from adoption to function-specific strategic alignment and readiness configurations, this study advances understanding of GenAI-enabled strategic value realization and heterogeneous transformation pathways in SMEs.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16040175

Authors: Lingyu Gao Xiaoli Wang

The emergence of smart healthcare platforms has significantly enhanced the accessibility of medical services, yet it has also introduced critical challenges such as information overload and patient decision-making dilemmas. This study investigates the interaction and synergistic optimization of a dual-drive mechanism—comprising ‘patient proactive search’ and ‘artificial intelligence (AI)-driven recommendations’—within healthcare platform recommendation systems. By developing a game-theoretic model that incorporates heterogeneous users (including random single-search users and rational multi-stage decision-makers) and competitive medical institutions, we systematically analyze how different recommendation strategies influence market equilibrium, patient utility, and platform profit. The findings reveal that in the absence of AI-driven recommendations, a higher proportion of random users intensifies price competition among providers. In contrast, the integration of AI-driven recommendations with proactive search behavior effectively mitigates price wars and enhances matching efficiency. Furthermore, our analysis identifies an optimal recommendation strategy weight that enables the platform to simultaneously improve both equilibrium price and user demand. This research offers a theoretical foundation for the design of efficient and sustainable recommendation systems in smart healthcare platforms and provides practical managerial insights for improving medical service efficiency and optimizing resource allocation.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16040174

Authors: Sofia Manoutzopoulou Panagiotis Serdaris Konstantinos Spinthiropoulos

The contemporary crisis of trust in institutions and organizations has intensified what recent literature describes as a “leadership recession”, characterized by declining ethical legitimacy and limited capacity to manage systemic change. This article introduces the concept of leadership recession as a systemic and ethical phenomenon and proposes an ethical–systemic leadership model as potential pathway toward leadership recovery. Drawing on Aristotelian ethics—particularly the concepts of phronesis (practical wisdom), justice, and virtue—combined with systems theory and change management, the study develops an integrated theoretical framework that reconceptualizes leadership legitimacy as both a moral and organizational condition. Empirically, the study is based on a quantitative survey of 402 employees from the public and private sectors in Greece. The findings indicate that employees’ perceptions of effective leadership are positively associated with ethical virtues and leaders’ capacity to understand and manage organizational interdependencies. Ethical legitimacy emerges as an important relational mechanism that enhances trust, participation, and acceptance of organizational change. The article contributes to leadership and administrative sciences literature by introducing the notion of leadership recession and by proposing an ethical–systemic leadership paradigm that integrates values-based leadership, systemic thinking, and change management. The findings offer both theoretical insights and practical implications for leaders and organizations seeking sustainable and ethically legitimate transformation.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16040173

Authors: António Sacavém Andreia de Bem Machado João Rodrigues dos Santos Ana Palma-Moreira Manuel Au-Yong-Oliveira

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming leadership and raising critical questions about decision-making, leadership capabilities, and ethical accountability in increasingly digitalized organizations. Objective: This systematic review synthesizes peer-reviewed evidence to answer: How does AI integration transform leadership and decision-making in organizations? Methods: A PRISMA 2020-compliant systematic review was conducted using structured Boolean searches in Scopus and Web of Science Core Collection on 26 February 2026. Eligibility was restricted to English-language, peer-reviewed, open-access journal articles with an explicit AI–leadership integration signal. Records were deduplicated and screened by two reviewers, with full-text assessment conducted against predefined criteria. A qualitative, narrative (conceptual) synthesis integrated heterogeneous empirical and conceptual contributions. Results: From 452 records, 84 studies met inclusion criteria. The synthesis identified three recurring analytical dimensions: (i) AI-augmented decision-making, (ii) leadership competencies and role shifts, and (iii) ethical challenges (accountability, transparency/opacity, fairness, privacy, and human agency). Integrating these dimensions, the review conceptualizes AI-driven leadership as a hybrid decision phenomenon in which AI accelerates and expands decision cycles, leaders reconfigure roles toward decision architecture and orchestration, and ethical conditions shape legitimacy, adoption, and authority dynamics. Conclusions: The review advances theory by specifying a mechanism-oriented model of AI-driven leadership and proposing testable propositions linking AI modality, role reconfiguration, and ethically conditioned legitimacy under key boundary conditions (e.g., sectoral stakes, governance capacity, and data/infrastructure readiness). Practically, it outlines an implementation pathway emphasizing decision criticality assessment, formalized human–AI task allocation, and institutionalized oversight mechanisms. Limitations: Findings are bounded by database selection and the open-access full-text constraint, which may under-represent paywalled scholarship.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16040172

Authors: Luísa Cagica Carvalho Josiane Rodrigues dos Santos Silvio Roberto Stefani Gelson Menon Josélia Elvira Teixeira

In the current context of the complexity of municipal management, the sustainable development of communities and compliance with the “2030 Agenda” objectives are essential. These objectives aim to reduce the negative environmental impact of cities by the year 2030, with special attention to issues such as air quality and municipal waste management, among other UN actions. The main objective is to verify the impacts on the residents around the São João monument, located in a city in the interior of Brazil, with its installation following the principles of sustainable development, Agenda 2030, and SDG 8. It is relevant to verify, with the rural community, the positive and negative impacts on the quality of life and development of families who reside around the São João monument. The research method was a single case study, and the data collection techniques were qualitative. Finally, the results point to benefits for the community with the implementation of the São João monument, such as the generation of income and jobs, the development of tourism, and compliance with SDG 8, goal 8.9. However, improvements in local planning and development are still needed.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16040171

Authors: Dinka Villarroel-Nuñez Marisa Salanova Hedy Acosta-Antognoni

Chile faces an institutional context marked by public distrust and increasing demands for legitimacy in public management. In this scenario, this study aimed to examine, within the framework of the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) theory and the HERO model, the relationships between servant leadership, public service motivation, work engagement, and healthy organizational outcomes in the Chilean public sector, considering the moderating effect of the supervisor’s gender. We used a sample of 428 employees from 22 public institutions, with validated instruments to assess servant leadership, public service motivation, work engagement, and organizational outcomes. Structural equation modeling confirmed the five proposed hypotheses: servant leadership was positively related to public service motivation and work engagement, and work engagement was positively associated with healthy organizational outcomes, showing partial mediation effects among these variables. No moderating effects of the supervisor’s gender were found. This study provides empirical evidence on the motivational mechanisms operating within the public sector and highlights the relevance of servant leadership as a key social resource for fostering motivation, work engagement, and organizational well-being within the specific context of Chilean public institutions included in the study.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16040170

Authors: Gianpaolo Tomaselli Gloria Macassa Karen Maria Borg Jose Guilherme Couto Jonathan L. Portelli Karen Borg Grima Sandra C. Buttigieg

Hospitals play a central role in promoting health and well-being, yet they are also among the most resource-intensive institutions, contributing significantly to environmental degradation through high energy and water consumption, extensive waste generation, and reliance on single-use materials. This conceptual paper explores how principles of the circular economy and green economy can be integrated into hospital operations through a strategic Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) framework, reframing sustainability as a strategic management issue rather than a compliance-driven activity. Drawing on environmental economics, sustainability studies, and institutional theory, the paper develops an integrated conceptual model structured around the environmental, social, and economic pillars of sustainability. Within this framework, four interconnected operational domains are identified: waste management and circular practices, energy consumption and renewable integration, sustainable procurement and circular supply chains, and economic and policy incentives. The social dimension explicitly encompasses healthcare staff and patients, addressing issues of workforce well-being, health education, safety, quality of life, and equitable care delivery. This advances theory by positioning strategic CSR as a function of circular and green economy, yielding a new model for hospitals, S-CSR = f(CE, GE). The paper also examines institutional and cultural barriers that constrain sustainability implementation and highlights the role of strategic leadership, governance, and system-wide innovation in overcoming these challenges. While not empirical, the study provides a theoretical foundation to inform future research, policy development, and strategic decision-making aimed at advancing sustainable, low-carbon, and resilient healthcare systems.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16040169

Authors: Vera Alves Armanda Antunes Ana Palma-Moreira Ivo Dias Andreia Borges

Population ageing is one of the most significant phenomena of the 21st century. The main objective of this study is to examine the relationship between organizational culture (supportive culture, innovative culture, market culture, and rule culture) and ageism (prejudice and discrimination) and whether this relationship is moderated by organizational age (obsolescence, age norms, perceived time and opportunities left, and disengagement phase). The sample for this study comprises 400 participants from organizations across different sectors. This is a quantitative and correlational study. The results indicate that only supportive culture and perceived time and opportunities left have a negative and significant effect on discrimination. As for the moderating effect, only obsolescence moderates the relationship between rule culture and prejudice. Additionally, older employees reported a stronger perception of a supportive culture. Considering the results obtained, a supportive culture can combat discrimination and the high perception of the ageing process, the latter requiring a greater understanding of what is meant by perceived opportunities.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16040168

Authors: Maria Magdalini Karalazarou Evangelos Christou Chryssoula Chatzigeorgiou Ioanna Simeli

This study develops and tests an Engagement–Experience–Co-creation–Loyalty (EECL) framework explaining how hospitality brand engagement (HBE) is translated into multidimensional hotel loyalty through two parallel mechanisms: Hospitality brand experience (HBX) and hospitality value co-creation (HVCC). A variance-based PLS-SEM model with seven reflective latent constructs and 57 indicators was estimated using data from 1407 members of four global hotel loyalty programs; generational cohort was used only as a grouping variable in multi-group analysis, not as an additional construct. MICOM established measurement invariance across Generation Z, Millennials, Generation X, and Baby Boomers. HBE is positively associated with both HBX and HVCC, and both mechanisms transmit its relationship to cognitive, affective, and conative loyalty. These three attitudinal facets jointly predict action loyalty, supporting a parallel rather than strictly staged loyalty-formation logic in hotel loyalty-program contexts. Younger cohorts translate engagement more strongly into experience and co-creation, whereas older cohorts rely more on experience when forming cognitive loyalty. The study contributes a hospitality-specific, predictive, and cohort-sensitive explanation of how engagement is converted into hotel loyalty.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16040167

Authors: Collins Kankam-Kwarteng Dennis Yao Dzansi Victor Yawo Atiase

The Ghanaian economy faces significant challenges in providing robust policy support and cohesive ecosystem structures that enable small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in the country to effectively convert entrepreneurial marketing activities into sustainable social outcomes. The research examines the effect of entrepreneurial marketing on sustainable social performance of SMEs using entrepreneurial ecosystem policy as the mediating variable. The Resource Dependency Theory, Resource-Based View and the Stakeholder Theory were utilized, and the study was designed a cross-sectional survey. The data collected were based on 386 SME owners and managers of different sectors in Ghana. Structural equation modeling with SmartPLS 3 was used to test the proposed relationships. The results indicate that entrepreneurial marketing has a significant positive impact on sustainable social performance. In addition to that, ecosystem policy has a strong and positive impact on sustainable social performance. The mediating effect of ecosystem policy in the relationship between entrepreneurial marketing and sustainable social was found to be positive. The research has limitations in that it was cross-sectional and specific to Ghana, which might limit its generalizability. Longitudinal and cross-country designs may be used in future studies to include the dynamic effects of policy interventions. Hypothetically, the research moves towards the mediating role of the ecosystem policy in the relationship between marketing and sustainability. In practice, the study findings highlight the necessity to use combined policy frameworks that empower SMEs to enhance their marketing strengths and social investments to meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 8, 9, and 12. The research finds that enabling policies of entrepreneurial ecosystems are needed to convert the marketing efforts by SMEs into a sustainable social value.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16040166

Authors: Sura Alayed Laurice Alexandre Sultan Alateeg

This study’s purpose is to explore the factors that support and impede women’s economic empowerment in rural settings of Saudi Arabia. A qualitative study was conducted in particular rural settings of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 18 rural women. A thematic analysis was performed to analyze and present the findings. The findings reveal the challenges that women face that limit their engagement in economic activities, such as low levels of education, limited access to finance, and societal and cultural barriers. Moreover, there are opportunities for women’s empowerment via technical training, policy reforms and infrastructural development. Hence, women’s engagement in economic activities is vital for their personal development as well as overall economic growth. It is necessary to uplift the economy with women’s engagement in economic activities by emphasizing community-based programs, redesigning gender-sensitive policy and providing initial finance to start activities. Thus, policymakers should focus on creating environments that provide access to technical education, financial inclusion, and startup initiatives. Moreover, tailored programs based on women’s needs in rural settings could be highly supportive in empowering them economically.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16040165

Authors: Reuben Kormla Kornu Dennis Yao Dzansi Victor Yawo Atiase

Public project performance is shaped by both organisational capability and governance controls, yet the interaction between these factors remains underexamined in decentralised public administration contexts. This study examines the direct effects of team capability and ethical compliance on project performance, and tests whether ethical compliance conditions the capability–performance relationship. A quantitative explanatory survey design was adopted. Structured questionnaires were administered to 320 senior officers involved in project evaluation, procurement, budgeting and technical oversight, and the data were analysed using PLS-SEM to estimate the hypothesised direct and moderating relationships. Team capability and ethical compliance each have a significant positive effect on project performance, and team capability is positively associated with ethical compliance. The moderating effect of ethical compliance is significant but small in magnitude, indicating that higher levels of compliance modestly attenuate the marginal performance gains associated with greater team capability. These findings suggest that while compliance mechanisms strengthen accountability and directly support performance, they may simultaneously constrain the discretionary flexibility through which capable teams generate incremental improvements. The study contributes to public management research by empirically demonstrating a conditional capability–governance relationship in a local government project context. Given the moderate explanatory power of the model, future research should incorporate additional institutional and political variables to further clarify performance drivers in public-sector project systems.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16040164

Authors: Olga V. Sysoeva Victor V. Sysoev

Here, we explore the determinants and territorial heterogeneity of regional innovation development across Russian regions, employing the Russian Regional Innovation Index (RRII) and indicators of Gross Regional Product (GRP). The empirical database comprises 1363 small innovation enterprises (SMEs) spun-off from budgetary and research organizations and universities, specifically 34 flagship universities, 28 innovation clusters, 156 technology parks, and 15 science and technology innovation centers, along with indicators of the infrastructure–institutional environment, innovation–investment activity, scientific–educational potential, and human–social characteristics. Regression analysis enabled the identification of major factor groups that strongly effect regional innovation development, with infrastructure–institutional and innovation–investment indicators being the most significant. Cluster analysis of RRII and GRP delineated three groups of regions, (1) leaders with high innovation activity and substantial economic potential, (2) intermediate regions with moderate innovation activity and varying economic capacity, and (3) regions with high economic capacity but low innovation activity, exhibiting structural disparities between the economy and innovation. By combining regression and cluster analyses, we provide a comprehensive assessment of regional innovation ecosystems, reveal spatial imbalances, and identify priority areas for regional innovation policy. The study contributes to the theory of regional innovation systems and offers practical recommendations for strategic planning and optimizing the allocation of resources among key elements of innovation infrastructure.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16040163

Authors: María Elena Rodríguez Benito Sandra Lizzeth Hernández Zelaya Fernando Enrique Reyes Reina

Generative AI is spreading rapidly, yet it remains unclear how Spanish SMEs combine descriptive, predictive, prescriptive, and generative AI and which organizational conditions support strategic integration and value creation. Drawing on a capability-based perspective, this study examines how AI typologies interact with organizational readiness and managerial capabilities in SMEs. This mixed-method, cross-sectional study surveyed CEOs and managers from 57 Spanish SMEs through a 19-item online questionnaire. Quantitative analysis used descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests to compare typology prevalence and examine associations between adoption maturity, readiness indicators, strategic integration, and perceived outcomes. Results show that adoption is concentrated on generative AI (78.9%), while predictive (36.8%), descriptive (33.3%), and prescriptive (29.8%) applications remain less prevalent, with significant differences across typologies. Managerial confidence and team preparedness are positively associated with strategic integration, while skills constraints are the most frequently reported barrier (61.4%). Perceived organizational impact varies with adoption maturity and is positively associated with competitive improvement. Findings suggest that AI adoption in Spanish SMEs is less a question of access than of capability: generative AI may accelerate experimentation, but only firms that develop skills, governance, and decision discipline appear more likely to convert visibility into sustained strategic value.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16040162

Authors: Luciane Dutra Oliveira Gabriel Sperandio Milan André Gobbi Farina Miriam Borchardt

Experimental Governance (EG) has emerged as a strategic framework for managing complexity in high-uncertainty environments. However, its application in the private sector remains fragmented, often conflated with purely operational tools. This study addresses this gap by performing a conceptual transfer of EG principles into the domain of business processes. Through an expanded Systematic Literature Review (SLR) of 41 peer-reviewed articles (covering the period 2004–2026), we identify what we term the ‘Internalization Paradox’: while firms rapidly adopt experimental methodologies like Agile or Lean, they often fail to embed them into formal governance structures that ensure long-term accountability and institutional learning. This updated review incorporates cutting-edge discussions on Artificial Intelligence (AI) governance, experimentalist metagovernance, and the strategic regulation of uncertainty. Our findings suggest that organizational resilience is not merely a byproduct of technological readiness, but an emergence of ‘Institutionalized Experimentalism’. We propose a Conceptual Framework that operationalizes EG through iterative feedback loops, corporate sandboxes, and adaptive decision rights, providing a robust roadmap for future empirical research in management and organizational theory.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16040161

Authors: Mohammad Naushad Sulphey Manakkattil MohammedIsmail

Capital is classified as tangible and is used in the production process. It is a resource or collection of resources that can be accumulated or depleted, exchanged for other forms of capital, and unequally distributed. This study proposes holistic capital (HolC) as the synergistic value derived from the combined effects of multiple capitals, including human, behavioral, social, and spiritual capitals. Holistic capital is defined as the complex integration of human, behavioral, social, and spiritual resources that collectively enable individuals to function, thrive, and contribute meaningfully to their organizations and societies. It reflects a comprehensive spectrum that provides growth, transience, performance, thriving, and sustainability beyond customary financial or human capital models. Human capital theory, on which this proposed study is based, has a profound impact on multiple disciplines and is of deep interest to academicians and social scientists. Though the theory is a subject of severe criticism, it has easily survived and expanded its influence since its inception. Not surprisingly, a considerable number of criticisms have been made in response to this expansion. Based on this theory and to bridge gaps in the literature and present them systematically, the proposed study adopts a holistic approach. This review article examines theories across four dimensions: theoretical, methodological, empirical, and practical. In this manner, the proposed study intends to conceptualize a new capital—the holistic capital.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16030159

Authors: Irham Hanif Nabawi Atwar Bajari Wina Erwina Ute Lies Siti Khadijah

This study explores the impact of implementing a mandatory e-government reform within Indonesia’s national ISBN service (Regulation No. 5/2022). It examines the effects of this policy shift on public service quality and the resulting administrative burden placed on stakeholders, specifically publishers. The study employs an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design (QUAN → qual). The first phase analyzes longitudinal quantitative data from annual Public Satisfaction Surveys (2021–2024). The subsequent qualitative phase analyzes thousands of archival records, including complaint logs and policy memos, to contextually explain the quantitative findings. The results indicate that the reform induced a severe digital shock, causing the Public Satisfaction Index (IKM) to plummet from Good in 2021 to Poor (75.03) in 2022. The most significant declines were observed in the Procedures (2.79/4) and Service Time (2.30/4) indicators. Qualitative analysis reveals that this collapse was driven by specific policy-induced frictions: the mandatory implementation of a Single Account system and the intentional tightening of governance and validation parameters. While limited in statistical generalizability due to its single-case archival design, this study clearly demonstrates that public managers must recognize the inherent trade-off between tightening institutional governance (control) and maintaining public service quality (satisfaction). Proactive friction management and user-centric change management are essential to mitigating such digital shocks. Ultimately, this study offers a unique longitudinal analysis that forensically links quantitative satisfaction metrics with qualitative policy frictions.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16030160

Authors: Costel Marian Dalban Ecaterina Coman Vlad Bătrânu-Pințea Mihail Anton Iulia Para Luminița Ioana Mazuru

This study maps European countries’ resilience to cognitive warfare by developing a cross-national composite measure. The framework integrates three pillars: information ecology, institutional-digital capacity, and socioeconomic context—drawing on a systemic perspective linking social structures to societal functions. Publicly available secondary indicators are compiled from online sources for EU (European Union) and EEA (European Economics Area) states. The dataset is examined through descriptive analysis, association testing, multivariate modelling, dimensionality reduction to derive a composite resilience score, and unsupervised clustering to produce a country typology. Indicators capture governance effectiveness, e-government maturity, public-sector AI (Artificial Intelligence) readiness, digital connectivity and infrastructure, media freedom and broader media-ecosystem quality, academic freedom, and socioeconomic vulnerabilities such as youth labour market exclusion. Results show that resilience aligns most strongly with institutional capacity and governance performance; a healthy ecology acts as a reinforcing layer. Digital infrastructure appears necessary but insufficient without capable, credible institutions and coherent public policy. Socioeconomic vulnerabilities tend to erode resilience and heighten susceptibility to hostile cognitive influence. The study concludes that policy efforts should prioritise governance integrity and effectiveness, end-to-end digital government, responsible public-sector AI capability, and safeguards for media and academic autonomy, alongside measures that improve youth inclusion.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16030158

Authors: Timea Šimonová Marcela Malindzakova Zuzana Štofková

Nowadays information logistics and its integration with information systems is a competitive advantage for a company. The focus is on theoretical knowledge gained from e-maintenance environments, security measures, and objectives. In companies, it is important to conduct a risk analysis and subsequently to specify security measures. Risk analysis focuses on the creation of a Quality Function Deployment (QFD) matrix, taking into account customer requirements, with the outcome being the determination of the importance of these requirements. The result of the regression and correlation analyses confirm the research hypothesis, demonstrating a strong positive relationship (r = 0.849) between flexibility in problem solving and the implementation of security measures. The Mann–Kendall test was used to verify the trend of specified solved problems. When performed on the current data set, the test provided a variance of S = 31 and a standardized test statistic of Zs = 2.0669. The outcomes of this article may guide organizations in refining their security strategies using customer-driven methodologies such as QFD. The field of information logistics and its integration with information systems can be beneficial for companies.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16030157

Authors: Levente Sándor Nádasi Sándor Kovács

As the European population ages, the sustainability of pension systems faces a trilemma: the structural conflict between achieving benefit adequacy, fiscal stability, and labor market flexibility. This study investigates the primary research hypothesis that these three objectives involve trade-offs under current institutional designs. We examine the structural interrelationships between economic development, population health, and institutional pension characteristics across the EU’s 27 member states. Using cross-sectional data from Eurostat and the OECD from 2023, the study employs a multivariate framework, including Multiple Factor Analysis (MFA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA), to visualize latent trade-offs. Non-parametric statistical tests were applied to validate structural differences between the Nordic, Continental, Southern, and Central and Eastern European (CEE) welfare regimes. The paper’s central argument is that pension sustainability is less a demographic inevitability and more a path-dependent result of institutional “exit cultures” and regional health-wealth traps. The analysis explains 56.7% of the total variance across two primary dimensions, revealing a persistent east–west divide where GDP per capita and Healthy Life Years (HLYs) at age 65 are strongly coupled. Additionally, the analysis identified a fundamental sustainability trade-off: countries with higher pension expenditures and replacement rates, such as those in the Southern and Continental clusters, have significantly earlier labor market exit ages. Statistical evidence shows that the gender pension gap is the most significant factor in differentiating welfare regimes, with the CEE region showing significantly lower inequality than the Western cluster. Ultimately, the findings contribute to public administration literature by demonstrating that policy interventions must prioritize addressing the culture of early retirement in Western countries and the health-wealth trap in Eastern countries to ensure long-term viability.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16030156

Authors: Hyesong Ha Aarthi Raghavan Mehmet Akif Demircioglu Hyunkang Hur

Employees were required to adopt new working methods within a very short time frame during the COVID-19 period through digitalization. While digitalization has been largely perceived as an enabler during the pandemic, its impact on employee health and well-being remains complex and underexplored, particularly in the public sector, where employees have less discretion to adapt digital tools. This study examines how rapid workplace digitalization during COVID-19 affected employee health and well-being in the public sector. Drawing on the job demands–resources (JD-R) framework, we focus on three specific forms of digital work—digital meetings, digital clearance, and digital training—selected because they represent distinct theoretical pathways through which digitalization affects well-being, such as digital meetings and digital training can increase job demands that can deplete employee energy and increase stress, whereas digital clearance operates as a job resource that reduces bureaucratic hurdles and enhances autonomy. To test these ideas, this study uses data from the 2020 Australian Public Service Commission Census (n = 108,085), and applies ordinal and multinomial generalized structural equation modeling (GSEM) to assess the effects of three new ways of working—digital meetings, digital clearance, and digital training—on employees’ health and well-being, as well as the mediating roles of organizational support. The results demonstrate that while digital clearance is positively associated with employee health and well-being, digital meetings and digital training are negatively associated. Organizational support mediates these relationships, underscoring its importance in mitigating adverse effects. These findings highlight the mixed consequences of digitalization for public employees’ health and well-being and point to the need for supportive organizational strategies in times of crisis. As a practical implication, this study suggests that public sector organizations should prioritize employee mental health in teleworking policies, adopt employee-centered digital transformation strategies that provide adequate resources and training support, and implement digital clearance processes that enhance employee well-being, particularly during a crisis.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16030155

Authors: Pornprom Ateetanan Thepchai Supnithi Kunio Shirahada Sasiporn Usanavasin

Roadmapping is widely used as a collaborative management tool for innovation planning; however, how stakeholders co-create value throughout the roadmapping process remains insufficiently evidenced and operationalized. Drawing on service-dominant (S-D) logic and stakeholder integration, this study examines how stakeholders co-create value in planning innovative technologies through a roadmapping process. We conducted an interpretive single-case study in a technology-oriented organization using seven facilitated workshops with 36 stakeholders, and analyzed workshop artefacts, facilitator notes, and follow-up communications captured via collaboration platforms. The findings show that stakeholder value co-creation is enacted through recurring interaction patterns observed across W1–W7 and across initiation, development, and integration, supported by collaboration platforms that enable continuity, transparency, and traceability from early ideation to integrated roadmap outputs. This study contributes an empirically grounded, traceable process model linking S-D logic to roadmapping practice and provides actionable guidance for organizations orchestrating stakeholder participation in innovation planning.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16030154

Authors: José Carlos Vázquez-Parra Ismael N. Talili Jenny Paola Lis-Gutiérrez Demetria May Saniel Linda Carolina Henao Rodríguez Ma Esther B. Chio

This study offers a descriptive analysis of complex thinking as a form of cognitive competency among a group of 52 public servants holding local leadership positions in the Philippines. By extending the empirical examination of complex thinking beyond educational contexts and into local public leadership, the study contributes to an emerging line of research on the cognitive competencies associated with decision making in decentralized governance environments. Drawing on complexity theory applied to public decision making, it assumes that local governance requires the capacity to integrate heterogeneous information, anticipate interdependencies, and act under conditions of uncertainty. The assessment employed the eComplexity instrument using an adapted 21-item version structured into four dimensions: systemic, scientific, critical, and innovative thinking. Scores were rescaled to a 0–100 metric and, after confirming non-normality (Shapiro–Wilk), non-parametric tests were applied (Mann–Whitney, Kruskal–Wallis, and Dunn’s post hoc test with Bonferroni correction), along with Spearman’s rho correlations to examine dimensional coherence. No significant differences were observed by gender or income. Age showed overall variation across several dimensions, but robust pairwise differences were concentrated between the 31–40 and 41–50 age groups in systemic thinking and in the global score. Employment status differentiated only scientific thinking, with higher medians among permanent staff than contractual/project personnel. Correlations among dimensions were positive and significant, with particularly strong associations between systemic, critical, and innovative thinking, supporting the interpretation of complex thinking as an integrated competency in local public leadership. The findings should be interpreted considering the study’s descriptive design, localized convenience sample, and reliance on self-reported measures, which limit statistical generalizability beyond the analyzed context. Beyond its descriptive findings, the study offers initial empirical evidence relevant to governance research on the cognitive competencies associated with decision making among grassroots public leaders operating in decentralized institutional contexts. Examining complex thinking at this level helps illuminate how public actors interpret interdependencies, evaluate information, and navigate uncertainty in everyday governance practice.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16030153

Authors: Ljerka Sedlan Kőnig Mirela Alpeza Petra Mezulić Juric

Population aging is reshaping retirement trajectories, challenging traditional models that conceptualize retirement as a definitive withdrawal from productive roles. While bridge employment has been widely studied, research has largely focused on former salaried employees, leaving the post-retirement pathways of entrepreneurs underexplored. This qualitative case study research examines how seven retired Croatian entrepreneurs engage in bridge employment (paid or voluntary work undertaken after formal exit from their primary businesses) and how they interpret this engagement in later life. Drawing on Continuity theory, the findings suggest that entrepreneurial retirement is better understood as a process of role reconfiguration rather than role exit. Participants strategically redeployed accumulated human, social, and symbolic capital into advisory roles, mentoring, new ventures, and community activities. Contrary to dominant assumptions emphasizing financial necessity, engagement was predominantly intrinsically motivated, grounded in autonomy, competence, and purpose preservation. The study refines Continuity theory by demonstrating that identity continuity among entrepreneurs is structurally scaffolded through retained ownership, networks, and agency. By situating the analysis within a post-socialist transition economy, the paper contributes to retirement and entrepreneurship research by conceptualizing entrepreneurial bridge employment as a redistribution model of engagement in later life. The findings offer theoretical insights and inform policy discussions on active aging and the societal value of retired entrepreneurs.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16030152

Authors: Flávia Soares Cruz Fernando Oliveira Tavares

Strategic alliances have assumed a pivotal role in the growth and competitiveness of organisations, especially in contexts of rapid technological change and high environmental complexity. Drawing on the Dynamic Capabilities View (DCV), this study aims to analyse the impact of strategic alliance management on technological, marketing, and new product development capabilities, considering the mediating role of dynamic capabilities. This research is based on a sample of 200 Portuguese firms, predominantly SMEs, using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to test a conceptual model composed of six hypotheses. The results demonstrate that effective alliance management is positively associated with dynamic capabilities, which in turn function as a pivotal mechanism for integrating and reconfiguring resources. Specifically, the findings reveal that these dynamic capabilities (exploration and exploitation) are fundamental to strengthening marketing and technological skills. Notably, technological capability did not yield a significant direct impact on new-product development, suggesting that in this service-intensive context, marketing capabilities and the overall orchestration of dynamic routines are more critical to innovation success. This research offers empirical evidence of how strategic alliances strengthen the competitiveness of SMEs in peripheral EU economies, highlighting that innovation stems from a configuration of integrative capabilities rather than technological assets alone.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16030151

Authors: Zoya Ivanova

This study examines associations between socio-demographic characteristics and online shopping risk determinants of consumers in Bulgaria. It focuses on nine risk determinants grouped into four domains—technological, logistical, legal and geographical, and other risks. The analysis is based on aggregated official data from Eurostat and the National Statistical Institute of Bulgaria. The methodological framework employs a correlational approach using non-parametric correlation coefficients. The empirical results reveal statistically significant associations of varying strength. Employment status demonstrates the strongest associations among the socio-demographic variables, while gender, educational level, and age exhibit relatively weaker associations. These findings provide actionable insights for evidence-based strategies to mitigate online shopping risk determinants and support policies and initiatives to enhance consumer protection and engagement in Bulgaria’s e-commerce sector.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16030150

Authors: Shishi Kumar Piaralal Thiaku Ramalingam Nur Amalina Zulkefli Sayeeduzzafar Qazi Rasheedul Haque Abdul Rahman bin Senathirajah

Intense technological advancements and market liberalization have intensified competition in the telecommunication industry, challenging established operators to innovate continuously. This study investigates how transformational leadership drives creativity and innovation and, consequently, organizational performance, focusing on its four dimensions: inspirational motivation, idealized influence, individualized consideration, and intellectual stimulation. Data were collected from 314 executives and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Results indicate that inspirational motivation, individualized consideration, and intellectual stimulation significantly enhance creativity and innovation, whereas idealized influence shows no direct effect. Creativity and innovation further mediate the relationships of inspirational motivation and individualized consideration with organizational performance, highlighting their critical role in translating leadership behaviors into tangible performance outcomes. The findings advance theoretical understanding by clarifying the pathways through which transformational leadership fosters innovation and creative engagement. Practically, the study provides actionable insights for organizational leaders to cultivate a culture of creativity and innovation to sustain competitive advantage, and informs policymakers and regulators in supporting organizational performance and sectoral development.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16030149

Authors: Sateesh V. Shet Shubha Puthran Andreia Dionísio Dinesh Panchal

This study investigates how data science competencies, conceptualized as the micro-foundations of digital dynamic capabilities (DDCs), combine to influence the development of digital business capability (DBC). Using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), we examine configurations of competencies that enable DBC and identify necessary and sufficient conditions. The necessary-condition testing indicates no single competency is universally required, highlighting the configurational, micro-foundational nature of DDC development. The fsQCA uncovers three equifinal competency configurations that act as sufficient pathways to high DBC. Beyond capability building, the study demonstrates how distinct competency bundles facilitate business model renewal capabilities, translate analytics into data-enabled services, and reconfigure capabilities to embed servitized offerings into scalable architectures in the digital ecosystem business. These insights offer actionable guidance for practitioners, educators, and policymakers seeking to design data science competency systems that not only strengthen DDCs but also enable sustained business model innovation in AI, Industry 4.0, and other data-driven contexts.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16030148

Authors: Stanislav Letkovský Sylvia Jenčová Petra Vašaničová Marta Miškufová Michal Erben

Bankruptcy prediction is currently a widely researched topic, as it typically results from a chain of negative events. Logistic Regression (LR) is one of the standard prediction tools; however, with advances in technology, machine learning (ML) methods are gaining prominence and demonstrating improvements in performance and accuracy. It remains inconclusive whether ML methods significantly outperform traditional approaches such as LR in bankruptcy prediction. In this study, we identified the most commonly applied basic ML techniques—namely, Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), Support Vector Machines (SVMs), and Decision Trees (DTs)—which are frequently used in the literature for classification tasks. These methods were selected for empirical comparison with LR to evaluate their relative predictive performance and potential advantages in bankruptcy forecasting. In the EU, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) constitute more than 99% of the economy; however, only a few survive beyond five years. This study examines bankruptcy prediction in the specific context of the Slovak Republic, using a sample of 2754 SME manufacturing enterprises from 2020 to 2021 and 3158 from 2022 to 2023. All models show good predictive performance; however, the small statistical difference between the results does not conclusively demonstrate the superiority of ML methods over LR.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16030147

Authors: Hanna Moon

This study investigates the internal antecedents of Strategic Learning Capability (SLC) within volatile business environments. Specifically, it explores the tripartite relationship between occupational subculture, the cognitive process of sensemaking, and the multi-dimensional facets of SLC (external focus, strategic dialogue, engagement, etc.). The research aims to bridge the empirical gap regarding how bottom-up subcultural values influence a firm’s capacity to pivot and execute new strategies. The research adopts a multi-dimensional framework of SLC, integrating theories of occupational context with sensemaking theory. By distinguishing between top-down organizational culture and bottom-up occupational subcultures, the study utilizes a conceptual (or empirical—adjust if you have specific data) model to examine how localized rules and practices within specific functions (e.g., R&D vs. Operations) lead to varied strategic outcomes through the generation of meaning. The paper proposes that sensemaking serves as a critical “bridge” or mediating mechanism that translates localized subcultural values into systemic innovative behaviors. While organizational culture sets the general tone, the findings suggest that the specific occupational environment determines the depth of strategic engagement and reflective responsiveness. The results indicate that SLC is not a monolithic construct but is lived and enacted differently across various occupational silos within the same firm. Unlike previous studies that focus on top-down leadership as the primary driver of culture, this research highlights the “bottom-up” influence of occupational subcultures on strategic agility. By introducing sensemaking as a pre-decisional activity that connects subcultural identity to Strategic Learning Capability, the study provides a more nuanced, multi-level understanding of organizational learning that accounts for internal diversity rather than assuming cultural homogeneity. Managers and OD practitioners are provided with a framework to identify subcultural barriers to learning. The study suggests that to enhance SLC, leaders must move beyond uniform cultural initiatives and instead facilitate sensemaking processes that align diverse occupational identities with the broader strategic vision.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16030146

Authors: Werner Koen Anton Grobler

As background to this study, organisational leadership has faced scrutiny due to ethical failures, governance crises, and global challenges, highlighting the limitations of models focused on short-term gains, specifically over the past two decades. This study, as a systematic literature review, aims to synthesise definitions, theoretical drivers, and research gaps in Responsible Leadership (RL) within organisational contexts, addressing conceptual fragmentation and the need for culturally diverse exploration, particularly in the underrepresented non-Western regions. The study employed a PRISMA-based approach to conduct a structured literature review on 67 peer-reviewed articles from 2000 to June 2025, sourced from 12 databases using Boolean searches. Inclusion criteria focused on peer-reviewed studies on RL in organisational settings; data extraction covered metadata, paradigms, methods, and outcomes, with narrative and quantitative synthesis applied. One of the major findings is that RL is a multidimensional, relational construct rooted in Stakeholder Theory, Corporate Social Responsibility, and the Triple Bottom Line, emphasising ethics, stakeholder engagement, and sustainability. Inconsistencies in definitions and measurements persist, with limited research in non-Western contexts and a need for standardised tools. The value of this study is in the consolidation of RL scholarship, highlighting trends and gaps (e.g., Global South underrepresentation), and proposes a research agenda for culturally responsive frameworks, offering value for theory refinement and practical leadership development in diverse settings. This systematic literature review was conducted and reported in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16030145

Authors: Youngbin Park Sungho Lee

This study empirically investigates how Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) discourses among major Korean Business-to-Business (B2B) corporations (POSCO, LG Chem, and HD Hyundai) were reconfigured in the context of former President Trump’s re-election campaign and the 2024 U.S. presidential election. The observation periods were divided into the Pre-Trump period (1 May 2023 to 30 April 2024) and the Post-Trump period (1 May 2024 to 30 April 2025). External discourses were examined using social media, news, and blog posts, while internal discourses were analyzed through the CEO’s New Year addresses from 2021 to 2025. Keyword frequency analysis and co-occurrence network analysis, conducted via the ‘Sometrend’ platform, were combined to trace structural transitions in corporate discourses. The results show that: (1) the relative share and network centrality of environmental (E) keywords declined in the Post-Trump period, with several environmental terms losing core positions and becoming peripheral or bridging nodes, while policy- and economic-related terms increased; (2) social (S) and governance (G) keywords appeared only sporadically and remained peripheral across periods; (3) temporal concentrations of policy–economic keywords coincided with significant political and market-related events, such as financial volatility in 2023 and the tariff policy announcement in February 2025, indicating temporal alignment rather than deterministic causality; (4) firm-level differences were evident: POSCO exhibited the most pronounced structural shift, LG Chem’s discourses increasingly emphasized supply chain and investment-related terms alongside environmental keywords, and HD Hyundai showed a shift toward more risk- and operation-oriented keywords in the later period; and (5) CEO New Year addresses displayed directionally consistent patterns with external discourse, supporting cross-textual alignment. These findings demonstrate that ESG discourse is not a fixed normative language but a strategically adaptive frame that varies according to political–economic contexts and industrial conditions. The relative weakening of the environmental frame in terms of discourse centrality, alongside the strengthening of the policy–economic frame, differed by industry, reflecting variations in regulatory exposure and operational characteristics. By observing ESG discourses longitudinally and comparatively, this study provides empirical evidence of how political and industrial dynamics reshape corporate discourses and CEO communication. Moreover, keyword frequency and co-occurrence network analysis are validated as effective methods for identifying discourse shifts, offering both academic contributions and practical implications for corporate communication analysis.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16030144

Authors: Qianfu Zhou Chia-Huei Wu Huizhen Long Xin Zhang

As artificial intelligence (AI) systems are increasingly adopted in recruitment practices, applicants’ responses to AI-mediated interviews have become an important issue for organizations. Understanding how applicants interpret these systems is relevant for organizational attractiveness and employer branding. Drawing on social exchange theory and signaling theory, this study examines the role of AI interview explainability in shaping applicants’ evaluations of organizations. It proposes that explainability influences organizational attractiveness through two parallel mechanisms: perceived organizational support and perceived innovativeness. Survey data were collected from 196 job applicants with experience in AI-based interviews. The results show that higher perceived explainability of AI interviews is associated with stronger perceptions of organizational support and organizational innovativeness. Both perceptions are positively related to organizational attractiveness. These findings support a dual-mediation model and suggest that explainable AI interview systems communicate both supportive intentions and technological capability to applicants. By focusing on applicants’ perceptions, this study contributes to the growing literature on AI use in human resource management. It highlights the importance of explainable system design in shaping early applicant reactions. The findings also provide practical implications for organizations seeking to implement AI-based recruitment tools that are transparent, credible, and attractive to potential applicants.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16030143

Authors: Eyup Kahveci Biset Toprak Selim Zaim

This study aims to identify and prioritize the key factors influencing export performance among Turkish exporters, based on the resource-based view (RBV) and industrial organization theory (IO), categorizing the factors as internal and external, and employing the Stepwise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA). Twenty-five factors across Internal (IF) and External (EF) categories were evaluated through expert assessments. Results reveal that Internal Factors (58.0%) significantly dominate External Factors (42.0%), indicating that Turkish exporters possess substantial control over their export competitiveness. The top five critical factors are Management and Leadership (9.6%), Strategy (6.2%), Technological Change (5.3%), Industry and Sector Activity (5.0%), and Competitors (5.0%). Surprisingly, traditional factors such as firm size, international experience, and digitalization ranked much lower, challenging conventional assumptions about export success. A leave-one-out (LOO) sensitivity analysis further validated the robustness of these rankings, with Management and Leadership, and Strategy emerging as the most stable and dominant factors across all scenarios. The predominance of management and strategic factors over structural characteristics suggests that even smaller, less experienced companies can achieve export success through effective leadership and strategic planning. These findings contribute theoretically by supporting the notion that the resource-based view has a greater impact on export performance than the industrial organization theory, and they provide practical guidance for companies to focus on managerial and leadership skills, organizational capabilities, and strategic approaches to enhance export investments. The study presents the first comprehensive SWARA-based ranking of export performance factors in the Turkish context, providing empirical evidence to support the internal-external factor debate in the international business literature.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16030142

Authors: Petar Stanimirović Marko Mihić Zorica Mitrović

Functional analysis (FA) is increasingly used in public sector reforms to assess organizational performance and guide administrative change. However, FA frequently stays procedural and descriptive in both theory and practice, providing little insight into the roots of inefficiencies. The paper addresses this gap by reconceptualizing FA as an organizational diagnostic framework and applying it to parliamentary administrations, a field that has not received much scholarly attention. Using a comparative qualitative case study design, the analysis examined the parliamentary secretariats of Armenia, Ukraine, and Serbia, drawing on functional review reports, institutional documents, and available employee self-assessment data. The proposed framework operationalizes FA across four analytical dimensions: governance and strategic management, structural design, staffing, and process efficiency. The findings show that system efficiency is shaped by governance arrangements and strategic management capacity, while structural design influences functional coherence and coordination. Staffing affects performance indirectly by mediating process efficiency rather than through staffing levels alone. Overall, inefficiencies appear cumulative and systemic rather than the result of isolated functional weaknesses. By advancing FA as a diagnostic approach, the study contributes to public administration theory and offers a transferable framework for assessing organizational efficiency in parliamentary administrations and other complex public sector organizations.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16030141

Authors: Mária Hudáková Alena Kuricová Matej Masár

The primary objective of this research is to identify, analyse, and compare the development of risk management approaches adopted by Slovak industrial enterprises in two distinct economic periods: during a phase of economic growth (2019) and during a period of global crises and regional crises with significant global implications, which have had substantial global economic, energy, and security impacts, as well as the increasing intensity of cyber threats affecting enterprises in Slovakia (2022–2023). Emphasis is placed on identifying key factors influencing the effectiveness of risk management implementation, as well as on assessing the use of individual stages of the risk management process in business practice. The research has a quantitative character and consists of two empirical surveys conducted through questionnaire-based data collection. The first survey was carried out in 2019 under conditions of economic growth, while the second was conducted in 2022–2023 in the context of multiple global crises and regional crises, particularly the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the global energy crisis, the military conflict in Ukraine, and increasing cyber threats. The first study obtained 450 valid responses, and the second obtained 390 responses from enterprises operating across various sectors of the private economy in Slovakia. The results of the study confirmed the existence of significant differences in companies’ approaches to risk management depending on the economic context. During the period of economic growth, the main reason for insufficient attention to risks was low staff motivation, with enterprises focusing primarily on risk identification, analysis, and assessment, and less on designing specific mitigation measures. In contrast, during the period of global crises and regional crises, companies’ attitudes shifted, with stronger resistance to implemented measures but, at the same time, increased attention to the development of risk-reduction actions. Neglecting systematic preventive steps increases companies’ vulnerability to crises, which may result in operational, financial, and reputational losses, delayed responses, and a decline in competitiveness. The two-phase nature of the research made it possible to capture the dynamics of managerial behaviour under different economic conditions and to formulate practical recommendations for integrating risk management into both strategic and operational levels of management.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16030140

Authors: Katarina Kostelić Marli Gonan Božac

Organizations communicate across many channels, yet official websites remain a controlled, authoritative space where firms articulate identity and strategy. This study examines how Croatia’s top enterprises (n = 100) describe themselves on their websites and which emotional tones they use to signal strategic intent. Our goal is to identify recurring strategic signifiers and map distinct sentiment profiles in corporate narratives. We compiled company descriptions from official sites; texts were originally in Croatian and machine-translated into English, and all analysis was conducted on the English corpus. Using lexicon-based sentiment methods (AFINN, Bing, NRC), we quantified polarity and discrete emotions, aggregated scores at the firm level, and applied k-means clustering to normalized emotion vectors. Results show a consistent emphasis on mission–vision–values language and a dominance of positive emotions—especially trust and anticipation. We interpret, based on cluster exemplars, that higher trust/anticipation tones can function as soft governance cues, while transparency about negatives characterizes an issue-addressing regime without eroding overall positivity. Cluster analysis reveals three stable profiles: optimistic consumer-oriented narratives, transparent issue-addressing messaging, and low-affect technical descriptions. We conclude that sentiment profiling offers a practical audit tool for aligning website copy with stakeholder expectations and governance communication, supporting benchmarking, and future tests linking narrative tone to investor behavior and firm performance.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16030139

Authors: Rohit Kumar Nanduri Liliana Canquiz Rincón

The rapid pace of digital transformation has increased organizations’ reliance on digital technologies and collaborative systems as key drivers of technological innovation. However, the mechanisms through which digital trust, digital technology, and digital capability shape innovation performance—particularly through knowledge sharing—remain insufficiently explored. This study examined the relationships among these digital enablers and innovation performance, positioning knowledge sharing as a central mediating mechanism grounded in the Knowledge-Based View and Open Innovation Theory. A quantitative research design was adopted, and data were collected through a structured survey of 280 professionals working in IT, software development, telecommunications, and other technology-intensive industries. Convenience sampling was employed, and statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS to assess reliability, validity, and structural relationships. The findings revealed that digital trust, digital technology, and digital capability significantly enhance knowledge-sharing practices, which in turn positively influence innovation performance. Moreover, knowledge sharing was found to play a critical mediating role in translating digital enablers into innovation outcomes. This study contributes to the digital innovation literature by highlighting the importance of digital preparedness and collaborative knowledge practices in fostering technological innovation. The findings also offer practical insights for organizations seeking to strengthen innovation performance by developing digital capabilities, fostering trust, and promoting effective knowledge-sharing cultures in technology-intensive environments.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16030138

Authors: Carine Dalla Valle João Garibaldi Almeida Viana Andrea Cristina Dorr

This article examines the governance of Global Value Chains (GVCs) through the lens of economic competence based on a systematic literature review of 32 selected studies. The findings show that economic competence functions as a governance-contingent construct whose effects vary across hierarchical, captive, relational, and modular governance structures. Rather than directly determining upgrading outcomes, competence dimensions operate through governance repositioning and shifts in dependence asymmetries within value chains. The review identifies recurring mechanisms—such as substitutability reduction, coordination cost mitigation, and institutional alignment—that explain how competence and governance interact. The analysis further demonstrates that economic competence is multidimensional, encompassing innovation-oriented, market-oriented, decision-making, relational, and systemic components. These dimensions operate differently depending on coordination complexity and power distribution within the chain. By advancing a contingency-based framework, the study refines GVC governance theory through a micro-foundational explanation of upgrading dynamics. From a managerial perspective, the framework offers a structured tool for aligning competence development strategies with specific governance configurations, supporting informed capability investments and improved strategic positioning. Overall, the study contributes by systematically integrating competence theory with governance typologies and power asymmetries, providing a coherent analytical model for future empirical research.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16030137

Authors: Markus Hagemeister José Alfredo Delgado-Guzmán Arturo Rodríguez-Castellanos

In today’s world, characterised by rapid technological advances, particularly in AI, companies are compelled to acquire knowledge through employee training. This article seeks to empirically validate four hypotheses derived from a theoretical model identifying key factors firms should consider when investing in training. The hypotheses concern the most suitable type of knowledge for companies to invest in, according to their production processes, as well as the mechanisms for preventing opportunistic behaviour by trained employees. Cross-frequency tables are analysed using data obtained from a sample of 105 Mexican companies operating in both manufacturing and services sectors, representing an appropriate approach given the nature of the data. The results partially support the model. Manufacturing firms tend to train employees in specific skills and use simultaneous training to prevent opportunistic behaviour, whereas companies with heterogeneous production processes predominantly invest in general knowledge. However, firms providing professional services invest more in general knowledge than predicted by the model, contrasting with evidence from Spanish companies in the same industry. These findings suggest that the model should be refined to account for the possible complementarity between specific and general knowledge in training and for differences in institutional, cultural, and economic environments.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16030136

Authors: Erica Frosini Luigina Canova Andrea Bobbio

This systematic review synthesizes empirical applications of the theory of planned behavior to employee green behavior, including only studies that are consistent with the theory’s assumptions and methodological requirements. In doing so, the review reconciles a fragmented, discipline-specific body of knowledge, provides a rigorous assessment of the TPB’s validity in organizational contexts, and clarifies standards for theory-consistent refinement and extension. Seventeen peer-reviewed articles published since 2011 were retained after independent screening. Findings indicate a marked increase in TPB-based research since 2020, predominantly in Asian contexts, and a strong reliance on extended models—most frequently including personal norm and seldom organizational factors—while relatively few studies implemented the traditional framework with measures of salient beliefs. Most investigations focused on resource-conservation behaviors defined at a high level of generality and relied on convenience samples of employees from heterogeneous organizational and industrial settings. Across studies, belief-based constructs were positively associated with intentions, with attitudes as the strongest antecedent, and intentions consistently predicted behavior. At the same time, many investigations relied on cross-sectional self-reports and assessments of either intention or behavior. Finally, most studies fail to provide theoretical and empirical justifications for including additional relationships. Implications for advancing TPB-based research on employee green behavior are discussed.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16030135

Authors: Eyup Kahveci Biset Toprak Emine Elif Nebati Selim Zaim

The digital transformation of the textile industry poses unique challenges due to its labor-intensive processes, complex global supply chains, and coexistence of traditional methods and emerging technologies. Despite the urgency of this transition, existing digital maturity models lack sector-specific frameworks and often fail to integrate multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methodologies for quantitative performance assessment. This study addresses these gaps by proposing a novel digital maturity model tailored specifically to the textile sector. The research employs an integrated decision-making framework using the Method Based on the Removal Effects of Criteria (MEREC) to determine objective criterion weights and the Operational Competitiveness Rating Analysis (OCRA) method to rank firm-level digital maturity performance. The findings indicate that Strategy is the most influential dimension, whereas Technology receives the lowest weight. At the sub-criterion level, Management Support, Market Analysis, and Vision and Strategic Awareness are the most critical factors, while Technology Usage Competency is less influential. The performance evaluation shows that Company A3 achieves the highest level of digital maturity, whereas Company A2 ranks lowest. The robustness of the proposed framework is comprehensively validated through a scenario-based sensitivity analysis and a comparative evaluation using the Additive Ratio Assessment System (ARAS) method. Overall, the results suggest that successful digital transformation in the textile sector depends primarily on strategic vision and managerial support rather than on technological infrastructure alone.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16030134

Authors: M. Ángeles López-Cabarcos Analía López-Carballeira Vanessa Miramontes-Viña

The tourism sector is widely recognized as a pivotal catalyst for global development and economic growth. However, it faces significant challenges, which have intensified the search for alternative and more sustainable tourism models. Digital technologies have become essential tools for transformation, with the metaverse emerging as a disruptive and promising innovation strategy for the tourism industry. Thus, this study aims to provide a comprehensive review of all previous scientific literature related to the adoption of the metaverse in the context of sustainable tourism, developing a bibliometric analysis (through techniques such as co-citation analysis of references and author keyword co-occurrence) of all articles indexed in Web of Science database from January 2021 to September 2025. Specifically, the references co-citation analysis has concluded three main thematic clusters related to conceptual foundations, technological advances, and metaverse adoption possibilities, respectively. The results obtained indicate that research on the metaverse in sustainable tourism is still at an early stage of development and is primarily conceptual in nature. This study contributes to the emerging research field of metaverse and sustainable tourism by offering a comprehensive review to establish its theoretical foundations and identify opportunities for future research.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16030133

Authors: Syahda Sukma Indira Sasmoko Sasmoko Agustinus Bandur Yosef Dedy Pradipto

In the published publication (Indira et al [...]

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16030132

Authors: Joyce Silva Soares de Lima Liana Holanda Nepomuceno Nobre Wesley Vieira da Silva Juliana Carvalho de Sousa

This study examines the relationship between financial risk tolerance and organizational resilience among small business managers in the Brazilian Northeast, a region strongly affected by economic fragility and intensified uncertainty during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a positivist, quantitative, cross-sectional design, data were collected from 218 managers through validated scales of financial risk tolerance and organizational resilience and analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis, cluster analysis, ANOVA, and correlation techniques. Results indicate that most managers exhibit medium to high financial risk tolerance and that higher tolerance is positively associated with greater organizational adaptability, especially in dimensions related to teamwork, knowledge sharing, and leadership. In contrast, no significant association was found between financial risk tolerance and organizational planning capacity, suggesting that planning routines operate independently of individual risk attitudes. The findings underscore the role of behavioral characteristics in shaping resilience and highlight innovation, internal resources, and leadership as critical factors supporting organizational adaptation in resource-constrained environments. This study contributes to the limited empirical literature connecting behavioral finance and organizational resilience in emerging economies and offers practical implications for strengthening entrepreneurial training and resilience culture in small firms. Future research should expand geographic coverage and explore team-level perspectives and mixed-method approaches.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16030130

Authors: Chadi Khneyzer Zaher Boustany Jean Dagher

Sustainable territorial development seeks to balance economic growth, social well-being, and environmental preservation across spatial contexts. In fragile and resource-constrained regions, achieving this balance remains particularly challenging. With the growing diffusion of artificial intelligence (AI), digital tools are increasingly presented as potential enablers of sustainability-driven territorial strategies. This study explores the role of AI in supporting sustainable territorial development across rural and urban areas of North Lebanon, a region characterized by infrastructural deficits, governance constraints, and socio-economic vulnerability. Adopting a qualitative research design, the study draws on semi-structured interviews with five key stakeholders from the public sector, civil society, business, and sustainability expertise, complemented by an illustrative case study of the proposed AI-enabled redevelopment of Klayaat (René Mouawad) Airport. The findings reveal that while stakeholders recognize AI’s potential to enhance resource optimization, smart agriculture, urban mobility, and disaster preparedness, its effective adoption remains constrained by limited digital infrastructure, insufficient policy frameworks, funding shortages, and gaps in digital literacy. Interpreted through the lenses of the Triple Bottom Line and Diffusion of Innovation theories, the results show that AI-driven sustainability outcomes in fragile territorial contexts are highly conditional on institutional readiness, governance capacity, and contextual alignment. The study contributes to the literature by providing context-specific insights into AI-enabled sustainable development in a developing and crisis-affected region, highlighting the need to complement technological innovation with policy reform, capacity building, and inclusive territorial governance.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16030131

Authors: Ourania Bousiou Michael Paraskevas Vaggelis Kapoulas Panagiotis Liargovas

This study examines administrative employees’ perceptions of integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the administration of Greek public universities. Using a cross-sectional online questionnaire administered across three universities (N = 127), we map perceptions across five domains: (i) perceived efficiency/effectiveness contributions, (ii) perceived automation benefits, (iii) perceived adoption challenges, (iv) perceived ethics and data protection requirements, and (v) perceived skills development needs. Results indicate a generally supportive climate for AI use in university administration, but support is conditional: ethics and data protection are prioritized most strongly, whereas perceived efficiency/effectiveness gains are closer to neutral-to-slightly positive. Respondents endorse task-level automation more than broad organizational performance claims and emphasize training and human oversight as enabling conditions for responsible deployment. These findings suggest that a governance-first and capacity-first implementation pathway may be more aligned with staff priorities in the Greek public university context. The study provides an exploratory baseline for future evaluative research on AI-enabled administrative modernization.

Administrative Sciences doi: 10.3390/admsci16030129

Authors: Marina Guzovski Mirko Smoljić Marijana Čolić

Background: The smart city concept has become a central framework in contemporary urban governance; however, empirical research predominantly focuses on large metropolitan areas, while small municipalities remain comparatively underexplored. This study examines how citizens of Ivanić-Grad perceive and use smart applications and how these patterns relate to its smart city transition. Methods: A quantitative survey was conducted in 2024 on a convenience sample of 100 residents of Ivanić-Grad. The questionnaire included closed-ended questions on sociodemographic characteristics, awareness and use of smart applications, and attitudes toward further digitalization of local public services. Descriptive statistics, χ2 tests of independence, and correlation analysis based on composite indices were applied. Results: The findings reveal statistically significant associations between gender and the use of smart applications (χ2 = 5.76; p = 0.016) and between age and the perceived importance of smart applications (χ2 = 8.42; p = 0.014). No significant association was identified between education level and application use. Composite index analysis further demonstrated a moderate positive correlation between digital engagement and the perceived importance of smart services (ρ = 0.418; p < 0.001), indicating that experiential interaction with digital services is closely linked to their perceived relevance. Conclusions: The results suggest that smart service adoption in small urban contexts is shaped less by formal educational attainment and more by behavioral engagement and perceived usefulness. The case of Ivanić-Grad highlights the importance of citizen-oriented, accessibility-focused digital leadership strategies in sustaining inclusive smart city development.