Search Results (799)

Ageism remains a pervasive yet under-addressed form of workplace discrimination, affecting employees across age groups. This study, conducted within the framework of the EU-funded project SNAW–Say No to Ageism in the Workplace, presents findings from a cross-national survey in Germany, Romania, Ireland, Portugal, and Greece, with 511 participants including employees and employers. The survey examined five dimensions of workplace ageism (cognitive, emotional, behavioural, institutional, and outcome-related) through questions on stereotypes, experiences, organisational practices, and perceived impacts. Results indicate that age-based stereotypes are widely recognised, especially in Germany, Ireland, and Greece. Older workers were often portrayed as resistant to change or technologically outdated, while younger workers were described as inexperienced or unreliable. Despite some positive perceptions, these ambivalent views contribute to exclusionary dynamics. Employees consistently reported higher levels of ageism than employers, revealing a “perception gap”. Institutional responses were uneven: awareness of policies or initiatives promoting age diversity was low, and their effectiveness remained uncertain. Across countries, respondents linked ageism to reduced job satisfaction and productivity, though the perceived severity varied. The findings highlight ageism as a multifaceted challenge that undermines well-being and organisational performance. Counteracting it requires raising awareness, transparent communication, inclusive policies, and leadership engagement across Europe. Full article

The matter of aligning universities’ curricula with the actual demands of a constantly changing labor market has become an important issue nowadays, due to the prevailing mismatches between acquired skills and competences during education years and the necessities of current jobs. Disequilibria and inequalities in the labor market often generate general disappointment with education degrees. With the pressure of technological advancements and AI integration in many areas of work, future employees’ career paths are challenged even more, and the adaptability of higher education institutions to the real needs of the labor market is questioned. Artificial intelligence (AI) is the technology that allows computer systems and machines to simulate human learning, problem-solving, and decision-making. This paper aims to explore if universities in Romania foster sustainable human capital development through enhancing their educational programs to fit the changes produced by artificial intelligence and how the reskilling of graduates will play a hugely significant role in staying resilient during such disruptions. A quantitative survey was conducted among recent Romanian university graduates to outline their perceptions of curriculum relevance and their level of preparedness for the AI-driven job market. The results highlight gaps between formal education and labor market demands in terms of limited exposure to AI-related skills and a growing need for reskilling to secure suitable jobs for graduates in the long term, while also emphasizing the importance of aligning educational policies with sustainable labor market integration. Full article

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes an integral part of organizational operations, collaboration between humans and AI is transforming employees’ work experiences and behavioral patterns. This study examines the psychological challenges and coping responses associated with such collaboration. Drawing on Cognitive Appraisal Theory, we construct and test a theoretical framework that connects employee–AI collaboration to knowledge hiding via job insecurity, while considering AI trust as a moderating variable. Data were collected through a three-wave time-lagged survey of 348 employees working in knowledge-intensive enterprises in China. The empirical results demonstrate that (1) employee–AI collaboration elevates perceptions of job insecurity; (2) job insecurity fosters knowledge-hiding behavior; (3) job insecurity mediates the link between collaboration and knowledge hiding; and (4) AI trust buffers the positive effect of collaboration on job insecurity, thereby reducing its indirect impact on knowledge hiding. These findings reveal the paradoxical role of AI collaboration: although it enhances efficiency, it may also provoke defensive reactions that inhibit knowledge exchange. By highlighting the role of AI trust in shaping employees’ cognitive appraisals, this study advances understanding of how cognitive appraisals influence human adaptation to intelligent technologies. Practical insights are offered for managers aiming to cultivate trust-based and psychologically secure environments that promote effective human–AI collaboration and organizational innovation. Full article

This study examines how the education sector in one Canadian province has navigated post-pandemic recovery between 2023 and 2025, drawing on cross-sectional survey data from a convenience sample of sector employees in the 2023–2024 (n = 1411) and 2024–2025 (n = 742) school years. The findings revealed selective improvement over time, including increased organizational commitment among teachers and other education workforce members, alongside reduced perceptions of students’ academic, social, and behavioural needs. Teachers indicated no corresponding increases in their perceived frequency of meeting students’ needs, whereas other educator sector employees indicated improvement in this area. In contrast, no year-over-year differences were found in the education workforce members’ and teachers’ stress, coping, well-being or connectedness, and job search behaviours remained high, ranging from 14 to 43%. Guided by the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model, these findings suggest that post-pandemic recovery reflects the establishment of a new and complex baseline. The coexistence of improved commitment with persistent job strain signals a paradox of stability amid depletion. Qualitative responses reinforced this interpretation, revealing how educators adapt to ongoing organizational resource constraints and shifting student needs. Together, the findings extend JD-R-informed understandings of post-crisis workforce adaptation and identify implications for leadership and policy aimed at supporting organizational health and workforce sustainability. Full article

Background/Objectives: Employee engagement is fundamental for the quality and sustainability of the Slovak healthcare sector. While the concept is critical, its operational challenges lie in the differentiated perception of its drivers across the highly heterogeneous workforce. This study aimed to empirically identify and structure the key antecedent factors of engagement and examine their perception based on structural and sociodemographic characteristics among healthcare workers in Slovakia. Methods: This research employed a quantitative, cross-sectional design, utilizing a self-administered questionnaire distributed widely among healthcare providers throughout Slovakia. To achieve the study’s objectives, several advanced mathematical and statistical methods were applied: the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) Measure and Bartlett’s Test for sample adequacy, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for empirical factor structuring and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Results: Three common antecedent factors for healthcare workers’ engagement and well-being were identified: Factor 1—Organizational Commitment and Identity; Factor 2—Meaningful Involvement and Job Satisfaction; and Factor 3—Organizational Citizenship and Retention Intent. Factor 1 was evaluated positively in public (state-owned) and mixed organizations but negatively in private healthcare providers, confirming a statistically significant difference. Factor 2 also exhibited significant differences based on work position: it was negatively rated by management, physicians, and nurses, but positively by other staff categories. Conclusions: The contribution of this study lies in the empirical confirmation that a universal managerial approach to increasing employee engagement in Slovak healthcare is ineffective. A differentiated managerial approach based on organizational type and work position directly supports the transition from blanket, expensive, and ineffective HR policies to strategic and targeted engagement management, which is essential for the long-term sustainability and improvement of care quality in Slovak healthcare. Full article

Background: Feedback Orientation (FO) reflects how individuals value, accept, and use feedback in a way that influences learning, performance, and sustainable career development. While this concept has been empirically examined, the psychometric properties of the Feedback Orientation Scale (FOS) have received sparse attention outside English-speaking contexts, with no validation in the Italian context. This study aimed to adapt and validate the Italian version of the FOS. Methods: A sample of 1092 employees from diverse occupational sectors completed the FOS, also using measures of job satisfaction and perceptions of the feedback environment. The dataset was randomly split to conduct both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, followed by reliability and validity testing and measurement invariance analyses across groups. Results: Analyses confirmed the original four-factor structure—Utility, Social Awareness, Accountability, and Feedback Self-Efficacy—and supported a higher-order FO construct. The Italian FOS showed acceptable reliability and validity, with expected correlations with job satisfaction and the feedback environment. Measurement invariance was also tested to examine the scale’s equivalence across groups. Conclusions: These initial findings provide support for the Italian FOS as a promising instrument with acceptable psychometric properties, extending the cross-cultural understanding of feedback orientation and offering a useful basis for investigating feedback processes in organizational settings. Full article

The present research examines how employees perceive their firms’ CSR initiatives that ultimately translate into desired attitudes and behaviors, i.e., employee environmental commitment (EEC) and knowledge sharing (KS) at the workplace, by underpinning social identity theory. However, when do undesired working conditions, i.e., Perception of Politics (POP), adversely influence these desired outcomes? We deliberately selected 45 firms in the services and manufacturing sectors of Pakistan operating in larger metropolitan cities and prevalent tourist destinations, and actively participating in CSR activities. Thereafter, three self-administered surveys were conducted by employing a time-lagged design with two temporal breaks. A total of 655 surveys were distributed among middle managers across selected firms. Accordingly, it is found that employees who strongly identify with their organizations tend to align their personal values with organizational sustainability efforts and actively participate in environmentally responsible practices. They also demonstrate a greater willingness to share knowledge and enhance the organization’s collective intelligence. However, when employees perceive a high level of political behavior within the organization, their trust in its ethical standards diminishes, leading to various negative attitudes and behaviors in the workplace. This research contributed in two ways to the existing literature: (a) by examining the employees’ understandings of firms’ CSR engagements and their trickle-down effect on EEC and KS, (b) and studying when POP adversely effects the above relationship. Full article

Sustainable innovation presents a significant challenge for modern organizations as they operate in an ever-evolving and complex global environment. It requires creating and adopting new products, services, or processes that are not only economically feasible but also environmentally responsible. This study aims to provide insights into the impact of ergonomics on sustainable innovation within the Hospitality sector, with a focus on green work engagement and green intrinsic motivation as mediating factors. Data was collected from full-time employees working in five-star hotels in Egypt, with a total of 424 valid responses analyzed. The study employed the PLS-SEM analytical method, and the analysis was conducted using WarpPLS 7.0. The findings revealed a positive relationship between employees’ perception of ergonomics and sustainable innovation. Additionally, ergonomics was positively linked to both green work engagement and green intrinsic motivation. Moreover, green work engagement and green intrinsic motivation were found to have a positive impact on sustainable innovation. The study also demonstrated that green work engagement and green intrinsic motivation serve as mediators between ergonomics and sustainable innovation. This study offers valuable insights into the significance of ergonomics for the hospitality industry. Integrating ergonomics enables organizations to create a healthier, more innovative, and sustainable work environment. Full article

Drawing on social comparison and attribution theories, this study examines how employees’ attitudinal dissimilarity within work groups shapes their willingness to speak up or remain silent. We conceptualize dissimilarity in psychological ownership and job stress as individual-level differences that trigger internal attributions, leading employees to direct attention inward and reduce their likelihood of speaking up. In contrast, dissimilarity in perceived status conflict, an individual-level perception of a structural feature of the group, induces external attributions toward the social system, motivating employees to express voice aimed at preserving or challenging the status quo. Using multi-source data from 202 employees nested in 39 work groups in South Korea, hierarchical regression analyses support all proposed hypotheses: individual-level dissimilarities are negatively related and structural-level dissimilarity is positively related to voice. These findings reveal that the behavioral consequences of difference depend on where attribution is directed—toward the self or the system. The study contributes to the voice literature by integrating attributional reasoning into social comparison processes and by identifying two forms of attitudinal minorities: invisible minorities who remain silent, and boisterous minorities who speak up for change. Full article

The construction sector is traditionally known for a harsh working culture characterized by uncertainty, frequent crises, and long working hours, which increase stress among employees at all organizational levels. The primary objective of the present research is to examine the extent to which workplace stress factors grouped under organisational/interpersonal, task and physical stressor categories influence professionals within the construction industry. A cross-sectional online survey of 185 construction professionals in Turkey was conducted between October 2024 and February 2025. Findings reveal that the task stressors category associated with increased workload exerts the most significant adverse effect on employees, while organisational/interpersonal stressors are the least impactful. The analysis also shows significant variations in perceptions across different demographic and workplace contexts. An overwhelming majority of significant differences between male and female employees occur within the “Organizational/Interpersonal Stressors”, with six out of the eight significant factors falling under this category. In particular, the most pronounced gender-based differences are observed in specific areas such as gender and age discrimination in promotion and development opportunities at work, fear of failure at the job/job insecurity and insufficient encouragement/support from managers. In addition, young professionals and employees of medium sized firms are found to be more severely influenced by task stressors. By highlighting the differing perceptions of stress factors among employees based on their demographic profiles, these findings provide insights for managers in formulating effective organizational policies. Establishing goals about streamlining tasks, reviewing hiring policies to reduce workloads, providing guidance and training for employees’ task prioritization skills, and implementing workload redistribution strategies are some of the strategies that may be considered by organisations in the construction industry. Full article

The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into organizational workflows is re-shaping traditional patterns of interaction between leaders and employees. Grounded in power dependence theory, this study investigates how employees’ voluntary dependence on AI influences leader–subordinate power relations and, consequently, influences employees’ voice behavior. We propose that employees’ dependence on AI can increase their perceived power when interacting with leaders, which subsequently enhances their willingness to offer constructive suggestions or question established practices. Furthermore, we propose that the extent to which leadership tasks can be substituted by AI plays a moderating role in this process. Coaching leadership, characterized by its emphasis on guiding task performance and developing employee skills, may be particularly sensitive to such substitution. Using two experimental studies and two survey investigations, we provide evidence that employees’ AI dependence is positively associated with voice behavior through heightened perceptions of personal power, and that this relationship is strengthened under high levels of coaching leadership. These findings advance leadership theory by explicating how AI adoption alters foundational power structures in the workplace and by identifying a novel, power-based pathway linking AI use to proactive employee behaviors. The study contributes to emerging discussions on effective leadership in technologically augmented organizations and offers empirical insights into how leaders can adapt their roles and behaviors in the new era of AI-driven work. Full article

This study analyzes the factors affecting the implementation of Lean methodologies, as well as the resulting benefits, using Bosch Security Systems as a case study. In an uncertain and volatile environment, such as that created by Industry 4.0 technologies, companies must be committed to operations management to ensure their efficiency and competitiveness. In this context, Lean methodologies emerge as a powerful management tool, and this study aims to enhance their benefits by identifying the factors that may affect their implementation. By combining a literature review with a quantitative approach, a questionnaire was applied to collect empirical data, allowing this study to address the gap regarding employees’ perceptions of the factors affecting implementation and its operating benefits at a subsidiary of a European multinational group. Statistical analysis of the data enabled us to identify constraints to the consolidation of Lean methodologies and the creation of the following three integrated groups: (1) technical and operational factors; (2) human and cultural factors; and (3) organizational and management factors. In addition, this study provides evidence of significant gains in terms of efficiency, quality, flexibility, and customer focus. Therefore, this research deepens our understanding of Lean thinking in complex operational environments by highlighting the importance of an integrated, adaptive approach that focuses on employee involvement. Full article

Environmental sustainability in tourism and hospitality has emerged as a critical focus of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, aligning with global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and national priorities such as environmental stewardship, human health, and future economic diversification. This study examines how perceived leader favoritism influences non-green behavior among hospitality employees, exploring malicious envy as a mediator and perceived organizational injustice as a moderator. A cross-sectional survey was administered to 412 employees across five major hotels in Riyadh. Measures included validated scales for perceived leader favoritism, malicious envy, non-green behavior, and organizational justice. Structural equation modeling tested hypothesized relationships and moderation effects. Perceived leader favoritism was positively associated with non-green behavior (β = 0.39, p < 0.001) and malicious envy (β = 0.58, p < 0.001). Malicious envy mediated the favoritism–behavior link (indirect effect β = 0.17, p < 0.01). High perceptions of organizational injustice strengthened these effects, exacerbating environmentally harmful behaviors. Interpretation: The findings reveal that unfair leadership practices undermine corporate sustainability efforts by provoking negative emotions and unethical environmental actions. Managerial interventions to enhance fairness and mitigate envy are imperative for achieving SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and SDG 13 (Climate Action), supporting Saudi Arabia’s goals in environmental sustainability, basic needs fulfillment, and future economies. Implementing justice-centered leadership programs can foster healthier organizational climates, promoting both employee well-being and ecological resilience. Full article

This study investigates the intricate mechanisms linking ESG practices, innovation performance, and brand outcomes from the perspective of internal stakeholders—employees. This study investigates employees’ perceptions of ESG practices and their influence on brand identification and brand love, based on a quantitative survey conducted among 346 employees from three major Taiwanese airlines; the findings reveal that ESG practices positively influence innovation performance, which, in turn, significantly enhances brand loyalty and brand value, ultimately fostering greater brand love. Moreover, the results indicate that an innovative organizational climate exerts a significant positive moderating effect on the relationship between ESG practices and innovation performance. In contrast, the moderating effect of human capital was not found to be significant. Full article

In contemporary e-commerce, enterprises coordinate transactions, supply chains, and customer interactions within platform-based, data-intensive ecosystems. Integrated office application (IOA) serves as the operational backbone of these ecosystems by unifying communication, content management, workflow automation, and analysis across procurement, fulfillment, and after-sales service processes. As e-commerce processes become fully digitized, employees’ daily interactions with IOA directly impact service quality, operational efficiency, and sustainability outcomes. However, the micro-mechanisms by which IOA attributes translate into sustainable work practices are under-explored in the e-commerce literature. This study aims to explore how system quality, information quality, and collaboration quality influence user perceptions (perceived ease of use and usefulness), social influences (subjective norms), and satisfaction, thus jointly driving user intention and IOA-enabled sustainable behaviors. By integrating the Technology Acceptance Model, the Theory of Planned Behavior, and the IS Success Model, this research elaborates in a human-centered way on how an e-commerce enterprise’s system support can promote corporate and individual sustainability through employees’ adoption and continuous effective use. Full article