Search Results (984)

This paper explores the relationship between human factors in construction safety and their effects on operational efficiency. It investigates how safety incidents resulting from human errors influence productivity, project timelines, and overall costs, while examining how strategic safety management can improve organizational performance. The study employs a mixed-methods design that combines quantitative statistical modeling with qualitative case analysis to ensure both empirical rigor and contextual depth (R² = 0.87, p < 0.001). Data were drawn from four construction firms, encompassing a sample of 120 employees across residential, commercial, and infrastructure projects. Variables such as training hours, fatigue levels, safety compliance, and technology adoption were analyzed against key operational performance indicators, including rework hours, schedule adherence, and productivity scores. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 29 and AMOS 28, incorporating descriptive statistics, regression analysis, and mediation testing to examine the pathways linking human factors, safety performance, and operational productivity. Reliability and validity were confirmed through Cronbach’s alpha and variance inflation factor (VIF) diagnostics. Results demonstrate that safety compliance acts as a mediating variable connecting training, fatigue, and technology adoption to measurable business outcomes. By providing a quantitative framework that links human factor management to operational efficiency, this research contributes to both construction management theory and practice, emphasizing safety as a strategic driver of performance and competitiveness. Full article

Climate shocks are increasingly recognized as systemic stressors that disrupt financial stability and undermine sustainable development. Using a comprehensive panel of Chinese listed firms from 2007 to 2023, this study examines how physical climate shocks propagate through the financial system. Specifically, we investigate their impact on elevating stock price crash risk and impairing corporate sustainability. We construct a firm-level physical climate risk indicator by applying machine learning and text analysis to annual reports. The empirical evidence demonstrates that climate shocks significantly increase stock price crash risk, indicating heightened systemic vulnerability within the financial system. Mechanism analysis identifies two key transmission channels linking climate shocks to crash risk: tightened liquidity constraints and diminished risk-taking capacity. Furthermore, we find that firms with stronger green transformation efforts exhibit lower sensitivity to climate-induced crash risk. This highlights the crucial role of green initiatives in enhancing institutional and financial resilience. Additional analyses reveal that the rise in crash risk subsequently weakens corporate sustainable development performance. Overall, these findings provide micro-level evidence of how climate shocks generate asymmetric effects within the financial system. The study concludes with policy implications for strengthening climate resilience, stabilizing capital markets, and advancing sustainability in emerging economies. Full article

The rapid diffusion of digital technologies, including big data, blockchain, and artificial intelligence, unlocks significant potential for marketing innovation in e-commerce while simultaneously raising fresh governance challenges. Digital platforms, as core infrastructures for online transactions and marketing interactions, have therefore come under increasing regulatory scrutiny amid tensions between technological progress and social stability. This study compiles a comprehensive Chinese Digital Platform Policy dataset consisting of national-level policy documents issued from 2000 through July 2025. We introduce a time-dimension topic clustering approach using density-based LDA algorithm to construct a policy corpus with reduced thematic overlap and develop a document-level policy intensity index by quantifying and aggregating the salience of domain-specific terms across documents. Validation exercises confirm the intensity measure strongly correlates with e-commerce transaction value and with digital innovation, with statistically significant lags consistent with policy implementation and firm adaptation. Beyond offering an empirically grounded metric, our analysis traces the dynamic co-evolution of regulation and technology adoption and identify composition effects—the joint influences of enabling and disciplining policy elements—on market outcomes. We argue that such effects also reconfigure the mix of marketing innovations. Collectively, the corpus and measurement framework provide a foundation for analyzing how regulatory innovation shapes the trajectory of marketing innovation and e-commerce development. Full article

Grassroots and community-led initiatives are increasingly recognized as important actors of local development, yet their role of “local networkers” capable of co-designing and co-creating solutions remains insufficiently explored, particularly in post-socialist contexts. The aim of this empirical study is to evaluate the depth of participation and the patterns of co-design in the process of strategic planning in grassroots initiatives. The research draws on primary data from 106 grassroots initiatives. To examine stakeholder involvement, we construct six bipartite networks representing actor participation across distinct phases of strategic planning. These networks are analyzed using social network analysis to identify structural patterns, followed by exponential random graph models (ERGMs) to test hypotheses concerning actor-level characteristics such as income, commercial activities, community size, and experience with social innovation. The findings show that the core co-designers in all planning phases are the initiatives’ own communities and volunteers, who consistently dominate the planning, decision-making, and implementation processes. External actors—local governments, NGOs, activists, firms, and universities—participate selectively, mainly during initial information gathering, consultations, and project preparation. Overall, the study demonstrates that grassroots initiatives operate primarily as community-anchored civic networks, with external actors engaged pragmatically around specific collaborative tasks rather than across the full planning cycle. Full article

This research evaluates the extent to which firms’ “green” bond disclosures create and convey a meaningful representation of their Environmental, Social, and Governance (“ESG”) commitments. Additionally, this research explores how investors distinguish between disclosures that represent genuine commitment to sustainability and those that may be indicative of “greenwashing,” and how such distinctions impact their assessment of an issuer’s credibility as well as the issuer’s performance subsequent to the issuance of a “green” bond. The methodology employed in this research employs a convergent mixed-methods approach that combines quantitative methods (Natural Language Processing (“NLP”), financial modeling, etc.) with qualitative methodologies (case studies, interviews). The NLP methodology employed in this research includes sentiment analysis, topic modeling, and ambiguity measurement in order to determine the tone, thematic content, and linguistic clarity of the disclosure texts. Subsequently, the results of the NLP methodologies are correlated with firm level outcomes using cross validated partial least squares regression (“PLS-R”), event study methodologies, and one way ANOVA to test for temporal and industrial variability. Finally, the results of the computational and financial methodologies are supplemented by qualitative case studies and interviews to provide context for the patterns identified in the computational and financial methodologies. In summary, the results of this research demonstrate that firms that communicate in a clear, balanced, and verifiable manner experience better market reaction and more favorable accounting results subsequent to the issuance of a “green” bond than do firms whose communications are vague, overly optimistic, or lacking in consistency. Conversely, the findings suggest that investors have become increasingly sensitive to potential “greenwashing” and therefore are less likely to respond favorably to communications characterized by the aforementioned characteristics. Full article

Postharvest storage and quality maintenance represent significant constrains for the marketability and long-distance exportation of button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus). Protective techniques such as arginine application has been demonstrated to extend the shelf life of button mushroom. However, the underlying mechanism by which arginine mitigates postharvest softening in button mushroom require further elucidation. In this study, comprehensive physiology, metabolomics and transcriptomics analyses of button mushroom following arginine treatment were conducted to investigate its potential mechanisms of action. Physiological analysis showed that arginine treatment (1.5 g L⁻¹) markedly alleviated the postharvest softening of button mushroom, resulting in a 23.8% increase in firmness, reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) content, suppressed activities of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO), and maintained elevated superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses demonstrated that arginine application significantly altered lipid-related metabolites, including free fatty acids, lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE) and phosphatidylcholine (PC). Notably, arginine treatment increased the levels of unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs). Transcriptomic analysis further revealed that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were predominantly enriched in lipid metabolism pathways following arginine treatment. Specifically, arginine application stimulated the lipid metabolism by upregulating genes associated with fatty acid desaturation (FAD), while downregulating genes related to phospholipases A2 (PLA2). These findings collectively demonstrate that arginine effectively mitigates postharvest softening of button mushroom by modulating lipid metabolism. Full article

Building a resilient and efficient supply chain system is critical for sustaining firm operations in an increasingly uncertain global environment. This study examines whether the firm-level exposure to industry-wide robot penetration mitigates firm-level supply chain risks. By adopting Bartik’s instrumental variable approach to decompose industry-level robot data to the firm level (from the International Federation of Robotics, IFR), and using a novel text-mining-based supply chain risk index, constructed via a tailored “supply chain risk” dictionary, to quantify sentences containing both keywords from firms’ annual report MD&A sections, we apply a fixed effects model, and find that robot adoption significantly reduces supply chain risk by enhancing firms’ discourse power and improving supply chain coordination. The effect is more pronounced in firms with higher capital intensity, greater international exposure, stronger regulatory oversight, and better ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) performance. By integrating automation adoption with supply chain risk management, this study extends the literature on production economics and supply chain resilience. Our findings reveal that industrial robots, beyond enhancing productivity, function as a risk-mitigating technology that strengthens supply chain stability and operational continuity in volatile global production networks. Full article

Environmental accounting adoption remains limited in transitional economies, particularly where formal institutions fail to enforce sustainability mandates. We examine this phenomenon in Albania—an EU candidate country with regulatory requirements but no implementation infrastructure. Drawing on institutional-void theory and resource-based perspectives, we test whether adoption mechanisms diverge when external enforcement is weak. Survey data from 151 Albanian non-financial companies, analyzed using ordinal logistic regression, show that firm size predicts adoption, whereas sector, ownership, and market orientation do not. Critically, individual-level factors—managerial environmental knowledge and pro-environmental values—significantly predict adoption, while external institutional factors exert negligible influence. Analysis of Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive readiness reveals similar patterns: internal organizational capacities support preparation, whereas external support remains insufficient. These findings demonstrate how institutional voids shape sustainability accounting and provide empirical evidence from an understudied Balkan context. Full article

Metabolic syndrome (MetS), one of the major global health concerns, represents a cluster of cardiometabolic risk factors along with chronic low-grade inflammation and oxidative stress as essential features. Lifestyle changes, including the health quality of the foods, are recommended as the initial interventions for the management and eventual reversal of metabolic syndrome. Considering the heterogeneity of the studies in evaluating the health benefits of polyphenol-rich foods, there is a lack of quantitative and even qualitative analysis of their potential impact on this pathophysiological condition. This review aimed to provide a coherent, clinically oriented appraisal of the potential role of polyphenol-rich juices and beverages in the management of metabolic syndrome and related cardio-metabolic conditions. Twenty-three human intervention studies, encompassing randomized controlled, crossover, and parallel-group designs, as well as non-randomized or uncontrolled intervention studies that prospectively evaluated a defined beverage. The collective evidence indicates polyphenols could improve anthropometric parameters and blood lipid levels, while data on insulin and blood pressure seemed inconsistent and limited. Regarding the antioxidant effects, most beverages beneficially affected lipid peroxidation and total antioxidant activity. Findings across the studies portray polyphenol-rich juices and beverages as consistent, though not uniformly potent, modulators of low-grade inflammation in cardiometabolic contexts. To draw any firm conclusions, future trials are recommended. These should adopt consistent polyphenol quantification and dosage applied, standardize analyzed parameters including inflammatory and oxidative stress panels, stratify participants by baseline status and medication use, and extend follow-up to evaluate reliability and clinical significance. Full article

The study explores the impact of business model innovation on firm productivity with the help of a systematic bibliometric analysis. The purpose is to distill key themes, critical research needs, and possible future directions. A systematic search was performed with the Web of Science database (2011 to 2024) using PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Of these studies, after applying defined inclusion and exclusion criteria, the study retained 273 studies; of those, 217 explicitly considered productivity at the firm level. This results in the following three central research themes: digitalization, business model innovation, and sustainability, which reflect how firms adjust to technological and environmental as well as strategic demands. The paper discusses three examples: theoretical fragmentation and regional biases within research on health worker migration and less integration of institutional and contextual factors. One of the gaps here is that there is a paucity of empirical evidence from emerging economies where firms face their own unique set of barriers to innovation and productivity. This work adds a level of clarity to what has been studied and what is unexplored, both enhancing academic knowledge and setting clear directions for managers and policymakers. It is time for more geographic ranges and collaboration across fields, such as with health care or business models that are likely to unfold over time. Full article

This study investigates how stakeholder pressures (SSTPR) prompt SMEs to perform green innovation (GRNI) activities by grounding the analysis exclusively in stakeholder theory. It employs a survey questionnaire to gather information from 141 top- and mid-level executives working in various SME manufacturing firms (listed in DSE, CSE, foreign SMEs) in Bangladesh. The structural equation modeling (SEM) technique is used to analyze data and test hypotheses. The study’s findings reveal that SSTPR, both primary and secondary, have a significant positive impact on the firm’s degree of GRNI. Moreover, it has also been found that environmental commitment (ENVC) has a positive moderating effect on the relation between stakeholder influences and GRNI. On the other hand, environmental ethics (ENVE) has a partial mediation impact on this relationship. The results shed light on the crucial role of stakeholder influence, ENVC, and ENVE in promoting GRNI behavior. These findings will fill knowledge gaps on the factors that drive SMEs’ investments in GRNIs with insightful implications for regulators, managers, and policymakers. This study also assists Bangladesh’s sustainable agenda by bolstering green and sustainable innovation activities. Full article

Financial accounting manipulation (FAM) remains a persistent concern in emerging Asian markets, yet existing studies typically assess firm resilience, market valuation, and institutional governance separately. This study addresses this gap by examining how the Resilience Factor (RF), Market Valuation (VAL), and Country Governance Index (CGI), along with their interaction effects, shape FAM. Using a panel dataset of 4303 non-financial firms across 17 Asian countries from 2012 to 2023 (51,636 observations), the analysis employs an Instrumental Variable–Two-Stage Least-Squares (IV-2SLS) approach to address endogeneity related to simultaneity and omitted variable bias. The results show that financially resilient firms are more prone to manipulation, market valuation reduces manipulation incentives, and stronger country governance constrains manipulation. Moreover, valuation moderates the governance–manipulation relationship, suggesting complementary monitoring roles between markets and institutions. Robustness checks across regions, industries, and the COVID-19 period confirm the findings. The study contributes to agency and institutional theory by highlighting how firm-level and country-level mechanisms jointly influence manipulation, offering policy implications for regulators and investors in Asian capital markets. Full article

In typical executive compensation structures, higher corporate ranks are associated with greater pay. However, the reform of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in China introduced strict salary caps for top executives, while lower-tier managers continued to receive market-based compensation, resulting in a phenomenon of pay-rank inversion—where subordinates earn more than their superiors. Leveraging this anomaly as a quasi-natural experiment, this study investigates the specific impact and underlying mechanism of pay-rank inversion on mergers and acquisitions (M&A) decisions and subsequent value realization within Chinese SOEs, thereby addressing the broad academic discourse on optimal executive compensation design. Employing a difference-in-differences (DID) approach with panel data spanning from 2007 to 2022, our analysis reveals that pay-rank inversion significantly reduces firms’ M&A intentions. Mechanistic analysis suggests that this negative effect arises primarily from diminished executive risk-taking. Furthermore, we find that the adverse impact is attenuated when CEOs possess longer tenures or receive equity-based incentives, but it ultimately undermines the realization of value post-M&A. These findings highlight the unintended consequences of high-level compensation reforms and emphasize the critical role of a well-structured pay hierarchy in sustaining executive incentives for strategic decision-making. Despite providing robust evidence, this study is subject to limitations, including its focus on measuring inversion only between the first and second management tiers. Future research should extend the analysis to the pay inversion between the listed firm and its controlling SOE group and explore alternative causal pathways beyond risk-taking, such as CEO work motivation, to deepen the understanding of high-level executive behavior. Full article

Personality type tools have been utilized to explain human behavior by organizing, classifying, and categorizing individuals into distinct personality types. Alternatively, problem-solving methods have been employed throughout project life cycles to enhance problem solving across all levels of the organizational workforce. This study evaluated the influence of personality tools and methods for problem solving on project success. The population comprised 29 active project managers employed in the engineering section of a large manufacturing firm, focusing on sustainable development projects. Quantitative study, through correlational analysis, demonstrates that personality tools facilitate the formation of effective project teams (p < 0.05) and that problem-solving methods significantly improve the likelihood of successful project completion (p < 0.05). This research presents a novel approach and a decision framework for projects that identify the preferred methods for solving problems associated with various MBTI profiles, and demonstrate that where MBTI is utilized as a guiding tool for effective project team formation, ESTJ, ENTJ, ISTJ, and INTJ are prioritized profiles. The research concludes that selecting methods for solving problems according to the nature of the problem impacts overall project success, with the Five Whys methodology contributing when used for root cause analysis. Therefore, it is essential to enhance project managers’ awareness that specific tools and methodologies can aid in the formation of teams that successfully complete projects. Full article

This study examines the intricate pricing and coordination issues shaped by risk-averse behavior and retailer competition in the green supply chain. Firstly, we derive equilibrium strategies for stakeholders by employing models. The impact of the risk aversion level on pricing and greenness is analyzed. Secondly, we conduct comparative analyses of optimal decisions under the three models. Finally, we discuss the coordination of cost-sharing contracts and validate the relevant conclusions through numerical simulation analysis. By linking firms’ decision-making behaviors with product greenness, the study further shows how operational choices influence the overall sustainability performance of the supply chain. Our findings reveal a downward trend in wholesale price, greenness, and retail price as risk aversion levels escalate. Additionally, we uncover the dual effect of cost-sharing contracts: while they enhance environmental sustainability by boosting greenness, they also bolster supply chain profitability and facilitate coordination efforts. These insights offer practical guidance for establishing more sustainable green supply chains in competitive and risk-sensitive environments. Full article