Search Results (522)

This study evaluates the effectiveness of the B Impact Assessment (BIA) as a catalyst for integrating sustainability into industrial firms through a qualitative case study of LC Paper, the first B Corp-certified tissue manufacturer globally and a pioneer in applying BIA in the pulp and paper sector. Based on semi-structured interviews, organizational documents, and direct observation, this study examines how BIA influences corporate governance, environmental practices, and stakeholder engagement. The findings show that BIA fosters structured goal setting and the implementation of measurable actions aligned with environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and economic resilience. Tangible outcomes include improved stakeholder trust, internal transparency, and employee development, while implementation challenges such as resource allocation and procedural complexity are also reported. Although the single-case design limits generalizability, this study identifies mechanisms transferable to other firms, particularly those in environmentally intensive sectors. The case studied also illustrates how leadership commitment, participatory governance, and data-driven tools facilitate the operationalization of sustainability. By integrating stakeholder and institutional theory, this study contributes conceptually to understanding certification frameworks as tools for embedding sustainability. This research offers both theoretical and practical insights into how firms can align strategy and impact, expanding the application of BIA beyond early adopters and into traditional industrial contexts. Full article

The purpose of this research is to examine employee perceptions regarding the implementation of ESG (environmental, social, and governance) practices in financial institutions, with a comparative focus on urban and rural banks in the Republic of Serbia. The study investigates how employees assess environmental, social, and governance aspects of ESG, as well as their own role in applying these principles in everyday work. The results reveal statistically significant differences between the two groups; employees in urban banks report greater engagement, more access to training, and stronger involvement in ESG decision-making. These findings suggest the existence of more developed institutional support, infrastructure, and organisational culture in urban banks. In contrast, employees in rural banks highlight the need for enhanced training, clearer ESG guidance, and improved oversight mechanisms. The study underlines the importance of investing in employee development and internal communication, particularly in rural contexts, to improve ESG outcomes. By focusing on employee-level perceptions, this research contributes to the understanding of how organisational and geographic factors influence the implementation of ESG-related practices in financial institutions. Full article

Sustainability has emerged as a critical issue in development. Digital transformation functions as both an enabler and an effective tool for promoting sustainability. Strategy plays a pivotal role in the process of digital transformation. However, there is a paucity of existing research focused on strategic renewal in digital transformation within the context of China. This study employs organizational learning theory to examine the antecedents and consequences of strategic renewal in digital transformation. Data were collected from 389 government employees through a questionnaire survey and a quantitative analysis was performed to evaluate four hypotheses using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results indicate that knowledge acquisition and organizational memory significantly influence strategic renewal, which in turn affects government performance. The findings of this study could serve as a guide and provide concrete practical approaches for successful digital transformation among governments, thereby laying a foundation for sustainable development. Full article

The rapid evolution of Industry 4.0 technologies has resulted in a scenario in which collaborative networks are essential to overcome the challenges related to their implementation. However, the frameworks to guide such collaborations remain underexplored. This study addresses this gap by proposing Business Rules and Goals Models to operationalize Industry 4.0 solutions through enterprise collaboration. Using the For Enterprise Modeling (4EM) method, the research integrates qualitative insights from expert opinions, including interviews with 12 professionals (academics, industry professionals, and consultants) from Brazilian manufacturing sectors. The Goals Model identifies five main objectives—competitiveness, efficiency, flexibility, interoperability, and real-time collaboration—while the Business Rules Model outlines 18 actionable recommendations, such as investing in digital infrastructure, upskilling employees, and standardizing information technology systems. The results reveal that cultural resistance, limited resources, and knowledge gaps are critical barriers, while interoperability and stakeholder integration emerge as enablers of digital transformation. The study concludes that successfully adopting Industry 4.0 requires technological investments, organizational alignment, structured governance, and collaborative ecosystems. These models provide a practical roadmap for companies navigating the complexities of Industry 4.0, emphasizing adaptability and cross-functional synergy. The research contributes to the literature on collaborative networks by connecting theoretical frameworks with actionable enterprise-level strategies. Full article

This study explores the emergent dynamics of knowledge sovereignty within organisations following data breach incidents. Using qualitative analysis based on Benoit’s image restoration theory, this study shows that employees do more than relay official messages—they actively shape information governance after a cyberattack. Employees adapt Benoit’s response strategies (denial, evasion of responsibility, reducing offensiveness, corrective action, and mortification) based on how authentic they perceive the organisation’s response, their identification with the company, and their sense of fairness in crisis management. This investigation substantively extends extant crisis communication theory by showing how knowledge sovereignty is shaped through negotiation, as employees manage their dual role as breach victims and organisational representatives. The findings suggest that employees are key actors in post-breach information governance, and that their authentic engagement is critical to organisational recovery after cybersecurity incidents. Full article

Promoting social equity is a global issue, and common prosperity is an important goal for human society’s sustainable development. This study is the first to examine climate risks’ impacts on common prosperity from the perspective of corporate employees, providing micro-level evidence for the coordinated development of climate governance and social equity. Employing data from companies listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges from 2016 to 2023, a fixed-effects model analysis was conducted, and the results showed the following: (1) Climate risks are positively associated with the common prosperity of corporate employees in a significant way, and this effect is mainly achieved through employee guarantees, rather than employee remuneration or employment. (2) Climate risk will increase corporate financing constraints, but it will also force companies to improve their ESG performance. (3) The mechanism tests show that climate risks indirectly promote improvements in employee rights and interests by forcing companies to improve the quality of internal controls and audits. (4) The results of the moderating effect analysis show that corporate size and performance have a positive moderating effect on the relationship between climate risk and the common prosperity of corporate employees. This finding may indicate the transmission path of “climate pressure—governance upgrade—social equity” and suggest that climate governance may be transformed into social value through institutional changes in enterprises. This study breaks through the limitations of traditional research on the financial perspective of the economic consequences of climate risks, incorporates employee welfare into the climate governance assessment framework for the first time, expands the micro research dimension of common prosperity, provides a new paradigm for cross-research on ESG and social equity, and offers recommendations and references for different stakeholders. Full article

As climate change consequences intensify, higher education institutions (HEIs) have an opportunity and responsibility to model sustainable operations. This study examines how embracing shared knowledge and inclusion in sustainability decision making facilitates green human resource management (GHRM) efforts to invigorate organizational environmental performance. The study examines the effects of shared and inclusive governance on campus sustainability via a regression model and the mediating role of employee participation via a structural equation modeling approach. The results show that shared governance and inclusive governance positively predict the commitment of HEIs to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and campus engagement mediates these relationships, underscoring the importance of participation. These findings align with stakeholder theory in demonstrating that diverse voices in decision making can enhance commitment to organizational goals like sustainability. The findings also highlight the importance of shared and inclusive governance arrangements at college campuses not only for ethical reasons but also for achieving desired outcomes like carbon neutrality. For campus leaders striving to “green” their institutions, evaluating cross-departmental representation in governance structures and promoting inclusive cultures that make all students and staff feel welcome appear as important complements to GHRM practices. Full article

This study investigates the empowering role of public–private partnerships (PPPs) in the economic sustainability of waste management (ESW) and the circular industry economy (CIE), specifically in the small, rapidly industrialising Emirate of Ajman, UAE. Embracing a circular economy is vital for the sustainability agenda while forging a transformative commitment to planetary health (PH) in a manner that is especially crucial for small states with limited carrying capabilities. A quantitative methodological orientation is employed in a survey-based research design, followed by the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling statistical technique to test the hypothesised relationships. Sampling involved the three sub-populations of government employees (n = 123), managers/employees of private waste collection businesses (n = 106), and employees of private industrial waste generation industries (n = 276). Findings indicate that PPP empowerment positively impacts ESW and contributes to the creation of CIE. Moreover, ESW fosters the growth of CIE in Ajman. Notably, the perspectives of government stakeholders differ from those of non-government actors. This research underscores the significance of PPP empowerment in the development of CIE towards SDGs 11, 12, and 17, emphasising the mediating role of ESW between PPPs and CIE in small, rapidly industrialising states. The study recommends that the Ajman government implement training and social initiatives aimed at aligning the sustainability perspectives of all stakeholders involved in waste management to promote the mutual benefits of “people, places, and planet”. Full article

This inquiry articulates a conceptually cohesive framework to explore the interplay between ethical leadership–affective commitment, particularly in settings characterized by socio-environmental volatility. Central to the analysis is the examination of how ethical climate functions as a psychological conduit and how psychological empowerment modulates this pathway. Empirical validation was carried out with a sample of 448 employees (175 women, 273 men) from Colombia’s electricity sector, a context where institutional fragility elevates the salience of ethical practices. The study employed structural equation modeling to test the model’s robustness. Results underscore that ethical leadership cultivates a benevolent ethical climate, which in turn reinforces affective commitment. Importantly, this sequence is not fixed but is contingent upon psychological empowerment. The influence of ethical leadership on ethical climate and especially on affective commitment is amplified when empowerment is high; likewise, the ethical climate–affective commitment link becomes more salient under elevated empowerment conditions. These findings highlight the influence of ethical dynamics in organizations. Beyond model validation, this research contributes to broader conversations on social sustainability. Ethical leadership is shown to foster organizational climates rooted in fairness, stakeholder sensitivity, and moral coherence—factors essential for long-term institutional legitimacy. In environments such as Colombia’s electricity industry, where governance infrastructures are evolving, such leadership emerges as a necessary condition for rebuilding trust and promoting shared ethical standards. Accordingly, this study advocates for the systematic cultivation of ethical leadership as a means to enhance organizational loyalty and public credibility. The theoretical model presented here offers fertile ground for cross-cultural replication and further inquiry across industries in emerging economies. Full article

Local governments provide numerous services to their citizens. In doing so, they utilize two primary methods to deliver them: (1) producing them in-house with their own employees and equipment or (2) outsourcing them to external actors, which may take the form of other public agencies, for-profit firms, or non-profit organizations. In this entry, the authors review the logic of why local governments might choose one mechanism over another. The goal is to give readers a feel for the state of the academic literature in this regard. After reviewing basic concepts, such as the difference between the “provision” and “production” of services, the authors frame the discussion in terms of a variety of lenses used by scholars attempting to better understand the determinants of such decision-making. These include agency theory, transaction cost economics, and New Public Management. The authors also consider the role that management capacity plays in allowing cities to successfully deliver services to their constituents. Additionally, the authors offer a discussion regarding how local governments partner with non-profits in less formal ways than contracting to ensure their citizens have access to needed services. Finally, there is a review of the tradeoffs between efficiency and other values that should be accounted for when arranging service production. Full article

In the era of shifting global economic dynamics and rapid digital transformation, the demand for enhanced corporate innovation capabilities has significantly increased. However, workplace ostracism, which often arises in complex organizational contexts, may trigger employees’ creative territory behavior, thereby undermining the organization’s innovation ecosystem. There is a need for further research on mitigating the negative impacts of workplace ostracism. Drawing on Affective Events Theory, this study adopts the perspective of enhancing individuals’ perceived coping resources and conceptualizes fun activities as a form of indirect support created by the organization. It further develops a mediated moderation model to examine how fun activities buffer the impact of workplace ostracism on employees’ creative territory behavior by mitigating their fear of missing out. Using a two-wave questionnaire survey, this study collected 337 valid responses from Chinese employees and conducted a hierarchical regression analysis with SPSS. The results reveal that fun activities perform a dual role: directly, they can mitigate employees’ fear of missing out triggered by workplace ostracism; indirectly, they can weaken the impact of workplace ostracism on employees’ creative territory behavior by alleviating such apprehension. This study offers theoretical insights for organizations on integrating ostracism governance into their organizational management systems and on alleviating the adverse outcomes of workplace ostracism by fostering an environment of indirect support. Full article

Grounded in motivation theory, this study examines the direct relationship between a supportive workplace environment (SWE) and employee performance (EP). The SWE has been identified into three dimensions, i.e., work recognition (WR), work motivation (WM), and career development (CD). Moreover, we focused on the mediating effect of employee engagement (EE) on the relationship between SWE and EP. A quantitative research method was used, and data were collected through a questionnaire survey. Data were collected from 349 respondents. The target population were the senior managers, middle managers, and administrative staff working in the semi-government organizations based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) software version 4.0. The results indicate that in the direct relationship, workplace recognition, workplace motivation, and career development are positively connected with EP. Similarly, the findings show that employee engagement positively mediates between an SWE (work recognition, work motivation, and career development) and EP. This study suggests that managers can establish practices acknowledging and appreciating employee contributions, leading to increased motivation and improved performance. Creating a work environment that fosters work motivation by addressing employees’ physical and safety, social, and egoistic needs can further enhance employee engagement and performance. The study highlights the significant role of work recognition, work motivation, career development, and employee engagement in influencing employee performance. This study also recommends some practical implications for the semi-governmental organizations. First, it was suggested that organizations create a workplace environment in which employees feel appreciated, valued, and happy. Second, the organizations introduce the employee engagement culture at the department level as well as at the organizational level. Third, the organizations also introduce flexible work schedules for middle-level and administrative staff. Finally, Saudi organizations recognize the output of their employees and provide them with monetary incentives. Full article

This study investigates the primary technological and socio-environmental factors influencing the adoption intentions of AI-powered technology at the corporate level within higher education institutions. A conceptual model based on the Diffusion of Innovation Theory (DOI), the Technology–Organization–Environment (TOE), and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) combined framework were proposed and tested using data collected from 367 higher education students, faculty members, and employees. SPSS Amos 24 was used for CB-SEM to choose the best-fitting model, which proved more efficient than traditional multiple regression analysis to examine the relationships among the proposed constructs, ensuring model fit and statistical robustness. The findings reveal that Compatibility “C”, Complexity “CX”, User Interface “UX”, Perceived Ease of Use “PEOU”, User Satisfaction “US”, Performance Expectation “PE”, Artificial intelligence “AI” introducing new tools “AINT”, AI Strategic Alignment “AIS”, Availability of Resources “AVR”, Technological Support “TS”, and Facilitating Conditions “FC” significantly impact AI adoption intentions. At the same time, Competitive Pressure “COP” and Government Regulations “GOR” do not. Demographic factors, including major and years of experience, moderated these associations, and there were large differences across educational backgrounds and experience. Full article

This study aims to examine the impact of ESG management activities (independent variable) on organizational trust and organizational commitment (mediating variables), as well as organizational performance (dependent variable), among members of large manufacturing enterprises. Additionally, it investigates the moderating effect of job position on the relationship between ESG management activities and organizational performance. For the empirical analysis of this study, data were collected from 561 employees of three large manufacturing companies—Company L, Company H, and another Company H—all of which have implemented and are practicing ESG management. The data were analyzed using SPSS 29.0 and structural equation modeling (SEM: AMOS 29.0). The key findings from the empirical analysis are as follows: First of all, all three ESG factors—environmental (E), social (S), and governance (G)—had a positive effect on organizational trust. The environmental and governance factors had a positive effect on organizational commitment. However, the social factor exhibited a negative effect on organizational commitment. The environmental factor showed a negative effect on organizational performance. By contrast, the social and governance factors had a positive effect on organizational performance. Organizational trust was found to enhance organizational commitment significantly, confirming that employees who trust their organization are more likely to be committed to it. Fifth, a strong sense of trust in the organization was shown to contribute positively to organizational performance and competitiveness. Organizational commitment positively impacted organizational performance, reinforcing the idea that highly committed employees contribute to better outcomes. Finally, this study confirmed that job position moderated the relationship between ESG management activities and organizational performance, indicating that employees at different hierarchical levels perceive ESG management’s impact differently. This study expands the research scope of ESG management beyond marketing, HR, and service industries to focus on employees in large manufacturing enterprises. This provides new insights into how ESG initiatives influence internal organizational dynamics. This study is meaningful in that it provides a foundation for expanding future research into the field of finance or other areas of the manufacturing industry. From a practical standpoint, the findings highlight the necessity of strategic initiatives to ensure that employees fully understand and engage with ESG-related policies. To successfully implement ESG management, organizations must develop effective communication and integration strategies that foster employees’ recognition of ESG initiatives. Full article

Microplastics are found in Earth’s atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, pedosphere, and ecosphere. While there is a growing interest and need to solve this grand challenge in both the academic and policy realms, few have engaged with academics, policymakers, and community partners to co-identify the problem, co-design research, and co-produce knowledge in tackling this issue. Using a convergence research framework, we investigated the perception of microplastic pollution among different end users, delivered educational materials to K-12 teachers and practitioners, and identified key sampling points for assessing environmental microplastic concentrations in the Columbia River Basin, United States. Three community partner workshops identified regional issues and concerns associated with microplastic pollution and explored potential policy intervention strategies. The stakeholder survey, co-designed with community partners, identified varying perceptions around microplastic pollution across educators, government employees, non-profit employees, and industry practitioners. Pre- and post-test results of teacher workshops show increases in participants’ knowledge after taking a four-week summer class with the knowledge being translated to their students. Community partners also helped develop a unique passive sampling plan for atmospheric deposition of microplastics using synoptic moss samples and provided freshwater samples for microplastic quantification across the basin. Our study drew three major lessons for successfully conducting convergence environmental research—(1) communication and trust building, supported by the use of key-informants to expand networks; (2) co-creation through collaboration, where partners and students shaped research and education to enhance impact; and (3) change-making, as project insights were translated into policy discussions, community outreach, and classrooms. Full article