Search Results (197)

The escalating climate crisis and global disruptions have prompted a critical re-evaluation of operations management within manufacturing and supply systems. This conceptual article addresses the theoretical and strategic gap in aligning resilience and sustainability by proposing an Integrated Sustainable Operational Strategy (ISOS) framework. Drawing on systems theory, circular economy principles, and sustainability science, the framework synthesizes multiple operational domains—circularity, localization, digital adaptation, and workforce flexibility—across macro (policy), meso (organizational), and micro (process) levels. This study constructs a conceptual model that explains the interdependencies and trade-offs among strategic operational responses in the Anthropocene era. Supported by multi-level logic and a synthesis of domain constructs, the model provides a foundation for empirical investigation and strategic planning. Key propositions for future research are developed, focusing on causal relationships and boundary conditions. The novelty of ISOS lies in its simultaneous integration of three strategic pillars—circularity, localization, and digital resilience—within a unified, multi-scalar architecture that bridges fragmented operational theories. The article advances theory by redefining operational excellence through regenerative logic and adaptive capacity, responding directly to SDG 9 (industry innovation), SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production), and SDG 13 (climate action). This integrative framework offers both theoretical insight and practical guidance for transforming operations into catalysts of sustainable transition. Full article

In the digital communication ecosystem, micro-influencers have influenced public response during crises, especially in complex geopolitical contexts. This paper introduces the micro-influencer impact model (MIIM), a framework for analyzing the impact of micro-influencers on crisis communication. The MIIM integrates four components (micro-influencer characteristics, message framing and delivery, audience factors, and crisis context) offering a comprehensive approach to understanding micro-influencer dynamics during crises. Cross-conflict analysis spanning Ukraine–Russia, Sudan–Ethiopia, Armenia–Azerbaijan, Myanmar, Syria, and India–Pakistan tensions demonstrates the MIIM’s broad applicability across diverse geopolitical crises, showing how factors like perceived authenticity, niche expertise, narrative personalization, and audience digital literacy consistently shape public opinion and crisis response. The MIIM synthesizes crisis communication theories, social influence models, and digital media research, providing a sophisticated framework for studying the dissemination of information and public engagement during crises. The paper proposes theoretically grounded propositions on the impact of micro-influencers, encompassing perceived authenticity, narrative framing, and influence over time, thereby laying the groundwork for future empirical research. Implications for communication scholars, crisis managers, policymakers, and social media platforms are discussed, emphasizing the MIIM’s relevance to theory and practice in crisis communication. Full article

The integration of artificial intelligence and human decision-making within blockchain systems has raised complex ethical considerations, necessitating the development of comprehensive theoretical frameworks. This research develops a multi-paradigm ethical framework addressing the ethical dimensions of hybrid intelligence—the dynamic interplay between human judgment and artificial intelligence—in the governance of blockchain technology and cryptocurrency systems. Drawing upon complexity theory and institutional theory, this study employs a theory synthesis methodology to investigate inherent paradoxes within hybrid intelligence systems, including how transparency creates new opacities in AI decision-making, decentralization enables centralized control, and algorithmic efficiency undermines ethical sensitivity. Through PRISMA-compliant systematic literature analysis of 50 relevant publications and theoretical synthesis, this research demonstrates how blockchain technology fundamentally redefines hybrid intelligence by establishing novel forms of trust, accountability, and collective decision-making. The framework advances three testable propositions regarding emergent intelligence properties, adaptive capacity, and institutional legitimacy while providing practical governance principles and implementation methodologies for blockchain developers, regulators, and participants. This study contributes theoretically by bridging the fields of complex systems and institutional analysis, integrating complex adaptive systems with institutional legitimacy processes through a multi-paradigm integration methodology. It delivers an ethical framework that addresses accountability distribution in Decentralized Autonomous Organizations, quantifies ethical challenges across major platforms, and offers empirically validated guidelines for balancing algorithmic autonomy with human oversight in decentralized systems. Full article

Exploring the action mechanisms and enhancement pathways of the resilience of agricultural product green supply chains is conducive to strengthening the system’s risk resistance capacity and providing decision support for achieving the “dual carbon” goals. Based on theories such as dynamic capability theory and complex adaptive systems, this paper constructs a resilience framework covering the three stages of “steady-state maintenance–dynamic adjustment–continuous evolution” from both single and multiple perspectives. Combined with 768 units of multi-agent questionnaire data, it adopts Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to analyze the influencing factors of resilience and reveal the nonlinear mechanisms of resilience formation. Secondly, by integrating configurational analysis with machine learning, it innovatively constructs a resilience level prediction model based on fsQCA-XGBoost. The research findings are as follows: (1) fsQCA identifies a total of four high-resilience pathways, verifying the core proposition of “multiple conjunctural causality” in complex adaptive system theory; (2) compared with single algorithms such as Random Forest, Decision Tree, AdaBoost, ExtraTrees, and XGBoost, the fsQCA-XGBoost prediction method proposed in this paper achieves an optimization of 66% and over 150% in recall rate and positive sample identification, respectively. It reduces false negative risk omission by 50% and improves the ability to capture high-risk samples by three times, which verifies the feasibility and applicability of the fsQCA-XGBoost prediction method in the field of resilience prediction for agricultural product green supply chains. This research provides a risk prevention and control paradigm with both theoretical explanatory power and practical operability for agricultural product green supply chains, and promotes collaborative realization of the “carbon reduction–supply stability–efficiency improvement” goals, transforming them from policy vision to operational reality. Full article

In the context of global e-commerce platform supply chains dominated by Alibaba and Amazon, power reconfiguration among tripartite stakeholders (platforms, manufacturers, and retailers) remains a critical yet underexplored issue in supply chain contract design. To analyze the strategic interactions between platforms, manufacturers, and retailers, as well as how platforms select the contract format within a tripartite supply chain, this study proposes a Stackelberg game-theoretic framework incorporating participation constraints to compare fixed-fee and revenue-sharing contracts. The results demonstrate that revenue-sharing contracts significantly enhance supply chain efficiency by aligning incentives across members, leading to improved pricing and sales outcomes. However, this coordination benefit comes with reduced platform dominance, as revenue-sharing inherently redistributes power toward upstream and downstream partners. The analysis reveals a nuanced contract selection framework: given the revenue sharing rate, as the additional value increases, the optimal contract shifts from the mode RR to the mode RF, and ultimately to the mode FF. Notably, manufacturers and retailers exhibit a consistent preference for revenue-sharing contracts due to their favorable profit alignment properties, regardless of the platform’s value proposition. These findings may contribute to platform operations theory by (1) proposing a dynamic participation framework for contract analysis, (2) exploring value-based thresholds for contract transitions, and (3) examining the power-balancing effects of alternative contract formats. This study offers actionable insights for platform operators seeking to balance control and cooperation in their supply chain relationships, while providing manufacturers and retailers with strategic guidance for contract negotiations in platform-mediated markets. These findings are especially relevant for large e-commerce platforms and their partners managing the complexities of contemporary digital supply chains. Full article

This research explores the impact of ownership structure on the financial performance of Leveraged Buyout (LBO) transactions in the MENA region, a key emerging market region. Drawing on agency theory by Jensen & Meckling and the capital structure theory of Modigliani and Miller, the study investigates how different shareholder configurations, particularly managerial equity participation, influence LBO outcomes. Based on a sample of 233 transactions conducted between 2000 and 2023, the research adopts a quantitative methodology grounded in a hypothetico-deductive approach. The analysis focuses on the interactions between managerial ownership, leverage, target firm size, and operational performance. The findings support the agency theory premise that managerial ownership aligns interests and enhances performance, showing a positive relationship between managerial equity stakes and financial outcomes. Conversely, the effect of leverage, central to Modigliani and Miller’s propositions, proves more nuanced, reflecting the region’s unique financial constraints and market imperfections. Firm size, meanwhile, shows no direct correlation with performance improvement. These insights underscore the complex mechanisms behind LBO success in the MENA context and offer practical and theoretical implications, particularly regarding governance practices and institutional frameworks. The study also outlines avenues for future research, including a deeper examination of regional governance dynamics. Full article

Small island developing states (SIDS) face a dual constraint of “environmental vulnerability and energy dependence” in the context of climate change. How to achieve just energy transitions has become a core proposition for SIDS to address. This paper focuses on how SIDS can advance Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 (affordable and clean energy) and Sustainable Development Goal 13 (climate action) through UNCLOS–Paris Agreement integration in energy transitions. Grounded in the theoretical framework of the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI), this research aims to construct a comprehensive analytical system that systematically examines the energy transition challenges facing SIDS and provide multi-level energy transition solutions spanning from international to domestic contexts for climate-vulnerable SIDS. The research findings reveal that SIDS face a structural predicament of “high vulnerability–low resilience” and the triple challenge of “energy–climate–development”. International climate finance is severely mismatched with the degree of vulnerability in SIDS; the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Paris Agreement lack institutional synergy and fail to adequately support marine renewable energy development in SIDS. In response to these challenges, this study proposes multi-level solutions to promote the synergistic achievement of SDG 7 and SDG 13: at the international level, improve climate finance rules, innovate financing mechanisms, strengthen technological cooperation, and integrate relevant international legal framework; at the domestic level, optimize the layout of marine renewable energy development, construct sustainable investment ecosystems, and strengthen environmental scientific research and local data governance. Full article

Personal smartphone use at work stretches the boundary between professional and personal life, leading to a more fragmented workday. This study investigates how interruptions from personal smartphone use during work hours affect employees’ performance and well-being. Our primary aim is to clarify the pathways through which personal smartphone interruptions impact employee well-being, as reflected in work-related rumination after work (affective rumination, problem-solving pondering, and psychological detachment). Integrating propositions of social role theory and action regulation theory, we hypothesize that such interruptions undermine task accomplishment, which, in turn, increases feelings of frustration. Furthermore, we propose that frustration explains the link between reduced task accomplishment and increased work-related rumination after work. To test these hypotheses, we conducted a quantitative daily diary study with 91 employees from diverse occupations, collecting data over five consecutive workdays, including between 354 and 399 observations per day. Multi-level analyses revealed that interruptions from personal smartphone use indirectly increased frustration by undermining task accomplishment. Additionally, frustration fully mediated the relationship between task accomplishment and work-related rumination in the evening. These findings highlight the importance of managing personal smartphone use at work to protect employee performance and well-being. We conclude by critically examining the broader theoretical significance and practical applications of our findings. Full article

This paper extends the resource-based view (RBV) of social entrepreneurship by introducing artificial intelligence (AI) as a dynamic, integrative capability that enhances the acquisition and optimization of four foundational forms of capital: human, social, political, and financial. While social ventures have long faced constraints in scaling impact due to resource limitations and institutional barriers, AI technologies—such as predictive analytics, machine learning, and natural language processing—offer new pathways for improving operational efficiency, stakeholder engagement, advocacy strategies, and financial sustainability. Through the development of a conceptual model and a series of theoretical propositions, this study positions AI as a transformative force that not only strengthens individual resource domains but also enables synergistic feedback loops across them. In doing so, the paper contributes to emerging debates on technology adoption in hybrid organizations, scalability in resource-constrained contexts, and the evolution of strategic management theory in the digital age. Practical implications are outlined for social entrepreneurs, policymakers, and funders seeking to responsibly integrate AI into social impact ecosystems, and future research directions are proposed to empirically test the framework across sectors and global settings. Full article

In today’s environment of increased uncertainty, firms face new challenges in aligning sustainability orientation (SO) with financial performance (FP). In this non-ergodic world, past trends offer limited insight into the future due to economic instability, geopolitical conflicts, trade wars, environmental and social disasters, sustainability policy and commitment reversals, etc. To investigate this, we conducted a systematic literature review and topic modelling with a latent Dirichlet allocation of 117 English peer-reviewed articles in management, business, economics, and finance related to SO and FP *. These articles, obtained from Scopus and Web of Science, were open-access and had reached the final publication stage. By integrating resource-based, institutional, and stakeholder theories, we aim to identify the current understanding of the SO concept and the mechanisms linking it to FP. Our findings show that sustainability-oriented firms are better equipped to achieve financial success in a non-ergodic world. However, outcomes vary widely based on context and duration, with existing literature revealing positive and negative relationships or no impact. Topic modelling identified 17 themes, such as stakeholder engagement, business performance, sustainability-oriented innovation and corporate sustainability. We propose five theoretical propositions and forward-looking research directions based on these findings. As a result, our study contributes to the existing academic literature by providing an integrated resource-based, institutional, and stakeholder theory view of the relationship between SO and FP for organisational resilience and outlining future research directions for managing this relationship in a non-ergodic world. Full article

This theoretical position paper explores the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance student engagement through the lens of academic leadership. To illustrate our argument, we include exploratory, mixed-methods evidence drawn from a descriptive survey of 95 undergraduate students and five semi-structured interviews with key academic leaders. These data are indicative only and not intended for statistical generalisation; however, they ground and inform the theoretical propositions of this paper. Focusing on how AI-driven tools can be used, the study examines the central role of academic leaders in guiding these innovations. By addressing key leadership decisions—including resource allocation, policy development, and faculty support—the study explores how AI can foster a more responsive and engaging learning environment and provides insights into how academic leadership can guide the integration of AI technologies to increase student motivation, participation and academic success in different educational settings. Full article

Effectively managing immigrant workforces presents a significant contemporary challenge for organizations operating in a globalized world. Current management practices often fall short, failing to adequately address the complex interplay of social issues, cultural and linguistic distances, and the valuable human capital immigrants possess. This paper proposes a theoretically developed conceptual model for immigrant management, synthesized from a comprehensive review of systems theory, migration studies, and organizational governance literature. The model advances systems theory by operationalizing its core tenets—interdependence, feedback loops, and holistic perspective—into a practical governance framework for the specific domain of immigrant workforce integration, demonstrating the theory’s applicability to complex socio-organizational challenges. It outlines six interdependent subsystems—from needs assessment to end-of-work transitions. While conceptual, this paper lays a robust foundation for future empirical research by providing testable propositions regarding the efficacy of its subsystems and their impact on integration outcomes. It calls for empirical validation of the proposed relationships and the model’s overall effectiveness in diverse organizational contexts. By adopting this structured yet adaptable framework, organizations can move towards more agile governance practices in human resource management, allowing for iterative adjustments and fostering more resilient and sustainable immigrant integration. This approach directly contributes to addressing immigrant integration issues by offering a holistic, actionable framework that moves beyond piecemeal solutions, thereby enhancing organizational capability and promoting positive societal impact. Full article

By reconstructing the concept of the “Mandate of Heaven”, the Zisi School grounded the universality of Confucian ethics in the ontological stipulations of Heaven’s Way, bridging the intellectual gap between Confucius’s practical ethics and Mencius’s theory of mind-nature. Central to their framework is the proposition that “Heaven’s mold imparts form to mankind; and imparts inherent pattern to objects”, which constructs a generative chain from the Mandate of Heaven to the nature of objects and human nature. The School posited that the Heavenly Way endows all objects with inherent patterns, while human nature, derived from the Mandate of Heaven, harbors latent moral potential activated through edification. By dialectically reconciling the “differentiation between Heaven and humans” with the “unity of Heaven and humanity”, the Zisi School emphasized both the transcendent authority of the Mandate of Heaven and human moral agency, forming an “immanent yet transcendent” ethical paradigm. However, theoretical limitations persist, including ambiguities in the certainty of innate goodness due to the separation of Heaven and human nature, mind-body dualism that risks formalizing moral practice, and latent fatalism in their concept of mandate. Despite these unresolved tensions, the Zisi School’s metaphysics laid the groundwork for Mencius’s theory of innate goodness, Xunzi’s legalist emphasis on ritual, and Song-Ming Neo-Confucian discourses on “Heaven’s inherent pattern”. As a pivotal transitional phase in Pre-Qin Confucianism, the Zisi School highlights the interplay between metaphysical grounding and pragmatic adaptability, underscoring the enduring dynamism of Confucian ethics. Full article

The notion of charisma has been an important, albeit mysterious, aspect of leadership research for decades. Traditionally, its definition has centered on an individual who, by virtue of possessing certain traits, skills, or behaviors, is considered a natural leader. More recently, however, there has been increasing recognition that charisma is an experience that is actually felt by followers, and therefore perhaps the charisma experience could be better understood by taking a follower’s perspective. This theoretical article addresses this question. It takes the perspective of a follower who reports a charismatic experience and asks the following: What are the benefits and risks to the follower who, by assigning “charisma” to the influence of another, effectively surrenders a measure of individual autonomy by becoming a follower of a leader? This article uses ideas from mathematical category to explore and demystify the notion of charisma in leadership theory and practice. By doing so, it argues that the choice to follow what is considered to be a charismatic other is essentially a decision-making heuristic that carries benefits and risks. A benefit is decreased cognitive load. A risk is the possibility that the leader’s influence will push against a follower’s own interests. Thus, this paper argues that the charisma heuristic should be considered as cognitive bias about which both followers and leaders should be wary. Eight propositions are discussed to inform future research. Full article

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) in the traditional-apparel-manufacturing sector is accelerating innovation and transformation, as cutting-edge AI applications have been increasingly integrated into the industry in recent years. While China has made outstanding achievements in applying AI in the apparel-manufacturing sector, the adoption of AI by traditional apparel manufacturers has progressed slowly. This study aims to develop a sustainable triple-layer framework of an AI-enabled innovation ecosystem from grounded required AI capabilities and barriers to AI adoption, thereby generating the conceptual propositions for micro, small, and medium-sized Chinese apparel manufacturing. Through semi-structured interviews conducted with 20 organizations, this study qualitatively analyzes interviews with representatives from enterprises, universities, and apparel associations to determine the required AI capabilities and barriers to adopting AI. It proposes 13 propositions within a theoretical framework that addresses barriers and aligns multi-actor collaborations, ultimately forming a sustainable AI-enabled Triple-Layer Innovation Ecosystem Framework. This novel framework reflects the dynamic interplay between external knowledge absorption capacity and a firm’s internal innovation capacity, providing a theoretical foundation for understanding and advancing AI-driven innovation in the apparel-manufacturing sector. Full article