Existing literature on the relationship between ownership and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been mainly focused on non-financial firms. While a few studies have explored how ownership influences banks’ CSR, most of them are based on Western or Islamic finance contexts. Our study contributes to the literature by examining the effects of different ownership types in CSR engagement among 110 large Chinese banks from 2009 to 2020, including state ownership and foreign ownership. Our findings reveal a significant positive correlation between CSR engagement and foreign ownership, whereas state ownership does not show a similar association with the CSR index. This suggests that different owners impact CSR involvement due to their distinct economic roles in society. Our research underscores the importance of considering the diverse effects of ownership structure on CSR engagement within the Chinese banking sector, highlighting the need to account for shareholder background in discussions of shareholder activism. Additionally, it emphasises the necessity of addressing the multidimensional nature of banks’ CSR, providing new insights into the dynamics of shareholder influence on corporate social responsibility.
Abstract Background Interventions that use nature contact to promote health and well-being exist at the societal/infrastructural level (incl. nature-based solutions) and the individual/group level (incl. nature-based therapies). One way nature-based therapies promote health is by fostering resilience to manage stressors. Nature-based biopsychosocial resilience theory (NBRT) provides a framework to explain how nature plays a role in how resilience-related adaptive resources are built and maintained but this has yet to be tested. Methods The current paper outlines a four-year multi-country (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the UK) research programme that tests the NBRT framework and explores how nature-based therapies can build and maintain individual and community resilience. As well as reviewing and mapping existing interventions globally, nine case studies across Europe are exploring how nature promotes resilience across: (1) whole populations (three case studies); (2) individuals at-risk of metabolic syndrome (three case studies); and (3) individuals with existing issues such as chronic stress, mobility challenges, or cognitive impairments (three case studies). Three case studies use longitudinal cohorts, five use randomised controlled trials, and one a practitioner shared-experience approach. The determinants and impacts of nature-based therapies are also considered beyond effects on individual participants, by assessing distributional issues (e.g., health equity), environmental impacts, financial implications, broader societal acceptability and engagement, as well as the barriers and enablers to successful implementation. In three specific case studies (Barcelona, Padua and Salzburg), this is done through multi-sectoral social innovation actions we refer to as ‘Resilience Hubs’. Results will be summarised in academic publications, a series of sector-specific guides, and an overall ‘What works’ guide for practitioners, policy makers, and the public. Discussion We use a novel theoretical framework to structure a research and innovation programme to inform the implementation of nature-based therapies across Europe and globally. Challenges include the integration of terminology and research practices from multiple disciplinary perspectives, participant recruitment and attrition, especially among marginalised groups, a potential lack of local stakeholder time and interest, potentially small effect sizes of time-limited interventions, and difficulties in identifying distinct causal mechanisms. Mitigation strategies are discussed. Trial registration Of nine case studies (CSs), five are intervention trials and have been registered: a) CS4 doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN74582097 (22.07.2024); b) CS5 doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN14169596 (10.06.2024); c) CS6 clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06622629 (30.09.2024); d) CS7 doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN93192592 (29.05.2024); e) CS8 clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06205940 (15.05.2024). All nine case studies have received ethical approval (see Declarations section).
The transition toward Industry 4.0 (I4.0) and Circular Supply Chain (CSC) practices presents significant challenges for manufacturing firms seeking to achieve sustainable industrial transformation, particularly in emerging economy contexts. Organizations attempting to integrate digital technologies with CSC models often face complex technological, organizational, and institutional barriers that hinder successful implementation. Addressing this challenge, this study proposes a novel, expert-weighted hybrid decision-making framework that integrates Spherical Fuzzy DEMATEL and Spherical Fuzzy SWARA to identify, analyse, and prioritize the key barriers influencing the integrated adoption of I4.0 and CSC practices. A key methodological contribution of the study lies in incorporating differential expert weighting based on professional experience, which enhances the realism and robustness of decision-making under uncertainty-an aspect largely overlooked in previous studies. The proposed framework is empirically applied to the Indian manufacturing sector, where expert evaluations are used to model the causal relationships and relative importance of the identified barriers. The results reveal that barriers such as lack of global standards and technology transfer, shortage of skilled workforce, and high capital investment with uncertain returns exert the strongest influence on the adoption process. The study contributes methodologically by improving the accuracy of barrier prioritization under uncertainty and theoretically by extending the Resource-Based View (RBV) to explain how resource constraints and capability limitations affect the simultaneous adoption of I4.0 and CSC. From a practical perspective, the proposed framework offers a structured and replicable decision-support tool for managers and policymakers seeking to support digital-circular transformation within the Indian manufacturing context, while also providing insights that may inform similar initiatives in other emerging economies.
This study investigates the impact of hydrogen soaking on the medium-cycle fatigue behavior of various metallic materials commonly used in gas transmission pipelines. The tested materials include ex-service gray cast iron, ex-service X52 carbon steel, brass, and welded X52 carbon steel. A comprehensive fatigue testing program was conducted on both as-received and hydrogen-soaked specimens. Rigorous statistical analysis of the results revealed minimal impact of hydrogen on fatigue life for the materials and hydrogen charging conditions studied. The experimental data for hydrogen-soaked specimens aligned closely with baseline scatter bands from as-received specimens. This work suggests that, for the specific hydrogen-charging procedure and fatigue testing conditions employed, additional considerations for hydrogen effects in fatigue design may not be necessary for the materials examined.
Purpose This study aims to examine how travel influencers’ congruence with endorsed travel brands and alignment with their followers affect travel purchase behavior, addressing a critical gap in tourism marketing literature. Design/methodology/approach A novel conceptual framework grounded in the source credibility model and the persuasion knowledge model is proposed. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 374 Sri Lankan travelers who actively engage with travel-related content on Instagram. The hypotheses were tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings Travel influencers who are perceived as trustworthy, attractive and congruent with both the endorsed travel brand and their audience enhance perceived authenticity. This perceived authenticity positively influences attitudes toward the travel brand, which in turn drives travel purchase behavior. Originality/value This study frames perceived influencer authenticity as a process-based mediator critical to the recognition of native advertising. Leveraging Sri Lanka’s emerging tourism context as a boundary condition, it demonstrates how authenticity mediates influencer–brand and influencer–follower congruence and provides actionable insights for designing credible, trust-enhancing and effective tourism promotion strategies.
