Purpose The growing number of entrepreneurs exiting businesses is at risk for destroying small knowledge-based enterprises (KBEs). This study aims to investigate the cognitive mechanisms and dual-level boundary conditions associated with the willingness to sell amongst KBE owners. Design/methodology/approach The theory of planned behavior (TPB), knowledge-based view (KBV) and institutional theory were integrated to develop a dual-level mediated moderation model. Empirically, 315 KB-SME owners/managers from three large science and technology parks in Iran provided data. SmartPLS 4.0’s variance-based partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) methodology was used to analyze the theoretically proposed model. Findings The results show that both transfer education and marketing awareness significantly impact an individual’s level of transfer readiness. These effects occur solely via the full mediation effect of perceived desirability. Importantly, neither the micro-level moderation (knowledge intensity) nor macro-level moderation (institutional support) paths were supported. In theory these unexpected results can be explained by the presence of “range restriction,” or “boundedness,” in highly concentrated innovation ecosystems and “institutional voids,” where the institutional environment is characterized by “bureaucratic obstacle-riddenness” in emerging markets. Practical implications Policymakers should move away from structurally based succession frameworks and design attitudinal/cognitive-based succession strategies. Bureaucratic friction has a greater effect on transfer readiness than simply enhancing formal institutional support. Originality/value This research expands existing entrepreneurial exit research by using a micro-macro boundary condition framework. Additionally, this paper creates an original theoretical positioning of previously insignificant institutional moderating effects, transforming empirically observed null findings into important theoretically driven findings about institutional voids within developing economies.
Purpose This study aims to argue that organizations systematically misclassify algorithmic delegation as a variant of conventional human delegation. This misclassification carries direct consequences for organizational risk, legal exposure and decision quality. The paper aims to propose a framework for legitimate delegated authority under artificial intelligence (AI) conditions. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on organizational theory, AI governance scholarship and documented organizational cases, the paper identifies six characteristics that distinguish algorithmic authority from human delegation and proposes five criteria managers must address before deploying consequential algorithmic systems. Findings Organizations that treat algorithmic deployment as an efficiency upgrade, when it is really an authority transfer, create accountability vacuums that expose them to reputational, legal and operational risk. Governance frameworks built around transparency, auditability, scope limits, human override and value alignment can close that gap. Practical implications Managers deploying algorithmic systems in hiring, performance management, resource allocation or customer decisions face five governance questions they must answer before deployment, not after failure. The paper provides these as a structured checklist with supporting rationale. Originality/value The paper reframes delegation theory under AI conditions, arguing that the problem sits deeper than governance design, in a fundamental misclassification: algorithmic systems are not delegates in any meaningful organizational sense, and treating them as such removes accountability without removing authority.
Purpose In the field of twin transformation combining sustainability and digitalisation, the purpose of this paper is to examine the impact potential of environmental, social and governance (ESG) management software for sustainable business transformation in the context of the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive. As the regulatory context necessitates companies to adopt technology to meet the rigorous data requirements, ESG management software is highlighted as a crucial enabler, offering transformative capabilities beyond compliance. Design/methodology/approach Through a systematic literature review, this study bridges a fragmented research landscape focusing on individual technologies yet jointly embodied in ESG management software and generates an overarching perspective. Findings The authors consolidated the identified disparate technologies into five ESG management software functionality clusters and derived ten sustainable business transformation impact dimensions. Highlighting a nascent development of transformation measurement metrics, they finally call for further exploration into the applicability of European Sustainability Reporting Standards key performance indicators for transformation measurement. Research limitations/implications The reviewed articles are mostly of conceptual nature which provide limited insight into industry practice. Thus, the authors underscore the need for empirical research and call for future reports from practice. They encourage scholars to further explore ESG management software functionalities, impact dimensions and transformation measurement frameworks. Practical implications For practitioners, insights into the impact potential of such technologies for sustainable business transformation are offered. It includes a framework to operate such systems overcoming limitations and implementing best practices. Originality/value In the twin transformation research field, the authors provide novel insights in understanding how ESG software technology can drive sustainable business transformation framed by the regulatory requirements of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive.
Purpose The purpose of this research is to propose an efficient path planning algorithm for single and multiple drones in static and dynamic collaborative environments. With the increasing applications of drones in different fields, it is necessary to provide safe and efficient navigation for drones in unknown environments. In the present research, a matrix-based genetic algorithm (MGA) is proposed to provide safe and efficient path planning with reduced travel time. The proposed method is simulated and tested through MATLAB and real-time experiments to validate the reliability of the proposed method. Design/methodology/approach The research method involves the development and implementation of MGA for drone motion planning. The proposed approach applies the principles of genetic algorithms (GA) to determine optimal paths, where operations such as crossover and mutation are performed using matrix operations to improve convergence speed and reduce travel time. The algorithm represents possible routes as matrices between the start and goal points. Parent paths are selected using the tournament selection method, followed by two-point crossover and mutation to generate new paths, while elitism preserves the best solutions. The approach is validated through both simulation and real-time experiments. Findings Comparison of simulation and real-time experiments demonstrates that the proposed MGA technique is efficient, robust and accurate for both static and dynamic environments, with less than 5.8% deviation between results. The method successfully generates collision-free and optimal paths while avoiding static and dynamic obstacles. Furthermore, MGA outperforms Intelligent Ant Colony Optimization (IACO) and conventional Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) in achieving optimized path length. Originality/value This research contributes to drone path planning through the development and implementation of a novel MGA. The proposed approach demonstrates efficient and reliable performance in both simulation and real-world experiments, providing a strong foundation for future advancements in autonomous drone navigation and path planning in complex environments.
Purpose This paper aims to present a well-structured hierarchical framework, formulated through the interconnectivity among key internal factors of collaborative robots’ (cobots) adoption, facilitating the prioritisation of cobots’ adoption within manufacturing settings. Design/methodology/approach The study uses an interpretive structural modelling (ISM) approach to develop a well-structured hierarchical model and applies Cross-Impact Matrix Multiplication Applied to Classification (MICMAC) to cluster these factors into groups (linkage, dependent, independent and autonomous) as per their influencing powers, i.e. driving and dependence powers. Findings Overall, 11 factors have been rigorously identified and further partitioned into six levels based on their contextual relationships and hierarchical structure. As found, five factors clustered into the linkage section; four factors clustered into the independent section; two factors clustered into the dependent section; and zero within the autonomous section. Research limitations/implications The study enables managers, policymakers and strategists to prioritise undertakings, allocate resources and formulate focused plans to support the successful adoption of collaborative robotics in manufacturing settings. By harmonising long-term goals with operational practices, organisations can ensure a consistent integration path, productivity and advancements. Practical implications The current investigation contributes towards manufacturing domain through an innovative conceptual framework clustered into different levels of contribution. This valuable contribution can also be added to research on sustainable integration and enhance innovation in manufacturing fields. Originality/value The systematic model provides a planning framework for capturing the understanding of each interconnected key driver and its relevance to cobots’ adoption within the firm’s strategic decision-making and technological innovation in manufacturing.
Purpose This paper aims to assess the maturity of environmental, social and governance (ESG) integration within the institutional logic of 29 systemically significant euro area banks and examine how it is translated into governance and management systems. It investigates whether this alignment reflects a far-sighted transformation or just symbolic conformity driven by institutional pressures. Design/methodology/approach Grounded in institutional theory, the authors use a qualitative document analysis of 2024 annual reports and evaluate the scope of ESG integration across five categories: materiality assessment, strategic integration, ESG risk management, ESG outcome and reporting and stakeholder engagement. Findings Our results reveal a fragmented ESG maturity. While coercive pressures have advanced ESG risk management and ESG outcome and reporting, stakeholder engagement remains the least mature dimension. This study identifies a non-linear size effect, with a “complexity trap” among the largest banks and a maturity “sweet spot” among mid-sized banks. Research limitations/implications Theoretically, the paper extends institutional theory by demonstrating that bureaucratic complexity, rather than resource abundance, determines the substantive depth of ESG integration. Limitations include the focus on large banks and the reliance on self-reported data. Practical implications The proposed diagnostic tool enables managers and regulators to benchmark ESG integration beyond checklist compliance, address greenwashing risks and support alignment with the United Nations sustainable development goals. Originality/value The paper introduces a granular ESG maturity framework that conceptualises how isomorphic pressures translate into divergent organisational outcomes and explains the persistence of decoupling in the banking sector.
Purpose This study aims to investigate the effect of generational differences on employee innovative behaviour (IB), along with the mediating role of task conflict (TC) and relationship conflict (RC) and the moderating role of inclusion and organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB). Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 518 full-time working professionals from the Indian Information Technology (IT) sector and analysed using structural equation modelling and the PROCESS macro. Findings Contrary to the proposed hypotheses, the authors found generational diversity (GD) positively impacting IB, wherein only TC had a significant mediating effect. Similarly, the moderated-mediation results showed the significant impact of TC only. Research limitations/implications This study contributes in three ways. First, it links GD to IB, a relatively underexplored outcome. Second, it explains mixed diversity effects by examining TC and RC as mediators, with inclusion and OCB as boundary conditions. Third, it provides context-specific insights from the Indian IT sector, extending diversity research beyond Western settings. Practical implications Managers must create a dynamic atmosphere of continuous learning and improved decision-making to tackle technical challenges and foster innovation by leveraging age diversity. Originality/value This study examines IB as a key outcome and identifies TC as a central mechanism, with inclusion and OCB as boundary conditions. These findings are based on perceptual measures of GD within the Indian IT sector and should be interpreted in light of the single-source, cross-sectional nature of the data.
Purpose To understand sustainable entrepreneurial integration in conflict affected displacement context, this study aims to examine how Afghan refugee women create economic agency through entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach Using the gioia methodology for systematic inductive theory, in-depth interviews were conducted with 14 Afghan women entrepreneurs. The analysis included document analysis, observational fieldwork and secondary informant interviews. Findings The study resulted in the following aggregate dimensions: a) Necessity-driven economic agency construction b) cultural brokering as market strategy c) enclave-embedded network mobilisation d) trust building through embodied labour and e) gendered legitimacy navigation. A five-stage integrated process model was developed from these dimensions focusing on development from crisis-driven commencement to market adaptation, legitimacy consolidation and identity rehabilitation. Research limitations/implications The study theorises gendered refugee entrepreneurial agency as relational and processual. It applied mixed embeddedness theory to contexts in the global south informal economy. Policymakers, NGOs and host communities have specific recommendation for stage specific legislative frameworks and collective organisation development. The study shows how entrepreneurship can help displaced women achieve cultural preservation, dignity and cross community integration. This has implications for peacebuilding through business. Originality/value The study extends mixed embeddedness theory to informal global south economies by theorising the normality of informality as a structural condition. It conceptualises cultural brokering as a social innovation mechanism rather than a heritage commodification. It identifies embodied labour as a trust-substitution mechanism under institutional voids and it advances a processual, five stage model of refugee women’s entrepreneurial integration.
Purpose This study aims to investigate how digital platform capability (DPC) facilitates circular economy practices (CEP) among Malaysian manufacturing SMEs. It explores the mediating role of innovation orientation (IO) and the moderating effect of environmental regulatory pressure (ERP), integrating the resource-based view, dynamic capabilities view and institutional theory to understand internal and external enablers of circular transitions. Design/methodology/approach Using structural equation modeling, data gathered from dual respondents from 237 manufacturing SMEs in Malaysia were analyzed. Findings The results reveal that DPC significantly enhances both IO and CEP. IO also positively influences CEP and mediates the DPC-CEP relationship. ERP was found to positively moderate the IO-CEP relationship, amplifying the effectiveness of innovation in high-regulatory contexts. However, ERP did not moderate the DPC-CEP link, suggesting that digital capabilities operate independently of external regulatory intensity. Originality/value This study contributes to circular economy literature by identifying DPC as an organizational capability that enables firms to leverage digital platforms for CEP and IO as a behavioral mechanism critical to sustainable transitions. By incorporating ERP as a contextual moderator, it advances understanding of how institutional pressures shape the digital-innovation-sustainability nexus, offering strategic insights into SMEs and policy interventions targeting sustainable industrial development in emerging economies.
Purpose This viewpoint aims to advance research on business transfers in smaller companies by introducing organisational resilience, and particularly proactive resilience, as a promising conceptual perspective to better understand how these companies deal with the upheavals and uncertainties that accompany business transfers. Design/methodology/approach This paper argues that business transfers should be viewed in light of proactive organisational resilience. It develops a conceptual argument that reframes business transfers as dynamic and potentially disruptive processes and shows how a proactive resilience perspective can provide new insights into how organisations anticipate, navigate and adapt to them. Findings The paper highlights that business transfers represent critical organisational events. It shows that smaller firms with higher levels of proactive organisational resilience, developed through anticipation, preparation and adaptive capacity, are better positioned to manage transfer-related opportunities and challenges. Companies that lack this capacity could face increased instability and, in the worst case, even closure. Research limitations/implications Researchers should design longitudinal studies to develop and deepen the relationship between proactively developed organisational resilience and business transfers. Such studies would provide the necessary information about the effectiveness of developing this capability. Practical implications The paper invites reflection on the importance of developing organisational resilience as a key component of proactive business transfer planning, to better anticipate and proactively address potential disruptions and opportunities related to the entire process. Originality/value This viewpoint contributes to existing literature by linking research on business transfers with research on organisational resilience and demonstrating that prepared business transfers offer a concrete and relevant context for developing and implementing proactive resilience.
Purpose This study aims to investigate how digital transformation, digital innovation, collaboration and government support jointly enhance organizational change capacity (OCC) and organizational performance in Vietnamese enterprises. It clarifies how firms convert digital transformation into performance under conditions of resource constraints and institutional uncertainty. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on the resource-based view and dynamic capabilities view, this study develops an integrated model linking digital transformation, digital innovation, collaboration and government support to OCC and organizational performance. Data were collected from 285 managers and senior executives across multiple industries in Vietnam and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings The findings show that digital transformation improves organizational performance directly and indirectly through OCC. Although digital transformation positively affects digital innovation, digital innovation does not significantly mediate the relationship between digital transformation and organizational performance. By contrast, collaboration positively influences digital innovation and digital innovation significantly mediates the relationship between collaboration and organizational performance. Government support contributes to collaboration and organizational performance, highlighting the importance of institutional support in emerging economy contexts. Originality/value This study advances digital transformation research by showing that performance gains depend on both internal capability development and external support mechanisms. It clarifies the distinct roles of OCC and digital innovation: digital transformation is translated into performance mainly through OCC, whereas digital innovation is more strongly activated through collaboration-based knowledge exchange.
Purpose This study aims to investigate how two digital capabilities - big data analytics and the Internet of Things - relate to sustainable value creation in manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through exploitative and exploratory green innovation. Drawing on the dynamic capabilities view (DCV) and organizational ambidexterity, it examines how digital resource orchestration is associated with sustainability-oriented innovation outcomes.Design/methodology/approach Using survey data from 211 Vietnamese SMEs, Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was applied to test the research hypotheses.Findings Both digital capabilities are positively associated with exploitative and exploratory green innovation. However, exploratory green innovation is not significantly related to sustainable performance and does not mediate the effects of digital capabilities. In contrast, exploitative green innovation significantly improves sustainable performance and serves as the primary mediating mechanism linking digital capabilities to sustainability outcomes.Research limitations/implications The study extends DCV by clarifying green innovation as the capability-deployment mechanism translating digital capabilities into performance and refines ambidexterity theory by suggesting that exploration may generate delayed or non-financial benefits not captured by conventional sustainable performance measures in SMEs.Practical implications Managers should prioritize digital initiatives that reinforce exploitative green innovation, as it is the main mechanism for improving sustainability performance.Originality/value The study provides evidence that digital capabilities contribute to sustainable performance mainly through exploitative green innovation, revealing an asymmetric pattern in green ambidexterity that challenges assumptions of equal value across innovation modes.
Purpose This paper aims to understand if proactive contract theory can be used as a means of increasing responsible behavior and thus increase the respect for human rights in conflict areas, where the possibility of human rights abuse is higher than in other host countries that are not in conflict. The author’s main research question is whether the combination of heightened human rights due diligence (hHRDD) and proactive negotiation and enforcement of contracts can support the prevention or mitigation of human rights infringements, support and justify the continuance of businesses activities in conflict zones and for businesses to use their leverage to work towards the end of the conflict, therefore contributing to peace. Design/methodology/approach This paper is conceptual and uses legal scholarships to elaborate on legal questions as its main methodology. It is through doctrinal analysis that the ideas are presented. Findings This research finds that the combination of hHRDD and proactive contracts is a very useful tool for preventing human rights abuses in conflict areas. Through due diligence, one can understand in advance what the fragilities and possible incurrences of human rights abuses are, therefore acting in advance to prevent it from happening or working on a remedy for such fragility. Through proactive contracting corporations can work preventively and promotively with suppliers to find solutions for possible difficulties in contract performance and human rights infringement. This is theoretical work and would need to be tested. Research limitations/implications The present theoretical contributions are limited by a lack of field work. Becausee this work is mostly theoretical, it uses up to date research and does not present new information on empirical data. The author’s intended contribution is to understand how businesses can increase corporate responsible behavior in conflict zones, to reduce human rights risks in conflict zones by acting both as risk managers and peace builders, with the application of the proactive contracts in their supply chains. It is the author’s understanding that contracts drafted in a proactive manner by businesses with their leverage can contribute to prevent or mitigate human rights infringements, justify the continuation of business operations in conflict areas, as well as contribute to peace and conflict resolution. Practical implications This work has practical implications to introduce theoretically new means of increasing human rights protection in conflict areas, through proactive contracting and hHRDD. Social implications This work has social and economic implications as it is intended to broaden the performance of multinational corporations in conflict areas, understanding how corporations have a leverage to support the prevention or diminution of conflicts, increase respect for human rights through the maintenance of jobs and creation of wealth (or at least not diminishing the social condition through termination of their activities) in the conflict area through the continuation of their business operations. Originality/value This work is original, and all sources of doctrinal and legal information were withdrawn in the references.
PurposeThis study aims to investigate the risk management processes of SMEs and how the ecosystem is currently leveraged to support SMEs identifying gaps for future research and practice to address.Design/methodology/approachUsing a systematic literature review, the authors synthesize typical SME risk management responses focusing on the in-crisis mode responses, which are typical for SMEs' crisis management.FindingsThe authors identify that typical risk management approaches tend to focus on operational, employee and financial areas. Responses tend to be ad hoc with reduced emphasis on planning and post-crisis learning. Furthermore, important enabling factors appear to be those providing support aligning with these focus areas, e.g. governments, industry/sector support and communities.Research limitations/implicationsThis study contributes novel insight to SME risk management process and how the broader ecosystem can be used to improve risk management.Practical implicationsThis study identifies existing ecosystem stakeholders that are important for SMEs that can be leveraged by policymakers to improve SME risk management.Originality/valueStudies on SME risk management response are minimal at the time of writing and insight into their links with their ecosystem are similarly lacking.
Purpose Organizations increasingly operate in environments characterized by pervasive uncertainty, systemic crises and interdependent risks. Traditional compliance-based approaches to enterprise risk management (ERM) are often insufficient to support effective organizational responses under such conditions. The purpose of this paper is to reconceptualize ERM as a dynamic strategic capability that enables far-sighted responses and strengthens long-term organizational resilience in times of crisis and adversity, by explicating the underlying mechanisms linking ERM and resilience. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts a theory-driven conceptual approach. Drawing on ERM research, dynamic capabilities theory and the organizational resilience literature, the paper develops an integrative conceptual framework that explains how ERM operates dynamically within organizations as a strategic capability. Findings The paper identifies three interrelated dynamic mechanisms through which dynamic ERM contributes to organizational resilience: sensing changes in the risk environment, integrating risk considerations into strategic decision-making and reconfiguring risk management practices. In addition, leadership orientation, organizational culture and governance structures are conceptualized as key contextual factors that moderate these relationships. Originality/value This paper advances ERM research by moving beyond static and compliance-oriented perspectives and positioning ERM as a dynamic strategic capability, and by explicitly theorizing the sensing, integration and reconfiguration mechanisms through which ERM enhances organizational resilience. By explicitly linking ERM to organizational resilience, the study offers novel theoretical insights grounded in dynamic capabilities theory and provides actionable guidance for managers and boards seeking to design adaptive risk management systems that support resilience, sustainability and long-term value creation in turbulent environments.
PurposeRecent increases in mega-crises and extreme events underscore the need to better understand vulnerabilities and the dynamics of leadership trust. This study aims to introduce relational vulnerability as a novel concept to improve crisis leadership effectiveness.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a multiple-case design to examine two crisis leaders during the 9/11 attacks. Because of the event's uniqueness, only secondary data was used. Specifically, sources included autobiographies, media and research articles about their leadership.FindingsExploring trust and vulnerability in extreme contexts revealed that relational vulnerability is a third, distinct form that complements imposed and elective types. When leaders openly acknowledge and share their vulnerability with followers, they strengthen collective trust, unity and resilience, which, in turn, supports faster and more successful recovery.Research limitations/implicationsThis study contributes to existing literature by demonstrating that relational vulnerability, as a leadership mechanism, is crucial for effective crisis management, thereby opening new avenues for research.Practical implicationsThe study offers practical implications for crisis managers and leaders: develop training programs that help them embrace relational vulnerability and convert crises into learning opportunities.Originality/valueThis study fills a research gap by showing how relational vulnerability helps leaders connect with followers during extreme events. While previous studies treated vulnerability as an individual trait, this study reconceptualizes it as an interactive, relational process. Building on this, the work develops a theoretically grounded framework linking trust, vulnerability and leadership behavior during extreme events.
PurposeThis study aims to investigate how artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities and green entrepreneurial orientation (GEO) amplify the relationship between circular supply chain practices (CSCPs) and sustainability performance in resource-constrained emerging economies.Design/methodology/approachUsing survey data from 384 manufacturing firms in Ghana, the study uses structural equation modeling and Hayes PROCESS macro to test the direct effects of four CSCP dimensions (circular procurement, circular design, circular production and end-of-life product management) on sustainability performance, as well as the moderating roles of AI capabilities and GEO.FindingsAll four CSCP dimensions significantly enhance sustainability performance. However, AI capabilities and GEO exhibit dimension-specific moderating effects, strengthening only the circular procurement-sustainability performance and circular production-sustainability performance relationships but not affecting circular design or end-of-life product management relationships.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this study provides the first empirical evidence of dimension-specific boundary conditions in the CSCP-sustainability performance relationship, extends the natural resource-based view by identifying technological and entrepreneurial capabilities as strategic mechanisms and offers practical guidance for targeted AI and GEO investments in circular transformation initiatives within emerging economy contexts.
Purpose This study aims to examine the intersection between knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship (KIE) and sustainable value creation (SVC), analyzing how key KIE perspectives – empathy, moral obligation, self-efficacy, perceived social support and environmental engagement – relate to the economic, environmental and social pillars of SVC. Design/methodology/approach Using a quantitative research design, primary data were collected from 284 KIE ventures participating in Brazil’s Innovative Research in Small Businesses program. Machine learning (ML) techniques served as the primary analytical approach to assess predictive relevance across multiple validation strategies. To enhance interpretability and provide confirmatory benchmarks, partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was applied as a complementary method, reporting path coefficients and bootstrapped significance levels. Findings Results consistently indicate that empathy and moral obligation are central drivers of SVC, particularly for environmental and social outcomes. ML analyses reveal their strong predictive relevance, while PLS-SEM confirms positive and statistically significant associations aligned with theoretical expectations. In contrast, technical and experiential factors show weaker or context-dependent effects. Variations across validation strategies further suggest limited generalizability across entrepreneurial modes, highlighting the heterogeneity of KIE profiles. Research limitations/implications Although the use of self-reported, cross-sectional data constrains causal inference, the findings offer robust insights into individual-level drivers of SVC and encourage future research to further combine predictive and explanatory methods in sustainability studies. Practical implications The findings suggest that policymakers, incubators and educators can strengthen SVC by prioritizing empathy-oriented selection, training and support mechanisms alongside traditional technical capabilities. Originality/value This study advances SVC research by identifying affective and ethical dispositions, especially empathy, as critical yet underexplored micro-foundations of sustainable entrepreneurial outcomes. Methodologically, it contributes by integrating prediction-oriented ML with SEM-based confirmation, demonstrating how predictive and explanatory approaches can jointly inform sustainability-oriented entrepreneurship research.
Purpose-The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between frontline employees' (FLEs) robotics awareness and their creative service performance directly and indirectly via psychological distress. This research also investigates the moderating role of FLEs' perceived compatibility with robotics in the relationship between their robotics awareness and psychological distress (first-stage moderator). Design/methodology/approach-Using a time-lagged research design and data collected from two sources, the study surveyed 388 FLEs and 121 of their managers in an emerging Indian subcontinent country, which is part of the Bottom of the Pyramid market. Hayes' PROCESS macro (model 7) was used to analyze and test the moderated mediation model. Findings-The results show that FLEs' robotics awareness has a positive relationship with their psychological distress and creative service performance. Furthermore, psychological distress mediates the negative association between robotics awareness and creative service performance. FLEs' perceived compatibility with robotics negatively moderates the relationship between robotics awareness and psychological distress. The moderated mediation effect of perceived compatibility with robotics is also found to be significant. Practical implications-The findings offer practical insights for hospitality organizations and their managers by highlighting the significance of promoting compatibility between FLEs and robotics technologies to reduce their psychological distress. By addressing resource depletion, hospitality organizations can increase FLEs' creative service performance. Originality/value-The novelty of this research lies in developing and investigating a holistic moderated mediation model in the hospitality industry that incorporates FLEs' robotics awareness (rated by FLEs at T1) as an antecedent, their perceived compatibility with robotics as a boundary condition (rated by FLEs at T1), their psychological distress (rated by FLEs at T2) as an underlying mechanism and FLEs' creative performance (rated by FLEs' supervisors) as an outcome construct.
PurposeThe adoption of robots at the workplace reshapes work design. This study aims to investigate whether such integration lifts employee performance and clarifies the psychological chain (i.e. employees' perception of job (in)security, followed by their engagement at work), through which potential gains may emerge.Design/methodology/approachUsing the Indian information technology (IT) services as a case of a tech-driven industry in an emerging economy, a two-wave time-lagged survey was conducted to capture the views of 398 IT service professionals employed in Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Pune. The collected data were assessed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, while the hypothesized relationships were tested using a serial mediation analysis via PROCESS Macro Model 6 in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences.FindingsThis study shows that workplace robot adoption directly improves employee performance and that this effect grows when employees feel secure and (thus) engage more deeply with their work. However, perceived job insecurity erodes engagement and neutralizes performance gains. These results suggest that signaling continued employability is essential to achieve productivity improvements.Originality/valueThis study extends the theoretical generalizability of cognitive appraisal theory to technology-driven work design involving automation by demonstrating that employees view robots as a threat to their jobs and adjust their engagement at the workplace accordingly. Noteworthily, the model established herein integrates technology adoption and human resource perspectives to equip scholars with a theoretically grounded and empirically validated psychological reasoning that explains employees' perception and reaction to the adoption of robots at the workplace and, by extension, provides managers a clear message: reassure staff first, then expect enhanced performance.
