Purpose Drawing on innovation diffusion theory, this study examines how AI literacy (AIL) promotes innovative work behavior (IWB) in generative AI–enabled work environments and investigates the moderating roles of occupational expertise and metacognition. Design/methodology/approach This study examines the individual competencies that shape IWB in generative GAI–enabled work environments. Data were collected through an online survey using a stratified sampling method targeting employees with experience using GAI at work. A total of 600 valid responses were analyzed using hierarchical and moderated regression analyses. Findings The results of the analysis demonstrate that AIL has a positive effect on IWB. Moreover, this effect was moderated by both occupational expertise and metacognition. Specifically, the positive impact of AIL on IWB was stronger among individuals with higher occupational expertise. Similarly, the effect of AIL on IWB was amplified among those with higher metacognition levels. These findings have theoretical and practical implications for research and practice in organizational behavior, human resource management and human resource development. Originality/value This study makes a significant contribution to the relevant research field by identifying individual competencies that enhance employees' IWB in GAI-enabled work environments. Specifically, by highlighting the roles of AIL, occupational expertise and metacognition, this study provides a theoretical foundation for understanding how individual competencies influence IWB. Beyond its theoretical contributions, this study also offers practical guidance for managers and policymakers by suggesting strategies for talent development, selection and placement to promote sustainable growth and maintain a competitive advantage.
Purpose This study empirically examined the relationships between technological optimism, perceived enjoyment, attitudes, intentions, and the actual use of drop shipping among Generation Z. Anchored in the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), the traditional behavioural reasoning model (TBRM) and the Hedonic motivation theory, this study proposed and tested a comprehensive conceptual model aimed at explaining technopreneurial behaviour within the South African Generation Z context. Design/methodology/approach Adopting a positivist paradigm, the research employed a quantitative design, utilising a structured questionnaire administered to 359 Generation Z students from the University of the Western Cape and the University of the Witwatersrand. The measurement and structural models were analysed through partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). Findings The results revealed that technological optimism significantly influenced attitudes and intentions, which, in turn, positively predicted the actual use of drop shipping as a technopreneurship business model. Perceived enjoyment of drop shipping positively and significantly moderated the nexus between intention and actual use of drop shipping. Overall, the findings validate the proposed model and underscore the importance of fostering technological optimism and positive attitudes to strengthen digital entrepreneurial engagement among young people. Practical implications From a practical perspective, the study provides insights to universities, students and policymakers on promoting drop shipping and technopreneurship as tools for economic inclusion and youth empowerment. Originality/value This study uniquely integrates the theory of planned behaviour and the traditional behavioural reasoning model to explain Generation Z's technopreneurial adoption of drop shipping in South Africa. By foregrounding the roles of technological optimism and perceived enjoyment, it advances existing theory and extends empirical evidence to an emerging market context. The findings provide fresh insights into youth digital entrepreneurship, offering a context-specific framework for universities, policymakers, and practitioners to foster inclusive technopreneurship.
Purpose Drawing on self-determination theory, this study aims to investigate how employees' perceived sense of calling is associated with job satisfaction, both directly and indirectly through job engagement, and how perceived organizational politics and perceived organizational support condition these relationships in different ways. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through an online cross-sectional survey of 391 employees in Indonesia and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings The results demonstrate that employees' perceived sense of calling is positively associated with job satisfaction, both directly and indirectly through job engagement. Perceived organizational politics negatively moderates the relationship between perceived sense of calling and job engagement. Perceived organizational support exhibits a seemingly paradoxical role: it strengthens the positive association between job engagement and job satisfaction but weakens the direct association between perceived sense of calling and job satisfaction. Originality/value This study extends organizational support theory by showing the seemingly paradoxical role of perceived organizational support: it strengthens the engagement–satisfaction relationship but may reduce the distinct relevance of calling for satisfaction within a supportive organizational climate. It also advances the calling and self-determination theory literature by presenting perceived sense of calling as a context-sensitive motivational orientation conditioned by perceived organizational politics and perceived organizational support. In addition, the study contributes to job engagement research by positioning engagement as a key mechanism linking calling to job satisfaction.
Purpose This study aims to investigate how job characteristics influence employee mental well-being through workplace loneliness. Drawing on job demands-resources (JD-R) theory and conservation of resources (COR) theory, the study examines workplace loneliness as a mediating relational strain mechanism linking job demands, job control and social support to employee mental well-being. It further explores whether resilience functions as a personal resource that buffers the negative impact of workplace loneliness on mental well-being.Design/methodology/approach This study adopts a quantitative research design to test a moderated mediation model linking job characteristics, workplace loneliness, resilience and employee well-being. Data were collected through an online survey from 606 full-time onsite employees in Bangkok. Established and validated measurement scales from prior studies were used to ensure reliability and construct validity. The hypothesized relationships were examined using structural equation modeling (SEM) with Mplus, allowing simultaneous assessment of the mediating role of workplace loneliness and the moderating effect of resilience while controlling for key demographic variables. This analytical approach provides a rigorous test of the proposed relationships within an integrated JD-R and COR theoretical framework.Findings The results provide robust support for the proposed theoretical model. Job control and social support significantly reduce workplace loneliness, whereas job demands significantly intensify it. Workplace loneliness, in turn, negatively affects employee well-being and operates as a central mechanism through which job characteristics shape well-being. Mediation analyses reveal that workplace loneliness fully transmits the effects of job control and job demands to well-being and partially mediates the relationship between social support and well-being. Moreover, resilience significantly moderates the loneliness-well-being relationship, buffering the detrimental impact of workplace loneliness. These findings underscore that employee well-being is jointly shaped by structural job conditions and employees' personal resource capacities.Research limitations/implications This study advances the literature by positioning workplace loneliness as a relational strain mechanism linking job characteristics to employee well-being within an integrated JD-R and COR framework. It highlights how structural job conditions and personal resource reservoirs jointly shape employee well-being. While the study focuses on onsite employees in Bangkok to capture workplace loneliness in physically co-located environments, future research could extend this framework by examining different work arrangements or cultural contexts. Longitudinal designs may also further illuminate how workplace loneliness and resilience evolve over time in shaping employee well-being.Practical implications Organizations should recognize workplace loneliness as an important well-being risk rather than a purely personal issue. The findings suggest that reducing excessive job demands while strengthening job resources such as job control, supervisor support and coworker support can help mitigate workplace loneliness and improve employee mental well-being. Managers should also monitor employees' sense of belonging and relational connection through well-being assessments and team climate reviews. In addition, resilience-development initiatives, including coaching, emotional regulation training and stress recovery programs, may help employees better cope with relational strain. However, resilience interventions should complement - not replace - improvements in work design.Social implications The findings highlight workplace loneliness as a broader social concern that extends beyond individual organizations. For policymakers, the results suggest the importance of promoting work environments that support both employee well-being and social connection. Policies encouraging healthy job design, manageable workloads and supportive workplace relationships can help reduce workplace loneliness and protect employees' psychological well-being. In addition, public initiatives that promote mental health awareness and resilience development in the workforce may further strengthen employees' capacity to cope with relational strain in contemporary work settings.Originality/value The study offers four theoretical contributions. First, it advances JD-R theory by identifying workplace loneliness as a relational strain pathway through which job characteristics affect employee mental well-being. Second, it clarifies the role of resilience as a COR-grounded personal resource that attenuates the negative relationship between workplace loneliness and mental well-being. Third, it demonstrates the value of integrating JD-R and COR theories to explain both work-related antecedents and individual resource conditions associated with workplace loneliness. Fourth, it extends workplace loneliness research beyond remote-work settings by providing evidence from onsite employees in Thailand, showing that relational strain remains relevant even in physically co-located and collectivist work environments.
Purpose This study examines how anger and regret, as distinct affects to service failure, influence brand hate and its behavioral consequences in the context of telecommunication. It also investigates the moderating role of apology and voice in shaping the relationship between brand hate and consumer resistance behaviors within an essential-service setting. Design/methodology/approach Grounded in the tri-component attitude model and justice theory, this study employs a quantitative, cross-sectional design. Survey data were collected from 705 consumers in the Maldivian telecommunications sector. Structural equation modeling (SEM) and moderation analysis were used to test the proposed model. Findings Both anger and regret significantly predict brand hate, which in turn drives two distinct behavioral outcomes: anti-brand activism and anti-brand community identification. Apology weakens the effect of brand hate on activism but does not influence community identification. Voice shows no significant moderating effect on either outcome. These findings confirm the affect-to-conation-to-action sequence and highlight the emotional and behavioral complexity of brand hate. Practical implications Telecom brands must deploy emotion-specific recovery strategies and escalate their response based on the severity of consumer emotion. Apology can mitigate individual retaliation, but systemic corrective action is needed to address group-level resistance. Procedural justice alone is insufficient unless paired with visible resolution and community engagement. Originality/value This study extends brand hate research by integrating emotional antecedents, motivational states and behavioral consequences in a single framework. It offers theoretical refinement to the tri-component model and justice theory while providing actionable recovery strategies for brands operating in high-dependence, low-switching contexts.
Purpose The article reviews, consolidates and advances the literature in the field of market sentiment (MS). Design/methodology/approach We performed an extensive literature review of 194 studies published in top journals, defining MS, analyzing the existing literature and providing a framework incorporating antecedents and consequences of MS. An in-depth analysis recognizes major themes on MS, focusing upon theories, measurements and impacts. Findings The field of MS is witnessing the evolution of various theories and perspectives. However, there is neglect in integrating MS perspectives with behavioral finance. There is also a lack of consensus among researchers about the proxy of measuring MS. We also observe a need to compare existing studies, which is absent due to the difference in the tools of analysis. MS influences the various securities and creates fluctuations in their prices. Originality/value The framework links antecedents, tools and data with outcomes. We derive future research directions along each of the themes to assist future research, practice and policy.
Purpose This study investigates the drivers of customer acceptance and objection towards "augmented reality" (AR) shopping applications. Current technology adoption models provide limited insight into consumers' simultaneous attraction to and resistance towards AR. To address this gap, this study adapts the AI device use acceptance (AIDUA) framework to the AR shopping context by replacing anthropomorphism with four antecedents, including perceived intelligence, aesthetic quality, perceived control and novelty value. Privacy risk and social innovativeness are incorporated as boundary conditions to capture when positive evaluations lead to acceptance and when they lead to objection.Design/methodology/approach Survey data from 539 consumers were analysed using a dual-stage methodology combining partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) and artificial neural networksFindings The dual-stage analysis, combining PLS-SEM and artificial neural network methods, demonstrates that both technological and experiential attributes significantly impact attitudes and intentions towards AR shopping apps. Results show that social influence, hedonic motivation, perceived intelligence, performance expectancy and effort expectancy are pivotal for AR acceptance, while privacy risk to personal privacy and social innovativeness play key moderating roles.Practical implications The findings provide guidance for developers and retailers on designing mobile AR shopping applications that emphasize experiential quality while addressing consumer privacy concerns. Marketers can leverage social influence and novelty features to increase adoption and minimize objections.Originality/value This study provides several contributions to AR adoption research. First, by modelling acceptance and objection as coexisting pathways, it moves beyond single-continuum frameworks such as TAM and UTAUT and offers a more comprehensive account of the interest-use gap in AR shopping. Second, it adapts AIDUA's primary appraisal layer to a non-humanoid setting by replacing anthropomorphism with four AR-specific antecedents, extending the model's applicability beyond service robots and humanoid agents. Third, it incorporates privacy risk and social innovativeness as boundary conditions, clarifying when and for whom acceptance and objection are strengthened.
Purpose This study systematically investigates the integration of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in the e-commerce sector to enhance customer interactions, optimize business operations and support decision-making processes across online platforms. Design/methodology/approach A comprehensive search of the Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar identified 52 empirical research articles published between 2022 and 2025 that met the predefined inclusion criteria. Findings The review categorizes the selected studies according to their research methodologies and data collection techniques. Major areas of GenAI application include: (1) enhancing customer purchase intention and experience; (2) implementing GenAI-driven optimization strategies; (3) supporting business decision-making; (4) improving information retrieval; (5) enabling GenAI-driven advertising; and (6) developing GenAI implementation strategies. Findings also highlight theoretical models and their predictive factors, which play a significant role in explaining the effectiveness of GenAI applications in e-commerce. In addition, challenges and future research directions related to GenAI integration are identified. Practical implications The study offers actionable insights for e-commerce practitioners by guiding the effective integration of GenAI into business strategies. By understanding the current trends, theoretical models and key predictive factors, organizations can enhance operational efficiency and decision-making. Originality/value This study offers a novel synthesis of GenAI applications in e-commerce, focusing on empirical research published between 2022 and 2025. By systematically categorizing prior studies, it offers a structured overview of GenAI's impact across various e-commerce functions. The inclusion of theoretical models and their predictive factors further enriches the understanding of GenAI's effectiveness in real-world e-commerce contexts. This study enriches the literature and delivers actionable guidance for practitioners to apply GenAI in boosting customer engagement and operational efficiency.
Purpose This study aims to understand the factors using the constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior and Entrepreneurial Event Model, determining the Entrepreneurial Intentions and subsequently their influence in forming entrepreneurship behavior among university students in India. Previously, these models were separately used; this study captures how and in what way these constructs offer a more dynamic explanation of the development of Entrepreneurial Intention and how it transforms into entrepreneurial behavior. Design/methodology/approach From the students of three public universities of India, 346 data were collected employing the Purposive sampling technique and through a mixed approach of collecting data both offline and online. For the data analysis, Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was applied. Findings The findings show that Subjective Norms, Perceived Behavioral Control, Perceived Feasibility, Perceived Desirability and Entrepreneurship Education positively influence Entrepreneurial Intentions and Personal Attitude, and University Support insignificantly impacts the Entrepreneurial Intentions. Furthermore, Entrepreneurial Intentions significantly mediates the association of Subjective Norms, Perceived Behavioral Control, Perceived Feasibility, Perceived Desirability and Entrepreneurship Education, with Entrepreneurial Behavior. Research limitations/implications The study is limited to the three public universities of India only and ignores the rest, but the results may differ across the different geographical areas due to socio-economic and cultural differences. Originality/value The study integrates the constructs of two widely used frameworks, the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Entrepreneurial Event Model. The study further adds to contextual value by adding contextual variables such as Entrepreneurship Education and University Support that previously remained unexplored in the Indian higher education context.
Purpose This study examines how distinct dimensions of perceived corporate social responsibility (CSR) authenticity influence customer loyalty and, in turn, different forms of online brand advocacy (OBA) in the context of SMEs, while also investigating the moderating role of customer empowerment.Design/methodology/approach With a quantitative research, data were collected from 421 consumers of small and medium restaurants in Vietnam and analyzed with SPSS 26 and AMOS 24.Findings The results indicate that perceived reliability and benevolence of CSR initiatives foster customer loyalty, which in turn enhances four aspects of OBA. In contrast, perceived commitment and congruence of SMEs' CSR initiatives did not significantly influence customer loyalty, while perceived community link showed a negative association with loyalty. Furthermore, customer empowerment is found to strengthen the influence of customer loyalty on brand positivity or on brand defense, but does not moderate the links between customer loyalty and brand knowledge or positive virtual visual cues.Practical implications Findings of this study offer important implications for SME managers on how to design and communicate authentic CSR practices that can build customer loyalty and motivate customers' online advocacy for their brands.Originality/value This study refines and contextualizes CSR authenticity within SME and emerging-market settings. It examines the influence of separate dimensions of perceived CSR authenticity on customer loyalty rather than treating it as a unidimensional construct. It also demonstrates that authenticity cues may operate asymmetrically under resource constraints, links customer loyalty to a multidimensional conceptualization of OBA and highlights the moderating role of customer empowerment in the loyalty-OBA relationship in an emerging-market SME context.
Purpose This study aims to develop and test a strategic model that enhances workforce engagement and organizational performance (OP) in SMEs facing contemporary uncertainties. It specifically investigates the combined influence of high-performance work systems (HPWS) and electronic human resource management (e-HRM), while also examining the mediating roles of employee performance (EP) and job satisfaction (JS), and the moderating effect of e-recruitment on the engagement-performance relationship.Design/methodology/approach The research hypotheses were examined using a quantitative methodology and employed purposive sampling technique for data collection, ultimately retaining 227 valid questionnaires for analysis. Empirical data were collected and analysed using structural equation modelling to test the proposed relationships within the integrated model of HPWS and e-HRM. The respondents comprised HR managers from service-sector SMEs.Findings The results confirm that HPWS and e-HRM competencies significantly drive workforce engagement. Furthermore, workforce engagement and e-recruitment positively impact OP. The study also establishes that EP and JS fully mediate the relationship between e-HRM usage and organizational outcomes, with motivational capacity identified as the most critical driver of engagement.Originality/value This research offers a unique integration of e-HRM and HPWS to explain workforce engagement. The findings extend social exchange theory and job demands-resources theory. It provides distinctive value by revealing the full mediation of EP and JS and examining the under-researched moderating role of e-recruitment in strengthening the link between an engaged workforce and superior OP.
Purpose The study examines how carbon dioxide reduction, Institutional Quality, and their interaction impact tourism development. Design/methodology/approach Using a sample of 147 countries for a 21-year period, 2000 to 2020. The study uses a two-way fixed-effects regression and various robustness checks to confirm its results. Findings Across all countries, both carbon dioxide reduction and institutional quality positively influence tourism development. Additionally, the interaction between carbon dioxide reduction and institutional quality positively affects tourism development. In developed countries, carbon dioxide reduction does not significantly affect tourism development, whereas institutional quality has a positive effect. Conversely, in developing countries, both carbon dioxide reduction and institutional quality positively influence tourism development. However, the interaction between carbon dioxide reduction and institutional quality does not have a significant effect on tourism development in either developed or developing countries. Originality/value This study contributes to the empirical analysis of the impact of carbon dioxide reduction, institutional quality, and their interaction on countries' tourism development. This has received less attention in the global research literature.
Purpose This research examined the impacts of management flexibility on perceived workloads and emotional exhaustion of flight attendants from a national airline that underwent corporate restructuring. Moreover, the study examined whether flight attendants' functional flexibility moderated the effect of management flexibility on perceived workloads. Design/methodology/approach Online survey data were obtained from 429 flight attendants from a national airline in Thailand. The model estimation was performed by using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings The results confirmed that flight attendants working for management exhibiting a high level of flexibility had low perceived workload and experienced a lower level of emotional exhaustion. Moreover, the level of perceived workloads was the mediating factor that explained why flight attendants working for management exhibiting a high level of flexibility experienced low emotional exhaustion. The result from the moderating effect analysis confirmed that the effect of management flexibility on perceived workloads was significantly lower among flight attendants exhibiting a high level of functional flexibility than those exhibiting a low level of functional flexibility. Research limitations/implications The data were collected from flight attendants in a single airline in Thailand, which may limit the generalizability of the findings. In addition, the use of snowball sampling and self-reported, cross-sectional data may create potential concerns regarding sampling bias, common method bias, and causal inference. Practical implications As policy recommendations, the findings suggest that enhancing management flexibility can alleviate employee stress and improve well-being. Practically, investing in human capital by developing employees' functional flexibility equips them to better manage increased job demands, thereby reducing reliance on managerial interventions. Originality/value Our results help scholars gain deeper insight into the mechanism by which management flexibility could buffer flight attendants from emotional exhaustion during the restructuring. The evidence about the moderating effect of flight attendants' functional flexibility, which reduced the impact of management flexibility on perceived workload, also broadens the knowledge in prior research that lacked evidence regarding the boundary conditions that could make some groups of employees depend more or less on management flexibility to cope with job demands.
Purpose Prior studies often treat corporate social responsibility (CSR) as an aggregated construct when examining employer attractiveness and job pursuit intention, which limits understanding of how different CSR dimensions function as organisational signals to potential applicants. The current study analysed the influence of distinct dimensions of CSR, including economic responsibility (EcR), environmental responsibility (EnR), social responsibility (SR), corporate governance (CG), perceived employer reputation (PER), perceived employer attractiveness (PEA), and their effects on the job pursuit intention (JPI) of millennial jobseekers within public listed companies (PLCs) in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach A total of 390 Millennials from 10 Malaysian universities were surveyed using Google Forms. A six-point Likert scale was employed to assess constructs, and partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to examine relationships among variables. Findings The results revealed a positive influence of CSR factors (economic responsibility, environmental responsibility, social responsibility, and corporate governance) on Millennials' job pursuit intentions towards PLCs in Malaysia. The mediator PER significantly mediates the relationship between SR and JPI, while PEA mediates the relationship between all CSR factors and JPI. These findings indicate that CSR dimensions function as differentiated employer signals that influence jobseekers' behavioural intentions through reputation- and attractiveness-based evaluations. Practical implications Integrating CSR practices within PLCs in Malaysia can serve as a competitive advantage, particularly in strengthening employer reputation and attractiveness, which enhances Human Resource Management (HRM) efforts to attract prospective jobseekers. Moreover, the present study introduces an enhanced model that incorporates a multidimensional CSR perspective, integrating mediators such as PER and PEA. Originality/value The presented framework integrates four key CSR dimensions (economic responsibility, environmental responsibility, social responsibility, and corporate governance), perceived employer reputation, and perceived employer attractiveness, thereby extending signalling-based recruitment research by conceptualising CSR as a set of differentiated employer signals rather than a single aggregated construct. The study also provides an extensive overview of CSR, PER, PEA, and their effects on the JPI of millennials towards PLCs in Malaysia.
Purpose This study developed and tested an integrated moderated mediation model that investigates the impact of digital human resource management (HRM) system capabilities, governance mechanisms and sustainability-oriented HRM on strategic HRM effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative and explanatory research design was adopted using survey data from 493 valid responses from executive managers, HR managers, line managers and HR specialists in medium- to large-sized organisations. Structural equation modelling approach using Smart-PLS 4.0 and an artificial neural network approach were used to analyse linear and non-linear relationships. Findings Digital HRM capabilities, governance mechanisms and sustainability-oriented HRM have a significant impact on HR analytics usage and strategic HRM effectiveness. HR analytics usage was confirmed as a partial mediator. Meanwhile, an organisational culture that supports digital transformation promotes both direct and indirect relationships, ensuring solid support for the moderated mediation hypotheses. Practical implications The findings reveal the need for HR leaders and policymakers to invest in data analytics-based HRM systems, integrate governance and sustainability into HRM functions and reinforce their organisational culture to support strategic HRM effectiveness. Originality/value This study blends three main theories, namely resource-based view, corporate governance theory and socio-technical systems theory, to provide a theoretical discourse on how governance-based digital HRM transformation improves organisational innovation, accountability and sustainability.
Purpose This study investigates the psychological drivers of masstige fashion consumption by integrating masstige theory and trait activation theory (TAT). A moderated mediation model is proposed in which dark personality traits influence consumers’ purchase intentions for masstige brands. Specifically, masstige brand equity (MBE) is hypothesized to mediate this relationship, while perceived prevalence of masstige consumption (PPMC) moderates the indirect effect. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional quantitative survey was conducted using a convenience sample of 303 fashion brand consumers in India. The proposed moderated mediation model was tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling Findings The results indicate that MBE mediates the relationship between dark personality traits and purchase intentions. Furthermore, PPMC significantly moderates the indirect effect only in the case of psychopathy by conditioning its influence on purchase intention through MBE and not in the case of narcissism and Machiavellianism. Research limitations/implications The study highlights the role of psychological drivers and dark personality traits in shaping masstige fashion brand evaluations and purchase intentions. The findings suggest that marketers in emerging markets should adopt tailored positioning and communication strategies aligned with consumers’ status-related and self-expressive motivations to enhance favorable brand evaluations and purchase intentions. Originality/value Although dark personality traits have been examined in luxury and counterfeit consumption contexts, limited research has explored their role in masstige fashion consumption. By integrating masstige theory with TAT, this study offers a nuanced understanding of how dark traits influence purchase intentions through MBE in an emerging market setting.
Purpose Employees working in high-pressure Asia-Pacific organisational contexts face increasing psychosocial stressors; however, there is little empirical research on how toxic leadership environments affect employee well-being. Using COR theory, this research examines corporate psychopathy as a chronic psychosocial stressor affecting employees' well-being and conceptualises it as a contextual leadership-based resource-loss condition embedded in hierarchical organisational environments common across emerging Asia-Pacific economies. Design/methodology/approach Survey data were collected from 200 full-time employees in manufacturing organisations. Based on a time-lagged analysis, we tested a proposed moderated serial mediation model using PLS-SEM version 4.2. Findings Corporate psychopathy affects employee well-being. Organisational cynicism and innovative work behaviour sequentially mediate this relationship, demonstrating how psychopathic leaders suppress employees' discretionary innovation through their cynical responses to the leader's behaviour, and how employees' overall well-being is negatively affected by these responses. Furthermore, moral disengagement strengthens the negative indirect effects on employee well-being. Research limitations/implications This research builds on COR by demonstrating that leaders who create resource loss initiate a cascading effect that creates cynicism toward the organisation and reduces employees' willingness to engage in innovative behaviour, which is linked to employee well-being under high pressure. Originality/value This study provides contextually grounded evidence from Pakistan demonstrating how corporate psychopathy functions as a structural psychosocial risk factor in high-pressure Asia-Pacific organisational environments. By identifying sequential cognitive and behavioural mechanisms linking harmful leadership to employee well-being, the study extends research on destructive leadership beyond Western settings and offers a process-based explanation of leadership-driven resource loss in hierarchical organisational systems.
Purpose Drawing on leadership and motivation theories, this study examines the effects of coaching leadership (CL) on job satisfaction (JS), innovative work behavior (IWB) and employee performance (EP) in Vietnamese startups. It also explores the mediating roles of JS and IWB, and the moderating effect of work autonomy (WAU).Design/methodology/approach The study utilized 424 valid survey responses from employees working in startup enterprises located in Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City. Data analysis was conducted using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) via SmartPLS 4.0 to evaluate the interrelationships among the variables.Findings The results confirm the direct effects of CL on JS, IWB and EP, as well as the influence of JS on both IWB and EP, and the impact of IWB on JS and EP. IWB partially mediates the effects of CL and JS on EP, while JS also partially mediates the effects of CL on EP and IWB. A notable finding of the study is the moderating role of WAU in the relationships between CL and JS, as well as between CL and EP.Research limitations/implications One limitation of the study is that the data were collected at a single point in time and from a single source, which may involve potential risks of common method bias and non-response bias, although diagnostic tests indicated that these biases had limited impact. Furthermore, the study was conducted within startups operating for less than five years in Vietnam; therefore, generalizing the findings to other types of organizations or different contexts should be approached with caution. Finally, WAU was found not to moderate the relationship between CL and IWB, which contrasts with the initial theoretical expectation.Practical implications CL emerges as an effective approach to enhance satisfaction, performance and innovation in startups, both within Vietnam and globally. Managers are encouraged to adopt this leadership style and focus on fostering employee outcomes such as job satisfaction, innovation and performance. Granting employees higher levels of autonomy appears to amplify the benefits of CL, particularly for satisfaction and performance, although additional or alternative strategies may be required to stimulate innovation.Originality/value The study contributes empirical evidence on the integrated relationship among CL, JS, IWB and EP in the context of startups in Vietnam - an area that remains underexplored in existing research. Its core value lies in identifying employee autonomy as a critical condition, thereby enriching theoretical understanding of the complex interactions between CL, JS, IWB and EP within early-stage organizations.
Purpose This study examines how individuals' causality orientations formed early in life and coaching-based leadership (CBL) jointly predict emotional exhaustion (EE) among Generation Z employees in China. Drawing on Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and its sub-theory, Causality Orientations Theory (COT), the research explores how personal dispositions and leadership styles affect the satisfaction or frustration of basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence and relatedness) and how these need experiences shape motivational regulation and emotional well-being. Design/methodology/approach Using survey data from 200 Chinese Gen Z employees and structural equation modeling, the study reveals three key findings. Findings (1) Autonomous orientation predicts need satisfaction, while control orientation predicts need frustration; (2) CBL enhances need satisfaction and mitigates need frustration; and (3) need satisfaction fosters autonomous motivation and reduces EE, whereas need frustration fuels controlled motivation and heightens exhaustion. These findings underscore the distinct roles of need satisfaction and need frustration as separate pathways (hindrance versus resource-building) to EE. CBL emerged as a critical contextual factor that not only promotes motivation and psychological resilience but also buffers against the detrimental effects of controlling work environments. Practical implications Practically, the findings suggest that organizations should adopt autonomy-supportive leadership practices to reduce EE and promote sustainable autonomy orientation among younger workers. Originality/value The study advances SDT and COT by integrating dispositional and contextual factors into a unified framework. It highlights the psychological vulnerability of Gen Z employees in China, where controlled causality orientations may be more culturally reinforced.
Purpose The emergence of virtual influencers has reshaped the digital marketing landscape, offering a new medium of engaging with consumers. Drawing on the parasocial theory, this research examines the factors influencing virtual influencers' attributes and content characteristics on parasocial relationships. Furthermore, the moderating role of human likeness was introduced to test the relationship between virtual influencers' attributes and parasocial relationships. Additionally, this study investigates the influence of parasocial relationships on purchase intention and online impulse buying. Design/methodology/approach A survey gathered data from followers of virtual influencers. In total, 409 responses were collected in China and were analysed using PLS-SEM. Findings The findings reveal that among the various attributes of virtual influencers, competence, empathy, credibility, interactivity and uniqueness exert a significant positive influence on the development of parasocial relationships. In content characteristics, only design quality and perceived originality significantly impact parasocial relationships, which in turn affect purchase intention and online impulse buying. Moreover, findings show that human likeness moderates the effects of empathy and credibility on parasocial relationships. Originality/value This research is among the few that elucidate how the effect of virtual influencers' attributes and content characteristics jointly shape consumer-influencer relationships in driving purchase intention and online impulse buying.
