PurposeThis study aims to investigate how internal organizational capabilities, such as digital orientation (DO), green organizational culture (GOC) and green workforce (GW), contribute to competitive advantage in the hospitality sector, with a particular focus on the mediating role of green innovation (GI). Grounded in the natural resource-based view (NRBV), the research conceptualizes these constructs as distinct yet complementary pathways to sustainability, each aligned with a specific NRBV strategic capability - pollution prevention, product stewardship and sustainable development.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 475 senior professionals across hospitality SMEs in the UAE, and the proposed relationships were tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling.FindingsThe results reveal that GOC and GW both directly and indirectly (via GI) enhance competitive advantage, while DO functions primarily as an enabling capability that drives competitive performance only when channeled through GI.Originality/valueThis study empirically validates GI as a central mediating capability and extends the NRBV by demonstrating how differentiated internal enablers like technological, cultural and human interact to create sustainable value in a digitally transforming and regulation-intensive hospitality sector. By incorporating hospitality-specific characteristics such as guest co-creation, service variability and ESG-driven expectations, and anchoring these within the UAE's unique institutional frameworks, the study provides both theoretical refinement and actionable guidance for UAE hospitality managers and policymakers.

Purpose - Although the literature highlights the importance of business intelligence adoption (BIA) and its linkage to individual aspects of innovation, the explicit mechanisms by which BIA can effectively enhance ambidextrous innovation remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the relationship between BIA and ambidextrous innovation in healthcare organizations, while focusing on the roles of BI-enabled decision-making (DM) and effective health systems responsiveness (EHSR). Design/methodology/approach - A quantitative research method was used; structured questionnaire was distributed to healthcare professionals in UAE. Data was collected from 510 participants using a cross-sectional survey, and the relationships among constructs were analyzed using SEM to test both direct and indirect effects. Findings - The results indicate that BIA positively impacts ambidextrous innovation both directly and indirectly. BI-enabled DM and EHSR were found to significantly mediate the relationship between BIA and ambidextrous innovation, with a notable serial mediation effect. Practical implications - This research provides empirical insights into the mechanisms by which BIA enhances ambidextrous innovation through BI- enabled DM and EHSR. Practically, it offers healthcare leaders guidance on how to leverage BI systems not just for data analytics, but also as tools to improve decision-making and effective responsiveness, ultimately driving innovation. Originality/ value - To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is among the first to explore the serial mediation of BI-enabled DM and EHSR in the relationship between BIA and ambidextrous innovation. It contributes to the dynamic capability (DC) and organizational ambidexterity literature by showing how BIA serves as a dynamic capability that enhances ambidextrous innovation in healthcare organizations. Keywords Business

Despite the growing awareness of quiet quitting, empirical research on how leadership styles mitigate it remains limited. Specifically, there is a substantial lack of research on the mechanisms through which authentic leadership influences quiet quitting, particularly from the perspective of organizational citizenship behavior. This study investigates how authentic leadership (AL) influences quiet quitting (QQ) through the mediating role of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). The study employed a quantitative cross-sectional design. Survey data was collected from 211 employees across various sectors in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The results indicated a negative association of AL with QQ behavior, whereas a positive effect on OCB. Furthermore, the findings suggest that OCB plays a full mediating role in the relationship between AL and QQ. This study integrates the literature on organizational behavior, employee engagement, and leadership theory to propose a novel theoretical framework based on Herzberg's dual-factor theory and Social Exchange Theory (SET). The findings have significant implications for promoting favorable employee attitudes and mitigating the risks of QQ tendencies. It also provides helpful guidance for developing tools and metrics to evaluate AL, QQ, and OCB.

Purpose There is little information about how healthcare professionals' psychological aspects, such as mindfulness and emotion regulation, affect the adoption and effectiveness of artificial intelligence (AI) systems in healthcare. To address this gap, this study investigates whether responsible AI (RAI) can be associated to perceived improvements in efficiency (PIE) in the UAE healthcare system and whether this influence is mediated by mindfulness and adaptive emotion regulation (ER). Design/methodology/approach Drawing from anthropomorphism and commitment–consistency theory, a conceptual model of how RAI and psychological factors impact PIE was built and validated. Partial least squares-structural equation modeling was adopted for multiple linear regression analysis of survey data collected from 300 healthcare professionals in the UAE. Findings Direct, positive relationships are observed between RAI, mindfulness, and PIE. Additionally, adaptive emotion regulation mediates the relationships of RAI with PIE and mindfulness. Furthermore, compared to ER, mindfulness is a far more powerful mediator. Practical implications The findings suggest that managers should develop strategies that create a conducive environment for both technological and human resource development. Additionally, management should promote ongoing professional development that integrates AI tools with soft skills training to enhance healthcare professionals' emotional resilience and adaptability. Originality/value This article is one of the early studies offering empirical insights on the intersection of RAI, psychological aspects of healthcare professionals, and perceived improvement in efficiency. The research contributes to the emerging intersection of technological advancement with psychological wellness. Moreover, the dual-theory approach is novel and relevant in AI technology and organizational outcome research.

Purpose Despite growing interest in circular business models as drivers of sustainability, empirical research has largely overlooked the intermediate organizational mechanisms through which circular business model deployment (CBMD) leads to sustainability performance (SP). Moreover, existing studies rarely examine serial mediation pathways that explain how organizational capabilities and practices sequentially enable sustainability outcomes. Accordingly, this study aims to investigate how CBMD enhances SP, with possible mediating effects of responsible leadership competency (RLC) and green orientation capability (GOC).Design/methodology/approach Building on the natural resource-based view (NRBV) and dynamic capabilities theory, the authors build and validate a conceptual model that tests both direct and indirect effects. Regression analysis was conducted using SPSS to examine survey responses from 238 managerial-level healthcare professionals across public and private sector organizations in the UAE.Findings The results show that CBMD positively influences SP both directly and indirectly through significant mediating effects of RLC and GOC, with a clear serial mediation pathway, where RLC plays a comparatively stronger mediating role than GOC in enhancing sustainability outcomes.Practical implications These findings extend the circular business model (CBM) - sustainability literature by unpacking the mechanisms through which CBMD translates into SP. Practically, organizations should prioritize leadership development and green capability building alongside circular strategies to ensure that sustainability initiatives translate into tangible performance outcomes.Originality/value To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to offer an empirical insight on a set of relationships among CBMD, RLC, GOC and SP. The dual-theory approach is innovative and relevant in sustainability, leadership and organizational effectiveness research.

PurposeThere are significant concerns about climate change adaptation issues in the construction industry; therefore, inclusive stakeholder engagement (ISE) is needed to strengthen equitable climate policies that reflect the interests of both current and future generations. Furthermore, the role of climate capacities in climate adaptation is often underexplored. Despite their importance, empirical research on these themes in the United Arab Emirates' (UAE's) construction sector is scarce. The study aims to provide evidence on a set of relationships between ISE, climate capacities and intergenerational equity (IGE) in an understudied setting.Design/methodology/approachBased on the dynamic capability perspective (DCP) and participatory governance theory (PGT), we build and validate a conceptual model that tests how ISE and climate capacities impact IGE. IBM SPSS was used to perform tests with multiple linear regression on survey data collected from 420 UAE employees.FindingsThe study finds a direct and positive relationship between ISE, climate capacities and IGE. Moreover, climate capacities negatively moderate the relationship between ISE and IGE, whereas it partially mediates the ISE-IGE relationship.Practical implicationsThe research addresses the UAE's call for sustainable and resilient infrastructure by harmonizing with its national goals such as the UAE Vision 2021, the Dubai 2030 Urban Master Plan and the Clean Energy Strategy 2050. Managers should emphasize inclusive engagement strategies that consider the diverse needs of current and future generations while enhancing the capacities necessary for effective climate action.Originality/valueThis article is the first to offer an empirical insight into the links between ISE, climate capabilities and IGE. This dual-theory (i.e. DCP and PGT) approach is novel and relevant in climate adaptation research.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a crucial element of business strategy that influences how companies are perceived both internally and externally. Its impact on an organizational performance and long-term feasibility extends beyond financial results to include factors such as customer loyalty, employee morale, and brand equity. Research examines the relationship between CSR practices and significant business outcomes, particularly focus on the significance of CSR initiatives in generating organizational success. Research identifies various aspects of CSR, including environmental stewardship, community engagement, sustainability practices, as well as social responsibility, and aims to determine how these practices impact the material and immaterial aspects of organizational performance. To test the connections between CSR initiatives, corporate image, and organizational performance, the research uses 320 valid responses through a primary survey and multiple regression, correlation, and mediation analysis. The findings indicate that a strong positive correlation between corporate image, organizational performance, and CSR initiatives. Particularly, Corporate image is significantly impacted by CSR practices, and improves overall organizational performance. The results also indicate that companies with well-developed CSR initiatives are tend to achieve more customer loyalty, improved financial outcomes, higher employee commitment, and a stronger brand positioning. Moreover, the research demonstrates that corporate image mediates the relationship between CSR and organizational outcomes, suggesting that CSR not only enhances a company's reputation but also generates tangible business benefits. These findings highlight that a dedication to social responsibility can provide company with a competitive edge in the marketplace and emphasize the importance of integrating CSR into business strategy. In conclusion, CSR serves a significant driver of long-term organizational success, beneficial to the business and its stakeholders, and a crucial component of sustainable business practices.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to enhance the understanding of how proactive personality, individual global mindset and cultural intelligence influence resilience behaviors in employees, particularly within the context of globalization. Design/methodology/approach This study applies the job-demands-resources (JD-R) theoretical paradigm to examine the empirical relationships between proactive personality, individual global mindset and resilience behavior. Data were collected from 227 employees working in the United Arab Emirates and analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings The findings demonstrate significant relationships between proactive personality and individual global mindset, as well as between individual global mindset and resilience behaviors. In addition, this study identifies a mediating role of cultural intelligence between proactive personality and individual global mindset. Originality/value This research contributes to the existing literature by highlighting the critical importance of fostering cultural intelligence among proactive employees. It underscores the necessity of developing a global mindset to enhance resilience behaviors in a globalized business environment.

Purpose Corporate responsibility and sustainability (CRS) have emerged as an important topic today. At the same time, alliances and coopetition arrangements, as vehicles for inter-firm collaboration have been shown to support firm performance. Still, there has been a lack of research into how coopetition (collaboration with competing firms) in this area may support firm performance. Design/methodology/approach This study aims to untangle the relationship between coopetition arrangements including CRS and firm performance. The model permits garnering social performance, which is a key to CRS, and to move beyond the traditional view of the coopetition–firm–economic–performance relationship. This study is based on a survey and primary data from 215 firms in Australia. This study uses multiple indicators for the concepts. Relationships are estimated by multiple regression analyses. Findings Using survey data from 215 firms in Australia, the research findings confirm that coopetition in CRS can lead to improved firm performance, both in relation to financial and social performances. However, the association between coopetition in CRS and financial performance loses its significance when social performances is introduced as an additional control variable. Further, stakeholder attributes (i.e., effective power and legitimate stake) moderate the relationship between coopetition in CRS and firm financial performance. However, there was no evidence of moderation for the coopetition in CRS – firm social performance relationship. Research limitations/implications This study contributes to both coopetition and corporate social responsibility research. This study demonstrates that improved firm performance may be achieved through the promotion of CRS initiatives when a coopetitive approach is adopted, particularly where an understanding of stakeholder attributes is also evident. Firms do not need to shoulder corporate social responsibility alone. They need to find well-fitting partners. There are new ways to improve sustainability in terms of nature and human relationships. Practical implications Firms do not need to shoulder Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) alone. They need to find well-fitting partners. Originality/value This study provides very novel insights by having integrated the literature on coopetition, corporate social responsibility and sustainability resulting in a new conceptual framework that combines coopetition in CRS and performance. The new conceptual framework has both practical and research implications for coopetition in CRS and firm performance.

Purpose Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is viewed as a differentiating strategy that wins over stakeholders’ confidence. Due to the potential strategic and positive effects on businesses, the study of CSR and its relationship to competitiveness has gained relevance. While studies have examined the impact of CSR activities on firm competitiveness, the findings so far remain contradictory. Further research on the underlying processes/mechanisms that explain how CSR contributes to competitiveness remains scarce. Accordingly, this study aims to look into the link between CSR and competitiveness with a focus on Asian business and management studies. Design/methodology/approach By using a bibliometric approach, this paper aims to provide a review of the state-of-the-art research on the linkage between CSR and competitiveness in Asian context. The sample for this research included all 538 studies from the period of 2001–2023 in the Scopus database. A bibliometric study included both co-occurrence and co-citation analysis. Findings The study’s findings made significant contributions by identifying seven distinct clusters of co-occurrences. Using co-citation, three journals-based co-citation clusters and another three authors-based co-citation clusters are identified. The findings show how processes/mechanisms such as – accountability, multi-stakeholder dialogue/engagement, resource generation, emphasizing sustainable development goals and emerging markets, redefining strategy, cultivating value/vision and CSR leadership – are increasing in importance. Practical implications Overall, the authors argue that CSR-led competitiveness is indeed one of the key drivers for improved sustainability performance of a firm. Originality/value Based on findings, a conceptual framework has been proposed highlighting different processes and mechanisms that influence the CSR-led competitiveness – outcomes relationship.

This study investigates whether a firm’s research and development (R&D) intensity influences its choice of an inventory leanness strategy and how R&D intensity and inventory leanness collectively impact its performance. This study documents two findings in a dataset comprising 43,634 observations within the U.S. manufacturing sector from 1992 to 2019. Firstly, higher R&D intensity is associated with an increased likelihood of implementing an inventory leanness strategy. Secondly, adopting such a strategy helps firms mitigate the adverse effects of R&D spending on financial performance and generate additional market value. The results imply that managers in firms with high R&D spending strategically adopt inventory leanness to navigate uncertainties associated with realizing returns from their innovation activities.

Purpose The aim of the study is to examine the role of crowdfunding in entrepreneurial development with the help of a systematic review of the literature and bibliometric analysis. Design/methodology/approach The present research employed bibliometric analysis to study collected data from the database. Using proper keywords, data was retrieved from Scopus. With the scaler and analytical method of bibliometric analysis, the research attempts to answer the following questions, including prominent journals, authors, keywords and cluster analysis based on keyword occurrence. The mapping/networking chart is created using the VOSviewer software. Findings The result of the study suggests that it is an attractive and emerging phenomenon for academicians. The most papers were published in 2021, Small Business Economics and California Management Review are the most prolific journals, while Vismara S is the most significant author with 4 publications and 488 citations. Short JC, School of Management, Royal Holland and USA collaborate most. Cluster analysis of the study will help the future researcher to broaden the existing literature utilising the distinct topics. Research limitations/implications This research aids entrepreneurs, academia, crowdfunding practitioners and policymakers in identifying application areas for crowdfunding. In conclusion, crowdfunding will enhance the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Originality/value This study elaborates the significance of crowdfunding in the development of entrepreneurship, using SLR and bibliometric analysis. The study findings identified crowdfunding's usage, applications and potential future research areas, as well as evaluated, reviewed and assessed their significance in entrepreneurial development. The theme-based cluster was determined based on the frequency of occurrence of the keywords.

This study delves into the impact of COVID-19 pandemic-induced stringency measures on firm performance within the global tourism and hospitality sector, exploring the factors that shield firms from such measures. The results of a sample drawn from 41 countries reveal a negative association between stringency measures and firm performance. Notably, firms in countries with a stringency score at the 75th percentile are found to exhibit a 263% lower return on assets compared to their counterparts in countries with a stringency score at the 25th percentile. Moreover, larger and established firms, as well as those with high (low) sustainable growth (financial constraints) demonstrate a lower susceptibility to the adverse effects of stringency measures. These results underscore the critical need to customize government support schemes, ensuring they align with the vulnerability levels of businesses during abnormal operating conditions. Such customization will promote fairness and equity among businesses, recognizing their distinct challenges.

Despite small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) ability to contribute to achieving sustainable economic growth, to reduce unemployment, the value creation ability of SMEs through CSR remains unexplored. We examine the impact of CSR on SME value in the manufacturing and service industries context, the industries ignored by existing research. We also explore the interactive relationship between CSR and access to finance and their impact on the CSR-Value relationship. Our key finding is that SMEs value is positively associated with CSR expenditure and access to finance. The results indicate that current year CSR expenditure creates value for SMEs through improving their access to finance and ultimately improving their sales in the next year but does not moderate the CSR-Value relationship. Our results are robust and reliable because we employed both 2SLS and generalised method of moments (GMM) approaches to address possible endogeneity. Moreover, we use actual CSR spending data from developing countries instead of CSR scores as a proxy for CSR expenditures usually used by prior studies concentrating only on large firms. Our results could be used by policymakers and regulators in other emerging countries to justify the introduction of schemes to improve CSR and access to finance for SMEs.

PurposeThis study aims to set out to develop and validate a new instrument to measure the multi-dimensional nature of co-opetition in corporate responsibility and sustainability (CRS). It is anticipated that this instrument will prove useful to firms wanting to adopt measures that support relevant sustainability strategies.Design/methodology/approachThe scale development concerns three separate components, namely, item generation through expert interviews; a pilot study conducted for scale purification; and a final study for scale confirmation and validation, respectively. The final study comprises 215 firms across 11 sectors in Australia that engage in co-opetitive alliances for CRS activities.FindingsThis study empirically validates the distinctiveness of three dimensions (commonality-driven, competition-driven and collaboration-driven) of co-opetition in relation to CRS resulting in a 15-item multi-dimensional scale. The three dimensions were found to be important aspects both in terms of scale validity and organisational consideration.Research limitations/implicationsThis study proposes a new research area regarding the proposed framework, as well as practical strategies for practitioners when considering co-opetition and their firm’s engagement in CRS activities.Originality/valuePrior studies in similar areas have mainly comprised conceptual or qualitative approaches and do not tend to focus on all three aspects of co-opetition, corporate social responsibility and sustainability.

Understanding the growth paths of artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on branding is extremely pertinent of technology-driven marketing. This explorative research covers a complete bibliometric analysis of the impact of AI on branding. The sample for this research included all 117 articles from the period of 1982-2019 in the Scopus database. A bibliometric study was conducted using co-occurrence, citation analysis and co-citation analysis. The empirical analysis investigates the value propositions of AI on branding. The study revealed the nine clusters of co-occurrence: Social Media Analytics and Brand Equity; Neural Networks and Brand Choice; Chat Bots-Brand Intimacy; Twitter, Facebook, Instagram-Luxury Brands; Interactive Agent-Brand Love and User Choice; Algorithm Recommendations and E-Brand Experience; User-Generated Content-Brand Sustainability; Brand Intelligence Analytics; and Digital Innovations and Brand Excellence. The findings also identify four clusters of citation analysis-Social Media Analysis and Brand Photos, Network Analysis and E-Commerce, Hybrid Simulating Modelling, and Real-time Knowledge-Based Systems-and four clusters of co-citation analysis: B2B Technology Brands, AI Fostered E-Brands, Information Cascades and Online Brand Ratings, and Voice Assistants-Brand Eureka Moments. Overall, the study presents the patterns of convergence and divergence of themes, narrowing to the specific topic, and multidisciplinary engagement in research, thus offering the recent insights in the field of AI on branding.

Despite the importance of corporate responsibility and sustainability (CRS), research is deficient on how co-opetition (collaboration with competing firms) can support firm performance. Our work adopts a stakeholder perspective to investigate the relationship between co-opetition in CRS and firm performance. Findings from 215 firms confirm that co-opetition in CRS can lead to improved financial and social firm performance. Further, stakeholder attributes (i.e., effective power and legitimate stake) moderate the relationship between co-opetition in CRS and firm financial performance. However, there was no evidence of moderation for the co-opetition in CRS – firm social performance relationship. We demonstrate that improved firm performance may be achieved through the promotion of CRS initiatives when a co-opetitive approach is adopted, particularly where an understanding of stakeholder attributes is also evident. Our new conceptual framework has both practical and research implications for co-opetition in CSR and firm performance.

PurposeOver the past few decades, many initiatives have been proposed in response to critical environmental challenges. However, in most cases, progress has been inadequate, raising questions as to why so few organisations have been successful in adopting effective sustainability measures. To address this dilemma, this paper aims to propose a range of sustainability-related co-opetitive strategies that are likely to be beneficial for organisations and society. The research findings provide support for co-opetitive approaches to corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability by providing evidence within an Australian context.Design/methodology/approachResearch methods comprised 14 interviews with senior executives/managers from private and public sector organisations in Australia. Thematic content analysis indicates the presence of three types of drivers (commonality-driven, competition-driven and collaboration-driven) and three critical success factors (governance, public policy and relationship principles) related to co-opetition, CSR and sustainability.FindingsFindings indicate that inter-firm co-opetition could be considered a viable strategy to improve performance across the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainability. Limitations concern the number of interviews conducted.Originality/valueBased on the research findings, a typology was created that depicts different forms of co-opetition in CSR/sustainability and their relationships with firm performance. Moreover, the typology illustrates the importance of co‐opetitive partnerships in supporting effective responses to sustainability challenges and opportunities.

Over recent decades, the researcher's interest in women empowerment (WE) has grown stronger and WE have become a prominent topic of discussion in business and management studies. Despite the large amount of work in this direction, the topic is itself somewhat unclear in terms of the shared understanding of the scholars regarding what makes their field. To fill this gap in literature, the current study applies scientometric (a combination of co-occurrence, co-citation, and overlay visualization) techniques to study the evolution of the field of WE between 1985 and 2018. Our empirical analysis reveals the presence of WE in development aspects in various fields. It also identifies 15 topic clusters, 4 author-based co-citation cluster, 4 journal-based co-citation cluster, 5 clusters covering hot topic, and another 5 clusters for the new topics in the study of WE. Overall, the analyses revealed patterns of convergence and divergence and the diversity of topics, specialization, and interdisciplinary engagement in WE research, thus offering the latest insights on the field of WE research.