Young people classified as NEET (Not in Employment, Education, or Training) represent a heterogeneous population whose educational and occupational disengagement may be shaped by the interplay between personality traits, psychological resources, and contextual conditions. Although previous research has examined several risk factors associated with NEET status, evidence on the role of personality and its interaction with self-regulatory and psychosocial resources remains limited. This study examined the psychological and sociodemographic correlates of NEET status in a sample of 254 young adults, including 75 NEET and 179 non-NEET participants. HEXACO personality dimensions, perceived employability, self-directed learning, future-oriented beliefs, mental health, perceived social support, education, age, and sex were assessed. Principal component analysis identified three broader dimensions: Strategic Future-Oriented Mindset, Mental Health, and Social Support. A binomial regression model showed that NEET status was associated with a complex pattern of conditional effects rather than with isolated personality traits. Strategic Future-Oriented Mindset was negatively associated with NEET status particularly at low and average levels of Honesty–Humility. Social Support was associated with a lower probability of being NEET mainly among individuals high in Extraversion. Emotionality emerged as the most stable personality-related risk factor, whereas education was negatively associated with NEET status and moderated the role of specific personality dimensions. These findings suggest that NEET status should be understood through a person-context framework in which personality traits interact with psychological resources and sociodemographic conditions. Interventions aimed at supporting young people at risk of educational and occupational disengagement should therefore move beyond one-size-fits-all approaches and strengthen strategic future-oriented self-regulation, interpersonal learning, emotional regulation, and the effective activation of social support.

Patient engagement is increasingly recognized as a crucial aspect for healthcare quality, safety, and outcomes. While literature highlights its multidimensional nature, encompassing individual behaviors, relational dynamics, organizational practices, and social influences, there remains limited integration of these perspectives. This complexity makes it difficult to understand how to define and promote patient engagement, as its antecedents and mechanisms are not fully understood.The aim of the present study is to provide a comprehensive framework that clarifies the antecedents of patient engagement and guides its implementation across the healthcare system to benefit patients and providers alike. Drawing on the meta-narrative review approach, four databases (SCOPUS, Web of Science, PubMed, and PsycINFO) were used to collect and synthesize multiple systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the topic of patient engagement. Fifty-one items were included in the review. Data extracted were inductively categorized by levels, factors, and elements associated with patient engagement.Findings highlight the multilevel nature of patient engagement, characterized by individual, task, relational, organizational, and social levels. The emerged integrative model maps interconnected factors and highlights patient engagement's complexity and dynamic nature. The model offers a theoretical framework to diagnose and promote engagement, empowering patients, and enhancing the quality of the healthcare service.

Purpose Psychological detachment from work is a critical aspect of employee recovery. However, only recently has attention turned to psychological detachment within remote e-work settings. Compared to office-based workers, remote e-workers face a greater lack of physical separation between work and home, making it more challenging to establish clear boundaries and consequently, to psychologically detach from work. This systematic review synthesises existing evidence on factors that facilitate or hinder psychological detachment among remote e-workers, with the aim of informing organisational practices that support employee wellbeing in remote work contexts. Design/methodology/approach Following PRISMA guidelines, this systematic review includes 22 empirical studies employing both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Findings The review identifies work characteristics, behaviours and personal factors that influence psychological detachment in remote work settings, demonstrating that antecedents of detachment differ meaningfully from those observed in office-based work. Unique work characteristics (e.g. professional isolation) and individual resources (e.g. self-regulation) emerged as particularly salient. The review also differentiates between boundary management strategies, offering a more nuanced account of how boundary practices may support or hinder detachment. Finally, the review reveals a gap in the literature when it comes to understanding the processes underlying psychological detachment among remote e-workers, pointing to the need for more rigorous research designs. Practical implications Findings may be important for organisational practitioners, to learn evidence-based recommendations on how to facilitate this vital recovery experience. Originality/value This review provides one of the first comprehensive syntheses of factors influencing psychological detachment specifically in remote e-work settings.

Following the impetus to implement preventive road-safety programs, understanding how work-related dimensions intersect with road safety is noteworthy. That is, every day, people use roads to commute to work or travel for work (e.g., truck drivers, food delivery). Work-related travel results in distinctive and usually higher patterns of risk. This narrative review aims to offer a vision of the intersection between road transport safety and organisational psychology, a discipline devoted to the study of individuals’ psychology in the workplace. By bridging distinct aspects of research, the paper highlights the value of an interdisciplinary perspective and presents a framework comprising four major research levels (i.e., institutional, organisational, individual, and situational), thereby advancing new strategies for research and practice to promote road safety. Even though these levels are related, handling them separately enables a thorough analysis of the suggested interdisciplinary framework. The paper proposes ideas for future research that can combine the purposes of the two research fields while also advancing road transport safety.

IntroductionHybrid work is increasingly widespread; however, it remains unclear whether employees benefit from these arrangements or struggle to manage work–life boundaries and achieve recovery. Focusing on two early cognitive indicators of recovery, affective rumination (AffRum) and problem-solving pondering (PSP), this study examines whether general self-efficacy (GSE), as a foundational personal resource, shapes the relationship between remote work intensity (RWI; operationalized as the structural frequency of remote workdays) and these processes. In high-intensity hybrid settings, where reduced institutional scaffolding and blurred boundaries amplify demands for autonomous boundary management, such personal resources become crucial.MethodsData were collected from 747 hybrid employees from four medium-to-large Italian organizations.ResultsResults showed that RWI interacted with GSE in predicting AffRum, such that high RWI was associated with higher rumination among employees with low GSE. No such interaction was found for PSP; suggesting that work-related problem-solving warrants further investigation to determine whether it stems from its constructive problem-solving nature or from how the construct is operationalized and perceived. Overall, our correlational findings suggest that intensive remote work configurations may present specific risks for recovery when personal self-regulatory resources are limited.DiscussionRather than focusing solely on the structural number of remote days, hybrid work management could benefit from incorporating strategies that support employees’ boundary management and psychological disengagement capabilities.

Young people classified as NEET (Not in Employment, Education, or Training) often face challenges related to self-efficacy and social integration. While personality may play a role in these outcomes, empirical evidence remains limited. This study examines the personality profiles of NEET individuals and their associations with mental health, perceived social support, and self-efficacy.We assessed 257 participants, comparing NEET and non-NEET groups across key psychological dimensions. NEET individuals showed a more rigid personality structure, marked by disorganization, impulsivity, and reduced emotional regulation, stress resilience, and goal-directed behavior. These traits suggest possible subclinical impairments in executive functioning. However, no significant differences were found in general mental health or perceived social support.These findings highlight the relevance of personality rigidity in understanding NEET status and suggest that interventions targeting executive functioning and self-regulation may support re-engagement in education or employment.

PurposeFollowing the imperative for human-centric digital innovation brought by the paradigm of Industry 5.0, the article aims to integrate the dispersed and multi-disciplinary literature on individual risks for workers to define, explain and predict individual risks related to Industry 4.0 technologies.Design/methodology/approachThe paper follows the question, “What is the current knowledge and evidence base concerning risks related to Industry 4.0 technologies, and how can this inform digital innovation management in the manufacturing sector through the lens of the Industry 5.0 paradigm?” and uses the method of systematic literature review to identify and discuss potential risks for individuals associated with digital innovation. N = 51 contributions met the inclusion criteria.FindingsThe literature review indicates dominant trends and significant gaps in understanding risks from a human-centric perspective. The paper identifies individual risks, their interplay with different technologies and their antecedents at the social, organizational and individual levels. Despite this, the paper shows how the literature concentrates in studying risks on only a limited number of categories and/or concepts. Moreover, there is a lack of consensus in the theoretical and conceptual frameworks. The paper concludes by illustrating an initial understanding of digital innovation via a human-centered perspective on psychological risks.Practical implicationsFindings yield practical implications. In investing in the adoption, generation or recombination of new digital technologies in organizations, the paper recommends managers ensure to prevent risks at the individual level. Accordingly, the study’s findings can be used as a common starting point for extending the repertoire of managerial practices and interventions and realizing human-centric innovation.Originality/valueFollowing the paradigm of Industry 5.0, the paper offers a holistic view of risks that incorporates the central role of the worker as crucial to the success of digital innovation. This human-centric perspective serves to inform the managerial field about important factors in risk management that can result in more effective targeted interventions in risk mitigation approaches. Lastly, it can serve to reinterpret digital innovation management and propose future avenues of research on risk.

Abstract: Speech Emotion Recognition (SER) is an umbrella term that encompasses all Machine Learning & Deep Learning (ML/DL) algorithms used for the very specific task of extracting emotional state from human speech. In literature, various techniques have been utilized to extract emotions from signals, including well-established speech analysis and classification techniques. Using the scoping review method, the paper maps techniques for speech-based emotion recognition. In doing so, it presents elements defining the use of algorithms to assess emotions, for example, databases used for emotion recognition, notions and types of emotions considered, and empirical investigations made toward SER and related limitations. The contribution places particular emphasis on the existing perspectives and practices in order to offer a series of recommendations for future developments.

Purpose The way in which managers differ when confronted with risky options or when evaluating different alternatives constitutes a fundamental part of organizational risk management. This study aims to investigate how managerial risk-taking attitudes (i.e. ethical and financial risk-taking as a trade-off between benefit and riskiness) change over time and based on gender. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted a cross-sectional study on a sample of Italian executives and measured their perceptions of risk-taking, risk perception and risk-benefit, all referring to the company they worked for in the ethical and financial domain. The study also collected demographic data to gather information on age and gender. The authors analyzed data collected using multilevel analysis. Findings The results show that perceived benefits are the main drivers of risk-taking attitudes in both domains. Age and gender are not significant direct predictors of risk, but interactions with domains reveal insightful patterns. Originality/value Overall, this study highlights the need to assess the whole pattern of relationships emerging from the range of situational variables characterizing a specific population. Concerning the organizational context, it means addressing the role of organizational variables in influencing risk-taking so as to determine the extent to which organizational policies are indeed effective in fostering efficient organizational risk management.

Purpose Decision-making competence (DMC) of entrepreneurs and managers is a longstanding topic in this increasingly globalized world. These figures operate in conditions not within their own control, and good levels of DMC are often considered to be desirable for the flourishing of business and society. This paper reports an empirical investigation on the DMC of entrepreneurs and managers, in an attempt to inform about their tendencies to incur in risky and costly choices. Design/methodology/approach Three cognitive biases associated with operational strategies and individual characteristics of entrepreneurs and managers, namely under/overconfidence (UOC, i.e. self-confidence in taking decisions), resistance to sunk costs (RSC, i.e. propensity to take cost investments) and consistency in risk perception (CRP, i.e. how well individuals understand probability rules) were considered . Cognitive biases measures were used in a cross-sectional study on a sample of n = 639 entrepreneurs and n = 512 managers. Data collected via online survey were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics to determine differences among entrepreneurs and managers DMC. Findings Analyses reveal that entrepreneurs exhibit higher levels of UOC compared to managers with a marked presence of UOC among entrepreneurs at younger ages. Conversely, performance regarding RSC improves with higher education levels while age and RSC are positively correlated only for managers, regardless of education. Lastly, entrepreneurs and managers resulted as not being affected by CRP. This study discusses these results to provide initial insights for further avenues of research and practice. Originality/value The study offers an innovative, evidence-based viewpoint on how entrepreneurs and managers deal with risky and costly decisions. It offers an initial understanding of the role of UOC, RSC and CRP, that is specific cognitive biases associated with operational strategies and individual characteristics, in the DMC of these working figures. The study forwards avenues of scrutiny of quick-witted entrepreneurs and systematic managers.

PurposeThe construct of meaningful work is a relevant topic for the managerial literature interested in job design, employees' motivation, and job performance. The current research seeks to improve our knowledge on meaningful work by exploring the processes by which a workday is experienced as meaningful.Design/methodology/approachAdopting the lens of the Job Demands-Resources model and Self-Determination theory, we argue that work conditions and psychological conditions are associated with the experience of meaningful work on a daily basis. Moreover, we propose that the experience of meaningful work on a long-term basis (i.e. the evaluation of one's own work as holding significance per se) intensifies the associations between daily conditions and the experience of meaningful work. We collected data via an event-based longitudinal diary study for a total sample of N = 114 employees from six organizations and N = 545 observations.FindingsResults of the multilevel analysis showed that competence and task significance led to the experience of meaningful work during working days. Moreover, cross-level analyses revealed that these associations are stronger for employees who experience their work to be meaningful in the long-term.Originality/valueThe novelty of the present study lies in highlighting the role of specific factors contributing to the experience of meaningful work during a workday. These findings help specify targets and organizational and individual dimensions to be addressed by managerial interventions to ensure employees' meaningful work experience.

Aim/Purpose: The aim of the study is to explore the experience of cultural mediators in working with operators of reception and mental health care systems for forced migrants. Specifically, the study seeks to address strengths and weaknesses and areas for improvement in the service network. Background: Cultural mediation in Italy has developed as a response to the increasing cultural diversity within reception and healthcare systems, driven by significant migration flows. Nonetheless, the lack of inter-institutional relationships and standardized procedures hamper the effectiveness of cultural mediators in supporting forced migrants within the network of psycho-social services. Methodology: The study implemented a qualitative approach by conducting semi-structured interviews with 14 cultural mediators. The interviews aimed to understand the experience of cultural mediators in working in the network of services that support forced migrants. Cultural mediators with different work experiences and cultural backgrounds were selected through convenience sampling. Contribution: This study adds to the literature the direct experience and perceptions of cultural mediators as regards their work with reception and mental health system operators and the collaboration between these stakeholders, highlighting the central role offered by cultural mediators in fostering such collaboration. Findings: The study revealed both the strengths and weaknesses of collaboration between forced migrant reception and mental health services, highlighting the key role of cultural mediators in bridging gaps between different services. It also provides suggestions on how to improve collaboration between different stakeholders. Recommendation for Researchers: Future research should investigate how efficient communication and resource location between psycho-social operators that support forced migrants could impact the work of cultural mediators and the quality of support provided to forced migrants. Future Research: Future studies should focus on evaluating the long-term effects of implementing the recommendations for improving service networks and understanding the impact of policy changes on the role of cultural mediators.

Aim/Purpose: The aim of the present study is to investigate how pre-game superstition and anxiety can drive the consumption and purchase of sports products and objects by triathletes. Methodology: We tested our hypotheses via a cross-sectional study on a sample of N=124 triathletes. Contribution: The originality of our work stands in the provision of empirical evidence on the role of superstition and anxiety in characterized consumer decision-making of triathletes. Theoretically and practically, our results can extend our knowledge of the role of cognitive factors in consumer behaviors among athletes. Findings: The results of the Structural Equation Modelling provided evidence of our hypothesized relationship between pre-game anxiety and superstition, and cognitive biases. Pre-game anxiety increases the level of incidence of specific cognitive biases characterized by intuitive and implicit thinking, while superstition leads to more rational and personal cognitive biases, which affect their purchasing of sports products before games and competitions.

This study investigates how remote e-working characteristics are related to employees' well-being in Italy. We conducted a longitudinal study with two time points and a 1-month time lag, involving a final sample of 223 employees. Controlling for the auto-regressive effects of all the outcomes, our results revealed that experiencing work-life balance during e-working was negatively associated with emotional exhaustion and social isolation, while it was positively related to career progression. Organisational trust also showed a positive relationship with career progression. Regarding well-being indicators of e-working, cognitive weariness during e-working was positively linked to emotional exhaustion, social isolation and physical complaints. Lastly, social isolation was negatively associated with subsequent perceptions of career progression. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the factors in e-work related to different well-being outcomes and can inform organisational interventions aimed at enhancing the well-being of employees working remotely.

Students' career decision is a relevant topic in career development with scholars and practitioners aiming at understanding which factors can contribute to students decision-making to support them in their career path. In this study, we argue that facilitating conditions can positively influence the career decisions of students. This relationship is mediated by career self-efficacy and moderated by optimism. To test our hypotheses, we conducted a longitudinal study. In total, 789 high school students from different educational streams took part in our three-way study. Results showed that career decision-making self-efficacy mediates the relationship between facilitating conditions for school motivations and career decision-making. While the direct effect of facilitating conditions for school motivations on career decidedness is negative, the relationship linking facilitating conditions for school motivations to career decision-making self-efficacy, as well as that linking career decision-making self-efficacy and career decidedness, is positive. These results provide insights for better-targeting counselling programmes.

PurposeWe examined the effect of management practices on overt and subtle forms of discrimination in remote working contexts. Management practices (i.e. diversity and equality management systems) may influence employees' perception of the diversity climate and affect the occurrence of discrimination.Design/methodology/approachTo empirically investigate these associations, we administrated an online questionnaire with self-report measures via a 3-wave longitudinal research design.FindingsData analysis of our sample of N = 153 remotely working employees show that when managers invest in equality and diversity practices, employees perceive their workplace as more inclusive (i.e. diversity climate). In turn, this reduces the occurrence of subtle discriminations. Conversely, this relationship was not significant for overt forms of discrimination.Originality/valueThis result indicates that creating a diversity climate is especially important when combatting subtle forms of discrimination in remote work contexts. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our findings in light of managerial studies on discrimination at work and psychological literature on virtual environment and social networking.

The present study questions the indiscriminate use - or misuse - of job performance self -rating measures in work and organizational psychology. We provide evidence for systematic cognitive distortions in the traditional predictors (i.e., work engagement and work experience) of self -ratings of job performance. A cross-sectional study was conducted ( N = 470) where employees were asked to fill in a questionnaire composed of self -report measures on job performance, work engagement, and systematic cognitive distortions. Findings suggest that highly engaged older (i.e., aging) employees tend to have optimistic judgments of their job performance which was reflected in higher levels of self -rated task performance. Likewise, adults with higher work experience (i.e., long -tenured) tend to adhere to social and organizational conventions in line with cognitive decision rules and systematic distortions which may lead to misjudgment of their contextual performance.

Background/Purpose: Meaningful work is a topic of relevant interest to management and organizational scholars. The study of meaningful work has been heavily characterized by theories from different disciplines, yet the common-sense perspective is often overlooked, i.e., a non-academic perspective of meaningful work. The paper presents a qualitative study on how non-academics define meaningful work.Methods: Adopting the lens of Aristotelian logic, the paper presents a methodological-theoretical approach to explore how non-academics define human resource management concepts. We asked 194 workers to propose ultimate definitions of the concept of meaningful work. The questions were submitted via a short survey collecting demographics.Results: The analysis of the collected definitions led to the proposition of an intensive definition of meaningful work according to which meaningful work is a positive experience associated with a sense of competence, the presence of positive relation with others, significance and purpose of work. Yet, there must be good reasons to experience work as meaningful as the environment may contain barriers to the presence of meaningfulness.Conclusion: Methodologically, the paper advances a novel approach to the study of human resource management and development concepts. Theoretically, the study proposes a novel perspective of meaningful work prioritizing concerns on the common-sense.

Purpose Given the instability and volatility of the labour market and the global talent scarcity, placing more attention on job employability is fundamental. In this context, the literature has already extensively examined employability as a crucial individual aspect, identifying some significant antecedents, including the applicability of training on the job. The present study aims to examine the impact that teaching employees to craft their job may have on the levels of applicability of training and if, in turn, this improves self-perceived employability. Design/methodology/approach The authors involved three private organizations that followed three workshops on job crafting behaviour. To empirically assess the intervention, the authors asked participants of the workshop to complete four quantitative diaries on a weekly basis, i.e. one per week, one before the intervention and three after the intervention. The diaries comprised measures of job crafting behaviours, applicability of training and self-perceived employability. Findings Multi-level analysis of data collected provided support to the positive associations between job crafting behaviour and self-perceived employability with the mediating effect of applicability of training. Notably, the applicability of training improves when individuals search for challenges, which indirectly affects perceived employability in terms of organizational sense. Research limitations/implications In the present study, no control group was used with which the results of our intervention could be compared. However, this does not affect the overall results, given the amount of intraindividual variability. Originality/value The paper proposes initial avenues for promoting employability at work via the use of behavioural job crafting intervention.

Aim/Purpose: The study aims to examine the mediating role of job motivation and affective and normative commitment on the relationship between perceived organizational support (POS) and job turnover intention. Background: POS refers to employees’ beliefs and perceptions concerning the extent to which the organization values their contributions, cares about their well-being, and fulfils their socio-emotional needs. To date, research has shown that employee turnover is a complex construct resulting from the interplay of both individual and organizational variables, such as motivation and climate. Methodology: Cross-sectional data were collected from 143 employees of an Italian industrial company. Paper-and-pencil questionnaires were used to assess respondents’ POS, job motivation, affective and normative organizational commitment, and turnover intentions. Contribution: Specifically, in this research, we aim at examining (i) the indirect effect of POS on turnover intention via (ii) job motivation and (iii) normative and affective commitment. Findings: Results show that high POS is associated with high levels of job motivation and affective and normative commitment, which in turn are negatively linked to turnover intentions. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers should not lose sight of the importance of studying and delving into the concept of turnover intention given that, from an organizational point of view, losing personnel means losing competencies, which need to be replaced through assessment, selection, training, and development, processes that are often challenging and expensive. Future Research: Future research should further investigate the role of motivation and commitment, other than additional variables, for POS and turnover intention. Longitudinal studies and further testing are required to verify the causal processes stemming from our model. Future research could consider linking employees’ self-reported measures with objective data concerning turnover rates.