This paper proposes that artists be at the forefront of community recovery in our post-COVID-19 world. To achieve this proposition, it delves into the early professional life of the renowned Russian composer and pianist Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873 – 1943), notably focusing on his sense of failure after the premiere of his first symphony and his subsequent recovery. It examines the importance of mentors who support professionals through early career mistakes, the significance of learning the limits of risk-taking, and the value of failure as guidance for development. Rachmaninoff’s contribution to humanity is profound, as evidenced by the enduring performance of his music in concert halls around the globe, making him an appropriate guide and partner in fulfilling the recovery agenda.

In this chapter, the trade war between the United States of America and China initiated during former president Donald Trump's leadership provides a foil to explore more productive partnerships between the indigenous Māori people of Aotearoa New Zealand and their Chinese business partners. The two life-full symbols of the Dragon and Taniwha open the possibilities of learning about the world of business partners beyond commercial transactions. The remarkable synergies between contemporary Māori and Confucianism reveal that understanding the antecedents of cultural values, curiosity, and poly-dexterity are precursors that guide successful business partnerships.

In this essay I explore two leaders: the composer Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971) and United States of America Senator Joshua Hawley (b. 1979). These two offer an opportunity to re-describe leadership as an acoustic art thereby enriching the field beyond its current ocular orientation. Through this discussion, then, I invite readers into the world of music. The year 2021 marked the 50th anniversary of Stravinsky’s death, and in that same year, Hawley came to international fame through the 6 January invasion of the United States Capitol building by people protesting the confirmation of Joe Biden as the 46th President. I offer a polyphonic analysis of Hawley and Stravinsky by operationalizing the music construct of tonal pairing which allows two tonalities to play together. I conclude the essay by noting the ubiquity of Manicheanism, a belief system that affords leaders an ability to characterize opponents as being evil. I mitigate this deleterious system by proposing that symphonic leadership calls for diversity and difference. Leadership as an acoustic art has implications for understanding the current war in Ukraine and China’s role on the international stage, including her relationship with the United States of America.

This paper explores the relationship between rural e-commerce, rural entrepreneurship, and rural income under the backdrop of "Internet + entrepreneurship" based on panel data from the rural statistical yearbooks of 29 provinces and municipalities in China from 2013 to 2019. The study finds that the development of rural e-commerce and farmers' entrepreneurship are positively correlated with farmers' income. Notably, the impact of fiscal support for agriculture on farmers' income is not significant, while the level of education has a noticeable effect on farmers' income. These results remain valid in robustness tests. Based on the above analysis, this article puts forward recommendations for the development of rural e-commerce and boost farmers' income under the context of "Internet + entrepreneurship." This article enriches the research related to how rural e-commerce enhances the well-being of farmers, and provides a theoretical basis and empirical reference for how to promote entrepreneurship and income generation through e-commerce models in the digital economy era.

In this chapter Chinese philosophy is explored by examining one of the narratives found in The Analects of Confucius. Leadership, encapsulated in the concept of “exemplary persons,” comes from the interactions of li (ritual propriety and custom) and yue (music performance). The discussion turns to the notion of the middle way: a way of being in the world that embraces movement and flex, rather than adopting fixed and final positions. Therefore, contemporary leaders can, by becoming aesthetically alert, achieve ensemble and eschew tendencies toward control and domination.

PurposeThis paper explores how leaders identify their roles and selves when they lead change in a dynamic organizational context.Design/methodology/approachUsing a qualitative approach, ten ICT leaders participated in semi-structured interviews depicting their experiences of change. A thematic method of interpretative analysis was used to develop findings, supported by Theory U as a conceptual tool for leadership self-awareness.FindingsLeaders struggle with organizational constraints and boundaries, specifically the complexities that form and limit their leadership underpinned by unrealistic expectations due to the construction of romanticized heroic leadership. While these restrictions lead to feelings of detachment of leaders from their organizations, leadership development exists in the acts of letting go of old behaviors, and welcoming emergence and experimentation by trusting more.Research limitations/implicationsThis study may be limited by its small sample and the use of one framework to make sense of the leaders' experience of change. It confirms that change can challenge organizing norms and how leadership is identified.Practical implicationsDespite the feeling of detachment from their organizations, developing greater self-awareness, being open to new ideas and trusting more can bring about better organizational outcomes, which is represented with Theory O as a contribution both for theory and practice.Originality/valueThis study illustrates (1) leaders' inner work or personal experience of change, and (2) how improvement of self-awareness can contribute to the involvement of leaders to the change process. Based on self-awareness, trust and feedback relationship, this study suggests a new practical and conceptual tool called Theory O by advancing Theory U.

This paper presents an explanation of why and how institutional arrangements influence the practice of CSR in Pakistan. The authors conduct in-depth interviews with CSR managers; national regulators; and, members of CSR promoting institutions. Our findings suggest that Pakistani CSR is largely found to be in support of charities and donations. Family traditions and religion are primary drivers for the adoption of CSR followed by the influence of peer pressure. Additionally, limited regulative pressures were attributed to the current ambiguity surrounding corporate regulation in Pakistan. This paper contributes to the literature on CSR by identifying internal drivers of CSR praxis.

Supply chain scholars, industry leaders, and policy makers have begun to recognize the importance of managing sustainability in global extended supply chains. However, scant attention has been paid to investigating the implementation of sustainable supply management practices from the perspective of multitier suppliers located in challenging institutional contexts. Drawing on institutional theory, this qualitative study examines how institutional pressures, mechanisms, and challenges influence the sustainability implementation of a developing country’s multitier apparel suppliers. The study not only captures the viewpoints of 46 owner–managers across 33 multitier suppliers, but also provides complementary evidence from a wide range of institutional actors. The findings show that first‐tier and second‐tier suppliers experience more collective coercive pressures than mimetic and normative pressures toward sustainability implementation. However, only coercive pressure from second‐tier suppliers influences third‐tier suppliers’ sustainability implementation. The identified key collective coercive pressures were stemming from the selection and assessment requirements of direct buyers, followed by third‐party auditors, governments, and newly emerged collective buyers’ consortia. Finally, building on empirical findings, this study presents a framework and research propositions for understanding the diffusion of sustainability to multitier suppliers.

As this extra-ordinary year draws to a close and a new one beckons us into the unknown, we have much to ponder. The COVID-19 pandemic has been traumatic and devastating as it spread with a similar intensity and reach as the fires on the West Coast of the United States of America. Despite the destruction, COVID has also bestowed an unexpected gift, especially to the citizens of my country, Aotearoa New Zealand.

Purpose First, this paper aims to define and interpret the social and environmental strands of sustainability, and analyse its implementation within the mining sectors of developed and developing countries. Second, we elaborate on stakeholder and institutional theoretical perspectives to propose a framework for sustainability implementation. Finally, we draw attention to the shortcomings in sustainability implementation within the mining industry in developing countries and stress a cross-sectoral approach to defining sustainable categories. Design/methodology/approach The paper develops a conceptual foundation for effective sustainability implementation by discussing the interconnectivity and the reciprocal interactions between impact indicators and sustainable categories including climatic condition, terrestrial parameters, national regulations, and international mining standards. Findings Research results suggest that mining activities have created tensions between host communities and companies due to the finitude of the resources and the associated environmental and social challenges in developing countries. About 75% of mines close prematurely, leaving legacies of environmental and social costs in mining communities despite companies embracing sustainability practices. However, the authors provide promising evidence for the possibility of employing a cross-sectoral approach in sustainability implementation using holistic frameworks. Limitations The proposed cross-sectoral model presented here is only a starting point for further research in developing robust indicators and procedures for the approach. A consolidation of efforts by other researchers working on establishing holistic indicators for sustainability implementation may lead to a much more detailed and robust model. Implications This paper may improve sustainability reporting and practices of companies, relating to how an impact on a social or environmental category cascades down the entire mining industry, requiring a holistic assessment model and framework. Contribution The paper proposes a cross-sectoral model and suggests a framework which extends the boundaries of stakeholder and institutional theories and demonstrates how they combine in defining sustainable categories.

This paper examines the institutionalisation of corporate social responsibility reporting among listed companies in Pakistan. First, we identify the influence of industry type; regulatory pressures; the presence of CSR promoting institutions; business size; and, ownership on the extent of CSR reporting. Second, we explore the managerial perceptions on CSR reporting. In so doing, the paper extends the existing literature on the debate over accountability, regulation, international standards, sustainability and the influence or otherwise of other stakeholders by exploring organisational and external institutional drivers of CSR reporting in developing countries. The quantitative content analysis of annual reports from 29 listed companies across a range of industries is used to identify the nature and scope of CSR reporting. Four annual reports from each company (2001, 2006, 2011 & 2017 – five-yearly intervals) were selected as the reporting horizon. The content analysis demonstrated considerable growth in CSR reporting, potentially enabled by various organisational and institutional factors. To explore the perceptions, motivation, and authenticity of these reports, on-site interviews with 15 managers are then conducted. The interviews highlight that public image and company recognition are the primary motivation for CSR reporting, rather than the pursuit of improved tangible outcomes. We discuss the contributions to research of institutional theory on CSR reporting and pose recommendations to both managers and regulators.

Twelve sculptured faces articulate the impacts on locals when they experienced the merging of tertiary educational institutions of which they were staff members. The surreal images depicted in the photographs reveal the emotional, or €œaffective responses, to the changes that were imposed on members of organisations, and the narratives that they constructed to make sense of the mergers. Central government initiatives based on a €œbigger is better€ mantra drove the need to offer relevant and cost-effective courses. However, little attention was paid to the needs of local staff who were mandated to enact the structural changes. The sculptures tell their stories.

'Sustainable development' is an idea that the business sector has turned its attention to in recent years. Hidden within these two words are ethical and moral values which affect all of humanity; values which have encouraged the change of orientation for organisations, from a pure shareholder view to a wider stakeholder one. This change has been tectonic because it implies that businesses do not exist for their own sake alone but are part of the warp and weft of society as a whole. Sustainable development, therefore, assumes that growth is possible and can occur in ways which enhance human being while ensuring the survival of the planet. In sum businesses operate in both local and global contexts; with an eye on economic and social measures of success.

Night School is the 21st novel by Lee Child featuring the action hero Jack Reacher. As the title suggests, the novel performs a didactic function via an organizational comedy. By invoking James Joyce's Ulysses and his use of double plots, we focus our attention on Reacher as a model leader who occupies a middle space between extremes. He rejects type-set mechanistic responses to problems and navigates around the confusion raised through information overload. Reacher's leadership is enacted on the ground and in the moment, taking each new encounter as an opportunity to learn. His style, marked by a healthy distrust of authority and documents, an ability to follow the spirit of the law and staying flexible are all characteristic of a man who is continually aware of his environment, and not side-tracked by metaphysical constructs. The novel's denouement presents an assessment of both Reacher's and our learning.

This study explores the relationship between institutional mechanisms and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in both Pakistan and New Zealand. Institutional factors are normally categorised as being either formal or informal. It is argued that a combination of formal institutions and informal institutions in any jurisdiction shape the adoption, or otherwise of CSR by business through its adherence to acceptable governance praxis. Corporate regulation in Pakistan is heavily influenced from elsewhere, especially from British common law. By contrast the institutional realities produce remarkably different outcomes in the two jurisdictions. This study examines which formal and informal institutions influence CSR disclosures, in that businesses disclose CSR practices in response to regulations; cognitive pressures that help people understand and interpret the practice correctly; and, cultural values enforcing the same practice. Quantitative content analyses of a sample of eight listed companies’ annual reports were completed from each country. Reporting and disclosure practices were identified in both. Underlying institutions were then recorded as being recognised, acknowledged or inferred by the respective reporting business. The results highlighted that Pakistani companies disclose more about CSR than those analysed from New Zealand. This result is attributed to the recently developed corporate governance guidelines by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan. The informal national institutions in both countries also play a vital role in the disparity of disclosures. This is not to suggest that New Zealand listed companies lag behind those in Pakistan with respect to their contribution to CSR initiatives, simply that the disclosure levels between the two favour those companies in Pakistan.

Purpose This paper aims to explore invitational discourse as a modality underpinning socially responsible enterprises seeking to become spiritually alert. This is carried out by focussing on a rich symbolic environment within which organizations operate. Design/methodology/approach This conceptual paper explores a fifteenth-century icon from the Russian Orthodox tradition to demonstrate how organizations might move from silo-based communication strategies to create open environments where information is shared. A case study of the global organization in crisis, the dairy cooperative Fonterra, is used as a case study. Findings Where organizations become invitational and go beyond blame to develop the two fundamental ethical qualities of forgiveness and generosity, they become more socially responsible. Originality/value The study takes a well-known artefact within one tradition and appropriates for a discussion about contemporary organizations as they seek to become more holistic and spiritually alert.