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Beyond the Pay check: Conceptualizing Employer Brand ActivismGone are the days when a business must be a certain way and their primary objective was to generate revenue and maximize stakeholder value. Today, the aspirations and expectations of different groups have become increasingly complex; they want to attach meaning to a brand when associating themselves with it. For example, consumers, investors and employees expect organizations to speak out or take a stand on social, political and environmental issues. At the same time, today׳s leaders want to be known beyond their role. They are increasingly vocal about what they stand for and where their personal views lie. While this evolving mindset overlaps well and has the potential to form that ideal triad for all, i.e., if the management, the customer, the investor and the employee align on a value, it will have a positive impact on the organization. However, it is far from ideal because if complexity is paramount, so are the looming uncertainties of ever-changing trends and priorities, i.e., the changing preferences of consumers and investors, the changing views, inclinations and preferences of employees, and the values of executives and management. Now, organizations must understand and manage the ever-changing trends and priorities. More importantly, they must explore and define their values and ensure that they are aligned from the inside out to create value. Therefore, this book chapter aims to explore the facets of activism within the organization (i.e., corporate activism, brand activism, leadership activism, and employee activism) to explain employer brand activism, which is the interplay between employees and the organization. In doing so, we focus on employer brand activism, its short-term benefits, access to long-term effects and how these ultimately relate to other activism. This is important because if this alignment is not achieved internally, external alignment remains fragile and fraught with uncertainty. We therefore hope to shed more light on the broad discussion of how activism and business can go hand in hand and how organizations can drive value from understanding, defining, and prioritizing their values with others, be it employees, leadership, brands, consumers, or investors.
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The Impact of Firm-Level Political Risk on Eco-Innovation: The Moderating Effect of CEO PowerThis study examines the impact of firm-level political risk on eco-innovation at the firm level, particularly emphasizing the moderating role of CEO power in this relationship. Using a dataset from 33 countries from 2006 to 2022, we employ two-step dynamic panel data estimations to address endogeneity concerns. The findings highlight a positive impact of political risk on eco-innovation, which is further strengthened in the presence of a powerful CEO. This evidence implies that effective leadership from CEOs can assist firms in navigating political risks and advancing sustainable initiatives. The results remain robust across various specifications, including alternative measurements for firm-level political risk. The study highlights the crucial role of CEOs in managing political risks and facilitating eco-innovative practices within firms.
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Investigating Drivers of Customer Experience with Virtual Conversational AgentsBuilding on the perspectives of the uses & gratification (U&G) theory and stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) model, this article develops and tests an integrative framework to examine the underlying factors influencing customers’ experiences with chatbots as a form of virtual conversational agent (VCA) in the UK and Vietnam. In addition to utilitarian and hedonic factors, anthropomorphism and social presence are also investigated, which are considered important experiential dimensions in a customer-machine relationship. We also explore how stimuli such as functionality, communication style similarity, and aesthetics indirectly affect outcomes like customer satisfaction and reuse intention, mediated by four types of customer experiences. Data collected from a sample of 417 and 359 participants in the UK and Vietnam respectively revealed that, in general, perceived informativeness, credibility, enjoyment, functionality, and communication style similarity are crucial for customer satisfaction in both countries. Interesting differences in the effects of customer experience between developed and developing countries were observed. For instance, the effects of anthropomorphism and social presence on satisfaction are only effective for customers from developed country, while those from developing country only need information provided by chatbots be transparent. Our findings offer a novel way to understand customer experience with chatbots and provide important theoretical and managerial implications.
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Stakeholder green pressure and enviropreneurial marketing: Insights from Japanese SMEsDespite the recent growth in research on analysing the influence of stakeholders' green pressure on firm performance, our understanding of the subject seems limited, especially regarding the positive and negative influence of many internal and external stakeholders and the mediating roles of environmental orientation and commitment. Analysing primary data from 317 Japanese SMEs, we found that environmental orientation has negative while environmental commitment positively influences firm performance. Besides, the findings also show that green pressure from regulators, competitors, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and employees significantly influences the market and financial performance, followed by a discussion of relevant theoretical and practical implications.
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Volunteering in the community: Understanding personal experiences of South Asians in the United KingdomUpstanding civic action is central to individual and community well-being, particularly when communities comprise rich and diverse membership. However, not all groups in society have the same opportunities and resources to volunteer. This is particularly true for South Asian people, who are often reported to be less likely to volunteer. Research into the experience and meanings that this ethnic group attributes to volunteering has been exceptionally scarce. Informed by a community psychology perspective, this qualitative study conducted nine semistructured interviews with British South Asians involved in formal volunteering activities. The aim was to explore their personal experiences and motivations regarding volunteering for their community of belonging. Results from reflexive thematic analysis were grouped under three themes. These were (1) volunteering cultivated individual well-being, (2) South Asians who volunteer often experience social injustice and marginalisation and (3) volunteering for South Asians is intrinsically tied to religious and cultural motivations. British South Asians faced personal and social obstacles in accessing fundamental health and social care in their communities of belonging. Religion, and community social capital were positive volunteering strategies for British South Asians. Positive impacts of well-being included becoming closer to faith and increased sense of meaning/purpose and recognising of individual strengths. These findings offer valuable insights and recommendations for community organisations and governmental bodies to better promote volunteering for ethnic minorities. We suggest the adoption of cultural and religious sensitivity, along with strategies to remove barriers in access to opportunities and support for volunteering.
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Violent Extremism and Artificial Intelligence: A Double-Edged Sword in the Context of ASEANDigital integration and the emergence of new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) are providing new tools for insurgents to use in spreading their propaganda through violent extremism. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has come to represent a conduit for insurgents in planning and carrying out their extreme agendas. This article provides a deeper understanding of the double-edged sword effect of AI in relation to violent extremism in the ASEAN context. It reveals that, even though AI has been very important in countering violent extremism, it has simultaneously facilitated terrorists in spreading their propaganda in more innovative and covert ways. The legal framework governing AI is still in its infancy and challenges such as the double-edged sword effect in the use of the technology require specific guidelines or legislation for use in effective governance.
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Waging Warfare Against States: The Deployment of Artificial Intelligence in Cyber EspionageCyber espionage has significantly been viewed as a risk towards nation-states, especially in the area of security and protection of Critical National Infrastructures. The race against digitisation has also raised concerns about how emerging technologies are defining how cyber activities are linked to waging warfare between States. Real-world crimes have since found a place in cyberspace, and with high connectivity, has exposed various actors to various risks and vulnerabilities, including cyber espionage. Cyber espionage has always been a national security issue as it does not only target States but also affects public-private networks, corporations and individuals. The challenge of crimes committed within the cyber realm is how the nature of cybercrimes distorts the dichotomy of state responsibility in responding to cyber threats and vulnerabilities. Furthermore, the veil of anonymity and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence have further provided opportunities for a larger scale impact on the state for such crime. The imminent threat of cyber espionage is impacting the economic and political interactions between nation-states and changing the nature of modern conflict. Due to these implications, this paper will discuss the current legal landscape governing cyber espionage and the impact of the use of artificial intelligence in the commission of such crimes.
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Conceptualizing just transition litigationThe transition towards low-carbon societies is creating winners and losers, raising new questions of justice. Around the world, litigation increasingly articulates these justice questions, challenging laws, projects and policies aimed at delivering climate change adaptation and/or mitigation. In this Perspective, we define and conceptualise the phenomenon of ‘just transition litigation’. This concept provides a new frame to identify and understand the diverse justice claims of those affected by climate action. We set out a research agenda to further investigate this phenomenon, with a view to enhancing societal acceptance and support for the transition.
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Fixing Illicit Financial Flows between Nigeria, United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates: Corruption’s Bermuda Triangle"Fixing Illicit Financial Flows between Nigeria, the UK, and UAE: Corruption's Bermuda Triangle" delves into one of the most pressing challenges in global finance - illicit financial flows (IFFs). This groundbreaking book examines how vast sums of Nigeria’s wealth vanish into the financial systems of the UK and UAE, depleting the country's economic resources. With a focus on real estate, banking, and professional sectors, the authors critically assess the existing laws and regulations in all three countries and explore the gaps that allow corruption and money laundering to thrive. Supported by empirical research, the book highlights the urgent need for reform in international financial practices and offers innovative solutions to curb the outflow of illicit wealth from Nigeria. A must-read for policymakers, legal scholars, and anyone interested in the intersection of law, finance, and development in Africa.
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Back to the future of ‘biopower’: Foucault’s prescriptions and the regulation of commercial order and discordance in outer spaceThis article applies Foucault’s ideas on Power –specifically biopower as a tool to explain sovereignty, jurisdiction and control over persons in outer space. This approach will hopefully illuminate the general nature and essence of ‘statist’ regulation of outer space activities. We believe that Foulcaut’s analysis of biopower -a tool of critical law scholarship can help to forensically explain the governing dynamics of the jurisdiction ratione personae exercised by states in outer space under the modern Westphalian model of sovereignty. The approach will also aid in prescribing sustainable and progressive policy directions for national regulatory agencies in space. Foucauldian approaches would help reveal both the considerable strengths and of course, the limitations and perhaps inequities of national regulation in space. This exercise will also hopefully indicate quite clearly why networks of international agencies and private corporations ought not be able to displace core aspects of statist manifestation of regulatory power in outer space. The article attempts to free jurisdiction from its semantic legalese in space law and make it encompass philosophy, sociology and jurisprudential influences while at the same time restricting the exploitative purposes to which both jurisdiction and biopower can be pressed in outer space.
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Introduction of Metaverse in businessIt has become obvious to companies that the metaverse may help maximize profits. The purpose of this chapter is to describe the uses and possibilities of metaverse-based virtual and augmented reality technologies in the future. Brands can now engage with customers at a completely new level of interaction through Metaverse, which cannot be achieved within current marketing channels. Immersive XR environments may require decision makers to reexamine customer journeys, demographic characteristics, and customer personas. The main purpose of this chapter is to present an overview of metaverse applications. Further this section reveals the ways in which the business and education industry can benefit through metaverse applications. Additionally, this section reveals the real-world applications of technology in metaverse for avatar, gaming, and prospects. Finally, this chapter sheds light on the academics and practitioners by showing how metaverse elements can contribute for business processes.
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The dark side revealed: insights and implications from online brand communitiesPurpose This study aims to present a comprehensive review of the literature on the dark side of online brand communities, identifying the dominant themes [determinants of the dark side in online brand communities (OBCs)] in the literature and proposing ways to advance the literature in this area. Design/methodology/approach This study reviewed 72 scholarly articles published between 2009 and 2024 in peer-reviewed journals. A descriptive and thematic analysis of dark-side literature is presented. Findings The contribution of this scoping review lies in identifying the dominant themes in the literature on the determinants of the dark side of online brand communities, proposing management strategies and identifying future research directions for advancing the literature. Six main themes of the dark side of online communities were extracted: information dynamics, group dynamics, unethical practices and brand transgression, provocation and schadenfreude, brand activism and hate and disengagement. Practical implications Firstly, this study highlights the need for brands to engage in the active moderation of OBCs to maintain information credibility and manage information overload. Secondly, to ensure an inclusive community environment for all members, brands need to foster a balanced forum culture and moderation that discourages heterogeneity. Originality/value This study is unique in conducting an in-depth analysis of the literature on the dark side of online brand communities, an area that has received little attention. This review offers new insights that would help brands effectively manage negative aspects of customer behaviours in online brand communities. For managers, this review enables brands to improve their image, reputation and customer value.
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Integration of technology and marketing activities among service SMEs in emerging economies: A scoping reviewService small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are typically SMEs that operate in the service industry. In emerging economies, service SMEs can benefit from integrating technology and marketing activities to compete globally and drive growth. Further, service SMEs can compete with larger businesses with technology-driven marketing. Technology can differentiate an SME and create a unique value proposition, attracting customers and setting it apart. Social media advertising and email campaigns are often more cost-effective than traditional marketing channels such as print and television. The authors included a total of 32 articles published between the years 2013 and 2023 for in-depth analysis to address the issue under investigation. Findings indicated several effective digital marketing strategies to integrate technology and marketing activities among service SMEs in emerging economies, such as personalized marketing options, direct customer engagement, 24/7 availability options, and brand-building capabilities.
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Professional Imprinting Mechanisms in the Doctoral Trajectory: Impact on Researcher Identity DiversityShaping one's professional identity is a complex process that starts early on in the professional career and is influenced by many factors along the way. An important process in professional identity formation is professional imprinting. In socialization theory, professional imprinting refers to how individuals adjust behavior and beliefs to fulfill expectations from their working environments and achieve a feeling of belonging during sensitive periods. In this study, we turn to the academic setting, which is characterized by high researcher identity heterogeneity and thus can give us insights into the dynamics of professional identity development. Professional imprints during doctoral training lead to permanent characteristics in one's researcher identity. To investigate professional imprinting and its mechanisms, we conducted a qualitative study involving interviews with 16 PhD students and their supervisors (16 professors and 4 post-docs) within the setting of an EU-funded project. We identify the imprinting mechanisms that shape a researcher's identity during a sensitive period. Our study offers valuable insights for managers and policy makers about the role of supervisors or supervising managers in the development of the professional identities of junior colleagues and about the future career trajectories of people entering academia and industry.
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Balancing Environmental Protection with Offshore Wind and Petroleum Development: Two Peas in a Pod?The North Sea has been referred to as the energy crown jewel of the United Kingdom, with significant oil and gas and vast offshore wind potential increasingly gained momentum in the wake of the energy transition. As a result of the constant quest for conventional and low-carbon energy technologies to meet energy security objectives, it has become imperative to critically evaluate the environmental implications of these developments and the role of law in assessing and mitigating them. With a focus on the environmental regime for both offshore wind and oil and gas in the UK, the chapter reveals the fragmented nature of the regime as well as the inherent limitations of both international and national legislation, particularly in relation to environmental uncertainties. It examines planning, licensing, and environmental assessment regulation for both petroleum and wind exposing cumulative impacts as well as revealing the synergies and tensions with the climate change legislation.
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Local Content Laws and Gender Equality in Africa’s Oil and Gas SectorHistorically, the oil and gas sector has played a significant role in the economic development. Beyond being an important source of energy for industrialisation and other development goals, revenue from oi and gas exports have provided much needed funding for critical sectors in resource rich countries. However, the benefits of oil and gas developments have not been equitably distributed. Local content laws were introduced by resource rich countries to maximise the benefits of resource extraction and production processes for the local population and businesses. Recognising that host communities bear an inordinate burden of the negative externalities associated resource exploitation, local content laws offer an opportunity for mitigating adverse impacts and maximising the wider benefits accruing from the energy sector at the local level. Though women are still often disproportionately impacted by the negative externalities from the oil and gas sector and excluded from employment and decision-making, most local content provisions do not sufficiently address the gender issues. This chapter explores the state of gender equality in Africa’s oil and gas sector and makes recommendations for strengthening women’s inclusion in the sector through local content laws provisions. The chapter also considers main legal approaches for mainstreaming gender equality in local content laws vis-à-vis the trends in the energy sector across the continent.
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Innovation and Leadership in Australian Public Sector OrganizationsInnovation is growing in significance for business leaders, communities, governments, and nations due to its essential role in ensuring survival, competitiveness, growth, and marketplace dominance. Despite its growing prominence, innovation often falls short of delivering better efficiency and improved services. Therefore, this article aims to identify innovation in the public sector, and highlights the barriers to organizational innovation, leadership qualities, and organizational climates that foster innovation cultures. While interpretations of innovation vary, a recurring theme in the literature is that innovation primarily hinges on creativity (Houtgraaf, Kruyen & Van Thiel, 2023) and leadership, including competence rather than solely the effort and experimentation that creativity or invention demands (Chapman 2006). Given the ambiguity surrounding public sector innovation and the lack of managerial tools to navigate it, this article provides insights to understanding the dynamics of innovation in governmental settings.
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Construct Development for Resilient Leadership Model (Rel Model): A View from Malaysian SMEsEntrepreneurs need to be more resilient. As economic disruptions are inevitable, organizations need to have resilient leaders. Resilient organizations possess the capacity to sustain favorable transformations and successfully navigate numerous hurdles during periods of crisis or adversity. The purpose of this research is to develop a new measurement tool for resilient leadership within the context of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia. Despite vast empirical evidence on the topic of leadership toward sustainable performance, validated assessments of resilient leadership are still underexplored. Therefore, the researchers initiated a quantitative research approach by gathering data from 100 SME leaders across various industries. The newly developed resilient leadership questionnaires were electronically distributed to the respondents. The data was analyzed using SPSS 26.0. The data analysis comprised descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, and exploratory factor analysis. The results revealed and verified six- dimensions of resilient leadership, which include adaptability, emotional intelligence, visionary, spiritual intelligence, growth mindset, and internal ecosystem. The measurement scale developed, and the factor structure produced can be used to assess and develop more resilient leaders that could help to sustain business performance among SMEs. The inclusion of a spiritual element into the model adds value and provides a holistic view of a resilient leadership model that is not only applicable to the context of SMEs in Malaysia but also across borders.
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Workplace innovation and work value ethics: The mediating role of leadership in Asian SMEsResearch on the correlations between design leadership, work values and ethics, and workplace innovation is lacking, especially in non-Western regions. This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of design leadership in the relationship of work values and ethics with workplace innovation in Asian small- and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs). Five hypotheses were established to explore the proposed model. Data were obtained from 995 SMEs in Japan, Thailand, China, and Vietnam and were examined using partial least squares analysis. The findings indicated a correlation between work values and ethics and design leadership, with the latter influencing workplace innovation across its four dimensions. This demonstrated the significant association between work values and ethics and workplace innovation. Design leadership was also shown to fully mediate the relationship between work values and ethics and workplace innovation in Asian SMEs. This study provides a deeper understanding of the emerging literature on the associations of design leadership, work values and ethics, and workplace innovation. It emphasizes the importance of design leadership and its correlations with various aspects of workplace innovation and work values and ethics, which have not received adequate attention in the existing literature. Asian SME entrepreneurs can improve the innovation capabilities of their organizations by focusing on and implementing design leadership behaviors, which may thereby help their organizations establish a competitive advantage and promote long-term sustainability.
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Using firm-level intellectual capital to achieve strategic sustainability: examination of phenomenon of business failure in terms of the critical events"The purpose of this study is twofold. Firstly, the authors have conducted a systematic investigation considering the historical pandemic periods (1991–2021) over 30 years to identify critical factors and business failure phenomenon during pandemics to explore “what”, “why” and “how” factors contributing to business failure during the COVID-19 pandemic and secondly identified interlinks of these factors to explain the phenomenon of business failure strategically through various quantitative models.
