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This study explores the role of human resource management (HRM) practices in advancing sustainable development goals (SDGs) within emerging markets. Specifically, we examine how HRM practices in financial institutions in the emerging markets of India and China promote SDGs 8 (decent work and economic growth), 10 (reduced inequalities) and 13 (climate action). We also propose a framework integrating these key SDG goals with core HRM functions.

Secondary data analysis was employed using data from sustainability reports of the top five Indian and Chinese banks listed in Forbes – the Global (2000) ranking for 2022–2023. These sustainability reports were analysed based on their reporting of indicators from the Global Reporting Initiative GRI 400 series, aligned with the SDGs 8, 10 and 13.

The result of the comparative analysis indicates that both Indian and Chinese banks use HRM practices of recruitment and selection, rewards and payments, workplace health and safety, and training and development to meet SDGs 8 (decent work and economic growth), 10 (reduced inequalities) and 13 (climate action). Regarding the reporting and disclosure of HRM practices in diversity, equity and inclusion, Indian banks outperform Chinese banks, and these practices contribute significantly to SDGs 8, 10 and 13. The dominance of state-owned initiatives in China dictates the alignment of HRM strategies with economic priorities at the national level, highlighting the challenge of balancing global sustainability initiatives with a centralised management system.

The study provides a comprehensive examination of sustainability reports with a specific focus on HRM practices and their role in advancing SDGs. It applies institutional theory to understand the differences in the reporting and implementation of HRM practices that contribute to the achievement of SDGs.

Despite growing knowledge about its benefits, the organic food market’s expansion has been limited. A problem with ethical consumption is the attitude–behavior gap. The simplest reason for this gap is that in survey settings, social desirability bias elicits positive attitudes; whereas in real settings, the ambiguity of direct benefits leads to negative behavior. By clinging to the excessive values of a beauty premium, consumers abandon essential health in favor of apparent health, increasing product prices and contributing to environmental degradation. Using organic food, this study aims to eliminate this gap in the consumption of organic foods.

This study uses a randomized controlled trial – the gold standard for estimating the causal effects of treatments – with 1,500 individuals aged 20–70 years in Japan. The authors consider appealing aspects other than product characteristics, such as health and environmental considerations, and focus on the negative effects of beauty premiums.

The above marketing communication significantly increased purchase intention. This effect was more pronounced among younger people, men, those with higher incomes and those who cook less frequently as compared to their counterparts. Health and environmental considerations had no effect on purchase intentions.

This study incorporated consumer values regarding health and environmental benefits in new marketing communications to address the “beauty premium” and resolve the conventional attitude–behavior gap concerning organic foods.

This paper aims to map the evolution of hydrogen-based technologies (HBTs) by examining the patenting activity associated to these technlogies from 1930 to 2020. In doing so, the study provides a novel perspective on the development of HBTs and offers implications for managers and policymakers.

We collected patent data at the level of patent families (PFs). Our sample includes 317,089 PFs related to hydrogen production and 62,496 PFs to hydrogen storage. We examined PF data to delineate the state of the art and major technical advancements of HBTs.

Our analysis provides evidence of an increasing patenting activity in the area of HBTs, hence suggesting relatively high levels of expectations on the economic potential of these technologies. US and Japan hold the largest proportion of PFs related to HBTs (about 60%), while European applicants hold the highest proportion of highly cited PFs (about 60%). While firms represent the applicant with the highest share of PFs, our analysis reveals that firms holding HBT PFs are primarily from the chemical sector.

While our analysis is limited to examining patent data which capture some aspects of the innovation activity around HBTs (namelly, patented inventions), our study enriches existing literature by performinng a patent analysis on a much larger sample of data when compared to previous studies.

Two main implications emerge from our study. Firstly, there seems to be an urgent need to support the emergence of a dominant design so as to facilitate the consolidation and diffusion of the HBTs, hence the transition to a more sustainable energy production. Secondly, the majority of HBT PFs are held by a small number of countries. This, in turn, suggests opportunities to develop cross-country cooperation (e.g. international agreements, research and technology offices) to support the development and adoption of HBTs globally.

Considering the results obtained in this study, from a social point of view, the attention that organizations have paid to hydrogen related technologies is evident. This suggests that the development HBTs can function as a social enabler for a sustianable energy transition.

Extant research has focused on the individual components of the hydrogen chain. As a result, we lack a comprehensive understanding of the progress made in the area of HBTs. To address this gap, this study examined HBTs by focusing on both production and storage technologies since their initial developments, hence adopting an observation period of about 70 years.