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Design science research (DSR) is a structured approach for solving complex ill-structured problems in organizations through the development of an artefact followed by its validation. This paper aims to evaluate existing DSR methodology and propose specific accents to promote DSR for environmental, social and governance (ESG)-oriented operational excellence (OPEX) initiatives within organizations.

This commentary paper is based on an abductive reasoning approach to evaluate and understand DSR and assess its effectiveness for developing solutions to typical ESG-oriented OPEX-based problems within organizations.

Existing literature on DSR is reviewed, after which it is evaluated on its ability to contribute to the implementation of sustainable solutions for ESG-oriented OPEX-based problems. Based on the review, specific DSR methodological accents are proposed for the development of ESG-oriented OPEX-based solutions in organizations.

This conceptual paper contributes to the conceptual understanding of the applicability, limitations and contextual preconditions for applying DSR. This paper proposes an explicit and, in some ways, alternative view on DSR research for OPEX researchers to apply and further the body of knowledge on matters of sustainability (ESG) in operations management.

Currently, there is limited understanding and application of the DSR methodology for OPEX-based problem-solving initiatives, as appears in the scant literature on DSR applied for the implementation of OPEX based initiatives for ESG purposes. This paper aims to challenge and provide accents for DSR applied to OPEX-related problems by means of a DSR framework and thereby promotes intervention-based studies among researchers.

The proposed step-by-step methodology contains novel elements and is expected to be of help for OPEX-oriented academicians and practitioners in implementing DSR methodology for practical related problems which need research interventions from academics from Higher Education Institutions.

This article intends to comprehend the Lean Six Sigma (LSS) approach adopted in the aerospace industry in India for process improvement. This research has the objective of determining LSS deliverables such as Voice of Customer (VOC), Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Critical-to-Quality (CTQ), project approach, deployment strategies and tools and techniques used to execute the project.

The study adopted an exploratory research methodology and a multiple case study analysis to draw robust inferences. The research is carried out in the Indian aerospace industry and analyses five case studies. The case studies were collated from the company via a case study protocol with pre-defined criteria. Also, a semi-structured interview is conducted with the stakeholders of each case study to determine the deployment strategies followed during the respective projects.

It is reconfirmed that LSS is crucial in the aerospace industry, particularly in engine and gear shops, to reduce rework and rejections. Also, it was found that cost and time savings are essential KPIs. Some LSS projects require multiple CTQs for process improvement in aero industries. The DMAIC approach is used for project execution, with the Design of Experiment (DOE) being an essential tool. Top management engagement, effective HRM practices, customer focus, cross-functional collaboration and clear roles are essential for successful LSS projects. Eventually, a road map was developed based on the analysis of multiple case studies.

The study is focused on the aerospace industry in India, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to other industries or regions. The small sample size and reliance on qualitative data through semi-structured interviews may introduce subjectivity. Additionally, the long-term effects of LSS implementation, particularly in the context of evolving technologies, were not fully explored.

This study provides actionable insights for aerospace companies and related organisations to enhance quality and operational performance. The developed roadmap offers a practical guide for LSS deployment, helping organisations improve efficiency and competitiveness, especially in an era of economic slowdown and high competition.

The study reveals similarities and differences in LSS deliverables in Indian aerospace industries, creating a roadmap and tool matrix for project execution and serving as a template for manufacturing industries.

The role of chief executive officer (CEO) personal characteristics in shaping corporate policies has attracted increasing academic attention in the past two decades. In this review, the authors synthesize extant research on CEO attributes by reviewing 232 articles published in 29 journals from the accounting, finance and management literature. This review provides an overview of existing findings, highlights current trends and interdisciplinary differences in research approaches and identifies potential avenues for future research.

To review the literature on CEO attributes, the authors manually collected peer-reviewed articles in accounting, finance and management journals from 2000 to 2021. The authors conducted in-depth analysis of each paper and manually recorded the theories, data sources, country of study, study period, measures of CEO attributes and dependent variables. This procedure helped the authors group the selected articles into themes and sub-themes. The authors compared the findings in various disciplines and provided direction for future research.

The authors highlight the role of CEO personal attributes in influencing corporate decision-making and firm outcomes. The authors categorize studies of CEO traits into three main research themes: (1) demographic attributes and experience (including age, gender, culture, experience, education); (2) CEO interactions with others (social and political networks) and (3) underlying attributes (including personality, values and ideology). The evidence shows that CEO characteristics significantly affect a wide range of specific corporate policies that serve as mechanisms through which individual CEOs determine firm success and performance.

CEO selection is one of the most crucial decisions made by corporations. The study findings provide valuable insights to corporate executives, boards, investors and practitioners into how CEOs’ personal characteristics can impact future firm decisions and outcomes that can, in turn, inform the high-stake process of CEO recruitment and selection. The study findings have significant practical implications for corporations, such as contributing to executive training programs, to assist executives and directors attain a greater level of self-awareness.

Building on the theoretical foundation of upper echelons theory, the authors offer an integrated theoretical framework to consolidate existing empirical research on the impacts of CEO personal attributes on firm outcomes across accounting and finance (A&F) and management literature. The study findings provide a roadmap for scholars to bridge the interdisciplinary divide between A&F and management research. The authors advocate a more holistic and multifaceted approach to examining CEOs, each of whom embodies a myriad of personal characteristics that comprise their unique identity. The study findings encourage future researchers to expand the investigation of the boundary conditions that magnify or moderate the impacts of CEO idiosyncrasies.

This paper aims to examine the extent to which board composition and ownership structure (OS) affect a firm’s dividend payout (DP) policy.

The sample comprises a total of 1,432 firm-year observations for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nonfinancial firms. Total 179 firms were analyzed from 2009 to 2016. To test the research hypotheses, the paper used panel data analysis (i.e. fixed effects model) and instrumental variable method to ensure the robustness of results against endogeneity effects.

Corporate governance (CG) variables were found to significantly impact DP. Specifically, independent directors on board, institutional ownership and royal ownership were positively associated with DP. In contrast, board size, management, government and family ownership had a negative association with DP. The empirical evidence presented in this study supports that CG elements can be both an outcome and substitute of DP as a disciplinary mechanism.

This study excluded financial firms from the sample list. Future studies should carry out on financial firms to observe if the findings are different. Future research is suggested to incorporate more CG mechanisms. Future studies are suggested to use a dynamic panel regression due to its advantages.

Practitioners, such as investors and lenders operating in GCC markets, can derive valuable insights from this study regarding the influence of board components on DP policy. The study also provides information about the investment and business environment in GCC.

The contribution of this study lies in providing empirical evidence regarding the impact of CG mechanisms and OS on DP in GCC countries.

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of state capital participation (SCP) on the corporate environmental engagement (CEE) of privately controlled listed firms in China.

We use a sample of 20,133 firm-year observations from 2009 to 2021. We use three different measures to proxy corporate environmental engagement and two different measures to proxy for state capital participation. We employ a difference-in-difference regression model to estimate the effect of state capital participation on corporate environmental engagement.

Using a sample of 20,133 firm-year observations from 2009 to 2021, we find that SCP significantly increases corporate expenditure on environmental protection, corporate environmental performance and ESG ratings. Specifically, SCP increases environmental investment capacity and attracts more media coverage, online attention and analysts’ following, which leads to better environmental engagement. Further analyses show that after state shareholders exit privately controlled firms, CEE deteriorates, while private capital injection in state-owned firms has no significant impact on CEE. The positive effect of SCP is stronger in privately controlled firms with local government ownership, a larger number of state shareholders, longer state shareholder holding periods, those without politically connected managers and firms operating in heavy pollution industries. Lastly, we show that minority government ownership reduces firm-level toxic emissions and enhances financial performance.

We enrich the literature on the role of minority state ownership in corporate financial and environmental performance.

We enrich the literature on the role of minority state ownership in corporate financial and environmental performance. In light of the escalating environmental concerns and the growing emphasis on corporate environmental responsibility, this study highlights the beneficial role of minority government ownership in driving environmental performance. By providing resources and attracting external scrutiny, the government, as a minority shareholder, can significantly enhance the environmental engagement of privately controlled firms.

This study extends the relationship, behavior and condition perspective on international business negotiation to predict cross-border merger and acquisition negotiation outcomes. Taking a two-dimensional approach to classifying institutional distance (ID), the authors identify a set of cognitive and behavioral mechanisms underlying interfirm negotiation processes. The purpose of this study is to propose that the degree, interaction, pluralistic discord of institutional dimensions and the relative importance of IDs shape cross-national negotiation workflows and tactics.

Using a cross-sectional sample of over 76,000 interfirm merger and acquisition deals, the authors find that this study’s empirical results support their overarching theory of relationship-, behavior- and condition-focused cross-border negotiation outcomes. Applying the Mahalanobis approach to multidimensional IDs, the authors conduct logistic regression analyses to run the competing models to test the hypotheses.

This research finds that the degree of dimensional interactions, pluralistic discord and relative impact – all three ID dynamics – at the dyadic level undermine the likelihood of deal completion. As such, interfirm negotiations require managing cognitive and behavioral costs underlying the intricacies of IDs.

The relationship, behavior and condition-centric interfirm negotiation theory proposed in this study informs our existing knowledge of both institutional and behavioral negotiations. Simulating the context of de facto deals, the research model simultaneously captures formal and informal ID dimensions as a tandem to identify some exogenous and endogenous bargaining dynamics to provide new insights. The results of this study demonstrate that the codified, authoritative, and legally enforceable attributes of distance (i.e. formal directives) undermine cross-border deals more acutely than the socio-culturally embedded norms (i.e. informal conventions).

This paper aims to conduct an inclusive bibliometric review of the International Journal of Lean Six Sigma (IJLSS) to elucidate the scholarly landscape, growth trends, impact, mappings, couplings, networking and thematic evolution within the field of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) research.

Using advanced bibliometric techniques, including network analysis and clustering, this study examines the publication output of IJLSS since its inception in 2010. The analysis focuses on identifying key contributors, mapping collaborative networks, tracing thematic evolution and exploring emerging research trends. The study is executed as per the proposed easy-to-understand methodology, containing well-structured nine segments hitting various critical-bibliometrics of IJLSS along with their respective implications.

The review reveals substantial growth in the publication output of IJLSS, with India emerging as a prominent contributor. Keywords such as “Lean”, “Six Sigma”, “Quality Management”, “Operational Excellence”, “Supply Chain Management”, “Industry 4.0” and “Sustainability” emerge as central themes, reflecting the journal’s focus on process improvement methodologies along with corresponding case studies. Collaborative networks among authors and countries are robust, indicating the global reach of LSS scholarship. Emerging research trends highlight areas of potential future exploration within the field.

Limitations of this study include the reliance on bibliometric data and the exclusion of nonindexed sources. However, the findings offer valuable insights into the scholarly landscape of IJLSS, providing researchers and practitioners with a comprehensive overview of LSS research inclinations and developments.

This paper contributes to the literature by providing a detailed analysis of LSS research published in IJLSS through a unique approach and future directions. The study adds to existing knowledge by mapping collaborative networks, tracing thematic couplings and identifying emerging research clusters within the ever evolving domain of LSS.