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This paper presents the most up-to-date comprehensive meta-analysis of the effectiveness of interventions to enhance psychological capital (PsyCap). It also reports the first meta-analytic examination of longer-term effects (beyond the immediate post-intervention period).

This meta-analysis followed PRISMA 2020 guidelines and utilised the methodologies of Hunter and Schmidt (2004) and Borenstein et al. (2009). The search period was from 2006 until February 2023. A total of 40 studies (N = 4,207) were included in the meta-analyses. The analyses were performed using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) Version 4 software programme.

The results indicate that the impacts of interventions on PsyCap and each of its component resources are greater than those reported in a previous meta-analysis (Lupșa et al., 2020), with the strongest impacts on hope and optimism. Interventions had sustained positive effects on PsyCap, hope, resilience and optimism, but not efficacy, and the frequency of intervention sessions influenced the effectiveness of interventions on hope, efficacy and optimism. Interestingly, specific PsyCap-focussed interventions did not have the greatest impact on PsyCap or its component resources.

This study contributes to emerging research on wellbeing-oriented HRM and provides valuable insights into more effective design and implementation of interventions to enhance PsyCap and its component resources. These interventions are a promising form of investment in employees which may bring mutual gains for individuals and organisations. The present findings extend those of previous studies and specifically respond to the call for further research on the persistence of PsyCap intervention effects.

This paper introduces a new approach to theorising and learning from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) women’s experiences of inequality in academia. It offers a versatile model with which the structure of a particular racist-sexist inequality regime can be theorised from empirical evidence.

The paper presents composite, fictionalised accounts of intersectional discrimination which are then analysed through critical realist frameworks, employing critical race feminist theory insights. This novel “whisper network” method centres the knowledge of BAME women in academia, and is translatable to other marginalised actors, offering a more protective means by which to access their knowledge as a foundation for organisational change.

Through theorising the ontological arrangement of key causal mechanisms responsible for the reproduction of inequality regimes, the paper illuminates links between micro-level intersectional discrimination and meso-level institutional inequality.

In order to preserve anonymity and reduce potential backlash, the vignettes in this paper are not intended to precisely capture specific empirical realities, but instead reflect wider patterns from the author's own whisper network knowledge. Nonetheless, the analytical method developed here could be applied to rigorously collected empirical data, with clear implications for improving organisational practice.

The paper offers a structured and systematic process by which qualitative data on institutional inequality can be analysed and stakeholders engaged to develop and propose solutions, even by individuals new to the field.

A methodical basis for strategic action addressing the issues revealed through such an analysis can be developed in order to galvanise and steer organisational change.

The novelty of the paper is twofold: in its original synthesis of critical realist depth ontology and ontological insights from critical race feminist theory about social structures of oppression, and in the development of the innovative “whisper network” method based upon a critical race theory counter-storytelling epistemology, in conversation with the emergent stream of literature within feminist organisation studies regarding the importance of “writing differently”.

Despite social ministries and enterprises by Catholic sisters being established under stable foundation and for several years, there have been cases of failures or stalled projects. The purpose of this study was to examine whether this phenomenon is simply failure or a case of mission drift.

To achieve this objective, primary data drawn from four African countries, 59 congregations and 172 respondents were subjected to a mixed methods approach to find out what explained this failure. The 172 respondents were drawn from a set of congregational leaders.

The findings revealed some level of inactive projects largely in farming and agricultural production. The authors found that the identified 19 causes of social enterprise failures emanated both from internal, commercially driven to external, pro-social reasons.

The findings of the study revealed the need to strategically review the utilisation of the resources at the disposal of the congregations. Capacity building, proper succession planning and setting the right tone at the top were critical imperatives congregational leaders need to pay attention to minimise project failures and mission drift. Finally, the study called for innovative funding models together with a change in mindset about the sustainability of the social enterprises.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is perhaps the first to focus on social enterprises run by Catholic sisters with a view towards establishing why they tend to fail.

This paper aims to shed new light on the contextual embeddedness of intersectional entrepreneurs, i.e. entrepreneurs situated at the intersection of multiple marginalized diversity attributes, beyond simply business strategies and decisions. Taking an emic perspective on everyday practices as intersectional entrepreneurs, it uncovers neglected dimensions of the contextuality of intersectional discriminations.

The study presents qualitative data analysis results of in-depth narrative interviews with six intersectional entrepreneurs, all LGBTIQA* entrepreneurs with further diversity dimensions. It provides an emic view of intersectional entrepreneurs, in their everyday lives and the contexts, in which they develop their businesses.

Intersectional entrepreneurs face different burdens induced by social structures along the entrepreneurial process. While access to the niche market is more difficult and they lack community support, their realization of intersectional discrimination is crucial for the development of business strategies. Simultaneously, intersectional entrepreneurs use their specific diversity attributes to develop their business, yet this proximity of their identity and the business contents has severe consequences for their mental state. Intersectional entrepreneurs adjust to the balance of opportunity and vulnerability.

As intersectional entrepreneurs are barred from conventional institutional support and also have limited access to resources from their respective social networks, there is an urgency to provide specific support for such entrepreneurs.

This study aims to examine the role of libraries in stimulating access to information concerning environmental justice issues. This study also provides valuable insights into libraries’ contributions to addressing environmental justice concerns and informs strategies for maximizing their impact in this critical area.

In conducting this study the role of academic librarians at the Federal University of Technology Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, using a descriptive design and qualitative research method. The population for this study consists of academic librarians who were chosen due to their expertise in information access and their potential impact on environmental justice initiatives within the academic community. Data were collected through focus group discussions with the participating academic librarians.

The findings of this study underscore the critical role of addressing information disparities within the context of environmental justice, emphasizing the transformative potential of information access in empowering communities. The analysis reveals a consensus among respondents regarding the multifaceted role of librarians in addressing environmental justice. Librarians are perceived not only as information custodians but also as active contributors to community engagement, awareness and social change. This study identifies both challenges and opportunities for libraries to enhance awareness of environmental justice issues among their patrons. While existing resources related to environmental justice in the library’s collection are generally viewed positively, there is consensus among participants that there is room for improvement. Finally, this study acknowledges gaps in the current collection regarding information on environmental justice. It underscores the need for up-to-date multimedia resources focusing on local issues and representing diverse perspectives.

Collaboration with scholars from diverse fields such as environmental science, sociology and public policy could enrich the understanding of the complex intersections between information access, environmental justice and librarianship.

Librarians have a responsibility to promote information access and environmental justice by curating relevant resources, promoting information literacy, engaging with communities, advocating for change, addressing digital access and equity issues, fostering cultural competence and collaborating with other stakeholders.

This study presents a compelling and forward-thinking perspective that underscores the critical role of librarians in addressing environmental challenges and fostering social equity.

This study aims to address the growing challenges posed by consumerist behavior in ecosystems, leading to increased waste production and escalating costs in waste management. The goal is to investigate the waste management efficiency of Italian municipalities and the factors affecting their efficiency levels.

A two-stage bootstrap Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is used to assess the waste management efficiency level of a selected sample of 147 Italian municipalities. Additionally, a truncated regression model is used to investigate the factors affecting waste management efficiency.

This study reveals a medium-high level of waste management efficiency across Italian municipalities. Additionally, it highlights the negative effect of unemployment rates on waste management efficiency within Italian municipalities, alongside the positive influence of the council’s political ideology and electoral turnout.

The novelty of this study is the unique application of combined methods in the Italian context, providing a nuanced perspective on municipal waste management efficiency. This approach contributes novel insights to the existing literature in this field.

This study investigates the relationship between the hedonic pleasure of trying new food and emotional responses to insect-based bakery products.

A laboratory tasting was conducted with 131 Italian high school students in the province of Teramo (Italy). Participants completed a questionnaire to assess their general hedonic liking of new food and ranked the intensity of negative and positive emotions after tasting the food products.

The findings show that general hedonic liking of new food significantly influences both negative and positive emotions. In the case of negative emotions, individuals who declared to like trying new food were more likely to experience lower levels of disgust, fearful, worry and distrustful. Meanwhile, in the case of positive emotions, individuals who liked trying new food had a greater probability of feeling higher levels of calm, energy, enthusiasm and contentment. We further found that women were more likely to experience negative emotions (i.e. disgust, fearful and worry) to a higher extent than men.

The results add useful information about food and marketing research by showing which emotions should be encouraged or avoided in the case of consumers with different degrees of liking new food.

This study is the first to assess how hedonic liking impacts emotions in the case of an insect-based food.

This study aims to provide an overview of the state-of-the-art in efficiency measurement within higher education (HE). Specifically, it seeks to gather all relevant articles on the topic and subsequently categorize these studies using a flowchart based on two core aspects of the topic.

This study employs bibliometric and content analyses to conduct a systematic literature review. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review (PRISMA) framework is used to identify the search protocol, followed by analyses to classify and categorize articles.

The bibliometric analysis identifies prominent themes, methodologies and literature gaps. The content findings highlight key insights on higher educational institution (HEI) efficiency, including organizational structures, services and operational activities.

This research contributes to the existing knowledge by synthesizing global literature on HEI’s efficiency. Utilizing the flowchart developed by the authors, the study captures the state-of-the-art based on two critical aspects: methodologies and content. Insights from the analysis and subsequent classification of previous literature provide valuable directions for future research.