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In the leadership debate, one of the questions for public leaders nowadays is how to reflect and experience meaning in these complex and accelerated times. This article compares three dominant theoretical narratives with the narratives of public strategic leaders in practice. The statement in literature is that leaders in organisations need to create time to reflect on “creating meaning” with others as an answer to the adaptive challenges. The limitation of these studies is that they do not explore leaders’ experiences in practice. We fill this gap by examining the experiences of public strategic leaders and exploring the implications.

We qualitatively explore the narratives of 25 public strategic leaders using interviews, group dialogues and surveys.

The central finding is a problematic gap between theory and practice. This is a concern because of the utopic ideology of reflectivity, which does not consider the forces present in political and bureaucratic organisations and the leaders’ perceptions of their role and position. The narrative exploration shows a pattern of leaders trying “to do good”, avoiding disruptions caused by doubts, emotions or intuitions.

The narratives of public strategic leaders show three persistent ideologies putting pressure on their reflective space in daily practice. These narratives offer a starting point for public organisations regarding the reflective practices of strategic leaders.

This article opens a debate about leadership and reflectivity paradigms in theory and practice. It offers a reality check for leaders’ and coaches’ daily practices, as opposed to the often utopic theories.

Taking advantage of an innovative measure of corporate culture obtained from advanced machine learning and textual analysis, we investigate how corporate culture is influenced by shareholder litigation rights, which are widely recognized as a crucial external governance mechanism. The innovative measure of corporate culture is based on a textual analysis of over 200,000 earnings call transcripts.

To mitigate endogeneity and thus demonstrate causality, we exploit a quasi-natural experiment based on the staggered passage of universal demand laws, which reduce shareholder litigation rights. The enactment of state-level legislation is likely exogenous to individual firms’ characteristics as it is beyond the control of any given firm. Following the literature, we employ a difference-in-difference analysis, supplemented by several robustness checks, i.e. propensity score matching and entropy balancing.

Our difference-in-difference estimates show that an exogenous reduction in shareholder litigation rights weakens corporate culture considerably. Specifically, corporate culture is 12.74–14.41% weaker after the implementation of universal demand laws. Our results corroborate the hypothesis that a decline in litigation risk exacerbates agency problems, discouraging self-interested managers from taking actions that enhance shareholder value in the long run, such as cultivating a strong corporate culture.

Our study is the first to explore how corporate culture is affected by shareholder litigation risk, which constitutes a vital external governance mechanism. Moreover, we utilize an innovative measure of corporate culture based on sophisticated textual analysis. Finally, we employ a quasi-natural experiment based on an exogenous shock, making it more likely that our conclusion reflects a causal influence rather than merely a correlation.

The Q method is an inherently mixed-method approach suitable for tackling issues regarding theory, conceptualization and operationalization in the social sciences. Nevertheless, the application of this method in organizational behavior (OB) studies is still limited. This paper aims to delineate to what extent, regarding what topics, and in what ways the Q method has been applied in OB studies. Moreover, it aims to systematically explore the strengths and weaknesses of this method for the OB field.

We present a systematic literature review of 47 studies employing the Q method in OB research.

There is an upward trend in the application of Q in OB research. The studies in our sample address the following OB topics: Human resource management (HRM) (14), leadership (10), group decision-making (6), collaboration (4), culture (9) and organizational change and development (4). We describe how Q is used in a wide variety of ways.

This study shows how performance-oriented organizations can benefit from the Q method as a managerial diagnostic and intervention tool in organizational change and development and in human resources management.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first systematic literature review on the Q method that spans the field of organizational behavior across topics and research levels, including the individual, team and organizational levels.

The circular economy (CE) has become increasingly popular in recent years due to its potential in combining the economic growth positively with businesses, society and the environment simultaneously. The purpose of this review is to provide a concise summary of the existing literature regarding how CE strategies can help mitigate climate change.

A comprehensive review of extant literature is undertaken on the topic of CE and climate change. Six sectors are explored in this chapter; although these sectors are different, but still, they are interdependent and are not completely separate.

Thorough study of literature reveals that the energy, transport and manufacturing sectors have the greatest potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, while the waste and building sector have a moderate potential for savings. The agriculture sector, on the other hand, is predicted to have the lowest potential for savings.

This chapter provides implications for achieving a sustainable future in terms of economic growth, social harmony and environment conditions by developing efficient and affordable methods to achieve the goal of CE.

This chapter is a unique endeavour to explore the intricate relationship between CE and climate change. Although both concepts have been explored individually by various studies, but our study is one of the few attempts made to emphasise the crucial role of CE to mitigate the climate change.

Users contribute to online communities by posting and responding to discussion threads. Nonetheless, only a small fraction of threads gain popularity and shape community discourse. Prior studies have identified several factors driving thread popularity; however, despite their prevalence, the role of emotional expressions within discussion threads remains understudied. This study addresses this gap by investigating the impact of thread starters’ valence and embedded discrete emotions of anger, anxiety and sadness on thread popularity, drawing on the negativity bias and the emotion-as-social-information theories.

Using two samples from Reddit, this study employs negative binomial regression analysis to examine the hypothesized relationships.

The results demonstrate that negativity in thread starters significantly influences thread popularity; however, the expression of discrete emotions impacts popularity variously. In some contexts, such as COVID-19 vaccination subreddits, embedded anger in thread starters decreases thread popularity, whereas anxiety and sad expressions enhance it. In other contexts, such as professional discussions (e.g. r/Medicine subreddit), anger and anxiety expressions increase thread popularity, while sad expressions have no significant influence.

The study is limited by its focus on specific emotions and contexts. Future research could examine a broader range of emotions, post-content modalities and the impact of cultural and linguistic differences.

This study contributes to theory by offering a new definition of thread popularity and enhancing our understanding of the impact of emotions in online discussions. It also provides practical implications for online community members and moderators seeking to promote discussion posts that help achieve community goals.

The application of galvanized steel is widespread across industries due to its protective zinc coating that protects against atmospheric corrosion. However, previous studies have primarily focused on long-term corrosion rates rather than the full-scale corrosion behavior of the zinc. This paper aims to study the full-scale corrosion evolution of galvanic steel under simulated marine atmospheric environment using real-time EIS measurement.

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) provides an advanced method in monitoring such behavior. Therefore, the EIS method has been used to conduct a comprehensive investigation on the corrosion behavior of galvanic steel in a full-time manner.

The results indicate that the corrosion process of galvanic steel can be divided into three stages: an initial stage with an increased corrosion rate, a subsequent stage with a reduced corrosion rate, and finally a third stage with the lowest and constant corrosion rate. The evolution of corrosion resistance is closely related to changes in composition and structure of the patina layer. In the initial stage, galvanized steel undergoes the formation of soluble ZnCl₂ and needle-like Zn₅(OH)₈Cl₂·H₂O, which promotes the generation and maintenance of an electrolyte layer, consequently leading to an increase in corrosion rate. With prolonged corrosion time, there is a continuous accumulation of Zn₅(OH)₈Cl₂·H₂O within the patina layer, which reduces the content of soluble components and promotes the development of a denser inner layer, thus enhancing corrosion resistance.

This work holds significance in the monitoring of corrosion, understanding the evolution of corrosion and predicting the lifespan of galvanized steel.

The purpose of this study is to explore the intricate relationship between oil prices, house prices in the UK and Norway, and the mediating role of gold and stock prices in both the short- and long-term, unraveling these complex linkages by employing an empirical approach.

This study benefits from a comprehensive set of econometric tools, including a multiequation vector autoregressive (VAR) system, Granger causality test, impulse response function, variance decomposition and a single-equation autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) system. This rigorous approach enables to identify both short- and long-run dynamics to unravel the intricate linkages between Brent oil prices, housing prices, gold prices and stock prices in the UK and Norway over the period from 2005:Q1 to 2022:Q2.

The findings indicate that rising oil prices negatively impact house prices, whereas the positive influence of stock market performance on housing is more pronounced. A two-way causal relationship exists between stock market indices and house prices, whereas a one-way causal relationship exists from crude oil prices to house prices in both countries. The VAR model reveals that past housing prices, stock market indices in each country and Brent oil prices are the primary determinants of current housing prices. The single-equation ARDL results for housing prices demonstrate the existence of a long-run cointegrating relationship between real estate and stock prices. The variance decomposition analysis indicates that oil prices have a more pronounced impact on housing prices compared with stock prices. The findings reveal that shocks in stock markets have a greater influence on housing market prices than those in oil or gold prices. Consequently, house prices exhibit a stronger reaction to general financial market indicators than to commodity prices.

This study may have several limitations. First, the model does not include all relevant macroeconomic variables, such as interest rates, unemployment rates and gross domestic product growth. This omission may affect the accuracy of the model’s predictions and lead to inefficiencies in the real estate market. Second, this study does not consider alternative explanations for market inefficiencies, such as behavioral finance factors, information asymmetry or market microstructure effects. Third, the models have limitations in revealing how predictors react to positive and negative shocks. Therefore, the results of this study should be interpreted with caution.

These findings hold significant implications for formulating dynamic policies aimed at stabilizing the housing markets of these two oil-producing nations. The practical implications of this study extend to academics, investors and policymakers, particularly in light of the volatility characterizing both housing and commodity markets. The findings reveal that shocks in stock markets have a more profound impact on housing market prices compared with those in oil or gold prices. Consequently, house prices exhibit a stronger reaction to general financial market indicators than to commodity prices.

These findings could also serve as valuable insights for future research endeavors aimed at constructing models that link real estate market dynamics to macroeconomic indicators.

Using a variety of econometric approaches, this paper presents an innovative empirical analysis of the intricate relationship between euro property prices, stock prices, gold prices and oil prices in the UK and Norway from 2005:Q1 to 2022:Q2. Expanding upon the existing literature on housing market price determinants, this study delves into the role of gold and oil prices, considering their impact on industrial production and overall economic growth. This paper provides valuable policy insights for effectively managing the impact of oil price shocks on the housing market.

This study examines the efficiency dynamics of public health service providers in Colombia between 2010 and 2021. In order to achieve this objective, a data panel is utilized to assess the effectiveness of 841 institutions across three levels of complexity (1, 2 and 3) in providing patient care, taking into account user satisfaction from 2010 to 2021.

By employing growth mixture analysis (GMA) and other statistical techniques, we may identify unique efficiency profiles among hospitals with different levels of complexity.

The results demonstrate varied efficiency patterns, with certain profiles generally retaining or improving efficiency over time, while others observe fluctuations or reductions. Efficiency outcomes are significantly impacted by factors such as capital investment, operational costs and workforce mix. Efficiency levels can be improved by making strategic investments in capital infrastructure and implementing effective operational cost management.

Changes in the healthcare market conditions in recent years in Colombia have compelled healthcare providers (IPS) to transform themselves into sustainable organizations.

This study aims to explore the association between chief executive officer (CEO) tenure and the quality of information disclosed through integrated reporting quality (IRQ), which combines financial and non-financial data. The authors also investigate how formal (e.g. board independence and gender diversity) and informal (e.g. corporate culture) governance mechanisms influence this association. By analysing these factors, the authors expect to provide valuable insights on the impact of CEO tenure and governance structures on the comprehensive nature of integrated reporting.

This study uses a sample of the top 200 Australian Securities Exchange (ASX)-listed companies from 2015 to 2019. IRQ is measured through levels of compliance with the integrated reporting (IR) framework proposed by the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC). The hypotheses are tested using multiple regression analyses.

The authors find that CEO tenure is negatively associated with IRQ. Furthermore, CEO tenure has a more positive influence on IRQ in the early CEO tenure years than later ones. The authors' study finds that the association between CEO tenure and IRQ is insignificant when firms have a high level of monitoring, as measured by board independence and gender diversity. The authors also document that competitive corporate culture moderates the negative association between CEO tenure and IRQ.

The authors' study highlights the significant impact of internal formal and informal governance mechanisms on disclosure practices in Australia's voluntary IR environment. By shedding light on these factors, the authors' research enhances understanding of Australian companies' IR practices and offers valuable insights for scholars, policymakers and practitioners in the field.

This paper aims to examine the consistency between firms’ stakeholder-friendly responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and their environmental, social and governance (ESG) ratings. Consistent firms are those with high prior ESG ratings that actively support stakeholders during the COVID-19 crisis.

The authors use data from JUST Capital, which tracks Russell 1000 firms’ actions in response to the pandemic, to examine the relationship between pre-pandemic ESG ratings and their COVID responses towards employees, customers and communities. The authors also analyse the impact of firms’ consistency between pre-pandemic ESG ratings and stakeholder-friendly COVID responses on ESG ratings and stock returns.

This study finds that firms with higher pre-pandemic ESG ratings are more likely to support their stakeholders during the pandemic. The authors also find that firms with high ESG ratings before the pandemic experience a decline in their ESG ratings if they do not actively support their communities during the COVID-19 crisis, although insufficient employee/customer support does not impact their ESG ratings. Finally, the authors find that firms with higher pre-pandemic ESG ratings that continue to uphold their ESG commitments through community assistance during the pandemic achieve higher stock returns compared to inconsistent firms.

The results reveal gaps in how comprehensively ESG agencies assess firms’ crisis responses, highlighting areas for rating improvements. The findings contribute to sustainable development by revealing the importance of firms upholding their ESG commitments during crises to maintain stakeholder trust and drive long-term value creation.

The findings underscore the need for responsive, transparent ESG rating processes to support the integration of sustainability considerations into corporate practices and investment decisions, particularly during evolving societal expectations during crises.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to investigate how pre-pandemic ESG ratings explain firms’ stakeholder-friendly responses during the COVID-19 pandemic and analyse the integration of these responses and pandemic risks into ESG ratings during the crisis.