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We aim to elucidate the relationship between fixed-term employment and firm productivity by examining workers’ skills and considering how firm-level conversion rates influence this relationship.

We use longitudinal employer-employee data between 2011 and 2017 in the Netherlands to estimate a nonlinear regression derived from a production function proposed by Addessi (2014) and Castellani et al. (2020).

The contribution of fixed-term contracts to firm-level productivity is less than that of permanent contracts. However, this contribution is greater when firms exhibit a high conversion rate from fixed-term to permanent positions. The effect of the conversion rate is more substantial for high-skilled fixed-term workers than for low-skilled ones.

Our results suggest the extent to which firms benefit from fixed-term contracts when these are used for screening high-skilled workers for permanent employment.

This paper aims to dissect myths from realities. It delves into the nuanced relationship between immigration and housing, emphasizing that while correlation exists, causation is not straightforward. By exploring factors beyond immigration driving housing costs and the multifaceted impact of immigration on labour markets and economic growth, the paper seeks to inform evidence-based policies. It underscores immigration's pivotal role in filling labour shortages, fostering innovation and offsetting demographic challenges. Ultimately, the paper advocates for nuanced policy responses that acknowledge immigration's contributions while addressing housing affordability concerns, steering away from simplistic narratives and embracing the complexities of the issue.

Our methodology entails a comprehensive review of literature to elucidate the complex relationship between immigration and housing prices in Canada. We examine studies estimating causal effects of immigration on housing prices, while also considering myriad factors influencing housing demand and supply. Moreover, we analyse government immigration policies to assess their impact on housing markets. Additionally, we integrate insights from economic theory to understand the interconnectedness between immigration, labour markets and housing affordability. Through rigorous analysis and synthesis of existing research, we aim to provide clarity on the myths and realities surrounding the perceived link between immigration and housing prices.

The paper highlights Canada's historical support for immigration and its substantial benefits, including addressing labour shortages, enhancing economic growth and cultural diversity. However, concerns over immigration's impact on housing prices have shifted public opinion. While immigration is often correlated with housing price increases, causality is complex, with myriad factors at play. Few studies estimate a small, varied effect of immigration on housing prices. Importantly, immigrants increasingly settle in areas with lower housing costs, suggesting self-correcting equilibrium. Immigration also serves as a vital labour source, potentially alleviating housing supply bottlenecks. Restrictive immigration policies risk overlooking these multifaceted contributions to the economy and housing markets.

The paper delineates the complex relationship between immigration and housing prices in Canada, elucidating that while immigration is often correlated with housing price increases, it may not be the causal factor. It highlights the myriad of factors, beyond immigration, influencing housing demand and supply. Despite concerns over immigrants' impact on housing affordability, their contribution to labour markets, innovation and economic growth is substantial. The discussion underscores the importance of informed policies that address both housing affordability and labor market needs. Immigration, far from being solely a factor driving up housing prices, serves as a vital source of labour, fostering economic vitality and cultural diversity in Canada.

This study investigates how the maximum cultural intelligence (Max CQ) within a team – defined as the highest cultural intelligence level of an individual member – affects intra-team communication, conflict dynamics and, ultimately, team satisfaction and performance in global virtual teams (GVTs).

Utilizing quantitative research methods, this investigation draws on a dataset comprising 3,385 participants, which forms a total of 686 GVTs.

The study reveals that MaxCQ significantly enhances team communication, which in turn mitigates conflict, increases satisfaction and improves performance. It is noteworthy that the influence of MaxCQ on GVT success is more significant than the average cultural intelligence (CQ) of team members, providing critical insights for effective GVT management strategies.

The findings suggest that managers may optimize team dynamics not by uniformly increasing each member’s CQ but by concentrating on maximizing the CQ of one individual who can act as an influencer within the team. Strategically placing individuals with high CQ in GVTs can enhance overall team function.

While existing literature primarily examines the individual effects of CQ on communication and conflict management, this study sheds light on the collective interplay between MaxCQ, communication and conflict. It highlights the importance of MaxCQ, along with the frequency of team communication and conflict, in influencing team satisfaction and performance in GVTs.

The first two decades of the 21st century saw the rise of girl power discourses in international development, which argue that when girls in the Global South are given an investment to stay in school, they will lift entire communities out of poverty. Transnational Corporations partnered with, or even founded, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) aimed at educating girls. Yet many of these corporations face criticisms that their products, employment practices, or supply chains are harmful to girls and women. In this chapter, I employ a feminist, postcolonial and poststructuralist approach, analyzing the transnational politics of corporate–NGO partnerships for girls' education. I argue that Apple Inc.’s sponsorship of the Malala Fund and Caterpillar Inc.’s partnership with Girl Up amount to transnational forms of genderwashing, aimed primarily at alleviating the concerns of publics in the Global North while doing little to address harm experienced by girls and women in the Global South.

We introduce the notion of rainbow burning and develop the concept of rainbow washing, which draws on the concept of genderwashing, to explicate the instrumentalization of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans Plus (LGBT+) inclusion. Rainbow burning happens when LGBT+ rights and visibility are targeted through hate to divert attention from economic, social, and political decline. For example, LGBT+ rights are unjustly blamed for the decline of the social and economic fabric. Rainbow washing happens when an organization uses or instrumentalizes LGBT+ concerns for commercial and social ends. We draw on examples from unsupportive and supportive capitalist market systems and explore how rainbow burning and washing manifest in each. This chapter explores the antecedents, correlates and consequences of rainbow burning and washing in unsupportive and supportive contexts. We identify regulatory, cultural and governance measures that can be taken against rainbow burning and rainbow washing to foster LGBT+ inclusion.

This study aims to investigate the integration of blockchain technology into the food supply chain within the restaurant industry. It focuses on how blockchain can be applied to enhance transparency and trust in tracking food sources, ultimately impacting customer satisfaction.

A service design workshop (Study 1) and three between-subjects experiments (Studies 2–4) were conducted.

Results indicate that blockchain adoption significantly improves traceability and trust in the food supply chain. This improvement in turn enhances customer satisfaction through perceived improvements in food safety, quality and naturalness. This study also notes that the effects of blockchain technology vary depending on the type of restaurant (casual or fine dining) and its location (tourist destinations or residential areas).

The findings offer practical insights for restaurant owners, technology developers and policymakers. Emphasizing the benefits of blockchain adoption, this study guides decision-making regarding technology investments for enhancing customer service and satisfaction in the hospitality sector.

This research contributes novel insights to the field of technology innovation in the hospitality industry. It extends the understanding of signaling theory by exploring how blockchain technology can serve as a tool for signal transmission in restaurant food supply chains.

This chapter focuses on the concept of genderwashing in the context of higher education (HE) in the United States. Using intersectionality as a framework, the authors critically examine gender-based affinity groups, which are used in HE as a common strategy to support diversity and equity efforts. The authors discuss how such efforts often fall short in facilitating meaningful organizational or systemic change and provide questions and considerations for addressing genderwashing that are informed by an intersectional lens.

In this chapter, we examine the role that business school accreditation agencies play in influencing attitudes to gender, exploring the documentation of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB); Association of MBAs (AMBA) and European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) to develop an understanding of their stake in promoting greater gender equality or inadvertently encouraging gender washing. These agencies are powerful stakeholders who, arguably, set the recognized global standards. We focus on the organizational rhetoric espoused by them and have found that they are using practices we have defined as genderspinning: presenting a favorable impression to stakeholders; and moving in endless circles.