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This chapter highlights the close relationship between the wellbeing of faculty and students in higher education and the quality of teaching and learning. Improving teaching and learning is crucial for promoting the wellbeing of both faculty and students. As such, instructional leadership, an approach that focuses on enhancing teaching and learning, should be a priority for higher education leaders. However, the involvement of higher education leaders in instructional leadership is often limited. Therefore, a customized version of instructional leadership that considers the unique priorities, characteristics, and norms of this specific educational context should be implemented in higher education to prioritize the improvement of teaching and learning and, consequently, enhance the wellbeing of faculty and students.

This study aims to qualitatively examine the implications of Maqasid al-Shari’ah (objectives of Islamic law) for sustainability practices among businesses. While there is a growing recognition of the importance of adopting an integrated approach to sustainability, several businesses remain focused on profit maximisation at the expense of environmental and social sustainability. As such, there is a need for more studies that emphasise sustainability practices, essentially to expose businesses to the best ways to meet the needs of today without negatively impacting future generations.

This research used a qualitative research design, and data were collected from Shari’ah scholars. To facilitate data collection, semi-structured interview questions were developed and used to conduct interviews with ten Shari’ah scholars in Malaysia. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the interview data collected for this study.

The results demonstrate that there are ample justifications from a Shari’ah perspective for integrated sustainability practices. Additionally, the study reveals a need for increased awareness regarding the importance of businesses adopting a holistic approach to sustainability through the formulation and implementation of suitable sustainability strategies and ensuring compliance with social and environmental standards.

While this study has primarily adopted a qualitative method to address the implications of Maqasid al-Shari’ah for integrated sustainability practices among businesses, the authors acknowledge that this approach may not capture the full spectrum of quantitative data that could provide a broader statistical perspective on the issue. Hence, future research could incorporate quantitative methods to complement the findings of this study.

This research constitutes an innovative addition to the field of corporate sustainability practices. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no prior studies have extensively explored the intricate intersection of Maqasid al-Shari’ah and integrated corporate sustainability practices as this study has done.

The increased use cases for laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) in the research and commercial domains necessitate a better understanding of the inputs and the processing parameters. Porosity in parts manufactured by LPBF could lead to premature failure and increased cost. The powder bed, which is selectively laser melted, must be as densely packed as possible to ensure high-density parts. This paper aims to identify and qualify the variables that affect the packing density of the powder bed.

Six different independent variables that affect the packing density of the powder were identified and quantified. The chemical composition, true powder density, powder size distribution, powder circularity and convexity and powder morphology were studied. A powder bed density capsule was printed in place to determine the actual powder bed density in the LPBF unit.

Particle size destitution is the most critical aspect of the packing density in the LPBF unit. Powder with better circularity, convexity and higher powder density has proven to pack less densely than powder with many smaller particles. A more significant number of fine particles will ensure the voids between larger particles are filled, and a denser item, with less porosity, can be manufactured.

The independent variables quantified in this study to determine their effect on the packing densities are discussed. Adherence to the ASTM standard applicable to this industry is discussed, and the quantification method is evaluated. This work’s original contribution is identifying the effect of the ratio of D₉₀ to D₁₀ values based on particle diameter and its interaction within the LPBF unit to result in the highest possible packing density.

The learning outcomes are as follows: to identify and analyze the importance of operations management in a situation demanding minimizing environmental impact and maintaining operational momentum; access the risks faced during project executions and apply project management concepts to facilitate Karachi Steel in implementing indigenous technological solutions; and evaluate the importance of adaptability, continuous improvement and innovation in creating sustainable solutions to address complex challenges.

Javaid Iqbal, CEO of Karachi Steel, was the case’s protagonist. With capacity expansion, Javaid relocated the steel facility from Rawalpindi to Islamabad, Pakistan. The company encountered several difficulties because of the air emissions’ inconvenience to nearby residents and the strict environmental regulations. To push the emissions into the air, the company first installed a locally fabricated chimney. Later, they hired a foreign Pakistani engineering firm to install air filters, but the project proved unsuccessful. To control emissions, the company developed a Wet Particulate Control (WPC) system based on a water-sprinkling mechanism. The endeavor was successful, but it resulted in water pollution. As a result, Karachi Steel signed a contract with a local engineering company that invented and effectively installed an air filtration system. Karachi Steel not only devised solutions for their predicaments but also made significant contributions toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, the emissions reporting and monitoring mechanism continued to cause inconvenience for regulators. In addition, the filtration facility encountered a blocked duct conveying zinc sulfate from smoke, resulting in the periodic suspension of operations. As Karachi Steel seek long-term solutions to current challenges, it is critical to examine the relationship between internal circumstances and external forces and stimulate a holistic approach to resolving issues within the realms of operations management and project management.

The case study is suitable for students pursuing their undergraduate degree programs in business studies or management sciences. This case can be taught in specific subjects in the domain of management sciences, including project management and operations management. Furthermore, undergraduate students pursuing degrees in environmental sciences, specializing in environmental impact assessment and sustainable development, can also learn from this case study. These subjects have the potential to provide students with a detailed understanding of the dynamic relationship between environmental problems caused by business activities, and how to address these challenges using principles of project management and operations management. There is no pre-requisite for this case study, and the level of difficulty is moderate. The recommended teaching pedagogy for this multidisciplinary case study includes role-playing exercises, simulations to replicate real-world situations and the Socratic method, which encourages critical thinking.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 7: Management Science.

The purpose of this paper is to understand communication strategies formed by multinational subsidiaries in a transition economy during disruptive events. The authors develop and test a framework based on political realism and situational crisis communication theory (SCCT).

The authors collect and analyze communication statements from multinational subsidiaries located in Russia and made in the first two months (March–April, 2022) of the Russia–Ukraine conflict.

This study’s main findings are twofold. First, this study extends SCCT by showing that multinational subsidiaries use communication strategies that go beyond the traditional categories of diminish, rebuild and bolster. In particular, this study identifies so-called “shut the door” and “burning bridges” methods as possible industrial and home country contingent communication strategies. Second, this study shows that possession of a political realism lens provides us with powerful communication strategies made requisite during disruptive events.

The results provide practical hands-on advice for subsidiary managers on how to communicate effectively and efficiently during disruptive events such as the one described. This study offers novel communication strategies that help to understand the wider implications for managers in both home and host countries.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first papers to apply SCCT and political realism to a current disruptive event for multinational enterprises, i.e. the ongoing Russia–Ukraine conflict. In that context, this study expands both perspectives by highlighting their complementarities and their conceptual boundaries. The authors can base those insights on two unique and purpose-built databases of multinational subsidiary characteristics in Russia-proper.

Drawing on signaling and social identity theories, the main objective of this paper is to suggest and validate a research framework to investigate the association of corporate social responsibility (CSR) perceptions with organizational attractiveness by uncovering the underlying mechanism of organizational trust.

By conducting regression analysis, the study hypotheses were tested with the data collected from a snowball convenient sample of 318 potential job seekers.

The study results revealed that prospective applicants' perceptions about a company's CSR undertakings are significantly associated with their trust in and attraction to the company. Noticeably, organizational trust partially mediated the direct relationship between CSR perceptions and organizational attractiveness.

Based on the study results, some specific theoretical advancements and helpful insights have been highlighted for human resources (HR) practitioners in today's competing organizations. The paper ends by outlining key research drawbacks and directions for possible work in the future.

Despite the plausible underlying role of organizational trust in the link between CSR and organizational attraction, empirical studies of this theoretical phenomenon are still lacking in the context of pre-hire recruitment literature. This may be the first study that identifies organizational trust as a salient psychological factor through which job seekers' CSR perceptions become more instrumental in influencing their attraction to a firm.

This study aims to investigate whether cloud-based accounting information system (AIS) usage contributes to AIS effectiveness, with firm size acting as a moderator. Furthermore, the role of AIS effectiveness as a mediator in the relationship between cloud-based AIS usage and organizational performance (OP) is further evaluated. In this context, the study is a bridge to show that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) try to apply cloud accounting to improve profitability, thereby funding more social-environmental activities on the path to sustainability.

The study conducted an online survey of chief accountants in Vietnam’s SMEs. Data from 193 responses were gathered and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling.

The findings show that cloud-based AIS usage considerably contributes to AIS effectiveness and OP and that AIS effectiveness has a beneficial influence on OP. Furthermore, the study shows that firm size moderates the relationship between cloud-based AIS usage and AIS effectiveness. Further findings show that cloud-based AIS usage influences OP via AIS effectiveness.

The findings of this study expand the existing body of knowledge on cloud-based AIS usage and benefit managers when formulating their business information models. In practice, SMEs need to increase the use of cloud-based AIS to better manage AIS. Enhancing profitability through cloud accounting also determines the ability to finance sustainability activities in SMEs.

One of the practical values of this study is the impact on Vietnam’s socioeconomic growth and sustainability. With cloud-based AIS, SMEs may enhance information and system quality, boost system usage frequency, gain satisfaction and increase performance. Furthermore, the comprehensiveness of AIS from cloud-based AIS usage is also a condition for SMEs to enhance accountability for social-environmental information in future sustainable reporting. These advantages improve the efficiency of strategic decision-making, hence increasing SMEs’ competitiveness and social-environmental performance. These benefits will work directly or indirectly toward fostering broader socioeconomic and environmental sustainability in developing economies.

To open a bright perspective of cloud-based AIS usage for AIS effectiveness as well as OP in SMEs toward sustainability in a developing economy, the authors conducted an exploratory study because this topic is quite new in these firms, especially in a developing economy such as Vietnam. These discoveries partly support SMEs to quickly achieve sustainable development goals in the future.

Despite the rhetoric emphasising partnership working, there has been a dearth of research related to the educational practices that reify interprofessional partnerships for young children with special educational needs. This doctoral study examined the subtle power shifts in the interactions between early years educators and other professionals against the backdrop of deficit policy discourses and institutional challenges. This research adopted a case study approach and utilised methodological triangulation to unveil educators' phronetic knowledge. The findings point to power differentials and partnership inequities which affect the roles and identities of early years educators. Participants assumed emergent leadership roles that encompassed elements of social pedagogy and pedagogical eclecticism which eschewed medicalised interventions in favour of intuitive pedagogical approaches centred on the child and family.

This paper aims to explore consumers’ post-pandemic (COVID-19) motivations for an e-retailer preference in an emerging market like India.

This study applied qualitative methodology to explore the research question, and 44 in-depth interviews were conducted with online consumers. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using open, axial and selective coding strategies.

This study identified seven post-pandemic motivations for consumers’ e-retailer preference, and the motivations were classified into: utilitarian (remote location and fast delivery, product choice and availability, comparative price and discounts and customer service), hedonic (aesthetics of the e-retailer store) and both utilitarian and hedonic (mobile-friendliness and user interface and interactivity).

Creating knowledge post-pandemic period is essential. This study communicates empirical evidence to suggest consumers are motivated through both utilitarian and hedonic motivation for an e-retailer preference in an emerging market. Furthermore, the researchers are encouraged to collect data from more developing countries and test the proposed e-retailer preference factors.

The study offers new knowledge to online retail managers to understand how emerging market consumers prefer an e-retailer and strive to attract and retain customers in the market.

Past studies have highlighted the importance of consumer online shopping motivations and channel preferences. However, there is limited literature investigating how consumers prefer an e-retailer over other e-retailers for online shopping. This study addresses the gap in the existing retailing literature and offers fresh insights into how consumers prefer an e-retailer post-pandemic from an emerging market context.

Drawing on social exchange theory, this study has two objectives. First, it sought to explore the mediating role of social exchange reciprocating responses, specifically citizenship behavior toward the organization (OCB-O) and organizational deviance, in the relationship between perceived organizational support (POS) and quality of care. Second, it aimed to develop a better understanding of the moderating effect of the educational level in the relationships proposed.

A cross-sectional survey design was implemented. The study involved 228 nurses from Argentina and data were collected between May and November 2019. A cross-sectional survey design was implemented. This study employs partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and multi-group analysis (MGA) to examine hypotheses.

The findings indicate that both social exchange reciprocating responses (i.e. OCB-O and organizational deviance) play a mediating role in the relationship between POS and quality of care. Moreover, the mediating role of OCB-O between POS and quality of care is moderated by the educational level of nursing professionals.

Nurse managers should acknowledge and promote nurses' reciprocating responses such as citizenship or deviant behaviors that enhance the quality of care. Furthermore, senior managers and HR departments should design strategies to support nurses in obtaining further education.

This study identifies the mediating role of social exchange reciprocating responses such as OCB-O and organizational deviance in the relationship between POS and quality of care. Furthermore, our research shows that educational level moderates the mediating effect of OCB-O in the relationship between POS and quality of care.