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Drawing on experiential learning theory, this study seeks to understand how the perceived cultural difference in a foreign country and learning flexibility, which enables more integrated experiential learning from international experience, influence expatriates’ cultural intelligence (CQ) and consequently their adjustment and job performance.

Survey data were collected from 169 expatriates in China. Polynomial regression analyses were employed to test curvilinear relationships between cultural difference and CQ and between learning flexibility and CQ. Mediation hypotheses were tested either by the MEDCURVE procedure if a curvilinear relationship was confirmed or by the Haye’s Process procedure if a curvilinear relationship was not confirmed and instead a linear relationship was confirmed.

The results demonstrated a positive relationship between cultural difference and CQ and an inverted U-shape relationship between learning flexibility and CQ. CQ mediated the relationship between cultural difference and expatriate adjustment and partially mediated the relationship between learning flexibility and expatriate adjustment. CQ positively influenced expatriates’ job performance via expatriate adjustment.

Our findings suggest that companies should not hesitate to send expatriates on assignments to culturally very different countries and focus more attention on the selection of expatriates. The findings of this study suggest firms should choose candidates who are moderate or high in learning flexibility and could engage in integrated learning and specialized learning in a more balanced manner.

This research is the first study that examines the influence of learning flexibility on CQ and expatriate effectiveness. It examines cultural difference through the lens of experiential learning theory and argues that cultural difference constitutes “stimuli” in the experiential learning environment for individual learning in an international context. The results advance our knowledge of the role of experiential learning in developing capable global managers.

Although various stakeholder groups frequently advocate and call for greater heterogeneity among directors and managers, it remains unknown whether team heterogeneity can be beneficial for audit committee to exercise the auditor selection functions. This study aims to address this question.

Drawing on a sample of domestically listed nonfinancial A-share firms in China from 2008 to 2022, the authors empirically examine whether and how firm’s audit committee heterogeneity associates with the selection of auditors.

Firms with higher levels of audit committee heterogeneity are more likely to be associated with lower-quality auditors. Further examination reveals the mediating role of risk-taking: higher levels of heterogeneity are associated with higher levels of risk-taking, influencing firms to employ lower-quality auditors. Moreover, the authors document that increased audit committee heterogeneity is associated with more audit committee meetings and lower audit efficiency, and that hiring lower-quality auditors can influence the market value of firms with high audit committee heterogeneity.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to examine whether and how audit committee erogeneity associates with the selection of auditors. Moreover, because China is a high-power distance, collectivism-oriented, more relations-based (i.e. guanxi-based) than rules-based society, it is critical to examine the influence of team heterogeneity based on the unique cultural context and transitional nature of China’s business environment.

This study aims to explore the influence of green participative leadership on hotel employees’ pro-environmental behavior. Additionally, we seek to analyze the mediating role of green self-efficacy in this relationship while examining how environmental awareness moderates the connection between green participative leadership and green self-efficacy.

In this study, we distributed questionnaires to 546 employees working in the Chinese hotel industry. We used partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze the data and test the hypothesized relationships in our model.

The present study shows that green participative leadership positively influences employees’ pro-environmental behavior, with this relationship being partially mediated by green self-efficacy. Furthermore, environmental awareness significantly moderates the connection between green participative leadership and green self-efficacy.

The findings of this study offer valuable insights for hotel industry managers and policymakers in developing effective strategies for fostering a sustainable work environment. By embracing green participative leadership, hotels can inspire and engage employees to adopt environmentally friendly practices, ultimately contributing to the hotel’s overall sustainability.

This research expands the existing literature by proposing an integrative model that connects green participative leadership, green self-efficacy, environmental awareness and pro-environmental behavior. As a pioneering study within the Chinese hotel industry, it offers unique contextual insights that can help advance environmental sustainability in this sector.

On the basis of demand survey feedback from individuals with disabilities and caregivers, this study designed two sets of functional garments for long-term bedridden patients, with the primary objective of increasing convenience and reducing the physical workload of caregivers.

Wear trials were conducted by employing 24 subjects to perform 11 different tasks to compare the performance of the two newly developed garments with that of conventional hospital patient apparel. Task operation time, heart rate (HR), electromyography (EMG) signals, and subjective perceptions were evaluated.

The new functional garments reduced the time required to perform tasks by 29–79%, maintained the average HR of caregivers at approximately the resting threshold and resulted in a 37–74% reduction in the root mean square (RMS) of the EMG at the arm muscles in the private and thigh nursing tasks. All the subjective and objective evaluation results of the caregivers demonstrated varying degrees of correlation.

This study has practical implications for the design of functional clothing for long-term bedridden patients and provides guidance for evaluating the ergonomics of garments that can be utilized only with caregiver support.

In contrast to previous studies that focused primarily on individuals with disabilities while overlooking the indispensable role of caregivers in the nursing process, this study shifted its emphasis to long-term bedridden patients who relied exclusively on caregivers for daily activities. Additionally, this study attempted to analyze the correlations between the evaluation parameters to explore the relationships between the evaluation methods.

This study aims to explore the potential of integrating the metaverse into halal product marketing strategies, focusing on the development of ethical consumption. The metaverse, an ever-evolving, three-dimensional virtual environment, presents new prospects for fostering deep consumer engagement and personalized brand interactions.

The research method used is a mixed-method approach, revealing the qualitative aspects reinforced by quantitative analysis results.

The findings underscore that incorporating the metaverse into halal marketing holds significant promise in broadening market outreach and augmenting consumer awareness regarding halal products. The utilization of interactive virtual environments empowers consumers to immerse themselves in products, nurturing more potent emotional bonds with brands, and nurturing a deeper comprehension of the sustainability and ethics underpinning halal items.

The limitations of this study include susceptibility to external influences and ethical considerations.

In practical terms, the implementation of this research requires designing marketing campaigns equipped with metaverse components, including virtual experiences that highlight the halal production process and product journey from origin to end user. This can be realized through existing metaverse platforms or by building custom virtual settings that create unique and relevant encounters for halal consumers.

The uniqueness of this study lies in its comprehensive understanding of the potential integration of the metaverse in halal marketing − a relatively unexplored area. The study provides valuable insights for marketing practitioners and manufacturers of halal products, and guides them on how to leverage these technologies to advance ethical and sustainable consumption practices among halal consumers.

This study aims to explore the roles of Zhongyong and political efficacy on citizens’ intention to use digital government platforms for e-participation (i.e. e-participation intention). Zhongyong is a dialectical way of thinking that influences Chinese behavioral intentions and approaches. Political efficacy is a predictor of traditional political participation. Both of them have not been adequately investigated in this digital era, particularly regarding e-participation in digital government platforms. Therefore, this study investigates their relationships.

A quantitative model is constructed to examine the relationship between Zhongyong and citizens’ e-participation intention (internal and external) political efficacy serves as a mediator. An online questionnaire gathered 345 responses from three representative provinces of China (i.e. Guangdong, Jiangxi and Shanxi). Partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was adopted and executed with Smart PLS 4.0 to analyze the data.

Zhongyong and (internal and external) political efficacy can positively influence citizens’ e-participation intention. Moreover, (internal and external) political efficacy mediates the relationship between Zhongyong and citizens’ e-participation intention.

This research focuses on Chinese culture Zhongyong and surveyed Chinese citizens, thus is limited to the Chinese context. Second, this study used cross-sectional data. Third, this study only investigated two factors’ effects on e-participation, i.e. Zhongyong and political efficacy.

The findings provide multifaceted strategies for improving citizens’ adoption of digital government platforms for e-participation. Incentive policies to boost citizens’ (internal and external) political efficacy can be launched. To achieve broader citizen participation, a participative culture can be cultivated based on Zhongyong.

This study constructs a novel model that innovatively links Zhongyong thinking, political efficacy and e-participation intention. The results underscore the importance of Zhongyong culture and political efficacy in increasing citizens’ e-participation intention.

This study aims to explore why Chinese consumers pay for digital content products by investigating the experiences of Chinese consumers living in first-tier and second-tier cities regarding paid digital knowledge products.

A total of 19 in-depth interviews were conducted to collect data, and the phenomenological reduction was adopted to analyze data.

This study reveals that Chinese consumers use paid digital knowledge products to alleviate stress and anxiety stemming from real-life competition and the fear of falling behind. While consumers acknowledge the limited assistance that paid knowledge products can offer, their acceptance and expectations of paid digital knowledge products remain positive.

Paid digital knowledge represents an innovative phenomenon, with few scholars outside China having studied it. This study contributes a conceptual framework to understand the motivations of Chinese consumers with high purchasing power residing in first-tier and second-tier cities to invest in digital content.

This study aims to answer two questions: (a) what obstacles and opportunities do Chinese female entrepreneurs face when doing business? And (b) how do they negotiate their entrepreneurial careers and gender identities in different gender-segregated markets?

This study uses qualitative research methods of participant observation and in-depth interviews with 41 female entrepreneurs in China and the theoretical lenses of gender role theory and doing gender in entrepreneurship.

The study findings reveal that Chinese female entrepreneurs face different obstacles and opportunities in gender-segregated industries. Their experiences vary in industries that are mainly occupied by males and females. On the one hand, women in female-dominated industries may be supported by a feminine working environment that is coherent with their domestic roles. However, they may also be questioned on the cultural impurity implied in some industries, which harms their class-based feminine virtue. On the other hand, women in male-dominated industries may be challenged and marginalized due to their gender. However, some find ways to turn the disadvantaged feminine characters into favourable conditions and break out of the stereotypical gender constraints in doing business.

This study contributes to the literature on gender and entrepreneurship in general. More specifically, it contributes to the study of doing gender in gender-segregated markets, and it also illustrates women’s gendered opportunities and constraints in Chinese society that are affected by the long-lasting traditional gender norms.

Considering that when endorsing the same product, virtual influencers with different identity types (self-created, collaborative) can have different impacts on consumers' purchasing behaviors, this paper aims to explore how to maximize the impact effects of the VIs' respective identities. It provides companies with new perspectives on endorsement strategies.

The interaction between VI identity type and post type (informational, storytelling) on purchase intention was analyzed in four experiments (N = 1,007), considering informational and normative social influence as intermediate mechanisms and consumer self-construal as moderators.

The findings show that self-created VI is suited to informational posts and collaborative VI to storytelling posts. This identity-content match effectively triggers the social influence mechanism: informational posts of self-created VI significantly enhance informational social influence. In contrast, storytelling posts of collaborative VI primarily stimulate normative social influence. Consumer self-construal also moderates the process of influencing mechanisms.

Based on social influence theory and matching theory, this paper confirms the existence of an interaction between VI identity types, which influences consumers' purchase intention through informational and normative social influence. This finding fills the research gap in the field of VI endorsement strategy. It also emphasizes the importance of consumer self-construal and contributes new insights into the related field.

The objective of this comparative quantitative study is to examine hypotheses regarding the impact of asset management and intellectual capital (IC) on the financial performance of the construction sector in the ASEAN-5 throughout 2019–2022 with enterprise resource planning (ERP) as a mediator variable.

A final sample of 65 construction industries listed on stock exchanges during 2019 and 2022 in ASEAN-5 (Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore) was selected using the purposive sampling method. This research employs market-to-book value (MBV) as a measure of IC. The study also used path analysis, the Sobel test and analysis of variance test (ANOVA).

The findings demonstrate that asset management, intellectual capital and ERP have a significant and favorable impact on return on asset (ROA). Additionally, the asset management and IC of the ERP display weak and substantial outcomes. The implementation of ERP was also shown not to operate as a mediating factor. The ANOVA results on financial performance indicate significant differences for the year 2019. Furthermore, the use of various ERP software types demonstrates a comparable impact on enhancing financial performance.

This is the first study that utilizes ERP to mediate management asset and IC on financial performance. The ASEAN-5 construction sector is representative of developing nations' economic condition, offering the possibility to avoid the global economic collapse in 2023 and recover despite economic volatility.