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The purpose of this paper is to explore and critically examine the integration of religious perspectives in diversity and inclusion (D&I) initiatives in the context of international business (IB).

This qualitative study used a case study methodology, focusing on an international consulting firm, inspired by Islamic Sufism, and their clients in South Africa and Pakistan. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with consultants and clients from 25 organizations, participant observations during training sessions, and document analysis. Thematic analysis was used to identify and analyse patterns in the data.

The study revealed that religious ideas and individuals are marginalized in the global business environment through a phenomenon termed “secularchy”. Consultants from the Islamic Sufi-inspired firm had to detach religious elements from their management model to gain acceptance in secular corporate settings. Participants reported that religious perspectives were systematically excluded and those expressing religious viewpoints faced significant barriers. The findings emphasize the need for more inclusive D&I practices that genuinely integrate religious diversity into organizational cultures.

This study introduces the concept of “secularchy” to describe the systemic marginalization of religious perspectives in IB, a novel contribution to the D&I literature. The authors challenge the dominant secular paradigm in global business, advocating for more equitable and inclusive integration of religious diversity in organizational practices.

This study aims to synthesise published evidence relating to filial coercive control to generate an understanding of this under-explored concept. This paper identifies its defining characteristics and explores the circumstances under which the phenomenon manifests in the lives of older adults.

A scoping review methodology was adopted to guide the literature review, while a concept analysis methodology guided data extraction and analysis. Drawing on Rodgers’s (1989) evolutionary concept analysis method, a co-constructed research methodology was developed for this study.

The concept of filial coercive control was understood in the context of the following antecedents: ageist norms, a parental relationship (both biological and non-biological), physical proximity and the controlling characteristics and tendencies of the abusive adult child. The defining attributes included the exercise of power through control, dependency and entrapment, isolation and confinement and fear and intimidation. Using the dominant themes, models and contrary cases were constructed to illustrate the findings.

Existing bodies of theory fail to adequately describe the phenomenon of filial coercive control adequately; as a consequence, a co-constructed concept analysis was conducted. A tentative operational definition and a conceptual model are proposed providing a starting point for future research and informing professional practice and education.

Though scholarship has documented Black opera leaders' contributions to the art form in the United States (André, 2018; Caplan, 2017; Cuyler, 2021; Southern, 1997; Turner, 2015), they have received scant attention in rubrics that theorize a definition of Black opera (André, 2018; Cheatham, 1997; Schmidt & Schroeder, 1999). However, as their recent advocacy for racial justice (Cuyler, 2022) through their Letter to the Opera Field in 2020 revealed (Cuyler, 2023), Black opera leaders play a powerful and unique role in shaping audiences' appreciation, engagement with, and understanding of Black opera (André, 2018; Cuyler, 2023; Floyd & Cuyler, 2023). In addition to their positionality as observers of and participants in opera companies' decision-making processes, their advocacy for racial justice can compel an opera company to program Black opera, or not (Cuyler, 2021, 2022, 2023). Therefore, in this chapter, I explore the research question, what is the role of Black opera leaders in Black opera? Lastly, I propose a theory of the dynamic process that includes artistic programming and casting, hiring, community engagement, and audience development which enables the development of an audience for Black opera when Black opera leaders view their leadership of these areas of work through the lens of racial justice.

In 2020, former Major Junior hockey players filed a lawsuit against the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), its three regional affiliates and each of their teams. The statement of claim (Carcillo v. CHL, 2020) alleges rampant institutionalised and systemic abuse shaped by a toxic environment that enables abuse, discrimination and other harmful conduct to continue. In response, the CHL commissioned an independent review panel (Thériault et al., 2020) to investigate the abuse allegations. The panel concluded that the culture in the CHL has allowed abusive practices to become a cultural norm. The purpose of this chapter is to provide an understanding of player perceptions of hazing in the context of an environment that is typically understood as hypermasculine to the point of enabling abuse and the vitiation of consent. Drawing on a content analysis of affidavits from the Carcillo lawsuit as well as semi-structured qualitative interviews we conducted with former CHL players, we discuss the findings that suggest that CHL teams and leagues have often fostered a culture that can facilitate dangerous hazing practices for which consent is not always authentically obtained.

In this chapter, I will outline the labels of giftedness and underachievement and present the theoretical debates surrounding these labels. A historicist examination of these labels follows, highlighting how the gifted underachievement (GUA) label emerges through the negation of “giftedness.” Subsequently, I explore the concept of GUA and its negative connotations, stemming from the positive valuation inherent in the term “giftedness” and its implications for what is considered “normal.” This chapter also reviews perspectives on shifting the focus away from the individual within the current paradigm of labeling giftedness and explores insights from systemic thinking and symbolic interactionism (SI). The conclusion underscores the necessity of a symbolic interactionist perspective to address the gaps in research on the labeling of giftedness and underachievement. Finally, I propose a generic definition that can be used in GUA research in the light of SI.

This chapter examines the relative influence of parents (vertical channel) and friends (horizontal channel) when deciding between employment in the public or private sector. Using a novel database and applying network analysis, the influence of peers is first measured. Next, the peer effect is compared with the impact of parental background on individual preferences. For the private sector, findings indicate that the influence (marginal effect) of friends is greater than that of parents. The opposite is observed for the public sector. However, in the case of public sector employment, the overall effect of the horizontal channel may surpass the vertical channel, as individuals typically have two parents but may have many friends. Additionally, it is found that both parents and friends exert a greater influence on women than on men.

The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experiences of ten (10) product innovation employees in medical device firms’ sustainability initiatives, considering leadership, organizational and employee factors within the healthcare industry.

Phenomenology was chosen as it supports an in-depth analysis of the lived experience of several individuals, who are experiencing a similar phenomenon. This methodology permitted the researcher to “view experience and behavior as an integrated and inseparable relationship of the subject and object and of parts and whole.”

The intersection of employee, leader and organizational factors should be considered to further organizational citizenship behavior to the environment. Within each theme, cognitive dissonance is present. Understanding and acknowledging the choice required by the individual, leader and/or organization may impact overall environmental organizational citizenship behavior.

When implementing sustainable activities, three key areas should be evaluated: leaders, organizations and employees.

This study provides insight into employee experiences and sustainable activities.

This research adds to the literature on organizational citizenship behavior to the environment within medical device firms as it provides insight into how sustainability programs within firms could be approached. Healthcare’s climate impact contributes to emissions which are equivalent to having 75 million vehicles on the road, annually. In addition, this study provided an initial understanding of the lived experiences of employees within the medical device industry when themes are analyzed. The results may help organizations understand the experiences of employees to further advance their vision and mission, by understanding the phenomenon of how sustainability initiatives are perceived.

Lean Six Sigma (LSS) implementation follows a structured approach called define-measure-analyze-improve-control (DMAIC). Earlier research about its application in emergency healthcare services shows that it requires organizational transformation, which many healthcare setups find difficult. The Kotter change management model facilitates organizational transformation but has not been attempted in LSS settings till now. This study aims to integrate the LSS framework with the Kotter change management model to come up with an integrated framework that will facilitate LSS deployment in emergency health services.

Two-stage Delphi method was conducted by using a literature review. First, the success factors and barriers of LSS are investigated, especially from an emergency healthcare point of view. The features and benefits of Kotter's change management models are then reviewed. Subsequently, they are integrated to form a framework specific to LSS deployment in an emergency healthcare set-up. The elements of this framework are analyzed using expert opinion ratings. A new framework for LSS deployment in emergency healthcare has been developed, which can prevent failures due to challenges faced by organizations in overcoming resistance to changes.

The eight steps of the Kotter model such as establishing a sense of urgency, forming a powerful guiding coalition, creating a vision, communicating the vision, empowering others to act on the vision, planning for and creating short-term wins, consolidating improvements and producing still more change, institutionalizing new approaches are derived from the eight common errors that managers make while implementing change in the institution. The study integrated LSS principles and Kotter’s change management model to apply in emergency care units in order to reduce waste and raise the level of service quality provided by healthcare companies.

The present study could contribute knowledge to the literature by providing a framework to integrate lean management and Kotter's change management model for the emergency care unit of the healthcare organization. This framework guides decision-makers and organizations as proper strategies are required for applying lean management practices in any system.

The proposed framework is unique and no other study has prescribed any integrated framework for LSS implementation in emergency healthcare that overcomes resistance to change.