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The Metaverse, an emergent Web 3.0 platform, offers users immersive virtual reality experiences. This study employs a case study approach to explore the concept of sustainability within the Metaverse. It examines the environmental, social, and economic implications of virtual interactions and the role of sustainable technologies in shaping user behavior and virtual economies. Through selected case studies, the research provides insights into the potential and challenges of integrating sustainable practices in the Metaverse, with implications for stakeholders ranging from policymakers to end-users.

It has become obvious to companies that the metaverse may help maximize profits. The purpose of this chapter is to describe the uses and possibilities of metaverse-based virtual and augmented reality technologies in the future. Brands can now engage with customers at a completely new level of interaction through Metaverse, which cannot be achieved within current marketing channels. Immersive XR environments may require decision makers to reexamine customer journeys, demographic characteristics, and customer personas. The main purpose of this chapter is to present an overview of metaverse applications. Further this section reveals the ways in which the business and education industry can benefit through metaverse applications. Additionally, this section reveals the real-world applications of technology in metaverse for avatar, gaming, and prospects. Finally, this chapter sheds light on the academics and practitioners by showing how metaverse elements can contribute for business processes.

Given the growth of virtual reality (VR)-based tourism experiences in the past five years, this study aims to investigate the impact of VR-based interactions (ergonomics and embodiment) on memorable experiences and revisit intention mediated by cognitive and emotional responses.

This study has used an exploratory sequential mixed methodology research design to operationalise this research. Study 1 uses qualitative in-depth interviews to explore the proposed research questions, and Study 2 uses a 3 × 3 factorial experimental research design to test the proposed hypothetical model with 355 samples.

The results indicate that embodiment plays a more crucial role than VR ergonomics. Also, the cognitive response in the virtual tour indirectly generates a more memorable experience than the emotional response.

This research uses the theory of technological mediation as an overarching framework to conceptualise the research. Also, the research has applied the tenets of cognitive embodiment theory, metacognitive theory and other related theories to develop the arguments. Thus, the results of this research will extend the holistic understanding of these theories.

This research will guide VR tourism developers in understanding the requirements and expectations of tourists. It also serves as a manual to understand how tourists process the VR tour psychologically.

Very minimal focus was given to understanding the tourists’ interaction with technology in VR tours. The concept of ergonomics and embodiment investigated as an experimental variable is a novel approach in technology-based tourism research.

This paper aims to investigate the relationship between institutional investors and sustainability disclosure, specifically examining the impact of financial performance as a moderator variable on the relationship between institutional investors and sustainability disclosure.

This paper used a panel data set of 51 firms from the industrial sector listed in the Amman Stock Exchange, with a total of 459 observations during 2013–2021. Multiple regression models were used to test the direct and moderating relationships.

The findings of this paper indicate that institutional investors exhibit varying attitudes toward sustainability disclosure. Institutional investors have a positive and significant impact on firm sustainability disclosure. Furthermore, the relationship between institutional investors and sustainability disclosure is significantly influenced by financial performance.

The study’s findings encourage regulators to enhance firms’ awareness of sustainability disclosures by balancing the economic, social and environmental pillars. This can be achieved by conserving natural resources, protecting the environment and promoting social justice for future generations.

The paper’s insights can be valuable for policymakers’ sustainable practices by encouraging institutional investors to support sustainability activities actively.

The agricultural sector in any country plays an important contributor to national output along with its high absorbability of the working population. In the agricultural sector, paddy production holds a major share in the total output in countries like India. The growth and stability of the paddy production at the national level depends on the same factors at the sub-national levels such as the provincial and district levels. The present study focuses first on the stability analysis of the quantity of food production and irrigation facilities in the top 10 rice-producing states in India and then on the stability of yield rates in three varieties of paddy production, Aus, Aman, and Boro, and irrigation facilities across the blocks in the Paschim Medinipur district of West Bengal, as a special reference. The analyses involves the evaluation of the growth and stability using Coppock’s method and trend analysis. It is found that Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh have a positive significant correlation between irrigation facilities and paddy production. From this study, it is also found that the correlation between changes in the yield rate of Aus, Aman, and Boro production and changes in irrigation is positive and significantly related to each other for Garbeta 1, Garbeta 3, Keshiary, Kharagpur 2, Chandrakona 1, and Chandrakona 2 blocks in Paschim Medinipur district under West Bengal. Therefore, the results recommend that the government should focus on irrigation facilities in those areas where the benefits of irrigation facilities are fully realized.

The study aims to develop a hierarchical model for innovative work behaviour (IWB) that can capture the complex associations among the factors contributing to IWB within the information technology (IT) sector. To accomplish this, the authors rely on an abductive approach using a graph theoretic model, often called interpretive structural modelling (ISM).

After conducting an in-depth literature review and using the Delphi method, the authors identified 12 factors (11 enablers and IWB as an outcome). The authors collected data through the Delphi approach by sending the questionnaire to 11 experts from academia and the IT sector who have extensive experience and knowledge relevant to the study. The authors then used the ISM method to analyse the relationships among these factors and understand their driving forces.

Based on the ISM model and the Matrice d'Impacts Croisés Multiplication Appliquée à un Classement analysis, the authors have identified that inclusive leadership, proactive personality and knowledge creation ability are the variables with strong driving power but weak dependence. Conversely, IWB has strong dependence but weak driving power. These findings suggest that to foster IWB, the organisation should prioritise inclusive leadership, proactive personality and knowledge-creation ability to succeed in challenging times. The study’s findings contribute to the social exchange theory, which explains IWB in a dynamic setting. Additionally, the study helps address the significant concerns that most IT companies face during times of crisis.

The study provides valuable guidance for managers and policymakers who are grappling with the challenges of improving IWB in the IT sector. This study is particularly relevant as the industry is currently navigating an economic recession and facing intense competition from other tech companies launching new products and services.

This research holds great significance for top executives, line managers and policymakers in the IT industry. It sheds light on the relevance and importance of various factors facilitating millennials' IWB.

Reverse logistics services are designed to move goods from their point of consumption to an endpoint to capture value or properly dispose of products and materials. Artificial intelligence (AI)-based reverse logistics will help Micro, Small, and medium Enterprises (MSMEs) adequately recycle and reuse the materials in the firms. This research aims to measure the adoption of AI-based reverse logistics to improve circular economy (CE) performance.

In this study, we proposed ten hypotheses using the theory of natural resource-based view and technology, organizational and environmental framework. Data are collected from 363 Indian MSMEs as they are the backbone of the Indian economy, and there is a need for digital transformation in MSMEs. A structural equation modeling approach is applied to analyze and test the hypothesis.

Nine of the ten proposed hypotheses were accepted, and one was rejected. The results revealed that the relative advantage (RA), trust (TR), top management support (TMS), environmental regulations, industry dynamism (ID), compatibility, technology readiness and government support (GS) positively relate to AI-based reverse logistics adoption. AI-based reverse logistics indicated a positive relationship with CE performance. For mediation analysis, the results revealed that RA, TR, TMS and technological readiness are complementary mediation. Still, GS, ID, organizational flexibility, environmental uncertainty and technical capability have no mediation.

The study contributed to the CE performance and AI-based reverse logistics literature. The study will help managers understand the importance of AI-based reverse logistics for improving the performance of the CE in MSMEs. This study will help firms reduce their carbon footprint and achieve sustainable development goals.

Few studies focused on CE performance, but none measured the adoption of AI-based reverse logistics to enhance MSMEs’ CE performance.

This study aims to empirically investigate the relationship between intellectual capital (IC) and corporate performance (CP), including financial, market and sustainability performance. The research also investigates the mediating role of earnings management practices (EM) in the IC and CP relationship.

The empirical connection between IC and CP for 795 nonfinancial listed Indian firms is examined for 17 years using industry and year-fixed effect panel regression models. The research has also used Baron and Kenny’s four-step model to examine the role of EM as a mediator between IC and CP.

IC plays a crucial part in improving the financial, market and sustainability performance of Indian firms. The empirical findings further claim that EM practices partially mediate the connection between IC and CP. However, the mediation effect of EM depends on its magnitude and direction, i.e. income-increasing (decreasing) EM practices. The study also claims that sustainability performance-oriented firms practice less EM.

Managers and policymakers can use the findings of this study to their advantage by focusing on the significance of IC in the Indian context and their efforts to improve financial, market and sustainability performance while limiting earnings management practices.

The research uncovers a novel facet of the IC–CP relationship where EM mediates between the two. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that analyzes the impact of IC on CP through the lens of mediation using both accrual and real earnings management.

This paper examines the relationship between open innovation (measured by exploratory and exploitative linkages) and firm-level innovative activity in the offshore renewable energy (ORE) sector.

A unique, purpose-built survey that targeted firms operating in the ORE sector and its supply chain was used. The data provides novel insights into the research activities and networking capabilities of an industry in its infant stages of development. Regression models are used to estimate the relationship between firm-level external linkages and innovative activity.

Exploratory linkages are positively related to more innovative activity. This relationship is subject to diminishing returns, distinguishing the ORE sector from other sectors. Collaborating with suppliers and accessing scientific journals are conducive to research and development (R&D) activity and process innovation, whilst collaborating with customers is associated with the decision to introduce new products and processes.

This study provides evidence of a positive, but curvilinear, relationship between external knowledge linkages and innovative activity, adding novel insights into the relationship between open innovation (OI) strategies, research and innovation outcomes for firms predominantly in the introductory stages of the technological life cycle with limited commercialisation experience. The nuanced finding that specific linkages matter for certain research and innovation (R&I) outcomes adds deeper complexity to March’s (1991) framework, where tailoring certain exploratory or exploitative linkages to specific innovation activities is important.

Over the next decade, humanity is going to face big environmental problems, and considering these serious issues, businesses are adopting environmentally responsible practices. To put forward specific measures to achieve a more prosperous environmental future, this study aims to develop an environment-based perspective framework by integrating the Internet of Things (IoT) technology into a sustainable automotive supply chain (SASC).

The study presents a conceptual environmental framework – based on 29 factors constituting four stakeholders' rectifications – that holistically assess the SASC operations as part of the ReSOLVE model utilizing IoT. Then, experts from the SASC, IoT and sustainability areas participated in two rigorous rounds of a Delphi study to validate the framework.

The results indicate that the conceptual environmental framework proposed would help companies enhance the connectivity between major IoT tools in SASC, which would help develop congruent strategies for inducing sustainable growth.

This study adds value to existing knowledge on SASC sustainability and digitalization in the context where the SASC is under enormous pressure, competitiveness and increased variability.