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The introduction of gender quota laws in many countries has garnered significant attention in the literature and in the political discourse. Proponents of this solution emphasise its potential to bolster opportunities for women, foster their participation on boards of directors and improve corporate governance, market value and firm performance. Conversely, opponents express concerns regarding the possibility of appointing less-qualified women, thereby diminishing board effectiveness and potentially leading to negative consequences on firm market value and performance. This study aims to address this ongoing debate by examining the impact of gender quota laws on firm performance.

The impact of gender quota laws on firm performance, measured through ROE, ROA and ROI, is evaluated using a database of 27,977 Italian firms and adopting a two-stage traditional treatment effect model.

The econometric analysis reveals a negative impact of the gender quota law on firm performance.

This study contributes to the academic debate on the pros and cons of imposing gender quota laws by providing empirical evidence on their impact on firm performance.

Business-society relations have weakened in recent years due to evidence of greenwashing and misleading corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices, resulting in a lack of trust and interest amongst the stakeholders regarding CSR efficiency. Therefore, this paper aims to analyse the major antecedents and customer-related outcomes of perceived CSR authenticity. In addition, the study provides an integrated model of CSR authenticity and empirically validates the model in Indian settings.

A structured questionnaire was developed to collect data from 250 bank customers living in a major city situated in the northern part of India. The analysis was conducted using structural equation modelling.

The findings of the study demonstrate that extrinsic motives, intrinsic motives, CSR impact and corporate reputation significantly influence CSR authenticity, while CSR fit was reported to exhibit no significant influence on CSR authenticity. Additionally, the results of the mediation analysis indicated that CSR authenticity had no direct effect on customer loyalty; rather, this effect was found to be mediated through customer trust.

This study/research adds insight into the concept of CSR authenticity, which is relatively under-researched, especially in the Indian context. Furthermore, the study focuses on less-explored antecedents, including CSR impact and corporate reputation. In addition, the paper also examines the mediating effect of trust between CSR authenticity and consumer loyalty, which has not been explored yet in the context of CSR authenticity. The analysis also delved into the moderating effect of gender and age on CSR authenticity.

Prior literature has widely established that the design of storage locations impacts order picking task performance. The purpose of this study is to investigate the performance impact of unit loads, e.g. pallets or rolling cages, utilized by pickers to pack products after picking them from storage locations.

An empirical analysis of archival data on a manual order picking system for deep-freeze products was performed in cooperation with a German brick-and-mortar retailer. The dataset comprises N = 343,259 storage location visits from 17 order pickers. The analysis was also supported by the development and the results of a batch assignment model that takes unit load selection into account.

The analysis reveals that unit load selection affects order picking task performance. Standardized rolling cages can decrease processing time by up to 8.42% compared to standardized isolated rolling boxes used in cold retail supply chains. Potential cost savings originating from optimal batch assignment range from 1.03% to 39.29%, depending on batch characteristics.

This study contributes to the literature on factors impacting order picking task performance, considering the characteristics of unit loads where products are packed on after they have been picked from the storage locations. In addition, it provides potential task performance improvements in cold retail supply chains.

This chapter explores the interplay between organizational conservatism (OC) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices within family firms, specifically in Morocco. By exploring the familial dimensions of CSR, the study aims to uncover the impact of OC on CSR strategies, outcomes, and implications. Employing an exploratory qualitative design with multiple case studies, the research examines three Moroccan family firms. Thematic content analysis (TCA) was used to synthesize interview data and extract primary themes. The findings illustrate that OC fosters stable, values-driven, and sustainable CSR initiatives. This is achieved through the alignment of shared values, cautious change management, prudent financial strategies, commitment to legacy, and integration with family values. Moreover, the study underscores the informal nature of CSR practices in the Moroccan context, which are deeply intertwined with cultural, social, and religious norms. The implications of this research shed light on the effectiveness of OC in promoting enduring and meaningful CSR efforts within family firms. This study contributes to a nuanced understanding of the relationship between conservatism, CSR, and familial dimensions, enriching the discourse on responsible business practices.

Today, the transition of retailers from multi-channel and cross-channel to omni-channel has become a necessity. Customers’ perceived shopping value is also one of the most important factors for retailers’ success. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to develop and validate the omni-channel shopping value scale.

Based on 40 interviews (X = 18, Y = 22) and a literature review, items were generated for shopping value dimensions (utilitarian, hedonic and social) at four touchpoints. Then exploratory factor analysis was performed for scale purification (n = 562). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed (n = 528) for initial scale validation. A second CFA was conducted to validate the final scale (n = 302). To check the nomological validity of the scale, the effect of omni-channel shopping value on customer engagement (n = 455) was investigated in both generations.

According to the results of the qualitative study, 73 items were identified. Based on the results of exploratory and CFA, nine components (50 items) were extracted and confirmed: utilitarian, hedonic and social shopping values for offline touchpoint and utilitarian and hedonic shopping values for online, application and social networks touchpoints. The results of nomological validity of the scale confirmed the effect of omni-channel shopping value on customer engagement in both generations.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first attempt to develop and validate an omni-channel shopping value scale based on customers’ shopping experiences with omni-channel brands. Therefore, this study provides a useful tool for researchers and marketing managers to measure omni-channel shopping value.

Audit committee members (ACMs) play a pivotal role in negotiating disputes between management and the external auditor concerning audit adjustments. Research suggests ACMs support the external auditor when audit adjustment conflicts arise. This study investigated the perceived effect of audit quality indicators (AQIs), through the mediating effect of affective reaction, on an ACM's recommendation for proposed audit adjustments. Audit firm tenure was examined as a moderating factor in both the effect of perceived AQIs on ACM's proposed adjustment and the relationship between perceived AQIs and affective reaction. Results suggested affective reactions created from perceptions of AQIs influence an ACM's decision-making. Audit firm tenure was found to moderate the relationship between perceptions of AQIs and affective reaction while not moderating the relationship between perceptions of AQIs and the ACM's proposed adjustment.

This paper aims to discuss the practical dilemmas of institutional change to tackle the climate crisis in a UK university, identifying key assumptions and issues that block meaningful change. The research was part of an initiative to define a theory of change (ToC) to meet the university’s institutional climate commitments.

The findings are based on interviews with members of an inter-disciplinary ToC working group, a staff–student climate coalition and student representatives at the university. Interviewees were purposively selected to gain insights into assumptions about the nature of the university and its role in tackling the climate crisis, which must be addressed for the university to effectively implement its climate plan.

This paper identified tensions between the university’s role as a public and commercial institution, a lack of clarity over decision-making processes and the difficulties in balancing (and being transparent about) actions with commitments to tackle the climate crisis. A democratic and flexible approach to change is essential to mitigate these issues, providing an opportunity to reflect on the diversity of the university community and openly debate goals and commitments.

In setting out the initial steps of a ToC in a UK university, this paper offers practical insights for higher education institutions looking to change practices. By highlighting assumptions at a particular institution, this paper also contributes a level of granularity to a growing field of research on efforts in higher education institutions to tackle the climate crisis.

This study investigates the readiness for and understanding of Industry 4.0 in a pharmaceutical manufacturer.

Utilising qualitative interviews within a single-site case study in a pharmaceutical organisation, the understanding of Industry 4.0 and the challenges, benefits and critical success factors for Industry 4.0 readiness therein and applications of Industry 4.0 are assessed.

The research findings found that Industry 4.0 implementation has implications for regulatory compliance and enhancing operational excellence on the site. The Pharma site is embracing Industry 4.0 technologies, particularly for paperless systems and data collation and analytics, but the site is somewhat of a late adaptor of Industry 4.0 implementation and is on a path towards increased digitalisation.

A limitation of the study is that it is a single-site case study, but the results can be generalisable in demonstrating how Industry 4.0 is being deployed and its challenges and benefits.

This study is unique and novel because to the authors knowledge, it is one of the first studies on Industry 4.0 readiness and status in an Irish Pharma site within a single pharmaceutical organisation. This study can be leveraged and benchmarked by all pharmaceutical organisations as it demonstrates the complexity of Industry 4.0 deployment from a highly regulated and complex pharmaceutical manufacturing and processing viewpoint.

The main objective of this study is to analyze consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for country-of-origin (COO) labels of two processed food products, disentangling the value of information (VOI) that consumers place on COO information from the value they place on specific countries of origin.

A convenience sample of 96 university students completed a face-to-face experiment that included a multiple price list and a discrete choice experiment. Data are analyzed employing interval censored regressions, and random parameter logit models.

Our results indicate that, on average, consumers place a higher value on origin information when a country name is explicitly mentioned. Furthermore, COO information is, on average, more relevant to consumers for products with low involvement than for products with high involvement. Finally, the effect of ethnocentrism is heterogeneous across product categories.

Mandatory COO labeling may or may not reinforce domestic bias, depending on the rationale behind consumer support. If consumers are driven by blind ethnocentrism, it may lead to market inefficiencies. However, if they use COO as a cue to align their stated preferences with their choices, it will not. For this alignment to occur, consumers must be fully informed about product attributes, which requires new and smart methods of communicating product attributes.

The present study contributes to the literature on COO food labels, being the first in Italy to disentangle the VOI consumers place on origin information itself from the value they place on specific countries of origin. In addition, it is the first study that applies this methodology across different product categories, each of which has a different level of cultural sensitivity to consumers.

The purpose of this study is to assess the significance of employee work flexibility and the policy of the organization for survival during any crisis. This study also investigates the moderating role of leadership support (LS) during such turbulent conditions.

This study has used literature from the fields of organization performance, human resources and organization policy (OP), along with the theories of resource-based view (RBV) and dynamic capability view (DCV) to develop a conceptual model. Later, the conceptual model is validated using the structural equation modeling technique. The study used a survey method with a sample of 311 participants. These participants are employed as human resource managers (HRM) and other supportive workforce at different levels in the organizations.

The study shows that innovativeness and employee flexibility (EFL) are critical toward organizations’ survival during any crisis. Also, the study highlights the importance of OP and LS for the survival of organizations during and after any turbulent condition.

This study provides valuable inputs to the leadership teams of organizations, especially HRM. This research also provides food for thought for policymakers and researchers in the field of organizational performance. This study also contributes to the overall body of literature on organization analysis and extends the literature on RBV and DCV.

The study adds value to the overall body of literature on organization performance and capabilities along with human resource management. Few studies have nurtured issues on EFL during turbulent conditions. Also, there are limited studies in the areas of OP such as favorable and unfavorable policies toward employees. Thus, this study can be considered unique. Moreover, the study investigates the moderating role of LS which adds value toward the body of literature on organizational leadership capability.