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Every business company deals with the dilemma of how much to invest in long-term (LT) versus short-term (ST) problem (LTvST problem). LT operations increase the reputation of the company, and revenue is rewarded in the future. In contrast, ST operations result in immediate rewards. Thus, every organization faces the dilemma of how much to invest in LT versus ST activities. The former deals with the “what” or effectiveness, and the latter deals with the “how” or efficiency. The role of managers is to solve this dilemma; however, they often fail to do so, mainly because of a lack of knowledge. This study aims to propose a dynamic optimal control model that formulates and solves the LTvST problem.

This study proposes a dynamic optimal control model that formulates and solves the dilemma whether to invest in short- or LT operations.

This model is illustrated as an example of an academic institute that wants to maximize its reputation. Investing in effectiveness in the academy translates into investing in research, whereas investing in efficiency translates into investing in teaching. Universities and colleges with a good reputation attract stronger candidates and benefit from higher tuition fees. Steady-state conditions and insightful observations were obtained by studying the optimal solution and performing a sensitivity analysis.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first one to explore the optimal strategy when trying to maximize the short and LT activities of a company and solve the LTvST problem. Furthermore, it is applied on universities where teaching is the ST activity and research the LT activity. The insights gleaned from the application are relevant to many different fields. The authors believe that the paper makes a significant contribution to academic literature and to business managers.

Capable service employees are increasingly scarce and costly. Many organizations opt to partially replace, support or augment human employees with AI systems. This study builds a framework to help managers map and understand the challenges of crafting a service climate that fosters synergies between AI and human employees, where customers require value-added, personalized and excellent service.

This conceptual article identifies barriers and facilitators of building a service climate for organizations using both human and AI-based employees through an eclectic review of relevant literature.

A conceptual framework is built, and a future research agenda is brought forth.

By identifying barriers and facilitators for AI–human synergies in service settings, this article clarifies how AI can be made to complement human employees, especially in delivering personalized, value-added services, while also highlighting knowledge gaps.

This study provides a practical framework for integrating AI into the workforce. It offers insights into addressing challenges in creating a service climate that combines human and AI capabilities to maintain service excellence. Identifying key barriers and facilitators, the framework guides managers to improve efficiency and customer satisfaction in a rapidly changing service landscape.

This research offers insights on incorporating AI to address labor shortages while maintaining high-quality, personalized service. It provides a pathway to improving service experiences, especially in sectors facing staffing challenges from an aging population.

This research builds on Bowen and Schneider’s (2014) seminal service climate framework to account for a mix of human and AI-based employees.

Synthetic biology begins with the underlying assumption that life and life forms can be divided into parts and reassembled or redesigned according to the whims of their creators. Therefore, synthetic biology needs to be at the centre of ethical thinking since it engages the very concept of life and radically changes it. In this paper, we will investigate the phenomenon of synthetic biology through an ethical analysis of the unfulfilled promises and potential perils surrounding this technology. The paper consists of four parts. In the first part, we will deal with the problem of defining synthetic biology since it is a field in which many scientific disciplines meet and intertwine. The second part will present a brief history of systemic biology and the groundbreaking creation of Synthia, the first synthetic organism. The third part focuses on synthetic biology's potential benefits and some prominent ethical issues. In the fourth part, we will point out the problem of synthetic biology regulation. In conclusion, we will highlight the essential ethical remarks on synthetic biology and provide the impetus for further ethical debate.

This paper explores information flows in the news media amid ideological polarization, focusing on challenges and opportunities. The case study of Donald Trump’s sneaker line unveiling examines how news agencies navigate objectivity in reporting politically sensitive topics online. It also explores the balance news supply chains must strike between expediency, objectivity and differentiation for diverse audiences.

The study conducts qualitative and quantitative content analysis on mainstream media coverage of Donald Trump’s sneaker unveiling. Meticulous coding and inductive approaches systematically review news stories to uncover trends and variations. Incorporating media bias ratings provides context on potential framing biases. This rigorous methodology aims to locate emergent themes in how news outlets interpret and report on politically charged events, offering reliable insights into the dynamics of reporting on contentious narratives.

The analysis reveals polarized reactions to Trump’s sneaker unveiling, reflecting societal divisions. Aesthetics underscore manipulative political messaging and ethical dilemmas. Varying press reception mirrors broader tensions across online news media. Coverage suggests a link between media bias and sentiment toward Trump. Theoretical insights explore dynamic capabilities and social identity theory. The study offers practical implications for navigating ideological framing and audience engagement, benefiting news media supply chain professionals.

This paper provides novel insights into online news supply chains, revealing complexities in reporting politically charged events. It contributes theoretical perspectives on dynamic capabilities and social identity theory and offers practical implications for managing ideological framing in online news media, adding significantly to existing knowledge.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-04-2024-0241

Entrepreneurial action under uncertainty has captured the interest of scholars and practitioners alike. However, this growing body of research has yet to connect entrepreneurial action with actual actions of entrepreneurs. We combine insights from effectuation theory and the psychology of entrepreneurship to investigate drivers of entrepreneurial actions involved in starting and running ventures, particularly optimism, self-efficacy and the use of causal and effectual logics.

The study employs a unique mixed-method approach combining a survey with experience sampling data. After measuring demographics, preference for effectual or causal logics and psychological variables, the 197 US entrepreneurs sampled entrepreneurs logged their daily actions in the form of asks during 60 consecutive days.

Results suggest that self-efficacy and causal logics are key drivers of entrepreneurial actions, while optimism serves as a deterrent. Interestingly, the impact of self-efficacy on actions is moderated by the entrepreneur’s experience level, measured both in years and past asking experience.

The potential of the ask as the basic mechanism for entrepreneurial actions is explored. Based on the findings, the authors offer new and fertile insights by linking psychological traits to entrepreneurial actions, causal and effectual logics and entrepreneurial expertise development.

This paper aims to investigate the ethical challenges within same-day delivery (SDD) operations in the gig economy, focusing on promoting fairness and justice for independent contractors by applying Rawlsian justice principles.

Adopting a philosophical and theoretical methodology, the authors synthesize insights from business ethics, corporate governance and Rawlsian ethical theories. This study critically examines the application of these theories within SDD business models through a comparative analysis of seminal and contemporary ethical discussions. Importantly, the authors reverse the traditional antecedents, decisions and outcomes framework to start with outcomes, offering a novel methodological execution that enhances the study’s approach to ethical research.

The analysis identifies pronounced ethical deficiencies in treating SDD contractors, emphasizing the need for systemic reforms. The study proposes a series of hypotheses to rectify these issues, including recommendations for enhancing algorithmic transparency, ensuring equitable compensation and fortifying worker protections. These proposed changes advocate for restructuring corporate policies to foster a fairer SDD business environment.

By interweaving Rawlsian ethical principles with practical corporate responsibilities specific to the gig economy, this paper enriches the discourse on business ethics. It introduces a novel framework for analyzing the ethical treatment of gig workers, proposing actionable strategies that bridge theoretical ethics with real-world applications. This approach advances academic understanding and guides industry practices toward more ethical and sustainable models.

This study aims to examine the role of firm reputation as a mediator in the relationship between corporate social responsibility and firm performance, along with the underlying mechanism.

This research is quantitative research that aims to explain the phenomenon of the relationship between the implementation of corporate social responsibility and firm performance. A total of 573 companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange for the 2019–2021 period were sampled in this study. The analysis method in this study combines time series data and cross-section data called pooled data.

This research found a significant positive association between corporate social responsibility and firm reputation as well firm reputation is positively related to firm performance. In contrast, corporate social responsibility directly affects firm performance insignificantly. Based on the analyses, firm reputation mediates the effect of corporate social responsibility on firm performance.

This study is limited due to its reliance on secondary data related to publicly listed companies from 2019 to 2021, which involves various downsides, that is many businesses still have not disclosed their engagement in corporate social responsibility practices. This study will ultimately yield practical implications for organizational managers, as it emphasizes the significance of corporate social responsibility in enhancing firm success.

The research presented in this paper contributes to the existing body of knowledge on corporate social responsibility by examining the impact of corporate social responsibility on firm performance. Furthermore, this study provides additional evidence for shared value creation by explaining the impact of corporate social responsibility on firm performance.

Drawing primarily on the Japanese context, this study aims to highlight this setting to emphasise the potential for tertiary-level self-access language centres to develop lifelong global citizenship, self-reflection and cross-cultural collaboration.

This inquiry calls on the community of practice approach to account for the shared interests motivating lifelong cross-cultural participation, the quality of social engagement between actors, and the material and cognitive tools called upon to realise global citizenship’s shared enterprise.

As argued here, embracing various cultures and inclusive participation can lead to a broader understanding of global citizenship, avoiding narrow-minded views of globalism through shared knowledge and critical practices. Further, self-access provides a cost-effective, technology-mediated alternative to bilateral student mobility, whereby digital community-building occasions cross-cultural practice that may be extended throughout a learner’s life, irrespective of their financial status or place of study.

This study is one of a select few drawing on the community of practice framework within the context of lifelong global citizenship. Nevertheless, such an approach remains primed for future development. With a social constructivist philosophy in view, the authors suggest complementary qualitative research approaches that highlight the socially situated nature of both disciplines.