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This study examines the digitalisation of active labour market policies in Italy’s Veneto region, exploring how organisations navigate institutional pressures for digital adoption in a fragmented welfare system.

A multi-site ethnographic approach was employed, involving 400 h of observation and 96 semi-structured interviews across public employment services, municipal social services, social enterprises, and for-profit organisations.

Organisations exhibit varied responses to digitalisation pressures based on their institutional logics. Public employment services emerge as aligned organisations, integrating market and social welfare logics. Social enterprises represent contested organisations, grappling with conflicting demands. For-profit enterprises align with the dominant organisation type, prioritising market logic. Municipal social services exemplify estranged organisations, resisting market-driven digitalisation.

The study’s focus on the Veneto region may limit generalisability to other contexts. Future research could explore comparative studies across different welfare state regimes.

Findings underscore the need for a coordinated approach to welfare state digitalisation in fragmented institutional contexts, considering varied organisational responses and potential consequences for service quality and accessibility.

This study contributes to the literature on institutional logics by demonstrating how fragmented institutional fields lead to heterogeneous organisational responses to digitalisation pressures. It extends understanding of the challenges in implementing digital technologies in welfare contexts, highlighting the complex interplay between institutional logics, organisational types, and technological change.

The research aims to provide a longitudinal case study to understand how digital transformation can be embedded in municipal reporting frameworks. The central role of such technology becomes increasingly evident as citizens demand greater transparency and engagement between them and governing institutions.

Utilising a longitudinal case study methodology, the research focusses on Turin’s Integrated Popular Financial Report (IPFR) as a lens through which to evaluate the broader implications of digital transformation on governmental transparency and operational efficiency.

Digital tools, notably sentiment analysis, offer promising avenues for enhancing governmental efficacy and citizenry participation. However, persistent challenges highlight the inadequacy of traditional, inflexible reporting structures to cater to dynamic informational demands.

Embracing digital tools is an imperative for contemporary public administrators, promoting streamlined communication and dismantling bureaucratic obstructions, all while catering to the evolving demands of an informed citizenry.

Different from previous studies that primarily emphasised technology’s role within budgeting, this research uniquely positions itself by spotlighting the transformative implications of digital tools during the reporting phase. It champions the profound value of fostering bottom-up dialogues, heralding a paradigmatic shift towards co-creative public management dynamics.

This paper highlights an important question of equal access for women, particularly those in rural and economically weaker sections, to digital infrastructure. It flags how high internet connectivity costs and expensive digital devices act as major bottlenecks that impede the participation of women in the digital economy and deny them new frontiers of e-commerce and remote employment opportunities.

A woman-centred analytical framework is adopted by this study for the relationship investigation between digitalization and participation by women in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries' employment force between the years 2010 and 2023. It uses proxies measurable in mobile cellular subscriptions and using the internet that can show either the short- or long-run technological progress effect on women’s employment.

The findings underline the continuing risks associated with digital inequality, especially among women in marginalized communities. While digital technologies provide immense opportunities in the form of remote work and flexible employment arrangements, digital exclusion remains a barrier that prevents women from accessing these tools and thus being able to participate economically.

This research is singularly contributing to offering a gendered perspective on how digitalization impacts labour market dynamics, deviating from existing literature that mainly narrows down to broader economic effects. It provides actionable policy recommendations to enhance digital inclusion and gender equity in labour markets, including the promotion of flexible work arrangements, strengthening legal protections against digital discrimination and increasing inclusive digital literacy initiatives.

This paper analyzes the differential experiences of women in the Canadian labour market who hold lower-skilled jobs and have school-age children during two waves of Covid compared with more typical conditions pre-pandemic. The article seeks to test the hypothesis that workers at the intersection of womanhood, motherhood and precarious employment would endure even more disadvantageous labour market outcomes during the Covid pandemic than they did prior to it.

We employ a Gender-Based Plus (GBA+) and intersectionality lens to examine the differential effect of Covid on the effect of the trifecta of being a woman in a lower-skilled job and facing a motherhood penalty from school-age children. We use a Difference-in-Difference framework with Canadian Labour Force Survey (LFS) data to examine the differential effect of two waves of Covid on three labour market outcomes: employment, hours worked and hourly wages.

We find that being a woman in a lower-skilled job with school-age children is associated with lower employment, hours worked and wages in normal times compared to males in those same situations. Such women also face the most severe adjustment consequence from the Covid shock, with that adjustment concentrated on the margin of employment and restricted to the First Wave and not the subsequent Omicron Wave.

The paper studies a specific intersectional group, assesses pre-pandemic, peak-pandemic and late-pandemic differences in labour market outcomes and runs separate estimations for different job skill levels. We also study a more comprehensive list of labour market outcomes than most studies of a similar nature.

This article explores the perceptions of professionals on the implementation and impact of Dual Vocational Training (Dual VET) in the Spanish education system.

The study involves interviews with various professionals in the education and employment sectors and two discussion groups.

Results reveal positive views on Dual VET’s ability to enhance employability and reduce the education-to-employment gap. However, challenges like the involvement of small and medium enterprises and the need for continuous curriculum evaluation and adaptation are recognized. Additionally, the study highlights a lack of acknowledgment of antecedent programs to Dual VET, despite their recognition by experts as highly influential in facilitating the school-to-work transition for young individuals.

The study emphasizes the importance of promoting awareness among stakeholders and emphasizes the role of collaboration between educational institutions and the business sector to ensure Dual VET’s success in Spain.

This systematic review comprehensively examines corporate political contributions (CPC), exploring their antecedents, evolving mechanisms and diverse organizational outcomes. It offers a holistic understanding of the business–politics relationship and proposes a managerial decision-making framework for strategic CPC engagement. The study also identifies gaps in the literature and suggests future research avenues.

This study employs a systematic review process to assess the CPC literature. Utilizing leading journals and databases like Web of Science, Scopus and EBSCO, we apply rigorous screening criteria to select 72 relevant papers critically analyzed using the “Antecedents-Phenomenon-Consequences” framework.

The research identifies two primary dynamics influencing CPC: “essential need” for firm survival and “elective choice.” It reveals that CPC strategies impact various firm performance metrics, including market returns, operational performance and policy outcomes. Research is concentrated in the US, with a limited focus on developing economies. Future research should focus on industry-specific studies, timing of contributions and cross-national comparisons.

This paper provides managers with a comprehensive framework for CPC engagement, helping them navigate political dynamics, optimize contributions and enhance firm performance while maintaining ethical and strategic considerations.

This paper systematically reviews the complex political strategy of CPC, providing a nuanced understanding of how CPC operates across different countries and contexts. It offers academics and professionals insights to develop robust theories and make informed decisions in a modern, complex business environment.

Drawing on the international business and game theory literature, this study assesses foreign firm treatment in the early stages of regulatory enforcement.

Treating regulation intensity as an exposure variable, negative binomial regression models were applied to firm-level data from 32 emerging markets (n = 15,331) to identify the determinants of inspection interactions. Robustness checks also were performed via variable substitutions for several predictors and an alternative form of statistical testing (i.e. Tobit regression, since it arguably better addresses dependent variables with corner solution responses).

Controlling for multiple organizational, regulatory and national characteristics, the findings are consistent with a foreign privilege, manifesting in reduced vulnerability to multiple encounters with labor inspection officials. Moreover, inward FDI stock was negatively related to the general probability of repeat interactions regardless of locus of ownership, an effect that was not moderated by stage of development or the regulatory influence of host interest groups. This collectively suggests that foreign firms not only are favored in compliance monitoring but also work post-entry to influence agencies to generally benefit business.

More comprehensive assessments were precluded given the lack of information on reasons for contact, citations and fines, and inspectorate reactions to company responses. Second, enforcement-risk management was measured indirectly since investors' internal dealings and actions toward officials are unavailable in secondary sources.

These findings have important implications for social responsibility, suggesting CSR stakeholders need to track enforcement more closely and exert pressure where needed so rights are not sacrificed for economic development.

This study provides the most rigorous assessment to date of the role that firm, government and economic factors play in national inspection targeting. It also examined whether foreign owners pool and leverage their political influence to impact general inspection activity, a previously untested prospect.

With the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence, the number of service robotics in China has steadily increased. However, the role of service robotics in promoting female employment and reducing household burdens remains underexplored. This paper aims to determine whether these positive effects exist.

This paper utilizes data from the Chinese Household Income Project (CHIP 2013, 2018) and the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS 2017), along with robot patent data. The analysis employs multiple-level sub-sample regression and Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition to explore the impact of service robotics.

The baseline results indicate that a one-unit increase in the number of service robot patents leads to an average increase of 0.493 h in women’s working time, compared to a less significant increase of 0.287 h for men. These findings can be attributed to the reduction of housework burden and the promotion of female empowerment. Regarding the former, both CHIP and CGSS data confirm that service robotics can replace women’s housework time, ease their family burden and change the gender division of labor. For the latter, the Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition results show a reduction in gender wage discrimination, while CGSS data reveal a transformation in gender role attitudes.

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this paper is the first to empirically examine the dual role of Chinese service robotics in both the household sector and labor market. This empirical study enriches the existing theoretical perspectives on female employment. It highlights the potential of service robotics to enhance women’s employment opportunities, transform family divisions of labor and address gender imbalances.

This paper attempts to elucidate the fundamental determinants—both enablers and impediments—that shape a resilient business ecosystem for the medical devices sector in India, with a particular emphasis on sustainable export endeavours under the ambit of the Medical Devices Policy 2023.

This study dives into India’s medical device export firms, analysing factors influencing their performance. By reviewing relevant literature, it identifies regulatory, manufacturing, marketing, distribution and import-related factors. A Likert scale questionnaire was designed and shared with industry stakeholders to gather primary data, and it was analysed via SPSS/AMOS. This quantitative approach unveiled the direct impacts of enablers and barriers, shaping a structural model to elucidate interrelationships, thus informing strategies for enhancing India’s medical device export sector.

The results lucidly identify the barriers that affect the export performance of India’s medical devices, such as complicated product registration formalities, complexity in the registration and approval process for sale, export restrictions and price control measures, local competition and policies, finance and investment challenges and low knowledge and expertise in the trade of medical devices. Considering the relevance of these barriers in affecting India’s export achievement, a model is derived for understanding their interrelationship, exploring causal links and comprehending managerial and policy-level implications for suitable corrective actions.

The study’s limitations must be recognized, notably the focus on India and the Medical Devices Policy 2023 context. Accordingly, the results hinge on India’s “Make-in-India” policy and incentives for the medical devices sector, possibly not translating directly to countries with distinct policies or industrial priorities. With a sample size of 224 firms, sector diversity representation may be inadequate, potentially restricting the findings’ generalizability. While offering insights into Indian challenges and opportunities, broader validation across diverse contexts and larger samples is essential to ensure the results’ robustness and broader applicability beyond outlined circumstances.

The model’s insights hold crucial implications for policymakers in India’s medical devices sector. Firstly, urgent attention is required to tackle identified challenges for sustainable export growth. Prioritizing initiatives to enhance sector knowledge and expertise through training programs and collaborations with experts is paramount. Moreover, streamlining regulatory barriers, including product registration and approval processes, are imperative for simplifying market entry. Additionally, addressing financial challenges by facilitating access to finance through tax incentives or funding schemes is essentially vital. Furthermore, learning from successful models in other countries like Costa Rica, South Korea, Germany and China can guide effective policy implementation in an Indian context. Correspondingly, the business firms should nurture a competitive domestic market through innovation support and stakeholder engagement for long-term growth.

For managers in India’s medical devices sector, these implications are equally significant. Investing in knowledge and regulatory expertise is paramount to navigate complex landscapes effectively. Accordingly, there is a need to develop robust financial planning strategies, exploring diverse funding sources and tailoring products to meet local demands while aligning with global standards. Moreover, active engagement with policymakers is required for supportive policy reforms and similarly, collaboration with industry stakeholders can create a favourable operating environment. By addressing these implications collaboratively, policymakers and managers can overcome barriers, drive innovation and foster sustainable growth, positioning India as a global leader in medical device exports.

Narrating the results, this paper identifies the barriers that need to be factored into the Medical Devices Policy 2023. The paper sequentially explains how to nurture an enabling business ecosystem for export excellence in India’s medical devices industry.

In the era of rapid urbanization, fostering an inclusive housing market system for most low-income urban residents remains a challenge in Sub-Saharan African countries. This study aims to investigate the realities of housing markets in Hawassa City, Ethiopia, and interrogate whether these markets foster social inclusion for households at the lower end of the market in the post-1990s.

The study used a mixed research approach. Primary data was generated using household surveys and key-informant interviews administered to residents and officers. The study also reviewed the municipality’s policy documents and reports. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and theme-based qualitative interpretation.

Hawassa City exhibited formal and informal housing market patterns guided by national, regional and city-wide policy and regulatory frameworks. Nevertheless, trends in these markets do not seem to capture the realities of residents’ ability to pay for housing and demonstrate social exclusions. The yawning gaps between demand and supply of housing largely necessitated the black market and the subsequent commercialization of housing by visible and invisible actors.

The study suggests further research on ethnographic understanding of the visible and invisible actors operating in the housing markets and adverse impacts on peri-urban farmers. The present study did not address rental housing markets adequately, and this could be open for further research.

The study has implications for revisiting housing policy-making, especially for understanding the policy and practical gaps and thus promoting a socially inclusive housing market system targeting low-income people.

The study provides a comprehensive analysis of housing markets in Hawassa City through the lens of operational values of social inclusivity (Elsinga et al., 2020). The findings provide baseline data on policy and implementation gaps for promoting a socially inclusive housing market system, especially for low-income people. In this regard, the contribution is empirical. In addition, this manuscript renders a conceptual framework for analyzing housing markets in other similar contexts of sub-Saharan Africa.