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Public scepticism is becoming more prevalent surrounding organizations' corporate social responsibility (CSR) implementation and communication. Management research has tended to over-fixate on the strategic paybacks of CSR, and less attention has been devoted to examining why CSR is under siege due to the pervasive issue of scepticism coming from a plethora of stakeholders. This study provides a scoping review to appraise the status quo of CSR vis-à-vis scepticism scholarship and examine how the two concepts have been contextualized in relation to one another in the extant literature in question. The findings illustrate that the process nature of CSR scepticism is complex, given that CSR can yield both a buffering and boomerang effect on CSR practitioners. The qualitative content analysis performed on 58 studies, published from 2007 to 2022, elaborates on CSR scepticism as a multidimensional construct with three distinctive typologies of research approaches identified, explicating how the CSR and scepticism topicalities have been cross-examined in relation to one another: “Typology 1: Dispositional Scepticism and the Buffering Effect of CSR on Scepticism”; “Typology 2: Situational Scepticism and the Boomerang Effect of CSR on Scepticism”; “Typology 3: Centrality of CSR Scepticism and CSR Scepticism Mitigation.” This study offers a conceptual insight into the prevalent issue of scepticism in the CSR context, while also informing marketing, communication, and public relations professionals about the necessity of mitigating CSR scepticism, which poses a barrier to effective CSR implementation and communication processes.

The study was conducted to determine the relationship between three factors: work motivation (intrinsic and extrinsic), work efficiency, and job satisfaction of employees at the software company in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. Survey data collected from 300 employees working at the software company show that with the specific work characteristics of the information technology industry, the stronger the employee’s motivation to work, especially the intrinsic motivation, the greater efficiency and job satisfaction. At the same time, the higher the work efficiency, the more positive the employee’s job satisfaction will be. This study also draws some managerial implications that are valuable for reference for information technology enterprises to find solutions to increase work motivation, efficiency, and staff satisfaction, thereby minimizing layoffs, stabilizing personnel, and increasing competitiveness.

As lubricating oils are used, their performance deteriorates and they become contaminated. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the lubrication performance of reclaimed 5 W-30 a fully synthetic used engine oil (UEO) with wear tests after refining it from a solvent-based extraction method using solvent (1-PrOH) and adsorbent materials such as cement, celite and deep eutectic solvent (DES).

The treated oil mixtures were prepared by blending engine oils with various adsorbent materials at 5% (w/w) in organic 1-PrOH solvent at a UEO: solvent ratio of 1:2 (w/w). The measurement of kinematic viscosity, density, the total acid number (TAN) and elemental analysis of oil samples was done by the ASTM standards D445/D446, D4052, D974 and D6595, respectively. Adsorbents and treated oil samples characterized by SEM-EDX, FTIR and UV analysis, respectively. Meanwhile, lubricating performance in tribological applications was evaluated through the wear test device using a rotating steel alloy 1.2379 cylinder and a stationary 1.2738 pin under 20, 40 and 80 kg load conditions. Worn surface analysis was done with SEM and 2.5D images.

It was found that when using the combination of cement and celite as an adsorbent in the reclamation of used engine oil demonstrated better lubricant properties. The properties of used engine oil were improved in the manner of kinematic viscosity of 32.55 from 68.49 mm²/s, VI (Viscosity index) value of 154 from 130, TAN of 3.18 from 4.35 (mgKOH/g) and Fe content of 11 from 32 mg/L. The anti-wear properties of used engine oil improved by at least 32% when 5% cement and 5% celite adsorbent materials were used together.

The paper is based on findings from a fully synthetic 5 W-30 A5 multi-grade engine lubrication oil collected after driving approximately 12.000 km.

The results are significant, as they suggest practical regeneration of used engine oil is achievable. Additionally, blending fresh oil with reclaimed used engine oil in a 1:1 ratio reduced wear loss by over 10% compared to fresh oil.

Reusing used engine oils can reduce their environmental impact and bring economic benefits.

This study showed that the properties of UEO can be enhanced using the solvent extraction-adsorption method. Furthermore, the study provided valuable insights into the metal concentrations in engine oil samples and their impact on lubrication performance. The order of the number of the grooves quantity and the possibility of the observed scuffing region trend relative to the samples was UEO > 5W-30 fresh oil > Treated oil sample with the adsorbent cement and celite together.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-06-2024-0209/

This study aims to examine how the legitimacy of internal auditing is reconstructed during enterprise resource planning (ERP)-driven technological change.

The study is based on the comparative analysis of internal auditing and its transformation due to ERP implementations at two case firms operating in the food sector in Egypt – one a major Egyptian multinational corporation (MNC) and the other a major domestic company (DC).

Internal auditors (IAs) at MNC saw ERP implementation as an opportunity to reconstruct the legitimacy of internal auditing work by engaging and partnering with actors involved with the ERP change. In doing so, the IAs acquired system certifications and provided line functions and external auditors with data-driven business insights. The “practical coping mechanism” adopted by the IAs led to the acceptance (and legitimacy) of their work. In contrast, IAs at DC adopted a purposeful strategy of disengaging, blaming and rejecting since they were skeptical of the top management team's (TMT's) sincerity. The “disinterestedness” led to the loss of legitimacy in the eyes of the stakeholders.

The article offers two contributions. First, it extends the literature by highlighting a spectrum of behavior displayed by IAs (coping with impending issues vs strategic purposefulness) during ERP-driven technological change. Second, the article contributes to the literature on legitimacy by highlighting four intertwined micro-processes – participating, socializing, learning and role-forging – that contribute to reconstructing the legitimacy of internal auditing.

Research on battery electric vehicles (BEVs) has typically considered environmental concern a key determinant of behavioral intention that leads individuals to prefer electric vehicles. This paper challenges this assumption and argues that technology frameworks may require new variables to capture consumers' preferences. A UTAUT2-based study has been developed to assess the role of environmental concern in the BEVs context and put forward the technology show-off (TS) concept to explain the technology's acceptance.

A quantitative and cross-sectional look at behavioral intention is adopted. The study uses structural equation modeling to analyze a sample of 236 Macau residents to determine the relevance of the factors behind the choice to adopt BEVs.

The findings indicate that environmental concern and price may be relevant to explain behavioral intention to adopt the BEVs technology. Furthermore, the UTAUT2 framework seems to benefit from adding new variables, with TS playing a pertinent role in explaining technology acceptance.

The findings show that environmental concern fails to build an argument for the shift to full electric mobility and promote the desired behavioral change toward adopting BEVs. Herein lies the necessity to consider new variables that can better describe the characteristics of modern society.

This paper proposes the TS construct, combining visibility and trialability as significant determinants of behavioral intention to use technology. The study also stresses the need to reconsider the role of environmental concerns' impact on consumer decision-making.

The growth of interest in individual and organizational performance has elevated the importance of theories that explain their mutual relationships. The aim of this study is to thoroughly explore how different factors that boost performance, such as individual motivation and management systems, are connected to the results achieved by both individuals and the organization as a whole.

Data were collected from 409 employees across heterogenous companies. A structural equation model (SEM) was used to examine the relationships among the performance enable variables and output performance variables.

The results of the final model show (1) a strong relationship between individual and organizational performance, (2) a moderate relationship between an individual’s satisfaction with the task between internal motivation and individual performance, (3) a moderate relationship between organizational skills between internal motivation and organizational performance, (4) a relationship between adherence to the principles of management systems and organizational performance. It was also found that (5) the motivation of employees mediates the relationship between adherence to the principles of management systems and individual performance.

The limitation could be the choice of scales for individual factors, as some of them have not been validated in the past and have only been empirically examined in this study. Another limitation could be the geographical scope of the study, as the data were collected from only one country.

This research introduces a new approach to exploring the relationship between motivational factors, management systems and performance at both individual and organizational levels. Unlike previous studies that focused on isolated performance components, our research presents a comprehensive model integrating these factors into a unified framework. This model offers deeper insights into how the combination of internal motivations and management systems impacts performance in various contexts. The research fills a gap in the literature on the interactions between these key components and provides new empirical evidence on their influence in achieving performance goals.

This study investigates the drivers and mitigators of workplace bullying in surgical environments in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, utilizing social identity theory (SIT) and contemporary models of psychological safety. It introduces the concept of personality traits as a bridging factor between drivers and mitigators.

Qualitative interviews were conducted with 31 surgeons. Thematic analysis, supported by NVivo, was used to map findings to the SIT framework and incorporate psychological safety and personality theory.

Key drivers of workplace bullying include entrenched hierarchical power structures, gender dynamics and early socialization in competitive environments. The “bad apple” phenomenon, where personality traits such as narcissism and low emotional intelligence exacerbate bullying, contrasts with individuals demonstrating empathy and interpersonal awareness, who mitigate such behaviors. Effective leadership, generational shifts and team stability through procedural inclusion are key mitigators that promote psychological safety and collaboration.

Sample diversity, self-reporting bias and temporal context may impact the generalizability of findings across broader health and surgical settings in contemporary practice.

Addressing entrenched power imbalances and fostering inclusive leadership and practices are critical to mitigating bullying. Promoting psychological safety and leveraging generational change can reshape surgical culture, leading to healthier teams and improved patient outcomes.

This study bridges SIT with theories of personality and psychological safety, offering new perspectives on how individual traits and systemic dynamics shape bullying behaviors and culture in surgical teams, highlighting the need for targeted interventions.

This paper aims to offer an integrated framework for branded apps (BAs) that highlights research gaps and points to areas for future research.

Using a systematic literature review approach, the authors analyzed more than 100 articles published between 2009 and the present. This research used databases such as SCOPUS, Web of Science, EBSCO and Elsevier’s Science Direct, with a particular focus on articles listed in the 2021 ABS index. The reviewed papers were coded and organized into four categories in terms of themes and concepts: antecedents, mechanisms, outcomes and moderators.

The study identified four types of antecedents (app benefits, personal traits, brand benefits and others) that influence outcomes via cognitive, affective and a mix of both mechanisms, which is termed multipaths. The authors classified outcomes into five areas (financial gains; app benefits; brand benefits; customer benefits; and others). Moderators were grouped into four types (customer individuality; app features; brand characteristics; and others). The authors concluded by recommending promising directions for future research. Specifically, the authors suggested an inverted U-shaped relationship between escapism and customer responses to BAs.

This paper focused exclusively on BAs, differentiating them from other mobile apps. The authors integrated nearly 100+ studies conducted over two decades. This integrated model serves as a guiding tool for understanding the past, present and future of BAs.

The present study aimed to explore the consequences of perceived authenticity in artificial intelligence (AI) assistants and develop a serial-mediation architecture specifying causation of loyalty in human–AI relationships. It intended to assess the predictive power of the developed model based on a training-holdout sample procedure. It further attempted to map and examine the predictors of loyalty, strengthening such relationship.

Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) based on bootstrapping technique was employed to examine the higher-order effects pertaining to human–AI relational intricacies. The sample size of the study comprised of 412 AI assistant users belonging to millennial generation. PLS-Predict algorithm was used to assess the predictive power of the model, while importance-performance analysis was executed to assess the effectiveness of the predictor variables on a two-dimensional map.

A positive relationship was found between “Perceived Authenticity” and “Loyalty,” which was serially mediated by “Perceived-Quality” and “Animacy” in human–AI relational context. The construct “Loyalty” remained a significant predictor of “Emotional-Attachment” and “Word-of-Mouth.” The model possessed high predictive power. Mapping analysis delivered contradictory result, indicating “authenticity” as the most significant predictor of “loyalty,” but the least effective on performance dimension.

The findings of the study may assist marketers to understand the relevance of AI authenticity and examine the critical behavioral consequences underlying customer retention and extension strategies.

The study is pioneer to introduce a hybrid AI authenticity model and establish its predictive power in explaining the transactional and communal view of human reciprocation in human–AI relationship. It exclusively provided relative assessment of the predictors of loyalty on a two-dimensional map.

This study aims to identify the principal changes that digitalization has brought about in the internal audit functions (IAFs), focusing on the main characteristics that have been affected by this phenomenon.

The study follows a qualitative approach, involving the thematic analysis of semistructured interviews. A total of 22 professionals working in Italian-listed companies’ IAFs were interviewed. The framework of institutional theory was used to analyze the results.

The elements most affected by the digitalization of IAFs in Italy are: the skills required in IAFs, the relationship with external consultants and the types of activities performed by internal auditors (IArs). Nevertheless, the extent of the level digitalization within the IAFs of the companies analyzed appears to vary in accordance with the level of institutional pressures experienced by the organizations.

The study contributes to the literature on IA and digitalization by delineating the principal elements that are influenced by the digitalization process of IA. Moreover, it highlights how these elements develop and evolve as the level of digitalization of the IAF changes.