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We aim to elucidate the relationship between fixed-term employment and firm productivity by examining workers’ skills and considering how firm-level conversion rates influence this relationship.

We use longitudinal employer-employee data between 2011 and 2017 in the Netherlands to estimate a nonlinear regression derived from a production function proposed by Addessi (2014) and Castellani et al. (2020).

The contribution of fixed-term contracts to firm-level productivity is less than that of permanent contracts. However, this contribution is greater when firms exhibit a high conversion rate from fixed-term to permanent positions. The effect of the conversion rate is more substantial for high-skilled fixed-term workers than for low-skilled ones.

Our results suggest the extent to which firms benefit from fixed-term contracts when these are used for screening high-skilled workers for permanent employment.

This chapter explores how perceived product innovation influences brand loyalty among UK Apple users, extending the technology acceptance model. Using a quantitative approach, data were collected from 101 respondents via an online survey and analysed using SPSS. Objectives included examining the mediating role of perceived product usefulness and ease of use, exploring the relationship between product/brand attitudes and brand loyalty and assessing gender's impact on loyalty perceptions. Findings reveal a significant positive relationship among variables, with perceived product usefulness and ease of use jointly mediating the link between product innovation and attitude, affecting brand loyalty. Gender was found to have no moderating effect. The research contributes by highlighting these mediating effects and deepening understanding of product innovation's impact on loyalty. Managerially, prioritising innovation, usefulness and ease of use can enhance satisfaction and loyalty. Future research could explore additional variables to enrich understanding further.

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.

This exploratory research intends to comprehend the perspectives of high school teachers toward incorporating technology in instruction.

Drawing upon Davis’s technology acceptance model as a theoretical framework, this study examines several aspects, including teachers’ access to and ease of using technology, as well as the support provided by educational institutions for the integration of technology in teaching. The quantitative data analysis (reliability tests, descriptive statistics, Mann–Whitney test) was computed via Statistical Package for the Social Science software. Furthermore, the study uses structural equation modeling to validate and substantiate the relationships (path analytical model) between the examined variables.

The key finding points to the fact that female teachers have statistically significant positive beliefs toward technology usage/integration in instruction than their counterparts (i.e. male teachers) (p < 0.01). Even though there exists no significant difference in computer usage/integration of teachers across age, nationality, grade, educational level and years of teaching experience, findings demonstrated the impulse of assisting and acclimating high school teachers to use technology in their education. Conclusively, the study culminates with future scope, considering the derived findings.

The study illustrates a validated framework (through path analytical modeling) for teachers’ technology integration in instructions. It highlights that the extent to which teachers use technology in the classroom is impacted by factors such as their accessibility to technology, comfort with its usage and the level of institutional support they receive for integration.

A content validation process of an institutional leadership framework is described for leadership educators in higher education. We created this process to further integrate our leadership framework across campus, maintain alignment with advancements in leadership research and ensure it is broadly inclusive and culturally responsive.

Our approach included seven essential design elements and was informed by a review of leadership frameworks in practice and the literature, validation studies and a comprehensive document review.

Our approach yielded a validated leadership framework with modifications to its principles, values, competencies and outcomes. Modifications addressed pre-determined criteria and were deemed relevant to leadership research and our institutional context.

The external content validation process of our leadership framework is novel and serves as a valuable guide for those considering opportunities to strengthen their own institutional approaches to leadership education.

This chapter examines the significant role of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and blockchain technology in fostering a sustainable economy in the metaverse. Blockchain allows the saving and transfer of decentralized and secure data. As a primary component of the metaverse economy, NFTs are distinct and secure virtual assets saved on the blockchain. These assets facilitate possessing, trading, and monetizing digital assets. These advancing technologies have also revolutionized the method by which creators and artists test and exchange their digital work, introducing a novel period of ownership and value in the digital realm. However, the negative environmental effects of some blockchain technologies constitute a considerable constraint, pushing a shift to a sustainable economy. Platforms like The Sandbox have implemented initiatives to address environmental concerns. As a case study, The Sandbox play-to-earn model with tokenized assets showcases its ability to create value and encourage user participation. It shows the ability of NFTs and blockchain to support a sustainable economy.

The intricate dynamics of ChatGPT adoption among Indian students are discussed while exploring the factors outlined by Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2). By assessing these factors, this study aims to unravel their impact on the behavioral intention to use ChatGPT.

While evaluating ChatGPT's adoption dynamics, this study analyses the UTAUT2 core factors and perceived benefits. Real-time data from 638 business and management students in India were collected through purposive sampling and a cross-sectional survey. An in-depth examination using IBM SPSS and AMOS revealed the patterns that regulate ChatGPT reception in educational settings.

Habit emerges as a powerful predictor, which aligns with the Habit Loop Theory's cues, routine and rewards. Perceived benefits significantly influence adoption, and traditional factors like performance expectancy and social influence exert no influence. The insignificance of effort expectancy challenges conventional understanding, unveiling novel aspects of student tech adoption.

There is a need for guidelines to ensure fair and responsible use of ChatGPT among students. While ChatGPT presents advantages like task automation and personalized learning, integrating it into the existing education system requires careful planning to harness its benefits effectively.

With the recent introduction of Generative-AI tools, understanding student acceptance and application is essential. This research sheds light on this emerging technology, emphasizing the importance of analyzing technology acceptance for its successful adoption.

Criminological research, particularly in the Anglo-Saxon academic realm, has extensively examined the sharp increase in incarceration rates since the mid-1970s. Referred to as the “sociologies of the punitive turn” (Carrier, 2010), these studies argue that this surge reflects a sudden and harsh transformation in the logic governing penal practices and discourse. Some findings even suggest that this punitive shift has a global reach, impacting regions like Latin America. This broader narrative prompts an inquiry into whether a similar punitive turn occurred in Ecuador, a South American nation. Examination of prison demographics and legal frameworks in this country reveals a notable increase in incarceration rates during the 1990s, closely linked to drug trafficking control policies led by the United States. Consequently, I suggest that while the influence of neoliberal rationality, characteristic of the punitive turn, is evident, it’s more aptly described as a manifestation of punitive imperialism. Thus, it is imperative to analyze shifts in punishment trends within the framework of imperial dynamics, particularly considering the economic dependency of peripheral countries.

This study, a conceptual paper, analyses the growth of curation in tourism and hospitality and the curator role in selecting and framing products and experiences. It considers the growth of expert, algorithmic, social and co-creative curation modes and their effects.

Narrative and integrative reviews of literature on curation and tourism and hospitality are used to develop a typology of curation and identify different curation modes.

Curational techniques are increasingly used to organise experience supply and distribution in mainstream fields, including media, retailing and fashion. In tourism and hospitality, curated tourism, curated hospitality brands and food offerings and place curation by destination marketing organisations are growing. Curation is undertaken by experts, algorithms and social groups and involves many of destination-related actors, producing a trend towards “hybrid curation” of places.

Research is needed on different forms of curation, their differential effects and the power roles of different curational modes.

Curation is a widespread intermediary function in tourism and hospitality, supporting better consumer choice. New curators influence experience supply and the distribution of consumer attention, shaping markets and co-creative activities. Increased curatorial activity should stimulate aesthetic and stylistic innovation and provide the basis for storytelling and narrative in tourism and hospitality.

This is the first study of curational strategies in tourism and hospitality, providing a definition and typology of curation, and linking micro and macro levels of analysis. It suggests the growth of choice-based logic alongside service-dominant logic in tourism and hospitality.

In this chapter, we review the historical development of elite theory, and then we propose a way forward beyond it. Elite theory emerged as a critique of democracy in the late 19th century. Although it used historical materials illustratively, it tended to be ahistorical theoretically because its primary aim was to demonstrate the perdurance of elites even in conditions of mass suffrage. Lachmann was the first scholar to develop elite theory as a truly historical and explanatory framework by combining it with elements of Marxism. Even Lachmann's theory, however, remained inadequate because it did not rest on a fully articulated theory of power. In this introduction, we suggest a “relational power theory” as a remedy to this situation, and we use it to formulate a general heuristic for the study of elites, nonelites, and their interrelationships. To illustrate its utility, we show how it can illuminate the chapters in this volume (though they were not necessarily written for these purposes).