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This study proposes a theoretical model linking leadership and followership styles.

A new instrument was developed and tested on 271 respondents from Armenia, Denmark, Germany, and the USA. Factor analysis identified three leadership styles (autocratic, democratic, laissez-faire) and three followership styles (compliant, collaborating, initiating).

The results showed that autocratic leadership was positively associated with compliant followership, and democratic leadership was positively associated with collaborating followership. No correlation was found between laissez-faire leadership and initiating followership. However, collaborative followership was positively associated with all three leadership styles.

This study contributes a new theoretical model and a novel instrument for measuring the interplay between leadership and followership styles, offering fresh insights into leadership dynamics.

The purpose of this paper is to develop an integrated model assessing the frequency and timing between reports on the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS) reporting the framework by higher education institutions (HEIs) and the relationship between the STARS score and reputation (enrollment), finances (endowment) and performance (emissions).

The development of the theoretical model is based on learning, signaling and legitimacy theories. This study collects data from the AASHE STARS to indicate the rating level of 202 HEIs, control variables, enrollment, endowments and emissions. The hypotheses were tested using generalized linear models.

Findings suggest that as HEIs report on their sustainability activity, they learn to report better but that there is also an “un-learning” aspect if the HEI skips reporting in a period. The results support the main hypothesis that there is a relationship between reporting and engagement with the HEIs in the form of enrollment and endowments. Finally, the findings provide evidence that the HEIs’ reporting is associated with a reduction in emissions.

The findings suggest that HEIs should develop a reporting strategy on a standardized framework such as AASHE STARs and they ought to codify the approach to learn from prior reporting. Students and alumni are increasingly seeking to engage the HEI in the sustainability process and the report is a mechanism for signaling activities.

The findings suggest that AASHE STARS scores may be used by HEIs as a signaling mechanism to stakeholders of their commitment to sustainability. The signal is a mechanism to reduce information asymmetry between the HEI and stakeholders who may want more information on the institution’s attempts toward sustainability but lack access to information. Further, HEI partners have a mechanism to assess the overall level of commitment of the HEI toward sustainability and can, therefore, engage accordingly.

There has been significant work on signaling theory and sustainability. However, the relationship between STARs reporting as a signal that legitimates the HEI, learning how to report well and HEI performance has received less attention. The current study demonstrates that the STARS framework as a reporting mechanism signals the HEIs’ level of commitment to sustainability thereby legitimating it resulting in improved performance.

The purpose of this paper is to develop an integrated theoretical framework of the interrelation of the key success factors in the process of standards implementation.

Extensive case study work was carried out in ten American plants that had adopted ISO 9001 and or ISO 14001. First, within-case analysis captures the uniqueness of the implementation processes at each plant and leads to construction of the causal maps. Next, cross-case comparison identifies the key factors and the relationship between them, resulting in the theoretical framework.

The key factors affecting implementation effectiveness include focus on internal improvement, top management support, design of the system around existing processes, use of information technology, positive employees’ attitude, and employees’ usage of the system. The resulting framework suggests three alternative pathways to effective implementation of standards: (i) incentives pathway, i.e., by providing the right incentives; (ii) integration pathway, i.e., by designing the system around existing processes; and (iii) information technology pathway, i.e., by using information technology.

The key contribution of this research is the integrated theoretical framework.

Practically, this framework provides managers a clear depiction of the key actions required at each stage of standard implementation.

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first integrated framework of the factors affecting standard adoption. We believe this framework is applicable to other meta-standards.

Complexity and interconnections of the wicked problems constantly challenge policy-makers and public authorities. The tourism system, with its diverse nature and entangled connections among the stakeholders, provides a favourable ground for the emergence of numerous wicked issues. The Bulgarian tourism policy ecosystem has a well-developed legislative basis, envisaging most of the possible problems among the actors. Still, the decision-makers, service delivery managers, technical experts and social researchers need close coordination and a systematic approach to reach a coherent and acceptable solution. The current chapter reveals the gaps in the work of the tourism policy institutions in Bulgaria, caused mainly by the lack of coordination and limited communication among them.