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This study investigates the combined impact of two packaging cues (i.e. packaging material, recycled content claim) and a price premium on young consumers’ product perceptions and choices.

Experimental data were collected online via a questionnaire and a hypothetical choice task completed by 221 young consumers (i.e. 19–25 years). We manipulated two packaging cues for a liquid food product: the packaging material (glass vs plastic) and the presence (vs absence) of a recycled content claim (i.e. 100% recycled). We also manipulated whether a price premium was attached to these packaging variations.

The packaging material and the claim both had a significant influence on young consumers’ sustainability perceptions, and these perceptions extended to perceptions of various product attributes (e.g. healthiness, quality). When all products cost the same, participants were more likely to choose a glass bottle (i.e. 81%) than a plastic bottle, and a bottle with the recycled content claim (i.e. 79%) than a bottle without this claim. However, these preferences dropped significantly when a price premium was attached to these packaging variations.

While most studies have relied on surveys and qualitative methods to investigate consumers’ reactions to sustainable packaging, our research uses an experimental method to assess how packaging impacts young consumers’ perceptions and choices. Additionally, by manipulating the presence of a price premium, this study uniquely investigates the impact of such a premium on young consumers' willingness to choose sustainable packaging.

Explores the extent of employee surveillance in the western world and queries why the USA uses surveillance measures to a greater extent than other developed nations. Suggests that American managers choose surveillance methods which include the control of workers’ bodies in the production process. Lists the batteries of tests and monitoring to which US employees can now be subjected – including searching employee computer files, voice/e‐mail, monitoring telephone calls, drug tests, alcohol tests, criminal record checks, lie detector and handwriting tests. Notes also the companies which are opposed to worker and consumer privacy rights. Pinpoints the use of surveillance as a means to ensure that employees do not withold production. Reports that employees dislike monitoring and that it may adversely affect their performance and productivity. Argues that Americans like to address complex social problems with technological means, there are no data protection laws in the USA, and that these two factors, combined with the “employment‐at‐will” doctrine, have all contributed to make it possible (and easy) for employers to use technological surveillance of their workforce. Outlines some of the ways employers insist on the purification of workers’ bodies.

The overall goal of science is to build a valid and reliable body of knowledge about the functioning of the world and how applying that knowledge can change it. As personnel and human resources management researchers, we aim to contribute to the respective bodies of knowledge to provide both employers and employees with a workable foundation to help with those problems they are confronted with. However, what research on research has consistently demonstrated is that the scientific endeavor possesses existential issues including a substantial lack of (a) solid theory, (b) replicability, (c) reproducibility, (d) proper and generalizable samples, (e) sufficient quality control (i.e., peer review), (f) robust and trustworthy statistical results, (g) availability of research, and (h) sufficient practical implications. In this chapter, we first sing a song of sorrow regarding the current state of the social sciences in general and personnel and human resources management specifically. Then, we investigate potential grievances that might have led to it (i.e., questionable research practices, misplaced incentives), only to end with a verse of hope by outlining an avenue for betterment (i.e., open science and policy changes at multiple levels).

This paper aims to explore pathways and issues of small business technological commercialization in China, probing the particular characteristics of the Chinese context and the ways in which innovation frameworks, institutions and business strategies are embedded.

The authors examine in detail the case of an innovative Chinese indigenous small firm engaged in innovative nanotechnology materials development. The strategies and push- and pull factors underlying the company’s innovation practices were investigated. The proposition that the institutional relationships formed to secure access to research expertise and aid business survival also influence the ways in which technology is commercialized was explored.

It was found that while technological development is company-driven, it is also highly connected to regional innovation structures and networks. This stimulates a “spin-in” rather than a university-led model of development, as this small firm embeds its technology and business development strategies in conjunction with partner organizations. Broader management and policy implications are discussed.

While China has rapidly expanded scientific research in emerging technologies such as nanotechnology, commercialization through the development of entrepreneurial technology-oriented small companies faces a series of challenges. New enterprises in the emerging area of nanotechnology encounter problems of technology transfer and intellectual property management, capital acquisition, market uncertainty and constrained access to global markets.

Cancer care is complex and an integrated cancer pathway involves many health professionals in a variety of care settings using many skills. The widely distributed and heterogeneous nature of the cancer workforce raises significant challenges with respect to professional development. Cancer Learning is a government-funded initiative designed to provide access to a wide range of quality online learning resources for all health care professionals involved in the care of cancer patients and their families. The purpose of this paper is to discuss these issues.

A multi-phase project, led by a consortium of national stakeholders in cancer care, informed the design, build, and deployment of Cancer Learning; an online, evidence based, information and learning portal to support professional development of health professionals across the continuum of cancer care in Australia. An action research approach allowed for an iterative process of ongoing dynamic evaluation and improvement of this workforce improvement resource.

The National Government Agency, Cancer Australia's Cancer Learning online hub has been supporting the professional development requirements of cancer care professionals since the site deployment in 2007. Since launch, site usage continues to grow and evaluations have been positive. Time constraints of health professionals continue to be a major barrier to sustained online learning participation.

This research recount of the development and implementation of an Australia first national online learning initiative highlights the rigorous approach undertaken for the delivery of a quality evidence-based resource for the professional development of all health professionals involved in the delivery of cancer care.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between job satisfaction and employee performance in the media industry as well as the role of demographic variables, namely, age, gender, income, marital status, and the level of education as categorical moderators on this relationship.

A total of 220 valid questionnaires were collected from employees in the Malaysian media industry to examine the goodness of model fit, sign indeterminacy, measurement model, and structural relationships between constructs. Using partial least squares (PLS) path modelling, this study introduces a full-fledged structural equation modelling approach by applying ADANCO 1.1 advanced composite modelling and SmartPLS 3.2.3. PLS-multi-group analysis is applied to examine the heterogeneity of data and test the hypotheses on moderating variables.

Payment, promotion, supervision, operating conditions, co-workers, and nature of the work were found to be conducive to employees’ job performance, among which co-workers generated the highest path coefficient followed by operating conditions, payment, and promotion. Hypotheses on the relationships between fringe benefits, contingent rewards, communication, and job performance were rejected. Age, gender, and level of education were found as moderators to the relationship between facets of job satisfaction and employees’ job performance.

The results of importance-performance map analysis can help managers and decision makers to prioritize their actions. The findings show that co-workers and operating conditions have the highest importance and payment and contingent rewards have the highest performance on job performance in the media industry.

This study is among the few that investigates the relationship between job satisfaction and job performance in the media industry by considering demographic factors as the moderating variables. This study also contributes methodologically through the introduction of a synergistic PLS approach.

After years of attempting to develop renewable energy (RE) mainly through large private sector initiatives, the UK government has broadened its approach to provide more support for other actors in this sector. The purpose of this paper is to assess what role social enterprise (SE) activities can play in the development of the RE sector in the UK.

The approach consists of an initial effort to map the sector in terms of project types; and to assess the benefit of supporting SE activities in RE through an empirical case study. Two types of SE‐RE initiatives are examined here, namely a Scottish SE‐RE consultancy (the Highlands and Islands Renewable Energy Company – HICEC) and the various SEs it supports in developing RE projects through grants like the Scottish Community and Household Renewables Initiative (SCHRI).

A typology of enterprise activities in RE is developed, based on activities along the RE supply chain. The case study demonstrates the value of partnership working between HICEC staff and the staff of local SEs, and suggests that the emergence of a community of practice is a key benefit of the SCHRI and the collaborative way in which it was implemented by HICEC. The success of this approach does throw up questions about replicability in different geographical settings.

This is the first paper to explore SE activities in RE. It illustrates that collaborative learning‐by‐doing by individuals across organisational boundaries is key for the successful implementation of RE projects that are new to the UK.

The purpose of this study is to shed light on the job resources and demands of employees working in virtual teams and the impact of these job factors on their work engagement levels. Specifically, the authors focus on identifying the differing significance of employee job resources and demands on their virtual work engagement levels.

A qualitative approach grounded on abductive analysis is used to arrive at the findings. The methods for data collection include participant observation and semistructured interviews of 27 software engineers in the Indian information technology sector, working with virtual teams.

The authors identified the virtual-work-induced job demands and resources. Primarily, the authors found 14 job factors related to high and low levels of individual virtual work engagement, and classified them under eight aggregate dimensions: psychosocial hurdles, collaboration challenges, leadership and operational issues, dehumanization under job demands, supportive leadership, personal resources, alternate sources of income and learning goal orientation under job resources. Consequently, the authors built an importance–frequency work engagement map based on how these job factors are related to low and high levels of work engagement.

This study’s qualitative nature limits the generalizability of the findings. Hence, further studies are encouraged to corroborate the findings. There is also a possibility of the social desirability bias that could have affected the results as participants may have perceived an element of risk in sharing all their honest feelings and perceptions. This may have especially been the case for those with higher status or positions in the company.

The findings suggest practical measures either to engage employees in their free time or to improve loyalty. There is a clear potential for the organization and virtual leader to communicate effectively about the expected goals, arrange informal interactions and reduce scrutiny of monitoring, thereby increasing the remote workers’ resources.

The originality of this study comes from multiple factors. First, the authors highlight ta contextual adaptation of the job demands-resources (JD-R) model into a virtual team context. By extension, the authors examine “how much” does both the job resources and demands contribute to the wellbeing of the employees working in virtual teams. Second, the authors construct an importance–frequency work engagement map (specifically for the virtual work context) based on the findings, which categorizes the observed resources and demands into four quadrants. The authors propose that this map could be a possible extension to the JD-R model, highlighting the differing significance of each resource and demand to employee work engagement.