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In India, national accreditation agencies stipulate that internal quality control in higher education institutions (HEIs) is to be institutionalized through internal quality assurance cells that are responsible for implementing and controlling quality systems. As the concept of goal congruence is central to a control process, this study aims to examine whether goal congruence is observed in such institutions. The impact of the absence of goal congruence on the quality of performance in higher education was also examined.

This cross-sectional study measured the impact of goal congruence or the lack thereof on the performance quality of HEIs as defined in the evaluation criteria of the apex accreditation agency, the National Assessment and Accreditation Council. Two hypotheses were tested using t-tests and regression analysis. Focus group discussions were conducted to elicit participants’ suggestions.

The results showed a lack of goal congruence between HEIs’ quality goals and their faculty’s personal goals, which adversely impacts the quality of their performance, as indicated by an average disagreement of 81% on a ten-statement scale. Goal congruence as an independent variable explained 63% of the variability in HEIs’ performance quality, and the results were statistically significant, indicating that lack of goal congruence is an important contributor to poor performance among HEIs.

Accreditation of HEIs is a global practice; hence, the findings of this study and the importance of goal congruence apply not only to India but also to HEIs globally.

This study aims to explore why Chinese consumers pay for digital content products by investigating the experiences of Chinese consumers living in first-tier and second-tier cities regarding paid digital knowledge products.

A total of 19 in-depth interviews were conducted to collect data, and the phenomenological reduction was adopted to analyze data.

This study reveals that Chinese consumers use paid digital knowledge products to alleviate stress and anxiety stemming from real-life competition and the fear of falling behind. While consumers acknowledge the limited assistance that paid knowledge products can offer, their acceptance and expectations of paid digital knowledge products remain positive.

Paid digital knowledge represents an innovative phenomenon, with few scholars outside China having studied it. This study contributes a conceptual framework to understand the motivations of Chinese consumers with high purchasing power residing in first-tier and second-tier cities to invest in digital content.

The paper aims to support employers in avoiding linguistic profiling of individuals with communication disabilities; thereby reducing their exclusion from the workforce. It provides employers and others in the workplace with examples of speech, language and communication differences, common false stereotypes and assumptions, and strategies to prevent and address the negative effects of linguistic profiling.

The paper offers a general overview of linguistic profiling as it relates to individuals with communication disabilities. Pertinent examples and findings from previous literature are included to illustrate linguistic profiling across speech, language and mode of communication, and to provide recommendations for inclusive workplace practices to ensure that career success is accessible to individuals with communication disabilities.

Linguistic profiling is a barrier to successful and inclusive employment for individuals with communication disabilities. Education, training and the use of inclusive practices can reduce linguistic profiling of individuals with communication disabilities in the workplace.

Though linguistic profiling used to make inferences of social constructs such as race and gender has long been discussed, little discussion surrounds individuals with communication disabilities and the impact it has in their lives and careers. This paper uniquely highlights communication disability in the linguistic profiling discussion so that organizations can be more aware of the impact and the need to create supportive and inclusive workplace environments and in turn reduce discrimination and increase diversity.

University-industry collaboration studies have placed greater emphasis on intrinsic motivators that drive academic researchers to pursue collaboration. This paper explores the relationship between spiritual motivation and collaboration intentions mediated the antecedents of university-level collaboration through theories of self-determination and planned behaviour. This study was conducted to validate the proposed relationship between spirituality and academic researchers in the field of engineering affiliated with higher educational institutions in India.

This study surveyed 242 participants and utilised structural equation modelling. Research has found that the beneficial relationship between spiritual motivation and collaboration intentions is mediated by attitudes and perceived behavioural control. This study represents a quantitative investigation within the realm of university-industry collaboration, which aims to document the ways in which spiritual motivation can augment collaboration with industry. The study employs self-determination theory and the theory of planned behaviour to elucidate the underlying mechanism to support entrepreneurial debate.

This study identified attitude and perceived behavioural control as mediators in the relationship between spiritual motivation and collaboration intentions.

The results of this study provide additional support for existing theories and present a diverse perspective on the intrinsic motivation of academic researchers to adopt UIC.

India liberalized its economy in 1991, which resulted in intense global competition, quality-conscious and demanding customers. Additionally, significant technological advancements lead to enhancements in products and processes. These forced Indian organizations to adopt innovative business strategies in the past 30 years. Meanwhile, the Lean Six Sigma methodology has significantly grown with vast applicability during the past 30 years. Thus, the purpose of this study is to develop the learning on Lean Six Sigma methodology in the Indian context through investigation of literature.

A three-stage systematic literature review approach was adopted to investigate the literature during the present study. In total, 187 articles published in 62 journals/conference proceedings from 2005 to 2022 (18 years) were shortlisted. The first part of the article summarizes the significant milestones towards the quality journey in the Indian context, along with the evolution of the Lean Six Sigma methodology. The second part examines the shortlisted papers on Lean Six Sigma frameworks, their applicability in industrial sectors, performance metrics, outcomes realized, publication trends, authorship patterns and leading researchers from the Indian perspective.

Lean Six Sigma has emerged as a highly acclaimed and structured business improvement strategy worldwide. The Indian economy has seen remarkable growth in the past decade and is one of the fastest-growing economies in the 21st century. Lean Six Sigma implementation in India has significantly increased from 2014 onward. The study revealed that researchers have proposed several different frameworks for Lean Six Sigma implementation, the majority of which are conceptual. Furthermore, the balanced applicability of Lean Six Sigma in manufacturing and service sectors was observed with the highest implementation in the health-care sector. Additionally, the widely adopted tools, techniques along with performance metrics exploring case studies were reported along with a summary of eminent and leading researchers in the Indian context.

This study is confined to reviewed papers as per the research criteria with a significant focus on the Indian context and might have missed some papers due to the adopted papers selection strategy.

The present study is one of the initial attempts to investigate the literature published on Lean Six Sigma in the Indian context, including perspective on the Indian quality movement. Therefore, the present study will provide an understanding of Lean Six Sigma methodology in the Indian context to graduating students in engineering and management and entry-level executives. The analysis and findings on Lean Six Sigma frameworks, research approach, publications details, etc., will be helpful to potential research scholars and academia. Additionally, analysis of case studies on Lean Six Sigma implementation by Indian industries will assist the managers and professionals in decision making.

The purpose of the study is to explore the experiences and sense-making of middle managers in transitioning to and implementing hybrid work arrangements.

Using the lens and analytical procedures of interpretative phenomenological analysis, data were collected during the transition time at the tail end of the COVID-19 pandemic as many organizations were navigating the hybrid work setup. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 middle managers from various organizations in the Philippines that have been implementing a hybrid work arrangement for at least 3 months.

Findings illustrate the challenges experienced by the middle managers in facilitating a smooth transition to onsite work, managing adjustments on when and where to work and bridging the imperatives of top management as well as the preferences of team members (managing upward and downward). The results describe strategies used by middle managers to balance deliverables and employee needs while demonstrating compassionate leadership in relating with direct reports. The middle managers also engaged in self-care, used reframing and sought support from family and peers to cope with challenges.

The findings exemplified how the middle managers experience of transitioning to hybrid work reflect various contextual and cultural nuances. These external realities must be considered in providing support to these groups of employees particularly in developing leadership programs that addresses their social and emotional needs.

The paper contributes to the limited research on middle managers' experiences in a hybrid work setup despite their critical role as change agents responsible for leading teams (van Dam et al., 2021).

The purpose of this literature review is, first, to understand how employees with disabilities in the context of COVID-19 have been studied under the talent management (TM) approach; second, to explore what we know about the predictors and outcomes that have been linked to TM practices in that area; and third, to identify gaps in our understanding and provide insights for future research.

This paper presents a systematic literature review (SLR) based on 38 academic sources published in high-impact indexes from 2020 to 2023.

The existing research shows COVID-19 as a crucial context that led organizations to more precarious and segmented TM practices, which had negative consequences for employees with disabilities, both at the individual level (reduced satisfaction and income, and increased health issues) and the organizational level (increased unemployment, turnover and discrimination as well as declining performance and productivity).

This paper provides essential contributions to the field of TM in the relatively unexplored context of employees with disabilities since the emergence of COVID-19. Our literature review suggests there is significant room for developing and implementing adjusted TM strategies and practices to foster effective inclusiveness, accommodations and supportive work environments for employees with disabilities. From this evidence, a number of key avenues for future research and key implications for academics and practitioners are provided.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a powerful and promising technology that can foster the performance, and competitiveness of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). However, the adoption of AI among MSMEs is still low and slow, especially in developing countries like Jordan. This study aims to explore the elements that influence the intention to adopt AI among MSMEs in Jordan and examines the roles of firm innovativeness and government support within the context.

The study develops a conceptual framework based on the integration of the technology acceptance model, the resource-based view, the uncertainty reduction theory and the communication privacy management. Using partial least squares structural equation modeling – through AMOS and R studio – and the importance–performance map analysis techniques, the responses of 471 MSME founders were analyzed.

The findings reveal that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and facilitating conditions are significant drivers of AI adoption, while perceived risks act as a barrier. AI autonomy positively influences both firm innovativeness and AI adoption intention. Firm innovativeness mediates the relationship between AI autonomy and AI adoption intention, and government support moderates the relationship between facilitating conditions and AI adoption intention.

The findings provide valuable insights for policy formulation and strategy development aimed at promoting AI adoption among MSMEs. They highlight the need to address perceived risks and enhance facilitating conditions and underscore the potential of AI autonomy and firm innovativeness as drivers of AI adoption. The study also emphasizes the role of government support in fostering a conducive environment for AI adoption.

As in many emerging nations, the AI adoption research for MSMEs in Jordan (which constitute 99.5% of businesses), is under-researched. In addition, the study adds value to the entrepreneurship literature and integrates four theories to explore other significant factors such as firm innovativeness and AI autonomy.

The purpose of this systematic review is to critically analyze pharmaceutical industry case studies on the implementation of Lean 4.0 methodologies to synthesize key lessons, benefits and best practices. The goal is to inform decisions and guide investments in related technologies for enhancing quality, compliance, efficiency and responsiveness across production and supply chain processes.

The article utilized a systematic literature review (SLR) methodology following five phases: formulating research questions, locating relevant articles, selecting and evaluating articles, analyzing and synthesizing findings and reporting results. The SLR aimed to critically analyze pharmaceutical industry case studies on Lean 4.0 implementation to synthesize key lessons, benefits and best practices.

Key findings reveal recurrent efficiency gains, obstacles around legacy system integration and data governance as well as necessary operator training investments alongside technological upgrades. On average, quality assurance reliability improved by over 50%, while inventory waste declined by 57% based on quantified metrics across documented initiatives synthesizing robotics, sensors and analytics.

As a comprehensive literature review, findings depend on available documented implementations within the search period rather than direct case evaluations. Reporting bias may also skew toward more successful accounts.

Synthesized implementation patterns, performance outcomes and concealed pitfalls provide pharmaceutical leaders with an evidence-based reference guide aiding adoption strategy development, resource planning and workforce transitioning crucial for Lean 4.0 assimilation.

This systematic assessment of pharmaceutical Lean 4.0 adoption offers an unprecedented perspective into the real-world issues, dependencies and modifications necessary for successful integration, absent from conceptual projections or isolated case studies alone until now.

This study aims to examine the association between women on board and business performance. It also aims to investigate the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and female directors on stock prices, including the function of female directors in moderating the CSR–market performance link that ultimately provides valuable insights into the impact of gender diversity on corporate boards.

Data from US publicly listed firms between 2000 and 2018 were collected and analysed using OLS regression, median regression, M-estimator regression and MM-estimator regression at 70% and 95% efficiency. In this study, firm market value was measured through Tobin’s Q, board diversity with ISS database and CSR strength and concern with the KLD database.

The results indicated that CSR positively impacts market performance by 3.1%, female board representation positively influences market performance by 4.8% and female board members strengthen the CSR–market performance relationship by 1.0% while playing a moderating role. Overall, these studies demonstrated the significance of female boards of directors for enhancing market performance.

This study used the data of US-listed firms from 2000 to 2018. The results have contributed to the ongoing discussion about the importance of gender diversity in boards and its influence on firm success. Further research works are suggested to expand the analysis by including other countries or considering additional factors that may influence the association between CSR, board representation of women and market share.

This study is essential for investors, legislators and CSR institutions in developed countries. The favourable impact of female board presence on market performance and the enhancement of the CSR–market performance relationship highlight the necessity of encouraging gender diversity on boards of directors and CSR activities.

This study emphasises the significance of gender balance on corporate boards in solving important social challenges including climate change, resource scarcity and gender equality. Companies can actively assist in addressing global issues and improving the well-being of stakeholders by promoting gender-diverse boards and encouraging CSR efforts.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first study demonstrating that gender diversity on corporate boards moderates the significant association between CSR performance and profitability in the USA. It has contributed to the expanding body of information regarding the moderating influence of female directors on firm value and stronger evidence for female directors in the governance of businesses.