Search Results (1,016)

This paper examines how air pollution affects the distribution of labor income within firms. We build a within-firm incentive model and show that air pollution, treated as an exogenous shock, reduces production efficiency and increases operating uncertainty. In response, firms compress both employee and executive compensation. Because executive pay carries a larger weight on performance- and equity-based components and is therefore more sensitive to profit volatility, it declines by more, mechanically narrowing within-firm pay dispersion. At the same time, rank-and-file wages display downward rigidity. The result is a “synchronized decline with sharper cuts at the top,” a form of spurious equality. Using 2014–2022 data on non-financial A-share listed firms in China, we find that a 1% increase in air pollution is associated with a 0.37% average decline in labor income. Effects are stronger in labor-intensive firms and in firms with weaker unions. Two-stage least squares estimates indicate real consequences: talent outflows and reduced innovation. By linking air quality to wage setting, human capital, and innovation, our results reveal a sustainability channel through which pollution undermines decent work and inclusive growth—issues of global relevance for urban economies. The mechanisms we document are likely to generalize beyond China and inform integrated policies that combine environmental regulation with labor-market and innovation policy to support a just and sustainable transition. Full article

The article explores the problem of the design of an employee’s digital twin for a human resource management system under Industry 4.0. An employee’s digital twin is linked to the concept of individual human capital, that is, the combination of professional, intellectual, and social resources that determine employee productivity. The digital twin model includes a model for an employee’s human capital assessment and a decision support model for the employee’s individual professional trajectory design. The decision support model is based on the concept of a Markov decision process (MDP), dynamic programming methods, and reinforcement learning (RL) algorithms. RL algorithms generate an optimal control mode and represent a set of management decisions for employee development appropriate to their health and intellectual, social, and career potential. Several reinforcement learning algorithms of different classes are tested: DQN, SARSA PRO, and DDQN. The developed algorithm—Dual Deep Q-Networks (DDQN)—demonstrates the highest performance compared to other learning algorithms. This algorithm is adapted to the relevant problem and used in a decision support model. The difference between the proposed model and others is the policy of individual human capital management, aimed at increasing human capital and growing employee productivity. The results of employee digital twin implementation have practical significance: it enables the rapid mitigation of human capital risks, improves employee productivity, and enhances enterprise efficiency. Full article

Background/Objectives: Long working hours are a recognized risk factor for poor mental health, but their impact may vary across generations. Millennials and Generation Z (MZ generation) have received attention for their distinct values, work–life expectations, and communication styles compared with older cohorts. The present study assessed generational differences (MZ vs. non-MZ) in the association between weekly working hours and depressive and anxiety symptoms among Korean employees. Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional data from 11,372 employees (68.0% men; mean age = 36.7 years) who underwent mental health screenings between 2020 and 2022. Participants born on or after 1 January 1980, were classified as belonging to the MZ generation (n = 7538). Symptoms of depression and anxiety were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and the Clinically Useful Anxiety Outcome Scale (CUXOS). Multiple linear regression models tested the interaction between mean-centered weekly working hours and generation, adjusting for sociodemographic covariates. Results: Longer working hours were significantly associated with greater depressive (B = 0.080, p < 0.001) and anxiety (B = 0.119, p < 0.001) symptom severity. Significant interactions between generation and working hours were observed for both depression (B = 0.140, p < 0.001) and anxiety (B = 0.182, p < 0.001). Generation-stratified models showed that the increase in symptom severity per additional work hour was approximately three-fold higher in the MZ generation than in the non-MZ generation. Conclusions: The mental health burden of long working hours is amplified in the MZ generation. Generation-sensitive workplace health strategies are needed to address this vulnerability. Full article

Background/Objectives: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an increasing problem globally, largely driven by the overuse and misuse of antibiotics. In Moldova, physicians are frequently not following recommendations regarding the use of antimicrobials. Despite the adoption of a national strategy to combat AMR, information on healthcare professionals’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) remains limited. This study aimed to assess KAP related to AMS among staff at a tertiary hospital. Methods: We surveyed employees of the Republican Clinical Hospital between 20 May and 30 June 2024. We interviewed doctors, nurses, pharmacists, clinical pharmacologists, and epidemiologists using a structured, self-administered questionnaire. The instrument assessed their KAP regarding antimicrobial stewardship. We analyzed the data collected using descriptive statistics and tests of association. Results: Among 138 participants, 65% were female and 54% were nurses. A high proportion demonstrated good knowledge (87%) and a positive attitude (78%) towards AMS. However, only 31% reported good stewardship-related practices. Significant associations were observed between knowledge and attitude (p < 0.001), and between knowledge and practice (p = 0.013). No significant association was found between attitude and practice (p = 0.160). Conclusions: These findings reveal a disconnect between knowledge, attitudes, and practical implementation of AMS principles. While healthcare professionals were knowledgeable and well-intentioned, practice remains inconsistent. This suggests that effective AMS interventions must combine individual training with structural support at the institutional level. Tailored strategies should address both general awareness and hospital-specific factors contributing to AMR. Full article

Mixed-use development (MXD) is crucial for urban planning and travel. The COVID-19 outbreak had a significant impact on travel behaviour and MXD projects worldwide, particularly in high-income countries. However, limited studies have explored the predictors of MXD usage and travel patterns in low- and middle-income countries, including Malaysia, and how these events were affected by COVID-19. Using the Rowley and extended Hopenbrouwer and Louw models, this study investigates the travel patterns within MXD premises, their associated factors, and residents’ perspectives of internal and external trips before and during COVID-19 in Klang Valley, Malaysia. A mixed-method study was conducted by using a validated survey and performing a structured interview with MXD residents. A total of 134 and 52 respondents participated in the survey and qualitative interviews, respectively. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, logistic regression models, and thematic analysis. A significantly higher proportion of MXD respondents engaged in external travel compared to internal travel before and during COVID-19. Before COVID-19, external travel was significantly higher among younger residents, government servants, higher-income earners, and those who owned a car and had recently moved to MXD areas. The odds of internal travel were significantly higher among private-sector employees, students, and low-income earners. During the pandemic, external travel frequency was significantly higher among male residents, older residents, government servants, high-income earners, and those with multiple vehicles. Residents with more parking lots tended to travel less internally compared to those with fewer parking lots allocated. Qualitative analyses revealed that cost-saving, convenience and comfort, social lifestyle, health and well-being, and green environment were the factors that shaped MXD residents’ perceived benefits of trip internalisation. Meanwhile, the barriers to internal trips included the lack of infrastructure, poor management, lifestyle activities/individual factors, and environmental factors. The recommended strategies to reduce external trips were to ensure diversified services and accessibility, inclusiveness in planning activities, promoting social interaction, and work-from-home policies. These findings reflect the strategies that can be incorporated to reduce external trips generated by MXD and enhance effective traffic management. Full article

This study aims to investigate the determinants of labour productivity across European non-financial entities using aggregated data from the Bank for the Accounts of Companies Harmonized (BACH) database. Focusing on six European Union countries (Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal, Poland, and Spain). Annual information from 2010 to 2023 is used (the last available year), including three size classes (small, medium-sized and larger entities) per division (two-digit code) by year and by country, totalling 14,188 observations. The combination of sectors and class sizes varies from 191 to 208 by country. It uses gross value added per employee as a proxy for labour productivity. Using a fixed-effects estimator and panel data regression techniques, the analysis reveals that labour productivity explanatory factors, particularly firm size, profitability, financialisation, leverage, and tangibility, have heterogeneous and sometimes contradictory effects across countries, sectors, and size classes. Larger firms generally tend to have higher levels of labour productivity, although this feature is not consistent among countries. Size and profitability more consistently exert a strong positive influence, whereas financialisation and leverage typically show negative or nonlinear effects. The results highlight the structural diversity of the European corporate landscape and challenge the adequacy of one-size-fits-all policy measures, contributing to the literature on productivity and offering further insights to policymakers by integrating cross-sectional, sectoral, and size-specific perspectives on labour efficiency within the EU context. Full article

Background: Separately conducted studies on the phenomena of personal dignity and objectification at the workplace seek a common goal of ensuring psychological and physical wellbeing in the workplace. Objectives: Since the conception of dignity is highly important for a better understanding of the phenomenon of the person’s objectification, this scoping review explored how personal dignity was revealed in managerial studies on employee objectification. Methods: Using the algorithm selected for this study, a total of 192 articles were retrieved from the Scopus and Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics) databases, of which 12 theoretical and empirical studies were selected for further analysis. The study employed a modified PRISMA methodology, based on PRISMA-ScR guidelines. The data on authors, year of publication, study type, sample, main conclusions, and provided recommendations were extracted. Results: In order to achieve the purpose of the research, it explored how objectification and the dignity of employees were treated and what recommendations to practitioners were made. It was found that the themes examined in the studies covered two main categories: cultural (of the organization and society) and relational (vertical and horizontal relations, including the use of technologies). Conclusions: The research results show that, so far, a more general definition of employee objectification is lacking and that personal dignity, which would allow for the revision of this conception, remains unhighlighted. Full article

Financial literacy is not just an individual skill but a crucial enabler for sustainable development and gender equality, particularly in historically male-dominated sectors like mining. Despite progress in financial inclusion, women in Mpumalanga’s mining industry continue to face systemic barriers rooted in traditional gender norms, socio-cultural expectations, and a lack of workplace support, limiting their economic participation. Mining, especially in rural areas, often intensifies existing inequalities, making financial empowerment for women even more challenging. This study explores the efficacy of gender-sensitive financial literacy and capacity development programs tailored to women in Mpumalanga’s mining sector. Using in-depth interviews with 12 female employees, the study employed thematic analysis to identify patterns and extract meaning from the participants lived experiences. The research identifies key barriers, including the need for accommodation in the workplace, the impact of cultural norms, and the need for financial literacy. The theorising is made possible through a twin theoretical framework consisting of the capability approach and intersectional feminism, which results in greater understanding about how intersecting identities influence women’s financial empowerment. The evidence underscores the potential of focused, comprehensive financial literacy programs to empower women to overcome these barriers, facilitating individual and community development. In general, the study underlines the critical role of financial literacy in realising gender equality and sustainable development in the mining industry. The research calls for policies and programs to address systemic issues, advancing women’s economic empowerment and creating a more equitable sector. Full article

Previous conceptualizations of safety voice have described this construct as fundamentally unidimensional, compared to several other multidimensional models that have been outlined for the more general concept of employee voice. Drawing from previous studies in occupational safety, previous safety voice conceptualizations (challenge vs. defense of safety systems), dynamic safety capability, and wise proactivity, we outline an extended conceptualization of safety voice. Adopting a functionalist approach, we identified and described promotive, preventive, prohibitive, and hostile safety voice. For each type, we discuss the definition, its function, its implications, and examples. This multidimensional conceptualization provides a conceptual structure that supports more accurate measurement, intervention design, and discussions surrounding safety-related communication. It also clarifies when and how distinct forms of safety voice emerge, identifies levers for system and leadership design, and outlines actionable implications and testable propositions for advancing prevention, learning, and research. Full article

Current federated identity management systems lack contextual awareness of workflows across independent systems, creating security gaps and workflow integrity challenges. This article details the design and implementation of Alohomora, a distributed workflow-aware authentication system that maintains cross-system workflow context through path-bound tokens. Alohomora complements existing identity providers such as OAuth and SAML by adding workflow orchestration capabilities while leveraging standard authentication protocols for initial user verification. The system introduces workflow graphs as a formal model for representing dependencies between functions across heterogeneous systems and employs a distributed caching architecture with collaboration groups for scalable session management. In a typical deployment scenario, an employee onboarding workflow across human resources services, account provisioning, and benefits systems forms a trust group where Alohomora enforces ordered step execution, validates prerequisite completion at each transition, and generates cryptographic completion assertions upon workflow finalization. Extensive performance evaluation under concurrent user requests demonstrates polynomial performance characteristics with superior scalability compared to centralized OAuth introspection. The results show that Alohomora maintains high throughput under heavy load while providing strong, secure access control through workflow path binding and distributed trust orchestration. The prototype implementation is available as open source. Full article

Climate change is one of the most pressing global environmental challenges, driven by the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Industrial processes, particularly plastic injection molding, are major contributors due to their high energy demand, raw material use, and waste generation. This study quantifies the carbon footprint of plastic injection molding operations and identifies emission hotspots to support alignment with sustainability objectives. A greenhouse gas inventory was developed for the production processes of Petka Mold Industry in Adana, Türkiye, covering 1 January–31 December 2023. The assessment followed the ISO 14064-1:2019 standard and included emissions from direct fuel consumption, purchased electricity, refrigerant leaks, company vehicles, employee commuting, business travel, purchased goods, and waste transportation. Carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide were calculated in carbon dioxide equivalent units. This research represents the first comprehensive carbon footprint study in the plastic mold sector integrating all categories (Categories 1–6). In addition, uncertainty and materiality analyses were applied to ensure robustness and transparency, an approach rarely adopted in similar industrial contexts. While most previous studies are limited to Categories 1–3, this work expands the boundaries to all categories, offering a pioneering model for industrial applications. The total corporate GHG emissions for 2023 were calculated as 3922.75 metric tons of CO₂e. Among the categories, purchased raw materials and end-of-life product stages were the most significant contributors, whereas transport and auxiliary services had smaller shares. The results provide a reliable baseline for developing action plans and pursuing emission reduction targets. By combining full category coverage with rigorous assessment tools, this study contributes methodological novelty to corporate carbon accounting and establishes a foundation for future progress toward carbon neutrality. Full article

In recent years, telework (TW) has been seen as a feasible and flexible alternative to deal with global and market risks; however, companies’ lack of vision and planning to implement it has generated the reality that TW, far from bringing advantages, generates personal and social labour conflicts. The objective of this research is to design a TW adoption sustainable process (TW-ASP) that guides the development of organizational strategies to maximize benefits and mitigate challenges for companies, employees, and society. This qualitative study comprises three phases: a review of previous research in Web of Science, identification and inter-relation of relevant variables, and TW-ASP design using Cooper’s stage-gate methodology. The process includes three stages, and each one has a gate: TW thinking, TW decision, and TW adoption. Each stage and gate is structured according to linkages between technological, organizational, labour, and social variables. TW-ASP positions TW as a sustainable initiative requiring a holistic and systemic approach. This study offers a proposal that can serve as a reference for designing organizational strategies aimed at sustainability. Full article

This paper researches the mobility behavior of employees in the Special Economic Zone in Niepołomice in Poland. The survey compares transportation behavior of factory and office workers before, during, and after COVID-19 pandemic. Workers’ trips include local ones within the administrative area as well as regional ones covering larger distances. The paper indicates a lack of research on economic zones, which are significant trip generators in the area. Moreover, the article shows the impact of industrial areas on commute behavior and the emerging need to accommodate regional mobility needs. The article aggregates survey conclusions and proposes transport solutions to improve workers’ commutes. Finally, the work reports social participation in the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan, which includes the Niepołomice Investment Zone. Full article

Mental health challenges in academic settings are increasingly recognised, yet research on staff wellbeing remains limited, particularly within African universities. This study provides the first institution-wide assessment of psychological distress and burnout among academic staff at a South African university. A cross-sectional survey using validated tools, the 28-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28 ) and the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI) was administered to 157 academic employees, and data were analysed using descriptive statistics, non-parametric tests, and ordinal regression. The median age of participants was 42 years (Interquartile range [IQR] = 34–50; SD = 11.4), and the majority of participants were female (n = 110, 70%). The sample included staff across academic ranks, with lecturers being the most common (n = 64, 41%). Results showed that nearly half of participants (49%) exhibited severe psychological distress, and over a quarter (27%) reported high levels of burnout. Female staff reported significantly higher distress and burnout scores compared to their male counterparts. Less than a third (28%) of participants reported feeling safe to disclose mental health concerns, while over half expressed dissatisfaction with institutional support. Participants indicated strong support for both individual-level services, such as confidential counselling and workshops, and systemic changes, including flexible work arrangements and leadership-driven mental health initiatives. Findings highlight the need for integrated, participatory mental health strategies that are culturally and contextually tailored. These results offer timely evidence to inform the development of institutional strategies, policies, and practices to promote mental health among academic staff. Full article

Background: Ethical leadership and ethical climate are generally considered protective factors against burnout, while affective commitment has traditionally been understood as a personal resource that enhances employee well-being. However, recent evidence suggests that, under specific contextual conditions, these variables may also operate as demands that intensify emotional strain. Objective: This study examines how telework intensity moderates the relationships between ethical leadership, affective commitment, principle-based ethical climate, and burnout. Methods: Data were drawn from a doctoral study conducted in the Colombian electricity sector. Moderation analyses were performed to assess whether the number of telework days per week altered the strength and direction of associations between organizational variables and the dimensions of burnout. Results: Telework intensity did not moderate the relationship between ethical leadership and affective commitment, but it strengthened the positive association between affective commitment and emotional exhaustion. Moreover, it reversed the role of a principle-based ethical climate: from being positively associated with emotional exhaustion and depersonalization to acting as a protective factor under medium to high telework intensity. Conclusions: The findings challenge conventional assumptions about affective commitment and ethical climate, highlighting the ambivalent role of telework. They underscore the need for more nuanced theoretical frameworks and management practices that are sensitive to emerging psychosocial risks in virtual work environments. Full article