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A selection of interesting articles we found recently about stakeholder perspectives. Is sustainable development biased towards humans as stakeholders? Environmental education scholars have hailed the emergence of the discourse of education for sustainable development (ESD) as a progressive transition in the field. The author argues that there are some salient aspects present in sustainability discourse that present ethical paradoxes as well as empirical dilemmas. Discourse on sustainable development singles out economic development, which might have created [...]

A selection of interesting articles we found recently on the role of virtues in management. Is humility needed in management? Although virtues have gained a firm presence in the theory and practice of corporate management, humility is not ranked as one the chief virtues in the business world. In spite of this, it is an important virtue, contributing to the manager’s moral and professional quality and the development of the company’s human team. This paper [...]

A selection of interesting articles we found recently on leadership styles. How leaders 'walking the talk' affects followers: A meta-analysis Substantial research examines the follower consequences of leader (mis)alignment of words and deeds, but no research has quantitatively reviewed these effects. This study examines extant research on behavioural integrity (BI) and contrasts it with two other constructs that focus on (mis)alignment: moral integrity and psychological contract breaches. Tony Simons and his team compare effect sizes [...]

A selection of interesting articles we came across recently on HR practices and firm performance. Does downsizing during an economic downturn enhance firm performance? No, according to Chin-jung Luan and Chengli Tien. Their study examines the efficacy of the smiling curve, and clarifies the relationship between downsizing strategies (advertising, marketing, and research and development, respectively) and firm performance, specifically in an economic downturn. This study tests hypotheses using 1996–2010 data from the Taiwan Economic Journal on 436 [...]

A selection of interesting articles we came across recently on ethical systems. Regulation of ethics: Compliance or comfort zone? The effective implementation of regulation in organisations is an ongoing concern for both research and practice, in order to avoid deviant behaviour and its consequences. However, the way compliance with regulations is actually enacted or “performed” within organisations instead of merely executed, remains largely under-characterised. Evidence from an ethnographic study in the compliance unit of a [...]

A selection of interesting articles we came across recently on communication issues. Who apologizes when employees transgress? Krista Hill and David Boyd examine the interactive effects of apology source (i.e., whether an apology is given by a chief executive officer or employee) and apology components (i.e., acknowledgment, remorse and compensation) on forgiveness. Results revealed a significant source by component interaction. A remorseful employee apology was more successful than a remorseful CEO apology because consumers felt [...]

A selection of interesting articles we came across recently on consumers and sustainability. The role of guilt in opt-out/opt-in green choices Companies often encourage consumers to engage in sustainable behaviours using their services in a more environmentally friendly or green way, such as reusing the towels in a hotel or replacing paper bank statements by electronic statements. Sometimes, the option of green service is implied as the default and consumers can opt-out, while in other [...]