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A growing number of organizational scandals, including Apple slowing old devices to increase the sales of new ones, and research on unethical pro-organization behaviors (UPBs) have heightened the need to explore the phenomenon. Extending the current understanding, the study's major purpose is to investigate individual-level factors that may shape their willingness to engage in UPBs. It also inquires whether moral disengagement processes influence this association.

After testing the reliability and validity of the latent constructs and ensuring common method bias did not contaminate the data, the study used the PLS-SEM approach to analyze the primary data collected from 408 full-time Pakistani employees.

Results add to the current understanding by revealing that individual-level dark factor Machiavellianism (MACH) significantly influences employees' willingness to engage in UPBs. Accordingly, affective commitment is another individual-level factor that encourages employees to be a part of UPBs. Lastly, results unveil that employees with a higher moral disengagement are more prone to engage in UPBs.

The study measured employees' willingness or intentions to engage in UPBs, not their actual involvement.

Results clarify to the top management that individuals high on MACH, affective commitment and moral disengagement are more prone to be involved in UPBs.

This study is among the preliminary ones that assess the direct associations between MACH, affective commitment, and UPBs, especially in the Pakistani context. Moreover, exploring the moderating role of moral disengagement between the above associations is also an under-researched phenomenon.

Risk perception is an essential factor affecting how individuals evaluate risk, make decisions and behave. The impact of risk perception on customer purchase behavior has been widely studied; however, the association has been debated. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between risk perception and customer purchase behavior and to examine factors that could moderate it.

This study conducted a meta-analysis of this relationship and examined factors that could moderate it. Six databases were comprehensively searched. Two reviewers independently selected the studies for inclusion, extracted data and assessed quality. Pearson's r was used as the effect estimate. A total of 33 studies were included in the meta-analysis.

The results revealed a negative relationship between risk perception and customer purchase behavior. The geographical region, purchase channel and country development level affected the relationship. The correlation between perceived risk and purchase behavior in European consumers was the highest, followed by the correlation in American consumers; the weakest correlation was found in Asian consumers. For consumers in developed countries, perceived risk had a stronger negative influence on customer purchase behavior than that for consumers in developing countries. The perceived risk of online purchase channels had a stronger negative impact on customer purchase behavior than that of offline purchase channels.

Risk perception is a useful context in which to explain barriers to customer purchase behavior. In addition, reducing consumers’ risk perception and perfecting the market transaction process with respect to buying behavior should be further studied.

The findings of this review indicate a direct negative relationship between risk perception and customer purchase behavior. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this review is the first to meta-analytically summarize the impact of risk perception on customer purchase behavior in social sciences research, and it also illuminates new perspectives for future studies.

The objective to achieve economic growth and sustainable development (SD) within the maritime industry has ever since been the ultimate goal of the International Maritime Organization and its stakeholders. Coupled with this effect, the United Nations organization has also mandated all its bodies to adopt sustainable working policies and practices towards the achievement of SD in its 2030 Agenda. From the standpoint of an emerging economy, this study aims to examine green maritime practices adopted by maritime authorities towards the achievement of SD in the maritime industry of Ghana. The proposed conceptual model of this study supports the natural resource-based view theory advocated by Hart (1995).

The dataset of this study was gathered using semi-structured questionnaires. A total of 635 valid responses were received as feedback which were tested and analyzed using partial least square structural equation modelling. The rationale for the adoption of this analytical tool is its resilient ability to handle a relatively small quantity of datasets. It is also suitable for empirical studies involving model development and at the early stage of theory development.

The findings of the study are as follows; firstly, quality maritime education and training directly and significantly influence green maritime transport (GMT), clean ocean and maritime resource conservation (COMRC), green port operations and services (GPOS), SD and waste management and treatment systems (WMTS). Secondly, GMT, COMRC, GPOS and WMTS have a direct significant influence on SD. Lastly, GMT, COMRC, GPOS and WMTS partially mediate the relationship between quality maritime education and training and SD.

This study proposes a conceptual model that attempts to explain to maritime authorities and stakeholders that although the adoption of green maritime practices significantly influences SD, yet, it may be insufficient without quality maritime education and training provided to maritime professionals. Hence, emphasizing that all maritime personnel receive quality maritime education and training to enhance the long-term achievement of SD in the maritime industry. It also attempts to prove and suggest to maritime authorities how they can collectively integrate both onshore and offshore green maritime practices to achieve SD.

The originality of this study shows in testing a conceptual model that affirms that, achieving SD in the maritime industry is dependent on quality maritime education and training received by maritime personnel, hence, demonstrating the significant role of maritime training institutions towards the maritime industry and the achievement of SD.

The aim of the present paper is that three long-chain hydroxyethyl alkylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ionic liquids (ILs) were synthesized and evaluated as lubricants for steel-steel contacts at room temperature and boundary lubrication conditions. Hydroxyethyl functional group and alkyl chain length effect on the physicochemical and fretting tribological behaviors of the ILs was comparatively investigated, as compared to traditional dialkylimidazolium ILs.

The fretting friction and wear tests were carried out using an Optimol SRV-IV oscillating reciprocating friction and wear tester. The worn surface was observed and analyzed by scanning electron microscope and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The electrochemical corrosion behavior of copper disks in selected imidazolium-based ionic liquids was studied using a CHI660B electrochemical workstation.

This can be seen by comparing the results for the non-hydroxyl ILs and hydroxyl ILs that the latter exhibited the littler friction coefficient, the smaller wear volume, although the latter electrochemical corrosion behavior of copper disks is slightly higher than the former. The results also revealed that the ILs with a longer alkyl chain displayed larger viscosities, better anti-corrosion capacities, higher hydrophobic properties and more excellent friction-reducing and anti-wear performance than those with a shorter alkyl chain.

This work might offer new knowledge in the design and application of new ILs as lubricants; it also confirms some in-depth physicochemical questions, e.g. the function mechanism, the correlations between structure and performance. Additionally, a proposed interaction model between the ILs and the friction substrate has been given.

This paper aims to examine how the official discourse of frugality evolved in China between 1979 and 2015.

The study uses historical and textual analysis. It divides the Chinese official discourse on frugality between 1979 and 2015 into four periods: 1979-1992, 1993-2002, 2003-2012 and 2013-2015.

A Chinese official discourse on frugality persisted between 1979 and 2015, even though during the same period, China transformed from a socialist economy of central planning and insufficient supply to a market economy of excessive supply and weak consumer demand. The intensity of this official discourse frequently vacillated, adjusting to both economic and political conditions of the time as part of the larger political-economic contestation between competing ideas and policies.

There have been calls for more studies on how frugality discourses have evolved in international markets, especially in terms of how they are shaped by local historical antecedents and long-standing tensions. Through the Chinese case, this article illuminates why some traditional values persist and obtain a paradoxical co-existence with consumerist ethos in our modern society.

The goal of this chapter is to respond to the theoretical inquiries by scholars who are interested in how the public–private partnership (PPP) models adapt to China’s context where political power dictates economic strategies. We also want to provide suggestions to policy designers who aim to promote a sustainable investment environment for domestic and international investors. We review the literature that explains the upside and downside of PPP projects in contemporary China. (1) We classify the trajectory of PPP evolution into four phases, i.e., emergence, growth, recession and revival. (2) We note that private companies take a disadvantageous position in the partnership compared with governments and state-owned enterprises because of a lack of specialized legislation, unequal competition between private companies and state-owned enterprises and the opposition from the civic society. (3) We identify political risks as the most influential risks. Political risks also lead to the misallocation of other risks between public and private parties that contributes to the high failure rate of China’s PPP projects. Based on these findings, we recommend governments to draft specialized legislation, stabilize the political environment and provide favourable subsidies to local governments to limit the risks involved in PPP projects. We also advise private enterprises and state-owned enterprises to focus on negotiating over task and risk division with governments when they make decisions to participate in PPP projects. This full review of studies on PPP development in China provides reliable recommendations to scholars, governments and enterprises.

This paper sets out to examine the formal regulatory framework of controlling soft issues in six Confucian societies: China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea and Japan. It aims to investigate whether these societies adopt a similar approach to soft issues.

The approach takes the form of historical analysis and textual analysis.

Japan stands out among Confucian societies in regulating soft issues. The other five societies share considerable similarities, though each society's approach ultimately reflects the entanglement and interaction between various economic, political, cultural and historical factors in the local context.

For international advertisers, the ideological facet of advertising regulation in some Confucian societies spells unpredictable traps and troubles.

Only a very few works have systematically examined soft issues in advertising, and few have focused on East Asia. The paper contributes to the literature by comparing how societies with similar cultural traditions regulate soft issues.

Given that global advertising often originates in the West, this study aimed to investigate whether the same racial cues in advertising had different effects on US and Chinese readers who belonged to the majority group in their own country but occupied varied positions in the global racial hierarchy.

The study included two experiments that used US and Chinese college students as participants to test the effect of model race on model likeability, ad attitude, and brand attitude.

The experiments confirmed that model race affected the effectiveness of advertising, though the nature and extent of its effects were mediated by factors such as country and product category. The effects of model race were much more pronounced for the Chinese data than for the US data, and for computer than for beer.

The findings illustrate the inadequacy of the center-periphery approach to global advertising planning, expose the limitations of the social identity theory in predicting racial attitudes in international settings, and outline the ethical challenge for global advertisers to develop effective multicultural advertising.

To date, most studies on racial cues in advertising have focused on the USA, and very few have explored the topic in the context of other markets. As an initial cross-country comparative investigation, this study suggests that multicultural advertising does not have the same effect in international markets.

As two essential styles of firm decision-making, the relationships among effectuation logic, causation logic and firm performance are unclear. It is helpful to deepen the understanding of reasoning theory and the process of decision-making. The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between effectuation logic, causation logic and firm performance.

Based on 31 independent empirical studies (including 11,600 samples) published by predecessors, meta-analysis is used to systematically integrate the impact of two decision-making styles on firm performance and explore the potential factors affecting their relationship.

The results show a positive correlation between two decision-making styles and firm performance and the influence of effectuation decision-making style in firm performance is slightly stronger. However, the application environment is different: in the emerging market, the causation decision-making style is more effective for firm performance management. When the firm chooses the effectuation decision-making style, it is more effective for performance management in the emerging market. In addition, the industry type, firm performance evaluation tools, national development level and firm scale and firm age can significantly moderate the impact of two decision-making styles on firm performance.

Both decision-making logics are possible ways for firm to success. Still, the future needs to dig deeper into the black box that can unlock the decision-making styles to achieve firm performance or competitive advantage based on other factors of the decision-behavior-outcome business model, more longitudinal data and experiments.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to explore the impact of decision-making styles (effectuation logic and causation logic) on firm performance using a meta-analysis.

Given the unique cultural-political context of China, this paper aims to investigate two research questions: What has been the development trajectory of policy-making on consumer privacy protection in China, and what factors have shaped its development over the years?

This paper adopts a historical approach and examines the development of Chinese consumer privacy policy during four periods: 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010-present.

Chinese policy-making on consumer privacy protection has made steady advancement in the past few decades due to factors such as technological development, elite advocacy and emulation of other markets; however, the effects of these factors are conditioned by local forces.

To date, most studies of consumer privacy issues have focused on Western countries, especially the European Union and the USA. A better understanding of how consumer privacy policy has developed in China provides important lessons on the promotion of consumer privacy protection in other developing countries.