This study addresses the problem of whether China’s Low-Carbon City Pilot Policy (LCCP) unintentionally induces corporate green innovation bubbles. The aim is to investigate the policy’s effect on firms’ green innovation behavior and uncover the mechanisms behind potential bubble formation. Using panel data of Chinese A-share listed companies from 2000 to 2022 and applying a staggered DID model, the study examines how the LCCP influences the divergence between the quantity and quality of green innovation. The empirical results show that the LCCP significantly increases green innovation bubbles, as firms tend to prioritize the number of green patent applications over substantive technological breakthroughs. Mechanism analyses indicate that intensified market competition and strengthened herd behavior are key channels through which the policy amplifies bubble effects. Additional heterogeneity tests reveal that the bubble effect is more pronounced in firms with higher ownership concentration, lower environmental subsidies, and those operating in non-high-pollution industries. This study concludes that while low-carbon policies promote green transition, they may also lead to unintended distortions in corporate innovation strategies. Future research may explore policy designs that better balance innovation quality and quantity, as well as assess long-term economic and environmental consequences of green innovation bubbles. JEL Classification Number: Q58, O32, O31.

Facing the dual pressures of critical technology bottlenecks and the transformation toward high-quality development, how to effectively utilize local knowledge spillovers has become a pressing issue for Chinese firms to enhance their total factor productivity (TFP). Existing studies have predominantly focused on the macro level, while the micro-level mechanisms and boundary conditions through which knowledge spillovers affect firm TFP remain unclear. To fill this gap, this study uses data from Chinese A-share listed manufacturing firms (2010–2020) to examine knowledge spillover effects on TFP and their boundary conditions. We finds that knowledge spillovers directly drive firm TFP, with technological innovation capability as the core transmission mechanism. Furthermore, we find that when a firm’s absorptive capacity exceeds 0.045, it amplifies the positive TFP effect of knowledge spillovers, whereas a capacity below this threshold inhibits it. This is because firms with insufficient absorptive capacity cannot discern and integrate knowledge, leading to resource misallocation and R&D failures. Moreover, a firm’s digital transformation mitigates the “law of distance decay” in knowledge dissemination, enhances knowledge acquisition and application, and positively moderates the productivity-enhancing effect of knowledge spillovers. This study reveals the micro-level mechanisms through which emerging market firms use knowledge spillovers to achieve “enhancements in quality and efficiency,” enriching the firm-level foundations of endogenous growth theory and providing theoretical and practical implications for firm digital strategies and government innovation policies. JEL Classification: JEL, O32, D22, L21.

Leadership is a key to school’s success because it shapes employees’ behavior and their commitment to their work. Among different leadership theories, transformational leadership stands out for its focus on inspiring and motivating people to work toward common goals. This study aimed to examine the extent to which transformational leadership is practiced, the level of teachers’ job commitment, and the relationship between these variables. A convergent mixed-methods design integrating descriptive and correlational type was used. Data were collected concurrently from 38 purposively selected school leaders and 138 teachers included through comprehensive sampling. Questionnaires, interviews, and focus group discussions were employed to ensure data triangulation. For quantitative data, one-sample t -tests, Pearson’s correlation, and multiple linear regressions were used. Qualitative data were thematically analyzed. The results showed that school leaders practice transformational leadership to a considerable degree, and teachers are highly committed to their jobs. The study found that all four key aspects of transformational leadership had a positive and statistically meaningful relationship to teachers’ job commitment ( p < .05). Together they explained more than half (51.5%) of the differences in teacher commitment levels ( R 2 = .515). Hence, the study contributes to the theoretical understanding of how transformational leadership influences teacher commitment in secondary schools. This suggests that strengthening transformational leadership that fit the specific environment can help boost teacher commitment. It is also recommended to conduct further investigation into other factors that might influence teacher commitment in similar school settings.

Workplace harassment affects both men and women globally, with male ethnic harassment receiving limited attention. Few national or international studies have explored the issue from the perspective of male ethnic harassment. This study examines the influence of leadership styles, specifically ethical and destructive leadership, on the incidence of ethnic harassment among male employees in Karachi, Pakistan. Using a quantitative, survey-based approach, data were collected from 374 male employees across ethnically diverse districts (Lyari, Baldia, and Korangi) through purposive sampling. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed for analysis. The study reveals that, contrary to expectations, ethical leadership may inadvertently contribute to ethnic harassment by reinforcing hierarchical structures, while destructive leadership predictably increases harassment. The findings suggest that ethnic harassment mediates the relationship between leadership styles and moral disengagement, where harassed employees become morally detached, rationalising unethical behaviour and engaging in further harassment. Moreover, collective moral identity was found to significantly moderate this relationship, reducing the proclivity for harassment among morally aligned groups. These results contribute to the literature on moral identity and provide empirical evidence on the effects of ethnic harassment in politically charged environments, such as Karachi. This data can inform future organisational policies to address ethnic tensions and promote ethical leadership practices.

Innovation approaches are the catalyst for born global firms (BGs) to penetrate international markets. However, it is challenging for resource-constrained BGs to solve resource problems during innovation and rapid internationalization. Open innovation ecosystems (OIE) benefit ecosystem actors by bridging external resources to promote innovation and increasing the chances of successful international expansion. Therefore, this study aims to explore how OIE facilitate the internationalization of BGs. Drawing upon Resource-Based Theory, this study employs a semi-structured interview method to collect data from BGs in China, and utilizes a multiple case study methodology to explore how OIE facilitate the internationalization of BGs. This study finds that OIE function as mutually reinforcing resource connection platforms and joint innovation platforms in the internationalization of BGs. Specifically, as a resource connection platform, the OIE provide international resources and innovation resources to support BGs internationalization. As a joint innovation platform, it facilitates the speed, extent, and scope of BGs internationalization through mechanisms of accelerated innovation, differentiated products, and enhanced technological capabilities. This study introduces a novel research direction within Born Global Theory by addressing the resource and innovation challenges of BGs through the lens of OIE. The findings also extend Open Innovation Theory by validating the role of OIE in fostering innovation specifically within BGs and by revealing its contribution to their internationalization processes. The practical implication of this study lies in providing actionable insights for managers in the internationalization and innovation departments of BGs. OIE facilitates the integration of resources and knowledge to enhance market responsiveness and mitigate the liability of outsidership, while simultaneously accelerating differentiated innovation and enabling technological diversification. These outcomes collectively advance the speed, scope, and extent of BGs’ internationalization.

Artificial intelligence (AI), as a tool to enhance operational efficiency and improve customer experience, has rapidly reshaping service and the pervasive integration of intelligent systems into commercial ecosystems has fundamentally redefined value co-creation mechanisms. Prior research has confirmed that the customer satisfaction and loyalty is expected to be critical factors for the success of business. Meanwhile, product quality has been proven to shift service quality as one of the most crucial drivers for customer satisfaction and loyalty across all industries. However, the number of current studies show that most customers prefer human interactions rather than AI services. Thus, understanding the drivers behind how customer loyalty evolves when it comes to AI services is therefore crucial. This study presents a cross-sectional study based on questionnaire survey data from the Chinese market to investigate whether and how the service quality of AI affects customer loyalty. Specifically, the research takes customer interaction uncertainty as a moderating variable and constructs a conceptual model of the relationship between AI service quality, customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty. A regression analysis is performed to unravel the mechanism of the model mentioned above by using the data collected from 466 respondents in a cross-sectional study. The findings indicate that AI services have a profound positive impact on customer loyalty and customer satisfaction plays an intermediary role between them. Furthermore, customer participation moderates the relationship between AI service quality and customer satisfaction.

This study examines how energy consumption influences Ethiopia’s economic growth, focusing on its implications for sustainable development. It analyses the mediating role of energy efficiency and the moderating effect of renewable energy adoption. Using a quantitative design and data from 403 energy-related firms, the findings reveal that energy use significantly drives economic performance, with energy efficiency serving as a key moderating factor enhancing sustainability. The objective is to assess how improvements in energy consumption and efficiency drive economic productivity, while the adoption of renewable energy enhances sustainability. The quantitative research approach was used in the investigation. Structured questionnaires were used to gather data from 403 energy-related businesses. Results show that economic growth is significantly impacted by energy use, with energy efficiency acting as a crucial moderator. Furthermore, by reducing the negative economic and environmental cost of non-renewable energy, renewable energy eliminates this connection. Improved energy efficiency, for example, boosts economic production, while consuming renewable energy enhances long-term growth by lessening the burden on the environment. These findings highlight the urgent need for Ethiopia to diversify its energy resource base, prioritising renewable sources such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric power. Policymakers are invited to encourage technological innovation and infrastructure development to improve energy efficiency, invest in renewable energy sources, and promote fair access to energy. Through combining energy policy with sustainability goals, this study emphasises the fundamental role of energy in Ethiopia’s future economic stability and environmental sustainability.

This study investigates the factors determining household participation in rural tourism using a logistic-interpretive structural model (ISM) based on survey data from 22 pro-poor tourism villages in western China. The findings reveal that, in addition to any independent influence, household livelihood capital and the community livelihood environmental factors have a hierarchical interrelationship that influences tourism participation. For low-income households, the probability of tourism participation is indirectly constrained by labor availability and community-level infrastructure and public services, with the community proximity to nearby scenic spots playing a deep-seated role. This study contributes to existing literature by proposing a hierarchical structure of factors influencing tourism participation and offers new insights into how these factors have implications for poor communities and low-income households.

This study explores the social and emotional functioning of students with Nonverbal Learning Disabilities (NLD) in Saudi Arabia, with a particular focus on the difficulties these students face and the effectiveness of tailored interventions that were identified to support them. NLD is characterized by deficits in visual-spatial reasoning, motor coordination, and social interaction, despite relative strengths in verbal reasoning. While NLD has been extensively studied in many parts of the world, research in Arabic-speaking regions—and especially in Saudi Arabia—remains limited. This gap highlights the need to investigate how cultural and educational contexts shape the experiences of students with NLD and influence the types of support they receive. To address this gap, the study employed a descriptive survey method, collecting data from 67 educators specializing in learning disabilities in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. The study, which utilized a 25-item survey that respondents rated, was conducted during the second semester of AY 2024/2025. The survey responses were analyzed using descriptive statistical techniques to identify frequencies and percentages across the responses, and arithmetic averages to organize the responses. The findings indicate that teachers identify academic difficulties as the most common challenge among their students with NLD, followed by deficits in linguistic, social-emotional, and motor skills. The multidimensional nature of NLD is discussed as well as the need for holistic and culturally responsive intervention practices.

This paper examines the impact of import competition on firm innovation in the Chinese manufacturing sector. We find that import competition stimulates innovation, consistent with the “escape-competition effect” from the existing literature. Firms also adopt more skill-biased technologies in response to increased competition, with this effect observed in both low- and high-tech industries. Moreover, as import competition intensifies, firms expand their range of imported product lines, with this impact being more pronounced for tariff cuts on imports from high-income countries compared to those from non-high-income countries. The importance of product differentiation strategies grows as import competition increases, further driving innovation. We also discover rich heterogeneous effects across firm ownership, firm size, and trade modes. These findings provide important insights for policymakers and scholars on the pro-innovation effects of import competition in developing economies. JEL Classification: F13, F14, O31.