We aimed to conduct a comparative analysis of the open disclosure frameworks in Australia and New Zealand to identify the strengths, weaknesses and trade-offs of their respective approaches and to propose a hybrid model that integrates the best practices from both systems. This qualitative comparative policy analysis systematically reviewed key policy documents from Australia and New Zealand. Data extraction focussed on the principles, processes, governance, legal aspects and implementation strategies of each framework. A multi-theoretical approach was adopted, applying four core theoretical frameworks-institutional theory, regulatory governance, ethics of care and implementation science-to analyse the extracted data. The analysis involved thematic coding, a cross-country comparison through each theoretical lens and a synthesis of the findings to identify the trade-offs between the two models and to inform the development of a refined hybrid model. The analysis revealed that Australia's framework, which is embedded in national safety standards, emphasises system-wide governance and accreditation, offering flexibility but at the risk of implementation variability. In contrast, New Zealand's model, which is legally mandated under consumer rights legislation, prioritises individual accountability and patient rights, ensuring strong enforcement but potentially fostering a compliance-driven culture. The key differences between the two frameworks emerged in their legal specificity, enforcement mechanisms and the practicalities of their implementation. The analysis highlighted the critical role of ethical considerations, workforce capacity and organisational readiness for the effective implementation of open disclosure. Both the Australian and New Zealand open disclosure frameworks offer valuable insights into the challenge of balancing systemic governance and consumer rights. A hybrid approach that integrates Australia's focus on systemic learning with New Zealand's robust legal mandate for patient rights and explicit ethical considerations could provide a more effective and equitable framework for open disclosure, and could enhance healthcare quality and transparency. Future research should focus on the empirical evaluation of the practical implementation and outcomes of such hybrid models.

While facilitating tourists’ personal transformation, wellness healers simultaneously navigate their own quest for well-being in delivering wellness tourism services. However, existing research predominantly focuses on tourists’ psychological transformation, while the well-being of wellness healers who provide socioemotional labor often remains understudied. Grounded in the Stimulus-Organism-Response theory, this study aims to examine how social job characteristics influence wellness healers’ well-being within wellness tourism workplaces. A quantitative design and fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) approach were implemented, with data collected from 312 wellness healers across tourism destinations. Results demonstrate that social job characteristics have substantial positive impacts on wellness healers’ mental health, social skills, and well-being. Social skills not only directly improve mental health but also serve as mediating factors connecting social job characteristics to well-being. The fsQCA results reveal three configurations that lead to high well-being. These findings advance tourism theory by clarifying the psychological mechanisms underlying sustainable service delivery in experience-based tourism. For practice, they offer destination managers evidence-based strategies for designing supportive tourism workplaces that enhance both healer well-being and tourism experience quality, ultimately contributing to destination competitiveness through sustainable human resource practices.

Purpose Facilitating university patent transfer has become a critical priority amid intensifying global innovation competition. While intellectual capital is recognized as pivotal for innovation, its configurational role in university patent transfers remains underexplored. Grounded in intellectual capital theory, this study investigates how multidimensional conditions—human, structural, and relational capital in China's “Double First-Class” universities combine to form effective patent transfer pathways. Design/methodology/approach The study samples 42 Chinese “Double First-Class” universities and constructs a three-dimensional, multi-element configurational analysis framework based on intellectual capital. We adopt a fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis methodology, and data were sourced from the national intellectual property administration, university websites, statistical yearbooks, and academic databases. Findings No single necessary condition drives university patent transfer. Instead, six effective configurational pathways are identified, which can be categorized into three models: (1) the “Knowledge-Collaboration” dual-core driven type, reliant on profound depth of knowledge and close university-enterprise collaboration; (2) the “Balanced Support” type, featuring synergistic interaction of multidimensional capitals; (3) the “External-Relations Pull” type, with government support and university-enterprise collaboration at its core, which can compensate for deficiencies in internal conditions. The results reveal complementarity and substitution relationships among human, structural, and relational capital, and highlight the pivotal role of university-enterprise collaboration in most pathways. Originality/value This study extends intellectual capital theory to the field of university patent transfer by constructing an integrated analytical framework incorporating the three types of capital. From a configurational perspective, this reveals multiple concurrent transfer pathways that transcend the limitations of traditional linear analysis. Practically, it enables universities to select context-appropriate pathways, advises managers on how to optimize resource orchestration, and urges policymakers to implement classified support mechanisms.

ABSTRACT We examine how formal and informal institutional logics interact to shape the effectiveness of Collaborative Environmental Governance (CEG). Using fuzzy‐set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) of 34 CEG projects in Indonesia, we identify three distinct pathways to effectiveness: co‐faith‐based, multifaith‐collaborative, and secular‐market, each reflecting a unique configuration of authority, market, and social and community logics. Importantly, our findings challenge essentialist views of religion by reconceptualizing it as a context‐dependent institutional logic that can enable or constrain collaboration depending on its institutional embeddedness. Religion represents a dynamic informal force, especially salient where formal institutions are underdeveloped or contested. These insights extend theories of institutional design and collaborative governance, particularly in culturally diverse and institutionally uneven settings. Our study offers practical implications for designing context‐sensitive CEG systems, emphasizing the importance of inclusive leadership and institutional alignment.

Purpose This study aims to examine what are the different configurations of organisational and individual factors that are associated with high job performance within small and medium-sized organisations (SMOs). In doing so, this study highlights what are the optimal combinations for achieving such performance. Design/methodology/approach A confirmatory factor analysis was first conducted to validate measurement models and assess convergent and discriminant validity using average variance extracted criteria. A configurational approach was then applied using qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) with the QCA package in R 4.3.0. This method, based on equifinality and Boolean algebra, identifies multiple causal pathways leading to high job performance. Findings High job performance in SMOs typically emerges from combined effects of key resources. Self-esteem and decision authority are key, supporting high job performance even when other key factors are limited. Psychological well-being also plays an important role. Skill utilisation and job promotion contribute to performance, but it can also be achieved in their absence. Teleworking shows a context-dependent effect, with most high-performance configurations occurring without it. Research limitations/implications The study is limited by its cross-sectional, self-reported and a restricted set of variables, indicating the need for future research. Practical implications The findings are especially relevant for SMOs navigating uncertain and changing environments, offering concrete insights into fostering high job performance through flexible and context-sensitive resource combinations. Originality/value Theoretically, this study advances a multilevel, integrative framework for understanding high job performance in SMOs, highlighting how distinct configurations of organisational and individual resources jointly influence high job performance.

ABSTRACT Climate policy effectiveness research increasingly focuses on understanding how policies translate into outcomes across diverse contexts, recognizing that implementation mechanisms are as crucial as policy design itself. Analyzing 88 national and 493 provincial policy documents from China (2020–2023), we identify the dual carbon policy: what works, what makes it effective, and what causes it to fail. We establish an Objectives-Tools-Effectiveness framework and apply improved Policy Modelling Consistency (PMC) indexing and fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to identify effective implementation pathways. Three key findings emerge. First, China’s policy tools exhibit structural imbalances, including over-reliance on environmental regulations, supply-demand mismatches, and inadequate coverage in green finance and carbon sinks. Second, a significant design-implementation gap exists; while 93.1% of provinces achieve high-quality PMC, only 55% attain effective implementation performance. Third, we observe asymmetric patterns: successful configurations demonstrate favourable substitution (economic resources and social participation serve as alternatives), whereas failed pathways exhibit deficiency cascade (multiple weaknesses reinforce each other: Ningxia’s vague goals, weak enforcement and coal dependence produced worse outcomes than any single deficiency), whereas failed pathways exhibit an inverse barrel effect, where multiple deficiencies reinforce each other rather than creating opportunities for compensation, and policy planning clarity emerge as a core variable across all effective pathways. These findings reveal that policy effectiveness depends on coordinated alignment between design and implementation elements rather than design quality alone, a lesson critical for the 195 parties to the Paris Agreement as they enhance the ambition of their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the UNFCCC, highlighting the necessity of aligning policy design with implementation capacity in NDC scaling. The study advocates differentiated governance strategies tailored to regional contexts, offering evidence-based frameworks to optimize climate policy implementation by systematically understanding both success and failure mechanisms.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of knowledge stock in the national-level emergence of tech scaleups from a configurational perspective. While prior research has recognized the importance of knowledge stock in the emergence of high-growth firms and examined elements of entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs), its predominant reliance on econometric models has yielded a fragmented understanding, leaving unclear how knowledge stock combines with EE resource endowments to support such emergence. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on the knowledge spillover theory of entrepreneurship and ecosystem thinking, this study integrates aggregate data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor and Startup Genome. The authors construct a cross-national data set covering 31 countries and apply fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis. Findings The results of this study reveal that knowledge stock plays a systemically important and consistently prominent role across high-emergence pathways; its influence is contingent upon the broader resource endowments of EE; and compared with resource endowments of EE, knowledge stock exhibits lower causal asymmetry, suggesting a relatively more stable role. Originality/value This study advances the literature on the geography of high-growth entrepreneurship by moving beyond single-factor econometric approaches to examine how knowledge stock interacts with other EE resources in national contexts. Using fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis, the authors identify multiple resource configurations that enable tech scaleup emergence, reveal the context-dependent nature of knowledge stock’s impact and demonstrate its lower causal asymmetry relative to other resources. These insights refine theoretical understanding of how different resource combinations jointly foster high-growth entrepreneurship.

ABSTRACT Teacher turnover remains a persistent challenge in education, yet research often overlooks the complex and configural nature of its antecedents. Addressing this gap, this study examines how principal emotional support and key teacher psychological factors interact in configurations associated with teacher turnover intention. Data were collected from 426 primary school teachers in northern Malaysia and fuzzy set–qualitative comparative analysis was applied. The findings identified three categories comprising seven distinct configurations of conditions linked to higher teacher turnover intention: (1) motivational deficit paths; (2) aspiration-driven paths; and (3) burnout paths. Counterintuitive findings emerged. When principal emotional support and teacher affective commitment are high, teacher turnover intention remains elevated. The results support the notion that no single factor alone is sufficient to explain teacher turnover intention. This study challenges linear assumptions and underscores the value of viewing teacher turnover through a configural lens. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

This study investigates the discourse of hisab and rukyat within masāʾil fiqhiyyah education by comparatively examining the perspectives of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah figures in East Java regarding the determination of the beginning of the Qamariyah month, particularly Shawwal. The research aims to analyze the ontological foundations, interpretative paradigms, and practical implications of both approaches in responding to contemporary developments in astronomy. This study employs a descriptive-comparative method with an astronomical-fiqh–fiqh approach. Primary data were obtained through in-depth interviews with NU and Muhammadiyah scholars in East Java. In contrast, secondary data were collected from organizational decrees, classical and contemporary fiqh texts, astronomical calculations, and relevant literature. The research was conducted in several regions of East Java. Data were collected through interviews, documentation, and literature review, and analyzed using qualitative comparative analysis supported by astronomical interpretation. The findings reveal that NU scholars predominantly prioritize ru’yah al-hilal supported by hisab. In contrast, Muhammadiyah scholars determine the Qamariyah month based on hisab with the wujud al-hilal criterion. The differences arise mainly from divergent interpretations of syar’i texts and outdated visibility criteria that are no longer consistent with modern astronomical science. Despite these differences, the study identifies the potential for reconciliation through the harmonization of criteria rather than the dichotomy of methods. The study concludes that integrating astronomical accuracy with fiqh interpretation is essential to resolving recurring polemics and strengthening rational Islamic legal discourse.

ABSTRACT The Treaty of Lisbon introduced the Early Warning Mechanism (EWM) as a novel instrument for parliamentary control in EU affairs, granting national parliaments the authority to collectively and conditionally bring EU legislation ‘to a halt’. This tool was used very sparingly, however. This poses a puzzle: why do national parliaments not resort to a mechanism that could in fact have a (conditional) impact on the EU legislative process? Against this backdrop, this contribution probes into the conditions that explain (in)activity in the EWM. This is done by way of using qualitative comparative analysis. We find that several conditions must be combined to influence parliamentary (in)activity. Significant factors include the combination of political motivation with institutional aspects. We identify two key factors that lead to more parliamentary activity: upper chambers that play a comparatively weaker role at the national level and Euroscepticism. Parliamentary resources are also critical.

Background: The rapid diffusion of large language models (LLMs) such as Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, LLaMA, and Mistral is reshaping logistics and supply chain management by embedding generative intelligence into planning, coordination, and governance processes. While prior studies emphasize algorithmic capability, far less is known about how differences in diffusion pathways shape productivity outcomes, managerial cognition, and institutional control. Methods: This study develops and applies an integrative analytical framework—the AI Diffusion Triad—comprising Productivity, Perspective, and Power. Using comparative qualitative analysis of five leading LLM ecosystems, the study examines how technical architecture, access models, and governance structures influence adoption patterns and operational integration in logistics contexts. Results: The analysis shows that diffusion outcomes depend not only on model performance but on socio-technical alignment between AI systems, human workflows, and institutional governance. Proprietary platforms accelerate productivity through centralized integration but create dependency risks, whereas open-weight ecosystems support localized innovation and broader participation. Differences in interpretability and access significantly shape managerial trust, learning, and decision autonomy across supply chain tiers. Conclusions: Sustainable and inclusive AI adoption in logistics requires balancing operational efficiency with interpretability and equitable governance. The study offers design and policy principles for aligning technological deployment with workforce adaptation and ecosystem resilience and proposes a research agenda focused on diffusion governance rather than algorithmic advancement alone.

While the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) serves as a strategic frontier for ecological civilization, existing scholarship lacks a systemic analysis of the co-evolutionary logic and governance configurations governing the synergistic green development (SGD). Utilizing panel data from 2011 to 2024, this study employs coupling coordination modeling, Social Network Analysis (SNA), and Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to evaluate its synergistic developmental quality. The findings indicate that SGD levels exhibit a fluctuating upward trajectory, facilitating a paradigmatic shift from "downstream-led breakthroughs" toward "basin-wide inclusive upgrades". However, this progression has simultaneously induced intensified internal "center-periphery" polarization. Such spatial evolution has catalyzed a structural transformation of the association network, migrating from a polarized "dense-East, sparse-West" pattern toward a polycentric, grid-based collaborative ecosystem, as evidenced by the rise of inland hubs like Chongqing and Wuhan. Causally, high-efficiency synergy originates from structural spillovers within the Government-Market-Society (GMS) framework. Through the equivalence relation between capital investment and human capital, modernized social governance effectively compensates for the rigidities of administrative mandates. Consequently, the basin's driving mechanism demonstrates a spatial transition from "government-led compensatory intervention" in the upper reaches to "endogenous synergetic drive" in the lower reaches. This study elucidates a policy pathway for achieving sustainable regional growth through functional compensation and pathway substitution.

Millions of subscribers switch back and forth between streaming services. When considering switching from one streaming service to another, subscribers usually compare them side by side and either completely switch to the alternative streaming service or partially switch by using both streaming services. To understand when subscribers engage in complete or partial switching and identify nuanced differences in these switching behaviors, we draw on expectation disconfirmation theory, conducting a mixed methods approach based on interviews (N=44) and a fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (N=224). We contribute to switching research by illuminating the different configurations that lead to complete and partial switching, suggesting that relying on the same explanation for these different switching behaviors falls short. While we reveal a unifinal explanation for complete switching, partial switching requires more complex, equifinal explanations. We advance research on streaming services by identifying affordability and perceived content exclusiveness as important constraints for switching behavior in this context.

Purpose This study aims to investigate whether sustainability practices adopted by Brazilian higher education institutions (HEIs) are associated with traditional indicators of educational quality. It examines how sustainability initiatives are positioned within institutional performance metrics drawn from national and international rankings. Design/methodology/approach Data for 19 Brazilian HEIs were compiled from UI GreenMetric, Folha University Rankings (RUF), official government indicators (MEC) and the Times Higher Education Impact Ranking. Quantitative analyses combined Pearson and Spearman correlations with fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). A descriptive examination of SDG-related performance and illustrative institutional cases complemented the statistical results and provided contextual interpretation. Findings The analyses did not yield statistically robust evidence of a direct association between sustainability indicators and conventional quality metrics. Correlations between sustainability and quality variables ranged from weak to moderate, while fsQCA revealed multiple heterogeneous causal configurations without a single dominant pattern. SDG results and qualitative evidence show that sustainability initiatives are expanding and generating social and environmental benefits but remain only partially integrated into existing evaluation frameworks for academic quality. Originality/value This study offers an empirical, mixed-methods assessment of how sustainability is currently related to institutional quality in Brazilian HEIs. By integrating ranking-based indicators, configurational analysis and SDG evidence, it highlights a structural disconnect between sustainability efforts and prevailing quality metrics and points to the need for governance-sensitive, context-specific indicators to better capture the academic impacts of sustainability initiatives.

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (HFCVs) are critical to low-carbon transport. However, the collective influence of government, market, and society on regional HFCVs adoption remains insufficiently examined. Drawing on the institutional configuration theory, this study integrates Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA) with multi-period fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA), utilizing panel data from 31 Chinese provinces between 2019 and 2024. The findings reveal that no single institutional factor is necessary for HFCVs adoption; instead, multiple effective configurations emerge from the interplay of institutional components. In Period one, adoption is driven by government–market synergy, government–society regulation, and full triadic coordination. In Period two, adoption pathways converge toward infrastructure-led development, government–society regulation, and trilateral collaboration becoming dominant patterns. Regional comparisons further reveal divergent adoption pathways across eastern, central, and western provinces. The findings elucidate the temporal-spatial evolution of institutional dynamics in green technology diffusion and offer targeted policy implications for HFCVs adoption.

Huizhou covered bridges represent a unique and irreplaceable component of China′s architectural heritage, yet they are increasingly threatened by flash floods. In the Huizhou region, complex mountainous terrain, concentrated intense rainfall, and structural aging jointly exacerbate flood damage risks. Existing flood risk assessment approaches often prioritize external hydrodynamic hazards or assume linear additive effects, overlooking the complex interactions among inherent structural and physical attributes. To address this limitation, this study integrates Random Forest (RF) and fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to develop a flood risk assessment framework capable of capturing both nonlinear relationships and configurational (asymmetric) causal mechanisms. Based on field investigations of 89 covered bridges and 116 documented damage cases from 2020 to 2024, the RF model identifies six key risk factors (ACC = 0.79, AUC = 0.87), several of which exhibit pronounced nonlinear and threshold effects. Building on these results, fsQCA further reveals eight equivalent configurational pathways leading to covered bridge damage (solution coverage = 0.66, solution consistency = 0.94), highlighting multiple causal combinations rather than a single dominant driver. The results demonstrate that the disaster resilience of covered bridges emerges from interactions among structural characteristics, management conditions, and spatial scale attributes, rather than from any individual factor alone. Accordingly, this study advocates a shift in protection strategies from conventional “one-size-fits-all” structural reinforcement toward risk-pattern-oriented, precision-based non-structural interventions. By combining predictive modeling with configurational causal analysis, this research provides a system-level understanding of flood-induced damage mechanisms and offers actionable insights for flood risk mitigation and sustainable conservation of covered bridge heritage in Huizhou and comparable regions worldwide.

How do push and pull factors affect consumers' emotional perceptions of the music festival attractiveness and drive their approach behavioral intentions: From the asymmetric causal perspective.

Multifinality and equifinality in the effects of family risks on adolescent mental health: A population-based configurational analysis in Southern China.

This study investigates the mechanism through which game tourism motivation influences gamification experience, travel memory vividness, place attachment, and revisit intention in the context of augmented reality (AR)-based game tourism content. Data were collected from participants who engaged in an AR mission-type tourism program in Wonju, Gangwon Province, South Korea. The analysis employed a combination of covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). The CB-SEM results revealed that game tourism motivation significantly affected gamification experience, which in turn enhanced travel memory vividness and place attachment. Both travel memory vividness and place attachment were identified as key predictors of revisit intention. Mediation analysis using PROCESS Macro confirmed that travel memory vividness and place attachment each played significant mediating roles, and their serial mediation effect was also statistically significant. The fsQCA identified seven distinct configurations of conditions, demonstrating that tourists’ experiences vary depending on different constellations of motivations and individual characteristics. Based on these findings, this study proposed three types of gamification participation motifs. By empirically examining the relationships among game tourism motivation, gamification experience, and psychological outcomes, this study contributes to the theoretical advancement of gamification-based tourism experiences and provides practical implications for the design of AR tourism content.

Community parks serve as crucial venues for older adultly daily activities, yet the pathways through which their spatial characteristics influence physical activity level remain insufficiently explored. This study investigates 31 community parks in Changchun City, employing a multi-source data integration approach (field observation, streetscape semantic recognition, and GIS spatial analysis) combined with fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to examine the configurational effects of environmental factors on older adultly physical activity. The findings reveal: (1) site scale (r = 0.207), spatial vitality (r = 0.207), and transportation accessibility (r = 0.141) are key positive factors promoting physical activity, whereas number of facilities for physical activity (r=-0.104), surrounding substitute facilities (r=-0.057), and green space shape (r=-0.086) exhibit significant negative impacts; (2) Environmental elements function through nonlinear combinations, with site scale and transportation accessibility forming the core conditions across 6 effective enhancement pathways, confirming a tri-dimensional synergistic mechanism of "space-function-accessibility"; (3) Based on the characteristics of the elements, three types of promoting older adult´ physical activity construction paths are extracted: natural quality type, balanced service type and neighborhood adaptation type. The research shows that the age-appropriate transformation of community parks should follow the principle of "linkage of elements, type adaptation and system collaboration" to provide theoretical support for the construction of age-friendly urban park system.