ABSTRACT Our investigation focused on the perceptions and views of engineering professors regarding their understanding of the meaning of being a teacher, including their life stories and relationships with others and themselves. By doing so, the idea was to identify the characteristics, elements or factors of their identities. This study considered a narrative inquiry approach to explore the stories and experiences of engineering professors who teach in higher education through unstructured interviews and field records. Our study revealed two key themes that intimately reflect the identities and perceptions of these engineering professors as teachers: (a) To be a teacher and always to do the best, and (b) To be a teacher and to be many other things. From the results, we can observe that the identity of engineering professors is being constructed/modelled as the meanings of what they understand about what it means to be a teacher are negotiated in their work environments and contexts, thus directing their actions.

This conceptual paper reviews and synthesizes the historical trajectory of group dynamics theory and research in language learning and teaching, covering both whole-class and small-group work contexts. Drawing on diverse theoretical frameworks—including cognitive and sociocultural theories of language acquisition, neuroscience, positive psychology, self-determination theory, learner engagement, emotional contagion, flow theory, and directed motivational currents—the paper first establishes a rationale for the crucial role of cultivating positive group dynamics among language learners. The subsequent section offers precise definitions and essential characteristics of three core concepts: group, group dynamics, and group work dynamics. Following this, I delineate and explain the key features identified in the literature that constitute positive group dynamics. These features include a cooperative classroom goal structure, supportive physical classroom characteristics, strong group cohesiveness, clear group norms, effective teacher and learner leadership, supportive and confirming communication, and nonverbal immediacy. The core of the paper summarizes the wide array of empirical studies—utilizing various research methodologies—that have investigated group-related phenomena with language learners and teachers. This research overview is strategically organized into two distinct sections: studies operating primarily within a motivational perspective and those examining a learner engagement perspective. Based on the conclusions reached from this comprehensive review, the paper concludes by offering specific suggestions for future research directions in the field.

Purpose This study aims to investigate how smart working (SW) environments influence project success (PS) by analyzing the mediating roles of workforce agility (WA) and information system (IS) success, drawing on sociotechnical systems theory, the resource-based view and the DeLone and McLean IS success model. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative study was conducted among 198 employees at the Italian branch of a leading global consulting firm, using a randomized sampling approach within a population of approximately 11,000 employees and a validated survey design controlling for common method bias. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling to test a comprehensive model encompassing 24 hypotheses derived from established frameworks. Findings The results confirm 23 out of 24 hypotheses, offering nuanced insights into the interplay between digital infrastructure and human agility. IS success – particularly through user satisfaction – exhibits a consistently positive effect on all PS dimensions. WA dimensions show differentiated effects: proactivity and resiliency positively impact PS, while adaptability exhibits a paradoxical influence – negatively affecting PS directly but positively when mediated by IS. Research limitations/implications The study is based on data from a single organizational context within the consulting sector, which may limit its generalizability. Future research should include cross-sectoral samples and longitudinal designs to validate causal inferences. Practical implications Organizations should invest in user-centered IS infrastructure while strategically recruiting and developing employees with high levels of proactivity and resiliency. Adaptability should be managed carefully, as its effects are context-dependent. These findings provide a framework for aligning human capital and technology in SW settings to enhance project performance. Originality/value This study introduces a novel integrative model linking SW, IS success and WA to PS. By reconceptualizing PS as a multidimensional outcome shaped by socio-digital interactions, it bridges gaps between traditionally isolated research domains and contributes new empirical evidence to the field of project management in digital work contexts.

Informal employment can impact the continuation of breastfeeding. Therefore, the objective of this study is to analyze the available scientific evidence on breastfeeding and the barriers faced by women working in informal employment contexts. A scoping review was conducted following the guidelines of the Joanna Briggs Institute and the PRISMA-ScR checklist. A search was carried in the PubMed, Scopus, EBSCO, and Web of Science databases, without language or year restrictions. Original studies that analyzed barriers to breastfeeding in informal employment contexts were included. Data selection and extraction were performed independently by two reviewers, with discrepancies resolved by consensus. Eight studies conducted in Mexico, India, South Africa, Uganda, Ghana, and Brazil were included. The main barriers identified were the absence of policies, early return to work due to economic necessity, personal valuation of breastfeeding, and family and partner support. The role of prenatal care and the mother’s mental health is highlighted. Complementary international evidence reinforces that labor and sociocultural inequalities limit the practice of exclusive breastfeeding. Informal employment is a structural determinant that hinders breastfeeding. In addition, the lack of public policies, economic pressure, as well as personal and immediate environment factors, such as family, are barriers that impact successful breastfeeding.

This article presents a descriptive and experiential approach to didactic interventions carried out at a Social Assistance Center (CAS) for unaccompanied migrant children and adolescents in Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico. The approach was developed within the framework of “Project-Based Learning with a social and cultural orientation.” The study aims to document and analyze the processes of interaction, inclusion, and group participation resulting from the intervention activities, particularly in collaborative work contexts and team dynamics. These are fundamental components for strengthening coexistence in community and educational settings, especially in contexts marked by cultural and linguistic differences and life trajectories shaped by human mobility. In these intervention activities, the migrant child population expressed diverse forms of interaction and group inclusion. The activities were organized and implemented as part of the Professional Practice by students from the Juárez Autonomous University of Tabasco (UJAT), affiliated with the Academic Division of Education and Arts (DAEA), within the Interinstitutional Program for the Education of Unaccompanied Migrant Children and Adolescents. This research, based on a qualitative-interpretive approach, aimed to understand, from a situated perspective, the impact of didactic intervention on the processes of coexistence, inclusion, and collaboration among the children and adolescents served at the Celia González de Rovirosa Child and Adolescent Care Center (CAS).

Humans regularly reason about the causes of events and actions we observe in the world, both to infer the physical properties and mechanisms of objects, and to understand others’ actions. Evidence for causal reasoning in nonhuman animals is mixed, and may be more easily detected in some contexts than others. Dogs, for example, fail at most tests of causal reasoning pertaining to physical cognition, yet possess sophisticated sociocognitive abilities. In this pre-registered study, we test whether dogs are capable of making rational inferences about the causes of failed actions in two analogous experiments, which differed only in the nature of said failures. Dogs observed human agents either succeed or fail to open two gates, in contexts where their failures could be attributed either to the lack of competency of an agent, or the physical properties of a gate. If dogs are capable of making causal inferences equally in social and physical contexts, they should succeed in both experiments. However, if dogs are more likely to make social rather than physical causal inferences, they should find the competency context more interpretable than the physical one. Dogs failed to make rational inferences in either context, raising theoretical and methodological questions for future work.

Humans regularly reason about the causes of events and actions we observe in the world, both to infer the physical properties and mechanisms of objects, and to understand others' actions. Evidence for causal reasoning in nonhuman animals is mixed, and may be more easily detected in some contexts than others. Dogs, for example, fail at most tests of causal reasoning pertaining to physical cognition, yet possess sophisticated sociocognitive abilities. In this pre-registered study, we test whether dogs are capable of making rational inferences about the causes of failed actions in two analogous experiments, which differed only in the nature of said failures. Dogs observed human agents either succeed or fail to open two gates, in contexts where their failures could be attributed either to the lack of competency of an agent, or the physical properties of a gate. If dogs are capable of making causal inferences equally in social and physical contexts, they should succeed in both experiments. However, if dogs are more likely to make social rather than physical causal inferences, they should find the competency context more interpretable than the physical one. Dogs failed to make rational inferences in either context, raising theoretical and methodological questions for future work.

Social factors profoundly shape the bereavement process for individuals who have lost someone to a drug-related death. In this study, we integrate qualitative (n = 19), quantitative (n = 5), and mixed-methods (n = 2) results from a large research project on drug-related bereavement and utilise Bronfenbrenner and Morris’s bioecological model as an analytical framework. The results of the project demonstrate that bereavement following a drug-related death is deeply rooted in social context, and they highlight that the process of grieving a drug-related death requires the navigation of complex personal, familial, and societal challenges. Sociocultural understandings of addiction and societal stigma must be addressed to create a more supportive environment for bereaved individuals. A more cohesive and responsive support system can be developed by understanding and acting at all levels of Bronfenbrenner and Morris’s model, encompassing individual competencies, organisational structures, broader social environments, and systemic policies. Focusing on a family and compassionate community approach, our research promotes an inclusive and empathetic societal response to these multifaceted losses. Furthermore, the importance of enhanced professional competencies, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the implementation of organisational change is emphasised in order to meet the needs of those affected by a drug-related death. Ultimately, social work can play a pivotal role in this context.

Purpose This study aims to develop a conceptual framework explaining how metaverse technologies can enhance employee engagement in hybrid workplaces, integrating embodied social presence (ESP) theory, self-determination theory and the newly introduced construct of sociotechnical fluidity. Design/methodology/approach This study undertakes a structured synthesis of scholarly discourse to explore the intersection of employee engagement and the metaverse in hybrid workplace settings. Leveraging science mapping techniques and scholarly contribution profiling, the analysis identifies thematic clusters, conceptual linkages and emerging research priorities. These insights inform the development of a theory-driven engagement model integrating key constructs and relational pathways. Findings The framework positions embodied social interaction – comprising co-presence, social presence and sociotechnical fluidity – and virtual psychological support – autonomy and relatedness – as sequential mediators between metaverse platform capabilities and employee engagement. Media literacy and organizational support act as moderators. Findings highlight that, in hybrid work contexts, users value effortless navigation, spontaneous collaboration and ambient sociability over purely immersive realism, reflecting the entanglement of social and technical elements. Practical implications These findings offer actionable insights for business leaders and IT decision-makers to develop HR and IT policies that ensure metaverse implementations foster ease of interaction, psychological support and sustained engagement in distributed teams. Originality/value By extending ESP theory with sociotechnical fluidity, this research advances understanding of dynamic, coordinated interactions in metaverse-enabled collaboration. The integration of scholarly synthesis with science mapping offers a novel, multilayered engagement model that provides a foundation for empirical validation and informs strategic adoption of metaverse technologies in hybrid workplace designs.

This study examines remote work as a form of virtual mobility and its implications for employees' subjective wellbeing (SWB). Using the complementary perspectives of Conservation of Resources (COR) and boundary theory, it presents a theoretical framework that explains how resource dynamics, boundary permeability, and time perceptions influence wellbeing in remote work. The study employs a digital ethnographic design based on 11 semi-structured interviews. These are complemented by field notes and an experiential elicitation task. The data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis, supported by computational techniques such as similarity measures, co-occurrence networks, and visualization tools implemented in R. The findings identify three overarching themes: temporal experiences, in which acceleration, stagnation and fluctuating emotional rhythms that disrupted affective wellbeing; blurred boundaries, in which work-home permeability, erosion of collegial ties, and selective connections that reshape SWB; and coping strategies, which included boundary setting practices, job crafting, rituals, and recovery. The experimental task revealed a systematic bias toward underestimating time, consistent with participants' narratives of drift in monotonous work contexts. The study advances research into mobility and wellbeing theoretically by framing virtual mobility and multidimensional SWB, methodologically by showcasing the value of digital ethnography for capturing lived experiences, and practically by underlining the importance of organizational support and policies.

The widespread adoption of hybrid and remote work environments has fundamentally transformed organizational operations, particularly the role of office administration. Traditional administrative practices, designed for centralized and physically co-located workplaces, are increasingly challenged by distributed work arrangements that demand new coordination, communication, and performance management mechanisms. This study examines the key challenges faced by office administration in hybrid and remote work environments, analyzes the adaptation strategies implemented by organizations, and evaluates the effectiveness of these practices in terms of job performance and employee satisfaction. A quantitative and analytical research design was employed using data from 220 respondents working under hybrid and remote work arrangements. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, comparative analysis, and predictive modeling were used to assess relationships among administrative challenges, adaptation strategies, and effectiveness outcomes. The results indicate that structured adaptation strategies and effective workload management significantly enhance administrative effectiveness, while technology adoption alone does not guarantee improved performance. Comparative findings reveal that hybrid work environments demonstrate slightly higher administrative effectiveness than fully remote settings due to improved coordination and oversight. The study contributes empirical evidence to an under-researched area by providing a data-driven understanding of office administration in evolving work contexts. The findings offer practical insights for organizations seeking to design resilient administrative systems that support sustainable hybrid and remote work models.

Although hybrid work is now a defining aspect of many organisations, employee experience still differs substantially from one setting to another. This paper focuses on how employees make sense of organisational flexibility and considers the role these perceptions play in shaping job satisfaction within the context of hybrid work. Drawing on organisational adaptation theory and ambidexterity research, the study foregrounds flexibility as an employee-experienced capability characterised by autonomy, decentralised decision-making, and responsiveness. Using cross-sectional survey data from 100 professionals working in hybrid arrangements across multiple sectors and regions, the analysis examines the relationships between organisational flexibility, organisational agility, hybrid work experience and job satisfaction. Correlation and regression analyses show that organisational flexibility is strongly and positively associated with job satisfaction and emerges as the dominant predictor when agility and hybrid work experience are considered simultaneously. Agility and hybrid work are positively related to satisfaction at the bivariate level but do not retain predictive power once flexibility is accounted for. The findings reposition organisational flexibility as a proximal driver of employee satisfaction in hybrid contexts, while agility operates as a more distal and context-dependent capability. The paper contributes to organisational adaptation research by centring employee perceptions and offering practical guidance for leaders seeking to design hybrid systems that sustain engagement and well-being.

Contemporary leadership research increasingly recognizes that effective leadership extends beyond technical competence and behavioral skills to include psychological integration, ethical clarity, and relational intelligence. Studies on emotional intelligence indicate that empathy, affective awareness, and social attunement are strongly associated with ethical conduct, sound decision making, and cohesive team functioning. Within increasingly complex and multicultural organizational environments such as those found in the United Arab Emirates, leadership effectiveness requires the integration of relational sensitivity with decisional clarity. In this context, the present paper introduces the Estrophrodite–Androphrodite framework as an applied psychological model for understanding inner polarity dynamics in leadership development. Rooted in depth psychology and informed by cross-cultural philosophical traditions, the framework conceptualizes leadership capacity as the integration of two universal inner orientations: Estrophrodite, associated with empathy, receptivity, relational attunement, and ethical sensitivity; and Androphrodite, associated with initiative, structure, decisiveness, responsibility, and transformational direction. Drawing on Jungian concepts of archetypal opposites, the model proposes that leadership effectiveness emerges through the dynamic integration of these complementary psychological forces rather than the dominance of one over the other. The framework intentionally moves beyond gender-based and trait-centric leadership models, emphasizing that both polarities are present in all individuals regardless of gender or cultural background. The paper situates the model within applied leadership psychology by integrating ethical leadership theory, humanistic management principles, and depth psychological perspectives on self-awareness and moral agency. Psychological imbalance between relational and directive orientations is examined as a source of ethical blind spots, relational conflict, burnout, and ineffective leadership behavior. The applied relevance of the framework is illustrated through leadership development initiatives in social work and family leadership contexts, highlighting its usefulness for leadership training, counseling, and value-based organizational settings within multicultural societies.

Introduction Employees play a pivotal role in organizational ambidextrous innovation, yet existing studies have paid limited attention to how artificial intelligence shapes employees’ exploitative and exploratory innovation. Drawing on cognitive appraisal theory and the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions, this study identifies joy as the central emotional mechanism linking artificial intelligence usage to these two forms of innovation. As a high-arousal positive emotion grounded in person–situation fit, joy promotes active engagement, in contrast to lower-arousal emotions such as satisfaction or happiness that reflect acceptance rather than pursuit. We further examine how learning goal orientation moderates the extent to which joy translates into exploitative and exploratory innovation, thereby advancing understanding of how technological empowerment affects ambidextrous innovation. Methods This study draws on survey data from Chinese employees ( N = 669) and employs partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to examine the mediating role of joy in the relationship between artificial intelligence usage and employees’ exploitative and exploratory innovation, as well as the moderating effect of learning goal orientation. Results Artificial intelligence usage shows small but meaningful positive effects on employee exploitative innovation ( β = 0.120) and exploratory innovation ( β = 0.104), with joy partially mediating the effect on exploratory innovation only (indirect β = 0.050). Moreover, joy positively predicts exploitative innovation ( β = 0.182) and exploratory innovation ( β = 0.206) only under high learning goal orientation. Discussion The findings emphasize that the role of positive emotions is not universal but rather motivation-dependent: joy mediates exploratory but not exploitative innovation, while high learning goal orientation amplifies its effects on both innovation types. These results extend emotion theories to AI-enabled work contexts and offer practical implications for fostering employees’ emotions and learning motivation to achieve synergy between technological empowerment and innovation.

This systematic literature review examines the evolving role of the Scrum Master in contemporary project management, addressing how this critical agile leadership position has transformed since its original conception. Guided by the PRISMA 2020 framework and employing a PICO-informed search strategy, this study synthesized qualitative insights from peer-reviewed academic and grey literature published between 2010 and 2025. Thematic analysis revealed five major themes characterizing the role's evolution. First, the Scrum Master maintains a foundational identity as a servant leader who facilitates self-organization, though this ideal often conflicts with organizational pressures. Second, the role has expanded beyond its original scope to encompass coordination across scaled agile environments, global distributed teams, and remote work contexts. Third, Scrum Masters function as cultural catalysts who build organizational trust rather than merely managing processes. Fourth, role hybridization has emerged as a prevalent pattern, with Scrum Masters frequently assuming project management responsibilities that create accountability conflicts. Fifth, professionalization through structured competency frameworks and mentorship programs reflects the discipline's maturation, though gaps remain in practitioner supply and diversity. These findings reveal that while servant leadership orientation remains theoretically consistent, practical enactment varies substantially based on organizational maturity and structural clarity. The review identifies implications for organizations optimizing agile transformation, including the need for clear role boundaries and recognition of the Scrum Master as an organizational change agent. Future research should employ longitudinal designs and address diversity dimensions within the profession.

ABSTRACT Doctoral attrition presents ongoing challenges for higher education, with implications for student wellbeing, research productivity and institutional sustainability. Although Demands-Resources frameworks have been applied in work and educational contexts, their use in doctoral studies remains fragmented and rarely examined through an integrated model. This study thus applies a contextualised Doctoral Demands–Resources (DD-R) model to investigate how doctoral demands (cognitive load and home-work interference) and resources (supervisory and research community support) relate to study engagement, study burnout and dropout intention. Survey data from 366 doctoral students at a large research-intensive Australian university were analysed using structural equation modelling. Supervisory and community support positively predicted engagement, whereas cognitive demands and home–work interference predicted burnout. Engagement showed a strong negative association with dropout intention, and burnout showed a positive association. Mediation analyses indicated that engagement fully mediated the effects of supervisory and community support on dropout intention, while burnout partially mediated the effect of home-work interference. Notably, research community support predicted both higher engagement and higher burnout, suggesting a dual role for community involvement. The study offers an integrated model of doctoral wellbeing and persistence, providing evidence to inform institutional policies and practices aimed at reducing attrition and supporting doctoral researchers.

Do Conservation and Citizenship Green Behaviors Spill Over Within and Between Work and Nonwork Contexts? A Longitudinal Study

Introduction This study examined the organizational factors contributing to the recent record-breaking success of Speed Skating Canada (SSC), Canada's most decorated Olympic sport. Drawing on the Burke–Litwin model of organizational change and performance, we explored how transformational variables, including external environment, mission and strategy, leadership and culture, influenced SSC's ability to prioritize athlete wellbeing while driving performance. In doing so, we aimed to identify practices that may inform healthier and more sustainable high-performance environments. Methods A qualitative case study design was used, collecting data through focus groups ( n = 4), and semi-structured interviews ( n = 9) with SSC athletes, coaches, staff and leadership. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results The results demonstrated that SSC is situated within an external environment where funding is contingent on performance. SSC's success in navigating this was its dual mission of performance and development and increased organizational professionalization. Leadership was characterized as agile, action-oriented, and distributed, with transparent and inclusive decision-making practices, which bolstered trust among membership. The organizational culture was described as psychologically safe, grounded in a strong learning orientation, balancing individuals and the collective, with values which extend beyond performance. Conclusion The findings demonstrate how mission and strategy, leadership and culture, can be aligned intentionally to create healthier, more human-centered high performance sport environments. This study contributes novel insight into how a national sport organization enacts the balance between people and performance in practice. The organizational practices at SSC provide a positive model for sport and other high performance work contexts, demonstrating that prioritizing people and performance can be mutually reinforcing.

The study explores employee participation in organizational health initiatives and the associated health-related outcomes, based on a sample of 120 employees working in the IT sector in Mumbai.

Abstract This study investigates stress sensitization in a work context. Integrating stress-as-offense-to-self theory into stress sensitization, we argue that workplace incivility experienced in the past relates to heightened stress reactivity to various current stressors (i.e., workplace incivility, quantitative stressors, work-related hassles, and a laboratory stressor), with lower self-efficacy explaining these effects. To test these assumptions, we conducted a four-week weekly study with 314 employees, of whom 58 additionally participated in the laboratory-based Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Stress reactivity was measured via negative affect in the weekly surveys and psychological distress as well as heart rate in the TSST. Hypotheses were tested using mediated-moderation analyses for the weekly data and latent growth modelling combining the weekly with the TSST data. Results showed that incivility experienced throughout the first three weeks related to stronger psychological stress reactivity to incivility, quantitative stressors and work-related hassles in week four. Self-efficacy partially mediated this moderation effect. In addition, past workplace incivility related to a stronger psychological but not physiological stress reactivity to the TSST. In sum, these results support the assumptions of stress sensitization and show that past workplace incivility positively relates to psychological vulnerability across a range of current stressors.