Purpose – Amidst dynamic global changes, migrant workforce dynamics have become complex due to voluntary and forced migrations, coupled with talent competition. Paradoxically, many migrants experience deskilling and brain waste in host countries. To optimize migrant skills for enhanced job performance in fluctuating organizational and environmental contexts, it is vital to overcome this challenge. This study aims to verify the employees’ dynamic capabilities (EDC) based job performance model among migrants, exploring how the moderating effect of a meaning of life influences the relationship between EDC and job performance, considering job-related attitudes.
Design/methodology/approach – We conducted empirical research based on a survey of 453 Ukrainian migrants currently residing in Poland.
Findings – The results indicate that EDC influences job performance through person-job fit, work motivation, and job satisfaction. Particularly, migrants with a positive meaning of life show stronger relationships between EDC and job performance.
Originality/value – The article’s originality lies in exploring the concept of EDC within the context of migrant workers, bridging a gap in understanding how these capabilities impact job performance, particularly regarding brain waste and deskilling. The study delves into how EDC could mitigate the mismatch between migrant workers’ qualifications and job placements, thereby enriching international human resources management strategies to foster inclusive workplaces and enhance migrant workforce success.

Purpose – The development of ITC technologies, the emergence of novel digital business models, the growing imperative for cybersecurity assurance and the phenomenon of digital disruption caused by unexpected crises force companies to rethink and redefine their strategies. Nevertheless, empirical evidence is not fully consistent with the prevailing opinion among management practitioners that technology is a crucial factor in ensuring the digital transformation’s effectiveness. The article identifies the reasons for the limited level of readiness of contemporary organizations for digital transformation, highlighting the role of the organization’s soft components.
Design/methodology/approach – Addressing the complexity of digitizing phenomena, the article presents the role of organizational culture, digital leadership and digital competencies in organizational transformation processes.
Findings – By emphasizing the significance of an organization’s soft components in the context of digital transformation, we suggest that while technological advancement constitutes a crucial aspect of this process, it is not the mere implementation of technological solutions that is paramount to its efficacy. The crux of the matter lies in the transformation of soft management factors, encompassing the provision of digital leadership, the cultivation of digital competencies and the establishment of a digital organizational culture.
Originality/value – While digital transformation ultimately necessitates action in the area of infrastructure, the advantages of transformation will only be fully realized once an adequate level of maturity has been attained in an organization’s soft components. Although some researchers propose that the initial step in the digital transformation process should be to establish a digital organizational culture and subsequently develop digital capabilities, we present an alternative approach. It suggests that the establishment of digital leadership should initiate the development of the required digital competencies, which, when combined with digital leadership, will force a transformation of the organizational culture.

Purpose – This study aims to test the conceptual model of the factors of learning organization and explore the degree of mediation of organizational culture in the relationship between leadership styles, personal commitment, and learning organization in school education.
Design/methodology/approach – The learning organization profile (LOP) and OCTAPACE profile served to measure learning organization and organizational culture, respectively. The researchers developed scales to measure principals’ leadership styles and teachers’ personal commitment. Data included 750 school teachers. Findings – This study found a good fit in the proposed conceptual model. The organizational culture had a significant mediating effect on the path of leadership styles and learning organization and a significant mediating effect on the path of personal commitment and learning organization.
Originality/value – To promote a more comprehensive learning culture, school principals should consider two specific organizational mechanisms: the intangible cultural components (such as corporate values, beliefs, and norms) and the tangible structural components (such as organizational structure and workflow systems). These two domains play a crucial role in creating a conducive learning environment.

Purpose – This pilot study aimed to evaluate the impact of the big five personality traits on user engagement with chatbots at the early stages of artificial intelligence (AI) adoption.
Design/methodology/approach – The pilot study involved 62 participants segmented into two groups to measure variables including engagement duration, task performance and future AI usage intentions. Findings – The findings advocate for the incorporation of psychological principles into technology design to facilitate more tailored and efficient human–AI collaboration.
Originality/value – This pilot research study highlights the relationship between the big five personality traits and chatbot usage and provides valuable insights for customizing chatbot development to align with specific user characteristics. This will serve to enhance both user satisfaction and task productivity.

Purpose – This study aims to explore whether corporate governance mechanisms affect environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosure by firms across countries. It investigates whether board cultural diversity affects ESG disclosure.
Design/methodology/approach – The proposed methodology draws on multidimensional scaling as a multivariate assessment tool to evaluate and prioritize the effect of corporate governance on environmental, social and governance disclosure. This study uses a cross-country sample of 672 listed firms located in 40 countries for the period between 2014 and 2022. We used a panel regression to test the hypotheses. Moreover, we conducted a two-stage least squares regression analysis as an additional robustness check.
Findings – The results show that companies can have high-quality ESG disclosure when they have good corporate governance. Interestingly, this study found that board composition and some criteria of corporate social responsibility (CSR) positively affect ESG disclosure for firms.
Originality/value – This study adds to the existing body of accounting knowledge in several dimensions. Indeed, to the best of our knowledge, this is one of the few studies that investigate the effect of corporate governance on the environmental, social and governance disclosure of firms across 40 countries. This study also has important implications for the board of directors’ characteristics and CSR, which strive to improve the index of ESG disclosure.

Purpose – We examined the internationalization process of business promotion organizations. We focused on the key stages and strategies and how the networks formed during this process can support their partners, particularly SMEs, in facilitating international expansion.
Design/methodology/approach – The theoretical lens: We combined the experiential learning-commitment interplay of the Uppsala model with a similar mechanism focused on business network relationships. A qualitative methodology: We used it to explore the question and the various forms of embeddedness within networks, offering an in-depth examination, particularly in the challenging natural settings of a cluster organization in geographic information systems (GIS).
Findings – We found that the cluster organization’s internationalization began regionally, forging connections with clusters in the Nordic and Baltic countries and Europe. Over time, the cluster recognized the importance of innovation leadership, leading to the integration of its core competencies with complementary technologies from other global geospatial technology hubs.
Research limitations/implications – The study fills research gaps by examining global linkages between regional clusters and international partners, focusing on external gaps. We explored how clusters can leverage global innovation systems and networks for matchmaking, capitalization and investment. Moreover, we addressed the need for more research on cross-cluster gaps and barriers to global market interaction. By providing insights into expanding beyond local interactions, the study enhances understanding of how clusters can increase the global reach and competitiveness of firms within them.
Originality/value – The platform established during the internationalization process was crucial, as SMEs within clusters often lack the resources, time and expertise to enter international markets alone. This platform helps SMEs overcome barriers such as size, resources and unfamiliarity with foreign markets.

Purpose – The rise of app-based work in the gig economy, particularly within the food delivery sector, challenges traditional employment paradigms and raises questions about the potential for achieving meaningful work experiences. This study explores whether such work can be considered meaningful for food delivery couriers in Poland.
Design/methodology/approach – This research adopts a qualitative, case-study approach, conducting 30 in-depth interviews with food delivery couriers in Poland. The study investigates how these workers perceive the meaningfulness of their work, focusing on the interplay between subjective and organisational aspects of their work.
Findings – The findings reveal that despite the precarious nature of app-based work, couriers often find meaningful experiences through perceived autonomy, gamified control and the physical demands of their job. The study highlights the dual nature of app work, where the same elements that contribute to worker engagement and a sense of independence also perpetuate exploitation and job insecurity.
Research limitations/implications – The study’s reliance on a convenience sample of 30 interviews conducted via social media may not represent the broader population of food delivery couriers. Future research should expand the sample size and include a more diverse range of participants to improve generalisability. Practical implications – The insights from this study can inform platform designers and policymakers to create more supportive environments for gig workers. Enhancing algorithmic transparency, providing better social protections and implementing fair gamification strategies can help mitigate the negative aspects of gig work and improve job satisfaction.
Social implications – The study underscores the need for regulatory changes to ensure minimum guaranteed earnings and health and safety provisions for gig workers. By fostering a supportive and transparent work environment, the gig economy can better contribute to worker well-being and social equity.
Originality/value – This research contributes to the limited body of literature on meaningful work within the gig economy, particularly focusing on food delivery couriers in Poland. It provides new insights into how workers create and perceive meaningful work in a highly digitised and algorithmically managed environment.