Corruption is widespread and preventive strategies to reduce corruption need to be adapted within the local context. Considering the United Nations (UN) Convention against corruption as our starting point, the paper presents a literature review based on 118 articles on corruption prevention initiatives in the public sector. The analysis indicates a substantial alignment between the guidelines deriving from the UN Convention, except for a lack of work on the risk-based approach to corruption prevention. Further, the review indicates problems with research designs. Based on the insights generated from the analysis, we develop an agenda for future research.

Digital social platforms (DSPs) are increasingly used to boost participation while giving a space for collaboration to wider audiences and marginalized groups of stakeholders. Considering that in the cultural heritage (CH) sector they are used as a possible booster of stakeholders’ participation and to foster innovation in practices related to CH management, the object of this study is to assess the stakeholder engagement strategies adopted by DSPs for CH from a network engagement perspective. The study takes stock of the main DSPs for CH in Europe and analyzes them through four key dimensions that distinguish different stakeholder engagement strategies (diffusion, accessibility, interactivity, and influence) to identify the alternative approaches to sustainable development based on social innovations adopted via these platforms. Following an exploratory approach, the research also delves into a specific case study (SoPHIA DSP), to deepen the understanding of if and how DSPs foster knowledge sharing among the different actors involved in a cultural project. Ultimately, this research provides a snapshot of the state of the arts on the literature and practices on DSPs, and outlines directions for future research, requesting for a longitudinal perspective to the framework and a vertical focus for consolidating the engagement strategies variables.

Purpose: Our study investigates the role of the Human Resources Management (HRM) system strength in supporting Italian healthcare managers during times of uncertainty and change. The perceived HRM system strength and its relationship with managers’ taking charge behaviors, perceived procedural constraints, and work engagement were examined.Design/methodology/approach: Two surveys were conducted to gather empirical data from a pooled sample of 121 healthcare managers located in hospitals across Italy. We use regression analysis to test our hypotheses.Findings: The data show that strong HRM systems facilitate managers taking charge behaviors and work engagement. Additionally, the findings highlight the mitigating effect of a strong HRM system on procedural constraints, such as red tape, in public healthcare organizations.Practical implications: Emphasizing the positive outcomes associated with strong HRM systems, the findings suggest that public health organizations should make efforts to put in place robust HR practices to bolster engagement and proactive behaviors among healthcare managers in times of uncertainty and change.Originality/value: Analyzing a unique data set, the study extends the understanding of HRM system strength in the public sector, specifically in post-pandemic healthcare organizations. Overall, the study contributes to the growing literature on HRM system strength by offering novel insights into its nomological network.

The Human Side of Digital Technology: Supporting the Inclusion of Refugees in Higher Education Through Blockchain-backed EQPR

Purpose: In this study, we developed a competency-based framework for strategic adaptability in the context of the digital and green twin transitions. Building on paradox and dynamic capabilities theories, we clarified how paradoxical cognition translates into actionable competencies that connect individual adaptability with organisational adaptive capacity and agility. Design/methodology/approach: We adopted a qualitative methodology grounded in constructivist grounded theory and drew empirical insights from six industries (hospitality, life sciences, agrifood, energy, information technology and financial services) through focus groups and executive interviews with human resources managers, innovation leaders and chief executives. Iterative coding and analysis allowed us to capture how organisations configure competencies to manage paradoxical demands. Findings: We identified three interdependent competency domains – technical and achievement, innovation and relational – that enable organisations to manage and rebalance the four recurring paradoxes: learning, organising, belonging and performing (e.g. exploration/exploitation, short-term efficiency/long-term sustainability, digital scaling/green stewardship and autonomy/coordinating). Organisations that dynamically recombine and rebalance these domains sustain adaptability while addressing competing demands. Research limitations/implications: We drew evidence from a single national context and six industries. Future researchers should test the framework longitudinally and cross-nationally to assess performance outcomes and boundary conditions. Practical implications: Organisations should align recruitment, learning, and leadership development to navigate paradoxes and foster cross-boundary collaboration. Jointly cultivating technical expertise, innovation practices and relational skills can build the adaptive capacity and agility needed to meet simultaneous digital and green demands. Originality/value: The study advances paradox theory by offering empirically grounded insights into paradoxical competencies as the microfoundations of dynamic capabilities. It shows how ongoing tensions due to the twin transitions become catalysts for competency development and organisational responsiveness, reframing adaptability as a systemic outcome of paradox navigation through interdependent configurations of technical, innovation and relational competencies.

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are increasingly called to substantiate their impact on society in terms of inclusivity and social sustainability, as prioritized in the pursuit of the “Third Mission” (TM). Today, HEIs are confronted with the demand to ensure refugees’ inclusivity. However, how administrative and teaching staff enact such change within the organization to match the TM goals is under-investigated. This study explores the adoption of the European Qualification Passport for Refugees (EQPR) as an instrument for universities to pursue the TM in Italy. By adopting a theoretical sense-making approach, we find that the individual role of the staff in fostering organizational change depends on the adopted “emergent” approach to change and on internal factors, such as individual perceptions and experiences. This study contributes to the literature by showing contradictory aspects of the HEIs’ pursuit of the TM. It sheds light on the interplay between different dimensions and grounded processes of sense-making.