PURPOSE: Explore what entrepreneurship and success factors can help drive business to resilience and stability and achieve competitive advantage through innovation in different countries and business realities in the era of digital transformation and turbulent times. METHODOLOGY: Based on the narrative literature review, we present research findings concerning new strategies and outlooks for business innovation in times of many unknowns. Each organization wants to find its way to gain success and create its unique business model, which can capture value creation and innovativeness and be more adaptive, resilient, and stable in critical moments and sustainable over time. FINDINGS: The articles presented in this issue explore the essential factors of business innovation and success in different organizations and the environments in which these businesses function. IMPLICATIONS FOR THEORY AND PRACTICE: This article synthesizes the presented research field’s importance and relevance, connecting its theoretical background with practical research. Recommendations and implications for future trends of this research stream might also be helpful for professionals and academicians. ORIGINALITY AND VALUE: The novel studies presented in this issue were done in five different (developing and developed) countries and business sectors that present human-based and non-human-based factors as crucial factors needed to empower business transformation in a complex world. Each group of elements is essential in business success, and their components are interdependent. We need to look at the interactions and interdependencies of their components in a dynamic and network form and cannot simplify the reality, focusing only on one group of business components and ignoring the other. These unique studies provide a valuable outlook to establish dynamic, adaptive business pathways towards a sustainable and resilient organizational future and propose future research paths needed to execute structural changes in businesses.

PURPOSE: This study introduces the Digital-Sustainability Ecosystem, a conceptual framework to integrate digital transformation and sustainable innovation. It examines how emerging digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, blockchain, and the Internet of Things, drive sustainability transitions by serving as strategic enablers. Addressing a critical gap in the literature, this research focuses on the dynamic mechanisms and synergies that connect digital transformation with sustainable innovation within a complex ecosystem. METHODOLOGY: The study employs a systematic literature review (SLR) of 50 studies and a comparative analysis of 13 existing frameworks to identify and analyze key mechanisms that link digital transformation and sustainable innovation, culminating in the development of the Digital-Sustainability Ecosystem framework. FINDINGS: The study identifies five interconnected mechanisms: efficiency gains, dematerialization, circular economy enablement, innovation acceleration, and digital collaboration. These mechanisms illustrate the relationships between technological advancements and sustainability objectives while addressing synergies and tensions, such as the trade-offs between energy demands and environmental benefits. The Digital-Sustainability Ecosystem emphasizes multi-stakeholder collaboration, iterative feedback loops, and adaptable processes to address gaps in existing models, positioning digital transformation as a transformative force for systemic sustainability improvements. IMPLICATIONS: The Digital-Sustainability Ecosystem advances theoretical discourse by positioning sustainability as a systemic outcome of digital transformation, extending beyond traditional efficiency-focused models. It emphasizes organizational resilience and stakeholder collaboration as pivotal for achieving sustainability objectives. Practitioners can leverage AI, IoT, and blockchain to enhance resource optimization and foster sustainability-driven innovation ecosystems. Policymakers and organizations are encouraged to combine digital strategies with sustainability imperatives, emphasizing adaptive leadership, regulatory alignment, and multi-stakeholder engagement. ORIGINALITY AND VALUE: This study presents a conceptual framework that bridges theoretical and practical gaps in the literature by integrating foundational theories that associate digital transformation with sustainability imperatives while fostering innovation and competitive advantage. The framework sets the stage for future research, emphasizing potential applications in industry-specific contexts, cross-sectoral collaborations, and the evolving role of emerging technologies in sustainability transitions. By incorporating dynamic feedback loops and systemic adaptability, this framework establishes a foundation for advancing both academic inquiry and practical implementation. It offers guidance for exploring unanswered questions about scalability, policy integration, and multi-stakeholder engagement in the digital age.

PURPOSE: This study explores the association between sustainable business practices (SBP) and turnover intention (TI) to understand the role of sustainability initiatives in influencing employee retention and organizational commitment. METHODOLOGY: The present study conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement. From an initial selection of 326 articles, a rigorous double-blind screening process identified 31 key papers for in-depth analysis. FINDINGS: The systematic review provides compelling evidence that SBP have a robust positive association with employee outcomes, especially in reducing TI. This relationship is notably mediated by job satisfaction and organizational commitment and moderated by psychological safety and ethical leadership elements. Further, key gaps were discerned, including the necessity to explore the varied impact of SBP across industries, the enduring effects of SBP on TI, the influence of cultural and contextual facets, and the urgency for methodological advancements in cross-cultural research. In response to these gaps, four hypotheses were conceptualized to provide deeper insights into the complex interplay between SBP, TI, and overarching cultural/contextual variables. IMPLICATIONS: Theoretically, this research adds to the existing literature by empirically validating the relationship between SBP and TI, highlighting critical mediators and moderators, and suggesting avenues for future research. Incorporating the identified gaps and proposed hypotheses provides a structured direction for subsequent investigations. The findings emphasize the importance of integrating SBP into organizational strategies to promote sustainability while enhancing workforce well-being and retention. Organizations can align with sustainability goals and boost employee satisfaction by focusing on organizational commitment, open communication, and leadership grounded in ethical and sustainable principles. ORIGINALITY AND VALUE: This research provides a comprehensive overview of the interplay between SBP and TI, integrating insights from various studies. By emphasizing understudied mediators and moderators, identifying research gaps, and outlining derived hypotheses, the study sets the stage for future inquiries. Its practical recommendations are essential for organizations that balance sustainability goals with workforce stability, benefiting organizational performance and employee satisfaction.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced most countries’ higher-education systems to shift to distance learning, which has been called either “Corona Teaching” or, more formally, “Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT).” Students were suddenly faced with a new class format delivery and the many challenges of virtual education. The present study aims to identify and measure the challenges in three stages: (1) a qualitative method approach was used to gather the opinions of 50 students that were then analyzed and coded to identify their perceived major challenges; (2) a survey was completed by 165 students to prioritize the relative importance of the previously identified challenges using the AHP as the weighting approach; (3) an assessment framework was developed, using statistical techniques to measure the extent of the challenges for specific stakeholders based on survey responses. The main challenges students face are inadequate physical facilities at home, difficulties with the learning platforms, and financial concerns. These results are applicable beyond the present research context. For the first time, an ERT assessment framework of the challenges was developed using composite indicators derived from students’ opinions and perspectives. This ERT framework allows for the exploration of a community of students’ vulnerability to the challenges within the context of an emergency remote environment.