This article confronts telework issues by analyzing how certain factors (motivation, dependence on coordination, self-organizing abilities and stress) impact job performance, as well as some of their interrelations. The research has been carried out with 219 Romanian employees. With the help of Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Structural Equations Modeling, the model led to the following conclusions: employee motivation has a significant positive impact on performance; employees’ dependence on coordination has a significant negative impact on performance; employees’ dependence on coordination has a moderately intense but significant positive correlation with the level of stress perceived during teleworking; and employees’ ability to self-organize their activity is strongly and significantly linked to the level of motivation perceived. The hypothesis that perceived stress has a significant negative impact on performance has not been confirmed. These results add to the specialized literature on telework and can be the basis for future developments of managerial teleworking strategies. The implications are particularly valuable in the context of Corporate Social Responsibility considering the impact of telework on employees, organizations, and society in general.

Organisations exist, function and develop through communication. Intercultural communication is a specific communication activity in which the parties involved represent different cultures. The current context, dominated by globalisation, multiculturalism, internationalisation and digitalisation, underlines the importance of studying intercultural communication in an organisational context. The aim of this paper is to develop a comprehensive synthesis of the factors that influence the effectiveness of intercultural communication in organisations and to propose research hypotheses for future studies in this area. The methodology used to conduct this study includes the methods of analysis, synthesis, induction (for logical connections), deduction (for identifying theories from the literature), abduction (for identifying causes and factors and building hypotheses) and hierarchical classification (for grouping factors in the three-level taxonomy). The analysis of the factors mentioned in the literature on the effectiveness of intercultural communication in organisations has led to the development of a three-level taxonomy that groups them into five categories: management-related factors, group factors, individual factors, cultural factors and communication factors. This systematic and clarifying approach suggests linkages and directions for research as well as lines of action for practitioners to ensure sustainable development of multicultural organisations and increase the chances of success of intercultural communication in different organisational contexts. The novelty of the paper lies in the fact that the existing literature does not propose a systemic view of the factors that influence intercultural communication outcomes. Most of the identified research presents comparative, descriptive approaches to the characteristics of intercultural communication in specific cultural contexts.

Cultural characteristics related to the values of national identity (patriotism, nationalism) and attitudes toward other peoples (xenophobia) represent important elements of cultural specificity that influence various dimensions of socioeconomic life, including economic processes. Unfortunately, these specific characteristics are not often investigated, especially in this context, probably because of the difficulty of quantifying them and the general sensitivity of the topic. This study presents an original approach to the study of nationalist-xenophobic attitudes and their relationship to foreign direct investment (FDI). The aim of this study is to identify theoretical benchmarks for approaching the topic of nationalism-xenophobia, to develop a synthetic indicator to quantify nationalism-xenophobic attitudes, and to highlight the mechanism of their influence on FDI attraction. The methodology used for conducting this research comprises the methods of analysis, synthesis, induction (for logical connections and theoretical argumentation), weighted average technique (for the elaboration of Nationalism-xenophobia Index), Cronbach's Alpha coefficient of internal consistency (to test the reliability of the construct) and Pearson correlation coefficient (for the correlation analysis). The author's contributions include a study of the relationship between nationalist and xenophobic sentiments, the development of the Nationalism-xenophobia Index, an indicator of the intensity of these sentiments in society, an analysis of the relationship between nationalism-xenophobia relations and the amount of FDI attracted per capita, the identification and explanation of the cultural mechanism by which nationalist and xenophobic sentiments influence various phenomena, including FDI. Logical-theoretical assumptions and arguments are confirmed by the results of quantitative data analysis. The findings of the study confirm that the cultural characteristics associated with nationalism and xenophobia represent important elements of cultural specificity that influence economic processes, including FDI. Numerous studies show that the nationalist dimension of ethnocentrism is closely related to xenophobia. Analysis of countries' scores on the nationalism-xenophobia index depending on the dominant Christian denomination and the presence of a communist past shows a link between nationalist-xenophobic, Orthodox (and, to a lesser extent, Catholic) values and the values of communist ideology, which negatively affect FDI attraction. Furthermore, nationalist-xenophobic attitudes have a negative impact on FDI attraction, both directly and indirectly, showing a strong negative impact.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) is increasingly shaped by sustainability considerations, yet the field lacks a consolidated understanding of how these evolving drivers are captured through different methodological approaches. Addressing this methodological gap, this article explores various approaches to the relationship between FDI and sustainability, with a focus on how understanding of the factors influencing FDI is evolving. A systematic search of the Web of Science Core Collection was conducted using predefined search terms related to sustainability and FDI. Following the screening process, the article analyses 143 studies published between 2016 and 2025. A systematic mapping review of the literature is combined with quantitative and qualitative techniques to highlight the current situation and existing trends, and to propose directions for developing research methodologies to enhance the investigation of FDI in the context of sustainability. The findings indicate that traditional determinants remain central, while sustainability factors are increasingly considered to influence location decisions. Importantly, methodologies are not associated with the set of determinants taken into consideration, but rather with the research design and the structure of data. Subsequently, the analysis highlights and discusses trends and gaps in methodological perspectives and proposes directions for strengthening research designs.