This chapter presents empirical research findings to explore the complex relationship between luxury and sustainability and its impact on consumer behavior. The study investigated whether consumers naturally associate sustainability with traditional motives to purchase luxury. It was conducted across diverse cultural backgrounds (i.e., UK and Kuwait) and luxury categories. The research revealed that consumers’ perception of luxury as sustainable (regardless of being labeled as sustainable) positively influences their perceptions of luxury quality and material aspects, thereby boosting their intention to purchase luxury items. However, an interesting finding emerged––while perceived sustainability enhances specific dimensions of luxury, it also diminishes others. It was observed to reduce consumers’ perceptions of pleasure, self-expression, traditional values typically associated with luxury goods, and various social values. These findings were consistent across cultural contexts. The research suggests that luxury brands can leverage this connection to advance their international branding strategies by aligning superior quality and durability with perceived sustainability. It also advises emphasizing the hedonic aspect of purchasing sustainable luxury to mitigate potential backlash from a perceived significant disconnect between sustainability and pleasure, providing practical guidance for luxury brand managers.

The paper examines the concept of organizational culture within the healthcare sector. Inspired by different compelling evidence in management literature, the authors explore the link between the organizational culture in healthcare and different theoretical concepts. The purpose of this paper was to investigate the function of organizational culture in the healthcare industry through a rapid review of the literature in an attempt to determine the links between culture and other concepts within healthcare. The review identified 20 relevant studies, focusing on research directly related to healthcare. The conclusions from the rapid review shed light on the role of organizational culture in healthcare ultimately revealing its importance as a success factor for healthcare organizations. There are three types of studies which examine organizational culture in healthcare: studies related to performance, consequences for employees and studies which describe different cultures. The study suggests that healthcare organizations should focus on understanding organizational culture and its various types and consequences. These aspects are crucial for improving the well-being of both patients and healthcare professionals. By promoting an environment where healthcare professionals feel valued and supported, organizations can enhance patient care outcomes, reduce stress, and improve overall organizational efficiency.

American scientific publishing group

This study aims to theoretically and empirically investigate the relationship between intellectual capital (IC) and the financial performance of firms in the U.S. information technology (IT) sector, with a particular focus on Return on Assets (ROA) as a key performance indicator. Data were collected from 345 publicly listed IT companies over the period 2011–2022, yielding 1,792 firm-year observations. The research employed descriptive statistics, correlation matrices, box plot analyses, and multiple regression models to examine the effects of IC and its components, human capital efficiency, structural capital efficiency, and capital employed efficiency on financial outcomes. The analysis revealed that, contrary to conventional expectations and prior literature, IC exhibited a negative and statistically significant association with financial performance, highlighting potential inefficiencies in the utilization of intangible assets within the IT industry. These findings underscore the complexity of translating investments in IC into measurable financial gains, suggesting that firms may be overinvesting or misallocating resources in areas that do not yield immediate profitability. The novelty of this research lies in uncovering an unexpected inverse IC-performance link in a knowledge-intensive sector, thereby offering executives and policymakers new insights into how IC strategies should be re-evaluated and aligned with long-term value creation.

American scientific publishing group