Drawing from conservation of resources theory, this article investigates the relationship between job control (a critical job resource) and idea championing, as well as how this relationship may be augmented by stressful work conditions that can lead to resource losses, such as conflicting work role demands and psychological contract violations. With quantitative data collected from employees of an organization that operates in the chemical sector, this study reveals that job control increases the propensity to champion innovative ideas. This effect is especially salient when employees experience high levels of role conflict and psychological contract violations. For organizations, the results demonstrate that giving employees more control over whether they invest in championing activities will be most beneficial when those employees also face resource-draining work conditions, in the form of either incompatible role expectations or unfilled employer obligations.

Purpose: While the relationship between non-family CEOs and corporate innovation in China has been widely studied, the results remain inconclusive. This study explores the relationship between non-family CEOs and corporate innovation in the context of intergenerational succession. It considers the background and background characteristics of non-family CEOs in an attempt to provide a theoretical foundation for human resource management and innovative strategic management that can be applied in the transformation of family companies.Design/methodology/approach: The authors develop, then test, a series of hypotheses using an econometric analysis of a large sample of Chinese listed family firms. To control for endogeneity problems, such as missing variables in the model and the selectivity bias of the sample, propensity score matching (PSM) model is applied to analyze the panel data of 452 listed family firms from 2009–2019.Findings: This study first validates the mechanism by which non-family CEO background characteristics affect innovation performance in family firms. It then reveals the varying moderating effects of two stages of intergenerational succession (i.e. later-generation participation in management and later-generation take-over management) that influence the relationship between non-family CEOs and corporate innovation.Originality/value: The study's findings based on upper echelon and imprinting theory complement and extend existing research by revealing the impact of non-family CEOs from different backgrounds, and also identifying the role of intergenerational succession in the relationship between non-family CEO background characteristics and innovation performance.

Purpose: This study aims to unravel the effects of time pressure on work engagement within Chinese organizational settings, considering the moderating effect of inclusive leadership and the mediating role of coping strategies. It seeks to apply and extend theories such as the job demands-resources (JD-R) model, Lazarus’s stress and coping (LSC) framework and leader–member exchange (LMX) theory on stress and coping to understand these dynamics comprehensively.Design/methodology/approach: The study collected responses from 211 Chinese professionals in the manufacturing sector through a structured questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses.Findings: Results reveal that problem-focused coping strategies positively correlate with work engagement, whereas emotion-focused coping strategies do not show a significant association. Both emotion-focused and problem-focused coping strategies mediate the relationship between time pressure and work engagement. Additionally, inclusive leadership positively moderates the relationship between time pressure and both problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies.Practical implications: Organizational leaders and HR practitioners of companies can devise interventions to enhance employee engagement by leveraging the findings of this study, which advances our understanding of the critical role of coping strategies and the influence of inclusive leadership, particularly under time pressure, which is prevalent in fast-paced work environments.Originality/value: The research integrates the JD-R model, LMX theory and LSC framework to explore workplace dynamics in China, presenting new insights into coping mechanisms and leadership roles in high-pressure environments.

Purpose: This study investigates the impact of social media celebrities’ credibility on followers’ online purchasing behavior, focusing on the mediating role of follower loyalty. It extends theoretical research on social media celebrity marketing, examining the mechanisms by which influencer credibility influences consumer behavior. Design/methodology/approach: The 350 valid questionnaires were analyzed; using multiple regression analysis, the study examines the relationships between social media celebrities’ credibility (attractiveness, trustworthiness and expertise) and followers’ online purchase intentions and the mediating role of followers’ loyalty. Findings: The results reveal a significant positive relationship between social media celebrities’ credibility dimensions (attractiveness, trustworthiness and expertise) and followers’ online purchase intentions. Followers’ loyalty mediates the above relationship, indicating that these credibility attributes influence purchase intentions by fostering loyalty. Originality/value: This study integrates social learning theory, source credibility theory and customer loyalty theory to develop a framework that assesses the impact of influencer credibility on online purchasing behavior. It addresses research gaps by highlighting the role of follower loyalty and provides actionable insights for social media celebrities to promote their followers’ online purchasing behavior.

Purpose: This study investigates how CEO succession choices – specifically, the appointment of a family-successor CEO versus an external non-family CEO – affect digital transformation in family firms. Drawing on socio-emotional wealth theory and agency theory, it further examines how top management team (TMT) diversity and slack resources influence this relationship. Design/methodology/approach: The analysis is based on a panel of family firms listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen A-shares markets from 2014 to 2020. Using multiple regression models with controls for endogeneity and robustness checks, the study evaluates the impact of CEO succession choices on digital transformation. Findings: Results show that family-successor CEO significantly promote digital transformation in family firms, with the effect being more pronounced in firms with stronger familial cultural characteristics. Strategic risk-taking is identified as a mediating mechanism in this process. Moreover, TMT heterogeneity and slack resources, not only enhance the link between family-successor CEOs and strategic risk-taking but also reinforce the indirect effect of strategic risk-taking in facilitating digital transformation. Originality/value: This study contributes to the literature on digital transformation in the context of Chinese family firms and extends research on intergenerational succession and strategic change. It highlights the unique role of family governance in mitigating agency problems and shows how traditional family culture adapts to modern economic demands. The findings provide an Eastern perspective on corporate governance, enriching cross-cultural research in this field.