Dental students are particularly vulnerable for needlestick injuries (NSI). However, the epidemiology of NSI exposures among Chinese dental students was rarely reported. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of NSI among dental students in a major teaching institution of China, and to identify associated factors. A self-administrated online questionnaire was developed based on previously published studies, and distributed to dental students of Class 2011–2015 recruited from Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology. Two hundred and sixty-eight dental students including 38.8% of males and 61.2% of females (response rate of 90.0%) completed the survey. Approximately 36.2% of the respondents had sustained at least one NSI. A total of 112 NSI cases were reported. The majority of NSIs were related to the procedures of local anesthesia administration (15.2%) and tooth cleaning or scaling (15.2%). Syringe needles, dental burs and ultrasonic chips were the most notorious devices. Statistical analysis showed significant distribution in NSI occurrence between July–September and October–December. The main cause was lapse in concentration (67.9%), followed by fatigue (22.3%). Up to 66.1% of the exposures occurred when the student was working alone, while only 10.7% with assisting. Unfortunately, 26.8% of the incidents were under-reported. Dental students are prone to needlestick injuries. The present study clearly reveals a need for increased awareness of NSI prevention among dental students. The quality of infection control education at dental teaching institutions is crucial and indispensable for reducing NSI exposures.

The pronounced pay gap prevalent in companies has raised critical concerns regarding organizational equity. This study investigates mechanisms to mitigate pay gap through the lens of management compliance attention, with the dual objectives of enhancing intra-firm distributive justice and fostering sustainable organizational development. Furthermore, this study employs a comprehensive methodology, including textual analysis of annual reports to construct management compliance attention variables and the Chinese Huazheng ESG rating system to measure social performance. The results show that:(1) Management compliance attention is negatively correlated with pay gap(β = -0.010,p < 0.01); (2) Social performance is negatively correlated with pay gap(β = -0.035,p < 0.01); (3) Social performance strengthens the negative effect of management compliance attention on pay gap(β = -0.022,p < 0.05). Based on the results, we find that management compliance attention and social performance can narrow pay gap respectively, and that social performance positively moderates the relationship between compliance attention and pay gap. In addition, organizational resilience is identified as a partial mediator, explaining how compliance attention enhances firms’ ability to adapt to external changes, thereby reducing pay gap. Heterogeneity analysis shows that management compliance attention and social performance effectively narrow pay gap in state-owned shareholding companies, and widen pay gap in private shareholding companies. This study contributes to the literature on the economic consequences of corporate compliance and social performance and the determinants of pay gap. Practical implications involve recommendations for firms to strengthen corporate compliance systems, enhance social performance and organizational resilience, and establish transparent compensation frameworks.

Against the backdrop of global sustainable development goals and the rapid evolution of ESG practices in China, this study empirically examines how management compliance attention and board faultlines strength affect ESG performance using data from Chinese A-share listed companies spanning 2010–2022. Using textual analysis of annual reports to measure compliance attention, we employ OLS (Ordinary Least Squares) regression, moderation, and mediation analyses. The findings reveal three key results: (1) Management compliance attention is positively associated with ESG performance (β = 0.041, p < 0.01); (2) Board faultlines strength significantly amplifies this positive impact (β = 0.114, p < 0.01); (3) Organizational resilience partially mediates the relationship between management compliance attention and ESG performance, as confirmed by a Sobel test (z = 3.089, p = 0.002). Heterogeneity analysis shows that state-owned enterprises exhibit more pronounced compliance-driven ESG improvements, whereas private firms rely on board diversity to enhance such effects. This study contributes to the literature by integrating institutional theory, cognitive theory, upper echelons theory, and dynamic capabilities theory, demonstrating that management compliance attention boosts ESG performance through organizational resilience, with board faultlines acting as a critical moderator. Practical implications include recommendations for firms to strengthen compliance cultures, foster diverse boards, and build organizational resilience, while policymakers should enhance compliance frameworks and ESG disclosure standards to promote sustainable corporate practices.