Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a “moderated-mediation model” covering the nexus between entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) and entrepreneurial intentions (EIs) by comparing an emerging market (China) and a mature market (Spain). By drawing on the theory of planned behaviour and self-efficacy, this study theorizes that entrepreneurial creativity (EC) and attitudes towards entrepreneurship (ATE) mediate the relationship between ESI and EIs; moreover, entrepreneurial education (EE) moderates these relationships. Design/methodology/approach This research employs a survey-based methodology and uses a 37-item questionnaire for a total sample of 808 student respondents from both countries. Further, the study employs the structural equation modelling and confirmatory factor analysis to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings The results indicate that EC and ATE positively mediate the relationship between ESI and EI. Further, with EE, individuals can efficiently develop EC to successfully nurture their EIs, regardless of their countries’ economic maturity. Practical implications Being able to identify the importance of EC and education for future entrepreneurs is of definite concern for all the business eco-system: from intentions of young entrepreneurs to governments; new levers, facilitators and approaches, e.g. policies will be able to be adopted. Originality/value This research provides valuable insights on the importance of EC and education in the determination of EIs in two very distinct markets for the first time.

This study investigates the effect of environmental performance that is driven by good environmental policies, regulations, and management on firm's financial distress and, consequently, ascertains the extent to which top management teams' (TMTs') characteristics can moderate the environmental performance–financial distress nexus in China using 749 firms over the 2009–2014 period (i.e., generating over 3,000 individual observations). Our findings are twofold. First, our results indicate that increased environmental performance that is driven by good environmental policies tends to strategically reduce the extent of firm financial distress. Second, this nexus is moderated by TMT gender diversity, foreign exposure, and political connection. We interpret our findings within neo‐institutional, upper echelons, and risk management theoretical perspectives. The findings are robust to the use of alternative measures of financial distress, estimation techniques, and endogeneity problems.

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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between working capital management and corporate performance with financial constraints. Design/methodology/approach This study uses large panel sample of Chinese listed firms over the period 2005–2015 using system generalized method of moments (GMM) estimator that controls unobserved heterogeneity of individual firms well and GMM methodology is robust to address endogeneity issues. Findings Empirical evidence finds inverted U-shaped relationship between working capital and corporate performance and exhibits similar evidence for financially constrained firms. Evidence shows impact of high sales and discounts on early payments at low level of working capital and dominance of opportunity cost and cost of external finance at high level of working capital. The findings of the results show that optimal working capital level of financially constrained firms is relatively lower due to high cost of external capital and debt rationing. The results also indicate that on average NET is significantly lower for firms with Tobin’s Q>1 than firms with Tobin’s Q=1, and suggest that aggressive working capital management is significantly and positively associated with higher corporate values. Originality/value This paper is among few that complement the existing literature by providing evidence that inverted U-shaped relationship between working capital management and corporate performance also exists in the context of Chinese listed non-financial firms. Exclusively, the relationship of working capital and corporate performance with linkage of financial constraints is scant in the context of Chinese listed non-financial firms.

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During the Covid-19 era, this research will explore and analyze the link between e-government and corporate social responsibility. In addition, mandatory corporate social responsibility, institutional quality, information and communication technology, and corruption as mediators will also be explored in this study. This research seeks to answer the issue of how e-government affects corporate social responsibility and how other mediating variables might influence this connection. Furthermore, this study developed a total of 13 hypotheses based on these questions, 4 of which have mediating effects. The theoretical underpinning for the proposed study paradigm is provided by stakeholder theory, which has been established based on prior literature. The general philosophy is positivism, and the research has a deductive nature. The information was gathered from 305 managers across four industries: information technology, online services, online education, and logistics and supply chain. Data was collected using a random convenience sampling approach. The Partial Least Square Sequential Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) research analysis approach was applied in this study for the analysis. The measurement step demonstrated that all constructs and indicators are valid and trustworthy enough to be utilized in the future. The results of the structural model evaluation revealed that e-government had a negative influence on corporate social responsibility, with three of the four mediating roles proving to be completely mediated. As a result, the government and relevant stakeholders should take these results into account when formulating e-government policies.

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The world is looking toward organizations for social responsibility to contribute to a sustainable environment. Employees’ organizational citizenship behavior for the environment (OCBE) is a voluntary environmental-oriented behavior that is important for organizations’ environmental performance. Based on social learning theory, this study examined the effects of responsible leadership in connection with OCBE by using a sample of 520 employees in the manufacturing and service sectors in China including engine manufacturing, petroleum plants, banking, and insurance sector organizations. Further, the roles of psychological ownership and employee environmental commitment were used as mediators and moderators simultaneously. The direct, mediation, and moderation model results exposed a positive relationship between responsible leadership and OCBE via employee psychological ownership and employee environmental commitment. The study also revealed that the indirect effect is stronger when employees hold a higher employee environmental commitment. The theoretical and practical implications for environmental sustainability in respect of organizations as well as future research directions are discussed.