Journal of Business, Management, and Social Studies

How Can Employee Engagement Drive Sustainability? The Mediating Power of CSR and Ethical Leadership in the Philippine Hospitality Industry

Emmanuel P. Paulino, Reyman M. Gapas, Reynaldo J. Villegas, Ronald P. Romero — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0800

The primary goal of this research is to examine how employee engagement influences sustainable business practices within the Philippine hospitality industry. Specifically, it seeks to understand the roles of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and ethical leadership as mediating factors that link engaged employees to long-term organizational sustainability. Adopting a rigorous quantitative design, this study utilized Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze data collected from 285 frontline employees and HR managers across luxury and mid-tier hotels in Metro Manila, Philippines. Empirical findings reveal that employee engagement exerts a significant direct impact on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and ethical leadership behaviors. The mediation analysis further confirms that these two factors function as essential mechanisms that translate employee engagement into sustainable business outcomes. Consequently, the study highlights that fostering a motivated and ethically guided workforce is fundamental to enhancing both organizational responsibility and competitive performance. The study contributes to the existing body of knowledge in two distinct ways, beginning with its focus on geographic specificity by providing much-needed localized empirical evidence from the Philippines. This is particularly significant given that while hospitality is a pillar of the Philippine economy, it remains under-researched in the context of sustainable human resource management. Furthermore, the research introduces an integrated model that bridges the gap between engagement and sustainability, which are often studied in isolation. By positioning corporate social responsibility and ethical leadership as twin mediators, the study offers a holistic perspective on how “soft” human resource factors translate into “hard” competitive advantages for organizations.

Beyond the AI Model Race – How Open Ecosystems Are Redefining the Future of Platform Competition

Putu Basya Ratu Sanceska — Sat, 18 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0800

This commentary examines the rise of DeepSeek and the transformation of generative artificial intelligence competition from a technological race into a platform ecosystem competition. Using platform ecosystem theories, including network effects, innovation platforms, API strategies, ecosystem governance and value co-creation, this article analyzes how AI companies create competitive advantages by enabling collaboration between developers, businesses and users. The discussion highlights that long - term success in artificial intelligence depends not only on technological capabilities but also on the ability to orchestrate sustainable and trusted digital ecosystems.

Beyond Circularity: Building Indonesia’s Co-Economy

Cindy Aristiana — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0800

Indonesia has made significant progress in promoting the circular economy to address environmental sustainability. However, many circular economy initiatives struggle because they focus primarily on technological solutions while overlooking the coordination required among multiple stakeholders. This commentary argues that Indonesia should move beyond a resource-centric perspective toward a Co-Economy, where value is co-created through ecosystem orchestration. Using the emerging BUMDes–SPPG–farmer ecosystem as an illustrative case, the article applies platform ecosystem concepts, including ecosystem governance, complementary capabilities, network effects, and multi-actor collaboration, to demonstrate how rural institutions can become ecosystem orchestrators rather than traditional producers. The commentary concludes that Indonesia's competitive advantage will depend less on individual organizational performance and more on its ability to coordinate collaborative ecosystems that generate economic, environmental, and social value simultaneously.

Sales Promotion, Online Customer Review Feature, and Their Impact on Generation Z’s Impulse Buying Behavior: Evidence from Shopee Users

Maharani Rasyidfa Clara Putri, Tri Murwaningsih — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0800

This study aims to determine (1) the effect of sales promotions on the Shopee e-commerce platform on Gen Z’s impulsive buying behavior, (2) the effect of online customer review feature on the Shopee e-commerce platform on Gen Z’s impulsive buying behavior, (3) the effect of sales promotions and online customer review feature together on the Shopee e-commerce platform on Gen Z’s impulsive buying behavior. This study employs a quantitative causal approach using data collected through a questionnaire. The sampling technique was carried out by cluster random sampling with a sample of 178 Office Administration Education Students, FKIP UNS, Class of 2022-2025. Data processing used multiple linear regression through IBM SPSS Statistic 27 software. The results of the study show that sales promotions and online customer review feature both simultaneously and individually have a significant influence on the impulsive purchasing behavior of Generation Z students in the Office Administration Education Program at the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, UNS. This indicates that more frequent promotions and more positive online reviews will increase the tendency toward impulsive purchasing behavior. This study focuses on Gen Z students in the Office Administration Education program at the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education (FKIP), UNS, as active users of the Shopee e-commerce platform. Most studies to date have examined sales promotions and online customer review feature.