http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/8607 Known as Brunel Business School until 2024/25 Sun, 21 Jun 2026 13:45:08 GMT 2026-06-21T13:45:08Z http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/33470 Title: The Compassion–Consumption Paradox in Pet Care Markets: Rethinking Inclusion in Multispecies Consumer Policy Authors: Erbil, C; April, K; Özbilgin, MF Abstract: Paradox theory conceptualizes paradoxes as persistent and interdependent tensions between elements that are logically inconsistent yet simultaneously present and enduring within organizational and institutional systems (Smith and Lewis 2011). Pet care markets have expanded dramatically over the past two decades, reshaping how humans understand responsibility, affection, and obligation toward nonhuman companions. Yet beneath the glossy imagery of ethical consumption and responsible ownership lies a structural contradiction at the heart of contemporary pet care economies. Consumers invest emotionally and financially in the well-being of specific animals, often shaped by attachment, responsibility, or routine care practices, while the products required to maintain that care often depend on extractive, polluting, or ethically fraught supply chains that harm other species, ecosystems, and communities (Sayers, Martin, and Bell 2022). This commentary positions this tension as a compassion–consumption paradox: a systemic contradiction that emerges when market logics collide with moral commitments in human–animal relationships. Drawing on paradox theory (Carmine and De Marchi 2023; Smith et al. 2017) and recent work on the tensions of care under capitalism (Yalkin and Özbilgin 2024), we argue that resolving this paradox requires a reimagining of inclusion beyond the human to embrace ecological and multispecies justice. Multispecies inclusion in this argument refers to the interdependent positioning of companion animals, livestock embedded in feed supply chains, affected wildlife populations, and the ecological systems sustaining these relations, all implicated in the same pet care consumption infrastructure (Erbil and Güngördü Belbağ 2024). In this context, paradox refers to a persistent structural tension (Smith et al. 2017) in which practices that express care for one being are materially entangled with systems that generate harm elsewhere. The tension operates independently of individual intent or awareness and instead emerges from the ways market systems organize production and value. In this commentary, inclusion refers to the consideration of how market structures shape the well-being of companion animals, other species, and ecological systems. Nonhuman animals cannot participate directly in market decisions; their interests are represented through owners, regulatory frameworks, and institutional design (Srinivasan 2022). Inclusion therefore concerns whether production systems, marketing practices, and policy arrangements materially account for these mediated stakeholders. Description: Data availability statement: This article does not report any empirical data. All sources cited and discussed in the article are publicly available through academic journals, books, and institutional reports. As this is a conceptual article, no original datasets were generated or analyzed during the study.; Commentary. Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/33470 2026-06-10T00:00:00Z http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/33469 Title: Workplace bullying and well-being in crisis-affected healthcare organizations: status vulnerability evidence from Lebanon Authors: Yacoubian, A; Babikian Assaf, C; Saeb Baroudi, N; Özbilgin, MF Abstract: Purpose: This study aims to examine workplace bullying and psychosocial well-being among healthcare professionals working in crisis-affected organizations. It contributes to behavioral health scholarship by theorizing bullying as a chronic organizational stressor that is amplified under conditions of institutional fragility and unequal protection. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing on survey data from 411 healthcare professionals in Lebanon, a country marked by political instability, economic collapse and overlapping crises, the study analyzes workplace bullying exposure across gender and status-based demographic categories using the Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised. Findings: The results show no significant gender effects, but higher bullying exposure among younger employees, widowed participants, residents and those with university degrees. Gossip and rumors and excessive workload were the most prevalent bullying behaviors, while physical intimidation was rare. Practical implications: The findings highlight the need for targeted organizational interventions to identify and protect vulnerable occupational groups such as residents within crisis-affected healthcare systems. Strengthening anti-bullying policies, supervisory accountability and confidential reporting mechanisms can help mitigate psychosocial harm and support employee well-being under conditions of institutional strain. Originality/value: This study advances workplace bullying scholarship by extending bullying frameworks into fragile and crisis-affected contexts and by introducing an intersectional status vulnerability model that foregrounds social stigma (e.g. widowhood) and professional dependency (e.g. residents’ reliance on supervisors). It further shows that symbolic and structural forms of domination (e.g. overload, monitoring and reputational harm) predominate over physical intimidation in crisis-affected healthcare settings. Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/33469 2026-04-09T00:00:00Z http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/33461 Title: Investigating strategic directions and initiatives of green hydrogen, the role of alignment between government and business collaboration: A case of green hydrogen in Saudi Arabia Authors: Abdulaal, Abdulrahman Mohammed Abstract: This research investigates the strategic alignment process that can support the development of Green Hydrogen (GH2) initiatives with a case study in Saudi Arabia. Despite growing global interest in GH2 as a pillar of sustainable energy transitions, this research finds that structured national strategies for GH2 remain fragmented and underdeveloped. This fragmentation limits the potential for coherent deployment and long-term value creation in energy projects. In response, the study proposes a Strategic Alignment Framework to guide the coherent deployment of GH2, aligned with the objectives and needs of stakeholders. The literature review identifies a lack of integrated models to support GH2 ecosystem planning, prompting the development of a multi-phase framework comprising Initiation and Planning, Strategic Development, and Implementation. The proposed framework in Figure 4:7 distinguishes between internal and external environmental dynamics and incorporates key strategic levers such as policy design, infrastructure readiness, human capital development, and industrial localisation. Empirical data were gathered through qualitative expert interviews with senior stakeholders across government, semi-government, and private sectors in Saudi Arabia, and validated through two focus groups consisting of three participants each. Thematic analysis highlights critical enablers, including regulatory clarity, innovation ecosystems, and government-business collaboration, as well as barriers such as investment uncertainty. Key findings emphasise that strategic alignment between national policy, industrial readiness, and infrastructure planning is essential for the GH2 sector’s success. The validated Green Hydrogen Strategic Alignment Framework in Figure 4:7 enables stakeholders to anticipate coordination bottlenecks, assess implementation readiness, and mitigate socio-environmental risks. This research contributes developing a Strategic Alignment Framework for GH2, linking external drivers with internal execution, and serving as a diagnostic tool for policy, investment, and stakeholder engagement. The findings emphasise incentives, regulatory clarity, innovation, and collaboration as key enablers of a competitive GH2 industry. Although grounded in the Saudi case, the study offers insights applicable to other resource-rich countries pursuing energy transition. Description: This thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University London Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/33461 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/33447 Title: Digital health and social inequality: Population-based evidence from MyHealth platform use in Catalonia Authors: Mora, T; Nicodemo, C; Roche, D Abstract: Objectives: The rapid expansion of digital health technologies during and after the COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped how individuals access healthcare services. While these innovations promise greater efficiency and reach, questions remain about their equitable uptake across different population groups. This study investigates the adoption and sustained use of MyHealth, a digital health platform introduced by the Catalan National Health System in 2015 and widely integrated into primary care delivery. Methods: Drawing on longitudinal administrative data covering around 80% of the Catalan population (9.46 million individuals) and over 727 million healthcare records from 2015 to 2023, we analyse patterns of digital engagement using survival analysis and microeconometric modelling. Results: Our findings reveal persistent inequalities in both initial adoption and long-term usage. Engagement is higher among women, Spanish nationals, and individuals from higher-income areas. At the same time, older adults, migrants, and rural residents are significantly less likely to adopt or sustain use of the platform. These disparities were particularly pronounced during the pandemic's peak, when digital health use surged. Concentration indices confirm a clear pro-wealth bias in digital health engagement, challenging the assumption that digitalisation automatically enhances equity. Despite the platform’s wide availability and integration into the healthcare system, structural barriers, including digital literacy, cultural and linguistic accessibility, and infrastructure, continue to shape patterns of use. Conclusions: This study presents one of the first comprehensive, large-scale assessments of digital health inequality in Europe. It highlights the need for targeted, evidence-based policies to ensure that digital health transformation supports rather than undermines equity goals in healthcare access and delivery. Description: Supplementary materials are available online at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211883726000328?via%3Dihub#sec0013 . Sun, 08 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/33447 2026-03-08T00:00:00Z