Abstract
In the modern digital age, organizations face unprecedented challenges and possibilities while managing the intricacies of digital transformation. Accelerated technological developments, changing customer preferences, heightened competition, and dynamic regulatory environments necessitate companies to synchronize their business goals with technological innovations. Leadership is crucial in steering businesses through changes, requiring a deep understanding of change processes and the capacity to adjust leadership accordingly. This research addresses the central question: How does leadership effectively promote organizational digital transformation? The study examines how leaders can effectively promote the adoption of advanced technologies and the promotion of innovation, by first exploring the nature of digital transformation within organizations and then analyzing the evolving dynamics of leadership in this context. An integrative review of the Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus databases was conducted, using the search terms: Leadership and Digital Transformation. The findings emphasize that effective leadership is crucial for managing the minutiae of digital transformation, integrating technology into organizational processes to facilitate learning, collaboration, and agility, enabling companies to adapt to market shifts, reduce uncertainty, and enhance decision-making for sustainable growth. By using the right tools and with the right frequency, leaders may develop team cohesion-even at a distance. Attentive digital-age leaders will know how to leverage the right mechanisms, and herein, we hope to give some indication of how that may be achieved, so that digital transformation increases rather than decreases team motivation levels.

Abstract
The purpose of this study is to ascertain the hierarchical importance of a patent's characteristics to licensing. This research has a causal-exploratory purpose, in that it sought to establish relationships between variables. This research aims to identify which characteristics are influential in the licensing of Brazilian academic patents in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical technology fields, based on the mining of data contained in licensed and unlicensed patent documents. Which characteristics of Brazilian academic patents are most influential in their licensing potential? An analysis through Random Forest was performed. To the best of our knowledge, there are no studies in Brazil using machine learning to identify which characteristics are influential in licensing a particular academic patent, especially given the difficulty of gathering this information. We found that regardless of the measure used, the three most critical licensing characteristics for the Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical patents analysed are Patent Scope, Life Cycle, and Claims. At the same time, the least important is the Patent Cooperation Treaty. The relevance of this research is based on the fact that after identifying which intrinsic characteristics influence the final value and licensing probabilities of a given patent, it will be possible to develop mathematical models that provide accurate information for establishing technology transfer agreements. In practical terms, the results suggest that greater patent versatility, combined with lifecycle management and a technical effort to build strong claims, increases the licensing potential of academic biopharmaceutical patents.

Abstract
The growing use of technology and social media has resulted in the emergence of digital influencers, a new profession capable of changing the mentalities and behaviours of those who follow them. This study arises to better understand the potential impact digital influencers might have on the Portuguese population's purchase behaviour and patterns, and for this purpose, seven hypotheses were formulated. An online questionnaire was conducted to respond to these theoretical assumptions and collected data from 175 respondents. A total of 129 valid answers were considered. It was possible to conclude that purchase intention does not necessarily translate into a purchase action. It was also concluded that the relationship between social network use and the purchase of products/services recommended by influencers is only statistically significant for Instagram. Furthermore, the individuals' generation is not statistically significant / linked with purchasing a product/service recommended by influencers. Yet further, a small percentage of respondents have also identified themselves as impulsive shoppers and perceived Instagram as their favourite social network. With the results of this study, it is also possible to state that the influencer's opinion was classified as the last factor considered in the purchase decision process. Additionally, there is a weak negative association between purchasing a product/service recommended by influencers with sponsorship disclosure and remunerated partnership, which decreases credibility and discourages purchasing, in Portugal, a feminine culture which dislikes materialism.

Abstract
The main aim of this chapter is to study the digital touchpoints influencing customers' decisions in the five-star hospitality industry. This chapter adopted a qualitative methodology in the form of semi-structured interviews. The findings suggest the preeminent role of online travel agencies and hotel websites as the two most powerful touchpoints influencing the decision-making of the customer and serving as the principal means of making the reservation at the hotel. It also stresses the growing influence of customer-owned touchpoints, particularly user-generated content, in influencing customer perception. This research emphasizes the significance of personalized engagement in influencing customer satisfaction and loyalty. Overall, the study presents practical managerial implications for hoteliers, offering insights on how to effectively interact with customers at each stage of their journey, thereby enhancing both service delivery and overall guest experience. © 2025, IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved.

Abstract
The transition to the water circular economy (WCE) requires several stakeholders' awareness, articulation, and action involving complex governance concerns. As a participatory approach to identifying problems, designing solutions, and implementing strategic actions, the co-creation process should support stakeholder involvement to adjust existing institutional arrangements to foster the WCE. This article designs and applies a co-creation process to analyse the perception of key stakeholders about institutional challenges for water reuse and explore their contributions to innovate policy, planning, and governance for the implementation of new water reuse technology in Almendralejo (Spain), Lecce (Italy), Omis (Croatia), and Eilat (Israel). The findings indicate that implementing a new water loop encounters complex institutional and production-related obstacles, which different stakeholders address in varying ways. Moreover, the proposed solutions to the on-site issues identified emphasise the need for actions that foster engagement and collaboration, particularly to enhance awareness, training, and regulation. Addressing these challenges associated with adopting new water loops, even when technical, may depend on non-technical solutions regarding the institutional framework. The co-creation processes highlight the importance of focusing on institutional arrangements and stakeholder awareness while implementing new water loops to ensure and promote symbiotic territories that consider the policy, producers', and users' strategies.

Abstract
Municipalities are key players in their role as sustainable development planners and have a responsibility to change behavior at the local level. This study uses a panel of French municipalities to explore their role in promoting responsible consumption and production practices. A questionnaire was set up to obtain data from 186 citizens, of which 77 come from rural areas and 109 from urban zones. The findings reveal that French municipalities have a wide influence on the consumption and more responsible production of individuals through their actions. They encourage inhabitants to reduce energy and water consumption, waste management, and local and organic consumption. French citizens are mainly influenced by social and economic factors, while political and marketing factors are of little relevance. Furthermore, there are no differences in the importance and involvement of citizens in responsible consumption and production actions between rural and urban municipalities. © 2025 by IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved.