Assoc. Prof. Jenny Oliveros Lao Phillips

University of Saint Joseph (USJ), China

Jenny Oliveros Lao Phillips is the Dean of the Faculty of Business and Law at the University of Saint Joseph (USJ). Prior to her current position, Prof. Phillips was appointed Registrar from 2016 to 2018, and Head of Public Relations Office from 2015 to 2018. She started working as a full-time academic at USJ in 2008. Before joining USJ, Prof. Phillips taught Business English at the Macao Polytechnic Institute and worked as a Cantonese/English interpreter and translator. She holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration awarded with the highest honor of summa cum laude from USJ in 2015. Prof. Phillips was born and educated in Macao. She holds a bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Management from the Institute for Tourism Studies, where she also received a higher diploma in Hotel Management and undertook specialized management training in public relations. She finished her MBA at USJ (IIUM) in 2003 with a thesis on customer satisfaction. Then, diverging from her management studies, she devoted her time in studying Literature and completed an MA dissertation on "The Ritual and the Sacred in Peter Shaffer's Theatre". In 2008, she was awarded a Master of Arts in English Studies (Literature Specialisation) with the highest grade of "Excellent" from the University of Macau. Prof. Phillips has over 20 years of teaching experience and has taught a wide range of courses, including Creativity, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Global Strategy, Service Operations, Managing Social Services, Creative Writing, and Literature. Her publications and research interests are in the areas of family business, social entrepreneurship, organizational behaviour and innovation, e-government, tourism and hospitality, empathy, and catharsis in tragedy and modern theatre. She has been a researcher at the Faculty of Human Science at the Catholic University of Portugal, working on a research project bridging cognitive science in empathy and literature studies in catharsis focusing on tragic theatre. She is also a writer and a poet featured at the Macau Literary Festival in 2018 and 2020. Her first children's novel, The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac, was published in 2006. Her poems, poetry translations, and articles have appeared in Poesia Sino-Occidental, Poetry.com, The Drunken Boat, Poetry Sky, and other publications and local press. She wrote a bi-weekly column about local culture and tradition, "Made in Macao", in the English newspaper Macau Daily Times from 2015 to 2019. Prof. Phillips' latest research and academic projects focus on the development of sustainable business. She believes that business enterprises are social entities and should be viewed and developed sustainably as innovative solutions to societal issues and people's daily lives.

Topic: Ethical Work Behaviour without Regulations: Developing strong internal social capital

Abstract: This research examines how a family-run auditing firm in Macau leverages strong internal social capital to foster high standards of work ethics. Founded in the late 1970s and later transitioning into a family-led business, the firm maintains an informal management approach characterised by trust, mutual respect, and shared responsibility. Despite the absence of formal contracts, structured promotions, and rigid regulations, employees remain highly committed, motivated by a collective goal of professional excellence. The firm’s reputation for ethical integrity is reinforced through voluntary collaboration, transparent communication, and a deeply rooted culture of accountability. Diversification into corporate secretarial services has fueled financial growth, yet the firm’s ethical foundation remains anchored in its strong interpersonal bonds. This case study explores whether this model—where social capital replaces formal governance—can be sustained as the business expands, and whether it can be replicated in other organisational contexts.
 

Assoc. Prof. Karoly Miklos Kiss

University of Pannonia, Hungary

Károly Miklós Kiss is an Associate Professor of economics at University of Pannonia (UoP) and a senior research fellow at HUN-REN Centre for Economic and Regional Studies. He has been the Head of Department of Economics at UoP, Head of Applied Economics Research Unit at UoP and Head of Economics of Networks Research Unit at the Institute of Economics of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Prof. Kiss is a Panel Member of the Hungarian National Research, Development and Innovation Office (Economics Panel), Member of Hungarian Economic Association, Member of Hungarian Society of Economists, Member of International Atlantic Economic Society. Prof. Kiss held a PhD in Economics from University of Pannonia in 2009 and was awarded the highest honour of Summa cum Laude. He holds a BSc and MSc in Economics from the Corvinus University Budapest. Prof. Kiss has been teaching a wide range of undergraduate, graduate and PhD courses at several universities related to Microeconomics, Industrial Organization, Theories of markets and competition, Economics of Networks, Economics of Regulation, Competition Policy, Economics of Information. His research is focused on Industrial Organization, Economics of regulation (mostly in network industries and public utilities), Economics of networks, Economics of Information (asymmetrical information). Prof. Kiss has participated, led and coordinated several international and national research projects, including for the Hungarian Communications Authority, the Hungarian Competition Authority and ministries.

Topic: Labor-Market Effects of Artificial Intelligence: Evidence from Empirical Research

Abstract: Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly transforming economic production processes, raising important questions about its effects on labor markets. My presentation reviews recent empirical evidence on the labor market impacts of AI, focusing on employment, productivity, wages, and occupational change. Drawing on studies using firm-level data, field experiments, and occupational exposure measures, the literature suggests that AI primarily affects tasks rather than entire occupations, leading to job restructuring rather than widespread displacement. The findings reported in various studies are contradictory. Some evidence from workplace experiments shows that AI tools can generate substantial productivity gains, particularly for less experienced workers, suggesting a potential skill-equalizing effect. Another very recent study in the software development sector finds that the adoption of generative AI is rapid and widespread, and that it boosts productivity—though this is primarily true for experienced developers. In contrast, entry-level developers—despite being the ones who use generative AI most frequently—show no measurable benefits. Therefore, it appears that rather than reducing skill gaps, generative AI actually exacerbates them. At the same time, the distributional consequences of AI remain uncertain, with possible implications for wage inequality and occupational polarization. The presentation try to explore how AI adoption reshapes job tasks, skill demand, and organizational practices, and concludes by outlining key future research directions, including long-term employment dynamics, worker adaptation, firm-level adoption patterns, and the labor market implications of generative AI technologies.

Assoc. Prof. Shu Yu

Dalian Polytechnic University, China

Shu Yu is an Associate Professor at Dalian Polytechnic University,China. She got the doctoral degree from Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, major in Knowledge Science. She has been a visiting scholar at Edith Cowan University in Australia. Dr. Yu have hosted and participated in more than 30 national, Ministry of Education, and provincial-level and municipal level vertical projects, and published more than 20 papers on SSCI/SCI, CSSCI, and other topics. She focused on exploring the knowledge flow between university and industry, tried to find the method to improve the efficiency and effective creative performance of U-I collaborations. She consulted previously worked in labor relations, performance management, and corporate consulting and training for companies such as Canon in Japan.

Topic: Scourge or Source of Opportunity? The Double-Edged Effect of AI Disruption Awareness on Employees' Thriving at Work

Abstract: As artificial intelligence becomes embedded in work, employees increasingly perceive risks of job replacement and redesign. Yet how AI disruption awareness affects thriving at work remains unclear. Drawing on conservation of resources theory and the job demands–resources model, we build a dual-path chain mediation model that includes knowledge acquisition versus knowledge hiding and job security versus job insecurity, and examine the moderating roles of promotion-focused and prevention-focused job crafting. Based on a three-wave time-lagged survey of 600 full-time employees, we find that AI disruption awareness simultaneously stimulates knowledge acquisition and knowledge hiding. Knowledge acquisition enhances job security and, in turn, thriving at work, whereas knowledge hiding increases job insecurity and undermines thriving at work. Promotion-focused job crafting strengthens the resource gain path, while prevention-focused job crafting amplifies the resource loss path. These findings reveal the double-edged nature of AI disruption awareness for employees’ thriving at work and enrich research on thriving and coping with AI-driven technological change.
 

Assoc. Prof. Sang Ho Kim

Bryant University, USA

Dr. Sang Ho Kim is an Associate Professor of Accounting at Bryant University–BITZH and has nearly fifteen years of experience in higher education. Throughout his academic career, he has taught a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses, including Corporate Taxation, Financial Reporting and Analysis, Cost and Management Accounting, and Auditing. He is particularly experienced in delivering technically rigorous financial accounting modules, such as consolidation, foreign currency translation, and financial statement analysis. His teaching is conducted in English within AACSB-accredited environments, and he is committed to maintaining high academic standards while promoting practical relevance and student engagement. Dr. Kim’s research has been published in internationally recognized journals indexed in SSCI and Scopus. His primary research interests include cryptocurrency and digital assets, tokenomics, and accounting issues in the crypto industry. He also examines the macroeconomic determinants of firms’ accounting choices, corporate social responsibility, and ESG-related reporting. His work integrates empirical analysis with institutional and regulatory perspectives, reflecting his interest in the evolving intersection between accounting and emerging financial technologies. He received his Ph.D. in Accounting from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, and is a full member of CPA Australia.

Topic: Accounting for Digital Assets: Opportunities and Challenges

Abstract: The development of digital assets, triggered by the emergence of Bitcoin, presents numerous challenges from an accounting perspective. While discussions regarding various digital assets are underway, led by the United States, existing accounting standards still exhibit significant limitations in handling these assets. This presentation examines the current state of digital asset development and addresses anticipated future opportunities and challenges from an accounting standpoint.