A. PROJECT MANAGER

Full Name: Morena Paulišić

Academic Position: Full Professor

Faculty/Institution: Faculty of Economics and Tourism “Dr. Mijo Mirković”

Scientific Field and Discipline: Organization and Management

E-mail: morena.paulisic@unipu.hr

B. ACTIVITY/PROJECT INFORMATION

Support Category: Financial support for academic staff

Project Title: Integrated Model of Leadership, ESG Practices and AI in Shaping Sustainable Productivity and Employee Wellbeing

Planned Duration: 24 months (12.5.2026.-12.5.2028.)

Requested Amount of Funding (EUR): €4,900.00

Abstract (up to 300 words)

The proposed project is aimed at developing and empirically validating an integrated model that connects leadership styles, ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) practices, the use of artificial intelligence (AI), employee competencies, employee wellbeing, and sustainable productivity in the context of organizational digital transformation.

In the contemporary business environment, organizations face simultaneous pressures arising from sustainability regulations (CSRD, EU AI Act), the accelerated adoption of artificial intelligence, and the increasingly pronounced decline in employee engagement and wellbeing, particularly in the Republic of Croatia.

Although numerous studies analyze leadership, ESG, AI, or wellbeing separately, there is a lack of an empirically validated model that integrates these constructs into a unified framework for decision-making and human resource management. Particular emphasis is placed on defining sustainable productivity as productivity that is not achieved at the expense of employees, but rather incorporates a balance between organizational efficiency, competency development, and the long-term wellbeing of employees.

The project will employ a mixed-method approach that includes desk research, case studies, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and survey research conducted in organizations from the tourism, education, and healthcare sectors. The planned sample includes 250–400 respondents from at least three organizations with different levels of digital maturity.

Data analysis will be conducted using modeling techniques and multilevel analysis.

Expected outcomes include the development and validation of a new sustainable productivity metric, publication of at least one article in a WoS/Scopus-indexed journal, practical recommendations for managers and HR professionals, and strengthened cooperation with industry and international partners.

The project directly contributes to the objectives of performance agreements through enhancing scientific excellence, internationalizing research, and developing applicable solutions for organizations in the digital age.

Keywords (up to 5)

• Leadership
• ESG
• Artificial Intelligence
• Wellbeing
• Sustainable Productivity

C. PROJECT COLLABORATORS (if applicable)

D. EXPECTED RESULTS AND CONTRIBUTION

The expected project results include the development and empirical validation of an integrated research model linking leadership styles, ESG practices, the use of artificial intelligence in the workplace, employee wellbeing, and sustainable productivity. The project makes a significant scientific contribution by overcoming the fragmentation of existing research, in which these constructs are most often analyzed partially and separately, and for the first time integrates them into a unified theoretical-empirical framework. A particularly important expected contribution of the project is the development and validation of a new metric of wellbeing and sustainable productivity under challenging market and regulatory conditions shaped by digital transformation.

The scientific outcome of the project will be model testing using modeling techniques on collected data, enabling more reliable determination of causal relationships, mediation and moderation effects, and changes over time. Such a methodological approach ensures a high level of scientific relevance and a realistic potential for publishing at least one paper in a high-ranking WoS/Scopus indexed international journal (Q1/Q4), along with additional conference publications and peer-reviewed international proceedings. In this way, the project directly contributes to program objectives related to increasing the number of scientific papers in WoS and Scopus databases and strengthening institutional scientific excellence, which is one of the key indicators of program contracts. Within existing project indicators, emphasis is placed on increasing the number of A1 papers, international publications, and citations as a fundamental research outcome.

The project further contributes to strengthening the interdisciplinarity of scientific work by linking management, organizational behavior, human resource management, digital transformation, and artificial intelligence. Such an interdisciplinary structure is directly aligned with Strategic Objective 1 (Raising scientific excellence) and Specific Objective 1.8 (Strengthening interdisciplinarity in scientific research), as well as with the research strategy of the Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, which emphasizes the development of interdisciplinary research and international scientific visibility.

The practical contribution of the project is reflected in the development of guidelines and recommendations for managers and HR professionals regarding the implementation of ESG practices, development of employee competencies, responsible use of artificial intelligence, and design of sustainable leadership models. The research results will enable organizations to better understand factors influencing employee engagement, reduction of burnout, development of skills needed for the digital work environment, and long-term sustainable productivity. In this way, the project directly contributes to Strategic Objective 2 (Strengthening cooperation with the economy) and improvement of scientific and research services for industry, which is also one of the key indicators of program contracts.

A particular value of the project lies in research conducted in real organizational settings and the application of results in practice (UNILINE, active participation of an existing partner). Program indicators particularly value the number of formal collaborations with industry, the number of joint scientific publications with partners, and the development of measurable and applicable results for the economy. Therefore, the project has strong potential to achieve institutional goals related to knowledge transfer and strengthening the social and economic impact of research.

Additionally, the project creates a foundation for future applications for international research projects under competitive funding programs, especially in the areas of human-centric AI, sustainable workplaces, and ESG governance models. This increases the international dimension of the project (with this aim, colleague Mehmet Ali Canbolat (Turkey) is included, with whom an ERASMUS agreement was initiated and concluded in January 2026), enabling the development of new partnerships and the involvement of young researchers (a new assistant at the department, whose selection is expected by 29.04.2026, with expected co-authorship in WoS/Scopus publications). This further contributes to program contract objectives related to internationalization of research, international co-authorship, and development of research capacity. The project therefore does not represent only an individual research activity, but also a strategic foundation for long-term strengthening of the institution’s scientific competitiveness.