Smart mobility policies, fringe benefits and social dissonance: an academic focal regulatory readdressing on organizational justice in the Italian context

Purpose The research systematically examines literary production on fringe benefit policies related to cars in company mixed-use, considering discrepancies emerging in new Italian law effective from 2025. Within the academic context, the study contributes to understanding regulatory dissonances and their implications for sustainability governance by higher education institutions (HEIs), where mobility policies intersect with institutional strategies and stakeholder engagement. Design/methodology/approach The research adopts a mixed-method approach, based on a systematic literature, considering a lexicometric and critical narrative content review by softwares as Vosviewer and Voyant. The authors offer insights about an underestimated but crucial factor in determining future policy-building approach and highlighting a specific gap in the literature suitable for further transdisciplinary investigations. Findings Results indicate an underdeveloped academic scenario. The research opens new directions integrating social and critical dimensions into organizational “smartening processes” in taxation, mobility and sustainability policies. It emphasizes the academic role in supporting the green transition through evidence-based guidance, stakeholder-oriented governance and institutional alignment with sustainability goals. Originality/value Given the implications of equity asymmetries and incentives favoring electric vehicles, the study evidences a thematic gap. It advances theory and implications in organizational justice and green halo effects, implementing the debate on green leadership, by connecting regulatory disparities in mobility benefits to social and institutional dynamics by HEIs, fostering future research on policy design, stakeholder inclusion and systemic sustainability approaches in moderating role of academic ecosystems.