Toward better theory on the relationship between commitment, participation and leadership in unions

2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (8) ◽  
pp. 715-731 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregor Gall ◽  
Jack Fiorito

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to give a critique of the extant literature on union commitment and participation in order to develop remedies to identified weaknessesDesign/methodology/approachThe paper uses a critical assessment of extant literature.FindingsA number of critical deficiencies exist in the literature to which remedies are proposed.Research limitations/implicationsThe remedies need testing through empirical research.Practical implicationsFuture research needs to have different research foci and questions.Social implicationsWith a reorientation of future research on union commitment, participation and leadership, unions may be better able to benefit from academic research in the area.Originality/valueThe paper suggests that a reorientation of future research on union commitment, participation and leadership will allow more incisive and more robust contributions to be made to understanding unions as complex social organisms.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yunsoo Lee ◽  
Jae Young Lee ◽  
Jin Lee

Purpose The purpose of this study is to clarify the relationship between two sub-constructs of heavy work investment: work engagement and workaholism. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to synthesize and critically assess existing research on the relationship between these concepts. Findings The review revealed three major shortcomings of the extant literature: a dichotomous perspective, variations in measurements and the unaddressed complexity of the relationship. Originality/value Based on these findings, this study provides a discussion on the limitations and suggestions for future research on work engagement and workaholism, including using a person-centered approach.


2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 687-707 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Keith McGrath ◽  
Stephen Jonathan Whitty

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to remove confusion surrounding the terms responsibility and accountability from the general and project management arenas by creating “refined” (with unnecessary elements removed) definitions of these terms. Design/methodology/approach A method of deriving refined definitions for a group of terms by ensuring that there is no internal conflict or overlap is adopted and applied to resolve the confusion. Findings The confusion between responsibility and accountability can be characterised as a failure to separate the obligation to satisfactorily perform a task (responsibility) from the liability to ensure that it is satisfactorily done (accountability). Furthermore, clarity of application can be achieved if legislative and organisational accountabilities are differentiated and it is recognised that accountability and responsibility transition across organisational levels. A difficulty in applying accountability in RACI tables is also resolved. Research limitations/implications Clear definition of responsibility and accountability will facilitate future research endeavours by removing confusion surrounding the terms. Verification of the method used through its success in deriving these “refined” definitions suggests its suitability for application to other contested terms. Practical implications Projects and businesses alike can benefit from removal of confusion around the definitions of responsibility and accountability in the academic research they fund and attempt to apply. They can also achieve improvements in both efficiency and effectiveness in undertaking organisation-wide exercises to determine organisational responsibilities and accountabilities as well as in the application of governance models. Social implications Refined definitions of responsibility and accountability will facilitate building social and physical systems and infrastructure, benefitting organisations, whether public, charitable or private. Originality/value Clarity resulting in the avoidance of confusion and misunderstanding together with their consequent waste of time, resources and money.


2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-56
Author(s):  
Jahanzeb Khan ◽  
Noel Harding

Purpose Motivated by ongoing calls for auditors to exercise an elevated level of professional skepticism, this paper aims to examine the relationship between basic human values (values) and an underlying skeptical disposition (trait skepticism). Understanding the values that are associated with levels of trait skepticism will help in the design of audit environments that make the application of an underlying skeptical disposition more likely. Design/methodology/approach A survey was administered in which 140 postgraduate auditing students responded to the Schwartz value survey to measure the relative importance of different values, and the Hurtt trait skepticism scale to measure trait skepticism. The relative importance of the ten values was regressed against trait skepticism. Findings This study finds that the importance placed in the values of tradition and power, relative to other values, is negatively associated with levels of trait skepticism. Research limitations/implications The use of postgraduate auditing students as participants may limit the generalizability of the study’s findings. Practical implications Qualified by the need for future research to test the generalizability of the findings to an audit practitioner sample, the results of this study suggest that auditors with higher levels of trait skepticism may experience negative affect in environments that emphasize values of power and tradition. To the extent that current audit environments emphasize tradition and power, the results may help explain why trait skepticism is not consistently reflected in audit judgments and actions. Originality/value The affective implications of the environment within which auditors exercise professional skepticism is emerging as an important area by which to understand and improve audit quality. By identifying the values that those with a high skeptical disposition place relatively less importance in, this study informs an understanding of the circumstances where an underlying skeptical disposition is more or less likely to be reflected in auditor judgments and actions.


2016 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lotte Holck ◽  
Sara Louise Muhr ◽  
Florence Villesèche

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between the identity and diversity literatures and discuss how a better understanding of the theoretical connections between the two informs both diversity research and diversity management practices. Design/methodology/approach – Literature review followed by a discussion of the theoretical and practical consequences of connecting the identity and diversity literatures. Findings – The authors inform future research in three ways. First, by showing how definitions of identity influence diversity theorizing in specific ways. Second, the authors explore how such definitions entail distinct foci regarding how diversity should be analyzed and interventions actioned. Third, the authors discuss how theoretical coherence between definitions of identity and diversity perspectives – as well as knowledge about a perspective’s advantages and limitations – is crucial for successful diversity management research and practice. Research limitations/implications – The authors argue for a better understanding of differences, overlaps and limits of different identity perspectives, and for a stronger engagement with practice. Practical implications – The work can encourage policy makers, diversity and HR managers to question their own practices and assumptions leading to more theoretical informed diversity management practices. Originality/value – The theoretical connections between identity and diversity literature have so far not been reviewed systematically. The work foregrounds how important it is for diversity scholars to consider identity underpinnings of diversity research to help further develop the field within and beyond the three streams the authors discuss.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 786-802 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristijan Krkač

Purpose The supposedly radical development of artificial intelligence (AI) has raised questions regarding the moral responsibility of it. In the sphere of business, they are translated into questions about AI and business ethics (BE) and corporate social responsibility (CSR). The purpos of this study is to conceptually reformulate these questions from the point of view of two possible aspect-changes, namely, starting from corporate social irresponsibility (CSI) and starting not from AIs incapability for responsibility but from its ability to imitate human CSR without performing typical human CSI. Design/methodology/approach The author draws upon the literature and his previous works on the relationship between AI and human CSI. This comparison aims to remodel the understanding of human CSI and AIs inability to be CSI. The conceptual remodelling is offered by taking a negative view on the relation. If AI can be made not to perform human-like CSI, then AI is at least less CSI than humans. For this task, it is necessary to remodel human and AI CSR, but AI does not have to be CSR. It is sufficient that it can be less CSI than humans to be more CSR. Findings The previously suggested remodelling of basic concepts in question leads to the conclusion that it is not impossible for AI to act or operate more CSI then humans simply by not making typical human CSIs. Strictly speaking, AI is not CSR because it cannot be responsible as humans can. If it can perform actions with a significantly lesser amount of CSI in comparison to humans, it is certainly less CSI. Research limitations/implications This paper is only a conceptual remodelling and a suggestion of a research hypothesis. As such, it implies particular morality, ethics and the concepts of CSI and AI. Practical implications How this remodelling could be done in practice is an issue of future research. Originality/value The author delivers the paper on comparison between human and AI CSI which is not much discussed in literature.


2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 340-348
Author(s):  
Miantao Sun

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review the achievements of Chinese educational management in the past 30 years, conclude the characteristics of Chinese educational management and indicate the problems of Chinese educational management and the countermeasures. Design/methodology/approach – This paper reviews the research of educational management in China in the past 30 years from four aspects: research purpose, research methods, research contents and disciplinary system. Findings – The paper sums up the main achievements, the main characteristics and the main problems of Chinese educational management in the past 30 years. It suggests that the disciplinary relationship should be further clarified; the role of disciplinary research accomplishments has to be further developed and the specialization level in disciplinary research needs to be further improved. Practical implications – This paper indicates the direction for the construction of Chinese educational management in the future: to further clarify the relationship among related disciplines; to put the role of the research results into full play; to further improve the specialization level of disciplinary research. Originality/value – This paper contributes to the construction of Chinese educational management both theoretically and practically.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sthitaprajnya Pattanayak ◽  
Munindra Kakati

Purpose Enterprise success is driven by enterprise actions, which, in turn, is influenced by entrepreneurial behaviours. Behaviours are guided by traits. Hence, it is highly likely that personality traits of entrepreneur are critical to enterprise success. This paper aims at finding the relationship between entrepreneurial traits and enterprise success, identify underlying construct and examine how successful and unsuccessful entrepreneurs differ across traits. It also attempts enterprise profiling based on these traits and test predictive validity of entrepreneurial traits on enterprise success. Design/methodology/approach In this study, 396 micro, small and medium enterprises comprising both successful and unsuccessful ones are studied together across 11 personality traits. Data was analysed using various statistical techniques like co-relation, t-test, factor analysis, cluster analysis and regression to test hypothesis and arrive at given findings. Findings This study finds there is strong positive co-relations between traits and enterprise success. It establishes that successful and unsuccessful enterprises display distinct traits and significantly differ from each other. Entrepreneurial traits affect enterprise success, and the former has significant predictive value on the later (R-squared = 0.866). Practical implications The findings have implications to entrepreneurs in relation to enriching the existing traits and inculcating new ones. Financial institutions like banks can peruse the findings and include traits and behavioural aspects in borrower selection, credit appraisal, evaluation and credit decisioning, to make it more holistic. It also generates scope for further academic research. Originality/value This study contributes to existing literature and validates existing findings. It also finds that traits are contagious in nature, together of which can be grouped to build an entrepreneurs’ traits index which exerts strong influence on enterprise success.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Magnus Kristian Gregersen ◽  
Trine Susanne Johansen

PurposeThe aim is to review and discuss main conceptualizations, themes and assumptions within organizational-level visual identity (VI) in order to identify potential avenues of theoretical advancement of VI as an independent construct.Design/methodology/approachAn integrative review approach offers a structured, nuanced perspective on the concept by synthesizing extant literature through an iterative, critical and qualitative process.FindingsThe synthesis identifies three overlapping terms [corporate visual identity (CVI), visual brand identity (VBI) and VI] and two main themes (visual consistency and authenticity). The dominant assumptions underpinning consistency and authenticity are challenged by alternative understandings, which provide a platform for perceiving visual consistency and authenticity in new ways.Research limitations/implicationsThe review offers an overview of organizational-level VI that helps define the concept as well as critical reflections which open up for additional research avenues that may develop it and point to potential areas for exploration.Practical implicationsThe review provides practitioners with a platform for discussing how to approach visual identities with regards to consistency and authenticity.Originality/valueThe review contributes with a synthesis of VI literature covering 50 years. It offers a structured presentation of and critical discussion on the underlying, dominant assumptions. By challenging these dominant assumptions, a palette of future research opportunities, with potentials to nuance and develop the concept as a unique construct, are presented.


2015 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 338-357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abiyot B. Tehone ◽  
Hangjung Zo ◽  
Andrew P. Ciganek

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual framework to describe the continual usage of social computing systems from an experiential perspective. Design/methodology/approach – A conceptual framework is developed using theories formulated from a variety of disciplines including information system (IS) continuance, relationship formation, human-computer interaction, and motivation theory. Findings – The conceptual framework encompasses the relationship and experiential perspective of user-computer interactions. The framework also identifies factors that contribute to the continual usage of social computing by users and how these factors are related with system features. Research limitations/implications – This study does not include an empirical analysis to validate the conceptual framework proposed in this study. Future research is encouraged to examine the ten propositions from the proposed conceptual framework. Practical implications – The conceptual framework takes a different approach which is well suited for examining the continual usage of social computing applications (SCAs). Originality/value – Previous research investigating factors that contribute to the continual usage of social computing often examined using static and utilitarian-based models. The conceptual framework in this study provides a different perspective for explaining why people use SCAs.


2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 461-475 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Syazwan Ab Talib ◽  
Abu Bakar Abdul Hamid ◽  
Thoo Ai Chin

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to establish the halal certification–logistics performance relationship by means of developing a theoretical model and to suggest areas for future research undertakings. The relationship between various forms of certification and logistics performance has been reported in many logistics literature. However, there is paucity in research concerning the relationship between halal certification and logistics performance. Design/methodology/approach The literature representing the concept of halal, halal logistics, institutional support and logistics performance are synthesised to develop a framework. Two distinguished management theories, namely, the resource-based view (RBV) and institutional theory, set the foundation of the proposed theoretical framework. Findings The paper suggests that proper application of resources, in this case halal certification, could positively influence logistics performance. The paper asserts that governmental factors act as the moderator between the halal certification–logistics performance relationship, or could directly influence logistics performance. Research limitations/implications The paper presents a synthesis of previously unconnected variables of halal certification and logistics performance, and integrates the RBV and institutional theories as the basis for a theoretical framework. However, the proposed theoretical framework requires further validation through the supports of additional empirical research. Practical implications Apart from implementing halal certification as a tool to gain business legitimacy, the paper offers insights to logistics service provider as to how halal certification can be used as a mechanism to improve organisational performance, particularly logistics performance. Originality/value This paper is one of the first to establish the relation between halal certification and logistics performance and highlights the prominent role of government support as an independent and moderating factor. It constitutes a preliminary argument that entices research within the halal certification and halal logistics spectrum.


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