Can we talk? Why employees fail to report negative events to their managers

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex J. Scrimpshire ◽  
Marcia L. Lensges ◽  
Brian D. Webster ◽  
Durand H. Crosby
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Bad News ◽  
Work Outcomes ◽  
Negative Events ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Upward Communication ◽  
Positive Work ◽  
Withholding Information

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to understand why and under what conditions employees are likely to partake in a particular type of silence, known as the Hierarchical MUM Effect (HME). This phenomenon occurs when subordinates are reluctant to share bad news with their supervisors, which can lead to deleterious outcomes in organizations due to a lack of communication. The authors also seek to find which conditions minimize HME.Design/methodology/approachThe authors surveyed employees in a large healthcare organization across three weeks. The authors analyzed their results using the SPSS PROCESS macro.FindingsThe authors’ findings suggest one way to minimize a lack of upward communication is to empower employees, via a high-quality LMX relationship, and move away from a bottom-line mentality focus. Employees who are empowered show lower instances of withholding information via HME. A low bottom-line mentality enhanced this relationship.Originality/valueThe authors expand understanding of antecedents to a particular type of silence, the HME, defined as purposefully withholding information from a supervisor or sharing information in a way that silences the dirty details of a situation (i.e. equivocating). Although a wealth of research examines the deleterious consequences of a high BLM, the authors highlight the positive work outcomes associated with a low BLM.

Creating a creative culture

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Work Outcomes ◽  
Negative Outcomes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Job Roles ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
And Control ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Positive Work ◽  
Creative Environment

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings A creative environment has many positive tangible outcomes in the workplace. Such outcomes include increased creative and innovative behaviours but also lead to reduced negative outcomes such as employee absenteeism. An increased creative environment leads to engaged and motivated employees, allowing them more freedom and control, which leads to increased job satisfaction. Increased satisfaction leads to increased motivation and commitment. This leads to increased positive work outcomes and reduced negative outcomes, such as absenteeism. This can be seen across all job roles, creative specialists and non-creative specialists alike. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

A recipe for sustainable development: assessing transition of commercial foodservices towards the goal of the triple bottom line sustainability

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hien Thu Bui ◽  
Viachaslau Filimonau
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Critical Evaluation ◽  
Triple Bottom Line ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Research Gaps ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainability Performance ◽  
Academic Publications ◽  
Inductive Thematic Analysis

Purpose This study aims to critically evaluate the factual triple bottom line (TBL) sustainability performance of commercial foodservices as featured in peer-reviewed academic publications. Design/methodology/approach The commercial foodservices’ sustainability performance-related articles were collected for a systematic review. An inductive thematic analysis was applied to the eligible articles. Findings The contribution of the commercial foodservice sector to the TBL sustainability is highlighted through eight themes: food waste management; food safety and hygiene; food allergy management; provision of healthy meals; local food use; employment of the disadvantaged; well-being of (non)managerial personnel; and noise level management. Originality/value The critical evaluation of the actual TBL sustainability measures adopted by commercial foodservice providers highlights the feasibility of the measures, thus calling for their broader industry uptake. Research gaps and issues for future investigations are accentuated for scholars to support the industry in its progress towards the goals of the TBL sustainability.

Researchers' judgment criteria of high-quality answers on academic social Q&A platforms

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 603-623 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lei Li ◽  
Chengzhi Zhang ◽  
Daqing He ◽  
Jia Tina Du
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Quality Criteria ◽  
Social Networking Site ◽  
Library And Information Science ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Second Stage

PurposeThrough a two-stage survey, this paper examines how researchers judge the quality of answers on ResearchGate Q&A, an academic social networking site.Design/methodology/approachIn the first-stage survey, 15 researchers from Library and Information Science (LIS) judged the quality of 157 answers to 15 questions and reported the criteria that they had used. The content of their reports was analyzed, and the results were merged with relevant criteria from the literature to form the second-stage survey questionnaire. This questionnaire was then completed by researchers recognized as accomplished at identifying high-quality LIS answers on ResearchGate Q&A.FindingsMost of the identified quality criteria for academic answers—such as relevance, completeness, and verifiability—have previously been found applicable to generic answers. The authors also found other criteria, such as comprehensiveness, the answerer's scholarship, and value-added. Providing opinions was found to be the most important criterion, followed by completeness and value-added.Originality/valueThe findings here show the importance of studying the quality of answers on academic social Q&A platforms and reveal unique considerations for the design of such systems.

Adjusting to the unexpected

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 421-438
Author(s):  
Ajay K. Jain ◽  
Sherry Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Citation Analysis ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Google Scholar ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management History

Purpose – This study aims to provide a literature review of the 56 articles published in the Journal of Management History (JMH) from 2000 to 2004. Design/methodology/approach – The authors conducted a thematic analysis using the categories of person, topic or event to classify articles as well as a citation analysis using Google Scholar. Findings – The number of articles published from 2000 to 2004 was almost 50 per cent fewer than published in the previous five years, and citation rates were lower. Originality/value – Results suggest that high-quality articles focused on persons or topics are more likely to be published in the JMH.

The language of profit warnings: a case of denial, defiance, desperation and defeat

2021 ◽  
Vol 35 (9) ◽  
pp. 28-56
Author(s):  
Victoria C. Edgar ◽  
Niamh M. Brennan ◽  
Sean Bradley Power
Keyword(s):  
Text Analysis ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Corporate Communication ◽  
Bad News ◽  
Board Meeting ◽  
Conference Calls ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Three Stages ◽  
Delivering Bad News

PurposeTaking a communication perspective, the paper explores management's rhetoric in profit warnings, whose sole purpose is to disclose unexpected bad news.Design/methodology/approachAdopting a close-reading approach to text analysis, the authors analyse three profit warnings of the now-collapsed Carillion, contrasting the rhetoric with contemporaneous investor conference calls to discuss the profit warnings and board minutes recording boardroom discussions of the case company's precarious financial circumstances. The analysis applies an Aristotelian framework, focussing on logos (appealing to logic and reason), ethos (appealing to authority) and pathos (appealing to emotion) to examine how Carillion's board and management used language to persuade shareholders concerning the company's adverse circumstances.FindingsAs non-routine communications, the language in profit warnings displays and mimics characteristics of routine communications by appealing primarily to logos (logic and reason). The rhetorical profiles of investor conference calls and board meeting minutes differ from profit warnings, suggesting a different version of the story behind the scenes. The authors frame the three profit warnings as representing three stages of communication as follows: denial, defiance and desperation and, for our case company, ultimately, culminating in defeat.Research limitations/implicationsThe research is limited to the study of profit warnings in one case company.Originality/valueThe paper views profit warnings as a communication artefact and examines the rhetoric in these corporate documents to elucidate their key features. The paper provides novel insights into the role of profit warnings as a corporate communication vehicle/genre delivering bad news.

Radical re-imagination: centering a BIPOC library workforce in an asset-based autoethnography

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Janis J. Shearer ◽  
Ben B. Chiewphasa
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Deficit Thinking ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Shared Purpose ◽  
Positive Work Environment ◽  
Supportive Community ◽  
Workplace Cultures ◽  
Positive Work ◽  
The Ideal

PurposeAcademic BIPOC librarians oftentime struggle to envision themselves and navigate in White-dominant spaces due to deficit thinking. To better understand how DEIA efforts can bolster structural change in academic libraries, the two BIPOC authors opted to lean on an asset-based exercise–imagining a positive work environment made possible through a library staffed entirely by BIPOC individuals.Design/methodology/approachThrough collaborative autoethnography, the two authors interviewed one another and centered their unstructured conversations around one question: “What does an academic library composed entirely of a BIPOC workforce look like?” Three emergent themes were agreed upon and finalized by the two authors.FindingsThe authors' imagined library is able to foster a supportive community and also function efficiently thanks to its shared purpose grounded in DEIA. Despite relying on an asset-based framework, the authors found themselves having to reckon with trials and tribulations currently faced by BIPOC librarians. Effectively envisioning the “ideal” library environment is not possible without also engaging with librarianship's legacy of racial injustices.Originality/valueRecognizing that confronting systems of oppression naturally invokes trauma, this paper encourages librarians to challenge deficit thinking and instead rely on asset-based models to candidly imagine an anti-racist academic library. The authors acknowledge that BIPOC voices and experiences add tremendous value to the library workplace. At the heart of this paper is the belief that reparations for past racial injustices should not only fix past wrongdoings, but also contribute to positive workplace cultures.

Towards quality consumption

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 602-617 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erika Hlédik ◽  
Dávid Harsányi
Keyword(s):  
Sample Size ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Large Sample Size ◽  
Measurement Scales ◽  
Consumer Group ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
Wine Experts

Purpose Hungarian wine culture has been developing steadily over the past decades. The number of wineries offering quality wine is growing as consumer interest in quality consumption increases. The purpose of this paper is to study the segmentation of the Hungarian wine consumers based on their purchase habits and preferences to identify how this shift towards quality consumption is represented in these segments. Design/methodology/approach An online survey was conducted in Hungary. Nearly 28,000 consumers filled in the questionnaire. The TwoStep Cluster analysis could handle the large database and variables measured on different measurement scales. Findings The growing interest towards quality wine in the market is reflected in the study’s segmentation results. The large sample size made it possible to identify a special Hungarian wine consumer group, which has different buying habits than traditional wine consumer segments. Four segments were evolved: ordinary wine consumers, unsophisticated wine consumers, wealthy wine-experts and open-minded consumers. The last two segments seem to be the most valuable groups for high-quality wine producers. Originality/value The sample size allowed a relatively novel segmentation, whereby the preferences and purchasing habits of smaller, high-quality wine consumer groups became measurable.

Ten questions that make a difference for HR leadership

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 20-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clinton Longenecker ◽  
Laurence S Fink
Keyword(s):  
Human Resource ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Social Implications ◽  
Valuable Insight ◽  
Business Partnerships ◽  
Comprehensive Understanding ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Hr Practices ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – Presents the distilled wisdom of two human-resource (HR) award facilitators. Design/methodology/approach – Takes in the form of ten questions that make a difference for HR leadership. Findings – Asks: Are you trusted by the members of your organization? Do you possess a real and comprehensive understanding of how your business makes money? Do you keep yourself up to speed on the legal and compliance issues that are most important to your organization? Do you think strategically and execute operationally? Are you measuring and monitoring the most meaningful metrics that measure mission-driven performance? Are you working hard to create business partnerships with your stakeholders that increase the likelihood of success? Are you taking steps to help all managers in your organization to operate like great HR leaders? Are you using your talents and influence to build teams and solve organizational problems? Do you seek out and apply innovative HR practices that can truly affect your organization’s bottom-line performance? Do you ensure that people have the information they need to perform in an optimal fashion? Practical implications – Urges HR specialists to review, reflect on and assess their response to each of the questions. Social implications – Suggests that each question identifies key behaviors and activities that can become a target for improvement. Originality/value – Provides valuable insight rarely available to HR specialists.

Gaming the system

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 31-33
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Culture ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Feedback Loop ◽  
Reading Time ◽  
Service Development ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Modern Business ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose of this paper Reviews the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings One of the features of modern business is the increased involvement of customers in product and service development. Managers are consistently being told to engage with customers more and create a feedback loop so that what they develop can be enhanced. Articles in glossy executive magazines recommend this approach; product managers recommend this approach; it seems that any firm that did not include its users in enhancing its latest offering is doomed to failure. And yet, what evidence are there that such approaches actually benefit the bottom line? Like many developments in corporate culture previously, does the inclusion of customers in product development make sense, or is it simply another corporate fad? Practical implications Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations. What is original/value of paper? The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Application of Six Sigma DMAIC methodology to reduce the defects in a telecommunication cabinet door manufacturing process

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (9) ◽  
pp. 1540-1555 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abhilash C.R. ◽  
Jitesh J. Thakkar
Keyword(s):  
Sheet Metal ◽  
Six Sigma ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Main Part ◽  
Total Quality ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Root Cause ◽  
Dmaic Method ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to apply the Six Sigma DMAIC methodology in order to reduce the rejections experienced in the manufacturing of the doors belonging to a telecommunication cabinet. Design/methodology/approach The process involved joining of sheet metal and hinge using welding operations with the help of a fixture. The methodology used is the structured DMAIC method in order to identify the root cause for the rejections and solve it. Findings The paper provides insights about the identification of the root cause for the defects and the solution to overcome it, and also the benefits that were obtained as a result of the application of the solution. Research limitations/implications This methodology has been applied to the variation observed in the dimensions of a particular component to be welded with a main part. This approach can be used to find such dimensional variations. Practical implications This study has been successfully carried out in a medium-scale industry which has total quality management in practice. Originality/value Six Sigma DMAIC was necessary for the identification and reduction of the defects which arose in the sheet metal and welding operations, and had to be resolved in order to increase the bottom-line.

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