The comparison of preferred languages of appreciation between Singapore employees and US employees

Author(s):  
Paul White ◽  
Natalie Hamrick ◽  
Jasmine Liew

Purpose Recent reports suggest Singapore employees especially value practical assistance in resolving work-related issues. As such, this study explored whether the appreciation language Acts of Service was chosen as the Primary Language of appreciation by Singapore employees at a higher frequency than U.S. employees. Design/methodology/approach Nine hundred sixty-seven Singapore employees completed the Motivating By Appreciation (MBA) Inventory, which assesses individuals’ preferred ways of being shown appreciation. A sample of 921 U.S. employees was created from the general MBA Inventory population that matched the Singapore employees group on age, gender and work setting. Findings Acts of Service (39 per cent) was virtually equivalent with Words of Affirmation (37 per cent) as the most preferred Language of Appreciation by the Singapore employees, whereas U.S. employees preferred Words of Affirmation at a significantly higher rate (40 per cent) than Acts of Service (26 per cent). Research limitations/implications Further research is needed before the findings should be generalized to all East Asian cultures, and additional research is needed before conclusions should be made regarding specific cultural differences in action items preferred. Practical implications Workplace leaders in Singapore need to be aware that understanding the work issues and providing practical assistance is highly valued by their employees and communicates appreciation as much as verbal and written praise. This emphasis on the desire for practical assistance is a cultural difference in comparison to their U.S. counterparts. Yet, in both cultures, the leader-employee interpersonal working relationship is a key factor that enables organizations to grow and work through changes successfully. Originality/value This is the first study to compare preferred appreciation languages of Singapore and US employees, and report Singapore employees especially value practical assistance in resolving work-related issues.

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee Fergusson ◽  
Luke van der Laan ◽  
Bradley Shallies ◽  
Matthew Baird

PurposeThis paper examines the relationship between work, resilience and sustainable futures for organisations and communities by considering the nature of work-related problems (WRPs) and the work-based research designed to investigate them. The authors explore the axis of work environment > work-related problem > resilience > sustainable futures as it might be impacted by work-based research.Design/methodology/approachThe paper introduces two current real-world examples, one in Australia and one in Asia, of work-based research projects associated with higher education aimed at promoting resilience and sustainability, and discusses the research problems, questions, designs, methods, resilience markers and sustainability markers used by these projects.FindingsWork-based research, when conducted rigorously using mixed methods, may contribute to increased resilience of organisations and communities and thereby seeks to promote more sustainable organisational and social futures.Practical implicationsWork-based research conducted in higher education seeks to investigate, address and solve WRP, even when such problems occur in unstable, changing, complex and messy environments.Social implicationsResilience and sustainable futures are ambiguous and disputed terms, but if work-based research can be brought to bear on them, organisations and communities might better adapt and recover from challenging situations, thus reducing their susceptibility to shock and adversity.Originality/valueWhile resilience and sustainability are commonly referred to in the research literature, their association to work, and specifically problems associated with work, have yet to be examined. This paper goes some of the way to addressing this need.


2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 3-5

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 This research paper concentrates on modeling the extent to which four employee leadership attributes translate to stimulating an individual employee's own work-related attitudes. A survey of Malaysian university-employed academics revealed that executive, innovative, adaptive, and effective employee leadership attributes all contribute to boosting work-related attitudes in the form of organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and career satisfaction. Innovative and executive leadership attributes proved to be the most powerfully positive catalysts of the identified work-related attitudes. 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.


2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vibeke Thøis Madsen

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the challenges associated with introducing internal social media (ISM) into organizations in order to help them reap the benefits of coworker communication on ISM. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on an exploratory study in ten organizations. The data were collected in semi-structured interviews with ISM coordinators in Spring 2014. Findings According to the ISM coordinators, four challenges were associated with introducing ISM: coworkers could perceive communication on ISM as not work related; coworkers might not understand the informal nature of communication on ISM, and self-censorship might stop them communicating on ISM; ISM was not considered a “natural” part of the daily routines in the organizations; and top managers mainly supported ISM in words, not in action. Research limitations/implications The study is based on the perceptions of ISM coordinators. Further research is called for to explore both coworker perceptions and actual communication on ISM. Practical implications Practitioners introducing ISM should be aware of these four challenges, and should help coworkers to make sense of communication on ISM as work-related communication among coworkers. ISM coordinators’ perceptions of their own role in relation to coworker communication on ISM make a difference. Originality/value The study provides insights into the key challenges associated with introducing ISM, as well as the role of ISM coordinators as community facilitators and sense-givers.


2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (10) ◽  
pp. 1187-1200
Author(s):  
Gaurav Manohar Marathe ◽  
Girish Balasubramanian ◽  
Gloryson Chalil

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to extend the job demands-resources (JD-R) model by including the factor of “personal demands” and conceptualise experience on personal and job dimensions separately as personal thrust and job thrust. Further, different psychological work states that individuals experience through intra-dimensional balance across personal and job dimensions are proposed. Design/methodology/approach The paper explains various possible psychological work states experienced by a job incumbent by conceptually developing intra-dimensional fluctuations within the person and job dimensions, respectively, as the new concepts of person and job thrust. Findings Personal thrust and job thrust have been identified as the two dimensions which impact the work state. Complete engagement and complete disengagement have been identified as two ends of a continuum. Complete work engagement is defined as the balance across these two dimensions. Various combinations of balances and imbalances across these two dimensions results in four different states of disengagement identified as work exhaustion, work boredom, work search and work neutrality. Research limitations/implications This paper suggests a novel approach to using personal demand to look at work states which would significantly impact existing research in the JD-R model. This paper tries to bridge the gap between work engagement as a construct and the psychological work states as a phenomenon. Further, it is contended that the psychological work states are manifestations of the interactions between the two dimensions identified as personal and job thrust, which could further be developed into various work-related attitudes and behaviours. Practical implications Instead of only relying on the engagement/disengagement dichotomy to plan interventions, managers can plan the appropriate interventions depending on the specific disengagement state analysed through personal and job thrust. Originality/value The newly developed model of work states explains the fluctuation of an individual across different work states and links the personal and job-related demand–resource balance at the workplace with distal work-related outcomes, thereby significantly extending the JD-R model.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Armando López-Lemus ◽  
María Teresa De la Garza Carranza ◽  
Quetzalli Atlatenco Ibarra ◽  
José Guadalupe López-Lemus

Purpose The objective of this research is to know the degree of influence that strategic planning (SP) exerts on the tangible and intangible results of business microenterprises in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico. Design/methodology/approach The methodological design was quantitative, explanatory, observational and cross-sectional, where a sample of 407 young leaders of microenterprises from the state of Guanajuato, Mexico, was obtained. To evaluate hypotheses, a structural equation model (SEM) was developed. Regarding the goodness and adjustment indices of the SEM, they were absolutely acceptable. Findings The results obtained through Pearson’s correlation show that there is a positive and significant relationship between SP and the tangible and intangible results of microenterprises. In addition, through the results obtained with the SEM model, it is statistically demonstrated that SP positively and significantly influences the tangible and intangible results of microenterprises in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico. Research limitations/implications In this research, only SP was valued as a variable that intervenes in the process of achieving tangible and intangible results to achieve the business objectives of entrepreneurial microenterprises in the state of Guanajuato. It is essential to point out that other variables that intervene in the process must be considered to generate tangible and intangible results. It is recommended to carry out further research under these variables to identify strategies for improving entrepreneurial microenterprises for their growth, sustainability and rapid positioning in a highly competitive market. Practical implications SP represents one of the tools to achieve the success of microenterprises through tangible and intangible results. However, microenterprises show a need to involve the use and application of SP to define clear indicators that contribute to obtaining satisfactory tangible and intangible results. Originality/value The findings are relevant and of great value, because there is currently not enough research that focuses on the variables analyzed, in this sense, SP and the tangible and intangible results of young entrepreneurial leaders of microenterprises in the Mexican context. The limitations of this study lie in the low participation and interest of young microenterprise entrepreneurs in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
John Duncan Edmonstone

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the centrality of anxiety in health care, especially in the context of leading change. It identifies the importance of emotional labour for clinical professionals and the resultant development of defensive routines. The idea of containment is central to addressing anxiety. Design/methodology/approach The approach involves identification of anxiety as a key factor in leading change in health care, but one which is often ignored. Findings Anxiety is the elephant in the room vis-a-vis leading change in health care. To address the use of defensive routines, a range of activities can act as “containers” for anxiety and help with leading change. Practical implications To lead change in health care implies addressing the existence and importance of anxiety and the emotional labour which health-care professionals undertake. Originality/value The existence of anxiety and the profound impact it has on leading change in health care has typically been under-estimated or avoided. The paper aims to remedy this.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Prenzler

Purpose This paper aims to identify key learnings around the concept of “grey corruption” by systematically reviewing the extant literature. The concept is addressed in terms of areas of alleged misconduct often considered “minor” or “borderline” in relation to “black corruption”. Common examples include favourable treatment of friends and relatives by public officials, receipt of gifts, excessive expenditures and pork barrelling, influence peddling through donations and lies and false promises. The focus of this study is on definitions, extent, public perspectives, explanations and evidence of promising prevention strategies. Design/methodology/approach Relevant sources were sought using systematic keyword searches of major criminological and political databases, a media database and relevant government and non-government websites, up to the end of December 2019. Findings The main findings were that there is no single accepted definition of grey corruption but that the concept remains useful, practice is often extensive, it is generally at odds with public opinion, opportunity is a key factor in its incidence and prevention requires the enactment and enforcement of clear principles. Research limitations/implications Media-reported cases were too numerous to analyse in detail for the present study. Practical implications Efforts to improve integrity in government need to take account of the concept. Rules require clarification and communication. Enforcement needs improvement. More experiments are needed in prevention. Social implications This paper captures a range of integrity issues of importance to the public but often downgraded or dismissed by politicians. Originality/value This paper is unique in reporting the results of a systematic search of the international literature on the topic.


2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 35-37

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 Prevention and promotion foci were both observed among managers and differed per communication model. Managers who used dialogic models of communication were primarily promotion-focused and emphasized opportunities to improve stakeholder relations, while managers who used one-way models were primarily prevention-focused and highlighted the risks of social media (e.g. the risk of employees publishing messages that contradict corporate communication and confuse stakeholders). Social media governance differed depending on regulatory focus. In the prevention scheme, managers usually attempted to regain control by restricting social media to private use only, while in the promotion focus managers trained and facilitated employees for work-related social media use, to various extents. Practical implications The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations. 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.


2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 22-26
Author(s):  
Paul White

Purpose Research demonstrates that feeling appreciated in the workplace increases employee engagement, reduces turnover, and increases profitability. Despite the fact that people differ in how they feel most appreciated, no work to date has explored the impact of age differences on appreciation preferences. The purpose of this paper is to determine if Millennial workers vs their older colleagues differ in the manner they prefer to be shown appreciation. Design/methodology/approach From 2014 to 2018, 62,156 workers completed the Motivating by Appreciation Inventory (White, 2011) and provided age, gender, and work industry information. Each person’s primary and the least valued languages of appreciation in the workplace were identified. Four age groups were created of approximately equal numbers: ≤29-, 30-39-, 40-49-, and 50+ years old. Findings Words of Affirmation was the most prominent primary language of appreciation across all four age groups and most pronounced in the oldest group (50+). The ≤29-year-old group valued Quality Time more and Acts of Service less than the other three age groups. There were no age group differences in the least valued language of appreciation. Practical implications The results suggest that supervisors and staff members must be mindful to include opportunities for quality time interactions with Millennial workers, as well as provide words of affirmation, to show appreciation for their work. Originality/value This is the first study to assess age differences in preferred ways to be shown appreciation in the workplace.


2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 23-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernardo Bertoldi ◽  
Chiara Giachino ◽  
Stefano Bernard ◽  
Virginia Prudenza

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to investigate the cross-border acquisition’s process through the Fiat-Chrysler case. Many automotive companies have considered cross-border mergers and acquisition (M & A) as a necessary step to face increasing competition and globalization, but only few of them were successful. In particular, some best practices in terms of lessons-learned are highlighted. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on the analysis of a cross-border acquisition: the qualitative approach allows authors to better understand all the dynamics, complexities and problems that characterize companies facing this process (Yin, 1984). Authors used public information, Internet sources and Fiat’s documents to gather all the necessary information. Findings – In a cross-border acquisition, compatibility and complementarity of products and markets are fundamentals, whereas unmanaged cultural differences, as well as misunderstanding of the real motivations, are a slow but deadly poison: integration and a clear common focus on the final target are key factor for success. Research limitations/implications – The investigation is limited to the strategy used by Fiat-Chrysler. If the authors’ suggestions can be confirmed or improved by using other case studies, guidelines could be very useful to companies dealing with M & A. Practical implications – The paper offers recommendations on how big companies can manage a cross-border acquisition, illustrates the key steps to be successful and tries to define the necessary elements for a successful M & A. Originality/value – The paper shows how two real multinational companies operating in the automotive sector have decided to become one entity; moreover, it highlights the fundamental steps of the process, giving to the management a good example of what must happen in reality.


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