HR professionals cultivating resilience and crisis awareness toward a business excellence environment

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Nizamidou ◽  
Fotios Vouzas

PurposeThis paper explores how resilience may mitigate the impacts of a crisis and at the same time foster business excellence. Additionally, it seeks to analyze the role of HR department (HRD) in cultivating resilience and crisis awareness.Design/methodology/approachIn order for the authors to assess their hypotheses, a research model was conceptualized and tested by conducting an empirical study in Greek organizations that enlist the largest number of employees in Greece, belonging to various corporate sectors. Following the review of the relevant literature on resilience, business excellence and crisis management (CM), the research model and research hypotheses are presented.FindingsThe empirical section illustrates the statistical analysis of the collected data and the test of the research hypotheses. The authors managed to validate their research hypotheses through the research. The research demonstrated that promoting resilience and crisis awareness in a business excellence environment can reinforce the role of HRD aiming to overcome crises.Practical implicationsFollowing the research findings, the implications for managers and organizations are presented alongside with the research limitations. Managers and HRDs can review their mindset towards resilience. Thus, they may reevaluate their CM plans and processes according to the research findings.Originality/valueThe extended literature review proved that limited studies deal with the contribution of resilience regarding CM and business excellence. The originality of the present is to promote the cultivation of resilience in line with a high level of acquaintance with CM procedures to the dynamic role of HRD in terms of CM.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirk Chang ◽  
Sylvain Max ◽  
Jérémy Celse

Purpose Employee’s lying behavior has become ubiquitous at work, and managers are keen to know what can be done to curb such behavior. Managers often apply anti-lying strategies in their management and, in particular, the role of self-awareness on lying intervention has drawn academic attention recently. Drawing on multi-disciplinary literature, this study aims to investigate the efficacy of self-awareness in reducing lying behavior. Design/methodology/approach Following the perspectives of positivism and deductive reasoning, a quasi-experimental research approach was adopted. Employees from Dijon, France were recruited as research participants. Based on the literature, different conditions (scenario manipulation) were designed and implemented in the laboratory, in which participants were exposed to pre-set lying opportunities and their responses were analyzed accordingly. Findings Unlike prior studies which praised the merits of self-awareness, the authors found that self-awareness did not decrease lying behavior, not encouraging the confession of lying either. Employees actually lied more when they believed other employees were lying. Practical implications This study suggests managers not to rely on employee’s self-awareness; rather, the concept of self-awareness should be incorporated into the work ethics, and managers should schedule regular workshops to keep employees informed of the importance of ethics. When employees are regularly reminded of the ethics and appreciate its importance, their intention of lying is more likely to decrease. Originality/value To the best of the atuhors’ knowledge, the current research is the first in its kind to investigate lying intervention of employees in the laboratory setting. Research findings have brought new insights into the lying intervention literature, which has important implication on the implementation of anti-lying strategies.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Kennedy ◽  
Stacey M. Baxter ◽  
Alicia Kulczynski

Purpose This paper aims to examine the importance of celebrity brands in influencing consumer perceptions of celebrity authenticity, which drives positive consumer attitudes and intentions. In addition, the notion of low-celebrity investment is investigated as a factor that diminishes the positive outcomes associated with celebrity brands. Design/methodology/approach Study 1 examines the effect of brand situation (endorsement versus celebrity brand) on consumer attitudes and intentions. Studies 2 and 3 investigate the role of celebrity authenticity in explaining the effects observed in Study 1. Study 4 examines celebrity investment as a bound of the phenomenon. Findings Study 1 demonstrates that consumers report heightened attitudes and intentions towards celebrity brands when compared to endorsements. Studies 2 and 3 provide evidence that authenticity explains the effects observed in Study 1. Results of Study 4 show that when consumers are aware of low-celebrity investment, the celebrity is viewed as inauthentic regardless of brand situation. Research limitations/implications This research is limited as it focuses only on known celebrity endorsers who were matched with products that had a high level of fit. In addition, purchase intentions were measured as opposed to the study of actual purchase behaviour. Practical implications This research has important implications for the development of endorsements and celebrity brands by demonstrating that consumers view celebrities as authentic when they are involved with brands for reasons other than monetary compensation. Originality/value This research shows that consumers have heightened attitudes and intentions towards celebrity brands compared to endorsements. This research identifies celebrity authenticity as the process underlying the observed phenomenon. However, celebrity investment is identified as a boundary condition demonstrating that knowledge of low investment results in a celebrity being viewed as inauthentic.


2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 78-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah P. Lonbay ◽  
Toby Brandon

Purpose The increased involvement of adults at risk in the safeguarding process has become a prominent issue within English safeguarding policy. However, there is evidence to suggest that actual levels of involvement are still low. The purpose of this paper is to present findings from a PhD study in relation to the benefits of advocacy in supporting this involvement in adult safeguarding for older people. Design/methodology/approach Participants in the study included advocates and social workers who had experience of working with older people through the safeguarding process within two North East England local authorities. A critical realist approach through in-depth interviews was taken with all the participants. Findings The research findings in relation to the benefits of advocacy in supporting older people going through safeguarding processes are reported. The practical limitations and factors which help and hinder advocacy support within the process are also considered. The theoretical implications for power, empowerment, and advocacy are also explored. Research limitations/implications A key limitation of this research is that it did not include older people who had been through safeguarding amongst the participants. Practical implications Key implications for practice and policy are discussed. Originality/value The paper provides an overview and critique of empowerment in adult safeguarding and the role that advocates play in promoting this key principle.


2013 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 754-787 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morteza Ghobakhloo ◽  
Sai Hong Tang

Purpose – Based on theories from the innovation diffusion literature, the purpose of this paper is to develop an integrated model of electronic commerce (EC) adoption in small businesses (SBs) of developing countries. The research model specifies variables at managerial level as the primary determinants to EC adoption in SBs. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire-based field survey was conducted to collect data from 268 owner/managers of SBs in Iran. The data were analysed using factorial analysis. Subsequently, six hypotheses were derived and tested by hierarchical multiple regression and logistic regression analysis. Findings – Perceived benefits, perceived compatibility, perceived risks, perceived costs, and innovativeness were found to be the significant determinants of decision to adopt EC. Likewise, discussion on discriminators between adopters and non-adopters of different EC applications has been provided. Research limitations/implications – Cross-sectional data of this research tends to have certain limitations when it comes to explaining the direction of causality of the relationships between the variables. The study focuses only on the manufacturing SBs of Iran. Practical implications – The research findings have important implications for practising managers, information systems experts, and policy-makers. Governments should follow specific policies to facilitate institutionalisation of EC in SBs. Similarly, EC vendors and technology providers should collaborate with SBs to enhance the compatibility of different EC applications with specific characteristics of these businesses. Originality/value – To the best of the authors' knowledge, this paper is perhaps one of the first that examines the adoption of EC by SBs in a developing country context, using a research model which tests the effects of owner/managers' attributes on adoption of simple and advanced EC applications.


2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (7) ◽  
pp. 531-544 ◽  
Author(s):  
Makoto Matsuo

Purpose Although unlearning is considered an essential step for creativity, little is known about the relationship between team unlearning and employee creativity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating role of individual reflection between team unlearning and employee creativity. Design/methodology/approach The research model was tested using multisource survey data from 164 employees in 28 teams at a manufacturing firm and a service firm. Findings The results of the multilevel analyses indicated that team unlearning had a positive influence on supervisor-rated employee creativity, fully mediated by individual reflection. Practical implications It should be noted that employee creativity is not automatically enhanced through team unlearning. Managers should encourage members to reflect on their work practices following team-unlearning exercises for the purpose of enhancing their creativity. Originality/value The findings contribute to the existing literature by demonstrating that reflective practices play significant roles in linking team unlearning with employee creativity. This study explored preceding literature examining employee creativity in terms of the unlearning process.


2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 365-390
Author(s):  
Gro Alteren ◽  
Ana Alina Tudoran

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of relational competences, such as open-mindedness and the ability to adapt business style, in developing trustworthy relationships through communication in the export markets in different cultural contexts. Design/methodology/approach The analysis is performed on survey-based data from a sample consisting of 39.9 percent of the total population of Norwegian seafood companies involved in exporting, including 108 business relationships. Findings The findings reveal that adaptive business style and communication mediate the overall effect of open-mindedness on trust building between partners in the export markets. The adaptive business style fully explains the effect of open-mindedness on communication. Open-minded persons are better prepared to achieve communication on a high level because they are more likely to adapt to a new business style. Performing adaptive business style improves communication, particularly when the importer belongs to a dissimilar culture. For trust building, communication is equally important, irrespective of cultural differences. Practical implications Exporter should aim at recruiting open-minded people because they have the advantage that they are capable of performing a variety of negotiation styles and business approaches, depending on the situation. Originality/value This paper develops a model that integrates key constructs from the relational paradigm with constructs rooted in different research streams, extending our knowledge regarding salespeople competences that are important in order to develop business relationships in export markets.


2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (7) ◽  
pp. 830-841 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong-ki Lee ◽  
Sally Kim ◽  
Min-Seong Kim ◽  
Jae-Han Lee ◽  
Ki-Taek Lim

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the effect of different relational bonding strategies on franchisees’ perceptions of benefits. The duration of the relationship is framed as a moderator between three types of relational bonds and the perceived benefits. Design/methodology/approach – The data are collected via a survey from foodservice franchisees in South Korea. To test the study’s hypotheses, the research model was estimated with two-stage least squares. Findings – The result shows that social and structural bonds have a significant impact on franchisees’ perceptions of benefits. There are some significant interactions between different types of relational bonds and the duration of the relationship. Perceptions of benefits are found to influence satisfaction, intentions to recommend, intentions to renew the contract and long-term orientation. Practical implications – The study suggests that franchisors may want to focus on developing and strengthening social bonds, and also customize their relational approaches based on the duration of the relationship with the franchisees. Originality/value – This research illustrates the impact of three types of relational bonding strategies on franchisees’ perceptions of the benefits and also examines the significant moderating role of the duration of the relationship.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 315-326
Author(s):  
Le Cong Thuan

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to focus on exploring how supervisors with high creativity-relevant skills stimulate their subordinate creativity through subordinate creativity-relevant skills and creative role identity.Design/methodology/approachThis study analyzed the data gathered from 381 employees working in information technology (IT) organizations in Southern Vietnam using structural equation modeling (SEM).FindingsThe results indicate that supervisor creativity-relevant skills did not directly influence subordinate creativity. However, subordinate creativity-relevant skills and creative role identity fully mediated this association.Practical implicationsFirst, when staffing supervisory positions, organizations should consider individuals with a high level of creativity-relevant skills. Second, organizations should encourage supervisors to participate in training programs to develop knowledge and skills, in particular, creativity-relevant skills. Third, organizations should design a work environment that gives employees a substantial amount of time to interact with supervisors who have a high level of creativity-relevant skills. Finally, organizations should give supervisors opportunities for sharing their creativity-relevant skills with their subordinates.Originality/valueThis research is one of the first efforts to investigate the crucial role of supervisor creativity-relevant skills in enhancing subordinate creativity. Moreover, this research seeks to examine subordinate creativity-relevant skills and creative role identity as mediating mechanisms linking supervisor creativity-relevant skills with subordinates' creative performance.


2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 1077-1098 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Nizamidou ◽  
Fotios Vouzas

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is binary. At first, it explores the contribution of preoccupation with failure to total quality management (TQM) and crisis management (CM). Then, it analyzes how preoccupation with failure can advance the role of human resources department (HRD) in terms of CM.Design/methodology/approachThis paper consists of the theoretical and the empirical part. In the theoretical part an extended literature review takes place. In the empirical part, the research statistical analysis is presented. The research was conducted in organizations that employ the largest number of employees in Greece and represent various corporate sectors.FindingsThe research permitted the authors to confirm their research hypotheses. It presented how preoccupation with failure can advance continuous improvement and CM. Moreover, it illustrated the impact of failure to the key role of HRD against crises.Practical implicationsOrganizations and managers can reconsider their perspective towards failure. Additionally, they can review and redesign their TQM and CM procedures based on the research findings aiming to overcome crises.Originality/valueThe literature review indicated that limited research deals with the benefits of preoccupation with failure regarding TQM and CM. Specifically, the research advances the contribution of failure in relation with the level of CM intimacy to the role of HRD against crisis. The added value of the present is to make organizations and their top management realize the significance of failure and use it to promote learning, TQM and CM.


2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 434-455
Author(s):  
Martin Carlsson-Wall ◽  
Peter Hirner ◽  
Kalle Kraus ◽  
Adrian Lewinski

Purpose This paper aims to analyse how a multinational organisation uses technocratic and socio-ideological controls to manage tensions arising when integrating its international subsidiaries. Design/methodology/approach Through interviews and company documentation, the authors analyse how a global German family business firm integrates its international subsidiaries into the corporate context. Findings The findings suggest that technocratic and socio-ideological controls in combination help the firm manage three tensions – vertical vs lateral relations, standardisation vs differentiation of practices and centralisation vs decentralisation of decision-making – arising in the course of internationalisation. These results have important analytical implications for the understanding of how a high level of compliance to technocratic control initiatives is achieved. Prior work has, in the main, focussed on the resistance to technocratic controls without paying much attention to compliance. Specifically, the authors show how managers can use socio-ideological control to achieve a high level of compliance among employees when implementing technocratic controls. Practical implications The results suggest that managers in multinational firms need to pay careful attention to the tensions that are created when they internationalise and to apply a combination of technocratic and socio-ideological controls to manage these tensions. Originality/value There is limited knowledge of how managers use socio-ideological control to enact a particular form of experience for their employees and to create a highly valued sense of purpose. The findings suggest that these controls, in combination with technocratic ones, serve important roles when organisations expand internationally.


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