Career attitudes and employability: analysis of mediation via career strategies

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 417-436
Author(s):  
Gina Gaio Santos ◽  
Ana Paula Ferreira ◽  
José Carlos Pinho

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of career attitudes (traditional career vs boundaryless career) on perceived employability (internal vs external employability). In addition, the authors examine whether career self-management strategies act as mediators of these relationships. Due to high unemployment rates in the last two decades, it is important to assess the extent to which young graduates’ career attitudes affect perceived internal and external employability, along with the role of career self-management strategies as an employability enhancement tool. Design/methodology/approach As part of a cross-sectional research design, the authors administered a survey questionnaire to a sample of 131 graduates (i.e. master’s students) with at least one year of work experience. The empirical data were analyzed with partial least squares structural equation modeling, which combines confirmatory factor analysis, multiple linear regression and path analysis. Findings The results reveal that there is a positive and significant impact (direct effect) of a traditional career attitude (TCA) on internal employability, while there is no significant negative impact of a TCA on external employability. Additionally, the results show that there is a negative impact (direct effect) of a boundaryless career attitude (BCA) on internal employability, while no significant positive impact is found of a BCA on external employability. This study also confirms the mediation effect (full mediation) of career positioning strategies on the BCA-external employability relationship, and a partial mediation of career influence strategies on the TCA-internal employability relationship. Research limitations/implications Limitations of this study relate to the sample size and the use of a convenience sampling technique. Hence, some caution is needed regarding results’ generalization. In addition, this research uses a cross-sectional design, thus the authors cannot assess longitudinal causal relationships between variables. Future research should be replicated with different types of respondents and in different cultural contexts. Practical implications The results suggest that organizations would benefit more from employees that hold a TCA than those that hold a BCA, especially if they are interested in fostering the internal employability of their workforce. At the individual level, the results identify optimal career self-management strategies (internal vs external employability) for young graduates. Originality/value This study offers new empirical evidence of the predictive value of perceived internal vs external employability and the mediating role of career self-management strategies in explaining employability. Young graduates perceive a TCA as more advantageous than a BCA for both internal and external employability. This is an unexpected but interesting finding, since the bulk of the literature on contemporary career attitudes overemphasizes the advantages of a BCA, while disregarding potential disadvantages for both individuals and organizations.

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheng-Wei Lin ◽  
Yuan-Hung Liu ◽  
Eugenia Y. Huang

PurposeThis study empirically verified employee engagement (EE) as an outcome of organizational communication and confirmed that the formation of EE is strengthened when smartphone use (SU) is at a higher level.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative approach was used in this research, whereby 408 valid samples were collected with an online survey. The hypotheses of direct effects were tested using the structural equation modeling (SEM) procedure, and the moderating effects were tested using the unconstrained product indicator method and the PROCESS macro.FindingsThe results showed that EE was significantly influenced by person–organizationvalue fit (POVF), transformational leadership (TFL) and job autonomy (JA), and the effects of POVF and TFL were moderated significantly by SU. Although the influence of social support (SS) on EE was insignificant in the full model, SU moderated the effect of SS. The evidence also showed that work–family conflict (WFC) had no negative impact on EE.Research limitations/implicationsThe participants of this study were restricted to a local area.Practical implicationsOrganizations should develop job designs via two-way communication to bring up EE and SU can facilitate the process.Originality/valuePrevious research has identified EE as an outcome of organizational communication, but this concept has not yet been empirically verified. This research provides evidence to verify the above-mentioned concept and additionally confirms the moderating role of SU.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 558-573
Author(s):  
Hong T.M. Bui ◽  
Jonathan Pinto ◽  
Abhishek Srivastava

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between sexualization of the work environment and emotional exhaustion, and develop some key antecedents of sexualization of the work environment. It was conducted in an emerging society, India, which has a high rate of crime against women, particularly related to sexual harassment and sexual assault. Design/methodology/approach To test the hypotheses, structural equation modeling was performed. The hypotheses were tested with data from 1,098 white collar workers in India in three ways. Findings Contact with other gender and flexible work arrangements were positively associated with sexualization of the work environment; and sexualization of the work environment was positively associated with emotional exhaustion. In addition, sexualization of the work environment mediated the relationship between the two antecedent variables and emotional exhaustion. Research limitations/implications There is a possible bias arising from the use of cross-sectional data. However, a number of methods were implemented to minimize it, including survey design and data analysis. Practical implications The study offers some important suggestions for workplaces with a greater proportion of young male employees, particularly in a societal context like India. Originality/value The paper provides evidence of the negative impact of sexualization of the work environment, and thereby contributes to current understanding of the “dark side” of behavior at work that might have significant impact on society.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Isa Nsereko ◽  
Samuel S. Mayanja ◽  
Waswa Balunywa

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the mediating role of novelty ecosystem in the relationship between prior knowledge and social entrepreneurial venture creation (SEVC) among community-based organizations (CBOs) in Uganda.Design/methodology/approachThe study is cross sectional and quantitative. Data were collected from CBO owner-managers. Mean, standard deviations, correlations and structural equation modeling were conducted to check the relationships among variables.FindingsResults show that both prior knowledge and novelty ecosystem are significantly associated with SEVC. Results further indicate that novelty ecosystem partially mediates the relationship between prior knowledge and SEVC.Research limitations/implicationsThe design was cross sectional in nature, thus limiting monitoring changes in knowledge and its effect on SEVC. The results should be interpreted as they are because there could be some endogeneity biases, which were not detected like measurement errors and failure to identify appropriate instruments.Originality/valueThis study provides an initial empirical evidence on the relationship between prior knowledge, novelty ecosystem and SEVC using evidence from a developing African country – Uganda. Mostly, this provides an initial evidence of the mediation role of novelty ecosystem in the relationship between prior knowledge and SEVC.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Talat Islam ◽  
Muhammad Ali ◽  
Saqib Jamil ◽  
Hafiz Fawad Ali

Purpose This study aims to investigate individual-related consequences of workplace bullying among the health-care section. Specifically, this study examined the mediating role of burnout between workplace bullying and nurses’ well-being. Moreover, passive avoidant leadership is examined as a conditional variable between workplace bullying and burnout. Design/methodology/approach This study collected data from 314 nurses working in various hospitals through a questionnaire-based survey using Google Form in two waves. Findings Structural equation modeling confirmed the negative effect of workplace bullying on nurses’ well-being, whereas burnout mediates this relationship. In addition, passive avoidant leadership was identified as a conditional variable that strengthens the positive association between workplace bullying and burnout. Research limitations/implications Although data for the study were collected in two waves, still cross-sectional design limits causality. Practical implications This study suggests management to focus on developing and implementing counter-bullying rules to avoid the adverse consequences of workplace bullying (e.g. capital loss, recruitment costs, burnout, well-being, etc.). In addition, leaders/supervisors must be trained to fulfill their responsibilities to reduce negative consequences. Originality/value Studies on workplace bullying in high-power distance cultures are scant. Therefore, drawing upon conservation of resource theory, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that has investigated the moderating role of passive avoidant leadership on the association between workplace bullying and burnout.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Zia Aslam ◽  
Adnan Fateh ◽  
Safiah Omar ◽  
Mohammad Nazri

PurposeThe study aims to examine the role of initiative climate as a resource caravan passageway in engaging employees and developing a proactive frontline service workforce to identify the mechanisms whereby scarce resources efficiently yielding the desired outcomes can help organizations improve productivity and gain competitive advantage, thereby helping clarify the leadership–performance relationship in service organizations.Design/methodology/approachThe study employed a quantitative research design with a cross-sectional survey conducted among frontline hospitality employees in Malaysia. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to examine the hypothesized relationships.FindingsThe initiative climate is significant as a resource caravan passageway to transmit the positive impact of interpersonal leadership onto the engagement and proactive performance of frontline hospitality employees in whom initiative climate and employee engagement sequentially mediated the relationship between interpersonal leadership and proactive service performance.Research limitations/implicationsThe online data collection procedure conducted through LinkedIn and Facebook and cross-sectional, self-reported survey method are significant limitations of the current study.Practical implicationsThe findings of the study will aid in developing organizational interventions for an engaged and proactive frontline service workforce, as interpersonal leadership can positively impact the engagement and proactive behavior of frontline service employees via initiative climate. Therefore, hospitality managers should value interpersonal leadership and initiative climate as coexisting organizational resources.Originality/valueThe study shows the significance of initiative climate in the relationships between interpersonal leadership, employee engagement and the proactive performance of frontline service employees.


2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (12) ◽  
pp. 1315-1332
Author(s):  
Bramhani Rao ◽  
Sambashiva Rao Kunja

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of individualism-collectivism (IC) in determining psychological contract fulfillment (PCF) at individual level, thus attempting to establish that cultural orientation of each individual may differentially predict the fulfillment of his/her psychological contract. Design/methodology/approach Structural equation modeling was conducted on the cross-sectional data collected from 465 IT professionals working at different multi-national software companies. Findings Model fit between the dimensions of IC and PCF was found to be good, indicating a significantly positive relationship between within-culture cultural orientation of an individual and his/her perception of PCF. The analyses revealed that collectivist beliefs, values and norms have a significant relationship with the perception of delivery, fairness and trust toward PCF. The relationship between collectivist values and fairness of the deal was found to be insignificant. Research limitations/implications A major theoretical implication of the study is its contribution to evidence that people with collectivist orientation have a relatively positive perception toward the fulfillment of a psychological contract between them and the employer. It also clarifies why employees working in the same work environment tend to develop unique psychological contracts owing to their tendency to orient toward a particular cultural state of mind in the form of beliefs, values and norms guiding their day-to-day work-life. Originality/value The study is a valuable addition to the current literature in two ways. First, it contributes to the area of personality by examining the individual cultural orientation as an individual difference predictor of PCF. This helps in understanding the role of differences in emotions, cognition and behavior among individuals in predicting the fulfillment of hidden expectations of employees. In the domain of psychological contract, it contributes to evidence that explains why employees in same job conditions and employment relationships experience breach or fulfillment owing to their difference in cultural orientation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 527-547 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phong Ba Le ◽  
Hui Lei

PurposeThe study aims to explore the differences in transformational leadership’s (TL’s) influences on each aspect of innovation capability, namely, product innovation and process innovation. It also deepens understanding of the pathways and conditions to improve specific aspects of innovation capability by assessing the mediating role of knowledge sharing (KS) and moderating mechanism of perceived organizational support (POS).Design/methodology/approachThe paper utilized structural equation modeling and cross-sectional design to test hypotheses in the proposed research model based on using data collected from 394 participants at 88 Chinese firms.FindingsThe findings indicate that KS mediates TL’s effects on innovation capabilities. In addition, the influences of TL and KS on specific aspects of innovation capability are different and depend on the extent of employees’ POS.Research limitations/implicationsFuture studies should test mediating roles of knowledge management’s constituents and/or investigate the moderating roles of firm ownership form to increase the understanding of potential factors or key conditions that may have significant influences on a firm’s innovation capability.Practical implicationsThe paper significantly contributes to increasing the understanding of the link between TL and specific aspects of innovation capability by highlighting the important role of stimulating KS and enhancing POS.Originality/valueThe paper provides useful information and valuable initiatives to increase leadership outcomes and firm’s capability for innovation.


2014 ◽  
Vol 48 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 496-521 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lan Snell ◽  
Lesley White ◽  
Tracey Dagger

Purpose – Adherence is a critical factor for success, for both the health of the customer and the financial outcomes of the firm. Central to the success of adherence behavior is the co-productive role of the customer which is determined by service perceptions as well as individual attributes. Based on social cognition theory, the aim of this paper is to examine the factors that influence past adherence behavior, and whether past adherence behavior predicts future intentions. Design/methodology/approach – The model was tested using structured equation modeling on a sample of 771 weight-loss customers. Findings – The authors show how service quality influences role clarity, which leads to increases in self-efficacy. The study also demonstrates the role of emotional intelligence (EI) in increasing efficacious beliefs. Past adherence behavior was found to predict future intentions. Research limitations/implications – This study was undertaken with a single service industry, and based on data which was collected at a single point in time. Limitations associated with common method bias inherent in cross-sectional designs, as well as limitations related to the use of self-report measures are acknowledged. Practical implications – The findings suggest that interventions to promote health outcomes should target customer skills in service consumption. By providing quality interactions, providers can increase customer role clarity which produces efficacious beliefs. Interventions should also address EI training in customers given its role in influencing self-efficacy. Originality/value – The simultaneous examination of traditional service factors and socio-cognitive factors contributes to theory by considering the individual health and organizational outcomes of these factors. The finding of a direct path between past adherence behavior and future intentions provides a unique insight into the prediction and control of behavior in a number of domains.


Author(s):  
Ali Mohammad Ghane Ezabadi ◽  
Fahimeh Dehghani ◽  
Ahmad Zandvanian Naini

Introduction: Improvement of productivity is one of the most important aims of organizations. Employees and managers play a central role in enhancing the organization's productivity. Therefore, it is important to consider the effective factors on improving it. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating role of work conscience in the relationship between employees' spiritual intelligence and productivity. Method: The research design was cross-sectional and correlational. The participants included 248 employees of the Yazd Education Organization (8 managers, 60 deputies, and 180 employees) selected by proportional stratified sampling method. Data were collected using Spiritual Intelligence Questionnaire (King, 2008), Work Conscience Questionnaire (Barrick & Mount, 1991), and Productivity Questionnaire (Hersey & Goldsmith, 1983). Data analysis was performed using correlation method based on the structural equation modeling approach using AMOS software version 24. Results: The analysis showed that the model has a suitable fit to data. The  direct effect of spiritual intelligence on work conscience (0.58) and the direct effect of work conscience on productivity (0.51) were positive and significant. However, the direct effect of spiritual intelligence on productivity was not significant; so, it was omitted from the model. Moreover, the result of bootstrap test indicated a significant and indirect effect of spiritual intelligence on productivity by mediating the role of work conscience. Conclusion: It can be concluded that managers of organizations can increase their working conscience by enhancing the spiritual intelligence of their employees and achieve more productivity.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saleh Bajaba ◽  
Abdulah Bajaba ◽  
Bryan Fuller

Purpose This paper aims to study followers' proactive personality (PP) as a personal resource in moderating the hindering impact of exploitative leadership (EL) on followers' job strain (JS). Design/methodology/approach Self-report data on EL, JS and PP were obtained from 113 working students in the USA, and a cross-sectional design was used. The data was analyzed using SPSS 27 through hierarchal multiple regression and the PROCESS macro. Findings The findings support the buffering role of PP on the hindering impact of EL on JS, such that followers with higher PP tend to buffer the positive relationship between EL and followers' JS. Practical implications This study recommends practitioners to hire proactive individuals and/or enable existing employees to engage in proactivity in the presence of exploitative leaders to better cope with their self-serving behaviors. Originality/value Using the conservation of resources (COR) theory, this study is the first to use PP as a personal resource that protects against and mitigates the negative impact of EL.


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