This is not what I wanted

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 466-486 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jhony Choon Yeong Ng ◽  
Iris Yu Ting Shao ◽  
Yiping Liu
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Coping Strategy ◽  
Workplace Behavior ◽  
Avoidance Coping ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Counterproductive Behavior ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Use Of Social Media

Purpose – Many fresh graduates have unrealistic career expectations. When reality sets in after graduation, they may be disappointed. Due to factors such as the limited availability of feasible alternative career options, employees who have to stay in jobs they dislike may feel trapped. To alleviate the resulting stresses, they may engage in avoidance coping strategies, such as non-work-related social media use, to discharge their mental strains. The purpose of this paper is to discuss how the perception of being trapped can result in the adoption of avoidance coping strategies, and how these strategies can influence individual performance and social media use. Design/methodology/approach – Based on the literature on avoidance coping strategy, goal orientation theory, and performance theory, the authors proposed a theoretical model on how the avoidance coping strategy of an individual can influence their performance and workplace behavior. Findings – The authors propose that when a fresh graduate feels “trapped” in a job, the stresses experienced may cause them to hide behind their defense mechanisms. An avoidance coping strategy may then be adopted, and this will influence the individual’s workplace behavior (in terms of non-work-related use of social media) and performance. Practical implications – If an avoidance coping strategy is an antecedent to non-work-related use of social media, then controlling the use of social media in the workplace may only cause these employees to switch to other forms of self-distraction (for instance, spending more time chatting with colleagues). Under some circumstances, the use of such control mechanisms may even give cyberloafers stronger urges to use social media for non-work-related purposes. If this is the case, managers should reconsider their current approach in handling the related behavior. Social implications – If the cause of non-work-related use of social media in the workplace is an avoidance coping strategy, then the engagement of such workplace behaviors should not be considered “intentionally harmful actions”. One important criterion for workplace behavior to qualify as a type of counterproductive behavior is that such behavior must be conducted to be intentionally harmful. Given this, the resulting actions of an avoidance coping strategy should not be considered a form of counterproductive behavior, and the authors should reconsider the conceptualization of cyberloafing provided in the organizational literature. Originality/value – The authors believe that this research represents one of the first attempts to bridge the gap between clinical and managerial literature. It attempts to explain non-work-related use of social media in the workplace from the perspective of trapped perception and avoidance coping strategy, and it argues that not all forms of non-work-related use of social media in the workplace are instances of cyberloafing.

Understanding workplace bullying

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 1453-1471 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyo Sun Jung ◽  
Hye Hyun Yoon
Keyword(s):  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Workplace Bullying ◽  
Equation Model ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Avoidance Coping ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Counterproductive Behavior ◽  
Negative Coping

Purpose This study aims to investigate the effects of workplace bullying on the coping strategies (responses) and counterproductive behavior of hospitality employees. Design/methodology/approach The sample consisted of 284 luxury hotel employees in the Korean hospitality industry. SPSS and AMOS were the statistical programs used to verify the hypotheses of the present study. Confirmatory factor analysis and reliability analysis were conducted to verify the validity and reliability of the measured items. Before verification of the hypotheses, directivity between factors derived through correlation analysis was verified, and causal relationships with regard to the three hypotheses were verified through the structural equation model. Findings Organizational and work-related bullying had a significant effect on task coping, whereas personal bullying had a significant effect on emotional and avoidance coping. The results also showed that positive task coping did not significantly affect counterproductive behavior, but negative coping, such as emotional and avoidance responses, significantly affected employees’ counterproductive behavior. Originality/value The present study verified that coping responses in work situations can differ depending on the type of workplace bullying that occurs. Task coping, a positive coping strategy, was affected by organizational and work-related bullying, whereas emotional and avoidance coping, negative coping strategies, were negatively affected by personal bullying. Consequently, the possibility of harmful actions against organizations varies depending on the coping strategies chosen by employees who are exposed to bullying. Therefore, appropriate education should be offered to employees to use positive and proactive work-oriented coping strategies when dealing with bullying rather than negative methods such as emotional or avoidance coping.

Toxic leadership: emotional distress and coping strategy

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asha Bhandarker ◽  
Snigdha Rai
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Coping Strategy ◽  
Adaptive Coping ◽  
Toxic Leadership ◽  
Avoidance Coping ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Loss Of Self ◽  
Self Worth ◽  
And Coping

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to elucidate the distressing impact of toxic leadership on the mental state of the subordinates and examine the unique coping mechanisms used by them to deal with such leaders. The paper also examined the relationship between psychological distress and coping strategy used by subordinates to deal with the toxic leader. Design/methodology/approach This study presents a validity testing of two scales. The first scale was designed to measure experienced psychological distress emanating from exposure to toxic leaders, and the second scale aims to assess the coping strategies utilized by subordinates to deal with the toxic leaders. Data were collected from 570 employees working in public as well as private organizations in India. Findings The results of this paper supported the theorized two three-dimensional tools to measure: psychological distress (loss of self-worth, withdrawal and agitated) and coping strategies to deal with toxic leaders (assertive coping, avoidance coping and adaptive coping). Reliability estimates and construct validity of both the tools were established. The results also suggest that the loss of self-worth was negatively related with assertive coping, avoidance coping and adaptive coping. However, withdrawal was positively related with assertive coping and avoidance coping. Finally, agitation was positively related with avoidance and adaptive coping. Originality/value To the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the rare studies to examine together the phenomenon of both psychological distress experienced by subordinates and the coping strategies utilized by them to deal with toxic leaders.

scholarly journals Between hope and fear: developing social media guidelines

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 130-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michaël Opgenhaffen ◽  
An-Sofie Claeys
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Potential Risks ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine employers’ policy with regard to employees’ social media use. Specifically, the authors examine the extent to which employers allow the use of social media in the workplace, what opportunities can be related to employees’ social media use and how social media guidelines are implemented within organizations. Design/methodology/approach In-depth interviews were conducted with HR and communication managers of 16 European companies from different sectors and of varying size. Findings Some organizations believe that social media should be accessible to employees while others ban them from the workplace. Most respondents believe that organizations can benefit from employees sharing work-related content with their own network. However, they encourage the sharing and retweeting of official corporate messages rather than employees developing their own messages. This fear regarding employees’ messages on social media is reflected in the broad adoption of social media guidelines. Research limitations/implications Future research should chart the nature of existing social media guidelines (restrictive vs incentive). Accordingly, the perceived sense and nonsense of social media guidelines in companies should be investigated, not only among the managers but also among employees. Practical implications Organizations should remain in dialogue with employees with regard to social media. Managers seem overly concerned with potential risks and forget the opportunities that can arise when employees operate as ambassadors. Originality/value The use of in-depth interviews allowed the authors to assess the rationale behind social media guidelines within organizations in depth and formulate suggestions to organizations and communication managers.

Internal or external social media? The effects of work-related and social-related use of social media on improving employee performance

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiayu Chen ◽  
Carol Xiaojuan Ou ◽  
Robert M. Davison
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Job Performance ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Employee Performance ◽  
Business Value ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Internal Social Media

PurposeThis study investigates how employees' work- and social-related use of social media can individually and interactively render different impacts on employees' performance in the context of internal or external social media.Design/methodology/approachTo test the research model in these two different contexts, the authors collected data from 392 internal social media users and 302 external social media users in the workplace.FindingsThe data suggest that the respondents' job performance can be enhanced when using internal social media for work-related purposes and using external social media for social-related purposes. Meanwhile, the interaction of work- and social-related use is positive for external social media but negative for internal social media on job performance. These findings highlight the significant distinction of social media use in the workplace.Originality/valueFirst, this study contributes to the literature on the business value of IT by providing theoretical arguments on how companies can capitalize efforts to consider work-related use in combination with social-related use to create business value. Second, this research theorizes two distinct yet interacting views of social media use. The authors offer a more granular insight of the paths from work- and social-related use to employee performance instead of encapsulating social media use in a unitary concept and linking it simply and broadly to employee performance. Third, this research considers the interdependent effects of work- and social-related use on employee performance, and thus goes beyond the independent roles of these two types of social media use. Fourth, the authors find that the links from employees' work- and social-related use of social media to job performance vary in different contexts.

Social media adoption and business performance: the mediating role of organizational learning capability (OLC)

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luqman Oyekunle Oyewobi ◽  
Olatunde Folaranmi Adedayo ◽  
Seth Olufemi Olorunyomi ◽  
Richard Jimoh
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Business Performance ◽  
Learning Capability ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Learning Capacity ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the mediating effect of learning capacity in the relationship between the social media usage by the construction of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and their business performance in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative survey technique was used to collect data from the owner/manager of construction SMEs in Nigeria. The partial least square structural equation modeling was used in the assessment of the measurement model and structural model to assess the validity and reliability of the measures and to evaluate the hypotheses proposed in the conceptual model. Findings Empirical findings indicated a significant positive relationship between learning capacity and performance of SMEs. Similarly, the use of social media is significantly and positively associated to the business performance of SMEs. It has also been shown that learning capacity is a mediator of the relationship between social media and SME performance. Research limitations/implications The data for the study is are all from a single industry and a related line of business, so it could be more interesting to include more companies across sectors or industries. The finding contributes to the ongoing debate on the effect of social media on business performance. It also defined the need for the owner/manager of SMEs to understand and appreciate the effect of social media through the organization's learning potential to gain a sustainable competitive advantage. Practical implications There are a number of theoretical and practical implications for academics and practitioners who are interested in further studies of organizational social media. The research presents a quantitative study on the effect of social media adoption on the organizational performance of the construction industry. This study confirms the mediating role of learning capability in the relationship between the use of social media and performance of SMEs operating in the construction industry. Originality/value This study empirically examined the relationship between social media adoption and the SMEs learning capability and business performance by evaluating a hypothesized conceptual framework to establish the relationships.

Changing the face of reference and user services

2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 219-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Ahenkorah-Marfo ◽  
Harry Akussah
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Higher Education Policy ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Social Media Tools ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Social media allows collaboration, participation and sharing in libraries with users. The purpose of this study is to examine the response of academic librarians in Ghana to the use of social media in reference and user services. Design/methodology/approach It is a quantitative study that used the Likert type of questionnaire in soliciting the views of academic librarians from six public and private universities in Ghana on their knowledge and use of social media in providing reference and user services. Findings The findings of the study indicate that majority of academic librarians are knowledgeable and use social media for both personal and work-related purposes. They, however, lack adequate skills to use the array of social media tools to make remarkable difference in service delivery. For this reason, they find the traditional mode of service delivery a comfort zone. Practical implications Higher education policy makers in Ghana and elsewhere would find the results useful in decisions on the types of social media tools to use in universities and colleges. Originality/value The study provides in-depth analysis of the impact of social media on reference and user services in Ghanaian libraries, which is deficient in literature. It also recommends change in policy direction and training to whip up interest in librarians to use social media.

scholarly journals Social media’s dark side: inducing boundary conflicts

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (8) ◽  
pp. 1297-1311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ward van Zoonen ◽  
Joost W.M. Verhoeven ◽  
Rens Vliegenthart
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Dark Side ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Work Life Conflict

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the negative consequences of work-related social media use, and the extent to which the presence of social media policies in organizations are able to mitigate these consequences. Design/methodology/approach Internet-based survey data (N=575) was analyzed using structural equation modeling to test the indirect effect of social media use on exhaustion through work/life conflict. Findings This study shows that there is a dark side to social media use, as employees’ work-related social media use might be intrusive to their personal lives while simultaneously increasing life to work conflict. Furthermore, the results indicate that the current implementation of social media usage policies at work is not sufficient to defend employees against the negative consequences of social media use; namely, work/life conflict and ultimately exhaustion. Research limitations/implications The indirect pathways are assessed using cross-sectional data, which makes verifying causal relationships difficult. Practical implications The findings underscore the need for contemporary organizations to pragmatically intensify their efforts to mitigate the impacts of boundary conflict on workers’ well-being that result from increased use of social media for work. Originality/value This paper is among the first to demonstrate that the use of social media for work is related to exhaustion through increased work/life conflict.

Restaurant social media usage in China

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 251-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Ghiselli ◽  
Jing Ma
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Consumer Preferences ◽  
Payment Systems ◽  
Strategic Choices ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Chinese Context ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
Special Events ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Use Of Social Media

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the use of social media by restaurants in China and the extent to which consumers are using it to obtain information about dining options. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire for consumers was developed and social media usage data were collected from restaurants; the results were compared to determine whether there is a difference between practices and preferences. Findings – Based on the results of this paper, restaurants may want to consider committing resources and efforts to improve their presence on Dianping, Baidu and Meituan, and to utilize WeChat. Also, they may want to send non-personalized updates, especially coupons, discounts and information about special events, through the above-mentioned channels two to three times a month. Additionally, restaurants may want to improve engagement with frequent users so that they will recommend to others. Finally, restaurants may want to evaluate and invest in online ordering and payment systems if they haven’t done so already. Research limitations/implications – Strategic choices should be based on understanding of consumers. Unless the gaps between practices and preferences are identified and understood, restaurant companies may not be able to use social media effectively and efficiently. Originality/value – China’s social media market – the largest in the world – differs considerably from other countries; it presents unique opportunities and challenges. Social media is always a function of the technology, culture and government of a particular country or context; for this reason, it is very important to study social media in its “context”. While the need is pressing, there are limited studies on restaurant consumer preferences in a computer-mediated environment, not to mention in the Chinese context. This study examined consumer preferences and potential gaps between preferences and practices in the Chinese context; the results will help to direct restaurants in China to make better use of social media.

How to build employees' relationship capital through different enterprise social media platform use: the moderating role of innovation culture

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Liang Ma ◽  
Xin Zhang ◽  
Gaoshan Wang ◽  
Ge Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Information Exchange ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Enterprise Social Media ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Innovation Culture ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Relationship Capital ◽  
Moderating Role

PurposeThe purpose of the present study is to build a research model to study how the use of different enterprise social media platforms affects employees' relationship capital, and the moderating role of innovation culture is also examined.Design/methodology/approachStructural equation modeling was performed to test the research model and hypotheses. Surveys were conducted in an electronic commerce company in China that uses different social media platforms, generating 301 valid responses for analysis.FindingsFirst, private social media used for work-related purposes can contribute to employees' relationship capital, and public social media QQ used for work-related purposes can contribute to employees' communication quality. WeChat used for social-related purposes has a positive effect on employees' information exchange. Second, innovation culture acts as a positive moderator between work-related media use and employees' information exchange, while innovation culture acts as a negative moderator between social-related WeChat use and employees' information exchange. Third, innovation culture acts as a positive moderator between work-related QQ use and employees' trust, while innovation culture acts as a negative moderator between social-related QQ use and employees' trust.Originality/valueFirst, this paper contributes to the information system (IS) social media literature by studying the effect of the use of different enterprise social media platforms used for different purposes on employees' relationship capital. Second, the authors contribute to relationship capital theory by clarifying that use of public and private social media platforms for social- and work-related purposes is an important driver of the formation of employees' relational capital. Third, the present study also contributes to enterprise social media literature by confirming that innovation culture acts as a different moderator between use of different enterprise social media platforms and employees' relationship capital.

Relationships between research supervisors and students from coursework-based master’s degrees: information usage under social media

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gunnan Dong ◽  
Dickson K.W. Chiu ◽  
Po-Sen Huang ◽  
Kevin K.W. Ho ◽  
Mavis Man-wai Lung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Graduate Students ◽  
Media Environment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Master's Degrees ◽  
Information Usage ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Research Students ◽  
Teaching Learning ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose Existing studies reflect that traditional teaching–learning relationships between supervisors and graduate students have become disjointed with actuality seriously. In particular, there are practical difficulties in handling many students from coursework-based postgraduate degrees under current university curricula. Therefore, this study aims to explore the relationship between research supervisors and graduate students on social media, which is popular among students. Design/methodology/approach This study surveyed 109 graduate students from two majors (population around 100 each) of a university in Hong Kong to explore their information usage for research on social media, related attitudes and their perceived supervisor relationships. The differences between the two majors were also compared. Findings The authors’ findings indicated that graduate students were active on social media, and social media has successfully provided effective alternate ways for students to communicate with their research supervisors. Social media could improve relationships between supervisors and research students and among fellow students. Besides education purposes, students also discussed their personal affairs on social media with supervisors, demonstrating enhanced trusted relationships. Graduate students also showed confidence in the further application of social media in higher education. Some differences between respondents from the two programs were also found in terms of communication contents, strengths, personal preferences and purposes for using social media. Originality/value Scant studies focus on the relationship between supervisors and graduate students under the current social media environment, especially for students from coursework-based postgraduate degrees. At a deeper level, for the widespread use of social media in the information age, this study explores the specific changes brought about by social media. Therefore, this study is of great theoretical and practical value to graduate education under the current social media environment.

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