Replicating a study of women and men in state government administration 30 years later

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon Mastracci ◽  
Nadia Mahallati
Keyword(s):  
State Government ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Structural Constraints ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cultural Contexts ◽  
Upper Management ◽  
Government Administration ◽  
Preference Theory ◽  
The Individual

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine data from a 2016 replication of a 1986 study of upper-level administrators in government agencies in the US State of Utah. The unique cultural context of this state is used to challenge Hakim’s preference theory; specifically, that the individual agency of work-oriented women is stronger than structural constraints, including culture. This study joins others that have questioned the preference theory’s applicability in certain cultural contexts. Design/methodology/approach A simple approach using difference-of-means t-tests shows that female respondents in 2016 are more like their male contemporaries than they are to their sister administrators 30 years prior. T-tests are also used to compare male respondents in 1986 and 2016. Findings Women in upper management in 2016 are more likely to be married and have preschool-aged children at home than they were in 1986. These results suggest that women are succeeding at the highest levels in state government administration and also adhering to strong cultural norms. Women’s views on labor market policies changed over time, as well. While women in 2016 are found to resemble their male counterparts in 2016 more than they resemble female respondents in 1986, variations in men’s responses in 1986 and 2016 are statistically no different from zero. Originality/value This study challenges the predictions of Hakim’s preference theory in the context of strong cultural norms that dictate separate gender roles. The results contradict the preference theory’s predictions and are consistent with critiques of its applicability across cultural contexts.

Complementarity of capabilities across cultures

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 567-585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Anning-Dorson
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Context ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Social Institutions ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Complementarity Effect ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cultural Contexts ◽  
Customer Involvement ◽  
The Uk

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how service firms across two different cultural contexts use their customer involvement capabilities to create competitive advantage. The study further assesses the possible complementarity effect of innovation and involvement capabilities in enhancing firm competitiveness. Lastly, the study draws on the complementarity of capabilities and social institutions to examine whether different cultural contexts explain the use of involvement capability among service firms. Design/methodology/approach The study sampled service firms from an emerging economy (India) and high-income economy (The UK), which have different cultural contexts (collectivism/individualist) to assess the hypothesized relationship. Data collection processes were adapted to the contexts to optimize reliability and relevance. Multi-group structural equation modeling was used in analyzing the data. Findings The study finds that cultural contexts explain the positive relationship between customer involvement capability and firm competitiveness such that in collectivist cultures, involvement capability is more positively related to competitiveness but negative in individualistic contexts. However, in both contexts, service firms can through capability bundling increase firm competitiveness. The study found that the complementarity effects of innovation and involvement capabilities were found to be positive in both contexts. Originality/value This study departs from previous studies by arguing that customer involvement is a complementary capability that helps exploit the potential of innovation capability of service firms. This study further demonstrates that cultural context defines the effectiveness of involvement capability in achieving firm competitiveness.

Gender inequality in the work environment: a study of private research organizations in India

2017 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 255-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Namrata Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Gender Inequality ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Women In Leadership ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Leadership Positions ◽  
Indian Culture ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ideal Woman

Purpose Since liberalization in the 1990s, India has witnessed a growth in the number of educated middle-class women in professions. However, there are few women in leadership positions and decision-making bodies. While the earlier notion of the ideal woman as homemaker has been replaced by one which idealizes women of substance, a woman’s role in the family continues to be pivotal and is even viewed as central in defining Indian culture. The purpose of this paper is to analyze how and to what extent gender inequalities are reproduced in the organizations employing educated professionals. Design/methodology/approach Based on the perspective that gender is socially constructed, this paper analyzes gender inequality in Indian organizations through semi-structured interviews of men and women scientists in two private pharmaceutical laboratories. Findings The findings show reproduction of a gendered normative order through two types of norms and practices: one, norms and practices that favor men and second, socio-cultural norms that devalue women in public spaces which help to maintain masculinity in the workplace. Although these practices might be found elsewhere in the world, the manner in which they are enacted reflects national cultural norms. Originality/value The paper highlights how various norms and practices enacted in the specific Indian socio-cultural context construct and maintain masculinity at workplace depriving opportunities to professional women which affect their rise to leadership positions.

Dreams and reality: autonomy support for women entrepreneurs in Ethiopia

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (7) ◽  
pp. 727-742
Author(s):  
Atsede Tesfaye Hailemariam ◽  
Brigitte Kroon ◽  
Marloes van Engen ◽  
Marc van Veldhoven
Keyword(s):  
Women Entrepreneurs ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Needs ◽  
Basic Psychological Needs ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Agents ◽  
Cultural Contexts ◽  
Autonomous Functioning

Purpose Taking a self-determination theory (SDT) perspective, the purpose of this paper is to understand the socio-cultural context on the satisfaction of basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness in the entrepreneurial activity of women entrepreneurs in Ethiopia. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 19 women entrepreneurs operating business in the formal sector of the economy in Addis Ababa. A thematic analysis approach was used to analyze and interpret the interview transcripts. Findings Women entrepreneurs experience autonomy-supportive and controlling socio-cultural contexts in their gender role, parent–daughter relationship, husband–wife relationship and their religious affiliation. Autonomy-supportive social agents provide women entrepreneurs, the chance to perceive themselves as competent and autonomous to exploit and choose opportunities and run their business in accordance with their personal values and interests. On the other hand, controlling social agents maintain and reinforce the existing male-dominated social and economic order. They constrain women’s entrepreneurial performance by undermining their basic psychological needs satisfaction, which limits their autonomous functioning and well-being in entrepreneurial activity. Practical implications To promote women’s autonomous functioning and well-being in entrepreneurial activity, policy should be aimed at reducing constraints to the satisfaction of psychological needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness in the socio-cultural context. Originality/value The study is the first to apply SDT to explore the influence of autonomy vs controlling socio-cultural contexts on satisfaction vs thwarting needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness in the entrepreneurial activity of women.

Leadership in Vietnamese state owned enterprises (SOEs)

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dong Mai Tran ◽  
Wayne Fallon ◽  
Margaret H. Vickers
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Context ◽  
Leadership Practices ◽  
Economic Transition ◽  
Critical Time ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Business Leadership ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Context ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
The Individual

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore multiple stakeholders’ perceptions of leadership in Vietnamese state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents findings from semi-structured interviews that were conducted in Vietnam, with seven different stakeholders who had varying understandings of Vietnamese business leadership within the Vietnamese business context. All interviews were transcribed, then translated into English, and thematic analysis of the interview data undertaken. Findings – The paper suggests that there was a significant variation in Vietnamese leadership perceptions when compared to Western leadership practices, especially when considering the perceptions of those stakeholders with regard to business leadership in the Vietnamese collectivist cultural context. The themes presented include: SOE decision making and responsibility; SOE promotions and appointments; and SOE performance. Research limitations/implications – In the absence of studies of leadership in Vietnamese SOEs, and leadership studies in the Vietnamese culture in general, this research was deliberately exploratory and qualitative. Future mixed methods or quantitative studies are recommended to offer more generalizable conclusions. Practical implications – Implications are discussed that point to leadership changes in Vietnamese organizations, and at the individual level, to assist the Vietnamese government, SOEs, and future leaders. Recommendations are also made that are intended to assist foreign business investors and multinational companies operating in Vietnam, now and in the future, to improve their leadership capacity within this context. Social implications – Vietnam is a country in social and economic transition. Understanding the leadership practices and perceptions, especially how that might differ from leadership in Western nations, is critical for the success of organizations in Vietnam and, in turn, for the economic and social prosperity of the Vietnamese people. Originality/value – The paper contributes perceptions of business leadership in Vietnamese SOEs that have not previously been explored and should be, especially given this critical time of economic and social transition for the Vietnamese nation and economy.

Does environmental corporate social responsibility increase consumer loyalty?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Delphine Godefroit-Winkel ◽  
Marie Schill ◽  
Fatou Diop-Sall
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Consumer Loyalty ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cultural Contexts ◽  
International Retailing ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
Positive And Negative Emotions

PurposeThis study identifies the impact of supermarket environmental corporate social responsibility (ECSR) on consumers’ loyalty towards their supermarket. Based on the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R), this study demonstrates how positive and negative emotions mediate the relationships between consumers’ perceptions of ECSR and consumers’ attitudes towards their supermarket. This study draws from cultural theory and works on sustainability and examines the moderating effect of the cultural context on these relationships.Design/methodology/approachA supermarket intercept survey was conducted among 327 consumers in France and 444 consumers in Morocco. The proposed model was analysed using Amos 22.FindingsECSR’s impact on consumer loyalty varies across cultural contexts through the mediation of positive and negative emotions. The study also indicates how consumers’ levels of environmentalism moderate the direct effect of supermarket ECSR on consumers’ attitudes towards the supermarket.Research limitations/implicationsBased on the S-O-R and cultural theories, this study demonstrates how the dimensions of the cultural context moderate the direct and indirect effects of ECSR on consumers’ loyalty towards their supermarket. Specifically, favourable perceptions of supermarket ECSR have an ambivalent impact on consumers’ attitudes through the mediation of negative emotions, such as shame, in more collectivist, low uncertainty avoidance and short-term oriented countries.Practical implicationsTailored recommendations for supermarket managers interested in ECSR and operating in an international context are provided.Social implicationsThis research highlights the varying impacts of environmental actions in international retailing.Originality/valueUsing the S-O-R and cultural theories, this study reveals nuances to existing knowledge on the role of consumers’ emotions in international retailing. It reveals the salience of negative emotions after the perception of a positively valenced stimulus across distinct cultural contexts.

The role of organizational culture in normalizing paramedic exposure to violence

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin Mausz ◽  
Mandy Johnston ◽  
Elizabeth Anne Donnelly
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Urban Service ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Constructivist Epistemology ◽  
Inductive Thematic Analysis ◽  
Shed Light

Purpose Violence against paramedics is a complex – but underreported – problem. Extant research suggests organizational culture may play a role in sustaining cultural norms that downplay the significance and limit reporting. The purpose of this paper is to qualitatively explore paramedics’ experience with violence, with particular emphasis on understanding how organizational culture contributes to under-reporting. Design/methodology/approach The authors surveyed paramedics from a single, large, urban service in Ontario, Canada, asking participants to describe their experiences with violence, including whether – and why or why not – the incidents were reported. Within a constructivist epistemology, we used inductive thematic analysis with successive rounds of coding to identify and then define features of organizational culture that limit reporting. Findings A total of 196 (33% of eligible) paramedics completed the survey. Fully 98% of participants disclosed having experienced some form of violence; however, only a minority (40%) reported the incidents to management, or the police (21%). The authors defined a framework within which a lack of support from management, and consequences for offenders, implicitly positions the ability of paramedics to “brush off” violent encounters as an expected professional competency. Disclosing emotional or psychological distress in response to violent encounters invited questions as to whether the individual is personally suited to paramedic work. Originality/value While the extant research has indicated that underreporting is a problem, the findings shed light on why – a critical first step in addressing what has been described as a serious public health problem.

Being sensitive to the culture: challenges in researching sensitive topics in an Asian culture

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 287-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arosha S. Adikaram
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Context ◽  
Working Women ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sensitive Topics ◽  
Norms And Values ◽  
Values And Beliefs ◽  
The Many ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how the particular culture within which research is conducted and its norms and values can give rise to additional challenges and complications for the researcher when the research area is sensitive in nature. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on research on sexual harassment of working women in Sri Lanka, the researcher engages in self and methodological reflections to elucidate the many challenges faced. Findings Carrying out sensitive research in an Asian cultural context, with various stereotyping cultural norms, values and beliefs can give rise to additional culture-specific challenges for the researcher, even when the researcher is a cultural insider. How these cultural complexities influence the manner in which the participants respond to data collection and the manner in which the researcher is seen and understood by others are explained. Strategies to overcome these challenges are discussed in light of the cultural competencies propose by Deardorff and Sewyer et al. Practical implications The paper highlights the need for researchers engaged in sensitive research to carefully plan and conduct their research, being mindful not only to the sensitive nature of the topic, but also to the cultural edifices and ethos. Originality/value The influence of cultural context in conducting sensitive research is not sufficiently addressed. Culture-specific challenges that can arise in cultures outside the West, such as Asia, have specifically being neglected. This paper addresses this knowledge gap by focusing on the culture-specific challenges faced by researchers, whether they are cultural insiders or outsiders.

Ethical leadership, self-efficacy and job satisfaction in China: the moderating role of guanxi

2017 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 371-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuang Ren ◽  
Doren Chadee
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Ethical Leadership ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Influencing Factor ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Main Question ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cultural Contexts ◽  
Satisfaction Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how employee perceptions of the ethical conduct of their leaders affect their job satisfaction in the context of the workplace in China. The authors posit that guanxi, which is a complex relational phenomenon deeply rooted in Chinese tradition, may act as a substitute for ethical leadership in the Chinese workplace. Design/methodology/approach A conceptual model which explicitly incorporates guanxi as a moderator in explaining the relationship between ethical leadership and job satisfaction is developed. This model is then tested using data from a sample (n=388) of professional employees in nine organisations in Beijing, China. Findings The results show that, as expected, self-efficacy positively and strongly mediates the ethical leadership-job satisfaction relationship. However, guanxi negatively moderates the overall effect of ethical leadership on job satisfaction with the effect being larger in Chinese-owned enterprises compared to foreign-owned enterprises. The findings suggest that employee relationship with their leaders may act as a substitute for ethical leadership in the Chinese workplace. Research limitations/implications The main question which this research uncovers is whether the Western-based conceptualisation of ethical leadership is applicable in different cultural contexts. The authors’ research shows clearly that in the case of China, guanxi plays a substituting role and reduces the effects of ethical leadership on job satisfaction. Future research could investigate the effects of ethical leadership in different cultural contexts. Practical implications The substituting effect of guanxi on the ethical leadership-job satisfaction relationship suggests that Western firms need to consider culture as an integral contextual factor in explaining employee job satisfaction when they operate in a different cultural context. Originality/value The explicit consideration of guanxi as an influencing factor of the effects of ethical leadership on job satisfaction in the context of the workplace in China and the testing of this relationship via a moderated-mediation approach is novel.

The tattoo as a document

2018 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristina Sundberg ◽  
Ulrika Kjellman
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Context ◽  
Archival Studies ◽  
Semiotic Analysis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Living Body ◽  
Dominant Society ◽  
Fuel Design ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Voice ◽  
Point Of Departure

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how tattoos can be considered documents of an individual’s identity, experiences, status and actions in a given context, relating to ideas stating that archival records/documents can be of many types and have different functions. The paper also wants to discuss how tattoos serve as a bank of memories and evidence on a living body; in this respect, the tattooed body can be viewed as an archive, which immortalises and symbolises the events and relationships an individual has experienced in his or her life, and this in relation to a specific social and cultural context. Design/methodology/approach To discuss these issues, the authors take the point of departure in the tattoo practice of Russian/Soviet prisoners. The tattoo material referred to is from the “Russian Criminal Tattoo Archive”. The archive is created by FUEL Design and Publishing that holds the meanings of the tattoos as explained in Russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopaedia Volume I-III. The authors exemplify this practice with two photographs of Soviet/Russian prisoners and their tattoos. By using a semiotic analysis that contextualises these images primarily through literature studies, the authors try to say something about what meaning these tattoos might carry. Findings The paper argues that it is possible to view the tattoo as a document, bound to an individual, reflecting his/her life and a given social and cultural context. As documents, they provide the individual with the essential evidence of his or her endeavours in a criminal environment. They also function as an individual’s memory of events and relationships (hardships and comradeships). Subsequently, the tattoos help create and sustain an identity. Finally, the tattoo presents itself as a document that may represent a critique of a dominant society or simply the voice of the alienated. Originality/value By showing how tattoos can be seen as documents and memory records, this paper brings a new kind of item into information and archival studies. It also uses theories and concepts from information and archival studies to put new light on the functions of tattoos.

Inclusion starts with “I”? The missing ingredient in leading change: the case of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Workman-Stark
Keyword(s):  
Building Blocks ◽  
Cultural Barriers ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Leading Change ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Royal Canadian Mounted Police ◽  
Diversity And Inclusion ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Cover Up ◽  
Inside Out

Purpose This paper examines how organizations can overcome cultural barriers and support leaders in creating more inclusive workplaces. Design/methodology/approach Drawing from personal experience as a senior leader within the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the author provides a brief overview of the organization’s approach to creating a more diverse and inclusive workplace, including her role in overseeing the change effort. The author then describes how certain aspects of the RCMP culture manifested in bias against others, and contributed to leaders’ efforts to cover up important parts of their identity to fit in. Finally, the author presents self-acceptance and personal vulnerability as building blocks for a more inclusive style of leadership. Findings The findings of this paper suggest that diversity and inclusion efforts that fail to address harmful aspects of organizational culture are unlikely to be successful. The findings also suggest that this barrier may be overcome through a greater understanding of the cultural norms that are most valued, of practicing inclusion at three different levels, starting with the individual, and of supporting leaders to begin the practice of inclusion, staring from the inside out. Originality/value This paper makes an important contribution to the field of organization development by providing a brief snapshot of one leader’s experience in attempting to create a more diverse and inclusive workplace, and makes recommendations for how the challenges presented might be overcome.

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