The fundamental role of social support in cultivating motivation to improve work through learning

2017 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kueh Hua Ng
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Human Resource Development ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Organizational Support ◽  
Management Training ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Employees ◽  
Service Training ◽  
Worker Support ◽  
Reported Data

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to increase the understanding of the relationship between social support (organizational, supervisor, and co-worker support) and the higher-order construct of motivation in human resource development (HRD), namely motivation to improve work through learning (MTIWL). Design/methodology/approach Self-reported data were collected from 131 public service employees who had attended management training programs organized by one of the Malaysian public service training providers. Findings Support emanating from the organization, supervisor, and co-worker had exerted positive and significant influences on MTIWL. Further, organizational support had the strongest relationship with MTIWL, relative to supervisor and co-worker support. Practical implications There is a need to extend the responsibility and proficiency of the organization, supervisor, and co-worker in providing practical support in training and workplace contexts to further enhance MTIWL. Originality/value This paper provides a better understanding of the influences of social support on a more practical and comprehensive trainee motivation in HRD, which is MTIWL.

scholarly journals Personality traits, social support, and training transfer

2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kueh Hua Ng ◽  
Rusli Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Human Resource Development ◽  
Organizational Support ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Management Training ◽  
Training Transfer ◽  
Situational Factors ◽  
Content Type

Purpose Substantially few or no known empirical studies have explicitly focused on the higher-order construct of motivation in human resource development (HRD), namely, motivation to improve work through learning (MTIWL) as a mediator linking personality traits and social support to training transfer. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to redress the inadequacy by exploring the role of MTIWL as a mediator on such relationships. Design/methodology/approach Consistent with positivism, quantitative data based on self-rating were collected from 131 trainees attending management training programs organized by a public sector training provider in Malaysia. Findings The findings indicate that personality traits (i.e. conscientiousness, extraversion, and agreeableness) and social support (i.e. perceived organizational support and peer support) influenced training transfer via the mediating role of MTIWL. Supervisor support, nonetheless, was not a significant predictor of training transfer through MTIWL. Originality/value This study focuses on a more holistic motivational construct than simple motivation in HRD. The focus on MTIWL extends the existing understanding of the underlying motivational influences that link dispositional and situational factors to training transfer in occupational settings.

Support for female international business travellers in dual-career families

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharina Puchmüller ◽  
Iris Fischlmayr
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
International Business ◽  
Organizational Support ◽  
Dual Career ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cultural Variations ◽  
Support Theory ◽  
Template Analysis ◽  
Business Travellers

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate experiences of female international business travellers living in dual-career families (DCFs) who also have childcare obligations. In particular, the paper explores in which way different sources of support – specifically organizational support – are perceived as important and are available to the women under research. Because of the women’s regular absences due to business trips and the fulfilment of their family role, challenges regarding childcare or household responsibilities may occur. Consequently and also according to social support theory, different types of support may be necessary to organize family and international career, and effectively perform in both environments. Design/methodology/approach This paper examines the experiences and thoughts of these women with special regards on support issues. Data are collected from 51 semi-structured interviews with internationally travelling women in DCF situations originating from seven Western and non-Western countries. The interviews are analysed applying template analysis. Findings Results show that, across countries, support is mainly derived from within family. Regarding institutional or organizational support, however, the reported expectations and actually offered activities differ because of local institutional and cultural variations. The examined women value different forms of organizational support, but do not necessarily expect it. Originality/value This paper represents the first exploratory examinations of various forms of support for female international business travellers in DCFs suggested by social support theory. It includes a culturally diverse sample and contributes to cross-cultural career research.

Effect of restaurant manager emotional intelligence and support on front-of-house employees’ job satisfaction

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (11) ◽  
pp. 2807-2825 ◽  
Author(s):  
Su Jin Han ◽  
Woo Gon Kim ◽  
Sora Kang
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Emotional Intelligence ◽  
Hierarchical Linear Model ◽  
Management Training ◽  
Service Performance ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Employees ◽  
Manager Support ◽  
Frontline Service

Purpose This study aims to investigate the influence of restaurant manager’s emotional intelligence (EI) and manager support on service employees’ attitudes and performance by applying affective event theory. Design/methodology/approach The multi-level research approach incorporates three different levels of analysis: employees’ job satisfaction and service performance; manager’s EI and support; and) restaurant unit level service under pressure. Data were collected from wait staff employed in full-service restaurants in the southeastern region of the USA. This research uses the hierarchical linear model to process the survey data. Findings The findings indicate that manager EI and support have a significant impact on employees’ job satisfaction, and further leads to high levels of service performance. The moderating effect of service under pressure between leader’s EI and employees’ job satisfaction is not statistically significant. Practical implications Results suggest practical management implications to restaurant managers and frontline service employees. This study’s research findings imply management training and development programs should help managers regulate their own and better understand service employees’ emotions. Findings further highlight the important role manager support has upon employee’s job satisfaction and frontline service performance. Originality/value The present study offers a comprehensive perspective to better understand the variation of employees’ job satisfaction that arises from three different sources: between individuals, between teams and between restaurants. The findings also provide new insight into EI scale development.

The impact of psychological safety on transformative learning in the workplace: a quantitative study

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (7) ◽  
pp. 533-547
Author(s):  
Chang-kyu Kwon ◽  
Seung-hyun Han ◽  
Aliki Nicolaides
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Transformative Learning ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Human Resource Development ◽  
Psychological Safety ◽  
Learning Processes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Specific Practice ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of psychological safety on transformative learning in the workplace. This study focused on psychological safety as a specific practice that may or may not independently contribute to transformative learning outcomes. Design/methodology/approach Data was gathered from 132 employees in one US manufacturing company through a survey asking about the perception of psychological safety and the experience of transformative learning. A mediation analysis was conducted to test the effects of transformative learning processes – social support, attitude toward uncertainty and criticality – on the relationship between psychological safety and transformative learning outcomes. Findings The results of this study showed that psychological safety led to transformative learning outcomes mediated by transformative learning processes including social support, attitude toward uncertainty and criticality. Originality/value Existing literature reveals little about the mechanism of how transformative learning occurs in the workplace. This study contributes to the field of human resource development by explaining the relationship between psychological safety and transformative learning, as well as first attempting to use transformative learning as a viable construct in workplace research.

Improvement of individual performance in the public sector

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 344-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raffaela Palma ◽  
Alessandro Hinna ◽  
Gianluigi Mangia
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Contextual Factors ◽  
Individual Performance ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reported Data

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore whether a pro-social motivation called user orientation (UO), which aims at helping specific others, may affect performance of public sector employees in addition to public service motivation (PSM), and whether any personal, and/or contextual factors affect this relationship (age, tenure, role, and context). Design/methodology/approach Utilizing cross-sectional survey data obtained from 618 Italian public teachers, PLS-structural equation modeling is used to investigate the relationship between PSM, UO, and performance, along with the moderating effects of individual/contextual factors. Findings Findings show positive relationships between the two levers (PSM/UO) and individual performance (IP), depending on job and organizational tenure, role, and the social environment of the areas the schools are located in. Research limitations/implications There might be problems related to causal inference and common method variance, due to the use of the cross-sectional self-reported data. Practical implications Managers should be aware of the crucial role UO and PSM play in order to improve IP in contexts where there is direct contact with the service beneficiaries. Originality/value The paper contributes to a clearer understanding of which motives are involved in the process that leads public service employees to enhance their performance.

Customer aggression and service sabotage

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-72
Author(s):  
Ruhama Goussinsky
Keyword(s):  
Call Center ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Management Training ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Employees ◽  
Stress Management Training ◽  
Two Samples ◽  
Service Sabotage ◽  
Social Sharing ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this study aims to investigate the independent and combined moderating effects of social sharing and rumination on the relationship between customer aggression and service sabotage. Design/methodology/approach Two samples of service providers were recruited: a sample of face-to-face service employees from various organizations (N = 481) and a sample of call center employees (N = 122). Data were collected using self-reported questionnaires and the research hypotheses were tested using hierarchical regression analyses. Findings The impact of customer aggression on service sabotage was exacerbated by rumination in Sample 1 and although failing to reach significance (0.08), the same pattern of interaction was observed in Sample 2. The results lend support to the existence of a three-way interaction effect between customer aggression, social sharing and rumination. Specifically, the positive relationship between customer aggression and service sabotage was stronger for employees who reported high levels of both social sharing and rumination compared to employees who reported high levels of social sharing but low levels of rumination. Practical implications Implementing stress-management training intended to help service employees avoid using maladaptive coping strategies when confronted with mistreatment can serve to reduce employees’ engagement in retaliatory behaviors directed against customers. Originality/value The study’s findings provide one potential explanation for the mixed findings in the literature on social sharing and suggest that sharing of emotions for coping with customer aggression may become a maladaptive strategy for individuals who tend to engage in ruminative thinking whereas it may be a helpful coping choice for individuals who do not.

scholarly journals Fostering knowledge sharing behaviour among public sector managers: a proposed model for the Malaysian public service

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gangeswari Tangaraja ◽  
Roziah Mohd Rasdi ◽  
Maimunah Ismail ◽  
Bahaman Abu Samah
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Human Resource Development ◽  
Model Validation ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Motivational Factors ◽  
Organisational Commitment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
Public Sector Managers

Purpose – This paper aims to propose a conceptual model of knowledge sharing behaviour among Malaysian public sector managers. Design/methodology/approach – An extensive literature review method was used to identify and analyse relevant literature in order to propose a knowledge sharing model. Findings – The authors identified three potential predictor groups of knowledge sharing behaviour among Malaysian public sector managers. The groups are intrinsic motivational factors, extrinsic motivational factors and organisational socialisation factors. The paper proposes organisational commitment as the mediating variable between the identified predictors and knowledge sharing behaviour (knowledge donating and knowledge collecting). Research limitations/implications – The paper offers a number of propositions, which leads to a knowledge sharing model. Future research should validate and examine the predictive power of the proposed model. Practical implications – Upon model validation, the paper could offer practical interventions for human resource development (HRD) practitioners to assist organisations towards fostering knowledge sharing behaviour. The paper highlights the importance of employee’s organisational commitment in order to engage in organizational-related behaviours such as knowledge sharing. Originality/value – The paper used a new approach in theorising knowledge sharing behaviour by integrating the General Workplace Commitment Model, Self-Determination Theory and Social Capital Theory. The suggestion of public service motivation as one of the intrinsic motivational factors could provide new insights to the HRD practitioners on fostering knowledge sharing behaviour in the public service subject to model validation.

Antecedents and outcomes of non-profit public service motivation in Korean NPOs

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 777-803 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sung Min Park ◽  
Min Young Kim
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Intrinsic Motivation ◽  
Human Resource Development ◽  
Social Exchange ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Public Service Motivation ◽  
Organizational Systems ◽  
Monitoring Systems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Non Profit

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of non-profit service motivation (NPSM) as a cognitive dimension in the enhancement of managerial accountability of Korean NGO employees. Hypotheses and a research model were designed to determine the antecedent and consequence factors of NPSM from the perspective of the self-determinants theory, social learning theory, and social exchange theory. Design/methodology/approach – This study relies on quantitative data obtained from Korean NGO survey questionnaires. The sample consists of 400 employees working for NGOs. The performance evaluations were conducted within a one-year period. Findings – Results of the study demonstrate that training and development are the keys to leading employees’ value congruence and motivation. The authors also confirmed that person-organizational (P-O) fit is directly associated with NPSM. Finally, intrinsically motivated NGO employees would boost the level of managerial accountability among the Korean NGO employees through organization and socialization. Research limitations/implications – Through applying Perry’s original public service motivation (PSM) scale including rational, normative, and affective values, the exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis results confirmed that the constructs of NPSM were valid and reliable in the Korean NGOs. Additionally, it might also explain the locus of causality of self-determination theory, and how it changes people’s motivation. Finally, the authors confirmed that organizational systems are notable in terms of increasing P-O fit, strengthening intrinsic motivation, and increasing organizational consequences. Practical implications – This study confirms that human resource development (HRD) practices and performance management system (PMS) act as very effective managerial tools for nurturing positive and constructive social exchange relationships between organizational constituents, and for developing human resources in the NGOs. This is evident in cases of individuals being given extensive participation rights when it comes to decision making (Leana et al., 1992; Mayer and Schoorman, 1998). The benefit of this reality is twofold: it strengthens individuals’ perceptions of self, fostering intrinsic motivation, and it also acts as a buffer of sorts between individuals and external pressures, weakening extrinsic motivation. Social implications – There exists a notion that well-made organizational systems and policies should be regarded as more important because certain informal or relational social interactions and communications (e.g. HRD programs) or PMS policies (e.g. service monitoring systems, finance monitoring systems, and HR and organizational monitoring systems) prevail in the cultural characteristics of NGOs. Based on this notion, allowing P-O fit, intrinsic motives, and accountable behaviors to function as invisible but very persuasive norms, rules, and informal regulations for leaders and subordinates will help make NGOs successful. Originality/value – Given that most Korean non-profit organizations are very small and lack formal HR departments or functions, it is possible that this lack of formality has been somewhat responsible for the shortage of research on the outstanding aspects and issues surrounding non-profit HR management and the motivation of non-profit employees. However, as the non-profit sector has become more professionalized and specialized in terms of training, development, and identity, the need to understand HR issues and employee motivation is vital to improve both employee management and organizational strategies. The aim of this research is to further the understanding of what makes the non-profit workforce distinct. The authors believe that the similarities in terms of motivation for public and non-profit employees allowed us to use a modified version of Perry’s (1996) scale in the study to examine NPSM. However, drawing on these various and diverse perspectives on PSM and NPSM, especially in the Korean context, the authors define NPSM as “intrinsically and voluntarily driven attitudes and dispositions that lead to more service delivery, fundraising, and volunteering activities in the non-profit agencies.”

Consumer envy during service encounters

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 359-372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerardo Joel Anaya ◽  
Li Miao ◽  
Anna S. Mattila ◽  
Barbara Almanza
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Cognitive Appraisals ◽  
Service Encounters ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Employees ◽  
Organizational Consequences ◽  
Quantitative Analyses ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Reported Data

Purpose This paper aims to explore consumer envy in the context of service encounters. Envy-elicited cognitive appraisals, emotions, interpersonal and organizational consequences were examined. Design/methodology/approach An online survey was used to collect 311 actual episodes of consumer envy. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses were used to answer the research questions. Findings This research identified five different triggers of consumer envy during service encounters, each associated with distinct cognitive appraisal patterns. Moreover, envious customers might experience three qualitatively different shades of envy labeled as “blue envy”, “red envy” and “green envy”. Actions taken by service providers are found to be a major cause of consumer envy, and they elicit emotions associated with complaining, negative word of mouth, lower encounter satisfaction and lower repurchase intention. Research limitations/implications While significant contributions are made, this study relied on self-reported data. Given that envy is considered a private and sensitive emotion, participants may have withheld from sharing some of the more socially undesirable details of their envy episodes. Practical implications The results stress the importance for service providers to avoid a perception of unfair preferential treatment. This perception of service unfairness is associated with hostility directed at service employees and negative organizational consequences. Originality/value This study is among the first to examine consumer envy in the context of service encounters.

Managing emotional labor for service employees: an HRM-based approach

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jatin Pandey
Keyword(s):  
Performance Management ◽  
Emotional Labor ◽  
Management Training ◽  
Human Resource Managers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Employees ◽  
Job Roles ◽  
Compensation Management ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Recruitment And Selection

Purpose This paper aims to describe strategies for human resource managers in dealing with job roles that involve use of emotional labor as part of service delivery. Design/methodology/approach The paper suggests improvements in the four processes of recruitment and selection, compensation management, training and development, and performance management to adapt to the needs of employees who perform emotional labor in their job roles. Findings The findings show that many interventions can be designed to help these workers; one of the key to these interventions is the recognition of emotional labor as being “affective job demand.” Selecting, rewarding, developing, and evaluating individuals with competencies requires to perform emotional labor can aid service organizations in enhancing their human capital for the long run. Originality/value The paper brings forth the importance of emotional labor in organizations and how it can be effectively managed.

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