scholarly journals Power and inaction: why organizations fail to address workplace bullying

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 265-290
Author(s):  
Margaret Hodgins ◽  
Sarah MacCurtain ◽  
Patricia Mannix-McNamara
Keyword(s):  
Workplace Bullying ◽  
Power Structures ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Policies And Procedures ◽  
Direct Exposure ◽  
Realistic Assessment ◽  
Specific Practice ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Nuanced Understanding

PurposeBullying affects at least one-third of the workers through either direct exposure or witnessing, both of which lead to compromised health, and as a result, reduced organizational effectiveness or productivity. However, there is very little evidence that organisations provide effective protection from bullying, and in fact, the converse appears to the case. The purpose of this paper to explore the role of both individual and organisational power in the creation and maintenance of the problem. Such an approach moves away from the specific practice of identifying “bullying” that typically engages targets and perpetrators in a dance that is really just around the edges (Sullivan, 2008) of a larger problem; a culture that permits the abuse of power and ill-treatment of workers, in both practices and through organisational politics.Design/methodology/approachThis paper elucidates key problems with organisational response as identified in the literature and critically examines weak organisational response to workplace bullying using the power theory, arguing that while overt approaches to addressing bullying appear to be underpinned by a simplistic, functionalist understanding of power, practices on the ground are better explained by more sophisticated “second-dimension” theorists.FindingsThere is a need for organisations to move beyond the current individualistic understanding of bullying towards a more nuanced understanding of how anti-bullying policies and procedures are themselves an exercise in institutional power protecting and reinforcing dominant power structures.Research limitations/implicationsThe literature from which this paper is drawn is limited to studies published in English.Practical implicationsThe authors advocate a realistic assessment of the role of both individual and organisational power in the creation and maintenance of workplace bullying, as a way forward to plan appropriate intervention.Social implicationsWorkplace bullying is problematic for organisations at several levels, and therefore for society.Originality/valueThat power is relevant to workplace bullying has been apparent since the work of Brodsky in 1976 and Einarsen's early work, this paper builds on a the more nuanced work of McKay (2014), D'Cruz and Noronha (2009), Liefooghe and MacDavey's (2010) and Hutchinson et al. (2010), exploring the organisational response to the raising of bullying issues by individual employees as an exercise of power.

Bullying and turnover intentions: how creative employees overcome perceptions of dysfunctional organizational politics

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dirk De Clercq ◽  
Tasneem Fatima ◽  
Sadia Jahanzeb
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Climate ◽  
Workplace Bullying ◽  
Turnover Intentions ◽  
Organizational Politics ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Environments ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Moderating Role

PurposeThis study seeks to unpack the relationship between employees' exposure to workplace bullying and their turnover intentions, with a particular focus on the possible mediating role of perceived organizational politics and moderating role of creativity.Design/methodology/approachThe hypotheses are tested with multi-source, multi-wave data collected from employees and their peers in various organizations.FindingsWorkplace bullying spurs turnover intentions because employees believe they operate in strongly politicized organizational environments. This mediating role of perceived organizational politics is mitigated to the extent that employees can draw from their creative skills though.Practical implicationsFor managers, this study pinpoints a critical reason – employees perceive that they operate in an organizational climate that endorses dysfunctional politics – by which bullying behaviors stimulate desires to leave the organization. It also reveals how this process might be contained by spurring employees' creativity.Originality/valueThis study provides novel insights into the process that underlies the connection between workplace bullying and quitting intentions by revealing the hitherto overlooked roles of employees' beliefs about dysfunctional politics and their own creativity levels.

How can dynamic capabilities make sense in avoiding value co-creation traps?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinbo Sun ◽  
Qingqiang Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Technology Integration ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Dynamic Capabilities ◽  
Archival Data ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Network Capability

PurposeThe existing research rarely explains the role of dynamic capabilities in the creation of value co-creation behaviors. The purpose of this paper is to explore how dynamic capabilities play a role in avoiding value co-creation traps and generating new value co-creation behaviors.Design/methodology/approachThis paper collects rich interview and archival data from two Chinese manufacturing companies to examine value co-creation in digital servitization by the case study.FindingsThe paper discovers the value co-creation traps that enterprises face in digital servitization and analyzes the important role of resource and technology integration capabilities in avoiding these traps. Also, the research explores how network capability affects the generation of new value co-creation behaviors.Originality/valueThis paper develops a framework for dynamic capabilities to avoid value co-creation traps and generate new value co-creation behaviors.

Exploring bullying among Indian managers: a grounded theory approach

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 588-611 ◽  
Author(s):  
Upasna A. Agarwal ◽  
Arpana Rai
Keyword(s):  
Grounded Theory ◽  
Workplace Bullying ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Validity Of Results ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Outcome Relationship ◽  
Grounded Theory Approach ◽  
Intervening Factors

Purpose This paper aims to explore the phenomenon of workplace bullying – its nature, antecedents, direct and indirect effects – from victim’s perspective. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted grounded theory approach and centered on the participants experiences and interpretations of bullying. A total of 23 self-reported victims formed the sample of our study. Data from interviews were analyzed using the coding procedure of grounded theory methodology. To enhance validity of results, in addition to interviews, creative drawings were used for triangulation. Findings The study reveals some similarities and culturally relevant variation in the sources and outcomes of bullying. The role of culture on bullying is visible. The study also adds to the limited literature on underlying and intervening factors in bullying–outcome relationship. Research limitations/implications The study examined bullying from the victim’s perspective. Perpetrator and bystander’s perspectives would have added interesting insights into the findings. Practical implications Effective identification of, prevention of and intervention in workplace bullying are imperative for individuals and organizations. Rich descriptions from victims on enablers of bullying and how these events have affected their everyday experiences may also boost practitioners’ and policymakers’ willingness to rectify the potential issues leading to bullying in organizations. Originality/value The present study contributes to the workplace bullying research in general and Indian context in particular by examining contextually relevant antecedents, consequences as well as underlying and intervening factors.

The utility of relationships in the creation and maintenance of an event portfolio

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 260-275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donna M. Kelly ◽  
Sheranne Fairley
Keyword(s):  
Process Model ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Key Stakeholders ◽  
Strategic Goals ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose Event portfolios promote synergies among events and stakeholders within a destination in order to maximise resources. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of relationships in the creation and maintenance of an event portfolio using the four stages of Parvatiyar and Sheth’s (2000) process model of relationship marketing: formation, management and governance, performance evaluation, and evolution. Design/methodology/approach Nine semi-structured interviews were conducted with tourism and government stakeholders involved in the creation and maintenance of an event portfolio within a single destination. Findings The destination outlined clear strategic goals through an event strategy. An Events Board was established to bring together key stakeholders from tourism, events, and government to oversee the development of an event portfolio. The Events Board gave advice to relevant tourism and government stakeholders on which events they should provide funding. Developing relationships was not a stated objective, but the Events Board realised the importance of relationships to create and maintain the destination’s event portfolio. Long-term funding contracts were used as a mechanism to establish relationships and were an impetus for interaction. Relationships were also maintained through dedicated staff who managed the relationships between the destination stakeholders and the events. Practical implications Understanding factors that contribute to the successful creation and maintenance of event portfolios can inform destination stakeholders who are responsible for generating tourism through events. Originality/value Limited research has examined the creation and maintenance of event portfolios. This study provides insight into the central importance of relationships in creating and maintaining an event portfolio.

Shaping accountability at an NGO: a Bourdieusian perspective

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 178-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanjaya Chinthana Kuruppu ◽  
Sumit Lodhia
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Considerable Change ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fresh Perspective ◽  
Nuanced Understanding ◽  
External Forces

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the concept of accountability as it relates to a non-governmental organisation (NGO) evolving through a period of considerable change in Sri Lanka. Design/methodology/approach An in-depth single case study of a large NGO working in Sri Lanka is presented. Data collection involved conducting semi-structured interviews with a range of NGO employees and stakeholders, undertaking participant and non-participant observation and document analysis. Findings This paper shows how accountability is a contested notion that is shaped by struggles among stakeholders within a field. The authors explore how the “widespread field” consisting of the aid context in Sri Lanka and internationally is rapidly shifting. This creates unique pressures within the “restricted field” of the case NGO and its constituents. These pressures are manifested in the contest between the different capitals held by various stakeholders to shape the NGO. The nature of access to these capitals is important in the way that the NGO is shaped by external forces, and also by the individuals within it. Research limitations/implications This study adds fresh perspective to the growing body of work in NGO accountability. The paper highlights the tensions NGOs face through a holistic application of a Bourdieusian conceptual framework. The authors show how the habitus of the organisation is shaped in such a way that conceptions of accountability were captured by powerful external and internal constituencies. Ultimately, the nature of an organisation’s agency is questioned. Practical implications The authors present a more nuanced understanding of forces which shape accountability in an NGO setting which is of practical relevance to NGOs and their stakeholders. The authors highlight the struggle for an NGO to maintain its agency through resisting external forces that impact on its operations. Originality/value This study presents a comprehensive and holistic application of Bourdieu’s concepts and their interactions in an organisational setting. The struggle to harness various forms of capital in the field, shapes doxa and the habitus of NGO actors, illuminating the role of symbolic violence in the creation of an organisational identity.

The truth (as I see it): philosophical considerations influencing a typology of fake news

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 150-158
Author(s):  
Caitlin Candice Ferreira ◽  
Jeandri Robertson ◽  
Marnell Kirsten
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Creation ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Alternative View ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Fake News ◽  
Power Structures ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Conceptual Paper ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the philosophical considerations of fake news and provide an alternative view to current conceptualizations of its binary nature. Through an evaluation of existing research, a typology of fake news is presented that considers the possibility that the propagation of fake news about a brand, may be stemming from the brand itself, a previously unexplored field in the literature. Design/methodology/approach This is a conceptual paper based on extensive literature review on the fields of fake news and knowledge creation, resulting in the creation of a synthesized typology. Findings The role of power structures greatly influences the ability for a brand to respond to fake news. Externally constructed disinformation is seemingly more difficult for a brand to address, as a result of having limited control over the message. Internally constructed information, while stemming from the brand itself provides the brand with more control, but a greater public distrust as the source of the fake news seems to confirm the disinformation. Practical implications This paper presents a typology that contrasts the source of the construction of disinformation and the extent to which the facts have been fabricated. Furthermore, this paper provides future researchers with an alternate understanding of the conceptualization of fake news. Originality/value This paper is the first of its kind to establish a typology of fake news on the basis of the source of construction of disinformation. The source plays an important role when assessing the associated brand risks and developing an approach to combat potential negative implications.

Rethinking the literature on “multiple embeddedness” and subsidiary-specific advantages

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Ferraris
Keyword(s):  
Host Country ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Home Country ◽  
Complex Phenomenon ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Entire Network ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Country Specific

Purpose – This paper aims to synthesize the literature on embeddedness of MNE subsidiaries, rethinking the concept of “multiple embeddedness” in order to clarify the importance of the subsidiary-specific advantages. Design/methodology/approach – A new and innovative framework based on four key relationships: home country-specific advantages (CSAs)-Headquarters (HQ); HQ-subsidiary; subsidiary-host CSAs; and subsidiary-HQ. This framework is used to discuss the complex phenomenon of “multiple embeddedness”. Findings – The framework proposed sheds light on the subsidiary's need to develop and sustain over time its subsidiary-specific advantages (SSAs) and, where possible, to “upgrade” these SSAs and to integrate them across the entire network of the MNE. The framework is based on two pillars. The first one is the “creation and development” of firm-specific advantages (FSAs) (in the home country) and SSAs (in the host country); the second one is the “transfer” of these advantages from the parent to the subsidiary and vice versa. In addition, several interesting interrelations are found between the four main relationships, and the central role of the recombination capabilities and the importance of distance are highlighted. Originality/value – This paper is one of the first to develop a framework incorporating all the relevant relationships in multiple embeddedness. The framework is innovative and “embeddedness” is analyzed in a novel way, as many studies only partially analyze this complex phenomenon and neglect one or more of these relationships.

Coordination in a composite green-product supply chain under different power structures

2020 ◽  
Vol 120 (6) ◽  
pp. 1101-1123
Author(s):  
Gaoxiang Lou ◽  
Zhixuan Lai ◽  
Haicheng Ma ◽  
Tijun Fan
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Cost Sharing ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Power Structures ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Green Practices ◽  
The Game Theory ◽  
Green Investment

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to find the optimal power structure that drives green practices in the supply chain and coordinate the costs and benefits of green practices in supply chain under different power structures.Design/methodology/approachThis paper developed a supply chain of one supplier and one manufacturer, in which the supplier and the manufacturer are responsible for the “greening” of products. Then, the game theory modeling method is used to explore the influence of different power structures on green practices in the supply chain. Finally, the authors developed a green cost-sharing contract made by the leader; regarding optimal supply chain profits and green performance, the proposed contracts and the non-coordination situation are compared and tested by a numerical simulation.FindingsThe increase of the green practice difficulty of any member in the supply chain will not only reduce the greenness of products at that stage but will also reduce the green investment of the supply chain partner. Becoming a channel leader does not necessarily mean being more profitable than being a follower, and when the green practice difficulty of the leader is less than a certain threshold, ceding dominant power to the follower may benefit both sides. A green cost-sharing contract made by the leader is not necessarily beneficial to all enterprises.Originality/valueThis paper helps to better understand the role of the power relation in realizing the industry's green goals and helps decision-makers to achieve win-win cooperation by adjusting power relations and optimizing green cost-sharing contracts.

How workplace bullying affects nurses’ well-being? The roles of burnout and passive avoidant leadership

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Talat Islam ◽  
Muhammad Ali ◽  
Saqib Jamil ◽  
Hafiz Fawad Ali
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Workplace Bullying ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Passive Avoidant

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.

Portuguese research shows value of entrepreneurial training in developing necessary skills

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Entrepreneurship Education ◽  
Education And Training ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The North ◽  
Entrepreneurial Skills ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Entrepreneurial Training ◽  
Training Programmes ◽  
And Training

Purpose The goal was to study how entrepreneurship education and training programmes (EETPs) influence the development of entrepreneurial competencies and creation of business venture Design/methodology/approach The authors tested a series of hypotheses on the EETPs designed for the Sabor Entrepreneurship Programme (SEP), in northern Portugal. They used a detailed questionnaire. At the time of the research (2018), the SEP had had five editions across Sabor’s five municipalities. The main aim of the EETPs was to train participants to run their own companies. Findings The study showed that the entrepreneurship education and training programmes (EETP) developed in the Sabor Region in the north helped participants to develop entrepreneurial skills. Despite these positive results, the researchers were unable to prove statistically that the programme had a definite influence on the creation of companies. Too many other factors, such as financing, bureaucracy and access to information proved critical in the formation of new businesses. Originality/value The researchers were motivated to carry out their research because EETPs have been rapidly expanding throughout the world, but there is no consensus about their effectiveness, or about the best elements to include. To bridge the gaps, the authors examined the role of EETPs in the development of entrepreneurial skills and the creation of businesses.

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