Two-country study of engagement, supervisors and performance appraisal

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 342-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elaine Farndale
Keyword(s):  
Performance Appraisal ◽  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Multinational Enterprises ◽  
Supervisor Support ◽  
Business Systems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Perceived Performance ◽  
National Business Systems ◽  
National Business

Purpose Multinational enterprises are increasingly interested in improving employee engagement across diverse geographies, signifying the importance of understanding antecedents of engagement across different national business systems. This study aims to explore the relationship between an important job resource, perceived performance appraisal fairness and employee engagement in two countries: the UK and India. Critically, the mediating role of perceived supervisor support in these contrasting cultural contexts is investigated, as well as differentiating between two types of engagement: work and organization. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on a UK-based multinational enterprise operating in its home country and in India, survey data from 249 employees are analyzed. Findings The survey results indicate that there are positive relationships between elements of perceived performance appraisal fairness and engagement in both countries, and that supervisor support plays an important mediating role. There are, however, important differences between the two countries’ results. Research limitations/implications Cross-sectional data from a single firm are a limitation of this study, as well as using national culture as an explanatory variable although this is not measured. Future research should attempt to measure culture, especially in India, where cultural heterogeneity is high. Practical implications The study demonstrates the importance of ensuring appropriate mechanisms in different overseas operations to achieve engagement when implementing performance appraisal. Originality/value This study expands significantly our knowledge surrounding the engagement construct by including both work and organization engagement, measured simultaneously in two contrasting national contexts. Furthermore, it highlights the value of national business systems cultural theorizing to explain differences in employee workplace experiences.

Multilevel power dynamics shaping employer anti-sexual harassment efforts in Lebanon

2019 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte Karam ◽  
May Ghanem
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Harassment ◽  
Power Dynamics ◽  
Business Systems ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Key Stakeholders ◽  
Multi Stakeholder ◽  
National Business Systems ◽  
Simultaneous Influence ◽  
National Business

Purpose The #MeToo movement against sexual harassment (SH) has sparked a sense of familiarity, and collective anger among women, highlighting it as a pervasive and common experience across the globe. The purpose of this paper is to argue that despite shared experiences and such transnational movements, the ways in which SH is actually understood and combated are likely to be different in disparate National Business Systems (NBS). Through the analysis, the authors unpack these differences by paying specific attention to the multilevel power dynamics shaping how employers and their key stakeholders understand and respond to SH in Lebanon. Design/methodology/approach Against the backdrop of the complex and inefficient Lebanese NBS, the authors adopt a cross-cultural feminist analytic framework and engage in an iterative qualitative analysis of over 208 pages of transcriptions from relevant multisector, multi-stakeholder interactive sessions. Based on the analysis, the authors propose a series of first- and second-order concepts and themes that help us to trace how power shapes local SH understandings and related efforts. Findings The findings highlight the simultaneous influence of power through geopolitical forces external to Lebanon (i.e. power over through North-centricism and othering; power to through comparative perspectives and SDG regulations), combined with local forces embedded within the specific NBS (i.e. power over through negative attitudes and NBS specificities; power to through positive business efforts and local multistakeholder mobilizing). Originality/value The findings demonstrate the importance of paying attention to the interaction between power, contextual embeddedness and geopolitical considerations in attempts to advance SH theorization.

Crisis, rigidity and nonliberal governance in Japan: the cases of Mitsubishi Motors and Kanebo

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Seijiro Takeshita ◽  
Soo Hee Lee ◽  
Christopher Williams ◽  
Jacqueline Jing You
Keyword(s):  
Capital Investment ◽  
Environmental Turbulence ◽  
Management Decision ◽  
Formal Organization ◽  
Business Systems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business System ◽  
Management Decision Making ◽  
National Business Systems ◽  
National Business

PurposeThe authors examine the nature of institutional rigidity and governance problems contributing to crisis and under-performance of large corporations in Japan during a period of environmental turbulence for corporate Japan.Design/methodology/approachThrough explorative case studies of Mitsubishi Motors and Kanebo over a 10-year period from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s the authors see how informal norms deeply embedded in the Japanese business system prevented the adoption of more liberal forms of governance that may have helped to overcome crisis.FindingsDespite fundamental differences in formal organization between the two cases, there were similar underlying problems in terms of (1) mechanisms for capital investment that would underpin strategic resilience and rejuvenation and (2) management decision-making and strategic control during crisis.Research limitations/implicationsThe cases show how normative institutions rather than formal regulative institutions matter to strategic continuity in national business systems that are put under pressure.Originality/valueThe authors link informal norms of governance intrinsic to a country to the issues of strategic resilience and responses during crisis and warn against the retrenching to traditional governance approaches where there has been criticism of alternative governance approaches.

Supportive supervisor to curtail turnover intentions: do employee engagement and work–life balance play any role?

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Raminderpreet Kaur ◽  
Gurpreet Randhawa
Keyword(s):  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Indirect Effects ◽  
Turnover Intentions ◽  
Supervisor Support ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Personal Life ◽  
Work Life Balance ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Perceived Supervisor Support

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of employee engagement and work–life balance in perceived supervisor support and turnover intentions relationship.Design/methodology/approachThe perception of teachers on the constructs considered has been assessed by a survey using a structured questionnaire. Data were collected from the teachers of private schools of Punjab, India, and 375 were valid number of responses. Parallel multiple mediated regression was used to estimate the direct and indirect effects of perceived supervisor support on turnover intentions mediated through employee engagement and work–life balance.FindingsThe results reveal that the effect of perceived supervisor support on turnover intentions is indirect rather than direct. On the comparison of specific indirect effects, the results demonstrate that employee engagement and two dimensions of work–life balance (work interference with personal life and work–personal life enhancement) act as mediators in the perceived supervisor support and turnover intentions relationship.Practical implicationsSchool principals need to draft teacher-friendly policies for enhancing work–life balance and employee engagement so that teachers can feel satisfied with their work and can handle work and family demands. In this way, positive perceptions associated with high engagement and work–family balance can take place, which in turn can curtail the turnover intentions of teachers.Originality/valueThe use of employee engagement and work-life balance in the relationship of perceived supervisor support and turnover intentions is unprecedented. The study also considered three different dimensions of work–life balance and tested the model in an integrative manner. Since the study is based on an Indian sample, it also adds to growing literature on turnover intentions in nonwestern countries. The results are of great value to school managements, HR managers and policymakers who are seeking to develop practices that reduce employee turnover at workplaces.

Changing National Business Systems: Corporate Governance and Financing in the Netherlands, 1945–2005

2010 ◽  
Vol 84 (4) ◽  
pp. 773-798 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abe de Jong ◽  
Ailsa Röell ◽  
Gerarda Westerhuis
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Corporate Governance ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Market Economy ◽  
Shareholder Rights ◽  
Business Systems ◽  
Foreign Investors ◽  
Corporate System ◽  
National Business Systems ◽  
National Business

This study traces the evolution of corporate governance and financing structures in the Netherlands during the second half of the twentieth century. A description of Dutch shareholder rights, fi nancing structures, and networks of directors reveals the changes that have occurred in many aspects of the Dutch corporate system over the course of six decades. The case of Royal Ahold illustrates some of the developments that have taken place. Most indicate a transition from a coordinated market economy to a more liberal system. The internationalization of the Dutch economy, which has played an important role in the transition of the system, is reflected in the expansion of Dutch firms beyond the national borders and in the growing number of foreign investors in Dutch fi rms.

The mediating role of fairness on the effectiveness of strategic performance measurement systems

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Baird ◽  
Sophia Xia Su ◽  
Nuraddeen Nuhu
Keyword(s):  
Performance Appraisal ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Performance Measures ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strategic Performance ◽  
Measurement Systems ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Performance Measurement Systems ◽  
Insight Into

PurposeThis study examines the mediating role of the fairness of performance appraisal on the association between the extent of use of strategic performance measurement systems (SPMSs) with SPMS effectiveness.Design/methodology/approachData were collected using an online survey distributed to 656 Australian middle and lower level managers.FindingsThe findings reveal that informational fairness mediates the association between SPMSs (link to value drivers and the use of multidimensional performance measures) with performance-related outcomes; procedural fairness mediates the association between SPMSs (link to strategy and the use of multidimensional performance measures) with staff-related outcomes and distributive fairness mediates the association between the use of SPMSs (all three types) with both performance and staff-related outcomes.Originality/valueThe study provides a unique insight into the importance of fairness (the distributive, informational and procedural fairness of the performance appraisal system) in mediating the associations between the extent of use of SPMSs and SPMS effectiveness. The findings contribute to the human resource management (HRM) “black box” literature by providing an insight into the behavioural mechanism through which a specific human resource management practice (i.e. the SPMS) influences organisational performance.

Employee engagement and commitment to two Australian autism employment programs: associations with workload and perceived supervisor support

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer R. Spoor ◽  
Rebecca L. Flower ◽  
Simon M. Bury ◽  
Darren Hedley
Keyword(s):  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Affective Commitment ◽  
Organizational Context ◽  
Supervisor Support ◽  
Continuance Commitment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Perceived Supervisor Support ◽  
Perceived Workload ◽  
Employment Programs ◽  
The Impact

PurposeAlthough there is growing academic and business interest in autism employment programs, few studies have examined employee (manager and coworker) attitudes toward these programs. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of workload changes (a job demand) and perceived supervisor support (a job resource) on commitment to the program and employee engagement more broadly.Design/methodology/approachA total of 229 employees from two Australian public sector organizations completed a survey about the autism employment program in their organization.FindingsPerceived workload increases were associated with lower affective commitment and higher continuance commitment to the program. Perceived supervisor support was associated with higher affective commitment to the program and employee engagement, but lower continuance commitment to the program. Perceived supervisor support moderated the effect of workload increase on employee engagement, but not in the expected direction.Originality/valueThis research helps to fill a gap in the autism employment literature by focusing on commitment toward autism employment programs among existing employees. The research helps to provide a more complete and nuanced view of these programs within their broader organizational context.

Introduction: Changing Business Systems in the Netherlands in the Twentieth Century

2010 ◽  
Vol 84 (4) ◽  
pp. 737-750 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keetie Sluyterman
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Open Economy ◽  
Small Open Economy ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Business Systems ◽  
Business System ◽  
National Business Systems ◽  
National Business ◽  
Over Time

The organization of economic activities differs among countries and over time. Differences between nations have been highlighted in academic discussions about national business systems and the varieties of capitalism. This group of articles about the Dutch business system contributes to these debates by offering new empirical research from the perspective of a small, open economy and highlighting changes that have occurred during the second half of the twentieth century. While they discuss developments in the Netherlands, the articles also explore general themes, including corporate governance, cartels, and the organization of multinational companies. While the articles show that business systems are in constant flux, comparisons between the Dutch and U.S. systems seem to suggest that each moves at a different pace. A particularly striking aspect of the Dutch stories is the large impact of developments abroad.

Materializing the Societal Effect: Organizational Forms and Changing Patterns of Dominance in the Paper Industry

2005 ◽  
Vol 26 (12) ◽  
pp. 1809-1830 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juha-Antti Lamberg ◽  
Juha Laurila
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Study ◽  
Paper Industry ◽  
Organizational Forms ◽  
Business Systems ◽  
Research Designs ◽  
Dominant Firms ◽  
Changing Patterns ◽  
National Business Systems ◽  
National Business

This paper reports an empirical study on the co-evolution of competitive conditions dominating firms and organizational forms in the paper industry1. It has two main theoretical implications. First, with respect to research on national business systems and the societal effect, we suggest that the country of origin imprints firms especially by allowing them to develop distinctive organizational forms. Second, we show that the competitive conditions, dominant forms and dominant firms remain in constant flux even in mature industries. There is, therefore, a need for co-evolutionary research to continue to combine long-term perspectives and intensive research designs in the study of specific industries.

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