Diversity within management levels and organizational performance: employees’ perspective

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 110-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Subhash C. Kundu ◽  
Archana Mor ◽  
Sandeep Kumar ◽  
Jahanvi Bansal

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between employees’ perceptions of diversity within management levels (i.e. senior management, middle management and lower management levels) and perceived organizational performance. The study also examines differences in perceptions of diversity within different levels of management across nature and ownership forms of organizations. Design/methodology/approach Primary data were gathered from a sample of 400 employees from 162 organizations of diverse industries operating in India. Statistical techniques like analysis of variance and stepwise multiple regressions were used to analyze the data. Findings Employee perceptions of diversity at the senior, middle and lower management levels of organizations are weakly, most significantly and positively, and negatively related to perceived organizational performance. It has also been found that the perceptions of diversity within different levels of management differ across nature and ownership forms of the organization. Research limitations/implications The study relies on self-reported questionnaires as the method of data collection, which can lead to common-method bias. Hence, further studies can collect data by using multiple sources. In addition, future researchers can employ both subjective and objective measures to fetch results that are more valid. Practical implications To harvest the benefits of diversity, organization should foster positive perceptions among employees toward diversity. Originality/value The study gives new insight into why employees’ perceptions are significant in considering the possible outcomes of diversity.

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (7) ◽  
pp. 1053-1077 ◽  
Author(s):  
Binh An Thi Duong ◽  
Huy Quang Truong ◽  
Maria Sameiro ◽  
Paulo Sampaio ◽  
Ana Cristina Fernandes ◽  
...  

Purpose A single supply chain management (SCM) practice will have a certain impact on organizational performance (OP). However, since it is placed in a system that many other practices are conducted simultaneously, the practice itself will interact with other ones (i.e. affect/be affected). As a consequence, the efficiency of the affected practice is increased and it is expected to maximize the impact of SCM practices on OP. This mechanism is named the “resonant” influence that is a new approach in the SCM literature. The purpose of this paper is to test the above mechanism toward an insight into the relationship between SCM and OP. Design/methodology/approach Two models were compared: the competitive models only exist in direct effects; and the other contains relationships between practices that are able to show the mechanism of the resonant influence, i.e. the hypothetical model. A data set gained from Vietnamese garment enterprises was used to validate the mechanism of the resonant influence. Findings Empirical evidence from Vietnamese garment sector showed that the competitive models could explain 42.8, 26.3 and 34 percent variance of operational performance, customer satisfaction and financial performance, respectively. In the meantime, the hypothetical model containing the resonant influence is capable to explain 69.5, 33.1 and 57.3 percent. For the impact of each SCM practice on OP, all relationships in the hypothetical model are also greater than those in competitive ones. These results supported the mechanism of the resonant influence. Research limitations/implications This research provides an insight into the relationship between SCM practices and OP. By the resonant influence, the effectiveness of each affected SCM practice itself is magnified and OP is also increased remarkably. Practical implications Understanding the resonant influence, companies can apply this mechanism to enhance effectiveness of SCM practices at the lowest cost. To this end, the SCM practices should be implemented simultaneously as an integrated system rather than independent ones and the structural model proposed in this study is able to be used as “a guide map” for applying this mechanism. Originality/value This is one of pioneer empirical studies in the SCM literature that proposed and validated the concept of “resonant influence.”


2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 510-530 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruchi Payal ◽  
Salma Ahmed ◽  
Roma Mitra Debnath

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the dynamic relationships among the essential knowledge management (KM) constructs, i.e. strategy, enablers and processes, and to establish their links to organizational performance using a holistic integrated model. Design/methodology/approach The structural equation modeling approach was used in the research study. The primary data were collected from IT managers in Indian software firms. Findings The study successfully tested an integrated KM model in an Indian scenario. The study found that the KM strategy, enablers and processes had a significant positive relationship with the organizational performance. An appropriately designed KM strategy significantly influenced the KM enablers and KM process. KM enablers nurtured in an organization positively impacted the KM process. Furthermore, the KM process partially mediated the relationship between the KM strategy and organizational performance, and partially mediated the relationship between KM enablers and organizational performance. Originality/value This study is one of the few to empirically establish how the essential KM constructs of strategy, enablers and processes together impact organizational performance.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 91-121
Author(s):  
Meltem Ceri-Booms

Purpose The research studies the role of contextual moderating variables on the relationship between person-oriented leadership behaviors (POLBs) and team performance. The authors claim that the varying effect sizes between POLBs and team performance are large because of the context the team is functioning in. Therefore, based on the framework of Johns (2006), this paper aims to investigate the moderating role of the relevant demographic (leader gender), social (in-group collectivism and team size), task (skill differentiation) and methodological (common method bias and the rater of the team performance) contextual variables in the study. Design/methodology/approach The authors accumulated evidence from 48 independent primary studies (N team = 4,276) to run the meta-analytic analyses. The authors followed the procedures described by Schmidt and Hunter (2015). For the categorical moderators, the analyzes were aided by the Hunter–Schmidt meta-analysis programs (2.0) (Schmidt and Le, 2014), which is an interactive software using a random-effects model. In the analyzes for the continuous moderators, the authors used Lipsey and Wilson’s (2001) statistical package for the social sciences macros and run meta-regressions using a random-effects model with unrestricted maximum likelihood. Findings The results indicate that the relationship weakens when female leaders exhibit these behaviors and when the team size increases. On the other hand, in-group collectivism strengthens the relationship. The study also found that the common method bias and the assessment method of the team performance are significant moderators altering the relationship. Practical implications The study highlights the perceptual differences and biases based on leader gender. Acknowledging these biases may help practitioners to appreciate the female qualities in leadership and decrease the undervaluation of female effectiveness. To create high-performing teams, leaders in high in-group collectivist countries are expected to develop a family feeling in the team by showing their concern for personal issues and build close interpersonal relationships. Researchers should use multiple sources to assess the predictor and criterion variables and also opt for more objective assessment methods for team performance. Originality/value With this study, the authors follow a substantively different perspective compared to the past meta-analytic reviews on this relationship. Rather than testing the inquiry whether there is a relationship between the two variables, the authors specifically focus on the role of contextual moderating variables. Several researchers have acknowledged that contextual considerations are critical in leadership-team performance research. Nevertheless, the body of research remains to be not cohesive. Thus, the study answers a call in the leadership area for a more context-based and cohesive understanding of the effects of leadership on team performance.


2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanyu Zhang ◽  
Gayle C. Avery ◽  
Harald Bergsteiner ◽  
Elizabeth More

Purpose – This study investigated whether the direct supervisor's leadership style affects employee engagement using Avery's classical, transactional, visionary, and organic leadership paradigms as the theoretical framework. The study also investigated how many and which components of employee engagement (“say”, “stay” and “strive”) contribute to the construct. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – A sample of 439 retail sales assistants in Sydney, Australia, responded to a mixed-mode questionnaire survey. Factor analysis, independent t-tests, analysis of variance and structural regression models were used in the data analysis. Findings – Both research questions were supported. Results showed that the visionary and organic paradigms are likely to enhance employee engagement, whereas classical and transactional styles negatively affect employee engagement. Furthermore, the data confirmed that the three behavioral-outcome factors all do contribute to the employee engagement construct. Research limitations/implications – One implication for researchers is that an employee engagement measure with demonstrably high reliability and validity, and known components has been developed. This study could be replicated in different national and occupational contexts, the leadership measures reconfirmed and expanded, follower characteristics included as moderating variables, and links to organizational performance investigated. Practical implications – The findings suggest that direct supervisors should be encouraged to use visionary and/or organic leadership wherever possible to drive employee engagement. Originality/value – This paper is original in several ways. It resolves an ongoing dispute in the literature about the components of employee engagement, namely whether all three components contribute to the concept. In answering this question, a valid and reliable questionnaire was developed. Using four leadership paradigms, including classical and organic leadership that are rarely investigated, this study demonstrates that employee perceptions of the leadership style used by their direct supervisor are linked to employee engagement.


2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (11/12) ◽  
pp. 944-955
Author(s):  
Amos Oluwole Taiwo

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide an insight into the relationship that exists between land use activities and street begging in Ibadan municipality, Nigeria, following the observed influence of urban land use activities on begging incidence.Design/methodology/approachPrimary data were obtained through the method of direct enumeration of beggars and cursory observation of the physical and environmental compositions of the identified beggars’ locations in the study area.FindingsThe results showed that begging is a function of urban land use activities and it also conforms to the concentric, sector and multiple nuclei models of urban land use.Research limitations/implicationsStudies are still less noticeable on the spatial implications of begging in Nigerian urban centres. In view of this, it is very much suggested that more studies be carried out on issues relating to begging, particularly, on the spatial implications of begging in other municipalities for effective comparative analysis.Originality/valueThe study fills a gap in the literature as there is limited research on street begging in relation to spatial dimension.


2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 246-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lena Låstad ◽  
Tinne Vander Elst ◽  
Hans De Witte

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between individual job insecurity and job insecurity climate over time. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected among readers of a Flemish Human Resources magazine. The data collection was repeated three times, resulting in a longitudinal dataset with information from 419 employees working in Flanders. A cross-lagged design was used in which both individual job insecurity and job insecurity climate were modeled at all times and reciprocal relationships between these constructs could be investigated. Findings – The results showed that perceptions of individual job insecurity were related to perceiving a climate of job insecurity six months later. However, no evidence was found for the effect of job insecurity climate on individual job insecurity. This suggests that job insecurity origins in the individual’s perceptions of job insecurity and subsequently expands to include perceptions of a job insecurity climate at the workplace. Research limitations/implications – First, the data used in this study were collected solely by self-reports, which could have introduced a common method bias to the study. Second, as with all non-experimental studies, the possibility that a third variable could have affected the results cannot categorically be ruled out. Practical implications – Managers and human resource practitioners who wish to prevent job insecurity in organizations may consider focussing on individual job insecurity perceptions when planning preventive efforts. Originality/value – By investigating the relationship between individual job insecurity and job insecurity climate over time, this study contributes to the understanding of job insecurity, both as an individual and a social phenomenon.


2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anusha Sreeram ◽  
Ankit Kesharwani ◽  
Sneha Desai

PurposeThis paper aims to conceptualize and test an integrated model of online grocery buying intention by extending technology acceptance model by adding several antecedents of online grocery shopping behaviour such as physical effort, time pressure, entertainment value, product assortment, economic values, website design aesthetics, etc. The ultimate dependent variable was consumer’s satisfaction with buying process of grocery product via online platform. Design/methodology/approachThe model was tested over online grocery shoppers using structural equation modelling approach. To enhance the validity of the finding, common method bias and social desirability bias were also assessed. FindingsAs product assortment was found to have a significant impact on both perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness, it supports the notion of one-stop solution as a major driver to attract buyers to buy groceries online. Findings also highlight the importance of entertainment value and economic value as key variables which shape the buyer’s satisfaction and purchase loyalty behaviour. Overall, the results support the proposed model. Practical/implicationsThe findings of this study would be helpful for online marketers to get more website visits and to increase conversion rates, i.e. getting their visitors to spend more time on the website and to make purchase. Originality/valueThis integrated framework tested here is quite comprehensive in nature, as it includes the influence of time pressure, physical effort and product assortment on online buying behaviour. These basic yet important variables to study, especially when the industry (online grocery shopping) is still in its nascent stage, are missing from the literature. The present study also involves a rigorous data analysis process followed by assessment of common method bias and psychometric property test. Such approach is rare in existing body of knowledge. The study uses S-O-R framework for hypothesis and model development, which is also rare in context of online grocery shopping.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy Shea ◽  
Syed Aktharsha Usman ◽  
Sengottuvel Arivalagan ◽  
Satyanarayana Parayitam

Purpose The purpose of this study is to empirically examine knowledge management (KM) practices as a moderator in the relationship between organizational culture and performance. The effect of four types of organizational culture on organizational performance was studied. In addition to direct effects, most importantly, KM practices as a moderator in strengthening the culture-performance relationship were empirically examined. Design/methodology/approach A carefully crafted survey instrument was distributed and data was collected from 1,255 respondents from 10 information technology companies in India. After checking the psychometric properties of the instrument, this paper performs hierarchical regression to test hypotheses. Findings The results reveal that: cooperative culture, innovative culture, consistent culture and effectiveness culture were all positively and significantly related to organizational performance; KM practices were positively and significantly related to organizational performance, KM practices moderate the relationship between various dimensions of organizational culture and organizational performance. Research limitations/implications As with any survey-based research, the present study suffers from the problems associated with self-report measures. These are common method bias and social desirability bias. However, this study attempts to minimize these limitations by following appropriate statistical techniques. Practical implications This study contributes to both practicing managers and the literature on KM and organizational culture. The study suggests that managers use KM practices, which are all-pervasive and very important for improving organizational performance. The results highlight the importance of implementing KM practices in organizations. Originality/value This study provides new insights into the importance of KM practices in achieving sustained competitive advantage by achieving organizational effectiveness. To the knowledge, the importance of KM practices is underemphasized in organizational culture research.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maarit Laiho ◽  
Essi Saru ◽  
Hannele Seeck

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the interplay between human resource management (HRM) and emergent factors in constructing a strong HRM climate. Specifically, the paper aims to shed light on how employee perceptions of the HRM process and emergent factors together construct a strong HRM climate, i.e. employees' shared perceptions of HRM.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses qualitative interview data (managers and employees) from two organisations operating in Finland. The data are analysed based on a systematic data analysis and gives an illustration of the interplay between high-performance work system and the emergent factors.FindingsThe findings illustrate the three types of interplay between HPWS and emergent factors – supplementation, substitution and suffocation – that construct employee experience.Originality/valueThe paper extends earlier discussions on the relationship between HRM and employee experience by empirically examining how the HRM process – together with emergent factors – constructs a strong HRM climate. The present study contributes to further theorising and increasing our understanding of the creation of employee experience.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Haseena Bader Alkatheeri ◽  
Fauzia Jabeen ◽  
Khalid Mehmood ◽  
Gabriele Santoro

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate information technology capabilities (ITC)’s influence on organizational performance (OP) within the hospitality industry. Specifically, it analyzes the indirect effects of sustainability practices (SP) and service quality (SQ) on the relationship between ITC and OP. The moderating effect of top management support (TMS) is also examined.Design/methodology/approachUsing a three-wave time-lagged design, 507 UAE hotels' managers took part in the study. Hierarchical regression bootstrapping approach was used to examine the hypothesis.FindingsThis study suggests that ITC are positively related to OP. Furthermore, the study found that SP and SQ mediate the ITC-OP relationship. TMS moderates the positive relationship between ITC and OP and also moderates the relationship between SQ and OP. Additionally, TMS moderates the indirect effect of SQ on the association between ITC and OP, such that the mediating effect is stronger when TMS is at a high level.Research limitations/implicationsThe study shall assist the practitioners of the hospitality firms to focus their attention on ITC to improve SQ and hence achieve optimal performance.Originality/valueThe novelty of this research lies in the presentation of an integrated framework based on a resource-based view to solve the contemporary challenges facing hospitality firms operating in emerging markets in integrating ITC and SP for better organizational results.


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