Taking time for patience in organizations

2014 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debra R. Comer ◽  
Leslie E. Sekerka
Keyword(s):  
Self Regulation ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Settings ◽  
Organizational Benefits ◽  
Key Points ◽  
Regulation Strategies ◽  
Patient Responses ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – Patience is underestimated in organizations. The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of patience and the individual and organizational benefits it confers. Then, the paper discuses emotional self-regulation and explain how two self-regulatory techniques can affect the patience of individuals in organizations. Design/methodology/approach – The paper considers religious, philosophical, and psychological perspectives on patience; and highlight the emotional underpinnings of patience. Findings – The paper argues that patience plays an important role in organizations and that individuals can use emotional self-regulation to enhance their patience. The paper offers two key points about the relationship between self-regulation strategies and patience: first, situation selection mitigates the need for patience and second cognitive reappraisal facilitates the execution of patient responses and the development of the virtue itself. Practical implications – The paper provides recommendations for increasing individuals’ patience in organizational settings. Originality/value – The virtue of patience has received scant research attention. This paper focusses on the importance of patience in the workplace and examines how emotional self-regulation can facilitate its activation.

Under-promising and over-delivering: pleasing the customer or strategic blunder?

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (7) ◽  
pp. 720-732 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omer Topaloglu ◽  
David E. Fleming
Keyword(s):  
Practical Implication ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Empirical Examination ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Expectation Management ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Service Expectation ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Promise Keeping

Purpose The paper aims to provide a theoretical and empirical examination of the relationship between service expectation management, expectation inducing agent and customer satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach Based on the disconfirmation paradigm in services and the promise-keeping premise in psychology, the hypotheses are developed and empirically tested using three experiments that manipulated expectations, expectation inducing agent and service outcome. Findings The findings provide reconciliation to the previous studies in services and show that effectiveness of expectation management strategy depends on the individual expectation thresholds and the expectation inducing agent. If customers patronize a firm expecting more, then over-delivering on the service promise results in a significant benefit. However, for those customers whose mental expectation threshold is exceeded, keeping promises is as effective as exceeding promises. Practical implications The practical implication of this paper is that services managers should be cognizant of the mental expectation threshold of customers and be wise in utilizing the under-promise, over-deliver strategy. Originality/value Using a threshold approach, this paper introduces a new perspective to service practitioners who are trying to manage expectations in a highly variable business environment. It also benefits service researchers who are trying to enhance the understanding of service expectation management.

Corporate political connections, agency costs and audit quality

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 357-374 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arifur Khan ◽  
Dessalegn Getie Mihret ◽  
Mohammad Badrul Muttakin
Keyword(s):  
Agency Costs ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Agency Cost ◽  
Political Connections ◽  
Political Connection ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Big 4 ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The effect of political connections of agency costs has attracted considerable research attention due to the increasing recognition of the fact that political connection influences corporate decisions and outcomes. This paper aims to explore the association between corporate political connections and agency cost and examine whether audit quality moderates this association. Design/methodology/approach A data set of Bangladeshi listed non-financial companies is used. A usable sample of 968 firm-year observations was drawn for the period from 2005 to 2013. Asset utilisation ratio, the interaction of Tobin’s Q and free cash flow and expense ratio are used as alternative proxies for agency costs; membership to Big 4 audit firms or local associates of Big 4 firms is used as a proxy for audit quality. Findings Results show that politically connected firms exhibit higher agency costs than their unconnected counterparts, and audit quality moderates the relationship between political connection and agency costs. The results of this paper suggest the importance of audit quality to mitigate agency problem in an emerging economic setting. Research limitations/implications The findings of this paper could be of interest to regulators wishing to focus regulatory effort on significant issues influencing stock market efficiency. The findings could also inform auditors in directing audit effort through a more complete assessment of risk and determining reasonable levels of audit fees. Finally, results could inform financial statement users to direct investments to firms with lower agency costs. Originality/value To the knowledge of the authors, this study is one of the first to explore the relationship between political connection and agency costs, and the moderating effect of audit quality of this relationship.

The effect of engagement partner workload on audit quality

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (8) ◽  
pp. 1068-1091
Author(s):  
Yun Cheng ◽  
Christine M. Haynes ◽  
Michael D. Yu
Keyword(s):  
Audit Quality ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Big 4 ◽  
The Us ◽  
Performance Benchmarks ◽  
Partner Characteristics ◽  
Partner Firm ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose Auditing studies have shifted the research focus from the audit firm level to the individual audit partner level in recent years. Motivated by the call from Lennox and Wu (2018) to explore the effect of audit partners’ characteristics on audit quality in the US, this study aims to develop a new measure of engagement partner workload (EPW), which includes both the size and number of clients audited to test the effect of EPW on audit quality. This study also examines the moderating effect of the partner firm size on audit quality. Design/methodology/approach To test the effect of the EPW on audit quality, this study runs multivariate regressions of EPW on each specific client’s discretionary accruals and audit report delays. This study also runs a logistic regression of EPW on clients’ probability of having small profit increases to meet performance benchmarks. Findings Results of the hypotheses show that partner workload is positively related to audit quality. The results indicate that partners with larger, but fewer, clients conduct higher quality audits. Further analysis indicates that the relationship between partner workload and audit quality only holds for partners from the non-Big 4 firms. Originality/value This study contributes to the literatures of both audit quality and audit partner characteristics, and the results complement initial research aimed at identifying US partner-related characteristics that influence audit quality.

A qualitative exploration of young people and prison officers’ experiences of empathy within a young offenders’ institution

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Anne Tarrant ◽  
Alison Torn
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Subjective Experience ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Institutional Investment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Relationship Factors ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This study aims to explore the ways in which young people and prison staff (Prison Officers) within a youth custodial establishment experience empathy. Previous research tends to view empathy as a stable trait and one which people can develop through individual-centred therapy. There has been little consideration of the impact of relationship factors and context in relation to empathy experience and expression. The current study aims to address this by exploring the role of the custodial context in shaping empathy, including the potential impact of relationships, environmental factors and culture. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach was used to enable breadth and depth in the exploration of this area. Individual, semi-structured interviews were carried out with a purposive sample of three young people and three Prison Officers. Data was analysed using inductive thematic analysis informed by the guidelines of Braun and Clarke (2006) and King and Horrocks (2010). Findings Constructed themes included “constructions of empathy”, “recipe for empathy”, “institutional investment”, “the value of empathy” and “doing empathy”. Together, they provide detailed insight into the interplay of personal and wider contextual factors influencing the experience of empathy in a custodial setting. The findings suggest that the way in which young people and staff experience empathy in the custodial environment is unique. The findings suggest that empathy takes place within the context of relationships and is influenced by the nature of those relationships, along with the wider social context within which it occurs. Practical implications The findings of the current study support a move away from understanding empathy as an individual personality trait and instead viewing it as a dynamic experience that is changeable based upon the relationship and the context within which it occurs. The findings suggest that interventions aiming to develop empathy should look beyond the level of the individual and the relationship and focus upon developing environments that are supportive of empathy. Originality/value This study provides unique insights into the subjective experience of empathy in a custodial setting, presenting as one of the first to take a more holistic approach to understand this phenomenon.

The individual side of ambidexterity

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 592-613 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrés Salas Vallina ◽  
Maria D. Moreno-Luzon ◽  
Anna Ferrer-Franco
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Public Hospitals ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Exploration And Exploitation ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Learning Capability ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to examine whether inspirational leadership of heads of specialized medical units is related to individual ambidexterity of their dependent physicians; and second, to study the possible mediating role of organizational learning capability (OLC) in the relationship between inspirational leadership and individual ambidexterity.Design/methodology/approachStructural equation modeling was used on a sample of 194 medical specialists from Spanish public hospitals.FindingsResults show that inspirational leadership is positively related to individual ambidexterity among healthcare physicians. In addition, the results of the study revealed that the relationship between inspirational leadership and individual ambidexterity is mediated by conditions that facilitate learning, namely, OLC.Research limitations/implicationsThis study uses cross-sectional data, which do not guarantee causality relationships among the examined variables.Practical implicationsThe results of this paper suggest first that heads of healthcare units should inspire followers to achieve both exploration and exploitation. Second, it is also necessary to consider that inspirational leaders promote those conditions that facilitate learning, which should be particularly taken into account to enhance both physician’s exploration and exploitation.Originality/valueIn stressing an evident gap in the relationship between leadership and ambidexterity at the individual level, this paper attempts to advance in the leadership literature by revealing how the action or power of moving the intellect or emotions, and enhancing enthusiasm and confidence, empowers physicians to both explore and exploit knowledge. The results also indicate that the inspiration transmitted by the heads of medical services, facilitate physician’s perceived learning conditions which, in turn, fosters their individual ambidexterity.

The effect of CSR commitment on firms’ level of internationalization

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. 1415-1432
Author(s):  
Morteza Khojastehpour ◽  
Md Abu Saleh
Keyword(s):  
Host Country ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
Content Type ◽  
General Terms ◽  
Regulatory Quality ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has received considerable research attention globally over the past decade. Although a growing number of prior studies have investigated the various dimensions of CSR in general terms, few studies have investigated the critical role that CSR can play in the internationalization process of firms. Design/methodology/approach Using S&P 500 companies during 2004-2014, the authors found that the level of CSR commitment raises the level of reliability of firm and allows further international penetration. Moreover, better regulatory quality of host country is at actual support of internationalization only when considering the short term. Findings Better regulatory quality of host country is at actual support of internationalization only when considering the short term. Originality/value The authors build on internationalization theory and CSR and examine the relationship between firms’ level of internationalization and CSR commitment.

Personality and boredom at work: the mediating role of job crafting

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 315-330
Author(s):  
Bogdan Oprea ◽  
Dragos Iliescu ◽  
Vlad Burtăverde ◽  
Miruna Dumitrache
Keyword(s):  
Job Crafting ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Cross Sectional Design ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose Boredom at work is associated with negative consequences, therefore it is important to investigate whether employees engage in job crafting behaviors that reduce boredom and what are the individual differences associated with these behaviors. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire study was designed to examine the mediating role of job crafting in the relationship between conscientiousness and emotional stability and boredom among 252 employees (Study 1) and in the relationship between Machiavellianism and psychopathy and boredom among 216 employees (Study 2). Findings The results showed that conscientiousness is negatively related to work-related boredom. This relationship is mediated by job crafting. Neuroticism and psychopathy are positively associated with boredom at work, but these relationships are not mediated by job crafting behaviors. Research limitations/implications The study was based on self-reported measures, which might raise questions of common-method bias, and the research samples contained mostly women and young employees, which raises questions about generalizability of our findings. At the same time, the cross-sectional design does not allow causal inferences. Practical implications Organizations can select employees based on their personality for jobs that predispose to boredom and give them enough autonomy to be able to craft them. Moreover, they can identify employees who need support to manage their boredom and include them in job crafting interventions. Originality/value Traditionally, boredom at work has been considered as resulting from characteristics of tasks and jobs. The findings indicate that some employees can make self-initiated changes to their work in order to reduce their boredom and possibly its negative consequences.

Kenyan MPs will assert legislative independence

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Central Bank ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Government ◽  
Party Support ◽  
The Relationship

Significance The bill received cross-party support in parliament, illustrating its independence from the executive, which opposes the bill. The relationship between the executive and legislative branches is complex, with constituents and the president vying for influence among lawmakers. Impacts MPs will oscillate between independence and compliance over the next twelve months. By vetoing the banking legislation, Kenyatta risks opposing a popular measure with elections looming. Banks will compromise with the government and central bank on self-regulation to avoid legislated rates.

The value of human capital within Canadian business schools

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 836-855 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajantha Velayutham ◽  
Asheq Razaur Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Structural Capital ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Academic Salaries ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate whether an individual’s knowledge, skills and capabilities (human capital) are reflected in their compensation. Design/methodology/approach Data are drawn from university academics in the Province of Ontario, Canada, earning more than CAD$100,000 per annum. Data on academics human capital are drawn from Research Gate. The authors construct a regression analysis to examine the relationship between human capital and salary. Findings The analyses performed indicates a positive association between academic human capital and academic salaries. Research limitations/implications This study is limited in that it measures an academic’s human capital solely through their research outputs as opposed to also considering their teaching outputs. Continuing research needs to be conducted in different country contexts and using negative proxies of human capital. Practical implications This study will create awareness about the value of human capital and its contribution towards improving organisational structural capital. Social implications The study contributes to the literature on human capital in accounting and business by focussing on the economic relevance of individual level human capital. Originality/value The study contributes to the literature on human capital in accounting and business by focussing on the economic relevance of individual level human capital. It will help create awareness of the importance of valuing human capital at the individual level.

Do empowered employees absorb knowledge?

2014 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 130-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evangelia Siachou ◽  
Panagiotis Gkorezis
Keyword(s):  
Geographical Area ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Manufacturing Organizations ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – The present study aims to contribute to the limited empirical research regarding the individual level antecedents of absorptive capacity (AC). In this vein, the authors examined the impact of employees' psychological empowerment (PE) dimensions on their AC. Moreover, the authors explored the magnitude of the relationship between one of PE four dimensions, namely competence, and AC compared to that of the rest three dimensions of PE. Design/methodology/approach – The authors collected data from 100 private employees working in two manufacturing organizations. In order to investigate the hypotheses, the authors conducted hierarchical regression and usefulness analysis. Findings – As predicted, the present results showed that all four PE dimensions affected employees' AC. Furthermore, competence demonstrated the strongest impact among all PE dimensions. Research limitations/implications – Data were drawn from two manufacturing organizations located in specific geographical area. Thus, this may constrain the generalizability of the results. Also, the cross-sectional analysis of the data cannot directly assess causality. Originality/value – To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first empirical study examining the relationship between PE and AC.

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