scholarly journals Linking pre-meeting communication to meeting effectiveness

2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (8) ◽  
pp. 1064-1081 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph A. Allen ◽  
Nale Lehmann-Willenbrock ◽  
Nicole Landowski

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the importance of communication that occurs just before workplace meetings (i.e. pre-meeting talk). The paper explores how four specific types of pre-meeting talk (small talk, work talk, meeting preparatory talk, and shop talk) impact participants’ experiences of meeting effectiveness. Moreover, the authors investigate the role of participants’ personality in the link between pre-meeting talk and perceived meeting effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach – Data were obtained using an online survey of working adults (n=252). Because pre-meeting talk has not been studied previously, a new survey measure of meeting talk was developed. Findings – Pre-meeting small talk was a significant predictor of meeting effectiveness, even while considering good meeting procedures. Extraversion was identified as a moderator in this context, such that the relationship between pre-meeting talk and perceived meeting effectiveness was stronger for less extraverted participants. Research limitations/implications – The findings provide the first empirical support for the ripple effect, in terms of meetings producing pre-meeting talk, and suggest that pre-meeting talk meaningfully impact employees’ meeting experiences and perceptions of meeting effectiveness. To address limitations inherent in the cross-section correlational design of the study, future research should experimentally test whether pre-meeting talk actually causes changes in meeting processes and outcomes. Practical implications – Managers should encourage their employees to arrive in time to participate in pre-meeting talk. Side conversations before a scheduled meeting starts can have beneficial effects for meeting outcomes and should be fostered. Originality/value – There is very limited research on the role of pre-meeting talk. The authors identify that small talk is a predictor of meeting effectiveness even after considering previously studied good meeting procedures.

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nupur Arora ◽  
Aanchal Aggarwal

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of perceived benefits, namely, price, convenience and product variety in formation of online shopping attitude. The paper also studies the impact of online shopping attitude on online shopping intentions by the application of the theory of reasoned action. Design/methodology/approach A self-administered and structured online survey was conducted targeting female online shoppers of four metropolitan cities of India. A sample of 508 online shoppers was considered in the online survey. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to evaluate the research constructs, validity and composite reliability. Structural equation modeling and path analysis was also used to examine the hypothesized relationships of the research model. Findings The authors of the paper reveals that price benefit, convenience benefit and product variety benefit has a significant positive impact on online shopping attitude and there is a considerable positive relationship between online shopping attitude and online shopping intention among women in India. Product variety was found to be the most important perceived benefit for Indian women. Research limitations/implications The research sample included only women shoppers who indulge in online shopping. Future research is encouraged to emphasize on other groups and gender to identify with their online shopping attitudes. Another important limitation of the study is consequent from the geographical perspective of the present study; that is India. The findings are not necessarily applicable to the rest of the world. Therefore, reproduction of the current study in diverse countries would probably support and confirm its findings. Also, the present study is cross-sectional which does not demonstrate how attitudes of online shoppers may alter over time. The authors of the current study encourage future research to apply a longitudinal design to the study to understand the transforms in consumers’ attitudes toward online shopping over time. Finally, this study explained a general phenomenon, thus future research can be directed toward particular websites which may present different results. Practical implications The study supports the significance of perceived benefits (price, convenience and variety) as key drivers of attitudes toward online shopping among women in India. Marketers should distinguish the way they indulge their customers based on their perceived benefits of online shopping. In developing countries like India, where consumers, especially women, are generally depicted as risk averse, online shopping attitude plays an important role in the success of e-tailers. Certainly, if online shopping would not attach meaningful value and benefits to consumers, they would have negative attitude toward the same. Additionally, the empirical research study demonstrates variety to be the most important benefit for Indian women; ecommerce retailers should focus on maximizing the same to enhance online purchase intention among women customers. Women empowerment being the agenda in India currently, online retailers’ managers can benefit from such conclusions for targeting this huge untapped market and for future e-marketing policies. Originality/value This research paper is one of the very few endeavors that investigated online shopping attitudes in India. Prominently, it exposed the role of perceived benefits in online shopping attitude in India. Price is one of the most critical factor concerning Indian shoppers which is a part of the present study. National and international e-tailers preparing to develop and expand their operations to India have now important empirical verification concerned with the determinants of online shopping attitudes and behavior in India which shall aid in marketing strategy development and implementation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 1392-1408
Author(s):  
Beverly Colaco ◽  
Natasha M. Loi

Purpose This study aims to examine whether an individual’s perception of the ethical culture of their organisation could be used to predict their work motivation. Design/methodology/approach Using the corporate ethical virtues model as a foundation, the role of distributive justice was explored through the development of a composite measure for assessing ethical organisational culture. The resulting six-factor solution was then used. Australian employees (N = 330; Mage = 38.40) completed an online survey examining perceptions of ethical culture, distributive justice and work motivation. Findings Results indicated that higher work motivation was associated with a higher perception of an organisation’s ethical culture. Additionally, the six dimensions of ethical culture accounted for significant variance in worker motivation, with factors relating to congruency of peers, clarity and feasibility being the best predictors. Originality/value This study provides useful cues for future research and interventions enabling organisations to take a more targeted approach to influence their ethical culture and, consequently, an individual’s motivation to work.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-195
Author(s):  
Alan Abitbol ◽  
Miglena M. Sternadori

Purpose This purpose of this study was to investigate how consumers’ degree of rurality and preference for specific ad types are associated with their attitude toward femvertising (pro-female advertising). Design/methodology/approach An online survey of US-based respondents over 18 years of age was administered by Qualtrics Panels from February 7 to February 15, 2018. The final sample included 418 respondents. Findings The more urban the respondents’ location was, the more educated they were, leading to more support for gender equality but not a more positive attitude to femvertising. Liking of ads described as “funny,” “with a message” and “emotional” was associated with a more positive attitude toward femvertising. Research limitations/implications The findings were limited by the use of a convenience sample and the limited variance in participants’ rurality owing to the prevalence of respondents based in or near metropolitan areas. Future research should seek to understand how, if at all, femvertising has affected rather than only reflected social change across a variety of cultural settings. Practical implications Marketers can expect femvertising appeals to be relatively effective across the rural–urban divide. Femvertising campaigns should consider using or continue to use humor, inspiration/moral reasoning, and emotion in their messages. Social implications The relative lack of controversy surrounding femvertising indicates gender equality may be embraced across social divides, possibly because in the current economic environment, women’s empowerment is linked to monetary gains for both companies and households. Originality/value As the demand for companies to take a stance regarding socially charged issues increases, there is a critical need to understand the factors that impact consumer demand in the context of pro-female messaging. This study expands the literature on the effects of two such factors – rurality and ad type preferences – on attitudes toward advertising promoting egalitarian values. No previous research has investigated the role of these variables in cause-related marketing.


2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 319-335
Author(s):  
Shanna Daniels ◽  
LaDonna M. Thornton

Purpose Drawing upon theories of modern discrimination, the present study focuses on cyber incivility and interpersonal incivility as mechanisms through which race leads to perceived discrimination. Participants included 408 full-time working adults who responded to an online survey. The results indicate that Non-White employees experience subtle forms of discrimination through the use of e-mail, which accentuate the need for organizations to eradicate workplace mistreatment so that their employees can avoid the adverse outcomes associated with experiencing cyber incivility. The purpose of this paper is to extend the understanding of selective incivility and concludes with directions for future research and practical implications. Design/methodology/approach Participants included 408 full-time working adults who responded to the survey online. Findings The results indicate that race was indirectly associated with discrimination through cyber incivility. The results indicate that Non-White employees experience subtle forms of discrimination through the use of technology and cyber space which accentuate the need for organizations to eradicate workplace incivility so that their employees can evade the adverse outcomes associated with experiencing incivility at work. Research limitations/implications This study extends the understanding of selective incivility and concludes with directions for future research and practical implications. Originality/value This paper is the first to explore the relationship between race, cyber incivility and discrimination.


Author(s):  
Suzanne C. Thompson

A sense of personal control is an important resource that helps people maintain emotional stability and successfully negotiate their way through life. People foster their perceived control by focusing on reachable goals, creating new avenues for control, and accepting difficult-to-change circumstances. In general, perceived control need not be realistic in order to have beneficial effects, although in the area of health promotion, overestimating one's control can reduce the motivation to engage in protection. Research on ethnic differences in the benefits of a sense of personal control suggests that those from more collectivistic cultures or subcultures may be less benefited by a sense of personal control, relying instead on a socially derived sense of control. Successful interventions to enhance personal control include programs that bolster coping skills, give options and decisions to participants, and provide training that encourages attributions to controllable factors. Future research should further explore ethnic differences in the effects of personal control, the consequences of unrealistic control perceptions, and interventions to enhance the sense of control.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brianne Redquest ◽  
Yona Lunsky

Purpose There has been an increase in research exploring the area of intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and diabetes. Despite being described as instrumental to diabetes care for people with IDD, the role and experiences of family carers, such as parents and siblings, are often neglected in this research. However, it is clear that family carers do not feel that they have sufficient knowledge about diabetes. The purpose of this commentary is to extend the content from “Diabetes and people with learning disabilities: Issues for policy, practice, and education (Maine et al., 2020)” and discuss how family carers can feel better supported when caring for someone with IDD and diabetes. Design/methodology/approach This commentary discusses specific efforts such as STOP diabetes, DESMOND-ID and OK-diabetes for people with IDD including family carers. Encouragement is given for health care providers to recommend such programmes to people with IDD and their family carers. It is also suggested that health care providers involve family carers in diabetes care planning and implementation for people with IDD. Findings It is hoped that if changes are made to current diabetes practices and more research with family carers is conducted, diabetes prevention and management for people with IDD will be more successful and family carers can feel more confident in providing support to their loved ones. Originality/value Research exploring the role of family carers in diabetes care for people with IDD and diabetes is very limited. This commentary makes recommendations to help family carers feel better supported in their role. It also provides areas for future research.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sri Rahayu Hijrah Hati ◽  
Sigit Sulistiyo Wibowo ◽  
Anya Safira

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the impacts of product knowledge, perceived quality, perceived risk and perceived value on customers’ intention to invest in Islamic Banks. This study specifically examines an Islamic bank’s term deposits. Design/methodology/approach Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data collected from 217 customers of an Islamic bank in Indonesia using an online survey. Findings This study highlights the central and dual roles of perceived risk as both the independent and the intervening variable that mediates the relationship between product knowledge and Muslim customer intention to invest in an Islamic bank’s term deposits. Research limitations/implications This study only investigates term deposits as one type of investment in Islamic banks. This study contributes to the literature by examining the role of product knowledge, perceived quality, perceived risk and perceived value on Muslim customer intention to invest in Islamic term deposits. Practical implications The results of this study highlight the requirement for Islamic banks to educate customers to improve the depositors’ product knowledge because Muslim customers’ risk and value perception and intention are strongly influenced by product knowledge. Originality/value The investigation of perceived risk is particularly relevant for Islamic financial products because of the inherent nature of risk sharing in Islamic finance. This study investigates the role of product knowledge in influencing the Muslim customers’ perception of risk, quality, value and their intention to invest in Islamic bank term deposits. Ideally, the profit loss sharing concept (PLS) should be applied; however, in this context, revenue sharing is applied because of Indonesia’s central bank regulation.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrik Söderberg ◽  
Kaj Bjorkqvist ◽  
Karin Österman

Purpose – Recent studies indicate that exposure to physical punishment is associated with both aggressive behavior and peer victimization at school. The purpose of this paper is to explore the bidirectional relationship between aggressive behavior and peer victimization as outcomes of physical punishment, as well as the role of depressive symptoms. Design/methodology/approach – A sample of 2,424 Finnish upper primary school pupils (1,282 girls, 1,148 boys, mean age=14.2, SD=1.0) completed an online survey during class. Two conditional process models were applied using a macro for SPSS developed by Hayes (2012). Findings – Exposure to physical punishment was found to be associated with both aggressive behavior and peer victimization at school. The effect on victimization was partially mediated by aggressive behavior and depressive symptoms, whereas the effect on aggressive behavior was partially mediated by peer victimization experiences but not by depressive symptoms. The relationship between physical punishment and peer victimization was somewhat stronger for girls than for boys, but this effect was not accounted for by gender differences in depressive symptoms or aggressive behavior. Originality/value – Few studies to date have addressed the connection between aggressive behavior and peer victimization as outcomes of physical punishment. In addition, the study expands on the concept of “victim personality” by examining the mediating role of depressive symptoms. Methodologically, the study is an example of how the statistical software SPSS can be used for multiple mediation and conditional process analysis as an alternative to SEM analyses.


2015 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha Adams ◽  
François De Kock

Orientation: Organisations compete fiercely to recruit the best graduates, because they consider them a rich source of future talent. In the recruitment literature, it has become increasingly important to understand the factors that influence graduate applicant intentions. Research purpose: Drawing on the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), we tested a model proposing that applicant intention is a function of their attitude towards applying, beliefs about referent other’s expectations (subjective norms) and perceived behavioural control with respect to this behaviour.Motivation for the study: The study was motivated by the need to shed light on graduate applicants’ decisions to apply to an organisation of their choice. Research approach, design and method: The study used a quantitative design to test hypotheses that attitudes towards behaviour, norms and control beliefs would influence intention to apply. We surveyed prospective job seekers (N = 854) studying at a South African university about their beliefs regarding the job application process. Main findings: Structural equation modelling showed reasonable fit of the proposed model to the survey data. Latent variable analysis demonstrated that perceived behavioural control and subjective norm explained intention to apply. With the combination of all three variables, only attitude towards applying did not play a significant role in the prediction of intention to apply, which is contrary to previous research. Practical/managerial implications: The findings highlight the role of salient control beliefs in the application process. Efforts by universities and organisations to affect intentions to apply may potentially benefit from focusing on support services that could enhance feelings of control and minimise perceived obstacles. Recruiters could focus on control to increase potential recruitment pools. Contribution/value-add: The study contributes to the recruitment literature in three ways. Firstly, TPB is shown to be a useful framework to explain graduate applicants’ intention to apply, as this theoretical model found empirical support. In doing so, the present study advances our understanding of how graduates’ intentions to apply are formed. Secondly, the results showed that applicants’ control and normative beliefs dominate when considering applying. Lastly, the study results open up interesting avenues for future research on applicant intentions.


2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 533-550 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sudha Arlikatti ◽  
Hassan A. Taibah ◽  
Simon A. Andrew

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the information channels used by public and nonprofit organizations to communicate disaster risk information to Colonias residents in Hidalgo County, Texas. It seeks to find creative and proactive solutions for organizations to improve risk education to these constituents. Design/methodology/approach – Initially a snowball sampling technique was used to conduct six face-to-face interviews. This was followed by an online survey sent to 64 reputational referrals, of which 23 completed the survey, generating a response rate of 34 percent. A comparative analysis between public and nonprofit organizations and the Fischer's exact test were employed to analyze the data. Findings – Channel preferences for providing risk information varied with public organizations using the television (TV) and the nonprofit organizations using bilingual staff for outreach. The television, radio, public events, and bilingual staff were considered to be the most effective while social media (Facebook, Twitter, and city web sites) was not considered at all by both groups. Lack of funding and staffing problems were identified as the primary challenges. Research limitations/implications – One limitation is that the paper focusses on organizations serving Spanish speakers in the Texas Colonias. Future research needs to investigate how other localities at border sites where culturally and linguistically diverse groups might reside, receive and understand risk information. The role of cross-national organizations in creating internationally coordinated plans for disaster communication should also be explored. Originality/value – It highlights the challenges faced by organizations in communicating risk, especially in border communities where culturally and linguistically diverse groups reside.


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