Social courage fosters both voice and silence in the workplace

Author(s):  
Matt C. Howard ◽  
Philip E. Holmes

Purpose One of the strongest and most important outcomes of trait social courage is employee voice, but researchers have only studied this relationship with unidimensional conceptualizations of voice. The purpose of this paper is to apply Van Dyne et al.’s (2003) three-dimensional conceptualization of voice, which also distinguishes three dimensions of silence, to provide a nuanced understanding of the relationship of social courage with voice and silence. The authors also test for the moderating effect of three contextual influences: top management attitudes toward voice and silence, supervisor attitudes toward voice and silence, as well as communication opportunities. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted a four-timepoint survey with each measurement occasion separated by one week. A total of 134 participants completed all four timepoints. Findings The results support that social courage positively relates to prosocial voice and silence, whereas it negatively relates to defensive voice and silence as well as acquiescent voice and silence. In other words, social courage positively relates to beneficial voice and silence as well as negatively relates to detrimental voice and silence. The results also failed to support any moderating effects, suggesting that the relationships of social courage are very resilient to outside forces. Practical implications These findings both test prior results and discover new relationships of social courage, which can further stress the importance of courage. The authors also draw direct connections between the influence of social courage on the surrounding workplace environment – as well as the influences of the environment on social courage. While the current paper provides insights into social courage, it also directs future researchers toward new insights of their own. Originality/value Courage is an emergent research topic within organizations. While many authors have assumed that courage is important to work, the current paper is among the few to empirically support this notion.

Sensor Review ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 312-321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yixiang Bian ◽  
Can He ◽  
Kaixuan Sun ◽  
Longchao Dai ◽  
Hui Shen ◽  
...  

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to design and fabricate a three-dimensional (3D) bionic airflow sensing array made of two multi-electrode piezoelectric metal-core fibers (MPMFs), inspired by the structure of a cricket’s highly sensitive airflow receptor (consisting of two cerci). Design/methodology/approach A metal core was positioned at the center of an MPMF and surrounded by a hollow piezoceramic cylinder. Four thin metal films were spray-coated symmetrically on the surface of the fiber that could be used as two pairs of sensor electrodes. Findings In 3D space, four output signals of the two MPMFs arrays can form three “8”-shaped spheres. Similarly, the sensing signals for the same airflow are located on a spherical surface. Originality/value Two MPMF arrays are sufficient to detect the speed and direction of airflow in all three dimensions.


2022 ◽  
Vol 275 (1349) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonard Gross

The existence and uniqueness of solutions to the Yang-Mills heat equation is proven over R 3 \mathbb {R}^3 and over a bounded open convex set in R 3 \mathbb {R}^3 . The initial data is taken to lie in the Sobolev space of order one half, which is the critical Sobolev index for this equation over a three dimensional manifold. The existence is proven by solving first an augmented, strictly parabolic equation and then gauge transforming the solution to a solution of the Yang-Mills heat equation itself. The gauge functions needed to carry out this procedure lie in the critical gauge group of Sobolev regularity three halves, which is a complete topological group in a natural metric but is not a Hilbert Lie group. The nature of this group must be understood in order to carry out the reconstruction procedure. Solutions to the Yang-Mills heat equation are shown to be strong solutions modulo these gauge functions. Energy inequalities and Neumann domination inequalities are used to establish needed initial behavior properties of solutions to the augmented equation.


2017 ◽  
Vol 46 (6) ◽  
pp. 1070-1088 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan Coetzer ◽  
Chutarat Inma ◽  
Paul Poisat

Purpose The purpose of this paper is threefold: first, to examine the job embeddedness (JE)-turnover intentions relationship in large and small organisations; second, to investigate how employee perceptions of each dimension of JE may differ in large and small organisations; and third, to determine if work group cohesion moderates the JE-turnover intentions relationship. Design/methodology/approach Using a short form of the original JE questionnaire, data were collected from 549 employees in organisations located in four major business centres in South Africa. Participants were from organisations in diverse industries. Findings JE predicted turnover intentions in large organisations, but not in small organisations. Contrary to expectations, employees in small organisations perceived that they would sacrifice more benefits than employees in large organisations if they were to quit. Results suggest that work group cohesion moderates the JE-turnover intentions relationship. Research limitations/implications Further research is needed to determine how JE operates in different size organisations and in urban and rural small organisations. Practical implications In small organisations, building group cohesion and persuasively communicating benefits of working in a small organisation can help to embed employees. Originality/value This study responds to calls for further JE research in a wider range of national contexts. It contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the three dimensions of JE by investigating how employee perceptions of each dimension differ in large and small organisations. The study also responds to appeals for research that examines moderators of the JE-turnover relationship by exploring work group cohesion as a potential moderator.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Abdul Latif ◽  
Jan Vang

Purpose Top management commitment (TMC) and prosocial voice behaviour in Lean teams are vital for the successful Lean implementation. This study aims to investigate how TMC influences Lean team members’ prosocial voice behaviour and how such changed voice behaviour affects the outcome of Lean implementations. Design/methodology/approach The authors have used a qualitative research methodology to examine six dimensions of TMC (communication, involvement, support, empowerment, encouragement and monitoring) in two ready-made garment (RMG) factories in Bangladesh. Operational performance was measured by efficiency, quality, value stream mapping, single-minute exchange dies and 5S scores. Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) was assessed by acceptable head and back positions, machine safety, use of masks and housekeeping. Findings The findings reveal that TMC influences Lean team members' voice behaviour positively and, thereby, company's performance. Six dimensions of TMC are all critical for mobilizing prosocial voice, which then improves productivity, OHS and enhancing employee capacity and job satisfaction. Research limitations/implications This research involved two sewing lines in two RMG factories in Bangladesh. Cross-sector and large-scale international quantitative research is also needed. Practical implications This research shows how TMC and Lean problem-solving teams can mobilize employee voice. Originality/value Employee voice is a central issue in the implementation of Lean. To the best of the author’s knowledge, for the first time, the authors show how the six dimensions of TMC influence Lean team members’ voice behaviour in the workplace and thereby how prosocial voice affects team performance.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Abdul Latif ◽  
Jan Vang ◽  
Rebeca Sultana

PurposeVoice role identification and the psychosocial voice barriers represented by implicit voice theories (IVTs) affect lean team members' prosocial voice behavior and thereby lean team performance. This paper investigates how role definition and IVTs influence individual lean team-members' prosocial voice behavior during lean implementation.Design/methodology/approachThis research was conducted in four case readymade garment (RMG) factories in Bangladesh following a mixed-method research approach dominated by a qualitative research methodology. Under the mixed-method design, this research followed multiple research strategies, including intervention-based action research and case studies.FindingsThe findings suggest that voice role perception affects the voice behavior of the individual lean team members. The findings also demonstrate that voice role definition significantly influences individually held implicit voice beliefs in lean teams.Research limitations/implicationsThis research was conducted in four sewing lines in four RMG factories in Bangladesh. There is a need for a cross-sector and cross-country large-scale study that follows the quantitative research methods in different contexts.Practical implicationsThis research contributes to the operations management literature, especially in lean manufacturing, by presenting the difficulties of mobilizing employee voice in lean problem-solving teams. This work provides new knowledge to managers to address challenges and opportunities to ensure decent work and to improve productivity.Originality/valueThis research raises a key issue of employee voice and its influence on lean performance which addresses two critical areas of employee voice behavior in lean teams: team-members' voice role perception and implicit voice beliefs that influence their voice behavior in the workplace, thereby influencing team performance.


2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 304-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phu Doma Lama ◽  
Per Becker

Purpose Adaptation appears to be regarded as a panacea in policy circles to reduce the risk of impending crises resulting from contemporary changes, including but not restricted to climate change. Such conceptions can be problematic, generally assuming adaptation as an entirely positive and non-conflictual process. The purpose of this paper is to challenge such uncritical views, drawing attention to the conflictual nature of adaptation, and propose a theoretical framework facilitating the identification and analysis of conflicts in adaptation. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on case study research using first-hand narratives of adaptation in Nepal and the Maldives collected using qualitative interviews, participant observation and document analysis. Findings The findings identify conflicts between actors in, and around, communities that are adapting to changes. These conflicts can be categorized along three dimensions: qualitative differences in the type of conflict, the relative position of conflicting actors and the degree of manifestation of the conflict. Originality/value The three-dimensional Adaptation Conflict Framework facilitate analysis of conflicts in adaptation, allowing for a critical examination of subjectivities inherent in the adaptation discourses embedded in disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation research and policy. Such an inquiry is crucial for interventions supporting community adaptation to reduce disaster risk.


Author(s):  
Karl Hollaus

Purpose The simulation of eddy currents in laminated iron cores by the finite element method (FEM) is of great interest in the design of electrical devices. Modeling each laminate by finite elements leads to extremely large nonlinear systems of equations impossible to solve with present computer resources reasonably. The purpose of this study is to show that the multiscale finite element method (MSFEM) overcomes this difficulty. Design/methodology/approach A new MSFEM approach for eddy currents of laminated nonlinear iron cores in three dimensions based on the magnetic vector potential is presented. How to construct the MSFEM approach in principal is shown. The MSFEM with the Biot–Savart field in the frequency domain, a higher-order approach, the time stepping method and with the harmonic balance method are introduced and studied. Findings Various simulations demonstrate the feasibility, efficiency and versatility of the new MSFEM. Originality/value The novel MSFEM solves true three-dimensional eddy current problems in laminated iron cores taking into account of the edge effect.


2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 563-577 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean Donovan ◽  
Michelle O'Sullivan ◽  
Elaine Doyle ◽  
John Garvey

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present an exploratory study of employee voice and silence in international auditing firms. The authors examine two key questions: what is the propensity of employees in training to speak up on workplace problems and how would management react to employees in training speaking up on workplace problems? Design/methodology/approach – The authors compare and contrast the views of employees on training contracts with management including partners. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with eight managers/partners and 20 employees working in six large auditing firms in Ireland. Findings – The authors find that employees on training contracts have a high propensity to remain silent on workplace problems. Quiescent and acquiescent forms of silence were evident. Management expressed willingness to act on employee voice on workplace problems concerning business improvements and employee performance but were very resistant to voice in regard to a change in working conditions or a managers’ performance. Employees and management couched employee voice in terms of technical knowledge exchange rather than being associated with employee dissatisfaction or having a say in decision making. Originality/value – The authors highlight how new professional employees are socialised into understanding that employee voice is not a democratic right and the paper provides insight on the important role of partners as owner/managers in perpetuating employee silence. Previous research on owner/managers has tended to focus on small businesses while the auditing firms in this study have large numbers of employees.


2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 924-944 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sugumar Mariappanadar

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a health harm of work scale from the sustainable HRM perspective. Design/methodology/approach A three-dimensional model was proposed for the health harm of work scale and validated (Total n=527) using a five-part study (item generation, item reduction, convergent, construct and discriminant validity). Findings Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported that the three dimensions (restrictions for positive health, the risk factors for psychological health and the side effect harm of work) simultaneously tap into different aspects of the health harm of work construct. The results from the construct validity revealed that health harm of work as a phenomenon has manifested itself in different facets of health harm of work intensification. Finally, the discriminant validity study revealed that the overlap between the dimensions of the health harm of work scale and the dimensions of recovery experience from the work questionnaire is low and it provides support for the discriminant validity of dimensions between these two scales. Practical implications The proposed measure can be used as potential leading indicators for negative occupational health to prevent or delay the onset of work-related illness manifestation or health consequences (sick leave, absenteeism, presenteeism, etc.). Originality/value This is the first study to validate a measure of health harm of work and to provide tangible evidence of health harm of work which will subsequently trigger organizations to introduce a planned intervention to improve occupational well-being to promote sustainable HRM.


Author(s):  
Ivan Olav Vulchanov

PurposeThe purpose of this conceptual literature review is to investigate how language factors have been studied in the expatriate literature, and how cross-fertilisation with the broader language-sensitive international business and management field may facilitate integrated research of language in global work.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is based on a thematic review of expatriate research and international business and management literature. The findings are structured through Reiche et al.'s (2019) three-dimensional conceptualisation of global work, after which two frameworks are developed to conceptualise how language connects the three dimensions – actors, structures and processes.FindingsThe literature review demonstrates that language-related topics are yet to gain status in the expatriate tradition, and the majority of studies, which do consider linguistic factors appear largely dissociated from the growing community of language research in the broader international management and international business fields. However, once consolidated, the literature reveals that language is present in all dimensions of global work. A processual view of corporate language management highlights the central role of human resource management (HRM), while a dynamic multi-level perspective indicates that language may form bidirectional relationships between the three dimensions of global work.Originality/valueDue to the segmentation between language-sensitive research in the expatriate and international business/management traditions, few studies have considered the HRM implications of global mobility and the multifaceted nature of language at work. This conceptual literature review brings both perspectives together for a more contextualised and holistic view of language in international workforces.


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