Can leader “humility” spark employee “proactivity”? The mediating role of psychological empowerment

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 326-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanhong Chen ◽  
Baowei Liu ◽  
Li Zhang ◽  
Shanshan Qian
Keyword(s):  
Hierarchical Linear Modeling ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Psychological Empowerment ◽  
Leader Behavior ◽  
Proactive Behavior ◽  
Linear Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Leadership Research ◽  
Humble Leadership

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of humble leadership on employee proactive behavior. The authors propose that such effect is mediated by psychological empowerment, and identification with leader moderates the intervening role of psychological empowerment in the humble leadership-employee proactive behavior relationship. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 286 subordinate-supervisor dyads from 4 industries in Northern China. Hierarchical linear modeling analyses were applied to test the research model. Findings Humble leadership has a significantly positive effect on employee proactive behavior, and this effect is mediated by psychological empowerment. Furthermore, the identification with leader moderates the mediated relationships between humble leadership and employee proactive behavior via psychological empowerment. Research limitations/implications One limitation is that the data were collected cross-sectionally. Further research could conduct longitudinal research to retest the hypotheses. The present research has a number of implications. First, the authors extend humble leadership research. Second, the authors also contribute to humble leadership literature by addressing the lack of attention paid to the explanatory mechanism linking humble leader behavior to follower outcomes. Third, the authors provide a new insight into the boundary condition of humble leadership. Practical implications Managers should demonstrate more humble behaviors in their leading process to influence employees’ psychological empowerment and proactive behavior. In addition, managers should provide employees with sincere care in relation to work and life issues to produce employees’ identification with leader. Social implications Humility is a modifiable trait that individuals can increase dramatically by practice. Humble behavior is more accessible and easier to cultivate, contrary to the stable trait of humility. Besides, our results confirmed the individuals with the virtue of humility are most likely to succeed. Thus, humble behaviors should be highly advocated and encouraged in our society. Originality/value This research extends humble leadership research by constructing and verifying the theoretical model of humble leader behavior and employee proactive behavior and by demonstrating the value of humble leader behavior in a non-Western context, and identifies the different roles of psychological empowerment and identification with leader on employee proactive behavior.

Innovation affecting growth aspirations of early stage entrepreneurs: culture and economic freedom matter

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehrzad Saeedikiya ◽  
Jizhen Li ◽  
Shayegheh Ashourizadeh ◽  
Serdar Temiz
Keyword(s):  
Hierarchical Linear Modeling ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Economic Freedom ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Linear Modeling ◽  
Global Entrepreneurship Monitor ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Entrepreneurial Growth ◽  
Positive Effect

Purpose Earlier research confirms the positive effect of innovation in shaping growth ambitions of entrepreneurs. The aim of this paper is to investigate whether the effect of innovation on growth ambitions of entrepreneurs is contingent on the role of institutions, namely, culture and economic freedom. In other words, the authors’ objective is to provide an institutionally contingent understanding of the role of innovation in shaping growth ambitions of early-stage entrepreneurs. Design/methodology/approach The authors applied hierarchical linear modeling technique on the data of 100,566 early-stage entrepreneurs in 109 countries that participated in annual surveys of Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. Findings The authors find that the effect of innovation on shaping growth ambitions of early stage entrepreneurs is contingent on the role of culture such that, in secular cultures, innovation benefits growth ambitions more than traditional cultures. Further, the authors found that the effect of innovation on growth expectations is dependent on the level of economic freedom in the country in which the firms operate so that in the countries with higher level of economic freedom, early-stage entrepreneurs expect more growth out of their innovation as compared to their counterparts in the depressed economies. Originality/value The results contribute to our understanding of entrepreneurial growth aspirations as a result of the interplay of entrepreneur–firm–environment nexus.

Do embedded employees voice more?

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 824-838 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice J.M. Tan ◽  
Raymond Loi ◽  
Long W. Lam ◽  
Lida L. Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Hierarchical Linear Modeling ◽  
Southern China ◽  
Interactional Justice ◽  
Job Embeddedness ◽  
Proactive Behavior ◽  
Voice Behavior ◽  
Linear Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Speak Up ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether embedded employees proactively provide voice for future improvement, and how interactional justice moderates this relationship. Design/methodology/approach Survey data were collected from the administrative staff and their immediate supervisors of a major university located in Southern China. The data were analyzed using hierarchical linear modeling. Findings Job embeddedness was positively related to voice behavior toward organization (VBO) but not to voice behavior toward work unit. Interactional justice was positively related to both types of voice behavior. The relationship between job embeddedness and VBO was stronger among employees who perceived lower interactional justice. Practical implications To encourage voice behavior, organizations should attempt to enhance employees’ job embeddedness by adopting human resource strategies such as providing training that helps employees to meet their long-term career goals. This is particularly important when supervisors fail to treat their employees with fairness. When employees are treated with fairness by supervisors, they are also motivated to speak up. Thus, supervisors should pay attention to the ways in which they interact with employees. Originality/value This paper adds to the existing knowledge of the consequences of job embeddedness by examining its relationship with voice, a proactive behavior which can benefit the organization but is considered as risky by the employees. Additionally, studying the moderating effect of interactional justice enriches the understanding of the conditions under which the relationship between job embeddedness and voice may vary. It also reveals the uncertainty management process underlying the influences of job embeddedness and interactional justice on voice behavior.

scholarly journals Empowerment and initiative: the mediating role of obligation

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 662-677 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wajda Wikhamn ◽  
Marcus Selart
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Psychological Empowerment ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Proactive Behavior ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Personal Initiative ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent to which psychological empowerment and felt obligation can explain variations in personal initiative. Design/methodology/approach Employees from a Swedish organization participated in a web-based survey. Findings Psychological empowerment is important for enhancing proactive behavior at work, but its dimensions relate differently to personal initiative. Felt obligation mediates the relationship between psychological empowerment and personal initiative, but only for two dimensions of empowerment (meaningfulness and competence). Originality/value The paper contributes to our understanding of how employees’ feeling of obligation explains one form of proactive behavior. It also highlights the overlooked distinctiveness of psychological empowerment dimensions in predicting personal initiative at work.

Using hierarchical linear modeling to test the effect of overall strategic fit on firm performance in different industry

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 637-657 ◽  
Author(s):  
Van Thac Dang ◽  
Chin-Shien Lin
Keyword(s):  
Firm Performance ◽  
Hierarchical Linear Modeling ◽  
Theoretical Aspect ◽  
Financial Industry ◽  
Linear Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Empirical Results ◽  
Strategic Fit ◽  
Moderating Role

Purpose This study aims at investigating the effect of an overall fit among strategy, environmental factors and organizational resources on firm performance, and the moderating role of industry on this relationship. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses hierarchical linear modeling to analyze the nested data structure from the financial and electronics companies in Taiwan’s stock market from 2011 to 2012. Findings The empirical results indicate that overall strategic fit is positively related to firm performance, and this relationship varies across financial industry and electronics industry. Originality/value This study provides important implications for both academic researchers and practitioners. From a theoretical aspect, this study integrates two research streams of strategic fit (external fit and internal fit) into an overall model of strategic fit, and has explored the moderating role of industry on the relationship between strategic fit and firm performance. In addition, this study has also used hierarchical linear modeling method to test the hypotheses, which has not been used in the previous strategic fit literature. From a practical aspect, the empirical results have derived implications for managers as to understand the effects of overall strategic fit on performance in different industry, which may be helpful for making decisions in specific industry context.

scholarly journals When innovation requirements empower individual innovation: the role of job complexity

2017 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 608-623 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mieke Audenaert ◽  
Alex Vanderstraeten ◽  
Dirk Buyens
Keyword(s):  
Intrinsic Motivation ◽  
Hierarchical Linear Modeling ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Job Complexity ◽  
Linear Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Time Lagged ◽  
Nuanced Understanding ◽  
Job Context

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the field’s understanding of how to raise individual innovation. Specifically, the authors aim to contribute to an understanding of the interplay of job characteristics and intrinsic motivation for individual innovation. Design/methodology/approach The study uses time-lagged survey data of a public service organization in Belgium. The analyses are based on more than 80 jobs and more than 1,000 employees. Hierarchical linear modeling was adopted to test cross-level hypotheses. Findings Innovation requirements influence individual innovation efforts by psychologically empowering employees, but the extent to which psychological empowerment translates into individual innovation depends on job complexity. Originality/value A more nuanced understanding is developed of when innovation requirements empower individual innovation, by acknowledging the role of job complexity in this relationship. The current findings contribute to a multilevel integrative understanding of the interplay of the job context and intrinsic motivation.

Signaling and social influence: the impact of corporate volunteer programs

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-196
Author(s):  
Yinyin Cao ◽  
Frits K. Pil ◽  
Benn Lawson
Keyword(s):  
Social Influence ◽  
Hierarchical Linear Modeling ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Linear Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Employee Reactions ◽  
Volunteer Experiences ◽  
Volunteer Programs ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThis study aims to provide insight on how work–life initiatives impact employees. Using corporate volunteer programs as an example, the authors examine the role of coworker social influence in shaping the reactions of both employee participants and non-participants of the program. The paper further identifies several factors that may moderate these relationships.Design/methodology/approachThe authors surveyed employees before and after the implementation of a new corporate work–life initiative. 99 employees provided data pre and post. OLS regression and hierarchical linear modeling were used to test hypothesized relationships.FindingsEven in the context of low participation, work–life initiatives engendered positive organization-related perceptions among employees. These positive outcomes were due in part to coworkers' sharing of their volunteer experiences and were most prominent for employees in positions that afforded flexibility, and employees who reported close ties with coworkers.Practical implicationsThe study deepens our understanding of employee reactions to work–life programs and underlines the importance of these programs even when employee participation is low. The role of coworker influence as a determinant of employee reactions suggests there may be value in purposefully fostering participants' sharing of volunteer experiences in the workplace.Originality/valueThis study takes a unique approach to examining the role of coworker influence in shaping employee reactions to corporate initiatives.

scholarly journals Workplace ostracism, paranoid employees and service performance: a multilevel investigation

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amer Ali Al-Atwi ◽  
Yahua Cai ◽  
Joseph Amankwah-Amoah
Keyword(s):  
Hierarchical Linear Modeling ◽  
Service Performance ◽  
Cognitive Diversity ◽  
Linear Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Workplace Ostracism ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Group Diversity

PurposeDrawing on the literature on victim precipitation theory, workplace ostracism (WO) and paranoia, this paper examines the mediating role of WO on the paranoia–service performance (SP) relationship. This paper further postulates that team cognitive diversity (TCD) moderates the paranoia–WO relationship.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 228 nurses from a leading hospital located in an eastern province of China. Hypotheses developed from the literature were tested using multivariate hierarchical linear modeling (HLM).FindingsWO had a negative effect on SP, while TCD had a positive effect on WO. Cognitive diversity moderated the paranoia–WO relationship, such that the positive relationship was stronger when group diversity was high.Originality/valueThis paper develops and tests a model exploring the antecedents of WO and its effect on SP.

Impact of relatedness, uncertainty and slack on corporate entrepreneurship decisions

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Garrett ◽  
Shaunn Mattingly ◽  
Jeff Hornsby ◽  
Alireza Aghaey
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Hierarchical Linear Modeling ◽  
Cognitive Strategies ◽  
Corporate Entrepreneurship ◽  
New Venture ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Linear Modeling ◽  
Slack Resources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Positive Effect

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of opportunity relatedness and uncertainty on the decision of a corporate entrepreneur to pursue a venturing opportunity.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses a conjoint experimental design to reveal the structure of respondents' decision policies. Data were gathered from 47 useable replies from corporate entrepreneurs and were analyzed with hierarchical linear modeling (HLM).FindingsResults show that product relatedness, market relatedness, perceived certainty about expected outcomes and slack resources all have a positive effect on the willingness of a corporate entrepreneur to pursue a new venture idea. Moreover, slack was found to diminish the positive effect of product relatedness on the likelihood to pursue a venturing opportunity.Practical implicationsBy providing a better understanding of decision-making schemas of corporate entrepreneurs, the findings of this study help improve the practice of entrepreneurship at the organizational level. In order to make more accurate opportunity assessments, corporate entrepreneurs need to be aware of their cognitive strategies and need to factor in the salient criteria affecting such assessments.Originality/valueThis paper adds to the limited understanding of corporate-level decision-making with regard to pursuing venturing opportunities. More specifically, the paper adds new insights regarding how relatedness and uncertainty affect new venture opportunity assessments in the presence (or lack thereof) of slack resources.

The effect of psychological empowerment on job burnout and competitive advantage

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Safari ◽  
Arash Adelpanah ◽  
Razieh Soleimani ◽  
Parisa Heidari Aqagoli ◽  
Rosa Eidizadeh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Organizational Commitment ◽  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Indirect Effect ◽  
Psychological Empowerment ◽  
Job Burnout ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mediating Role

Purpose This study aims at investigating the effect of psychological empowerment on job burnout and competitive advantage with the mediating role of organizational commitment and creativity. Design/methodology/approach The statistical population included all the managers and staffs of Tooka Company in Iran, and for data analysis, 120 completed questionnaires were used. Data analysis was carried out by SPSS 18 and Amos 20 software and structural equation modeling method. To test the mediating relationships, bootstrap method was used. Findings The findings showed that psychological empowerment has a significant direct effect on job burnout and competitive advantage. Also, psychological empowerment has a significant indirect effect on job burnout through the mediating role of organizational commitment. In addition, psychological empowerment has a significant indirect effect on competitive advantage through the mediating role of organizational creativity. Originality/value This study is among the first to investigate the relationship between psychological empowerment, job burnout, competitive advantage, organizational commitment and creativity.

Good problem solvers? Leveraging knowledge sharing mechanisms and management support

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 1017-1038 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ambra Galeazzo ◽  
Andrea Furlan
Keyword(s):  
Transformational Leadership ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Hierarchical Linear Modeling ◽  
Shop Floor ◽  
Management Support ◽  
Linear Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Problem Solvers ◽  
Good Problem

Purpose Organizational learning relies on problem-solving as a way to generate new knowledge. Good problem solvers should adopt a problem-solving orientation (PSO) that analyzes the causes of problems to arrive at an effective solution. The purpose of this paper is to investigate this relevant, though underexplored, topic by examining two important antecedents of PSO: knowledge sharing mechanisms and transformational leaders’ support. Design/methodology/approach Hierarchical linear modeling analyses were performed on a sample of 131 workers in 12 plants. A questionnaire was designed to collect data from shop-floor employees. Knowledge sharing was measured using the mechanisms of participative practices and standardized practices. Management support was assessed based on the extent to which supervisors engaged in transformational leadership. Findings Knowledge sharing mechanisms are an antecedent of PSO behavior, but management support measured in terms of transformational leadership is not. However, transformational leadership affects the use of knowledge sharing mechanisms that, in turn, is positively related to PSO behavior. Practical implications The research provides practical guidance for practitioners to understand how to manage knowledge in the workplace to promote employees’ PSO behaviors. Originality/value Though problem-solving activities are intrinsic in any working context, PSO is still very much underrepresented and scarcely understood in knowledge management studies. This study fills this gap by investigating the antecedents of PSO behavior.

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