Seizing the benefits of age diversity: could empowering leadership be the answer?

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 495-515
Author(s):  
Cara-Lynn Scheuer ◽  
Catherine Loughlin
Keyword(s):  
Transformational Leadership ◽  
Group Performance ◽  
Work Groups ◽  
Work Group ◽  
Empowering Leadership ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Age Diversity ◽  
Indirect Relationship ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeAcknowledging that only examining the main effects of diversity may be limiting, the authors explore integrating van Knippenberg et al.'s (2004) categorization–elaboration model (CEM) of workgroup diversity as a linchpin in the relationship between empowering leadership and performance in age-diverse work groups. While prior research has focused almost exclusively on the impact of transformational leadership in diverse contexts, few studies have found the positive effects of transformational leadership to be diminished in certain age-diverse contexts. Consequently, the authors investigate whether empowering leadership may be a better approach in this context due to its emphasis on accommodating and participative behaviors.Design/methodology/approachUsing survey data gathered from work group members across a wide array of industries (N = 214), the authors test for the moderating effects of empowering leadership on the relationship between age diversity and work group performance and its indirect relationship via information elaboration (while controlling for transformational leadership).FindingsEmpowering leadership positively moderated the direct relationship between age diversity and work group performance and the indirect relationship via information elaboration, whereas transformational leadership had the opposite effect. “Coaching” and “showing concern/interacting with the team” drove the positive effects of empowering leadership, and “personal recognition” and “intellectual stimulation” predicted the negative effects of transformational leadership.Practical implicationsThis research offers insights into how managers can lead age-diverse work groups more effectively (i.e. by utilizing an empowering as opposed to a transformational leadership approach, with a particular emphasis on “coaching” and “showing concern/interacting with the team” behaviors).Originality/valueThe study identifies an “alternative” moderating contingency to the age diversity–performance relationship (empowering leadership).

The moderating effects of status and trust on the performance of age-diverse work groups

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cara-Lynn Scheuer ◽  
Catherine Loughlin
Keyword(s):  
Group Performance ◽  
Work Groups ◽  
Work Group ◽  
Moderating Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Age Diversity ◽  
The One ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Status Differences ◽  
Work Group Performance

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to help organizations capitalize on the potential advantages of age diversity by offering insight into two new moderators in the age diversity, work group performance relationship – status congruity and cognition-based trust.Design/methodology/approachThe authors surveyed 197 employees and 56 supervisors across 59 work groups to test for the moderating effects of status congruity and cognition-based trust on the age diversity, work group performance relationship.FindingsThe results demonstrated, on the one hand, that under conditions of status congruity (i.e. when there were high levels of perceived status legitimacy and veridicality) and/or when perceptions of cognition-based trust were high within the group, the relationship between age diversity and work group performance was positive. On the other hand, under conditions of status incongruity and/or low levels of cognition-based trust, this relationship was negative.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings contribute to the literature by being the first to provide empirical evidence for the theorized effects of status on the performance of age-diverse work groups and also by demonstrating the effects of cognition-based trust in a new context – age-diverse work groups.Practical implicationsArising from the study’s findings are several strategies, which are expected to help organizations enhance perceptions of status congruity and/or trust and ultimately the performance of their age-diverse work groups.Originality/valueThe paper is the first to empirically demonstrate the moderating effects of status congruity and cognition-based trust on the age diversity, work group performance relationship. The study also establishes important distinctions between the effects of objective status differences vs status perceptions.

“Too much of a good thing?”: exploring the dark side of empowering leadership by linking it with unethical pro-organizational behavior

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xue Zhang ◽  
Guyang Tian ◽  
Chao Ma ◽  
Yezhuang Tian ◽  
Zhongqiu Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Behavior ◽  
Social Exchange ◽  
Social Exchange Theory ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Dark Side ◽  
Empowering Leadership ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Indirect Relationship ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeGrounded in social exchange theory (SET), the purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between empowering leadership and unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB), as mediated by duty orientation (including duty to members, duty to mission and duty to codes). Further, this study proposes that perceived leader expediency moderates indirectly between empowering leadership and UPB.Design/methodology/approachThis paper tests this social exchange model across a survey study using time-lagged data collections from 215 employees of a service company in China.FindingsThe results show that duty orientation mediates the relationship between empowering leadership and UPB. In addition, perceived leader expediency moderates the indirect relationship between empowering leadership and UPB through duty orientation (i.e. duty to members and duty to missions).Originality/valueThis research aids in understanding the impact of empowering leadership on follower outcomes by investigating the dark side of empowering leadership and examining the relationships between empowering leadership, duty orientation and UPB. The present study also challenges the notion that the phrase “the greater the empowerment, the better the outcomes” suggests that organizations should offer a conditional approach to the empowerment of followers by their leaders.

Knowledge management and firm innovative performance with the moderating role of transformational leadership

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Irene Wei Kiong Ting ◽  
Hai Juan Sui ◽  
Qian Long Kweh ◽  
Gusman Nawanir
Keyword(s):  
Transformational Leadership ◽  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Innovative Performance ◽  
Service Companies ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Moderating Role

Purpose This study aims to examine the effect of knowledge management on firm innovative performance and the moderating effect of transformational leadership in the relationship between knowledge management and firm innovative performance. Design/methodology/approach In total, 200 managers of participating Malaysian public listed service companies responded to a self-report set of the survey questionnaire. Partial least squares-structural equation modelling technique is used to estimate the main effects of knowledge management, particularly its infrastructures and processes, on firm innovative performance and the moderating effects of transformational leadership on the relationship. Findings Knowledge management infrastructures and knowledge management processes both have statistically significant and positive effects on firm innovative performance. In addition, transformational leadership significantly and negatively moderates the relationships. Practical implications The findings of this study can be a reference for the Malaysian public listed service companies to understand how and why managing well knowledge management infrastructures and processes can improve firm innovative performance. Moreover, this study highlights the role of transformational leaders in the context of knowledge management. Originality/value This study brings about managerial viewpoints of the relationship between knowledge management and firm innovative performance, with the moderating role of transformational leadership.

The resilient effects of transformational leadership on well-being: examining the moderating effects of anxiety during the COVID-19 crisis

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate McCombs ◽  
Ethlyn Williams
Keyword(s):  
Transformational Leadership ◽  
Organizational Performance ◽  
Leadership Style ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Intellectual Stimulation ◽  
Moderating Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Transformational Leadership Style ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeAlthough important for organizational performance, much is still unknown about the relationship between employee well-being and transformational leadership. The authors answer calls to consider the relationship (1) in an extreme context (i.e. coronavirus pandemic), (2) at the dimension level and (3) differences that exist depending on the employee's gender.Design/methodology/approachThe authors employed a two-wave study with data collected from 212 working individuals. Respondents reported their level of COVID-19 anxiety and leadership experiences at time 1 starting at the height of the pandemic and three weeks later reported well-being.FindingsThe authors found COVID-19 anxiety weakened the influence of transformational leadership style on well-being, and this was only the case for females. Further, the authors found that while the moderator of COVID-19 anxiety weakened the influence of core transformational leadership behaviors and intellectual stimulation on well-being, the more individualized and short-term focused transformational behaviors of individualized consideration and performance expectations proved to have resilient effects on well-being with no moderating effects. Looking at gender differences, the authors found that this was only the case for females.Originality/valueThe findings extend research by capturing an external shock concerning the coronavirus pandemic to better understand how transformational leadership style, its dimensions and employee gender, influence well-being. While the authors expected COVID-19 anxiety to weaken the positive effects of transformational leadership style on well-being, paradoxically the authors also expected differential effects when examining individual dimensions.

Employment arrangements diversity and work group performance

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 310-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sagi Akron ◽  
Ofek Feinblit ◽  
Shlomo Hareli ◽  
Shay S. Tzafrir
Keyword(s):  
Group Performance ◽  
Work Groups ◽  
Work Group ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Actual Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Arrangements ◽  
Unique Data ◽  
Work Group Performance

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore the relation between diversity in work group members’ employment arrangements and the actual performance of the work groups. Design/methodology/approach A field study was conducted on 31 work groups in a public plant belonging to the industrial sector that constitute a unique data set. The 441 employees are contracted under four significantly different employment arrangements and are mixed together in heterogeneous work groups, but perform similar tasks. Findings The results indicated that the influence of employment arrangement diversity on work group performance is best represented as variation, and work arrangements diversity is positively correlated with improved work group performance. Research limitations The study design prevented assessment of employees’ opinions. Rather, the authors used objective type of employment arrangements as the basis for calculating diversity as separation. Using mean Euclidean distance as suggested by Harrison and Klein (2007), the authors arbitrarily set the distance between two different employment arrangements as one. Practical implications The research results help in the stages of recruiting, structuring and development and application of necessary work team. Formal emphasis of diversity in work arrangements improves performance. Originality/value To the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first studies using unique data set analyzing real-life team diversity and performance in the public sector. The research highly contributes to organizational decision-making processes regarding the importance of incorporating non-standard work arrangements in organizations. Management’s implementation of formal diversity seems to alleviate the negative sides of diversity and increases its positive performance effects.

The Islamic work ethic among employees in Egypt

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 228-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ghada A. El-Kot ◽  
Ronald J. Burke
Keyword(s):  
Work Ethic ◽  
Group Performance ◽  
Work Group ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Islamic Work Ethic ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Unit Performance ◽  
Very High

Purpose – This study aims to examine the relationship of the Islamic work ethic (IWE) and individualism among a large sample of supervisors working in Egypt, replicating earlier work by Ali (2005, 1987). Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from 484 male and female supervisors working in manufacturing organizations using anonymously completed questionnaires, 48 per cent response rate. Findings – Measures of IWE and individualism were highly reliable and significantly and positively correlated (0.39, p < 0.001), replicating Ali’s work. Males and females scored similarly on both measures. Younger mangers were more individualistic, again supporting Ali’s findings. The Egyptian sample also scored very high on both measures, as do samples from other countries. Factor analysis of the IWE suggested two interpretable factors and the possibility of creating a shorter version of the IWE. Research limitations/implications – An interesting question becomes why are levels of economic performance in these countries relatively low despite very high levels of commitment to the IWE? This raised the issue of potential social desirability in the measure of IWE. Future research must include indicators of both individual and work unit performance to examine this further. Practical implications – Suggestions are offered on ways that organizations can develop reliable and valid measures of the IWE and examine their relationships with actual job and work group performance. Originality/value – Supports continuing research on the usefulness of the IWE concept and measures in management research.

Exploring privacy and trust for employee monitoring

2015 ◽  
Vol 115 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuchih Ernest Chang ◽  
Anne Yenching Liu ◽  
Sungmin Lin
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Employee Performance ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Employee Monitoring ◽  
Communication Privacy ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate privacy boundaries and explores employees’ reactions in employee monitoring. Design/methodology/approach – The research used the metaphor of boundary turbulence in the Communication Privacy Management (CPM) theory to demonstrate the psychological effect on employees. The model comprised organizational culture, CPM, trust, and employee performance in employee monitoring to further investigated the influence exerted by organizational culture and how employees viewed their trust within the organization when implementing employee monitoring. Variables were measured empirically by administrating questionnaires to full-time employees in organizations that currently practice employee monitoring. Findings – The findings showed that a control-oriented organizational culture raised communication privacy turbulence in CPM. The communication privacy turbulence in CPM mostly had negative effects on trust in employee monitoring policy, but not on trust in employee monitoring members. Both trust in employee monitoring policy and trust in employee monitoring members had positive effects on employee commitment and compliance to employee monitoring. Research limitations/implications – This research applied the CPM theory in workplace privacy to explore the relationship between employees’ privacy and trust. The results provide insights of why employees feel psychological resistance when they are forced to accept the practice of employee monitoring. In addition, this study explored the relationship between CPM and trust, and offer support and verification to prior studies. Practical implications – For practitioners, the findings help organizations to improve the performance of their employees and to design a more effective environment for employee monitoring. Originality/value – A research model was proposed to study the impacts of CPM on employee monitoring, after a broad survey on related researches. The validated model and its corresponding study results can be referenced by organization managers and decision makers to make favorable tactics for achieving their goals of implementing employee monitoring.

The optimism-pessimism ratio as predictor of employee creativity: the promise of duality

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 423-442 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arménio Rego ◽  
Miguel Pina e Cunha ◽  
Dálcio Reis Júnior ◽  
Cátia Anastácio ◽  
Moriel Savagnago
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
The Status ◽  
Single Moment ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Creativity And Innovation ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study if the employees’ optimism-pessimism ratio predicts their creativity. Design/methodology/approach In total, 134 employees reported their optimism and pessimism, and the respective supervisors described the employees’ creativity. Findings The relationship between the optimism-pessimism ratio and creativity is curvilinear (inverted U-shaped); beyond a certain level of the optimism-pessimism ratio, the positive relationship between the ratio and creativity weakens, suggesting that the possible positive effects of (high) optimism may be weakened by a very low level of pessimism. Research limitations/implications Being cross-sectional, the study examines neither the causal links between the optimism-pessimism ratio and creativity nor other plausible causal links. The study was carried out at a single moment and did not capture the dynamics that occur over the course of time involving changes in optimism/pessimism and creativity. Future studies may adopt longitudinal or quasi-experimental designs. Practical implications Managers and organizations must consider that, even though positivity promotes creativity, some level of negativity may help positivity to produce creativity. Originality/value This study suggests that scholars who want to study the antecedents of creativity (and innovation) must be cautious in focusing only on the positive or the negative sides of individuals’ characteristics, and rather they must explore the interplay between both poles. Individuals may experience both positive and negative states/traits (Smith et al., 2016), and this both/and approach may impel them to think divergently, to challenge the status quo and to propose “out the box” and useful ideas.

We dreamed a dream that entrepreneurial ecosystems can promote sustainability

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario Raposo ◽  
Cristina I. Fernandes ◽  
Pedro M. Veiga
Keyword(s):  
Policy Formulation ◽  
Logistic Distribution ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Community Innovation Survey ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Entrepreneurial Ecosystems ◽  
Future Research Agenda ◽  
Company Policy ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeResearch into the relationship between entrepreneurial ecosystems and sustainability has deepened in terms of both quantity and quality even while still remaining a fragmented and divergent field. Hence, the purpose of this study is to put forward empirical evidence to advance the literature on the relationship between entrepreneurial ecosystems and sustainability. To this end, the authors furthermore identify and highlight a future research agenda.Design/methodology/approachThe source of the empirical analysis in this article stems from the Community Innovation Survey, the leading statistical inquiry of innovation in companies carried out by Eurostat based upon the conceptual framework set out in the Oslo Manual. For modelling the variables, the authors applied binary regression based on logistic distribution.FindingsThe results of the research demonstrated how all of the variables considered for entrepreneurial ecosystems (co-operation with suppliers, co-operation with clients or customers, co-operation with universities; co-operation with government, public or private research institutes) return positive impacts on national sustainabilityResearch limitations/implicationsDespite the data spanning only the nine countries in the database, the results enable insights into the theory as the results serve to strengthen already existing considerations on the positive effects of entrepreneurial ecosystems for the sustainability of countries.Practical implicationsThe results of the research may generate important implications for company policy formulation. The identification of the relevance of the different actors in entrepreneurial ecosystems and their impact on sustainability may assist firms and policymakers to identify the leading actors and the resources necessary to sustaining their activities and thereby correspondingly establishing their priorities.Originality/valueThe research (1) both deepens the prevailing knowledge on this theme and fills a gap encountered in the existing literature; (2) in practical terms, for managers, entrepreneurs and politicians to better grasp how entrepreneurship constitutes a systemic phenomenon and these systems require approaching in terms of their impacts and greater contributions to obtaining sustainability.

Impact of perceived organizational support and green transformational leadership on sustainable organizational performance: a SEM approach

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Manita Kusi ◽  
Fuqiang Zhao ◽  
Dinesh Sukamani
Keyword(s):  
Transformational Leadership ◽  
Organizational Performance ◽  
Organizational Support ◽  
Perceived Organizational Support ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Staff Level

PurposeThe study aims to scrutinize the concomitant associations between corporate social responsibility (CSR), perceived organizational support (POS), green transformational leadership (GTL) and organizational performance (OP). This paper aims to explore the role of intervening variable to measure the strength on the relationship between CSR and OP.Design/methodology/approachThis research administered a survey through self-administered questionnaire among the staff-level employees of construction companies of Nepal. Fully filled 305 responses from the participants were analyzed using a structural equation model. The study used self-structured questionnaire as research tool and face-to-face meetings as data collection technique.FindingsThe research indicates that POS showed competitive partial mediation relation between CSR and OP. Besides, a novel exploration of the moderation effect of GTL displays a supportive role in harmonizing the CSR with organizational support to achieve better OP. This study enriches empirical evidence to understand the linkage between CSR and POS in staff-level employees in the construction area. Moreover, the research shed a light on GTL 's moderating influence on the mediated model of CSR, POS and OP.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough the results of the study add to the current knowledge base, several limitations highlight avenues for future research. Future studies can explore the relationship in other study areas with added evidence on a similar result with different analysis patterns and study sample. The research model studied in the context of Nepal creating evidence as a representation for the developing countries.Originality/valueThe intervening role of POS and GTL gives new insight for the research-based organization based social behavior and performance

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