Abusive supervision and knowledge sharing: moderating roles of Islamic work ethic and learning goal orientation

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Talat Islam ◽  
Saima Ahmad ◽  
Ahmad Kaleem ◽  
Khalid Mahmood

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to extend the scant literature on the effect of abusive supervision on knowledge sharing by examining the roles of Islamic work ethic and learning goal orientation in moderating the effect.Design/methodology/approachThis paper utilizes a cross-lagged survey research design to collect data from 735 employees working in the services and manufacturing sectors of Pakistan.FindingsThe data analysis revealed that abusive supervision has a damaging effect on knowledge sharing in the workplace. However, employee learning goal orientation and the Islamic work ethic help in mitigating this detrimental effect.Research limitations/implicationsThe main theoretical implication is to advance knowledge on the boundary conditions that help in mitigating the undesirable effect of abusive supervision on sharing of knowledge in organizational settings.Practical implicationsThis paper provides practical insights into mitigating the damaging effects of abusive supervision, a prevalent issue in Asian societies, through the lenses of Islamic business ethics and learning goal orientation.Originality/valueThis is the first study that examines the boundary conditions placed by the Islamic work ethic and learning goal orientation around the relationship between abusive supervision and knowledge sharing in the context of Pakistan.

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 1106-1120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seckyoung Loretta Kim ◽  
Soojin Lee ◽  
Seokhwa Yun

Purpose – By applying conservation-of-resource (COR) theory, the purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of a leader’s destructive behaviors, i.e., abusive supervision, on employee knowledge sharing and the moderating effects of learning goal orientation and self-enhancement motives on the aforementioned relationship. Design/methodology/approach – The hypotheses were tested using regression analysis on data from 245 employees in South Korea. Findings – The results showed that abused employees who experience depleted resources are likely to reduce their level of knowledge sharing, in accordance with COR theory. Furthermore, this research demonstrated that the negative effects of abusive supervision may differ depending on individual factors. Specifically, when an individual employee has low internal motivation or available resources for knowledge sharing (low learning orientation and high self-enhancement motive), the detrimental consequence of abusive supervision on knowledge sharing is worsened. Practical implications – The research suggests that managers should be aware of the deleterious effects of abusive supervision on knowledge sharing and should invest more time and effort in preventing abusive supervision in the workplace. Originality/value – Although organizations might invest significant amounts of effort in knowledge sharing, abusive supervision could be a barrier that discourages employees’ knowledge sharing. Yet, the strength of aforementioned relationship is dependent on individual factors. In order to achieve organizational effectiveness through knowledge sharing, the critical role of leaders’ behavior and employees’ characteristics or motivation should not be overlooked.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4176
Author(s):  
Seckyoung Loretta Kim

Recognizing the importance of knowledge sharing, this study adopted social learning and social exchange perspectives to understand when employees may engage in knowledge sharing. Using data collected from 192 employees in various South Korean organizations, the findings demonstrate that there is a positive relationship between supervisor knowledge sharing and employee knowledge sharing. As employees perceive a high level of supervisor knowledge sharing, they are likely to engage in knowledge sharing based on social learning and social exchange theories. Furthermore, the study explores the moderating effects of learning goal orientation and affective organizational commitment in the relationship between supervisor knowledge sharing and employee knowledge sharing. The result supports the hypothesis that the relationship between supervisor knowledge sharing and employee knowledge sharing is strengthened when there is a high level of affective organizational commitment. Employees who obtain valuable knowledge from their supervisors are likely to engage in knowledge sharing when they are emotionally attached to their organization. However, in contrast to the hypothesis, the positive relationship between supervisor knowledge sharing and employee knowledge sharing was stronger at the lower levels of learning goal orientation (LGO) than at the higher levels of LGO.


2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 715-745 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiamin Zhang ◽  
Yi Wang ◽  
Marina Yue Zhang

ABSTRACTThis article investigates the impact of cross-level interplay between team members’ and their leaders’ goal orientations (learning, performance approach, and performance avoidance) on knowledge sharing using samples from design teams in two companies in China. Our results show that team leaders’ learning goal orientation plays a critical moderating role. Specifically, team leaders’ learning goal orientation strengthens the positive relationship between team members’ learning orientation and knowledge sharing; positively moderates the relationship between team members’ performance approach orientation and knowledge sharing; and weakens the negative relationship between team members’ performance avoidance orientation and knowledge sharing. Team leaders’ performance approach orientation demonstrates a positive moderating effect when there is congruence between the performance approach orientation of leaders and members. Finally, team leaders’ performance avoidance orientation negatively moderates the relationship between team members’ learning and performance approach orientation on knowledge sharing. This research enhances our understanding of the conditions under which knowledge sharing occurs among team members, using the lens of Trait Activation Theory.


2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 303-314
Author(s):  
Klaus J. Templer ◽  
Jeffrey C. Kennedy ◽  
Riyang Phang

PurposeCustomer orientation of service employees relates to customer satisfaction and loyalty, sales growth and business performance. Drawing from conservation of resources (COR) theory, the aim of this study was to test the interactive effects of service employees' role clarity and learning goal orientation on customer orientation. Specifically, it was hypothesized that even under conditions of low role clarity, service employees with high learning goal orientation would maintain a high level of customer orientation.Design/methodology/approachParticipants were 323 employees of 4- and 5-star hotels in Singapore. Using questionnaires, they reported their role clarity, learning goal orientation and customer orientation. For hypothesis testing, moderated regression analysis was performed.FindingsRole clarity and learning goal orientation were significantly related to customer orientation, and in support of the hypothesis, the interaction effect of role clarity and learning goal orientation was also significant. With high role clarity, all employees showed high customer orientation. But with low role clarity, only employees with high learning goal orientation demonstrated high customer orientation.Practical implicationsThe recommendations from this study are to include learning goal orientation as a selection criterion for service employees and to clearly define the roles of existing service employees, especially for those with low learning goal orientation.Originality/valueThe originality and value of this study lies in highlighting the importance of learning goal orientation especially under conditions of low role clarity.


2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 289-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michele Rigolizzo

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the personal antecedents to taking on the challenge of learning, particularly when there is competition for time at work. Taking on challenging tasks, particularly those that enhance learning, is a critical behavior in today’s dynamic business environments. This paper explores how individual differences motivate people to choose a challenging task over an easy one. Design/methodology/approach A behavioral measure was used to determine if working adults higher in learning goal orientation, curiosity, and need for cognition were more likely to take on a challenging task, even when there was competition for their time. Structural equation modeling was used to more deeply examine whether these constructs independently contribute to the outcome. Findings Goal orientation, curiosity and need for cognition each significantly predicted whether working adults took on a challenging task. Additional analysis revealed that learning goal orientation, curiosity, and need for cognition loaded onto a single factor. Research limitations/implications This paper answers calls for the use of direct measurement in social science research. Rather than asking individuals about what they have done or would do, the study observes what choices working adults actually make when confronted with the opportunity to learn. Originality/value Contributing to the recent surge of work on informal learning behaviors, this paper examines a critical learning behavior – that of taking on challenging tasks. It demonstrates that even if individuals are ready learn (have the time and resources), there are key individual differences that drive whether they are willing to do so.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 470-481
Author(s):  
Layaman Layaman ◽  
Pahlawansjah Harahap ◽  
Indi Djastuti ◽  
Aan Jaelani ◽  
Diana Djuwita

The background of this study is based on the controversial relationship between transformational leadership and employee performance. Empirical and theoretical models resolve the controversy by building a new concept based on proactive knowledge sharing. The study established the influence of transformational leadership, cohesion and learning goal orientation on proactive knowledge sharing and employee performance. A total of 7 hypotheses were developed to solve the study problem, while purposive sampling was used in data collection. The respondents consisted of 6 employees of Sharia Banking in Indonesia. The SEM results indicate that five hypotheses were significant, while 2 were insignificant. Furthermore, proactive knowledge sharing strongly mediates the relationship between the studied variables. These results confirm the withdrawal of the new concept in improving employee performance.


2018 ◽  
Vol 72 (2) ◽  
pp. 420-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heesun Chae ◽  
Jin Nam Choi

In job design and creativity literature, challenging and complex jobs drive individual creativity, whereas routinization impedes creative outcomes. This study challenges this prevailing view by exploring the intermediate psychological mechanism and boundary conditions enabling the potential benefits of routinization to foster creativity in organizations. Routinization economizes employees’ use of resources in performing tasks, thereby generating free cognitive resources that can be utilized for creative problem-solving. In addition, the effect of routinization on creativity, as mediated by free cognitive resources, is positively moderated by two boundary conditions: learning goal orientation of employees and supervisor support for creativity. Field data collected from 198 engineers and technicians and 56 supervisors working in manufacturing companies in South Korea confirm the moderated mediation hypotheses. The conditional indirect effects of routinization on creativity through free cognitive resources are significant and positive when the learning goal orientation of employees and supervisor support for creativity are high. These findings highlight the need for a balanced consideration of the ambivalent effects of task complexity and routinization on employee creativity along with further investigations on the contingencies of their effects.


2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 217-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Makoto Matsuo ◽  
Kohei Arai ◽  
Takami Matsuo

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the direct and indirect effects of managerial coaching on critical reflection mediated through learning goal orientation. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted a questionnaire survey of 169 employees in 53 teams at an IT firm in Japan. The data were examined using multi-level analyses. Findings Managerial coaching has a direct positive effect on critical reflection, and the relationship is mediated by learning goal orientation. Research limitations/implications The characteristics of the sample may limit the generalization of the findings. Future research should verify the model in other industries and countries. Practical implications The organizations should note that managerial coaching is useful not only for facilitating employees’ problem-solving but also for enhancing their critical reflection. It should also be noted that employees can reflect critically on their beliefs and work routines when they have learning goals. Originality/value Although few quantitative studies have investigated the determinants of critical reflection, the present research reveals the overlooked functions of managerial coaching in promoting employees’ learning.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruifang Wang ◽  
Patrick Gibbons

PurposeIt is increasingly recognised that managers play a central role in organisational ambidexterity. While some scholars have recently begun to explain the nature and antecedents of ambidextrous behaviour among managers, much remains to be learned about the micro-foundations of this behaviour. Adopting a people–situation interaction approach, this paper investigates the antecedents to managerial ambidexterity from both situational and individual difference considerations.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts a quantitative approach using a combination of survey and archival data from 305 managers.FindingsThe results indicate that learning goal orientation is positively related with managerial ambidexterity, whereas there is no significant relationship between functional experience breadth and managerial ambidexterity. In testing moderation effects, discretionary slack is found to positively moderate the association between learning goal orientation and ambidexterity and between functional experiences and ambidexterity.Practical implicationsThis paper provides suggestions on employees selection and training, along with organisational support, in enacting managerial ambidexterity.Originality/valueGuided by individual difference theory, this paper adds value to one’s understanding of the antecedents to managerial ambidexterity. It contributes to the ambidexterity literature from the micro-foundation perspective.


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