How preferences for types of appreciation differ across employee age groups

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul White ◽  
Gene George

Purpose Organizational leaders and human resource professionals affirm that to have (and keep) an effective workforce, understanding one’s employees is critical. Thus, understanding the differences between employees of different age groups is important. Simultaneously, studies have demonstrated the significant positive impact appreciation has on the functioning of organizations. When team members feel truly valued, numerous positive benefits result, including lower staff turnover, less absenteeism, higher customer ratings and greater profitability. Design/methodology/approach Because individuals prefer to be shown appreciation in different ways and prior research has shown some age differences, this study examined how appreciation preferences differ across seven employee age groups. Over 190,000 individuals completed an online assessment based on the five languages of appreciation, which identifies employees’ preferred ways of receiving appreciation. The respondents were separated into seven age groups, from 19 years old and younger to 70 years old and above. Findings The results of an analysis of variance found that there were significant differences across groups. Although the patterns of preferences were largely the same across many groups, post hoc analyses found both the youngest and oldest age groups differed from employees in their 30s with regards to their desire for quality time. Additionally, older employees were extremely low in their desire for tangible gifts. Originality/value As the proportion of employees shifts from older to younger groups of employees, these results raise important implications for organizations’ approaches regarding how appreciation and other motivators should be adjusted for different groups of employees.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul White

Purpose Communicating appreciation to employees has been shown to be an important factor in contributing to employee engagement and making workplaces more effective. Research has shown that employees differ in how they desire to be shown appreciation. The purpose of this paper is to examine how working remotely (vs onsite), the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic and employees’ age group impacted the ways employees want to be shown appreciation at work. Design/methodology/approach Using the five Languages of Appreciation as a framework (Chapman and White, 2019), over 200,000 individuals’ results from the Motivating By Appreciation Inventory were compared across various groups. The dependent variable: (Primary Language of Appreciation) was examined in light of three independent variables: work setting (onsite vs remote), timeframe (pre-COVID-19 vs during COVID-19) and age range of the employee. Findings Preferences for how to be shown appreciation were quite stable across work setting, timeframe and age range, suggesting that one’s preferred ways of being shown appreciation is largely an internal characteristic that is only mildly influenced by external factors. Minor trends were found when comparing various age groups and remote vs onsite employees. Originality/value Understanding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on employees’ desires for appreciation is critical for organizational leaders. With vast numbers of new remote employees in the workforce, understanding how they are similar to and vary from onsite employees is paramount for addressing the needs of all team members. This study provides valuable information on both topics, as well as differences across age groups.


2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 283-297 ◽  
Author(s):  
James P. Hess

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine incongruities between autonomous team members’ expectations for top-leader involvement with teams and their perceptions of top-leader involvement actually encountered in their own team experiences. Design/methodology/approach Interview feedback was sought from three participants from each of six autonomous teams to capture explanations of their lived experiences from team participation. Transcribed data were examined through thematic analysis, from which patterned responses and meanings relevant to the research inquiry were identified. Findings To foster a team environment and shape the organizational context to align with autonomous team members’ expectations, organizational leaders should give significant attention to all-inclusive recruitment; frequent, face-to-face communication between themselves and team members; and an unwavering resource allocation. Originality/value This study addresses a unique realm of team research in addressing the need for top leaders to understand team members’ expectations for their involvement in shaping an organizational context most conducive to team effectiveness.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (8) ◽  
pp. 1221-1233
Author(s):  
Rama Krishna Kishore Vandavasi ◽  
David C. McConville ◽  
Jin-Feng Uen ◽  
Prasanthi Yepuru

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of knowledge sharing among team members on the development of shared leadership and innovative behaviour.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 64 management teams and 427 individuals working in 26 different hotels in the hospitality industry in Taiwan.FindingsThe results show that knowledge sharing has both direct and indirect effects on the development of shared leadership and individual innovative behaviour.Research limitations/implicationsResults suggest that knowledge sharing supports the occurrence of shared leadership, leading to an increase in innovative behaviour. The authors infer from the findings that encouraging a culture of knowledge sharing can have a positive impact on the creativity of teams.Originality/valueThis study advances knowledge of shared leadership as a mediator using a multilevel approach to test antecedents of innovative behaviour in the Taiwan hotel industry.


2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 863-886 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Martinez-Ferrero ◽  
Lázaro Rodríguez-Ariza ◽  
Isabel María García-Sánchez

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze how family ownership influences the strength of the board’s monitoring function in companies’ decisions regarding the assurance of sustainability reports. Design/methodology/approach The international sample consists of 536 companies operating in more stakeholder-oriented countries during the period 2007-2014. The paper proposes alternative logit models of analysis using the random-effects estimator. Findings The results provide evidence that a firm’s sustainability assurance and its choice of accounting professionals as higher quality assurers are positively associated with board size and independence. The main result is the positive impact of family businesses on these assurance issues. The paper evidences the greater orientation toward sustainability issues of family businesses. Furthermore, it verifies the greater impact of board size on family firms’ assurance demand. Originality/value This study sheds some light on the unexplored topic of sustainability assurance in family firms. One of the differentiating aspects with respect to previous studies is the consideration of the moderating factor of family property. This study also contributes to the understanding of family firms’ demand for assurance and its practitioners, and the literature’s focus on its determinants.


2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 1137-1154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ziene Mottiar

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the motivations of social entrepreneurs. It explores the case of the Gathering in Ireland in 2013, when against a backdrop of recession, the national Government encouraged individuals and communities to organize events and invite the Diaspora to visit Ireland as a way of helping the country to revitalize. Some 5,000 events took place across the country during the year, and this paper examines this in the context of social entrepreneurship. Three research questions are posed: Who were these tourism and social entrepreneurs who organized events as a result of the Gathering? What motivated them to engage in these activities? Will this social entrepreneurship activity be maintained beyond 2013 and how has it been impacted by the Gathering? Design/methodology/approach The empirical research was conducted in two counties in Ireland, Co. Kerry and Co. Westmeath. The research tools used were key informant interviews, a survey of event organizers and focus groups. Findings Key findings show that the Gathering has resulted in the emergence of new social entrepreneurs, but it has also had a positive impact on those who had run their events before, as it made them be more strategic in the way they planned and ran their event and also resulted in them thinking about these events in terms of tourists rather than just the local community. They also developed new skills which will aid their future development. It is clear that social entrepreneurs can play a fundamental role in the development of tourism destinations, and this is an important topic for researchers in tourism to be concerned about. Originality/value The originality of this paper lies in the fact that it addresses the issue of motivation of social entrepreneurs and challenges us to think more about how these types of entrepreneurs identify the problem that they will address. Furthermore, this case shows that the motivation for such action can be prompted by a national strategy, rather than as the literature heretofore represented it as an innate motivation that materialized and developed within particular individuals.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael P. Albuquerque ◽  
João J. Ferreira

Purpose This paper aims to verify co-creation behavior and understand a relationship between perception of service quality, loyalty and co-creation, from Starbucks customers' perspective. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative methodology was carried out, operationalized by applying a questionnaire to a sample of 385 respondents. Findings The results showed that service quality has a positive impact on loyalty and co-creation behavior in all its aspects; loyalty can be considered an important attribute in the intention of co-creation by customers. Originality/value This research extends the current knowledge on the subject and examines the associations between other attributes discussed. The implications of the study suggest strategic directions for using the clients' co-creation as a competitive alternative and generating value.


2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 225-237
Author(s):  
Timothy Ewest

Purpose This paper aims to outline the prosocial leadership development process for guiding pedagogical and social justice course goals as a means to foster prosocial leadership values within the millennial generation. Design/methodology/approach The paper is guided by a social justice framework and proven classroom pedagogies as a means to align millennial characteristics within the four stages of the prosocial leadership development process. Findings An educational rubric is provided as a means to guide classroom pedagogies, course goals and millennial characteristics through a prosocial leadership development process. Research limitations/implications The paper is conceptual in nature, and therefore, theoretical correspondence remains speculative. Practical implications The research in this paper provided guidelines for educators to use pedagogical practices as a means to develop prosocial values as a basis for organizational leadership behaviors. Social implications This leadership development process when facilitated through proven pedagogical techniques (guided by established social justice curriculum goals) and is within the context of millennial characteristics (those born between the years 1982 and 2005) becomes catalytic in empowering leaders to be a remedy for the world’s environmental and social challenges. Originality/value This paper connects characteristics of millennials to a prosocial leadership development model.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 636-641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Unerman

Purpose This paper aims to provide a commentary on evidence presented and issues raised by Egan (2018) regarding LGBT+ diversity initiatives in the accountancy profession. Design/methodology/approach This paper is an invited commentary based on the author’s experiences of LGBT+ and other diversity initiatives in the profession. Findings There is cause for optimism in how far the profession has progressed in some countries on supporting LGBT+ (and other forms of) diversity. Practical implications As multinational accountancy firms can be agents for change in countries where there remains considerable discrimination and hostility to LGBT+ (and other) communities, constructive critique to help further improve the firms’ innovative actions on LGBT+ and other diversity issues could have a major positive impact on social justice. Egan (2018) is an example of such constructive critique. Social implications Where other academic studies take a disparagingly critical approach, they risk both squandering the opportunity to help achieve the progress they espouse and discouraging other firms embracing innovative diversity practices. Originality/value This study provides a counter perspective to some critical accounting arguments that appear to value idealism over progress.


2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 404-419 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wessam Khedr

Purpose This paper explores gendered beliefs about the Glass Ceiling (GC) using a new measure, the “Career Pathway Survey” CPS, in an under-researched country, Egypt. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 438 employees in Egypt. Participants completed the CPS and other demographic and work measures. The CPS tests four GC beliefs: denial, resilience, acceptance and resignation. Findings Factor analysis validated the configuration of the four factors of the CPS. Descriptive tests showed the female sample with resignation belief, whereas male sample views their females counterparts as resilient. The chi-squared test showed differences in beliefs with different age groups, education level, marital status, number of children, job contracts, job tenure and managerial levels. Moreover, there are evidences of more intensive GC barriers in male-dominant organizations. Originality/value This paper is the first to: re-validate the CPS measure, examine demographic and work factor roles and the CPS, test CPS on a male sample and analyse differences between male and female beliefs according to gender-dominated sectors.


2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 283-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Robertson ◽  
Jason Barrow ◽  
Magdalena Wajrak ◽  
Noel Nannup ◽  
Caroline Bishop ◽  
...  

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the idea that, in the last few decades, collaborative inquiry methods have evolved along a similar trajectory to dual lens research. Dual lens research, known in various contexts as both ways, two-eyed seeing Old Ways New Ways, and Koodjal Jinnung (looking both ways), is designed to generate new knowledge by exploring a theme through Aboriginal and contemporary western lenses. Participatory action research and a dual lens approach are considered in a number of projects with a particular focus on the issues such work can raise including conceptual challenges posed by fundamental differences between knowledge sets. Design/methodology/approach The authors hypothesize that a dual lens approach will become a branch of participatory action research, as such, a robust description needs to be developed and its ethical implications are considered. Existing work in this direction, including principles and processes, are collated and discussed. Findings Dual lens research as a branch of participatory action research is of great significance in countries with Aboriginal populations that are undergoing a cultural renaissance. As dual lens practitioners, the authors are finding their research outputs have a high positive impact on both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal populations and make a genuine contribution to reconciliation by finding ways of going forward together. Originality/value This paper joins a growing body of research that supports resonances between Aboriginal and “western” research methods.


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