Cultural distance and expatriates’ psychological adjustment: the moderating role of perceived social supports

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between cultural distance and psychological adjustment of expatriates in Nigeria and perceived social supports moderating the relationship. Design/methodology/approach The study used a cross-sectional survey research design. Data were collected through 236 validly filled questionnaires by expatriates working in different industries in Nigeria. The research variables were measured using appropriate validated scales developed by different experts. Data collected were analyzed using frequency, percentages, mean and standard deviation. Correlation and regression analyses were conducted to establish the relationships among the variables. Findings The study found that the distance between expatriates’ home and Nigeria on each of the dimensions of cultural values: power distance, individualism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance cultural value, long-term orientation and indulgence negatively influence the psychological adjustment of the expatriates in Nigeria. The study demonstrated that the larger the distance between expatriates’ home and Nigeria's cultural values, the larger the difficulties in the psychological adjustment of expatriates in the country. Practical implications This study provides useful insights and a better understanding to both present and future global human resource practitioners, multinational organizations, international institutions and local organizations operating in Nigeria with a global mindset on the cultural profiles of expatriates that are critical to adjust to working, social interactions and living environments in Nigeria. Originality/value It provides practical guidance to global human resource practitioners and employers on dimensions of cultural values distance between Nigeria and the home countries of expatriates that should be considered when deciding on, searching for, selecting, recruiting and relocating expatriates to work and live in Nigeria.

Insights into Effective Interventions for the Prevention and Management of Workplace Bullying in the New Zealand Public Service

<p>Workplace bullying is widely recognised as a severe workplace health and safety issue that can have harmful consequences for both individuals and organisations. Bullying is a difficult phenomenon for organisations to deal with generally, with effective prevention and management in public sector environments considered especially challenging. This thesis seeks to explore current workplace bullying prevention and management interventions within the New Zealand Public Service. In adopting a pragmatic exploratory mixed-model research method, research approaches aim to provide practical insights into anti-bullying interventions. Data for this research is collected from two sources; organisational anti-bullying policies, and semi-structured interviews with human resource practitioners and union representatives involved in the prevention and management of workplace bullying. Both human resource practitioners and union representatives were found to have multiple roles in the prevention and management of workplace bullying, and generally interpreted bullying allegations as being unsubstantiated. This research suggests that greater emphasis should be placed on primary intervention, and that mediation may be useful as both a secondary and tertiary intervention. The findings of this research also indicate that stakeholder interpretations, and in turn their practical responses to workplace bullying, may be influenced by a range of factors within the public sector environment; including the sedimentation of contradictory public sector approaches, the legislative and regulatory environment, personal experience, and role expectations.</p>

Insights into Effective Interventions for the Prevention and Management of Workplace Bullying in the New Zealand Public Service

<p>Workplace bullying is widely recognised as a severe workplace health and safety issue that can have harmful consequences for both individuals and organisations. Bullying is a difficult phenomenon for organisations to deal with generally, with effective prevention and management in public sector environments considered especially challenging. This thesis seeks to explore current workplace bullying prevention and management interventions within the New Zealand Public Service. In adopting a pragmatic exploratory mixed-model research method, research approaches aim to provide practical insights into anti-bullying interventions. Data for this research is collected from two sources; organisational anti-bullying policies, and semi-structured interviews with human resource practitioners and union representatives involved in the prevention and management of workplace bullying. Both human resource practitioners and union representatives were found to have multiple roles in the prevention and management of workplace bullying, and generally interpreted bullying allegations as being unsubstantiated. This research suggests that greater emphasis should be placed on primary intervention, and that mediation may be useful as both a secondary and tertiary intervention. The findings of this research also indicate that stakeholder interpretations, and in turn their practical responses to workplace bullying, may be influenced by a range of factors within the public sector environment; including the sedimentation of contradictory public sector approaches, the legislative and regulatory environment, personal experience, and role expectations.</p>

The relationship between self-leadership, the future of human resource management, and work engagement

Orientation: With Industry 4.0 at our doorstep, we would benefit from a better understanding of how the future of human resource management (HRM) relates to self-leadership and work engagement.Research purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between self-leadership, the future of HRM and work engagement.Motivation for the study: The future of HRM in South Africa, as well as its relationship with organisational behaviour dimensions such as self-leadership and work engagement, is under-researched. A better understanding of work engagement as the missing link between self-leadership and the future of HRM needed to prepare for the future world of work.Research approach/design and method: A survey was conducted amongst members of the South African Board of People Practices, and a quantitative research approach was therefore used. The relationships were investigated through correlation analysis and regression analysis.Main findings: All the variables positively relate to one another and self-leadership predicts work engagement and the future of HRM. Furthermore, work engagement mediates the relationship between self-leadership and the future of HRM.Practical and managerial implications: Human resource practitioners have a responsibility to ensure that they are able to lead themselves, be engaged in their work and prepare for the future of HRM.Contribution/value add: The critical connection between work engagement and self-leadership could help direct organisations toward improving, maintaining and refining human resource managers’ and human resource practitioners’ ability to lead themselves and be more engaged.

From snacking on diversity and inclusion to systemic organizational consumption

Purpose Most global organizations have a diversity and inclusion (D&I) statement and initiatives to advance equity within their organizations though minimal traction is evidenced by what is espoused. This paper aims to demonstrate how to make progress in D&I generalizable to global workplaces. Design/methodology/approach Approaching D&I initiatives as collectivist working society bridges gaps in resourcing, powering and actualizing D&I organizationally unlike being demonstrated in companies where D&I is facilitated by majority groups. Findings Qualitative studies show that though people believe they are behaving morally toward others, they mostly have hidden concerns about infringing on discrimination laws. Originality/value This paper provides human resource practitioners with a systemic method of advancing D&I equitably while promoting organizational citizenship comparable to thriving workplaces.

How Some Lawyers Prioritise Earnings and Not Necessarily the Best Interests of Their Clients

This case deals with an employee seeking justice in a labour dispute and who ends up paying a small fortune in legal fees and still fails to find satisfaction. The case provides food for thought for human resource practitioners and particularly lawyers regarding under the circumstances when they should be ethically bound to advise disgruntled employees to cease pursuing a grievance that has little prospect of success. How and when should the human resource practitioner provide professional and independent advice, and when should the ethical (sic) lawyer refuse to approach the courts with a case containing insufficient merit?

Human resource practitioners as sexual harassment commissioners: Sisyphus amid gender inequalities

PurposeThere has been ample research on the antecedents and consequences of workplace sexual harassment (WSH), a volatile issue in contemporary labor markets. There is, however, a lingering gap in the scholarly literature regarding the organizational practices involved in contending with WSH incidents following their occurrence. By exploring the practices and challenges of sexual harassment commissioners, a mandatory role performed by Israeli human resource practitioners, this study aims to unpack the embedded power dynamics, which construct how WSH is both deciphered and handled within organizations.Design/methodology/approachIn-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 45 sexual harassment commissioners (SHCs) in various business organizations in Israel to explore practitioners' conceptions of the challenges underlying their role. A grounded theory approach was utilized.FindingsThe findings demonstrate that, while SHCs seemingly are empowered by their exclusive authority to inquire into an intricate organizational matter, counter practices have emerged to undermine their authority and influence. This negatively affects their ability to reduce the prevalence of WSH. SHCs' attempts to approach WSH utilizing a power discourse are eroded by systematic barriers that channel them toward adoption of the default legal discourse. The latter frames WSH in terms of individual misconduct rather than as a phenomenon stemming from and expressive of organizational and societal gender inequalities.Research limitations/implicationsThis study does not represent the voices of WSH complainants or of top executives. The data focused on SHCs' descriptions of their role challenges.Practical implicationsImplications are suggested regarding the academic education and training of SHCs.Originality/valueThis study sheds light on covert and unspoken barriers to gender equality in the labor market.