Chinese Self, Australian Other: Chinese as a Foreign Language Teacher Identity Construction in Australian Contexts

Research in the field of Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) education has been increasing in the past decades. However, the number of studies on CFL teacher identity is limited. To bridge the gap, this study employed a qualitative method to explore Chinese CFL teachers’ identity formation and reformation in Australian contexts. A Chinese-Australian language program was studied to examine the challenges, struggles and developments of Chinese CFL teachers who came to Australia to pursue professional growth. Five Master’s theses and three interview participants were included to paint a picture of how Chinese CFL teachers interact internally and externally with a new environment. Guided by Mead’s theory of self and other, we found that Chinese CFL teachers’ identity formation and reformation in Australian classrooms are deeply influenced by their self-identification and their integration with others in the community. Cultural connectedness is a key for organizational attitudes in the relationship of self and other. Chinese CFL teachers were found lacking the wholeness of self in Australian contexts, which led to obstacles in teacher identity construction. Insufficient communication between self and other resulted in their positioning crisis.

HRM Practices and Work Engagement Relationship: Differences Concerning Individual Adaptability

The importance of human resource management (HRM) practices to improve organizational attitudes and behaviors is not yet widely acknowledged. However, is not clear whether the effect of HRM practices on outcomes vary depending on the level of specific personal resources. The present paper aims to examine the relationship between HRM practices and work engagement by focusing on the moderating role of adaptability. We used cross-sectional data with surveys from 1219 Italian employees in public, private, and non-profit organizations. The results of structural equation models (SEM) showed that HRM practices were positively related to work engagement overall for employees with low adaptability. Therefore, adaptability moderated the relationship between HRM practices and work engagement. In terms of originality, this study is based on the paucity of empirical studies linking developmental HR practices to employees’ work engagement. Hence, the present study addressed this gap by examining the relationship between the perception of HRM practices and work engagement, as well as how adaptability moderated this relationship. These findings are discussed in terms of their theoretical and practical implications for HRM.

Organizational justice perception and organizational citizenship behavior of shipyard workers: the role of identification and emotional intelligence

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to review whether organization identification has a role of mediation and whether emotional intelligence (EI) has a role of moderating in the relationship between organizational justice perception (OJP) and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB).Design/methodology/approachIn order to achieve the aim of the research, the data obtained from 388 employees of six shipyards in Yalova-Altinova Shipyards by survey technique were analyzed. To test the research hypotheses, SPSS (v22) PROCESS macro (v3.4) plugin developed by Hayes (2019) and Model 4 and Model 5 were used via the Bootstrap 5,000 sampling technique.FindingsThis study found that OJP impacts organizational identification (OI) and OCB. In addition, the research findings indicate that OI positively impacts OCB. This research reveals that OI played a mediating role in the relationship between OJP and OCB. However, the authors do not find support for the hypothesis that direct effect of OJP on OCB differs depending on the level of EI level.Research limitations/implicationsThe major limitation of this study is its sample that included only employees in shipyards. The results of this study will hopefully offer important insights into understanding and directing the human resources in shipyards conducting activities of construction, manufacturing, maintenance on the ships available at the center of maritime transportations.Originality/valueThis study draws attention to the causal relationships between the perception of OJP, OCB, OI and EI, which affect the organizational attitudes and behaviors of employees.

A regression model explaining predisposition to collaborate

[First paragraph of Introduction]: In Canada the last two decades of the 20th century have been characterized by government policies that focus on stimulating the economy as a strategy for improving overall quality of life. This Ahard right turn@ has made tax cuts a priority over social program expenditures, and private sector efficiencies have been promoted as the most effective response to financial challenges (Jeffrey, 1999; McBride & Shields, 1997; Tester, 1996). Voluntary organizations in Canada have had to adapt to this new environment. Both federal and provincial governments have been withdrawing from direct service provision in several areas of social welfare with the expectation that the voluntary sector will fill any resulting gaps in the social safety net. At the same time, a decrease in government support for the voluntary sector has limited its capacity to respond to an increased demand for its services (Hall & Banting, 2000). In Canada, on average 64% of revenues for voluntary organizations have come from government grants and payments (Hall & Macpherson, 1997). The federal government limited transfer payments for various social programs (Tester, 1996), and as a result, the provinces began a systematic retrenchment of these programs (Torjman, 1996). With such intense dependence on the government, any change in transfer payments is bound to have a noticeable impact on the sector (Rice & Prince, 2000). This paper focuses on interorganizational activities among voluntary organizations as a response to the funding changes being experienced by the sector. Specifically, we develop a model that presents collaborative behaviour as a function of organizational characteristics, environmental pressures and organizational attitudes. Keywords: CVSS, Centre for Voluntary Sector Studies, Working Paper Series,TRSM, Ted Rogers School of Management Citation:

A regression model explaining predisposition to collaborate

[First paragraph of Introduction]: In Canada the last two decades of the 20th century have been characterized by government policies that focus on stimulating the economy as a strategy for improving overall quality of life. This Ahard right turn@ has made tax cuts a priority over social program expenditures, and private sector efficiencies have been promoted as the most effective response to financial challenges (Jeffrey, 1999; McBride & Shields, 1997; Tester, 1996). Voluntary organizations in Canada have had to adapt to this new environment. Both federal and provincial governments have been withdrawing from direct service provision in several areas of social welfare with the expectation that the voluntary sector will fill any resulting gaps in the social safety net. At the same time, a decrease in government support for the voluntary sector has limited its capacity to respond to an increased demand for its services (Hall & Banting, 2000). In Canada, on average 64% of revenues for voluntary organizations have come from government grants and payments (Hall & Macpherson, 1997). The federal government limited transfer payments for various social programs (Tester, 1996), and as a result, the provinces began a systematic retrenchment of these programs (Torjman, 1996). With such intense dependence on the government, any change in transfer payments is bound to have a noticeable impact on the sector (Rice & Prince, 2000). This paper focuses on interorganizational activities among voluntary organizations as a response to the funding changes being experienced by the sector. Specifically, we develop a model that presents collaborative behaviour as a function of organizational characteristics, environmental pressures and organizational attitudes. Keywords: CVSS, Centre for Voluntary Sector Studies, Working Paper Series,TRSM, Ted Rogers School of Management Citation:

Supporting employees with chronic conditions to stay at work: perspectives of occupational health professionals and organizational representatives

Background Supporting employees with chronic conditions can prevent work-related problems and facilitate sustainable employment. Various stakeholders are involved in providing support to these employees. Understanding their current practices and experienced barriers is useful for the development of an organizational-level intervention to improve this support. The aim of this study was to explore the current practices of occupational physicians and organizational representatives, identifying both barriers to providing support and opportunities for improvement. Methods Two focus groups with sixteen occupational physicians and seven semi-structured interviews with organizational representatives were held between January and June 2018. Data was analyzed using thematic content analysis. Results Several barriers to offer support were identified, including barriers at the organizational level (negative organizational attitudes towards employees with chronic conditions), the employee level (employees’ reluctance to collaborate with employers in dealing with work-related problems), and in the collaboration between occupational physicians and organizational representatives. In addition, barriers in occupational health care were described, e.g. occupational physicians’ lack of visibility and a lack of utilization of occupational physicians’ support. Opportunities to optimize support included a shared responsibility of all stakeholders involved, actively anchoring prevention of work-related problems in policy and practice and a more pronounced role of the health care sector in preventing work-related problems. Conclusions Preventing work-related problems for employees with chronic conditions can be achieved by addressing the identified barriers to provide support. In addition, both occupational physicians and organizational representatives should initiate and secure preventive support at the organizational level and in occupational health care. These insights are helpful in developing an intervention aimed at supporting employees with chronic conditions to stay at work.

The Glass Ceiling for Women Managers: Antecedents and Consequences for Work-Family Interface and Well-Being at Work

Despite significant promotion of diversity in companies, as well as legislation for equal opportunities for women and men, it must be noted that women still remain largely in the minority in decision-making positions. This observation reflects the phenomenon of the glass ceiling that constitutes vertical discrimination within companies against women. Although the glass ceiling has generated research interest, some authors have pointed out that theoretical models have made little attempt to develop an understanding of this phenomenon and its implications. Therefore, our study aims to fill this gap and to better understand the phenomenon of the glass ceiling by considering both its antecedents and its possible consequences. More precisely, we extend the model developed by Elacqua et al. (2009), proposing a more comprehensive model including organizational gender culture as a third factor (in addition to situational and interpersonal issues) in the emergence of the glass ceiling through the perception of differential treatment. We also investigated the glass ceiling’s consequences for organizational attitudes and well-being at work by considering work-to-family conflict (WFC) as a possible mediator. We surveyed 320 women in managerial positions in a Belgian organization. Our study highlights the importance of all three factors in the emergence of the perception of differential treatment and, ultimately, the perception that a glass ceiling exists. Moreover, our results show that WFC fully mediates the effects of the glass ceiling on job strain and job engagement, and partially mediates the effects of the glass ceiling on job satisfaction and intention to quit.

Family influence and firm performance: the mediating role of stewardship

PurposeThis study examines how stewardship might mediate the influence of family ownership on firm financial performance. The authors argue that differences in financial performance may reflect not only the family's influence but also the prevalence of a stewardship-oriented culture, across varying degrees of family influence.Design/methodology/approachThe measure of family influence uses the F-PEC scale: family [F], power [P], experience [E] and culture [C]. It supports cross-firm comparisons of different levels of family influence. To capture the multidimensional nature of family influence, this study uses structural equation modelling and measures the meditating effects of stewardship.FindingsThe results reveal a mediating effect of stewardship; family firms achieve better performance when they take advantage of and encourage stewardship attitudes among owners and leaders. Factors associated with stewardship behaviour, including stewardship motivation and stewardship culture, help explain why some family firms perform better than others.Practical implicationsWhen analysing the behaviour of family firms, interested entrepreneurs, managers and consultants should acknowledge that the family's influence entails both financial and emotional capital. The survival of the family businesses depends on balancing these aspects.Originality/valueIn response to calls for research into mediators of the complex relationship between family influence and firm outcomes, this study provides a novel explanation for performance-maximizing behaviours by organizations, in which pro-organizational attitudes coexist with self-serving motives.

Entrepreneurial Bricolage As a Component of Organizational Culture

Development of entrepreneurial competencies in corporations is often limited by the established organizational culture, which supports and is rooted in the current models of non-entrepreneurial, performing behavior. The article examines the real experience of a Russian company in introducing entrepreneurial behavior in the context of a project in a protracted crisis. The study was carried out using the concept of entrepreneurial bricolage and the network model of organizational culture. The management of the company and many project participants, realizing the urgent need to find new opportunities for the project, strove to introduce models of entrepreneurial behavior and values that support them, but without success. The author comes to the conclusion that the inability to change the negative trajectory of the project by introducing the practices and values of entrepreneurial bricolage is largely related to the organizational culture, which had fixed the behavior of non-entrepreneurial adherence to the plan at the level of organizational attitudes and values.

Mediating role of job satisfaction in the relationship between organizational identification and organizational commitment

Understanding the relationship between an organization and the employees in that organization is of paramount importance for the success and future of that organization. This is related to the measurement of the organizational attitudes and behaviours of employees and the use of these attitudes and behaviours for forward-looking predictions. This being said, the aim of the study is to explore the relationship between the organizational identification levels of employees in ship agencies, and their job satisfaction and organizational commitment. For the purpose of this study, the data were obtained from 265 employees of different ship agencies in the cities of Istanbul and Kocaeli, Turkey, through questionnaire. The data then were analyzed via the structural equation modeling analyses, which were conducted using AMOS v22 by Bootstrap resampling with 5000 replications; the results have showed that organizational identification has both a positive direct and an indirect effect on organizational commitment, the latter through job satisfaction. Further, this study revealed that organizational identification, together with job satisfaction, explained about 0.59% of the variation in organizational commitment.