Search results
1 – 10 of 16Priyanka Aggarwal and Tanuja Agarwala
Environment concerns and climate changes have led organizations to reorient their processes with a focus toward sustainability. Organizations recognize that incorporating greening…
Abstract
Purpose
Environment concerns and climate changes have led organizations to reorient their processes with a focus toward sustainability. Organizations recognize that incorporating greening in HR practices has the potential to address environmental concerns. The present study aims to focus on investigating the relationship between green human resource management (GHRM) practices and environmental performance (EP). It is premised that the adoption of green human resource practices facilitates the development of a green organizational culture (GOC) that helps the organization to gain strategic business advantage with respect to the competitors. The literature suggests that the adoption of green human resource practices among organizations is at a nascent stage. The present study focusses on understanding the mediating role of three dimensions of GOC, that is, degree, diffusion and depth in the relationship between green human resource practices and EP that has not been addressed in the empirical literature.
Design/methodology/approach
The present study developed a model consisting of GHRM practices as an independent variable, the three dimensions of culture (degree, diffusion and depth) as mediators, and EP as the dependent variable. The study followed a quantitative exploratory research approach. The sample consisted of 278 employees from private and public sector organizations located in India. The hypothesized model was analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM).
Findings
The study found the green human resource practices to be significantly related with EP of the organization. Results of parallel mediation confirmed that the “degree” dimension of GOC played a significant mediating role in the relationship between green human resource practices and EP of the organization. The other two dimensions of GOC, diffusion and depth, did not have a significant mediating role in this relationship. The findings of the study have been explained in the context of social identity theory, resource based view and ability–motivation–opportunity theory.
Practical implications
The study provides practical insights for researchers and managers who seek to adopt sustainability objectives in the organization. The findings have the potential to encourage human resource managers to adopt green human resource management practices toward promoting a culture of greening in the organization. The importance of developing and measuring EP targets for industry leadership is also emphasized.
Originality/value
The originality of the study lies in classifying and understanding GOC in terms of three dimensions, that is, degree, diffusion and depth, following the model proposed by Harris and Crane (2002). The three dimensions help in assessing the current level of GOC. This assessment promotes the judicious application of resources by the organization and adopts green practices to foster the organizational EP.
Details
Keywords
Moumita Acharyya and Tanuja Agarwala
The paper aims to understand the different motivations / reasons for engaging in CSR initiatives by the organizations. In addition, the study also examines the relationship…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to understand the different motivations / reasons for engaging in CSR initiatives by the organizations. In addition, the study also examines the relationship between CSR motivations and corporate social performance (CSP).
Design/methodology/approach
The data were collected from two power sector organizations: one was a private sector firm and the other was a public sector firm. A comparative analysis of the variables with respect to private and public sector organizations was conducted. A questionnaire survey was administered among 370 employees working in the power sector, with 199 executives from public sector and 171 from private sector.
Findings
“Philanthropic” motivation emerged as the most dominant CSR motivation among both the public and private sector firms. The private sector firm was found to be significantly higher with respect to “philanthropic”, “enlightened self-interest” and “normative” CSR motivations when compared with the public sector firms. Findings suggest that public and private sector firms differed significantly on four CSR motivations, namely, “philanthropic”, “enlightened self-interest”, “normative” and “coercive”. The CSP score was significantly different among the two power sector firms of public and private sectors. The private sector firm had a higher CSP level than the public sector undertaking.
Research limitations/implications
Further studies in the domain need to address differences in CSR motivations and CSP across other sectors to understand the role of industry characteristics in influencing social development targets of organizations. Research also needs to focus on demonstrating the relationship between CSP and financial performance of the firms. Further, the HR outcomes of CSR initiatives and measurement of CSP indicators, such as attracting and retaining talent, employee commitment and organizational climate factors, need to be assessed.
Originality/value
The social issues are now directly linked with the business model to ensure consistency and community development. The results reveal a need for “enlightened self-interest” which is the second dominant CSR motivation among the organizations. The study makes a novel contribution by determining that competitive and coercive motivations are not functional as part of organizational CSR strategy. CSR can never be forced as the very idea is to do social good. Eventually, the CSR approach demands a commitment from within. The organizations need to emphasize more voluntary engagement of employees and go beyond statutory requirements for realizing the true CSR benefits.
Details
Keywords
Tanuja Agarwala, Amaia Arizkuren, Elsa Del Castillo and Marta Muñiz
To understand whether the three dimensions of work–family culture, namely managerial support, negative consequences and organizational time demands relate in different ways with…
Abstract
Purpose
To understand whether the three dimensions of work–family culture, namely managerial support, negative consequences and organizational time demands relate in different ways with different types of commitment; affective, continuance and normative. The relationships were examined in a three-country cross-national context.
Design/methodology/approach
Questionnaire survey was conducted in India, Peru and Spain among executives and managers drawn from both the manufacturing and the services sectors.
Findings
The three countries were both similar and different with Peru and Spain more similar to each other than with India. Managerial support dimension of work–family culture predicted affective commitment across all the three countries. Differences were found with respect to predictors of normative commitment. Managerial support predicted normative commitment for Spain. Lower negative career consequences resulted in decreased normative commitment among the managers in Peru and Spain.
Research limitations/implications
The study has limitations of generalizability and common method variance.
Practical implications
Human resource managers will find the study useful to determine which dimensions of work–family culture would predict the outcomes desired. The study has implications for the design of human resource practices in the industry.
Originality/value
The study is the first that addresses the three dimensions of work–family culture and organizational commitment in a cross-national context. The study suggests that the way in which work–family culture is conceptualized and experienced by employees may vary even among countries classified as “collectivist.”
Details
Keywords
Recent times are witness to the business — environment debate becoming more frequent and also tempered with a greater sense of urgency. The present article begins by examining the…
Abstract
Recent times are witness to the business — environment debate becoming more frequent and also tempered with a greater sense of urgency. The present article begins by examining the business—environment interdependence and reasons for corporate environmentalism. Since environmental challenges can significantly alter the competitive context of organisations, they demand a strategic response from firms. The basic premise of the article is to present an analytical review of existing literature on Corporate Environmental Strategy (CES) in order to understand the range of environmental strategies available to organisations, examine the factors that influence the choice of a firm's green strategies and, advocate the outcomes of a well‐designed CES. Based on the review, the article goes on to suggest a theoretical framework for CES. The framework provides a useful representation of relationships between the dominant paradigm of the firm, factors influencing CES, the CES itself and its outcomes for the organization. It is hoped that the suggested relationships will help set an agenda for empirical research and also help firms in developing a competitive Environmental Strategy.
This paper aims to explore the influence of a range of factors on the career choice of management students in India. The importance of different individuals in the family and at…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the influence of a range of factors on the career choice of management students in India. The importance of different individuals in the family and at work in making career choices among these students is also to be explored. In addition, the study seeks to address the relationship of the cultural values of individualism‐collectivism and the protean/conventional career orientations of MBA students from India, with factors as well as people influencing the choice of a career.
Design/methodology/approach
Participants consisted of 93 students from India entering management, who were starting their first year of the two‐year full time MBA program. Self‐administered questionnaires were used to gather data on factors and types of relationships influencing career choice, individualism/collectivism, and protean/conventional career orientation.
Findings
“Skills, competencies, and abilities” was the most important factor and “father” was the most significant individual influencing the career choice of Indian management students. The predominant cultural value was collectivism, although the students demonstrated individualist tendencies in some contexts. A protean orientation guided the career orientation of these students.
Research limitations/implications
The data were collected only from one management institute in India.
Originality/value
Empirical research on factors and types of relationships influencing career choice, and their correlates, has not been conducted among Indian students. The paper addresses this issue and the study has implications for career counseling.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this paper is to identify how undergraduate engineering students differ in their perception about software services companies in India based on variables like…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify how undergraduate engineering students differ in their perception about software services companies in India based on variables like gender, locations of the college and branches of engineering.
Design/methodology/approach
Data obtained from 560 undergraduate engineering students who had the opportunity to have multiple job offers from four major Indian software services companies through campus recruitment drives were analyzed. Chi‐square test, cross tabulation and multi‐nominal regressions were performed to test hypotheses.
Findings
Decisions of engineering students with respect to their first‐career choice are mostly influenced by intrinsic reasons than extrinsic or interpersonal reasons. While male students are greatly influenced by intrinsic reasons, female students are more influenced by extrinsic reasons. Students belonging to different locations and different branches of engineering have varying reasons for accepting a job offer.
Research limitations/implications
Findings of this paper cannot be generalized as it involves students from only three engineering colleges in south India. A survey involving students from different strata across India would enable scholars to capture more insight into the perceptions of engineering students towards the Indian software services industry.
Practical implications
Knowledge about the perceptions of engineering graduates towards software services companies in India based on gender, location of the college and the branch of engineering to which students belong, can help human resource managers, entrepreneurs in software services industry and career counselors to strategize human resource practices.
Originality/value
Many studies have been conducted to identify what employers expect from engineering graduates whereas there is a dearth of articles that investigate perceptions of engineering students with respect to their first‐career choice. This study conducts this bottom‐up approach wherein different expectations of prospective employees are analysed.
Details