A. Amin Mohamed and William L. Gardner
Images are playing an increasingly important role in organizational life. This trend has spawned interest in how organizations can improve and protect their images. Yet, in our…
Abstract
Images are playing an increasingly important role in organizational life. This trend has spawned interest in how organizations can improve and protect their images. Yet, in our eagerness to study image promotion and repair, organizational scholars have overlooked the practice of image spoiling. Image spoiling occurs when an organization uses words and other symbols to attack the image of another organization. One of the most pervasive forms of image spoiling is interorganizational defamation. The purpose of this study is to explore some of the dynamics of interorganizational defamation. Data was collected from 68 interorganizational defamation cases that were adjudicated in the U.S. federal or state courts between 1964 and 1998. A model of interorganizational defamation was inductively derived from the defamation cases using grounded theory as a qualitative methodology. The model identifies some of the strategies of interorganizational defamation and their methods of implementation.
Mohamad Saad Mohamad and Ahmed Amin Mohamed
The purpose of this paper is to develop and validate the first instrument to measure the source of customers’ stigmatization of employees with hepatitis C virus (HCV) in Egypt.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop and validate the first instrument to measure the source of customers’ stigmatization of employees with hepatitis C virus (HCV) in Egypt.
Design/methodology/approach
The development and validation processes unfolded as follows: an item pool was generated from focus groups and previous studies on stigma; the initial instrument was evaluated by three experts and pilot-tested; the instrument was used to collect data from 500 Egyptian consumers to determine its dimensionality; to test this structure, confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on a new sample of 300 Egyptian consumers.
Findings
Exploratory factor analysis showed that the instrument captures three factors: devaluation, avoidance and pity. Results confirmed that customers’ stigmatization of employees with HCV is a multidimensional construct that is manifested in these three dimensions.
Originality/value
Despite the importance of disease stigma, management scholars have not given it sufficient attention. This paper offers new insights into the study of a particular type of workplace discrimination and ways of measuring it.
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A. Amin Mohamed, Joette Wisnieski, Askar and Syed
In spite of the importance of spirituality and the attention given to it by the media, research on the impact of spirituality in the workplace has been lacking. This paper…
Abstract
In spite of the importance of spirituality and the attention given to it by the media, research on the impact of spirituality in the workplace has been lacking. This paper attempts to stimulate academic interest in the topic by reviewing some of the management and psychology literature on spirituality. The paper takes a few steps towards resolving some of the definitional problems, and advances some preliminary propositions on the relationship between spirituality and job performance and behavior.
A. Amin Mohamed, Herbert A. Conley and Boonghe Yoo
Considers the question of childcare availability in relation to demand. Presents the finding of a study into childcare in Chicago. Attempts to identify the future plans and…
Abstract
Considers the question of childcare availability in relation to demand. Presents the finding of a study into childcare in Chicago. Attempts to identify the future plans and perceptions of the childcare providers. Focuses particularly on potential business expansion and environmental barriers. Concludes that demand outstrips supply by more than three times but owners are not planning to expand and legislative requirements appear to be a high factor in this decision.
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A. Amin Mohamed, John N. Orife and Kustim Wibowo
One of the most difficult problems that companies face when they use Internet recruiting is the volume of résumés that they may receive. This large volume of résumés along with…
Abstract
One of the most difficult problems that companies face when they use Internet recruiting is the volume of résumés that they may receive. This large volume of résumés along with the pressures to identify the best applicants have caused companies to use electronic scanning to sift through the résumés and identify those key words that may relate to the qualifications required for the job. Résumés that contain the desired words are selected for further evaluation while those that do not have these words are removed from the selection pool. As such, key word search (KWS) performs as a selection tool. This paper examines KWS as a selection tool and the strategies that can be used to improve its validity.
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Arwa Al-Twal, Fadi Alsarhan, Leen Nabulsi and Christina Horani
Wasta, the prevailing form of informal networks in the Arab region, exerts a significant controversial influence on organisations in this region. Despite the pervasive negative…
Abstract
Purpose
Wasta, the prevailing form of informal networks in the Arab region, exerts a significant controversial influence on organisations in this region. Despite the pervasive negative perceptions and alleged detrimental effects of Wasta, it remains a frequently employed practice. This research aims to comprehensively explore the influence of Wasta on organisational justice across organisations in the Arab world, with Jordanian organisations taken as an illustrative case.
Design/methodology/approach
Employing a qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 employees from various industries in Jordan.
Findings
The study reveals that Wasta significantly affects distributive, procedural and interactional justice within organisations, eliciting feelings of unfairness and hopelessness among employees.
Practical implications
This study recommends that HR departments focus on implementing ethical policies and standards to enhance transparency in organisational decision-making processes. By understanding and addressing the implications of Wasta, organisations can foster a more just and equitable workplace environment.
Originality/value
This study advances our understanding of informal network theories in the Arab world by highlighting the interconnectedness between Wasta and organisational justice, and its profound impact on the work environment and employees. This study also explains how Wasta directly influences decision-making processes, at high managerial levels.
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Praveen Kumar Sharma and Rajeev Kumra
Workplace spirituality is presently a prominent research topic and is gaining recognition and importance among industry professionals and academicians. Workplace spirituality is…
Abstract
Purpose
Workplace spirituality is presently a prominent research topic and is gaining recognition and importance among industry professionals and academicians. Workplace spirituality is defined as a sense of community, meaningful work and organizational values. The purpose of this research paper is to investigate the relationship between workplace spirituality and mental health, wherein employee engagement is considered as a mediator. Furthermore, this study examines the mediating role of employee engagement in the relationship between organizational justice and mental health.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were gathered from 344 information technology professionals working in India. Structural equation modelling was used to evaluate the model fit of workplace spirituality and its relationship to employee engagement, organizational justice and mental health.
Findings
The results revealed that workplace spirituality and organizational justice significantly and positively predict employee engagement, which is significantly related to employee mental health. The results also revealed that employee engagement significantly partially mediates the relationship between workplace spirituality and mental health as well as the relationship between organizational justice and mental health.
Research limitations/implications
Results of research guide HR professionals, employee mental health concerns can be addressed by promoting workplace spirituality, improving employee engagement strategies and implementing organizational justice policies that are perceived to be fair. This study makes a significant contribution to the extant literature regarding mental health issues in the IT sector.
Originality/value
Findings of this research contribute to the area of human resource management and employee engagement. The current study fills a gap in the extant literature by investigating employee engagement intervening mechanism between organizational justice, workplace spirituality and mental health.
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Sumayya Rashid and Vanessa Ratten
The role of spirituality in entrepreneurship is a new area of inquiry that has emerged from different scholarly fields. There is no specific way to study spirituality as it rather…
Abstract
Purpose
The role of spirituality in entrepreneurship is a new area of inquiry that has emerged from different scholarly fields. There is no specific way to study spirituality as it rather depends on the context and influence of religious beliefs. This paper aims to study the integration of spirituality in the entrepreneurial journeys of individual entrepreneurs in Pakistan. Thereby focusing on the factors that set reassurance for entrepreneurs to practice their spiritual beliefs in an emerging market context.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a qualitative research approach and data from entrepreneurs in different businesses, this study examines how entrepreneurs reach the point where they are willing to run their businesses based on their spiritual beliefs. The data analysis technique used to study the entrepreneurs is the Gioia method of analysis, which enables key themes to emerge.
Findings
This study finds that the process through which Pakistani entrepreneurs run their businesses based on spiritual beliefs within their mission and goals can be considered as discerning spiritual beliefs, affirmation of spiritual beliefs and materializing beliefs into action. Each of these spiritual beliefs has been accumulated through lifelong learning and experience in which trust in business relationships is highlighted.
Social implications
The insights of this study can be applied to different entrepreneurial ventures to create a framework of entrepreneurial businesses that incorporate spirituality within their mission and vision statements. It can then be used to design education and training activities for other spiritual entrepreneurs to enable further entrepreneurial development in different communities.
Originality/value
Spirituality can alter the entrepreneurial nature of a business. This means that entrepreneurs who possess high spiritual beliefs can incorporate their spirituality within specific business functions to enable a more positive outcome. This study stands as the first in Pakistan to consider the ways entrepreneurs incorporate their spiritual beliefs in their entrepreneurial journey.
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Norhazlina Ibrahim and Safeza Mohd Sapian
This study, using systematic literature review (SLR) aims to highlight and summarise current studies on the factors influencing customers’ Islamic home financing (IHF) selection…
Abstract
Purpose
This study, using systematic literature review (SLR) aims to highlight and summarise current studies on the factors influencing customers’ Islamic home financing (IHF) selection and Islamic banking product preference, which has gained popularity within the banking sector over the past three decades. The SLR could map evolution and research fields, recommend a particular categorisation and determine primary issues to demonstrate current trends, future research directions and theoretical development.
Design/methodology/approach
The SLR was performed with a four-step reporting standard for the systematic evidence syntheses review method (research question formulation, systematic searching, quality assessment and data extraction) using 33 screened articles between 2008 and 2020 from two primary databases (Scopus and Web of Science) and one supporting database (Google Scholar).
Findings
The resulting factors could be categorised into four primary themes: consumer behaviour, consumer attributes, bank attributes and bank attributes (Islamic). The themes were subsequently divided into 16 sub-themes. Notably, all the factors proved essential for consumers’ evolving preferences and product competitiveness in the market.
Research limitations/implications
This study encountered two limitations based on database selection and research period.
Practical implications
This SLR aimed to offer useful insights into the factors that should be prioritised by financial institutions for marketing approaches by investigating consumer behaviours.
Originality/value
This study pioneered an SLR on the study area for useful insights into the current research limitations and recommendations on future study directions. Specifically, the study method facilitated critical discussions and comparisons to past research outcomes and objectivity with triangulation from distinct perspectives.