Remy Magnier-Watanabe, Toru Uchida, Philippe Orsini and Caroline F. Benton
Past research has convincingly shown that higher employee subjective well-being, or happiness, is a source of higher job performance and retention. This paper therefore examines…
Abstract
Purpose
Past research has convincingly shown that higher employee subjective well-being, or happiness, is a source of higher job performance and retention. This paper therefore examines the relationships between organizational virtuousness, subjective well-being, and individual job performance among French and Japanese employees.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire survey was conducted among Japanese and French managers and staff at Japanese and French domestic companies and structural equation modeling was employed to compare those associations.
Findings
We found that the Japanese and the French have different conceptualizations of organizational virtuousness, suggesting that firms must tailor their virtue-building activities based on the local culture. Subjective well-being is comparatively more important in Japan since it acts in complement to organizational virtuousness to positively affect job performance, while in France, only organizational virtuousness counts as a source of job performance.
Research implications
National culture is revealed to be a new factor explaining differences in how employees consider organizational virtuousness and we provide evidence of positive associations of organizational virtuousness with positive subjective well-being and with job performance for both the Japanese and the French.
Practical implications
Organizational virtuousness cannot be construed from a universalistic perspective where virtues are conceptualized on the same basis regardless of location or region, and firms should also consider their employees' individualist or collectivist inclination when trying to influence work outcomes.
Originality/value
These findings point to the role of national culture on the perception of organizational virtuousness and its effect on subjective well-being and job performance.
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Remy Magnier-Watanabe, Toru Uchida, Philippe Orsini and Caroline Benton
This paper aims to examine the effect of subjective well-being, often referred to as happiness, on the relationship between organizational virtuousness and job performance among…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the effect of subjective well-being, often referred to as happiness, on the relationship between organizational virtuousness and job performance among Japanese employees. The concept of happiness has been receiving more attention over the past decade as research suggests that it may be a source of greater performance.
Design/methodology/approach
This research uses a questionnaire survey and conditional process analysis among Japanese managers and front-line workers within Japanese firms in Japan.
Findings
This paper found that positive subjective well-being partially mediates the relationship between general organizational virtuousness and self-management-related job performance, while it acts as a moderator in the relationship between general organizational virtuousness and leadership-related job performance.
Practical implications
These findings indicate that in the Japanese context, the firm’s investment in organizational virtuousness will increase one part of job performance, but that investment may not be sufficient in itself to positively affect leadership competency, unless it also pays attention to its employees’ positive subjective well-being.
Originality/value
Based on this growing realization of the importance of subjective well-being, or happiness, and the lack of academic research in Japan on its impact on organization, this paper investigates its effect on employees’ ability to manage their own tasks and lead others.
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Remy Magnier-Watanabe, Caroline Benton, Philippe Orsini, Toru Uchida and Kaoruko Magnier-Watanabe
This exploratory paper aims to examine attitudes and practices with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the effects of mandatory teleworking from home in the wake of the…
Abstract
Purpose
This exploratory paper aims to examine attitudes and practices with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the effects of mandatory teleworking from home in the wake of the first state of emergency orders in Japan in 2020.
Design/methodology/approach
An online survey of married employees retrospectively assessed changes in work style, subjective well-being, work–family conflict and job performance before and during forced teleworking from home in Tokyo and three of the surrounding prefectures.
Findings
Regular employees reported high levels of anxiety and to have thoroughly implemented government-recommended hygiene and safety practices. A majority of respondents were satisfied with mandatory telework from home and desired to continue partial telework after the end of the pandemic. The strongest predictor of satisfaction with mandatory telework from home turned out to be adequate workspace at home for both men and women. However, the antecedents of the desire to continue working from home differed by gender.
Practical implications
These findings can help individuals, firms and governments better understand the effects of mandatory teleworking from home and devise countermeasures to maximize employee well-being and job performance. This is all the more crucial, as Japan has had successive waves of the virus and has declared numerous states of emergency since the beginning of the pandemic, forcing office workers to continue social distancing and remote working for the time being.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is one of the first to provide insights on how imposed teleworking from home in the context of COVID-19 in Japan affected regular employees’ personal and professional lives and to identify predictors of satisfaction with teleworking and the desire to continue doing so.
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Remy Magnier-Watanabe, Caroline Benton, Philippe Orsini and Toru Uchida
Subjective well-being has attracted attention in relation to its impact on job satisfaction and performance. As a result, companies would do well to encourage positive emotions…
Abstract
Purpose
Subjective well-being has attracted attention in relation to its impact on job satisfaction and performance. As a result, companies would do well to encourage positive emotions and minimize negative ones in the workplace. This study aims to examine the factors that contribute to emotional contagion in the workplace in Japan.
Design/methodology/approach
The study builds upon previous research on emotional contagion by considering both personal and professional events using vignette questions and multiple regression analysis. A large group of permanent Japanese employees is included in the study.
Findings
Emotional contagion in the Japanese workplace was found to be primarily influenced by the level of familiarity between sender and receiver, and to a lesser extent by the receiver’s emotional susceptibility, group climate and the hierarchical difference between sender and receiver. Contrary to past research in other countries, several hypothesized predictors had little or no effect on emotional contagion among Japanese employees, such as communication frequency or empathy.
Practical implications
Given the persistent labor shortage and aging population, it is crucial for Japanese companies to understand how positive and negative emotions are transmitted in the workplace. This knowledge can assist them in establishing a work environment that can optimize employee well-being, performance and retention.
Originality/value
While the antecedents of emotional contagion have been extensively studied, their effects within Japanese corporations remain underexplored. Thus, this research investigates the factors that can foster the contagion of positive emotions while mitigating the transmission of negative emotions within the Japanese workplace, thereby addressing the prevailing challenges faced by Japanese companies.
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Philippe Orsini, Toru Uchida, Remy Magnier-Watanabe, Caroline Benton and Kimihiko Nagata
We empirically assessed the antecedents of subjective well-being at work for French permanent employees.
Abstract
Purpose
We empirically assessed the antecedents of subjective well-being at work for French permanent employees.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology includes qualitative and quantitative data analyses. In the first phase, interviews elicited the antecedents of subjective well-being at work among permanent French employees. In the second phase, a questionnaire survey was used to confirm the relevance of the antecedents uncovered in the first phase.
Findings
We found 14 distinct elements that influence French employees’ subjective well-being at work: corporate culture, job dissonance, relationships with colleagues, achievement, professional development, relationships with superiors, status, workload, perks, feedback, workspace, diversity and pay. Moreover, we identified discrete antecedents for the three components of subjective well-being at work: work achievement and relationships with superiors and colleagues for positive emotions at work, job dissonance and workload for negative emotions at work and organizational culture and professional development for satisfaction with one’s work.
Originality/value
The original contribution of this study is to have unpacked the black box of the antecedents of subjective well-being in the French workplace and to have uncovered discriminant predictors for each of the three components of subjective well-being at work. Furthermore, we specifically linked each of these three components with their most significant antecedents.
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The purpose of this paper is to present a biographical review of the career of the late Caroline Robinson Jones (1942‐2001) in order to understand her challenges and contributions…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a biographical review of the career of the late Caroline Robinson Jones (1942‐2001) in order to understand her challenges and contributions to the advertising profession. Prior to her death, she was considered the foremost African‐American woman in the advertising business. She was the first black woman to serve as a vice president of a major mainstream advertising agency and also established a respected agency bearing her own name. This paper focuses on Jones' contributions to marketing practice and her experiences as a woman of color in the advertising industry.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper uses a traditional historical narrative approach largely based on archival materials housed in the Caroline Jones Collection at the Archives Center of the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian Institution. Relevant secondary literature was also employed to provide appropriate context.
Findings
While the advertising industry has historically been noted for its lack of diversity among its professional ranks, Jones made significant contributions to the industry. Yet, despite her trailblazing accomplishments, findings suggest her efforts were constrained by structural oppression in the industry concerning gender and race.
Originality/value
Scholarly literature reflecting the contributions and experiences of women of color in the advertising business is nearly non‐existent. This paper provides an analysis using sources which are valuable in understanding career opportunities and challenges for women of color in advertising professions.
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Bruna Omizzolo Lazzarotto, Miriam Borchardt, Giancarlo Pereira and Caroline Almeida
Outsourcing-based performance practices establish goals for supplier performance and compensation. The management of contracts based on performance is complex as is the alignment…
Abstract
Purpose
Outsourcing-based performance practices establish goals for supplier performance and compensation. The management of contracts based on performance is complex as is the alignment of long-term relationship and indicators. The purpose of this research is to analyse the practices that contracting companies utilise to manage outsourcing contracts with performance-based compensation.
Design/methodology/approach
Multiple case studies were conducted with five contracting companies. Nine performance-based outsourcing contracts were analysed.
Findings
The selection and evaluation processes have been neglected by the buyers associated with contracts that are over ten years old. The process of transferring activities relied on the knowledge of employees. Management practices based on indicators and the adoption of results-based compensation are commonplace in a number of contracts and are consistent with theory.
Originality/value
This paper identifies management practices that differ between what is expected from the theoretical framework and what is observed in the actual examined contracts. Opportunities for improvement have been identified mainly in the areas of supplier selection and activity transfer; the use of pilot tests and the reengineering of the outsourced processes are suggested.
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Communications regarding this column should be addressed to Mrs. Cheney, Peabody Library School, Nashville, Term. 37203. Mrs. Cheney does not sell the books listed here. They are…
Abstract
Communications regarding this column should be addressed to Mrs. Cheney, Peabody Library School, Nashville, Term. 37203. Mrs. Cheney does not sell the books listed here. They are available through normal trade sources. Mrs. Cheney, being a member of the editorial board of Pierian Press, will not review Pierian Press reference books in this column. Descriptions of Pierian Press reference books will be included elsewhere in this publication.
Nicholas J. Goetzfridt and Mark C. Goniwiecha
Micronesia, a term that means “small islands,” refers to a region of Western Pacific islands scattered across an area of the Pacific Ocean larger than the continental United…
Abstract
Micronesia, a term that means “small islands,” refers to a region of Western Pacific islands scattered across an area of the Pacific Ocean larger than the continental United States (see figure 1). This vast area, located in the tropics almost entirely north of the Equator, covers more than 4,500,000 square miles of ocean and includes more than 2,100 palm tree‐studded islands, islets, and coral atolls. Yet its total land area is fewer than 1,200 square miles—only slightly larger than Rhode Island (see figure 2). Only about 125 of the islands are inhabited on a permanent basis, by some 350,000 people.
Linda Caroline Hendry, Mark Stevenson, Jill MacBryde, Peter Ball, Maysara Sayed and Lingxuan Liu
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how local supply chains prepare for and respond to the threats and opportunities presented by constitutional change, thereby building…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how local supply chains prepare for and respond to the threats and opportunities presented by constitutional change, thereby building resilience.
Design/methodology/approach
Multiple case study analysis of 14 firms in the food sector is presented in the context of the UK’s impending exit from the European Union (Brexit). Organisations studied include farmers, processors, retailers and non-government organisations (NGOs). Data from interviews and roundtable discussions has been interpreted using the dynamic capabilities perspective, covering the sensing, seizing, and transforming stages.
Findings
The data highlights the importance of both vertical and horizontal collaboration between supply chain actors as they seek to anticipate the impact of the disruption and influence the future shape of the constitution. There is also evidence to suggest firms in possession of dynamic capabilities can innovate to build resilience and enhance their competitive position. Characteristics of the disruption posed by constitutional change are identified and contrast with those of many other threats more typically described in the literature. As a result, the process of building resilience is different.
Research limitations/implications
The study could be extended to include post-Brexit interviews to further understand the seizing and transforming stages whilst the impact of Brexit on actors that remain within the EU could also be considered.
Practical implications
Practitioners need to work together to influence the future shape of the constitution; and they need to reconfigure their operations and supply chains where necessary to become more resilient to the threat posed by Brexit, such as by reducing their reliance on EU funding streams and trade. The study also has policy implications.
Originality/value
The first study of supply chain resilience to constitutional change and a rare empirical study of resilience across multiple supply chain tiers.