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Article
Publication date: 26 June 2019

Helena Lee and Joulyn Chui

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mediating factor of interactional justice (IJ) between the specific types of human resource (HR) practices: training and…

730

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mediating factor of interactional justice (IJ) between the specific types of human resource (HR) practices: training and development (TD), compensation and benefits (CB), work process (WP), and perceived organizational support (POS). There has been scant attention paid in the past studies in examining the specific components of HR practices on organizational support and IJ.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was conducted in a healthcare organization, and employed quantitative analysis based on surveys and interviews conducted with 150 nurses. Confirmatory factor analysis and regression analysis were generated to examine the relationships among TD, CB, WP and IJ and POS.

Findings

Significant findings demonstrated that there are no direct effects between CB and TD, and POS. The result revealed that establishment of HR practices is not synonymous to organizational support. However, WP is positively correlated to POS. Further analysis indicated that IJ mediated between all three HR practices (CB, TD and WP) and POS. The findings are aligned with the previous research relating to the absence of direct correlation between team training and POS (Aguinis and Kraiger, 2009; Koster et al., 2011). The study suggests that adopting an interactive and a fair approach HR practices is crucial in managing the perceptions of employee support and workplace fairness. The management who enact the policies and practices are seen as the representatives in facilitating the WP (Wiili-Peltola et al., 2007). CB and TD are extrinsic benefits that are significant in individual personal and career growth. Hence, these components of reward system can be employed as a HR mechanism to promote trust and support with employees.

Practical implications

The empirical evidence in this present study shows that it bodes well for an organization to understand the impact of HR practices and policies on employees’ perceptions of support and fair treatment to promote organizational effectiveness and efficiency. The study shows that HR practices can enhance the psychological well-being of the employees through the support system through an open-communication channel. Providing a clear channel of communication in how the reward and benefits systems are administered and distributed, and promoting shared goals and objectives (Lyubovnikova et al., 2018) between employer and employee can be instrumental in promoting IJ in HR practices.

Originality/value

This study has enriched the theoretical and practical implications of examining the specific components of HR practices in association with IJ and organizational support. The results shed light on the balancing act of adopting the hard and soft HR management in executing the HR practices.

Details

Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, vol. 6 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2051-6614

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Article
Publication date: 9 February 2021

Helena Lee

The purpose of the study is to investigate the psychological safety, organisation support and emotion in the workplace during the transition from office to home working during the…

18430

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to investigate the psychological safety, organisation support and emotion in the workplace during the transition from office to home working during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Past studies on emotion in the workplace mostly focus on types of discreet emotion, in relation to positive and negative emotions (e.g. Connelly and Torrence, 2018; Rubino et al., 2013). Other studies reported that emotions are derived from social comparison processes (Matta and Dyne, 2020). During a crisis, the emotional responses of the workers and organisational support to the different group of employees differ due to the social exchange relationship. Hence, this study contributes to the field of organisational support by examining the organisational support as the investment of both physical and psychological resources, and the emotional responses of employees to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis during transition from office to work-from-home setting. Through thick descriptions of the workers' emotion responses to this transition, the research examined how organisational support potentially impacts the worker's experience of psychological safety.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was conducted in the Singapore context. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Singapore Government imposed regulatory restrictions, the “Circuit Breaker” from April 7 2020 to curb the spread of the virus infections. Most workplaces from the public service agencies to the private enterprises implemented work from home arrangements for most of the employees. The data were generated from an online survey that included self-reported text-based narratives in response to open-ended questions. Open-ended questions effectively allowed respondents to define the real-world situation in their perspectives. Salaried workers from both the public and private organisations were invited to take part in this research. Respondents comprise full-time, part-time and contracted employees from the diverse sectors. The final sample size of 131 respondents was used. A qualitative data analysis was employed to gain deeper insight into the workers' emotional reactions, including their personal experiences of organisational support and psychological safety, during the transition from office to work from home setting.

Findings

The qualitative examination, through thematic coding, reveals the phenomenon of emotion triggered by social comparison emotion and critical socio-emotional resources (i.e. task, flexibility, communication, health and safety and social support) during a health crisis. Specifically, the employees' emotional reactions were elicited from the perceived organisational support, in how organisation cares for their well-being and work contributions and, in turn, influence the psychological safety. For example, the approach of the online communication (as a form of organisation support) practised by the managers has implications on the different levels of psychological safety experienced by the employee. In addition, emotional resources can be interpreted as organisation support. The findings revealed that emotions such as anxiety, stress, unfairness, inferiority and vulnerability are triggered by perceived inequity and comparison with the decisions or resources of the referent others of higher level such as the management (upward social comparison emotion). On the other hand, the emotions of pride, empathy, shared goals and support are generated by the care, collective interest and comparison of the referent others of lower level such as the subordinate (downward social comparison emotion). This study adds theoretical depth to the phenomenon of socio-emotional resources and the implications of psychological safety and organisational support of different work groups in the organisation.

Practical implications

The practical implications contribute to human resource management practices to understanding the socio-emotional resources of the core and periphery groups. It is imperative for organisation to exercise equity in the allocation of resources and treatment between different groups (core and periphery). The implications of this study show the phenomenon of emotional responses arise from comparison within groups linking with perceived fairness. The managerial decisions and supervisor management style are key factors in promoting healthy emotion and psychological safety. Management style such as micromanagement and control were not favourable among employees, and autonomy, trust and empathy resonate with employees. During a crisis and major workplace changes, demonstrating employee care through feedback, timely and specific information sharing and participatory form of communication contribute to the positive perception of procedural and interactional fairness. In the initial phase of workplace change amid crisis, some element of control is inevitable. Supervisor support may come in the form of open communication in conveying the rationale for the need to exercise control in one process and flexibility may be accorded in another task. The empowerment of workplace decisions, open communication in shared goals and assurance and trust are critical in enhancing a high psychological safety.

Originality/value

This study examines the roles of emotion, psychological safety and organisational support among different groups of workers (full-time, part-time and contracted employees) in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. There has been scant study in examining the core and periphery groups relating to these research topics. The findings in this study reveal the phenomenon of emotions triggered by social comparison during the workplace changes and the display of different socio-emotional resources within groups. This qualitative research supported the past studies that autonomy in decision-making, supervisor support, employee care and trust affect psychological safety.

Details

Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, vol. 8 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2051-6614

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Article
Publication date: 8 January 2018

Helena Lee and Natalie Pang

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of task and user’s topic familiarity in the evaluation of information patch (websites).

761

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of task and user’s topic familiarity in the evaluation of information patch (websites).

Design/methodology/approach

An experimental study was conducted in a computer laboratory to examine users’ information seeking and foraging behaviour. In total, 160 university students participated in the research. Two types of task instructions, specifically defined and non-specifically defined (general) task types were administered. Mixed methods approach involving both quantitative and qualitative thematic coding were adopted, from the data of the questionnaire surveys and post-experiment interviews.

Findings

In the context of task attributes, users who conducted information seeking task with specifically defined instructions, as compared to the non-specifically defined instructions, demonstrated stricter credibility evaluations. Evidence demonstrated the link between topical knowledge and credibility perception. Users with topical knowledge applied critical credibility assessments than users without topical knowledge. Furthermore, the evidential results supported that the level of difficulty and knowledge of the topic or subject matter associated with users’ credibility evaluations. Users who have lesser or no subject knowledge and who experienced difficulty in the information search tended to be less diagnostic in their appraisal of the information patch (website or webpages). Users equipped with topical knowledge and who encountered less difficulty in the search, exhibited higher expectation and evaluative criteria of the information patch.

Research limitations/implications

The constraints of time in the lab experiment, carried out in the presence of and under the observation of the researcher, may affect users’ information seeking behaviour. It would be beneficial to consider users’ information search gratifications and motivations in studying information evaluations and foraging patterns. There is scope to investigate users’ proficiency such as expert or novice, and individual learning styles in assessing information credibility.

Practical implications

Past studies on information evaluation, specifically credibility is often associated with users’ characteristics, source, or contents. This study sheds light on the context of task type, task difficulty and topical knowledge in affecting users’ information judgement.

Originality/value

One of the scarce studies in relating task orientation, task difficulty and topical knowledge to information evaluations.

Details

Journal of Documentation, vol. 74 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0022-0418

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Publication date: 7 September 2020

Lwazi Apleni, Jaqueline Mangwane, Petrus Mfanampela Maphanga and Unathi Sonwabile Henama

Terrorism is the new normal for tourism destinations, as the acts of terror that are performed in tourism zones ensure maximum international media coverage for such acts of…

Abstract

Terrorism is the new normal for tourism destinations, as the acts of terror that are performed in tourism zones ensure maximum international media coverage for such acts of terror. The frequency of acts of terror has led to the development of crisis resistant tourists, a segment of tourists that continue tourism consumption even when acts of terrorism occur. The tourism industry is negatively impacted by crises, but it has proved to be resilient, bouncing back from a temporary decline. Crisis resistant tourists have increased the robustness of tourist destinations, as almost all destinations have jumped on the tourism bandwagon. Increasingly, countries depend on the tourism industry for economic growth, economic diversification, labour-intensive jobs and attracting foreign exchange, and therefore acts of terrorism can be regarded as economic espionage. African countries still receive less than 10% of international tourism receipts, as the majority of tourism occurs between developed countries in the West. As a consequence, developing countries benefit disproportionally less from tourism. The growth rate for African tourism has exceeded global growth averages and has been included in economic development policies in many African countries.

Terrorism in Kenya's tourism industry has had an adverse impact on tourism numbers and perception about destination Kenya. Several acts of terrorism have capacitated Kenya with institutional memory on how to handle acts of terrorism on Kenya's tourism industry. Kenya is arguably one of the leading countries in tourism in the African continent alongside South Africa, Egypt and Mauritius. In addition, Kenya Airways has used the national airport in Nairobi as a growing aviation hub connecting Africa with the world. As one of Africa's top tourist destinations, Kenya has to address the issue of terrorism. The perceptions of foreign tourists, including Kenyans, are that the country is not safe anymore. As recent as early 2019, another terrorism attack took place in Kenya. This continued to strain an industry that is already under siege. It needs to be borne in mind that a country of Kenya's calibre cannot afford to lose tourists. This is because tourism plays a significant role in enhancing the livelihood of ordinary Kenyans. Additionally, it plays a pivotal role in the country's economy. Kenya provides an example of a destination country which has been able to mitigate the effects of terrorism in the tourism industry. The Atlantic Island of St. Helena, a British Overseas territory, recently constructed an airport in Jamestown to boost trade and specifically tourism to the island, to alleviate financial support from Britain to the island. The island is an unexploited dark tourism destination, as the site of freed slaves after the abolition of the Atlantic Slave trade, the exile site for Napoleon and Zulu Royalty Dinuzulu kaCetshwayo and an overseas concentration camp for the Boers after the Anglo-Boer War. The opening of the airport has created the necessary infrastructure to attract tourists to the island, and the unique selling point of the island is that it is the last outpost of British Imperialism. The island would need to exploit its dark tourism potential by appealing to the British, the South Africans and specifically heritage tourists, due to its unique offering.

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Article
Publication date: 6 October 2023

Yen-Ting Helena Chiu, Dung Minh Nguyen and Katharina Maria Hofer

The growth of self-service technologies (SST) in the retail sector has led to an increased prevalence of SST failures, and spurred academic debate on customer self-recovery of the…

400

Abstract

Purpose

The growth of self-service technologies (SST) in the retail sector has led to an increased prevalence of SST failures, and spurred academic debate on customer self-recovery of the failed services. This study sets out to explore why customers prefer or decline to engage in self-recovery. A framework integrating elements from self-determination theory and theory of planned behavior is developed to explore the impact of motivational factors, attitudes and self-efficacy on self-recovery intention.

Design/methodology/approach

Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the sample consisting of 297 users of retail kiosks in convenience stores.

Findings

The results revealed that intrinsic motivation and identified regulation directly affect customers' attitude and intention to engage in self-recovery. Despite an insignificant direct relationship, external regulation impacted self-recovery intention through attitude. Further, the association between intrinsic motivation and self-recovery intention is moderated by self-efficacy.

Originality/value

Much of the extant SST recovery literature has focused on company-rendered service recovery, providing little guidance to firms on how to promote self-recovery among customers. The integrated motivational-cognitive theoretical base in this study allows for a more differentiated inquiry into the factors shaping self-recovery intention, resulting in a deeper understanding of this topic. The novel insights will help retailers develop effective strategies for promoting self-recovery among users of retail kiosks.

Details

International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, vol. 51 no. 9/10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-0552

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Article
Publication date: 4 March 2021

Rebecca S. Lau, Gordon W. Cheung and Helena D. Cooper–Thomas

This study aims to examine two individual dispositions, propensity to trust and reciprocation wariness, as antecedents of team–member exchange (TMX) and how shared leadership…

1042

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine two individual dispositions, propensity to trust and reciprocation wariness, as antecedents of team–member exchange (TMX) and how shared leadership moderates these relationships. It also investigates work engagement as a consequence of TMX.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 175 employees in 42 teams; a multilevel random slope model was used to test the moderating effect of shared leadership at the team level and across levels.

Findings

Shared leadership provides a boundary condition for the relationships from propensity to trust and reciprocation wariness to work engagement through TMX. At the individual level, the positive effects of propensity to trust and negative effects of reciprocation wariness on TMX, and their indirect effects on work engagement through TMX, were weaker at higher shared leadership. At the team level, the positive relationship between propensity to trust and TMX was unconditional on shared leadership, whereas the relationship between reciprocation wariness and TMX was moderated by shared leadership. At the team level, shared leadership had positive effects on TMX and work engagement.

Practical implications

Managers can adopt shared leadership to encourage social exchanges among team members to enhance TMX and work engagement.

Originality/value

The study extends the TMX research by investigating dispositions as antecedents and work engagement as a consequence at both individual and team levels. It also identifies the moderating role played by team-level shared leadership, which provides a strong situation supporting reciprocal interactions.

Details

Journal of Managerial Psychology, vol. 36 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0268-3946

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Article
Publication date: 10 December 2024

Helena Vychová

This study examines the economic availability of gluten-free foods for people with coeliac condition in the Czech Republic, focusing on the price differences between gluten-free…

17

Abstract

Purpose

This study examines the economic availability of gluten-free foods for people with coeliac condition in the Czech Republic, focusing on the price differences between gluten-free and gluten-containing products.

Design/methodology/approach

A comprehensive price survey was carried out, analysing almost 7,000 products from different categories. Statistical analysis using IBM SPSS Statistics software was used to calculate average prices and test the significance of price differences between the two groups of products.

Findings

The results show that most gluten-free products are more expensive than their gluten-containing counterparts, with significant price differences between product categories, particularly in bakery products. This economic burden is a barrier to adherence to a gluten-free diet, which is essential for the management of celiac disease.

Practical implications

Policymakers, healthcare providers and other members of the public can use these findings to develop the policies needed to promote the accessibility of gluten-free products.

Originality/value

This research provides unique insights into the economic availability of gluten-free foods for people with coeliac disease in the Czech Republic, a topic that has not been extensively studied in this specific context. While literature exists on the pricing of gluten-free products in other countries, our comprehensive price survey highlights significant price differences between gluten-free and gluten-containing products in the Czech market. The data reflect current market conditions and highlight the economic burden for people with celiac disease, contributing to the discourse on public health and dietary accessibility in the Czech Republic.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 127 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

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Article
Publication date: 28 October 2019

Steven Richards, Lorraine Brown and Alessandra Dilettuso

Media and academic attention on Airbnb focuses on user experiences, implications for traditional accommodation establishments and negative sociocultural impacts. The purpose of…

1604

Abstract

Purpose

Media and academic attention on Airbnb focuses on user experiences, implications for traditional accommodation establishments and negative sociocultural impacts. The purpose of this paper is to explore the views of Barcelona residents who have been impacted by the proliferation of Airbnb rentals.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative approach was adopted, involving semi-structured interviews with residents of Barcelona.

Findings

It highlights the problem of unregistered Airbnb rentals throughout the city, carrying implications for the gentrification of neighbourhoods, the displacement of local residents and anti-social guest behaviour. This study points to a consequent rise in anti-tourist feeling. It also reveals that the authentic experience promised by the sharing economy is illusory.

Originality/value

This paper presents a model that highlights a clash between the vaunted benefits of the sharing economy for hosts and tourists and the negative implications for a city’s residents.

Details

International Journal of Tourism Cities, vol. 6 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-5607

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Article
Publication date: 20 August 2020

Marcello Chedid, Helena Alvelos and Leonor Teixeira

Higher education institutions (HEIs) are currently under pressure, driven by the knowledge society and the internationalization of institutions. Therefore, a positive attitude…

1039

Abstract

Purpose

Higher education institutions (HEIs) are currently under pressure, driven by the knowledge society and the internationalization of institutions. Therefore, a positive attitude toward knowledge sharing is required. Considering that the knowledge-sharing attitude is motivated and executed mainly at the individual level, this study aims to examine the relationship between individual factors and the attitude toward knowledge sharing among professors and researchers.

Design/methodology/approach

Data was obtained from 176 completed questionnaires collected through LimeSurvey system. The analysis is based on quantitative methods where descriptive and inferential statistics were used. This study investigated the individual factors that affect attitude toward knowledge sharing among professors and researchers of a HEI.

Findings

The results identified that intrinsic motivation was the factor that most positively affects knowledge-sharing attitude. Given that intrinsic motivation is an activity moved by self-determination, and is free of external pressures or rewards, the finding may be related to the inviolable values, such as freedom and autonomy, existing in this context. Consistent with the concept of extrinsic motivation as a controlled motivation, this factor was not identified as affecting attitude toward knowledge sharing. Networking was the other factor that positively affects attitude on this institution.

Originality/value

In practice, this work can help the institution in defining strategies and developing future actions to promote a knowledge-sharing culture supported through an empirical study. In a theoretical perspective, this study contributes to the knowledge increase in the area, as little is known about the attitudes regarding knowledge sharing in HEIs.

Details

VINE Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems, vol. 52 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2059-5891

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Article
Publication date: 11 June 2018

Eugénia de Matos Pedro, Helena Alves and João Leitão

The purpose of this paper is to identify the effects of students’ satisfaction with services on quality of academic life (QAL), formed by cognitive and affective components; and…

572

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the effects of students’ satisfaction with services on quality of academic life (QAL), formed by cognitive and affective components; and to assess the mediating effect of QOL components (cognitive and affective) on students’ loyalty and recommendation.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on 726 respondent students from public higher education institutions (HEIs) in Portugal, this paper uses a partial least squares approach to analyze the impact of satisfaction on emotions and students’ QAL and to assess whether emotions influence recommendation and loyalty.

Findings

The results reveal that satisfaction influences both cognitive and affective components of QAL. The cognitive component has a positive and significant influence on recommendation and loyalty whilst the affective component has no significant effect.

Practical implications

The results obtained here provide implications for future action to be taken by HEI managers, in order to increase efficiency in the allocation and management of scarce resources. Therefore, when incorporating these results in decision-making processes, attention should be paid to the importance of the influence of satisfaction on QAL’s cognitive and affective components, stressing the importance of the cognitive components associated with learning experiences that play an important role in students’ future decisions in terms of loyalty and recommendation, which, in turn, are pillars of HEI sustainability.

Originality/value

The present study contributes to the literature on HEI management by assessing the influence of satisfaction on two components of QAL separately: cognitive components and affective components. In addition, the causality relationships are analyzed, assessing the emotional nexus, in order to deepen knowledge about the role played by both affective and cognitive components in students’ loyalty and recommendation, which need to be addressed and studied by carrying out new research.

Details

International Journal of Educational Management, vol. 32 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-354X

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