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The purpose of this paper is to examine the direct and indirect effect of perceived organizational virtuousness (POV) on organizational spontaneity. The assumed indirect effect is investigated through the social identity perspective. As such, organizational identification, pride and respect are examined as mediators of the POV-spontaneity relationship.

To test the hypotheses the authors conducted two studies. First, the authors conducted an experimental study with 136 participants in which the authors investigated the role of organizational identification as mediator of the examined relationship. Second, the authors conducted a field study in which 572 employees working in various organizations participated. In this study, pride and respect were incorporated as first-step mediators explaining serially (indirectly) the relationship between the independent and the dependent variable through organizational identification.

The findings of the experimental study indicate that organizational identification mediates the positive relationship between POV and organizational spontaneity. The results of the field study indicate that pride and respect serially mediate the examined relationship through organizational identification.

The study accumulates further evidence that treating employees with care and respect can bring benefits to organizations. Perceiving organizational virtuousness makes employees identify with their organization and view organizational successes as their own. Thus, they become more willing to benefit the organization.

This study is unique to the literature by being the first to examine the relationship between POV and organizational spontaneity through social identity processes.

To provide insight into how employees react during challenging economic times, this paper aims to examine employee responses to non-fulfilled employer obligations. More specifically, the authors examine two main issues: first, whether perceptions of organizational obstruction (PO Obstruction) mediate the relationship between psychological contract breach and intent to quit, as well as between psychological contract breach and willingness to support the organization, and second, whether breach moderates the relationship between PO Obstruction and intent to quit as well as between PO Obstruction and willingness to support the organization.

To test the hypotheses, the authors conducted a field study in which 316 employees took part.

The results indicate that PO Obstruction mediates the relationship between breach and employee outcomes. Regarding the moderating effects of the breach, the findings suggest that breach strengthens the positive relationship between PO Obstruction and intent to quit while it weakens the negative relationship between PO Obstruction and willingness to support the organization.

This paper contributes to the existing literature by introducing a new perspective of the breach-outcome relationship.

This study aims to integrate the attribution theory into the traditional social exchange view of the breach-outcome relationship. Perceived disinterested support (PDS), perceived organizational support (POS) and job satisfaction are included as serial mediators of the relationship between breach and willingness to support the organization.

Data were collected through a field study in which 579 employees took part.

The results indicated partial mediation of the examined relationship. More specifically, POS and PDS (through POS) were found to mediate the breach-willingness to support the organization relationship. Job satisfaction contributed weakly to the explanation of the examined relationship.

The cross-sectional nature of the study limits the ability to claim causality.

Managers should be aware of how employees interpret breach in terms of organizational motives. Interpreting breach as a lack of disinterest on the part of the organization can spark social exchange processes leading to lower willingness to support the organization.

The study makes a unique contribution to the literature by being the first to examine PDS as a mediator of the breach-outcome relationship.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors affecting the course of action that employees in acquired firms choose to follow. Loyalty, compliance, voice and neglect (LCVN) are four employee behaviors in acquired companies.

Two questionnaires were designed: one was administered to employees of the acquired company and the other to a member of the post‐acquisition managerial team. One hundred and thirty‐five administrative employees in 27 acquired companies in Greece participated in the research.

The results of the study support that employees decide their course of action based on the cost of their action, the effectiveness of the behaviour and the attractiveness of the company.

This study concentrated at the individual level to examine the factors affecting employee behaviours. Future research is needed to examine behavioural changes over time and the factors that make employees move from one behavioural category to the other.

The findings in the paper have implications for organization members facing the challenge of managing human issues in the sensitive phases of an acquisition. Evidence of specific behavioural responses and the factors affecting them is presented.

The present study provides a model for understanding the complex and multiple behavioral choices employees have after an acquisition.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the buffering effects of organizational virtuousness. More specifically, the study investigates employee reactions (job satisfaction, intent to quit and willingness to support the organization) to organizational virtuousness’ perceptions both in conditions without crisis and in conditions with crisis.

The paper adopts the experimental methodology to explore its main hypotheses and research question. The results of a field study are also presented in order to add generalizability to the experimental results. A post hoc qualitative analysis based on focus-group interviews sheds light on the above findings and enables their better understanding.

The results indicated that even during a financial crisis those perceiving higher organizational virtuousness expressed higher job satisfaction, lower intent to quit and higher willingness to support the organization compared to those perceiving lower organizational virtuousness. Organizational virtuousness’ perceptions have also been found to moderate (accentuate) the effects of the financial crisis on job satisfaction and intent to quit. Willingness to support the organization seems to be unaffected by the financial crisis.

Managers should be aware of how individuals respond to organizational virtuousness during conditions of financial crisis.

The study makes a unique contribution to the literature by being the first to investigate the effects of organizational virtuousness’ perceptions on employee reactions both pre- and during-financial crisis.

The purpose of the paper is to present an empirical study based on a trainee‐oriented systemic model for training transfer. The paper examines trainee characteristics which affect the motivation to learn and transfer and determine the trainees' entry behavior. Then, during the training process, the complex interactions among the trainer, the trainees and the content and method used are taken into account to assess what are here termed direct and indirect training transfer. Finally, organizational factors affecting both the training transfer and the trainee him/herself are examined.

The authors used 44 in‐depth interviews with trainees from different organizations who participated in a training program that was based on an innovative experiential training method (project method).

The results reveal the importance of trainee characteristics in the training transfer process and provide useful insights regarding the design and management of the training program.

The qualitative methodology used is a strong element of this study as it provides rich information regarding the training transfer process. The research design framework, i.e. interviewing trainees one year after the training took place, revealed important factors affecting the training transfer process.

To examine HRM strategies and practices and HRM position within organizations in various cultural, economic and sociopolitical contexts from a longitudinal perspective.

The study uses the 1995 and 1999 Cranet data in a longitudinal methodological framework to explore the changes and trends in 18 European countries with regard to certain HRM issues between the points of time when measurements took place. Country is the unit of analysis, and cluster analysis is used for each of the two waves of data to classify countries into relatively homogeneous groups/clusters.

The overall picture is that the 18 countries form two major clusters. Countries in Europe can be systematically clustered in a North/West‐South/East distinction, regarding HRM practices. There is no indication of convergence between the major clusters. However, movement from one cluster to another was observed, with Italy and East Germany moving to the North‐western cluster.

The level of analysis, which is HR practices at a national (average values) and regional level, is a methodological limitation of the present study. Analysis at this level conceals qualitative differences between countries, which are important in the contextual paradigm.

The issue of convergence in HR practices has important implications for HR managers in multinationals who operate in Europe and the transferability of HR practices.

This paper addresses the issue of whether over time there is an increasing “Europeanisation” (convergence) of HRM practices in Europe or not, by studying HR practices in 18 European countries.

Acquisitions often have a negative impact on employee behaviour resulting in counter productive practices, absenteeism, low morale and job dissatisfaction. It appears that an important factor affecting the successful outcome of acquisitions is top management’s ability to gain employee trust. Explores a number of variables which bear an impact on managerial trustworthiness. Among them, frequent communication before and after acquisition, and the already existing quality of employee relations seem to play the most important role. Therefore, a carefully planned, employee‐centered communication programme, together with a good level of employee relations, seem to form the basis for a successful outcome as far as employee relations in the face of acquisitions is concerned.

The globalization of economic activity and the rapid technological developments require a more qualified workforce with multiple skills. As a result, rapid obsolescence of competences makes the capacity to update continuously and develop the required skills the key to competitiveness and growth. Moreover, under the pressure of competitive forces, developments in the HRM practices become increasingly important. The first part of this article draws from the findings of the Cranfield survey, in which Greece participated three times (in 1993, 1996 and 1999), in order to present an overall picture of HRM in Greece. The second part analyzes the results of a larger European Union project to study skills benchmarking in Europe, in which Greece participated along with eight European countries. The results from the Greek study do not show considerable deviations from the whole European sample. Some of the main conclusions of the study are: training can no longer be treated as a method to cure skills deficiencies, but rather as a continuous, life‐long learning process with considerable impact to the growth of the firms; acquiring human skills presents the greatest challenge for training; and adaptability and self‐learning are necessary elements that need to be incorporated in the educational system from its early stages.

This paper aims to examine the dynamics of individual and organizational characteristics in work‐family conflict (WFC) and career outcomes. It aims to consider the role of self‐esteem, career management and multiple life role commitment, and, as individual characteristics, on WFC and career outcomes; it also seeks to consider the role of career encouragement and organizational culture, as organizational characteristics, on WFC and career outcomes.

The research was carried out in a sample of 399 females at different levels of management in Greek organizations. The hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling.

The findings show that both individual and organizational characteristics are significant in determining WFC and career outcomes. No relationship is found between WFC and career outcomes. Overall, the results support the depletion theory.

Limitations of this study are: the complexity of the model, the use of cross‐sectional data in causal modeling that makes it difficult to disentangle the directions of paths, and the use of only self‐report survey data. Research in progress addresses these issues by incorporating qualitative data collected from a sub‐sample of managers.

The paper highlights the outcomes of the choices women make in the work and non‐work domains in order to balance the demands of each.

The paper highlights that WFC is considered both as an outcome and as a mediator in the relationship between individual and organizational characteristics and career outcomes.