Jan A. de Jong, Frieda J. Leenders and Jo G.L. Thijssen
First‐level managers are increasingly held accountable for the training and development of their team members. In order to explore how this HRD responsibility is executed, HRD…
Abstract
First‐level managers are increasingly held accountable for the training and development of their team members. In order to explore how this HRD responsibility is executed, HRD officers of 23 innovative companies were interviewed. Delegation of HRD responsibility to first‐level managers turns out to be a feasible option, providing certain conditions are met. Three distinct HRD roles of first‐level managers can be observed: an analytic role, a supportive role and a trainer role.
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Discusses flexibility at both organizational and individual levelswith respect to human resource management and training for an ageingworkforce. Derives a theory of experience…
Abstract
Discusses flexibility at both organizational and individual levels with respect to human resource management and training for an ageing workforce. Derives a theory of experience concentration (from literature survey and empirical research) which is seen as the key factor in adult learning. Lists six basic principles as guidelines for developing adult training courses. Presents a model as a framework for further research which illustrates that the relation between the ageing of personnel and flexibility is not as simple as is often thought.
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Klenam Korbla Ledi, Enya Besa Ameza-Xemalordzo and Henry Kofi Mensah
This study delves into the mediating role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the relationship between corporate governance and firm performance while simultaneously…
Abstract
Purpose
This study delves into the mediating role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the relationship between corporate governance and firm performance while simultaneously considering stakeholder salience as a crucial boundary condition that modulates both the influence of corporate governance on CSR adoption and the impact of CSR on firm performance.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative approach was adopted, utilising a survey questionnaire to gather data from 315 manufacturing firms. The collected data were analysed using partial least squares and structural equation modelling was used to test the hypotheses.
Findings
The study demonstrated a direct positive relationship between corporate governance and firm performance as well as an indirect positive effect mediated by corporate social responsibility. Furthermore, the study uncovered a robust positive correlation between corporate governance and CSR, strengthened by a high level of stakeholder salience.
Practical implications
Firms should consider CSR initiatives not only as ethical endeavours but also as strategic tools for enhancing performance in conjunction with sound governance practices.
Originality/value
The study goes beyond individual impacts of CSR and corporate governance on firm performance to dissect and analyse the dynamics of corporate governance and CSR interaction and how they synergistically stimulate firm performance. The study also acknowledges the complex and dynamic nature of stakeholder relationships by recognising that the effectiveness of corporate governance and CSR may be contingent on the perceived importance of stakeholders, thereby providing fresh insights into the corporate management puzzle.
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Isabel Raemdonck, Rien van der Leeden, Martin Valcke, Mien Segers and Jo Thijssen
This study aims to examine which variables at the level of the individual employee and at the company level are predictors of self‐directed learning in low‐qualified employees.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine which variables at the level of the individual employee and at the company level are predictors of self‐directed learning in low‐qualified employees.
Methodology
Results were obtained from a sample of 408 low‐qualified employees from 35 different companies. The companies were selected from the energy sector, the chemical industry and the food industry. Multilevel analysis was applied to examine which variables are significant predictors of perceived self‐directed learning.
Findings
At the company level, the economic sector in which the employee is employed in particular played a striking role in the prediction of self‐directedness, as did presence of a participatory staff policy. At the level of the individual employee, a proactive personality (a disposition to take personal initiative in a broad range of activities and situations), striving for knowledge work, past learning initiative, task variety and the growth potential of the job were significant predictors of self‐directed learning.
Originality/value
Research on the predictors of self‐directed learning has primarily focused on correlational studies examining the relation between individual variables and level of self‐directedness. There is little research available that systematically traces the extent to which individual as well as company factors play a role in level of self‐directed learning. Nor is it clear which category of variables should be considered as the most critical. In addition, earlier research on this subject has mainly focused on a higher‐qualified group of workers (employees with at least a diploma of secondary education). Factors that are predictors of self‐directed learning and their relative weight might differ for certain groups of employees. This issue has hardly been addressed up to now.
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Najm Abood Najm and Wejdan Waleed Ali
The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of organizational readiness (OR) dimensions (organizational culture, climate and capability) on three types of innovations (INs…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of organizational readiness (OR) dimensions (organizational culture, climate and capability) on three types of innovations (INs) (service, process IN and entering new markets) in telecommunication companies. The study also tests the mediating role of employee engagement (EE) in the causal relationship between OR and IN.
Design/methodology/approach
In the theoretical framework, a deep and broad review of the literature was presented to determine the study variables and hypotheses that were tested in the field study. The study sample consisted of 306 respondents distributed to the headquarters of the three companies (Zain, Orange and Umniah) working in the Jordanian telecommunications sector. The number of questionnaires retrieved and valid for analysis was 255 (83%).
Findings
Results indicate a positive effect of organizational climate and organizational capacity on process IN and entering new markets. While organizational culture had no significant effect on the three types of IN EE did not have a mediating role in the relationship between OR and IN.
Research limitations/implications
The results of this study are related to the telecommunications sector as a highly competitive service sector and more able to work remotely with regard to customers, so its results cannot be generalized to other sectors such as the industry sector, which has suffered in recent years from the epidemic more than other sectors.
Practical implications
The study of OR as a concept, dimensions and effects provides great experience for leaders and managers facing the challenges of competition and threats posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. This study also helps researchers to study OR in new areas and in relation to other concepts.
Social implications
The OR covers a wide field that includes the individual, the group and the company. Therefore, readiness includes a social experience that can extend from the company to the community.
Originality/value
The study gains an important value by revealing that organizational culture as a dimension of readiness does not have a significant impact on IN. With the readiness to respond quickly to challenges, culture can be more inclined to the status quo and the prevailing routine than to IN and change.
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Hyeonah Jo, Minji Park and Ji Hoon Song
A boundaryless career perspective suggests that career competencies are essential for employees who wish to advance their careers in high uncertainty. This study aims to propose…
Abstract
Purpose
A boundaryless career perspective suggests that career competencies are essential for employees who wish to advance their careers in high uncertainty. This study aims to propose an integrated conceptual model for career competencies to provide insights for employees and organizations by identifying what and how one can prepare and provide support for career development in an uncertain and complex work environment.
Design/methodology/approach
The integrated literature reviewed was adapted to provide a conceptual model for career competencies. All 77 studies were reviewed, guided by the intelligent career theory (ICT) and social cognitive career theory (SCCT).
Findings
The mechanisms of career competency development were examined through the interrelationship between three types of knowing; knowing-why, knowing-whom and knowing-how. Career competencies can be considered a developmental process, therefore, they could develop through various interventions and accumulate over time. Especially the results indicate that learning is an essential component of career competencies, as it increases self-efficacy and promotes a desire to achieve positive career outcomes.
Originality/value
This study provided a conceptual model, explored the mechanisms of career competency development and considered how career competencies influence career outcomes. Furthermore, it identified the context of the construct of career competencies by integrating the SCCT and ICT. Finally, it showed the inadequacy of existing research on negative factors of career competency outcomes and recommended further research to broaden the general context of career competency studies.
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Huthaifa Al-Hazaima, Mary Low and Umesh Sharma
This paper aims to examine the perceptions of salient stakeholders in Jordan concerning the importance of integrating sustainability education (SE) into the accounting curriculum.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the perceptions of salient stakeholders in Jordan concerning the importance of integrating sustainability education (SE) into the accounting curriculum.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper uses salient stakeholder theory as a lens and seeks to explore the possible integration of SE into the Jordanian tertiary accounting curriculum. A final sample of 702 salient stakeholders including university accounting educators, accounting students, industry accountants, government representatives and accounting association professional members were used to glean an insight of their views and the extent to which sustainability is present in accounting education.
Findings
Findings indicate that there is a strong belief by these salient stakeholders that there is significant importance for the integration of SE into the accounting curriculum in Jordanian universities. There is concern that the current curriculum does not meet the educational needs of future accountants and business executives from a sustainability perspective.
Research limitations/implications
This study contributes to the research debate on the competencies crisis in accounting education by focusing on the lack of SE in the accounting curriculum. This study draws attention to the need of up-skilling and applied knowledge in this critical area. There are strong viewpoints from the salient stakeholders in this study. They emphasise that a progressive education solution is required and which integrates SE into the accounting curriculum.
Practical implications
The research is useful to accounting educators, professional accounting associations, industry, accounting students and the government. The salient stakeholders in Jordan wish to include SE within the accounting curriculum. This would lead to future accountants and business executives having stronger competencies to respond in a resilient and resourceful manner to changes in the way business is conducted, especially in an area where societal and environmental impacts are highly scrutinised.
Originality/value
This study provides evidence on how salient stakeholders of an emerging economy can influence, provide guidance and leadership in integrating SE in the accounting curriculum. Engaging actively and extensively with research studies such as this allows them to voice their opinions about the importance of sustainability and how their country can better engage in this increasingly important field.
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Mohammad Orsan Al-Zoubi, Ra'ed Masa'deh and Naseem Mohammad Twaissi
This study aims to examine the relationships among structured-on-the job training (ST), mentoring, job rotation and the work environment factors on tacit knowledge transfer from…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the relationships among structured-on-the job training (ST), mentoring, job rotation and the work environment factors on tacit knowledge transfer from training.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used quantitative research techniques to examine the causal relationships among the key study variables. A questionnaire-based survey has developed to evaluate the research model by drawing a convenience sample includes 239 employees working in the Arab Potash Company located in Jordan. Surveyed data were examined following the structural equation modeling procedures.
Findings
The results revealed that adapting of the ST, mentoring and job rotation in industrial firms had direct effect on the employees’ abilities to learn and transfer tacit knowledge from training to the actual work, and how these learning strategies strengthen employees’ abilities in solving work problems, improving customers’ satisfaction and quality of products and services. As well as, it affirmed the strong direct effect of work environment factors such as supervisor and peer support on the employees’ abilities to learning and transferring tacit knowledge to their jobs. However, this study showed that work environment factors have no significant mediating role on the relationship among ST, mentoring, job rotation and the employees’ abilities to learn and transfer tacit knowledge to their jobs.
Research limitations/implications
The study results are opening the doors for future studies to examine the relationships among the methods of training and learning in the workplace, the work environment factors and tacit knowledge transfer from training to the jobs as prerequisites for improving the employees and organization performance. These results would be validated by conducting future research, examining larger samples of industrial companies to give more accurate data and clear explanations to the relationships among the study variables. It also suggests to replace the characteristics of work environment (supervisor support and peer support) by trainees’ characteristics (self-efficacy and career commitment) to give a better understanding to the relationships among the key study variables.
Practical implications
With regard to improving the employees’ competency while doing their jobs, this study developed a conceptual framework that guides managers to recognize the importance of ST, mentoring and job rotation in increasing the employees’ learning together; and giving them the chance to use the new learned experiences and knowledge to improve the organization performance and its competitive advantage. This study helps managers build a positive work environment that encourages social interaction, respect and mutual interest among employees, and increases their sense of responsibility for learning and transferring skills and knowledge to the jobs.
Social implications
The training methods in the workplace go beyond immediate work performance to act as a promising tool make employees’ learning more easily and faster, and help them to transfer and retain new skills and knowledge, adapt with changing environments, build stronger relationships with stakeholders and at the same time, make the organizations ensure that employees comply with their societal goals.
Originality/value
The authors have noticed that large portions of the studies on training and human resources development neglected the role effect of (ST, mentoring and job rotation) on the tacit knowledge transfer from training to the jobs. Hence, these gaps in researches have motivated to develop a theoretical model that helps to examine the relationship between the two constructs. This study also suggests to examine the mediating role effects of work environment factors on the relationships among (ST, mentoring and job rotation) and tacit knowledge transfer, as well as it extends to examine the mediating role of work environment factors on transferring knowledge to jobs, attributed to the demographic variables such as gender, age, work experience and education level.
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María Jesús Barroso-Méndez, Maria-Luisa Pajuelo-Moreno and Dolores Gallardo-Vázquez
Previous research has explored the link between sustainability disclosure and reputation but produced contradictory results. This study aims to clarify the sustainability…
Abstract
Purpose
Previous research has explored the link between sustainability disclosure and reputation but produced contradictory results. This study aims to clarify the sustainability disclosure–reputation relationship through a quantitative analysis of the correlations between these variables reported in empirical research papers. The second objective was to determine how various moderators affect the sustainability disclosure–reputation link.
Design/methodology/approach
The meta-analysis was based on a systematic review of the literature covering empirical research on the corporate sustainability disclosure and reputation relationship. A total of 92 articles were meta-analyzed to compile their findings on four extrinsic moderators: company size, ownership, stock listing status and activity sector.
Findings
The findings confirm that a significant positive correlation exists between corporate sustainability disclosure and reputation. The moderator analysis also revealed that companies’ different characteristics can explain researchers’ divergent results.
Practical implications
The results have considerable practical relevance for organizational management. First, they can motivate managers to improve and disclose their company’s social and environmental impacts to strengthen their reputation, which in turn will help accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Second, the findings can ensure organizations develop disclosure and reputation management strategies adapted for each firm’s size, ownership, stock listing status and activity sector.
Social implications
The results have considerable practical relevance for organizational management. First, they can motivate managers to improve and disclose their company’s social and environmental impacts to strengthen their reputation, which in turn will help accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Second, the findings can ensure organizations develop disclosure and reputation management strategies adapted for each firm’s size, ownership, stock listing status and activity sector.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this meta-analysis is the first to clarify the link between disclosure and reputation, which makes a unique contribution to the field of social and environmental accounting. A larger sample of primary research was collected, and key extrinsic moderators were examined to explain prior studies’ contradictory findings.
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Gauri Joshi, Dipasha Sharma, Monica Kunte and Shirin Shikalgar
This study aims to explore the patterns of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices and investments across different ownership groups and relevance of CSR practices in the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the patterns of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices and investments across different ownership groups and relevance of CSR practices in the vision and mission (V&M) statements of firms.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses the neo-institutional theory approach, which explains similarities and differences in the CSR practices of organisations embedded within (and between) similar sectoral contexts. The study accounts the CSR activities of the top 100 companies listed on the Bombay Stock exchange (BSE) based on their ownership and checks the overlap of the CSR activities conducted by the companies with the ongoing social development schemes launched in India during the same of time. The time period between 2017 and 2020 is chosen to analyse the CSR studies. The study uses content analysis technique to derive conclusions. A textual analysis of top 100 listed firms across all ownership groups aimed at understanding patterns of CSR practices opted by the different groups and coherence of CSR patterns in the V&M statements. CSR related keywords were analysed in the V&M statements to understand what influence reporting of CSR practices in the strategic communication of firms.
Findings
Overall analysis indicated that top 100 firms prefer to invest in the areas of “Education”, “Sustainability” “Skill” where public-owned firms preferred towards “Sanitation” and “Environment/Sustainability” showing concurrence with local development goals. Private and foreign groups preferred to park their CSR funds in “Education” and “Skill” development showing coherence with the global agendas. Public-owned firms tend to report more CSR related specifically “Environment’ and “Sustainability” in the strategic documents. However, private and foreign firms do not pay any significance to CSR related keywords in their V&M statements.
Research limitations/implications
Findings suggest that despite of huge CSR investments, private and foreign-owned firms lack CSR focus and communication in their V&M statements, which may create disintegration in the CSR investment and strategic alignment of near-term and future goals. The paper suggests that private and foreign firms should also communicate their CSR practices through their V&M to stakeholders so that CSR practices may not remain mere 2% mandated expenditure by the Government of India.
Originality/value
The study contributes in confirming the success of the CSR policy mandate in supplementing government’s social development programmes along with indications on the role of family firms in accelerating the process of community development as compared to foreign firms. The study also favours integration of CSR disclosures in the V&M statements to gain long-term benefit out of these investments.