Shannon Wagner, Alex Fraess-Phillips and Kelly Mikkelson
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the predispositional hypothesis related to the “rescue personality” and the mental health of firefighter recruits.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the predispositional hypothesis related to the “rescue personality” and the mental health of firefighter recruits.
Design/methodology/approach
This study compared responses to a written set of personality and mental health measures between firefighter recruits and non-rescue comparison participants – individually matched based on age, gender, ethnicity, and marital status. Data analysis involved statistical one-way between subjects analyses of variance complemented with epidemiological paired odds ratio calculations.
Findings
The results indicated that firefighter recruits self-reported as less open to experience, less neurotic, and less Type A. They also self-reported as less likely to report somatization, hostility, and posttraumatic stress symptomatology than comparison participants. Recruits were higher in extraversion and conscientiousness, but indicated no differences in perceptions of risk or sensation-seeking behaviour.
Originality/value
The present study contributes to the literature on firefighter recruits and provides some initial data regarding personality of those attracted to the fire services, as well as information about the mental health of firefighters prior to service. Mitchell’s “rescue personality” was partly supported and evidence was provided suggesting that new recruits have strong self-perceived mental health.
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This study explains variance in one‐year abnormal returns of corporate stockholder investees. Results indicate that investee abnormal returns are negatively associated with the…
Abstract
This study explains variance in one‐year abnormal returns of corporate stockholder investees. Results indicate that investee abnormal returns are negatively associated with the extent of the corporate stockholder's initial percentage of ownership, but the investee abnormal return is positive when the investee is larger and the firms are contractually related.
Md Karim Rabiul, Faridahwati Mohd Shamsudin, Tan Fee Yean and Ataul Karim Patwary
This study examines the mediation effects of leaders' communication competency in the link between leadership styles (i.e. servant and transactional leadership) and employees'…
Abstract
Purpose
This study examines the mediation effects of leaders' communication competency in the link between leadership styles (i.e. servant and transactional leadership) and employees' work engagement.
Design/methodology/approach
Cross-sectional survey data from 392 employees in 33 hotels in Bangladesh were collected. To analyze the data, structural equation modeling was adopted, and partial least squares (PLS) analysis was used.
Findings
Results of PLS analysis revealed that servant leaders and leaders' communication competency positively influence employees' work engagement. In boosting employees' work engagement, communication competency is an important tool for servant leadership but not for transactional leadership.
Practical implications
Hoteliers and managers may want to adopt a servant leadership style and develop effective leadership communication skills to increase employees' engagement at work.
Originality/value
This study introduces communication competency as a mediating mechanism between leadership styles and work engagement in the hospitality industry.
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The purpose of this study is to examine the interrelationships between leaders' communication competence, mindfulness, self-compassion and job satisfaction. Barge and Hirokawa's…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the interrelationships between leaders' communication competence, mindfulness, self-compassion and job satisfaction. Barge and Hirokawa's (1989) communication-centered theoretical approach of leadership and Gilbert's (2005) social mentality offered frameworks to examine mindfulness and self-compassion as co-mediators of the relationship between business leaders' communication competence and job satisfaction.
Design/methodology/approach
A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with 219 business leaders in the USA via snowball sampling.
Findings
The results showed that communication competence served as an antecedent of mindfulness and self-compassion. Additionally, self-compassion served as a significant mediator between the positive relationship between communication competence and job satisfaction.
Practical implications
Managers and business leaders may gain insights about the benefit of developing self-compassion and communication competence skills to enhance their job satisfaction via courses, workshops and certifications.
Originality/value
This study is the first to examine the effect of two well-being constructs (self-compassion and mindfulness) on the relationship between leaders' communication competence and job satisfaction.
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Amanda Allisey, John Rodwell and Andrew Noblet
Frequent absences from work can be highly disruptive, whilst also potentially indicating problematic working conditions that can lead to increased withdrawal behaviour. The…
Abstract
Purpose
Frequent absences from work can be highly disruptive, whilst also potentially indicating problematic working conditions that can lead to increased withdrawal behaviour. The purpose of this paper is to test the predictive capability of an expanded effort-reward imbalance model on employee absenteeism within the context of policing.
Design/methodology/approach
Three separate reward systems are identified by the effort-reward imbalance model. In this study, the authors assessed these individual components for their contribution to officer withdrawal behaviour in the form of absenteeism frequency. Data were gathered from a sample of operational officers (n=553) within a large Australian police agency.
Findings
Findings indicate that there was a strong influence of social rewards such as social support and recognition in the workplace on officer absenteeism rates. Low workload was associated with a higher frequency of absenteeism suggesting a potential underloading effect. There were a number of significant interactions providing support for the effort-reward imbalance mechanism and the separation of the reward construct. Security rewards were particularly influential and significantly moderated the relationship between effort and absenteeism.
Research limitations/implications
Differential effects of occupational rewards were identified in the study, indicating that there are significant opportunities for expansion of the effort-reward imbalance model along with opportunities for HRM practitioners in terms of employee recognition and remuneration programmes. This research was focused on a specific sample of operational officers, therefore should be expanded to include multiple occupational groups.
Originality/value
This paper considers and expanded model of worker strain and contributes a longitudinal assessment of the association between perceived effort and reward systems and worker absenteeism.
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Childhood obesity is a serious health concern (World Health Organization (WHO), 2013) and advertising exposure is known to be a contributing factor (Institute of Medicine (IOM)…
Abstract
Purpose
Childhood obesity is a serious health concern (World Health Organization (WHO), 2013) and advertising exposure is known to be a contributing factor (Institute of Medicine (IOM), 2006). In recent years consumers have expressed an increased interest in products appearing healthy and food companies have committed to changing their child-targeted marketing practices to promote a healthy lifestyle. The purpose of this paper is to examine depictions of physical activity in food advertising and assess how recognition of a promoted food’s healthy and unhealthy traits influences dietary selections among youth in Southern Arizona in the USA.
Design/methodology/approach
A content analysis of food advertisements aired during 2009-2013 (n=534 and 354, respectively) identified changes to child-targeted food marketing messages. A structured interview determined differences in recognition of “juxtaposed beliefs” (i.e. that are contradictory and both healthy and unhealthy e.g. connecting exercise with a food high in sugar) among younger children, five to six years of age (n=34) and older children, ten to 11 years of age (n=34). Children were offered snacks to determine how this ability to recognize juxtaposition related to their dietary selections.
Findings
There has been an increase in the frequency with which physical activity is depicted in advertisements for high-sugar foods. When presented with such advertising, a greater number of older than younger children recognized juxtaposed beliefs. Those younger children who showed recognition were more likely to select the advertised item, although this was not the case with older children.
Research limitations/implications
The findings from this research relate to children’s responses to advertisements for sugared cereal that depict physical activity and may not be generalizable further.
Practical implications
Children who are able to recognize both the healthy and unhealthy aspects of food are paradoxically likely to find it more appealing. Given the increased practice of associating high-sugar foods with physical activity in child-targeted food marketing, this raises concerns for nutrition education strategies, and the regulation of food marketing to children.
Originality/value
Little research has examined the depiction of physical activity in food marketing targeting children, nor children’s ability to recognize, and react to, juxtaposed beliefs regarding a product’s healthfulness.
Omar Ikbal Tawfik, Hamada Elsaid Elmaasrawy and Khaldoon Albitar
This study aims to investigate the relationship between political connections, financing decisions and cash holding.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the relationship between political connections, financing decisions and cash holding.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on historical data from 181 active non-financial firms listed on Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Stock Exchange Markets during the period of 2009–2016, this study uses ordinary least squares and dynamic system-generalized method of moments to test the research hypotheses. The final data set comprises a total of 1,448 firm-year observations from ten major non-financial industry classifications.
Findings
This study finds a positive relationship between political connections and each of internal financing proxied by retained earnings ratio and external financing proxied by short- and long-term debt to total asset. The findings also show a positive relationship between political connections and cash holding.
Practical implications
The findings of the study provide a better understanding of the role of politically connected directors in financing decisions and cash holding in the GCC. Investors can consider the presence of royal family members in the board of directors when making investment decision. Policymakers are encouraged to develop more effective policies that encourage listed firms to provide information on the political positions of the board of directors, managers and major shareholders/owners of companies.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence on the relationship between political connections and financing decisions by focusing on the GCC region. This study also highlights that boards in connected firms in the GCC have lower monitoring role owing to political interventions, and that connected firms face higher agency problems as they have weak governance and boards compared with non-connected firms.
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Alexander Scholz, Karim Rochdi and Wolfgang Schaefers
The purpose of this paper in this context is to examine the impact of asset liquidity on real estate equity returns, after taking well-documented systematic risk factors into…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper in this context is to examine the impact of asset liquidity on real estate equity returns, after taking well-documented systematic risk factors into account. Due to their unique characteristics, real estate equities constitute an inherently low degree of underlying asset liquidity.
Design/methodology/approach
Following the Fama-French time-series regression approach, the authors extend the conventional asset pricing model by a real estate-specific asset liquidity factor (ALF), using a sample of 244 real estate equities.
Findings
The results, based on monthly data for the period 1999-2012, reveal that asset liquidity is a relevant pricing factor which contributes to explaining return variations in real estate equity markets. Accordingly, investors expect a risk premium from listed real estate companies with a low degree of asset liquidity, which is especially the case for companies facing financial constraints and during economic downturns. Furthermore, an investment strategy exploiting differences in the underlying asset liquidity yields considerable average excess returns of upto 8.04 per cent p.a.
Practical implications
Considering the findings presented in this paper, asset liquidity should receive special attention from investors, as well as from the management boards of listed real estate companies. While investors who ignore the magnitude of asset liquidity may systematically misprice real estate equities, management can influence the firm’s cost of capital by adjusting the underlying asset liquidity.
Originality/value
This is the first study to examine the role of an ALF in a real estate asset pricing framework.
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Ghulam Ayehsa Siddiqua, Ajid ur Rehman and Shahzad Hussain
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the asymmetric adjustment of cash holdings in Pakistani firms for above and below target firms.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the asymmetric adjustment of cash holdings in Pakistani firms for above and below target firms.
Design/methodology/approach
The study employs generalized method of moments (GMM) to investigate the adjustment of cash holdings.
Findings
The study found that the firms which hold cash above the optimal level of cash holdings have higher speed of adjustment than the firms which hold cash below the optimal level. Financially constrained (FC) firms also adjust their cash holdings faster than financially unconstrained (FUC) firms but high speed of downward adjustment does not remain persistent after financial constraints are controlled. Findings of this study reveal this asymmetric adjustment in above and below target firms and extend these results in FC and FUC Pakistani listed firms, respectively.
Research limitations/implications
The conclusion of this study has been derived under certain limitations. There is a vast space to extend this study in different dimensions. Firms operating in capital-intensive industries may provide different results for financial constraints because their policy designing would be quite different from other firms.
Originality/value
This study contributes to cash holdings research in Pakistan by exploring the adjustment behavior of cash holdings across Pakistani non-financial firms using econometric modeling. Downward adjustment rate is supposed to be higher than upward adjustment rate and this rate is tested using dynamic panel data model. Similarly, it is inferred that this relationship holds for above target firms even after including the financial constraints in the presented model.