Standing in for King Solomon: The Potential Contribution of Human Resource Management to the Implementation of the Stakeholder Approach

Abstract

Most contemporary theorists are in agreement that human resource management (HRM) has a special role to play in affecting the direction of organizational philosophy at the enterprise strategy level. Accordingly, the suggestion is made in this paper that HRM should spearhead the introduction of stakeholder management strategy concepts into organizational thinking and practices. Stakeholder management strategy can be defined as matching the organization's ‘values’ to the ‘values’ of its stakeholders and maximizing, over the long term, the net (social and economic) value added to society. The paper argues that HRM is potentially the best equipped, and strategically the best positioned, to anticipate, monitor and co-ordinate the effects of corporate policy on stakeholders' interests. It may thus serve as a major vehicle for mobilizing and maintaining the support of groups and individuals in the organization's internal and external environment who are parties to the social contract that legitimizes its continued existence and development.     

Sources of Managers' Knowledge of Organizational Capabilities

In order to compete successfully in an industry, managers in organizations need to learn about emerging best practices and to implement them in their units. An essential part of this learning process is the development of an understanding of the current capabilities of the organization by its managers. We addressed the question of how managers' assessments of their organization's capabilities, which we call organizational self-knowledge, are affected by their exposure to relational and nonrelational sources of information. We developed hypotheses about the relationship between managers' exposure to different “learning channels” for both their individual depth of understanding of specific areas of practice and for their assessments of their organization's capabilities, which together contribute to organizational self-knowledge. We tested these hypotheses through a survey of 128 store managers in the retail food industry. The results showed that exposure to internal sources of information, both relational and nonrelational, as well as to external relational sources of information, is positively related to self-knowledge. Interestingly, the monitoring of external nonrelational sources of information was found to have no bearing on managers' assessments of their organization's capabilities. Our results counter common-sense beliefs and prior research that suggest that external nonrelational sources of information are an important input in assessing and building organizational capabilities.     

Passive leadership,role stressors,and affective organizational commitment: A time-lagged study among health care employees

IntroductionThis study examines the relationships of passive leadership and role stressors to affective organizational commitment among hospital employees.ObjectiveThis study's objective was to understand the mediating effect of role stressors (conflict, overload, and ambiguity) in the relation between passive leadership and affective organizational commitment.MethodWe used a structural equation modeling approach on a sample of 185 hospital employees and a time-lagged design in which predictor and mediators were assessed at Time 1 and affective organizational commitment was obtained 3 years later.ResultsFindings revealed that passive leadership was positively related to all three role stressors and that role ambiguity fully mediated a negative relationship between passive leadership and affective organizational commitment. Moreover, the relationship between passive leadership and role conflict was stronger when role overload was high.ConclusionThis study suggests organizations should strive to limit the emergence of passive leadership behaviors among supervisors due to their detrimental effects on the long-term development of affective commitment via role ambiguity.     

Be Fair,Your Employees Are Watching: A Relational Response Model of External Third‐Party Justice

There is growing theoretical recognition in the organizational justice literature that an organization's treatment of external parties (such as patients, community members, customers, and the general public) shapes its own employees’ attitudes and behavior toward it. However, the emerging third‐party justice literature has an inward focus, emphasizing perceptions of the treatment of other insiders (e.g., coworkers or team members). This inward focus overlooks meaningful “outward” employee concerns relating to how organizations treat external parties. We propose a relational response model to advance the third‐party justice literature asserting that the organization's fair treatment of external parties sends important relational signals to employees that shape their social exchange perceptions toward their employer. Supporting this proposition, in two multisource studies in separate healthcare organizations we found that patient‐directed justice had indirect effects on supervisory cooperative behavior ratings through organizational trust and organizational identification.     

Validation francophone de l’inventaire des facilitateurs de l’apprentissage organisationnel (IFAO) : étude comparative de l’apprentissage perçu au niveau des individus,des groupes et de l’organisation

IntroductionThe Inventory of Organizational Learning Facilitator (IOLF) developed by Barrette, Lemyre, Corneil, and Beauregard (2012) is a self-report inventory assessing the presence of certain facilitators of organizational learning within an organizational environment. However, this scale is in English, limiting its applications with francophone populations.ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to create a French version of the Inventory of Organizational Learning Facilitators (IOLF). Furthermore, this study also aimed to verify the metrological qualities as well as the construct validity of the French version of the instrument.MethodThe instrument was translated and verified by expert translators then administered to two distinct samples (francophone and anglophone) each composed of 476 executive's directors working for the federal government's public service. The respondents also completed a three level of perceived learning measures (i.e. individual, group, and organizational).ResultsAnalyses of the factor structure, internal consistency and the pattern of correlations with external variables indicate that the French version converges with the English one.     

Clash of the climates: Examining the paradoxical effects of climates for promotion and prevention

Organizations often communicate seemingly paradoxical strategic imperatives to their employees that reflect a focus on promotion (take risks) and prevention (be prudent), as outlined by regulatory focus theory. When consistently emphasized and reinforced in an organization, these strategic inclinations can emerge as divergent climates for promotion and prevention that cloud the organization's perceived identity and reduce collective organizational commitment among employees. With a coherent organizational identity acting as both a sensemaking tool and a means of potential self-enhancement for employees, we use social identity theory to hypothesize that similarly emphasized promotion and prevention climates are negatively related to employees’ collective organizational commitment and indirectly, negatively related to organizational productivity. We test our hypotheses in a sample of 107 manufacturing organizations, using polynomial regression with response surface analysis to examine how similarly emphasized promotion and prevention climates relate to collective commitment and organizational productivity. Our analyses reveal that as organization-level promotion and prevention climate scores became more similar, collective organizational commitment decreases. Furthermore, we find that similarly emphasized promotion and prevention climates are negatively related to organizational productivity via collective commitment. We reconcile these findings with the organizational paradox and ambidexterity literatures and implicate promising avenues for future research.     

Professional isolation and pandemic teleworkers’ satisfaction and commitment: The role of perceived organizational and supervisor support

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has abruptly and profoundly changed the way people interact with their organization, their colleagues and their supervisor.ObjectiveThis study assesses the effects of telework-induced professional isolation due to the pandemic. Drawing on organizational support theory, this study examines the relationship between professional isolation and satisfaction with the telework experience and affective organizational commitment during mandatory teleworking caused by the COVID-19 crisis. It does so by focusing on the moderating role of perceived organizational and supervisor support in these relations.MethodsData was collected via self-reported survey questionnaires from 728 pandemic teleworkers from various industry sectors in Quebec during the COVID-19 crisis. The study's hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM), and moderation effects were probed with the Johnson-Neyman technique.ResultsThe results reveal that professional isolation negatively affects satisfaction with the telework experience, but does not affect affective organizational commitment. The relationship between satisfaction with telework and professional isolation was moderated by perceived organizational support, and the relationship between affective organizational commitment and professional isolation was moderated by perceived supervisor support.ConclusionThis study expands the organizational support theory by examining perceived organizational and supervisor support during a crisis as a counterbalance to a challenging social and organizational climate that has led to professional isolation. The implications of the findings as well as future directions for research on professional isolation and telework are discussed.     

Télétravail en temps de crise,engagement organisationnel affectif et satisfaction de vie professionnelle : le rôle de l’ajustement au télétravail et de la satisfaction vis-à-vis de l’équilibre entre domaines de vie

IntroductionThe COVID-19 health crisis considerably accelerated the use of telework.ObjectiveThe present study focuses on the impact of telework frequency on workers’ work-life satisfaction and affective organizational commitment. This study also evaluates the mediating role of satisfaction with work-family balance in these two relationships. Finally, it investigates the moderator role of telework adjustment (i.e., adaptation to changes resulting from the transition to a virtual environment) in the relationship between telework frequency and work-family balance satisfaction, as well as the drivers of this adjustment.MethodIn all, 377 teleworkers replied to an online questionnaire measuring the above-mentioned variables.ResultsThe increase in telework frequency is directly associated with a decrease in workers’ work-life satisfaction and affective organizational commitment, due to the degradation of their work-family balance satisfaction. Yet, once workers have made significant adjustments to telework, direct and indirect negative impacts of telework frequency are reduced. Finally, telework adjustment is largely predicted by whether telework resulted from choice or obligation, by the telework environment at home, and by the organizational support provided to workers.ConclusionTheoretical and practical implications of these results will be discussed, with potential avenues to best support the deployment of remote work.     

Feeling Committed to Work: How Specific Forms of Work-Commitment Predict Work Behavior and Performance Over Time

Previous research revealed that commitment to more specific foci than the organization as a whole is better suited to predict specific employee behaviors. We extend this research by proposing and evaluating specific forms of work commitment that are applicable across a broad range of work situations: work-group, work-content, and work-results commitment. Two studies (N ₁ = 16,389; N ₂ = 482) supported the distinction between these forms of work commitment, in addition to affective and continuance organizational commitment. Corroborating our predictions, organizational commitment predicted organizational turnover intentions and actual turnover, whereas the three forms of work commitment substantially improved the prediction of self-reported (Study 1) and objective (Study 2) measures of internal mobility and job performance over time.     

Personality and the location of identity1

It was hypothesized that individuals vary in their general environmental orientation: some are oriented to the internal and some to the external environment. We next predicted that this difference would be reflected in the location of those characteristics by which such persons define their identity. A sample of 150 persons judged the location of a set of 22 identity characteristics. These characteristics were rated on importance for self and then correlated with personality tests assumed to assess individual differences in environmental orientation. Authoritarianism, Snyder's self–monitoring, and Rotter's external locus of control were taken as measures of an external environmental orientation; Laird's locus of causal attribution and Sampson's measure of internal orientation (IO) were taken as measures of an internal environmental orientation. With all scales but Rotter's, strong support for the predictions was found: i.e., authoritarianism and self–monitoring were positively correlated with externally located identity characteristics; a dispositional attributional bias and the IO were positively correlated with internally located identity characteristics. These findings were discussed in terms of a process of identity mastery.     

ACCURACY OF COMMUNICATION FROM AN EXTERNAL PUBLIC TO EMPLOYEES IN A FORMAL ORGANIZATION

As publics of organizations become larger, better organized and more powerful, communication from these publics into organizations becomes essential if the organization is to adapt to this portion of its environment. This article uses Grunig's multisystems theory of organizational communication and McLeod and Chaffee's coorientation paradigm to conceptualize which employees of an organization will achieve the highest level of accuracy with an external public and then uses data from a study of a large business firm to test the conceptualization. Results show that accuracy occurs only when special combinations of conditions are present. The article concludes that organizations cannot leave external communication to the initiative of individual employees but must form a unit to do “systemic” research on the organization's relationship with its environment.     

An Integrative Model Linking Feedback Environment and Organizational Citizenship Behavior

ABSTRACT

Past empirical evidence has suggested that a positive supervisor feedback environment may enhance employees' organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). In this study, we aim to extend previous research by proposing and testing an integrative model that examines the mediating processes underlying the relationship between supervisor feedback environment and employee OCB. Data were collected from 259 subordinate-supervisor dyads across a variety of organizations in Taiwan. We used structural equation modeling to test our hypotheses. The results demonstrated that supervisor feedback environment influenced employees' OCB indirectly through (1) both positive affective-cognition and positive attitude (i.e., person-organization fit and organizational commitment), and (2) both negative affective-cognition and negative attitude (i.e., role stressors and job burnout). Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

Career Commitment as a Predictor of Behavioral Outcomes

Abstract

Few researchers have examined career commitment in a systematic fashion. The present longitudinal study used Rusbult and Farrell's (1983) commitment scale in two ways: (a) as an independent variable for predicting (after an interval of one week) several behavioral outcomes and (b) as a dependent variable predicted by various demographic measures. Data collected from 73 university students in Israel showed that none of the demographics correlated with career commitment, but the latter predicted several future behaviors including the number of times respondents met with their instructors and hours spent in written work. The limitations of a short time interval as well as some of the unique aspects of the Israeli educational system are discussed.     

Antecedent variables of innovation behaviors in organizations: Differences between men and women

IntroductionRelevance of innovation behaviors for organizational success led to study its main individual, job-related and organizational antecedents. Moreover, research on differences in innovation between men and women showed inconclusive results. Ambidexterity (Bledow, Frese, Anderson, Erez, & Farr, 2009) and Zhou and Hoever (2014) call for combining contextual and personal characteristics in innovation research suggest that pathways and variables leading to innovation between men and women could be different.Objective(s)This study aims to analyze if men and women differ in the main antecedents for innovative behaviors. Thus, a moderating effect of gender on the relationship between innovative behaviors and their main antecedent variables is hypothesized. Results are of interest for promoting innovation and empowering women at work context.MethodIn a sample of 458 employees from 16 Spanish companies, we carried out hierarchical regression analyses on innovation behaviors, including as main antecedents academic level, proactive personality, job demands, organizational commitment, HR practices addressed to participation, and transformational leadership. In addition, interaction terms between gender and such antecedents were entered in regression analysis.ResultsProactive personality, HR participation practices, inspirational motivation, job demands and academic level significantly predicted innovative behaviors at their different phases. Moreover, gender moderated the relationship between generation of new ideas with academic level and organizational commitment, and between promotion of ideas with job demands and idealized influence. Organizational commitment promoted generation of ideas among women but not among men, whereas idealized influence is detrimental for women. Reversely, higher job demands stimulate promotion of ideas among men but were detrimental for innovation among women.ConclusionOur results suggest that innovation among women seems to be more sensitive to the influence of leadership and require more social support, whereas higher job demands are detrimental. These results suggest that innovation is more related to intrinsic variables (as self-confidence, empowerment and social processes) among women, whereas for men, it seems to be more related to work demands. Results could help companies to stimulate innovation, between both men and women.     

A Six Year Longitudinal Study of Graduate Expectations: The Implications for Company Recruitment and Selection Strategies

All job extrants formulate a set of expectations about what a new job will be like. A least in part, these expectations are shaped by their experience of the organization's selection process. What impact do these early impressions have upon subsequent job attitudes and behaviour? This article reports the findings of a longitudinal study of UK graduates from a few weeks prior to organizational entry to five or six years after commencing employment. Both the level of pre-entry expectations and the congruency of these expectations with work experience are found to correlate with subsequent job satisfaction and organizational commitment. More support is found for the congruent expectations hypotheses, and the implications of this for company selection and socialization strategies are discussed.     

Employee commitment and support for an organizational change: Test of the three‐component model in two cultures

Although commitment is commonly identified as an essential element for the effective implementation of organizational change, little empirical evidence exists to support this claim. We conducted two studies to replicate and extend findings pertaining to Herscovitch and Meyer's three‐component model of commitment to an organizational change. In the first study, we examined relations within and across time between employees' commitment (affective, normative and continuance) and level of support for a strategic initiative undertaken by a Canadian utility company in response to deregulation. In the second study, we tested the model in a sample of managers in an Indian organization undergoing major restructuring. In both studies we found considerable support for the relations between commitment and support predicted by the model. However, we also found evidence for potential culture differences. Implications for theory, research and change management practice are discussed.     

Predicting Antenatal Class Attendance: Attitudes Of Self And Others

Abstract

Attendance at antenatal classes has been found to improve birth outcomes, yet many women do not attend. This study investigates the extent to which we can predict attendance and whether women's expectations of classes are confirmed by their subsequent experiences. Intention to attend was the most predictive variable in the 529 primigravidas women studied. It was best predicted by women's general attitudes about coping and the value of attendance, rather than by specific expectations of classes. Women's perceptions of the attitudes of the baby's father and of the hospital doctor were also important. Although there were demographic differences between attenders and non-attenders, they were less predictive than attitudes. These findings are consistent with the Theory of Reasoned Action. Women's experiences of classes were much more positive than their expectations. Giving this information to women and their partners may change their attitudes and, hence, attendance.     

Formal and Emergent Predictors of Coworkers' Perceptual Congruence on an Organization's Social Structure

This article examines several factors that are hypothesized to influence the perceptual congruence among organizational members. Perceptual congruence is defined as the extent to which members agree on their perceptions of the organization's social structure. This study proposes that employees congruence on the organization's social structure is influenced by similarities in formal structure, demographic attributes, and emergent structure. The hypotheses were tested using cognitive social structure data collected at a city's public works department.     

Ethics Code Awareness,Perceived Ethical Values,and Organizational Commitment

This study examines the relationships among ethics code awareness, perceived corporate ethical values, and organizational commitment. Three key findings emerged. First, those aware of the existence of an ethics code in their organizations perceived their organizations as having more ethical values than those not aware of an ethics code in their organizations. Second, respondents exhibited higher levels of organizational commitment when they were aware of an ethics code in their companies. Finally, the relationship between ethics code awareness and organizational commitment was fully mediated by perceptions of an organization’s ethical values. The results suggest that ethics codes may lead to higher levels of organizational commitment by increasing the belief that their organizations have strong ethical values, as long as the existence of ethics codes are adequately communicated.     

Linking career mobility with corporate loyalty: How does job change relate to organizational commitment?

Today's organizations are undergoing constant and substantial change due to many internal and external forces. These changes are impacting on the inter- and intra-organizational career mobility of managers and employees. This research assessed the relationship between career mobility history and a recent internal or external job change on organizational commitment using (Allen & Meyer, 1990) three-dimensional model. Professional-level employees participated in three survey administrations over an 18-month timeframe. External career mobility history (i.e., number of external job moves over one's career) was negatively related to normative commitment, but not to affective and continuance commitment. Affective and continuance commitment were significantly lower for external movers prior to a move when compared to nonmovers over the same period. In contrast, only continuance commitment was significantly lower for internal movers prior to a move when compared to nonmovers over the same period. Affective commitment increased significantly after the move for both internal and external movers. Implications for research with respect to career mobility and organizational commitment are discussed.