This paper examines employees’ reactions to Corporate Social Responsibility programs at the attitudinal level. The results presented are drawn from an in-depth study of two Chilean construction firms that have well-established CSR programs. Grounded theory was applied to the data prior to the construction of the conceptual framework. The analysis shows that the implementation of CSR programs generates two types of attitudes in employees: attitudes toward the organization and attitudes toward society. These two broad types of attitudes can (...) then be broken down into four different categories : acceptance of the new role of the organization, identification with the organization, importance attached to the work performed and a sense of social justice. In turn, each of these categories is a grouping of many different concepts, some of which have at first sight little to do with CSR. Finally, the analysis reveals an attitudinal employee typology: the committed worker, the indifferent worker, and the dissident worker. (shrink)

The employee owned company (EOC) might be the ideal blend of capitalism and communitarianism that vitalizes the global economy. EOCs – based on the concepts of employee participation and control – have sprung up in the United Kingdom, some parts of the European Union, the United States, Japan, and the former Eastern Bloc countries. Research has shown that they are able to compete effectively with more traditional companies. However, in addition to the pressures of business competition, EOCs face two other (...) key problems as they strive to survive: (1) degeneration and (2) human nature and the abuse of power. After introducing the idea of the EOC and describing briefly these two key problems, this article presents seven recommendations for sustaining employee owned companies. These recommendations – grounded in sound organizational theory and the writings of experts in the field of employee ownership – are offered as hypotheses to be examined empirically by future researchers. (shrink)

While scholarly research on the relationship between female board representation and strategic decision-making has gained momentum, employee policy outcomes have remained relatively understudied. Integrating theory from the ethics of care perspective with research on the glass ceiling and workplace voice, we seek to understand the circumstances under which female directors influence policy changes for firm employees. We argue that firms with increasing female board representation are more likely to enact human capital development policies benefiting firm employees. However, this (...) positive relationship will ultimately diminish as boards accrue an increasing number of female directors. We further predict that the presence of a female leader at the firm (serving in the role of either the CEO or the board chair) will moderate this diminishing effect. Using a sample of S&P 1500 firms, we find support for our hypotheses. The findings from this study provide evidence that while female board representation is positively related to human capital development policies, this effect is nuanced and impacted by the presence of female leadership at the top of organizations. Our paper extends existing research on the nature of female directors’ influence on ethical decisions, emphasizing the impact of these directors on employees. (shrink)

This study examines employee satisfaction with HRM (Human Capital Management) practices in the Cebu City, Philippines' business process outsourcing (BPO) industry. Employing a descriptive-correlational methodology, the study explores important domains such as organizational socialization, work-life balance, adoption of Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS), labor-management relations, observance of due process, employee morale, and talent management. Significant differences in employee satisfaction levels are observed depending on demographic factors such as age, gender, civil status, educational attainment, and length of service, according to data (...) gathered from 370 employees, including both rank-and-file and management employees. The results show that compared to rank-and-file employees, whooften report moderate levels of satisfaction, management employees show lower levels of satisfaction, especially regardinglabor-management relations and work-life balance. The study emphasizes the necessity of customized HCM methods that consider demographic differences, implying that a one-size-fits-all approachmight not be sufficient to meet the different demands of a contemporary workforce. It is advised that more research be done to investigate longitudinal viewpoints and qualitative insights into HCM satisfaction. By implementing focused HR initiatives, BPO companies may improve retention, increase employee satisfaction, and cultivate a more productive team. (shrink)

Corporate social responsibility is a recognised and common part of business activity. Some of the regularly cited motives behind CSR are employee morale, recruitment and retention, with employees acknowledged as a key organisational stakeholder. Despite the significance of employees in relation to CSR, relatively few studies have examined their engagement with CSR and the impediments relevant to this engagement. This exploratory case study-based research addresses this paucity of attention, drawing on one to one interviews and observation in a (...) large UK energy company. A diversity of engagement was found, ranging from employees who exhibited detachment from the CSR activities within the company, to those who were fully engaged with the CSR activities, and to others who were content with their own personal, but not organisational, engagement with CSR. A number of organisational context impediments, including poor communication, a perceived weak and low visibility of CSR culture, and lack of strategic alignment of CSR to business and personal objectives, served to explain this diversity of employee engagement. Social exchange theory is applied to help explore the volition that individual employees have towards their engagement with CSR activities, and to consider the implications of an implicit social, rather than explicit economic, contract between an organisation and its employees in their engagement with CSR. (shrink)

Is there a link between how a firm manages its internal and external stakeholders? More specifically, are firms that give employees stock ownership and more say in running the enterprise more likely to engage with external stakeholders? This study seeks to answer these questions by elaborating on mechanisms that link employees to external stakeholders, such as the community, suppliers, and the environment. It tests these relationships using a sample of 347 private, mostly small-to-medium size firms, which completed a (...) stakeholder impact assessment organized by the non-profit B Lab. The results support the hypotheses that both employee ownership and employee involvement are positively associated with external stakeholder engagement. Further, we found that certification plays a role, as employee ownership contributes to external stakeholder engagement only in certified B Corporations, and not in firms that merely completed the B Lab Impact assessment. Our findings have import for stakeholder engagement frameworks, as we show that there is interplay between internal employee stakeholders and external stakeholders that may be important to overall firm–stakeholder management. (shrink)

The article aims to bridge divides between political theory and management and organization studies in theorizing workplace democracy. To achieve this aim, the article begins by introducing a new definition of democracy which, it is contended, is better suited than mainstream accounts to highlight the democratizing potential of employee involvement. It then defines employee involvement as an offshoot of early twentieth-century humanistic psychologies, from which it inherits an emancipatory ambition. In a third step, the article presents employee involvement as a (...) set of organizational practices liable to transform dominant patterns of authority and social interaction in the workplace. The article concludes by contending that, apart from representation/participation and the employee’s voice, employee involvement must be considered the third necessary pillar of workplace democracy, endowed with distinctive normative features that neither representation/participation nor voices can aptly capture. (shrink)

Employee dissatisfaction, frustration, and rising resignation rates in emerging nations are increasingly linked to workplace transformations that disrupt employee well‐being. To address this gap, this study proposes a comprehensive multidimensional framework for employee sustainability (ES) that integrates subjective and psychological well‐being with Buddhist principles of happiness, moving beyond traditional unidimensional models. Through a triangulated research design, eight ES factors and 32 subfactors are identified to address social barriers. NVivo 12 is used for factor extraction based on literature and expert inputs (...) from the fuzzy Delphi method (FDM), followed by weighting from the analytic hierarchy process (AHP using Python 3.12.2) and the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP), and validation via sensitivity analysis. A comparative assessment of AHP and FAHP is done to examine uncertainty in the prioritization of factors. The Fuzzy Decision‐Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (FDEMATEL) is employed to establish causal relationships among factors, identifying key drivers and effects. Results highlight health and safety, psychological well‐being, and egalitarianism as central to both material and emotional employee development. Grounded in the PERMA model, this framework aligns organizational practices with employees' hedonic and eudaimonic happiness. It promotes a sustainable happy workplace, contributing to SDG 3 (Good Health), SDG 8 (Decent Work), and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). (shrink)

As past research has identified frontline employees as the primary communicators of a company’s CSR, this paper reports on a large-scale quasi-field experiment aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of the levers of successful in-store, point-of-sale, CSR communication. In cooperation with a large international retailer, the authors analyzed the effects of varying in-store CSR communication strategies in 48 unique stores, combining data from a customer survey, company records of customers’ real visits and purchases, and interviews with store managers. Taking (...) into account the nested structure of the data, the authors reveal that CSR-related training of frontline employees bestows its favorable effect on customers and customer behavior only if it is accompanied by the store managers’ personal support for CSR. (shrink)

Drawing on the natural-resource-based view, we propose that employee stakeholder integration is linked to environmental performance through firms’ proactive environmental strategies, and that this link is contingent on shared vision. We tested our model with a cross-country and multi-industry sample. In support of our theory, results revealed that firms’ proactive environmental strategies translated employee stakeholder integration into environmental performance. This relationship was pronounced for high levels of shared vision. Our findings demonstrate that shared vision represents a key condition for advancing (...) the corporate greening agenda through proactive environmental strategies. We discuss implications for the CSR and the environmental management literatures, with a particular focus on the NRBV and stakeholder integration debates. (shrink)

Despite the ongoing need for managers to fire employees and the wide prevalence of downsizing and layoffs, little research has examined how the conduct of termination interviews affects employee reactions. The current research was designed to explore reactions to several commonly used termination interview practices. Two scenario-based experiments examined the effectiveness of having a third party (an HR manager or a security guard) present, mentioning the employee's positive characteristics and contributions, and using alone, discrete escort, or public escort modes (...) of exit from the interview. Perceptions of being treated with respect and empathy, levels of anger, and the likelihood of complaining to others and taking legal action were assessed. Support for the effectiveness of specific termination interview practices was mixed. Specifically, in Experiment 1, third party presence was viewed as demonstrating a lack of respect, whereas mentioning positive characteristics was generally viewed favorably. Experiment 2 showed the favorable effects of mentioning positive characteristics were eroded by a security guard escort from the interview, and actually reversed and became negative when that escort was public in nature. A public escort also produced the highest levels of anger. These results suggest that multiple aspects of the termination interview process should be considered carefully when developing managerial policies. (shrink)

Firm–employee relationships are dependent on the wider societal context and on the role business plays in society. Changes in institutional arrangements in society affect the perceived responsibilities of firms to their personnel. In this study, we examine mass media discussions about firm–employee relationships from a social responsibility perspective via a longitudinal study in Romanian society. Our analysis indicates how the expected responsibilities of firms towards employees have altered with the changing role of firms in society since the early 1990s. (...) These transformations correspond to the ideological developments, from communist to market-based thinking, which have taken place in post-communist Eastern Europe. More specifically, our study shows how the diminishing expectations of corporate social responsibility (CSR) are linked in mass media to increasingly important talk of human resource management (HRM). HRM is a modern business approach believed to address personnel needs and organisational objectives simultaneously. The congruency of goals in HRM may mistakenly lead to the conclusion that organisations are inherently responsible toward their personnel. We argue that this may not necessarily be the case. HRM, matching well the new free-market ideology in post-communist Eastern Europe, was eagerly embraced in that it defined firm–personnel relationships. In this study, we question whether this was an adequate theoretical perspective for Romanian firms to adopt as it lacks sufficient ethical grounding. We also call for a higher awareness concerning the role of mass media in the management literature, since its current role in constructing the ‘rightness’ and ‘wrongness’ in firm–personnel relationships is hardly considered. (shrink)

Employees remaining silent about ethical aspects of work or organization-related issues, termed employee ethical silence, perpetuates misconduct in today’s business setting. However, how and why it occurs is not yet well specified in the business ethics literature, which is insufficient to manage corporate misconducts. In this research, we investigate how and when exploitative leadership associates with employee ethical silence. We draw from the conservation of resources theory to theorize and test a cognitive resource pathway (i.e., work meaningfulness) and a (...) moral resource pathway (i.e., moral potency) to explain the association between exploitative leadership and employee ethical silence. Results from two studies largely support our hypotheses that work meaningfulness and moral potency mediate the effect of exploitative leadership on ethical silence contingent on performance reward expectancy. Theoretical and practical implications are thoroughly discussed in the paper. (shrink)

Adopting an instrumental approach for stakeholder management, we focus on two primary stakeholder groups to investigate the relationship between employee treatment and loan contracts with banks. We find strong evidence that fair employee treatment reduces loan price and limits the use of financial covenants. In addition, we document that relationship bank lenders price both the levels and changes in the quality of employee treatment, whereas first-time bank lenders only care about the levels of fair employee treatment. Taking a contingency perspective, (...) we find that industry competition and firm asset intangibility moderate the relationship between good human resource management and bank loan costs. The cost reduction effect of fair employee treatment is stronger for firms operating in a more competitive industry and having higher levels of intangible assets. (shrink)

Promoting innovative work behaviour and employee wellbeing has become essential as it endows companies with competitive advantages to thrive in today's complex business environment. This study investigates the role of workplace spirituality in inducing innovative work behaviour and employee wellbeing based on the social exchange theory and the spillover theory. It also looks at the previously unexplored mediating function of employee engagement in the relationship between workplace spirituality and the outcomes above. Additionally, it examines the interactive effect of workplace spirituality (...) and individual spirituality on employee engagement. Two waves of survey data were collected from 538 employees and their managers working in the IT sector in Pakistan. This study contributes to the expanding corpus of research on workplace spirituality, confirming that the latter positively influence innovative work behaviour and employee wellbeing. The mediating effect of employee engagement on the relationship between workplace spirituality and innovative work behaviour and employee wellbeing is also significant. Further, the results confirm that the influence of workplace spirituality on employee engagement is contingent on the degree of individual spirituality. Theoretical contributions and practical implications are discussed. (shrink)

This study investigates why and when employees’ observations of supervisors’ ostracism of coworkers elicit their own feelings of guilt. In this connection, observers’ silence might function as a mediator, and leader–member exchange quality could moderate the process. The tests of these predictions rely on two studies, undertaken in Pakistan: a temporally separated field study using three-wave data (N = 219) and a scenario-based experiment (N = 118). The combined results indicate that employees feel guilty for remaining silent when (...) they witness supervisor ostracism of other colleagues. The positive relationship between such observations of supervisor ostracism and silence behavior is more pronounced among employees who enjoy high-quality relationships with their supervisor. In addition to establishing key theoretical insights, this article alerts organizations to a critical mechanism (silence to avoid upsetting supervisors) by which employees’ observations of how supervisors ostracize others can escalate into their own sense of guilt. (shrink)

The general objective of this research was to understand the manifestations of managerial leadership in the employees of a public institution in Cajamarca. The research is qualitative in nature, based on the analysis of scientific research obtained from the review of various studies and academic documents. The main results revealed the coexistence of different leadership approaches within the institution, highlighting transformational leadership and systemic leadership, characterized by fostering skills development, promoting a shared vision, and stimulating innovation; however, the presence (...) of autocratic leadership was also identified, suggesting the persistence of more traditional and centralized approaches in some aspects of management. The research concluded that the perception of employees regarding these leadership styles is crucial to understand their impact on motivation, satisfaction, and performance; therefore, more participatory and adaptable leadership styles should be prioritized in order to avoid feelings of dissatisfaction among workers, phenomena that manifest in autocratic or less participatory styles. (shrink)

Employee governance, which includes employee ownership and employee participation in decision making, is regarded by manyas morally preferable to control of corporations by shareholders. However, employee governance is rare in advanced market economies due to its relative inefficiency compared with shareholder governance. Given this inefficiency, should employee governance be given up as an impractical ideal? This article contends that the debate over this question is hampered by an inadequate conception of employee governance that fails to take into account the difference (...) between employees and shareholders. It offers a different, more adequate conception of employee governance that recognizes a sense in which employees currently have some ownership rights. The argument for this conception of employee governance is built on an expanded understanding of the ownership of a firm. The article also suggests new strategies for strengthening the role of employees in corporate governance. (shrink)

The purpose of cause-related marketing (CRM) is to publicise and capitalise on a firm's corporate social performance (CSP) by enhancing its legitimacy in the eyes of its stakeholders. This study focuses on the firm's internal stakeholders - i.e. its employees - and the extent of their involvement in the selection of social campaigns. Whilst the difficulties of managing a firm that has lost or damaged its legitimacy in the eyes of its employees are well known, little is understood (...) about the extent to which managers and their social partners listen to and involve their employees in the legitimation process. Through telephone interviews with non-profit organisations and senior managers of service sector firms, the extent of employee involvement in CRM campaigns and the perceived benefits of doing so are investigated. Amongst other things, we find that (i) the extent of employee participation varies significantly across firms; (ii) larger CRM campaigns tend to be managed centrally with relatively less employee participation than smaller ones and (iii) financial services firms are more likely to make CRM decisions centrally, with relatively less employee participation than retail services firms. (shrink)

This study examines employee perceptions on the effective adoption of artificial intelligence principles in their organizations. 49 interviews were conducted with employees of 24 organizations across 11 countries. Participants worked directly with AI across a range of positions, from junior data scientist to Chief Analytics Officer. The study found that there are eleven components that could impact the effective adoption of AI principles in organizations: communication, management support, training, an ethics office, a reporting mechanism, enforcement, measurement, accompanying technical processes, (...) a sufficient technical infrastructure, organizational structure, and an interdisciplinary approach. The components are discussed in the context of business code adoption theory. The findings offer a first step in understanding potential methods for the effective adoption of AI principles in organizations. (shrink)

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) attribution is the process by which individuals infer the reasons behind CSR initiatives. We present a comprehensive meta-analysis of employees' CSR attributions. Based on attribution theory, we categorized CSR attributions into two types—CSR intrinsic attribution (CSR-IA) and CSR extrinsic attribution (CSR-EA). First, we investigated demographic antecedents and found that age, education, gender, and tenure do not significantly correlate with either CSR-IA or CSR-EA. Second, in terms of theoretical correlates, we found both leader-member exchange (LMX) and (...) perceived organizational support (POS) were positively correlated with CSR-IA, but not with CSR-EA. Third, in examining the outcomes of CSR attributions, we found CSR-IA positively related to organizational identification, organizational trust, and work meaningfulness, whereas CSR-EA showed no significant associations with these variables. Finally, we found that organizational identification mediated the positive relationship between CSR-IA and several important outcomes, including task performance, organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. Our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the distinct roles of CSR attributions. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. (shrink)

Ethical dilemmas arise when one must decide between conflicting ethical imperatives. One potential ethical dilemma is a manager’s decision of whether to engage in corporate social responsibility activities. This decision could pit the ethical imperative of honoring unwritten obligations to society against the ethical imperative of honoring contractual obligations to the firm. However, CSR activities might only be a minor ethical dilemma or none at all if they simultaneously benefit the firm and society. To examine this I test the association (...) between future-period employee productivity and current-period use of one type of CSR activity: employee volunteer programs. I use a unique sample of 1428 firm-years, hand-collected from sustainability reports of 373 firms. I find evidence that the current-period use of an employee volunteer program has a positive association with future-period employee productivity. I find this result in future periods up to 6 years after a firm uses an employee volunteer program. I also find a positive association between incentives that focus CEOs’ attention on long-term firm outcomes and more extensive employee volunteer programs. (shrink)

Employee theft is costly to any business, especially to big retail chain organizations. This research is to study the perception of retail employees on the impact of the individual and organizational factors contributing to workplace theft behavior in supermarkets in Malaysia and to study the mediating effect of intention to steal and the moderating effect of internal control systems. The results proved that individual and organizational factors do influence workplace theft behavior. It is also established that internal control systems (...) moderate the relationship between the intention to steal and workplace theft behavior. (shrink)

The purpose of this paper is to examine two hypothetical models: one in which job satisfaction acts as a mediator of the effects of overqualification on turnover intention and performance, and another in which job satisfaction acts as a mediator of the effects of overqualification on performance. Data were collected from 318 call center employees in Portugal. The relationships were tested using a multiple regression hierarchy with PROCESS. As hypothesized, job satisfaction mediates the relationship between overqualification and turnover intentions. (...) It appears that overqualification alone does not influence intention to quit, but rather does so via satisfaction. Job satisfaction also mediates the relationship between overqualification and job performance. However, perceptions of non-growth appear to be associated with a decline in contextual performance. The effects of overqualification on turnover intentions and job performance of call center employees have not been previously studied. Therefore, this study aims to fill this gap. Our study joins the small number of studies that analyze the mechanisms explaining the relationship between this mismatch between job demands and employees' perceived education, skills, experience, and work outcomes. (shrink)

This chapter contains sections titled: Employee rights.

This current research aims to explore employee retention perspectives among senior managers at accounting firms. In the wake of the Great Resignation, employee retention is more important than ever. High costs and productivity impediments related to high employee turnover rates can significantly stifle the potential of modern accounting firms. To develop effective employee retention strategies within accounting firms, the perspectives of senior managers prove a critical tool. Such perspectives can offer details about potential risks that need to be addressed in (...) order to improve retention and keep the best talent for longer. The study utilizes a qualitative research design. It features semi-structured interviews given to senior managers at an accounting firm. Data collected through the interviews is analyzed using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2008). Findings extrapolated here will be valuable within the field of accounting, as they will provide managers with the knowledge to build more effective employee retention strategies. The study justifies costs associated with employee retention strategies, as such costs are less than those associated with turnover. Additionally, the study provides a model for managers to use practically in their own unique contexts. More specifically, this study is valuable in that it takes a greater in-depth look at employee retention within the context of accounting firms. (shrink)

The focus of this paper is employee ownership, specifically the role of employee ownership in value creation. Based on a sample of 163 French companies, we have measured the impact of employee share ownership on value creation for both shareholders and stakeholders. Only companies with a sustained employee ownership policy over a 5-year period (from 2001 to 2005), as defined by the French Federation of Employee and Former Employee Shareholders (FAS), have been considered. The results indicate that employee share ownership (...) plans have no effect on shareholders’ or stakeholders’ value creation. (shrink)

The objective of this research is to examine how and when employees' attributions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) affect their extra-role service behaviors. The research analyses the mediating role of work meaningfulness in the employees' CSR attributions–extra-role behaviors relationships. The moderating role of employees' attitudes toward CSR in both the relationships between CSR attributions and work meaningfulness and in the mediated relationship is also studied. The hypotheses were tested on a sample of 204 frontline employees of (...) four- and five-star hotels in Spain using structural equations and the PROCESS macro. The results indicate that only substantive CSR attributions positively influenced employees' extra-role service behaviors and that the relationship occurs through the work meaningfulness experienced by employees. While substantive CSR attributions boosted work meaningfulness and subsequent extra-role service behavior regardless of personal attitudes toward CSR, the link between symbolic CSR attributions and work meaningfulness as well as the mediated relationship with extra-role service behaviors were found to be moderated by employees' personal attitudes toward CSR. When employees had lower personal attitudes toward CSR, symbolic CSR attributions positively affected work meaningfulness and extra-role service behavior; when attitudes toward CSR were higher, the relationships were not significant. Interesting theoretical contributions and practical insights follow from these findings. (shrink)

Drawing upon conservation of resources theory, we develop and test a theoretical model that specifies how and when employee humor toward leaders affects leader abusive supervision. We propose that employee humor is negatively associated with leader abusive supervision via leader relational energy. Furthermore, the negative indirect relationship between employee humor and leader abusive supervision via leader relational energy is stronger for female leaders than for male leaders. An experiment and a multi-wave, multi-source field study provide substantial support for our hypotheses. (...) Our findings contribute to the abusive supervision literature by identifying employee humor as a safe and effective bottom-up approach to prevent leader abusive supervision. (shrink)

This article examines a social accounting cycle in a Danish savings bank with specific focus on how employees interacted with the cycle. The case study is based on archival material and observations of employee engagement sessions that were a significant part of the cycle. The article exposes the ways in which the cycle can be understood as an initiative that prompts different forms of accountability. The cycle had the potential to bring different forms of accountability together, but the cycle (...) also faced challenges that threatened its relevance from an employee perspective. These challenges might have implications for the way we perceive social accounting and the role of employees. (shrink)

Automation boosts productivity but may endanger professional identity and well-being when generative and agentic AI enter knowledge jobs quickly. Human elements of AI adoption are understudied, especially qualitative methodologies that capture lived experiences. Productivity improvements are clearly established. Explore knowledge workers' emotional and psychological reactions to AI-driven developments and how they handle the automation-augmentation conundrum. This study contrasts technology-focused research with employee psychological adaption. Semi-structured interviews with 25 knowledge workers in financial services, creative industries, and professional services. Data evaluated using (...) reflexive thematic analysis to discover perceptual, affective, and coping tendencies. Ambivalent acceptance – excitement and anxiety; identity friction – perceived deskilling versus augmented creativity; coping through re-crafting – proactive role redesign; and organisational buffers – psychological safety and transparent communication mitigate negative outcomes. Employee psychological adaptation to AI is modelled in this research, expanding the automation-augmentation conundrum with unique coping mechanisms and practical suggestions for human-centered AI governance. Organisational support, effective communication, and identity rebuilding are crucial to optimal adaption results. (shrink)

Stress has become an overheard word of modern life. Everyone experiences stress to some degree when one encounters a difficult situation. In recent decades, a transition can be seen in society and industries due to urbanisation and globalisation. Scientific-technological advancement in industries has changed employees’ working patterns and their way of living (Giorgi et al. in Front Psychol 8:2166, 2017). It would not be wrong to say that today's organisation is characterised by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA). According (...) to Selye (Nature 138:32, 1936), stress is a non-specific reaction in the body that affects both the mind and body. Due to the fast-paced lifestyle, people's stress levels have increased, hence, WHO has asserted stress as the “health epidemic of the twenty-first century” (Fink, in Stress: concepts, cognition, emotion, and behavior. Elsevier Inc., pp. 3–11, 2016). Today, occupational stress has become a common and costly affair as workers affected by stress show poor performance at work, increased absenteeism and staff turnover (Godin et al. in BMC Public Health, 5:67; Bhagat et al. in Organisational stress and coping in seven national contexts: a cross-cultural investigation, in Keita. American Psychological Association, Washington, DC, pp. 93–105, 1994; Burke in Cross Cult Manag 17(1):5, 2010). Long-term exposure to occupational stress can lead to physical risks such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, increased heart rates, and mental problems (Michie in J Occup Environ Med 59(1):67–72, 2002). The current paper is a literature review with the primary objective of identifying occupational stressors among working female employees and studying the relationship between occupational stress and workplace ethics. (shrink)

An advertising firm''s ethical culture (as defined by the firm''s managerial and peer ethical behaviors) may affect the employees'' comfort levels and ethical behaviors. In this research, scenarios were used to describe advertising firms with various ethical cultures. Respondents'' perceived comfort levels in working for the firms described in the scenarios and the respondents'' behavioral intentions when faced with various advertising situations were assessed. Results of the study indicate that peer ethical behavior exerts a strong influence on the comfort (...) or discomfort level and the ethical behavioral intentions of potential advertising employees. Further, the strong influence exerted by peers seems to transcend the ethical behavior of the manager and carry over to the attitude toward the entire corporate advertising environment. This study provides insights for firms and researchers interested in assessing the impact of an advertising firm''s ethical culture on potential employees. (shrink)

Employee monitoring has raised concerns from all areas of society – business organizations, employee interest groups, privacy advocates, civil libertarians, lawyers, professional ethicists, and every combination possible. Each advocate has its own rationale for or against employee monitoring whether it be economic, legal, or ethical. However, no matter what the form of reasoning, seven key arguments emerge from the pool of analysis. These arguments have been used equally from all sides of the debate. The purpose of this paper is to (...) examine the seven key arguments that have been made with respect to employee monitoring. None of these arguments is conclusive and each calls for managerial and moral consideration. We conclude that a more comprehensive inquiry with ethical concern at the center is necessary to make further progress on understanding the complexity of employee monitoring. The final section of this paper sketches out how such an inquiry would proceed. (shrink)

ABSTRACT:This article aims to enhance understanding of employee anonymous online dissent (EAOD), a controversial phenomenon in contemporary digital environments. We conceptualise and scrutinise EAOD as a communicative and interactional process among four key actors: dissenting employees, online outlet administrators, audiences, and targeted organisations. This multi-actor, dialectical process encompasses actor-related tensions that may generate unethical consequences if single voices are not brought out and confronted. Appropriating a Habermasian ethical and discursive lens, we examine and disentangle three particular challenges emerging from (...) the EAOD process: lack of accountability and potential opportunism; equal participation and resolution of actor-related tensions; and organisational participation and internalisation of dissent. We show that EAOD can initiate plural dialogue that helps co-construct and balance different voices within an informal and noninstitutionalised context for interaction and public deliberation. We conclude our inquiry by offering reflections on practical implications and a research agenda for further investigation. (shrink)

Greenwashing has become a common way in which many enterprises address expectations related to corporate social responsibility. As an abnormal and fake type of social responsibility behavior, greenwashing causes many problems, thus highlighting the importance of exploring the impact of corporate greenwashing. However, previous studies have mainly examined the impacts of greenwashing on enterprises, industry, and society, and the impact of greenwashing on individual employee behavior, which is important with regard to the sustainability of the enterprise, remains limited. The main (...) purpose of this study is to explore how perceived greenwashing affects employee green behavior (EGB). Based on the stimulus–organism–response theory and social cognitive theory, a two-wave survey was conducted to investigate 232 Chinese enterprise employees. The impact of perceived greenwashing on EGB was analyzed. The mediating role of green organizational identity (GOI) and the moderating role of self-serving leadership in this context were examined. The results reveal that perceived greenwashing is negatively related to EGB. Furthermore, GOI mediates the direct relationship between perceived greenwashing and EGB. Self-serving leadership weakens the positive relationship between GOI and EGB. This study thus develops a theoretical model of greenwashing and EGB. It also provides empirical evidence that can support attempts to promote EGB. (shrink)

Crisis prevention plans are usually evaluated based on their effects in terms of preventing or limiting organizational crisis. In this survey-based study, the focus was instead on how such plans influence employees’ reactions in terms of risk perception and well-being. Five different organizations were addressed in the study. Hypothesis 1 tested the assumption that leadership crisis preparation would lead to lower perceived risk among the employees. Hypothesis 2 tested the conjecture that it would also lead to a higher (...) degree of well-being. Both hypotheses were supported. The results and their implications are discussed. (shrink)

Through an analysis of survey data gathered from private firms in China, this study examines the impact of employee protection on corporate innovation ability. The results indicate that firms with more advanced employee protection have stronger innovation ability. Furthermore, the positive relationship between employee protection and corporate innovation ability is more pronounced in those enterprises with labor unions. Finally, a firm’s political connections strengthen the influence of employee protection on corporate innovation. These empirical findings highlight the positive consolidating effects of (...) labor unions and political connections and will be of value to policy makers in emerging markets in gauging the important drivers of corporate innovation ability. (shrink)

Despite numerous benefits, a dark side exists in human and veterinary caregiving professions that can negatively impact caregiver mental health. It was postulated that other nonhuman animal caregivers, animal welfare employees, might experience mental health outcomes similar to those in analogous caregiving occupations. This study investigated employee mental health at a Canadian animal welfare organization using five validated mental health instruments: Perceived Stress Scale (stress), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (anxiety and depression), Professional Quality of Life Scale (compassion satisfaction (...) and compassion fatigue), Maslach Burnout Inventory Scale (burnout), and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (resilience). Front-line and support staff tended to have poorer mental health outcomes relative to the study population mean, potential for burnout was a notable concern, and resilience was below normal for most employees. These results shed light on the mental health of an animal caregiving occupation that has largely been ignored. Strategies for building employee resilience are discussed. (shrink)

The uncovering of several recent corporate scandals has brought to light unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB) in organizations. A growing body of research has provided insights into employees’ UPB and its antecedents. However, our understanding of leader UPB and its effects remains limited. In this study, we develop and test a theoretical model that explains employees’ responses to their leader UPB. By drawing on the theory of motivated reasoning and the trust literature, we posit that, in general, leader UPB (...) is linked to unfavorable responses from employees such as a lower perception of leaders’ trustworthiness, which, in turn, reduces the citizenship behaviors of employees. However, our model also shows that these effects do not emerge automatically but depend on a crucial boundary condition—followers’ outcome favorability, or the extent to which followers personally benefit from leader UPB. Specifically, we contend that negative responses to leader UPB arise mainly when followers’ outcome favorability is low but decrease significantly when followers’ outcome favorability is high. The results of two multi-wave, multi-source field studies support our hypothesized model. These findings offer a new, instrumental perspective on followers’ responses to unethical leader behaviors, with valuable theoretical and practical implications. (shrink)

The multi-disciplinary interest in social responsibility on the part of individuals and organizations over the past 30 years has generated several descriptors of corporate social responsibility and employee social responsibility. These descriptors focus largely on socially responsible behavior and, in some cases, on socially responsible identity. Very few authors have combined the two concepts in researching social responsibility. This situation can lead to an oversimplification of the concept of CSR, thereby impeding the examination of congruence between employees and organizations (...) with regard to social responsibility. In this article, we connect two dimensions of social responsibility—identity and behavior—to build a Social Responsibility Matrix consisting of four patterns for classifying the social responsibility of employees and employers: Low Social Responsibility, Identity-based Social Responsibility, Behavior-based Social Responsibility, and Entwined Social Responsibility. The positioning of employers and employees on the same matrix is vital for assessing the level of congruence between employers and employees with regard to social responsibility and for discussing the possible outcomes for both parties. These identity and behavior-based patterns, determinants, and levels of congruence connecting employees and employers form the foundation for the multi-dimensional, dynamic ESR–CSR Congruence Model, as exemplified in a case study. This contribution enhances the existing literature and models of CSR, in addition to improving the understanding of employee–employer congruence, thereby broadening the array of possibilities for achieving positive organizational outcomes based on CSR. (shrink)

Many arguments have been advanced in favor of employee participation in firm decision-making. Two of the most influential are the "interest protection argument" and the "autonomy argument." I argue that the case for granting participation rights to some other stakeholders, such as suppliers and community members, is at least as strong, according to the reasons given in these arguments, as the case for granting them to certain employees. I then consider how proponents of these arguments might modify their arguments, (...) or views, in response to this conclusion. (shrink)

As there are changes in today's needs of the information society, the development of information technologies, the information behavior of scientists, the habits of information processing and its management in modern scientific libraries form their unique, atypical and constantly changing functions. This forces scientific libraries to take on new roles while ensuring the stability of their traditional roles. The vision for the future of the academic library is to become an academic partner from the service provider [1]. Preparation of (...) class='Hi'>employees for doing the right job is becoming more and more important and challenging. The combination of individual self-expression, knowledge and skills undoubtedly contributes to the successful implementation of changes, therefore it is important to focus on and distinguish significant employee competencies to ensure organizational goals.In recent decades academic libraries conditioned by the changes happening in information society have fundamentally changed their activities: reorganize structures, carry out reorganization in collections, improve information search systems, organize open access to scientific resources, redistribute budget priorities, expand collaboration with academic community, organize the training and participate in the training process, focus on employee learning, implementation and adaptation of new technologies, conduct scientific research, constantly improve services.The role of today's scientific libraries is not limited to the diversity of book collections and the ways in which they are stored, they play an active role in building technology and knowledge infrastructures. It is now more evident that the functions of libraries' dissemination of information, accessibility, storage and social functions are crucial. "In the age of technology, the availability of information streams and the efficiency of their processing are becoming critical criteria for determining the quality and attractiveness of libraries" [2]. The abundance and variety of exploring scientific research sources are equally important for their availability and presentation. Therefore, the transformation of library staff from a curator of publications to a high-tech specialist or IT consultant in modern scientific libraries is an inevitable phenomenon.Having done the systematic analysis of scientific literature [3-7], the article presents the refined competencies of library employees as a result of changes in library activities and necessary for their successful implementation (see Table). Taking into account that organizational intelligence is one of the main guarantees of the quality of activities, which ensures the possibility to implement organizational changes, such competencies as personal knowledge, skills (abilities) and personal qualities (internal readiness) are necessary for implementing library changes. It can be noted that the greatest success of change implementation is determined by the skills (abilities) and personal qualities of the employees. This demonstrates that the library staff should be flexible, operational, tolerant, able to successfully develop their skills, and effectively apply other personal qualities to prepare for changes in the organization.Table 1. Necessary staff competencies to implement library changesKnowledgeProfessional; Knowledge of technologyManagement of information resourcesOrganized management of information resourcesPractical application of advanced technologiesBudget managementManagement of information and communicationInterest in scientific communication trendsAbilities (skills)Academic perceptivity; Development of activity projectsAnalyzing digital systems; Planning changeAbility to recognize and characterize information environment featuresIntegration into educational and scientific research processesPlanning and coordination of activities· Conducting trainings for student information educationAbility to acquire information and manage its contentCommunicationGuidance on political and legal issuesIntegration of library information into study processesManagement and coordination of electronic resourcesAbility to work in a teamCreating the most acceptable and comfortable conditions for the users working with informationAbility to negotiate; Development of operating methodsIntegration of new planned activitiesUnderstanding and applying digital systemsInformation search engine developmentDeveloping a library training programManagement of organization’s knowledgePersonal qualitiesPerssistence; FlexibilityCreativity; PromptnessCuriosity DiscretionSocial networkingAnalytical and logical thinkingTolerance to changeOptimism; Realization of consumer claimsLeadership; EnthusiasmSelf-confidence; Confidentiality Librarians are skillful creators of information and knowledge, users and organizers who can make an effective contribution to science and learning when operating effectively. This can be seen in the library employees’ distinguished functional, managerial, organizational, negotiation (communication, cooperation), education, coordination (planning, integration), understanding and analysis of digital systems, development of projects and methodologies, and data analysis and evaluation abilities. The knowledge of the library staff was detailed based on the main knowledge groups, i.e. professional, theoretical, technological, management, scientific communication, digital systems. It is almost certain that in recent decades changes in libraries have created new concepts of librarians' erudition.Knowledge such as technological, digital systems and, to some extent, scientific communication were certainly not on the list of key competencies of the traditional library staff. This proves the fundamental transformation of library staff competence in an inclusive digital environment.In conclusion, it could be stated that changes of activities in academic libraries initiate changes in staff competences - in the context of changes, there is a need for the staff to develop new or existing competences that are attributed to skill and knowledge, and personal qualities groups. It is these competences that need to be strengthened, since only a combination of them will lead to successful implementation of change. (shrink)

Workplace incivility is a common phenomenon that is frequently found across all organizations and cultures. This study was planned to investigate the impact of workplace incivility on job and non-job related gossips through the mediating role of cynicism and psychological contract violation. The perspective of low-ranked unionized employees was explored through a survey method by using stratified sampling in eight strata, which were formulated based on geographical distribution. A total of four hundred questionnaires were distributed among the employees (...) of eight circles, 50 from each, while use able responses remained 301. SmartPLS was used to analyze the data through structural equation modeling. From a theoretical perspective, this study has made several contributions by investigating the impact of workplace incivility in the South Asian context and documenting the impact of incivility from the perspective of individuals belonging to minority socio-cultural status. Besides supporting existing literature, this study provided a unique argument that low-ranked employees in South Asian societies do not spread nonjob-related gossips. This finding is contradictory to the existing literature; and, thus, calls for future research to identify this inconsistency. Limitations and future directions are also discussed. (shrink)

This article surveys arguments for the claim that employees have a right to strong forms of decision-making participation. Itconsiders objections to employee participation based on shareholders' property rights and it claims that those objections are flawed. In particular, it argues the employee participation rights are grounded on the same values as are property rights. The articlesuggests that the conflict between these two competing rights claims is best resolved by limiting the scope of corporate property rightsand by recognizing a strong (...) employee right to co-determine corporate decisions. (shrink)

The role of artificial intelligence (AI) in organizations has fundamentally changed from performing routine tasks to supervising human employees. While prior studies focused on normative perceptions of such AI supervisors, employees’ behavioral reactions towards them remained largely unexplored. We draw from theories on AI aversion and appreciation to tackle the ambiguity within this field and investigate if and why employees might adhere to unethical instructions either from a human or an AI supervisor. In addition, we identify employee (...) characteristics affecting this relationship. To inform this debate, we conducted four experiments (total N = 1701) and used two state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms (causal forest and transformers). We consistently find that employees adhere less to unethical instructions from an AI than a human supervisor. Further, individual characteristics such as the tendency to comply without dissent or age constitute important boundary conditions. In addition, Study 1 identified that the perceived mind of the supervisors serves as an explanatory mechanism. We generate further insights on this mediator via experimental manipulations in two pre-registered studies by manipulating mind between two AI (Study 2) and two human supervisors (Study 3). In (pre-registered) Study 4, we replicate the resistance to unethical instructions from AI supervisors in an incentivized experimental setting. Our research generates insights into the ‘black box’ of human behavior toward AI supervisors, particularly in the moral domain, and showcases how organizational researchers can use machine learning methods as powerful tools to complement experimental research for the generation of more fine-grained insights. (shrink)

Virtually all studies that focus on the relationship between CSR perceptions and employees’ organizational commitment have not taken into consideration the fit between social and environmental activities and a firm’s business‐unit strategy. This is essential to inquire because scholars have argued that when companies ingrain CSR activities into their strategy‐making process (i.e., in their vision, mission, and overall business model), this might send a more compelling message that resonates closer to workers’ personal standards, and actually enhance employee‐level outcomes. Nevertheless, (...) there is no certainty “if” and “how” these evaluations could affect employees’ organizational commitment. To address this issue, we use cue consistency theory and social identity theory as overarching frameworks to develop a model where we conceptually link perceptions of strategy‐CSR fit with a particular type of organizational commitment: affective. In addition, we posit and test three mediators to understand the underlying psychological mechanisms of this relationship: perceived external prestige, organizational identification, and work meaningfulness. Through structural equation modeling, and using a heterogeneous final sample of 579 employees, we find compelling evidence to support the fact that strategy‐CSR fit enhances employees’ affective organizational commitment through the proposed mediators. Academic contributions and practical implications are then discussed. (shrink)

This study examines how the match between personal and firm-level values regarding environmental responsibility affects employee job satisfaction and creativity and contributes to three literature streams [i.e., social corporate responsibility, creativity, and person–environment fit]. Building on the P–E fit literature, we propose and test environmental orientation fit versus nonfit effects on creativity, identifying job satisfaction as a mediating mechanism and regulatory pressure as a moderator. An empirical investigation indicates that the various environmental orientation fit conditions affect job satisfaction and creativity (...) differently. More specifically, environmental orientation fit produces greater job satisfaction and creativity when the employee and organization both demonstrate high concern for the environment than when both display congruent low concern for the environmental. Furthermore, for employees working in organizations that fit their personal environmental orientation, strong regulatory pressure to comply with environmental standards diminishes the positive fit effect on job satisfaction and creativity, while regulatory pressure does not affect the job satisfaction and creativity of employees whose personal environmental orientation is incongruent with that of the organization. (shrink)

Research has demonstrated that employee reactions to monitoring systems depend on both the characteristics of the monitoring system and how it is implemented. However, little is known about the role individual differences may play in this process. This study proposes that individuals have generalized attitudes toward organizational control and monitoring activities. We examined this argument by assessing the relationship between employees’ baseline attitudes toward a set of monitoring and control techniques that span the employment relationship. We further explore the (...) effects of employees’ generalized attitudes toward monitoring and their individual ethical orientations on their attitudinal reactions to an Internet monitoring system implemented in their workplace. Results of a longitudinal study indicate that as expected, prior beliefs and ethical orientation interact to affect employees’ reactions to monitoring systems. Implications for research and practice are discussed. (shrink)