Dampening entrepreneurial passion: The effect of observational monitoring on startup venture employees

2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Di Wu ◽  
Haitianyu Lin ◽  
Zhongming Wang

Observational monitoring of employees is becoming increasingly common in startup ventures in China, creating new problems regarding employee psychology—in particular, the diminishing of employee entrepreneurial passion. We conducted a survey with 303 employees of startups in China and found that observational monitoring was negatively associated with the employees' entrepreneurial passion for inventing because it eroded employee trust in management. However, when the employees perceived a high level of psychological safety, the negative effects of observational monitoring were mitigated. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 238-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Ye ◽  
Jesse King

Purpose Although many service organizations have adopted a productivity orientation to respond to increasing market challenges, the unanticipated downside effect of such an orientation is not well understood. For managers, it is interesting to know if this strategic initiative is working and how to implement it more successfully. Design/methodology/approach The theoretical model used in this paper is tested with a survey of 879 frontline employees from five different health-care organizations. Findings The authors find evidence of a trade-off when a productivity orientation is adopted. A productivity orientation improves frontline service employee productivity performance but indirectly harms quality performance and job satisfaction. The authors find further evidence that trust in management helps to mitigate these negative effects. Research Limitations/implications This paper suggests that a productivity orientation must be managed carefully. Efficiency improvements may be overshadowed by reduced quality and job satisfaction. Limitations arise from the self-reported survey data. Practical Implications The results suggest that employees who trust their managers are better able to cope with the stressors arising from increased productivity demands. Originality/value To the authors’ best knowledge, no research has systematically examined the process and potential hazards of implementing a productivity orientation from a frontline employee perspective. The current paper reveals the mechanisms by which a productivity orientation influences frontline employees’ change perceptions and performance and shows that employee trust in management may buffer the downside effects of a productivity orientation.


2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (8) ◽  
pp. 3311-3335 ◽  
Author(s):  
David B. Whiteside ◽  
Laurie J. Barclay

Ensuring that managers engage in fair behaviors is critical for the effective functioning of organizations. Previous research has focused on increasing the enactment of interactional justice (i.e., justice as a dependent variable) by enhancing managers’ willingness to be fair. Drawing upon the limited strength model of self-regulation, we argue that the enactment of interactional justice may not depend solely on managers’ willingness or motivation but also on the extent to which managers have the self-regulatory resources required to engage in these behaviors. Using four experimental studies, our results indicate that the depletion of self-regulatory resources is negatively associated with the enactment of interactional justice. Furthermore, we argue that depletion can give rise to self-appraisal gaps (i.e., individuals’ ability to accurately appraise the fairness of their behavior is hampered), which can diminish the impetus to regulate fair behaviors (i.e., diminish interactional justice). Results provide support for self-appraisal gaps as an underlying explanation for why depletion can negatively affect the enactment of interactional justice. Moreover, the negative effects of depletion can be overcome by increasing managers’ awareness that they may be overestimating the fairness of their behavior. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 21-23

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings This literature review paper concentrates on assessing the scope of definitions that have been offered for lean culture, as well as confirming that the concept's high level of pragmatic ambiguity has positive and negative effects on its usefulness for organizational transformation. The notion of organizational culture has been closely tied with references to lean culture in previous literature. Based on the 13 lean culture definitions and 103 organizational culture definitions identified, the authors conclude that the amalgamation of lean culture with business activities like human resource management remains vague and complex. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (15) ◽  
pp. 6092
Author(s):  
Di Wu ◽  
Zhongming Wang

Research shows that employee trust could be impacted by monitoring measures. We contend that these impacts could be contingent on how monitoring is exercised. Specifically, while the controlling elements in monitoring signal suspicion and undermine employee trust, the interactive elements facilitate the organization–employee reciprocation and strengthen employee trust. We drew evidence from 354 Chinese employees. The results showed that observational monitoring/interactional monitoring was negatively/positively related to employee trust and that employee psychological safety fully mediated these effects. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 15-17

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings Changing market demands require organizations to change and adapt accordingly and rapidly. This put extra strains and stressors on employees, and brings perceived change-related uncertainty. A high level of emotional intelligence helps to mitigate the effects of change and uncertainty, and improves work outcomes such as performance and satisfaction. Research shows that women have higher levels of emotional intelligence than men. Increasing representation of women in the workplace could help reduce the pressure on men as the traditional breadwinners, and would help increase emotional intelligence throughout the company, which would help reduce the negative effects of change on work outcomes. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.


Author(s):  
Kieron J Meagher ◽  
Andrew Wait

Abstract Using a unique employee–establishment survey, we find a causal relationship between an individual employee’s trust of management and their decision-making rights (delegation). We utilize both fixed effects (FE) and instrumental variables to control for unobserved factors: establishment-level FE control for management quality, practices, culture, and other characteristics; our instruments of inherited trust in management, and trust of equivalent workers in a different but similar country address the possible endogeneity of employee trust. Across all specifications, we find that delegation to a worker is more likely if that employee trusts management. In our preferred model, which includes establishment FE and accounts for endogeneity, we find a 1 standard deviation (SD) increase in employee trust increases delegation by approximately 0.6 of 1 SD. Our results are robust to the inclusion of worker preferences for individualism (which favors delegation), incentives/bonuses, and alternative measures of decision authority. (JEL D23, L22, L23).


2016 ◽  
Vol 45 (6) ◽  
pp. 1191-1213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miranda Visser ◽  
Melinda Mills ◽  
Liesbet Heyse ◽  
Rafael Wittek ◽  
Vincenzo Bollettino

A limited body of research has examined satisfaction with work–life balance of expatriate workers who live abroad, residing outside the typical “family” or “life” domain. This study aims to demonstrate how and under which organizational circumstances job autonomy can increase work–life balance satisfaction of humanitarian aid expatriates. We hypothesize that especially in humanitarian work, trust in management can buffer potential negative effects of high autonomy. We test our hypothesis by means of ordinal logistic regression, using survey data collected among expatriates of the Operational Center Amsterdam of Médecins Sans Frontières ( N = 142). Results reveal that high levels of autonomy are positively related with work–life balance satisfaction when trust in the management of the organization is high. When trust in management is low, the effect of high autonomy on work–life balance satisfaction is negative. This implies that trust in management indeed buffers negative effects of high autonomy among expatriate humanitarian aid workers.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Kennedy ◽  
Stacey M. Baxter ◽  
Alicia Kulczynski

Purpose This paper aims to examine the importance of celebrity brands in influencing consumer perceptions of celebrity authenticity, which drives positive consumer attitudes and intentions. In addition, the notion of low-celebrity investment is investigated as a factor that diminishes the positive outcomes associated with celebrity brands. Design/methodology/approach Study 1 examines the effect of brand situation (endorsement versus celebrity brand) on consumer attitudes and intentions. Studies 2 and 3 investigate the role of celebrity authenticity in explaining the effects observed in Study 1. Study 4 examines celebrity investment as a bound of the phenomenon. Findings Study 1 demonstrates that consumers report heightened attitudes and intentions towards celebrity brands when compared to endorsements. Studies 2 and 3 provide evidence that authenticity explains the effects observed in Study 1. Results of Study 4 show that when consumers are aware of low-celebrity investment, the celebrity is viewed as inauthentic regardless of brand situation. Research limitations/implications This research is limited as it focuses only on known celebrity endorsers who were matched with products that had a high level of fit. In addition, purchase intentions were measured as opposed to the study of actual purchase behaviour. Practical implications This research has important implications for the development of endorsements and celebrity brands by demonstrating that consumers view celebrities as authentic when they are involved with brands for reasons other than monetary compensation. Originality/value This research shows that consumers have heightened attitudes and intentions towards celebrity brands compared to endorsements. This research identifies celebrity authenticity as the process underlying the observed phenomenon. However, celebrity investment is identified as a boundary condition demonstrating that knowledge of low investment results in a celebrity being viewed as inauthentic.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Atmadeep Mukherjee ◽  
Amaradri Mukherjee ◽  
Pramod Iyer

Purpose Food waste is a big problem where millions of pounds of produce are discarded every year because they are imperfect or unattractive. Despite the societal implications of selling unattractive produce, limited research has been directed toward understanding the effect of imperfect produce on consumers’ evaluations of the produce and retailer outcomes. This paper aims to investigate why consumers tend to discard imperfect produce and how retailer interventions (i.e. anthropomorphized signage and packaging) can alleviate these negative effects. Design/methodology/approach Three experiments were conducted to examine the postulations. Study 1 highlights the role of consumers’ embarrassment in the purchase decision of imperfect produce and retailer patronage intention. Studies 2 and 3 provide managerially relevant boundary conditions of anthropomorphic signage and opaque packaging. Findings Convergent results across three studies (n = 882) indicate that imperfect produce increases purchase embarrassment and reduces purchase intention and retailer patronage intention. Retailer interventions (i.e. anthropomorphic signage and opaque packaging) can allay this feeling of embarrassment and lead to an increased retailer patronage intention and higher service satisfaction. Practical implications This research provides guidance to retailers for effectively promoting imperfect produce. Social implications Retailers’ actions can benefit the well-being of farmers, suppliers, customers and the overall environment. Originality/value This research adds to the literature on unattractive produce by identifying new moderators, namely, anthropomorphic signages and opaque packaging. The research also shows that purchase embarrassment is a key process mechanism.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy Oluwafemi Ayodele ◽  
Abel Olaleye

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the flexible decision pathways adopted by development advisors in the management of uncertainty in property development. Specifically, the study examines the quantitative techniques adopted by development advisors, the level of adoption of real options analysis (ROA) vis-à-vis the level of adoption of heuristics. Finally, the types of options exercised in property development were analysed. This was with a view to providing information that could mitigate the challenges of risk and uncertainty and increasing investment failure associated with property development in Nigeria, an emerging market. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted a survey method and was conducted on development advisors in property development companies/estate surveying and valuation firms in Nigeria. A total of 195 development advisors participated in the survey. The respondents were required to rate, on a five-point Likert scale, the level of adoption of the quantitative models, heuristics and the types of flexibility exercised during development. The data were analysed using mean rating, one-sample t-test and analysis of variance. Findings The results revealed that there was a preference for the use of traditional techniques, while probabilistic appraisal models and other contemporary methods such as ROA are seldom adopted by development advisors. While there was a significantly high level of adoption of heuristics, the stratified analysis examining the profile of the respondents and the level of adoption of ROA and heuristics suggests that years of experience influenced the level of adoption of both the ROA and heuristics by the development advisors. The analysis of the types of flexibility showed that staging/phasing and changing the initial use/design were the most prevalent flexibility pathways adopted during the development. However, the study found that there was no significant difference concerning the choice of flexibility being adopted by development advisors who used ROA and those who did not. Practical implications The study provides an understanding of the decision pathways adopted by development advisors in an emerging market like Nigeria. Originality/value The paper contributes to studies on decision-making pathways in the management of uncertainty under dynamic conditions by development advisors in emerging markets.


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