Organizational Behavior Research Articles

The interplay of humor and creativity: shaping rationality and decision-making quality

AbstractThis study explores the relationship between humor, creativity, rationality, intuitiveness, and decision-making quality, all of which are vital in organizational management and success. Despite the importance attached to decision-making, prior research has not fully addressed how humor and creativity interact with rationality. Drawing from psychology, cognitive science, and management studies, we investigate how humor and creativity jointly influence cognitive reflection and decision quality. Using a sample of 998 participants and employing a mediating-moderation PROCESS model, our findings indicate that rational individuals tend to make higher-quality decisions, with affiliative humor mediating this relationship. Furthermore, we observed that employees’ creativity levels moderated this relationship, especially among rational employees with high creativity, who made higher-quality decisions. These findings highlight the interconnectedness of humor, creativity, and rationality in decision-making processes, offering practical implications for organizational behavior and management practices. Understanding this interplay can provide a nuanced approach to enhancing decision-making processes in management, emphasizing the value of humor in organizational contexts.

Restructuring Non-teaching Hospitals into Teaching Hospitals in Iran: Component Change in General Hospitals

Background: The present study investigated how a general hospital is restructured in Iran when transforming from a non-teaching into a teaching hospital. Methods: This applied study was conducted based on a mixed-method design from 2020 to 2021 using a systematic search and review, document analysis, comparative and cross-sectional design, multiple voting technique, and qualitative phenomenological method. Results: The conceptual framework of the components of a hospital as a system includes inputs (governance and policy-making, goals and mission, clinical and support departments, physical space, clients, and human resources), processes (internal and external relations, key processes, type and level of services, and teaching mission systematization), and outputs (performance evaluation, internal and external customer satisfaction, human capital empowerment, organizational behavior, income-cost management, cost-effectiveness and efficiency, service quality, and legal and social responsibility). Conclusion: The findings from the present study depicted how the components of teaching and non-teaching hospitals are restructured when changing their functions. Restructuring an established organization, such as a hospital, is very challenging and requires multiple changes. This study had some implications including highlighting the need to formulate protocols for restructuring non-teaching hospitals into teaching hospitals or constructing new teaching hospitals, classifying teaching hospitals and clarifying their differences, focusing on the teaching mission in hospitals, and reviewing and updating the integration of medical education in providing health services.

Factors influencing the adoption of mobile-based AI services in Tanzanian manufacturing SMEs

Purpose This study aims to establish a comprehensive framework for adopting mobile-based artificial intelligence (AI) services in Tanzanian manufacturing small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach The methodology involved conducting a literature review and using the combination of Mobile Services Acceptance Model and Innovation Diffusion Theory (IDT) as a theoretical foundation. This synthesis delves into the current knowledge on technology adoption, organizational behavior and innovation diffusion, creating a solid conceptual basis. Expert review was used for framework validation to ensure the framework's accuracy. Findings This study shows that the factors influencing the adoption of mobile-based AI services in Tanzanian manufacturing SMEs include perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, context, personal initiatives and characteristics, trust, infrastructure, cost, mobility, power distance, compatibility, observability and trialability. Research limitations/implications The framework provides valuable insights tailored to Tanzanian sociocultural and economic nuances. However, its generalizability is limited due to its specificity to Tanzanian manufacturing SMEs. Practical implications The framework outlined in this research provides SME leaders, policymakers and technology implementers with valuable guidance to make informed decisions during the adoption process. Originality/value This study introduces a novel lens for understanding technology adoption. This study's focus on the Tanzanian context and its nuanced examination of contributing factors add to its originality and practical significance.

The effects of self-oriented perfectionism in an experimental personnel selection context: a self-validation analysis / Los efectos del perfeccionismo auto-orientado en un contexto experimental de selección de personal: un análisis desde la auto-validación

This study analysed the effects of perfectionism on the formation of attitudes and expectations of organisational behaviour in potential recruiters. Specifically, the dimensions of perfectionism proposed by Hewitt and Flett were analysed in relation to the meta-cognitive process of thought self-validation. Participants were randomly exposed to the résumé (strong vs. weak) of a job candidate that produced either favourable thoughts (strong résumé) or unfavourable thoughts (weak résumé) about the candidate and the résumé. As hypothesised, participants perceived their thoughts as more perfect the higher their self-oriented perfectionism. Consequently, this led them to be more certain and confident in the thoughts generated. This greater cognitive validation of their own thoughts, in turn, gave rise to more polarised attitudes (either in favour of or against the candidate) and expectations about performance, adaptation and organisational commitment, according to the thoughts generated (favourable vs. unfavourable). The implications for research in persuasion and its application in personnel selection are discussed in this article.

Surviving and Resisting Retrenchment: US Resettlement Organizations’ Responses to Trump-era Anti-refugee Policy

Abstract Retrenchment and erosion of refugee protections have been on the rise in multiple contexts around the world. In the United States, the Trump Administration’s refugee policies threatened the very survival of domestic resettlement institutions. The administration reduced the number of refugees, cut funds, and sewed confusion. In the face of restrictionist policies, how did refugee advocates respond? Leveraging a case study of resettlement organisations’ responses to Trump-era anti-refugee policies, this article demonstrates that administrators not only adapted creatively to survive the barrage of attacks but also engaged in meaningful political contestation. In circumscribed moments, administrators defied theoretical expectations: they placed the collective above the individual and challenged exploitative dynamics fundamental to US refugee programmes. This article draws on critical theory to analyse administrative resistance, repositioning bureaucrats as advocates in the process. In doing so, the article makes three main contributions. First, it elucidates the unseen role of bureaucrats as agents of progressive institutional change. Next, it offers new analytic purchase into puzzling organisational behaviour by foregrounding social relations of power. Finally, the article provides tools and resources for resettlement organisations navigating retrenchment globally.

Drivers of Intrapreneurial Innovation: A Study of Individual Innovative Behaviour in Organisations

Organisations can gain a competitive edge through Intrapreneurial Behaviour (IB) by swiftly innovating and adapting to market changes. Research indicates that intrapreneurship plays a crucial role in the banking sector in achieving a competitive advantage. Organisations can enhance their intrapreneurial capability by leveraging Individual Innovative Behaviour (IIB). However, innovation in the banking sector is often constrained by strict regulations, high safety requirements, and a fundamental need for trust and stability. Therefore, it is important to embrace and stimulate factors that encourage and enable innovation. To our knowledge, research on how intrapreneurship can be stimulated and measured in the Dutch banking sector is currently lacking. Thus, developing indicators and metrics for measuring intrapreneurship in Dutch banks is essential. This study investigates the factors affecting IIB using a quantitative survey. Building on the connection between IB and IIB, IIB is treated as a dimension of IB. The perceived work context, comprising an organisation's entrepreneurial orientation and innovative climate, can empower employees' IIB in the digital era. This context encourages them to generate new ideas and engage in collaborative innovation without fear of failure, thus fostering IIB. Our study explores factors driving IIB, empowering employees to act as intrapreneurs through organisations perceived Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) and Innovative Climate (IC), with Digital Maturity (DM) as a moderating variable. Data were collected in 2021 from the three largest Dutch banks, which hold over 43% of the market share. A snowball sampling method was used to reach Dutch bank managers knowledgeable about the study's key constructs. This method involved initial contact with human resources departments and managers within these banks. The survey was administered to 167 managers, yielding 125 usable responses (75% response rate). Results indicate that employees in the banking industry with high DM are more likely to engage in IIB when firms support EO strategies and IC, and when employees adopt self-leadership skills.

The role of Confucian values in Korean administrative culture: a cultural-contextual perspective

ABSTRACT The Korean administrative culture and its philosophy have been developed through the philosophical underpinnings of religious and spiritual practices of Confucianism. This paper argues how, as an administrative culture, Confucian tradition has significantly impacted Korean bureaucrat’s and citizens’ behavioural and attitudinal patterns. The managerial values developed by Western countries still could not be absorbed and integrated with Korean administrative culture due to the strong ethical and cultural Confucian values. However, in contemporary times, there is a diminishing trend of public service motivation and an erosion of public trust towards public officials in Korea. Many aspects of bureaucracy have been standardised regardless of their applicability in the cultural context. Although the rule of law remains the universally accepted mode of governance, understanding the contextual or situated specificity of the role of religion in Asia Pacific states is significant as the world is reverting to traditions and culture. The conclusion offers that in rendering public services, public values shape the ethics or moral standards of the bureaucrats. The morality of Confucian values and ethics can complement in Korea’s public organisational behaviour and religion, which could be a way to achieve an impersonal ethical code in modern public governance.

Constructing a decision-making tool for HRM process by predicting organizational citizenship behavior

Purpose The complexity of citizenship behavior in organizations has long been a focus of research. Traditional methodologies have been predominantly used to address this complexity. This paper aims to tackle the problem using a cutting-edge technological tool: business process mining. The objective is to enhance citizenship behaviors by leveraging primary data collected from 326 white-collar employees in the Indian service industry. Design/methodology/approach The study focuses on two main processes: training and creativity, with the ultimate goal of fostering organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), both in its overall manifestation (OCB-O) and its individual components (OCB-I). Seven different machine learning algorithms were used: artificial neural, behavior, prediction network, linear discriminant classifier, K-nearest neighbor, support vector machine, extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), random forest and naive Bayes. The approach involved mining the most effective path for predicting the outcome and automating the entire process to enhance efficiency and sustainability. Findings The study successfully predicted the OCB-O construct, demonstrating the effectiveness of the approach. An optimized path for prediction was identified, highlighting the potential for automation to streamline the process and improve accuracy. These findings suggest that leveraging automation can facilitate the prediction of behavioral constructs, enabling the customization of policies for future employees. Research limitations/implications The findings have significant implications for organizations aiming to enhance citizenship behaviors among their employees. By leveraging advanced technological tools such as business process mining and machine learning algorithms, companies can develop more effective strategies for fostering desirable behaviors. Furthermore, the automation of these processes offers the potential to streamline operations, reduce manual effort and improve predictive accuracy. Originality/value This study contributes to the existing literature by offering a novel approach to addressing the complexity of citizenship behavior in organizations. By combining business process mining with machine learning techniques, a unique perspective is provided on how technological advancements can be leveraged to enhance organizational outcomes. Moreover, the findings underscore the value of automation in refining existing processes and developing models applicable to future employees, thus improving overall organizational efficiency and effectiveness.

Future Sensemaking Beyond Own Business Self-Interests: Insights from Offshore Wind Energy Innovation Ecosystems

This research explores how participants in an innovation ecosystem, operating without a focal firm, can collaboratively envision and create societal value beyond their individual business goals. Using participatory action research, the investigation focuses on two cases within the offshore wind energy sector, involving four complementary enterprises and nine enterprises that are both complementary and competitive. The findings suggest that ecosystem participants can collectively pursue opportunities for sustainable value creation that surpass the interests and goals of individual firms. This shift towards a future-oriented, ecosystem-wide perspective was driven by the focus on ecosystem-level value propositions and the dynamic organizing of heterogeneous knowledge, individual behaviors, and organizational behaviors, enabling successful future-oriented sensemaking. The research process highlights practices that led to significant innovation outcomes, such as halving investments, reducing accidents and rework, accelerating operational flow, and fostering long-term investments, like a floating port for installation and maintenance improvements. This study enhances understanding of how future-oriented sensemaking in innovation ecosystems without a focal firm can drive innovation and societal value creation, offering insights for practitioners, academics, and policymakers on governance and collaborative efforts to enable value creation in innovation ecosystems.

Adopting a Tourist Perspective and Organizational Behavior to Strategically Improve Tourism Sustainability

Adopting a Tourist Perspective and Organizational Behavior to Strategically Improve Tourism Sustainability

Critical Review of Organizational Factors Affecting Employee Well Being in Hotel Industry

Employee well being is very important to encourage positive performance, which in turn will encourage employee behavior. Employee well being is a challenge facing the hotel industry today and the main thing to consider for the hotel industry for b usiness sustainability. As an important industry of service industry, hotel industry has increasingly become an important part of the present stage and the well being of its employees is crucial to the long-term stability and development of the organization Well being research in the service industries, including hospitality, has been growing. Specific studies on well being in the hotel industry in China may contribut e to this trend The well-being of hotel employees in China has been a growing concern in recent years. As the tourism industry continues to boom in the country, hotel employees are facing increasing demands and pressures in their daily work. From this poi nt of view, through sorting out the existing relevant literature and research results, this study seeks insights into organizational factors such as organizational culture, corporate social responsibility, work life balance, high performance work systems t hat may influence employee well being in hotel industry. This research may contribute to the management and organizational studies, provides an opportunity to validate existing organizational behavior and management theories in the context of the hotel ind ustry. The paper may offer insights that can be generalized to other service oriented industries, providing a broader theoretical understanding applicable beyond the hotel sector. This research may enhance employees' work productivity and efficiency, serv ice quality , customer satisfac tion, employee retention rate, reputation and brand value, also may demonstrate corporate social responsibility.

Do Islamic work ethics matter? Impact of aversive leadership on employees’ emotional and psychological health through the lens of conservation of resource theory

Aversive leadership remains a relatively underexplored area in organizational behavior. This study advances the field by identifying emotional exhaustion as a key mechanism linking aversive leadership to employees’ psychological health outcomes, including psychological well-being, psychological strain, and psychological detachment. It also examines the role of Islamic work ethics (IWE) as a moderator in the relationship between aversive leadership and emotional exhaustion. Supported by conservation of resource (COR) theory, which posits that stressful workplace situations, such as aversive leadership, lead to resource depletion resulting in emotional exhaustion and poor psychological health, this study finds that individuals with strong personal resources, such as IWE, are better equipped to cope with these negative outcomes. Data were collected from 260 employees in service sector organizations of Pakistan using self-administrated questionnaires. The results supported direct and indirect effects, as well as the moderating role of IWE. This study provides valuable insights for policymakers in addressing the negative impacts of aversive leadership and offers organizations guidance on selecting and nurturing supportive and positive leaders. Such leaders can foster a healthier and more productive work environment.

Unveiling the intellectual nexus between Peirce’s synechism and Goldratt’s theory of constraints: insights for management and organization studies

Purpose Charles Sanders Peirce (1839–1914), recognized as the father of philosophical pragmatism, has been described as a philosopher’s philosopher. Eliyahu Moshe Goldratt (1947–2011), considered the father of the management philosophy theory of constraints (TOC), has been described as being, first and foremost, a philosopher. The TOC body of knowledge is mainly preserved as concrete methodologies used in the management discipline. By examining the foundational elements of synechism and the TOC, the purpose of this study is to investigate the intellectual connections between the arguments and legacies of Goldratt and Peirce. Although this connection is worthy of much further investigation, the research emphasizes the possible implications from a management philosophy perspective. Design/methodology/approach Based on a “review with an attitude,” the authors first examined the foundations of Goldratt’s TOC through the lens of Peirce’s synechism. Next, the authors then examined how the study of Peirce combined with a selection of contemporary research in the management and organizational studies domain could point out a direction toward completing Goldratt’s unfinished intellectual work to establish a unified science management while addressing some of the current gaps in the TOC body of knowledge. Findings Major findings show that synechism’s growth may extend TOC knowledge, improving managerial practice in organizations. Findings on the convergent ideas of both also reveal that Goldratt valued all synechism categories, emphasizing the importance of not overlooking Firstness. Furthermore, the study analyzes the abductive inference demonstrated in the two use cases, introducing an additional metaphor to the management of organizational systems inspired by Peirce’s philosophical concepts. The research concludes that incorporating TOC and synechism principles can enhance management and organizational practices and enrich management philosophy and theories. Research limitations/implications This pioneering research opens promising opportunities to draw parallels between Peirce and Goldratt. Interdisciplinary collaboration will enhance the rigor and validity of integrating synechism and TOC. Experts in organizational behavior, systems theory and complexity science can provide valuable insights into this debate, while practitioners and consultants could help identify barriers and opportunities for integrating synechistic principles. Practical implications The study proposes a novel abductive approach using Peirce’s cable metaphor as an initial framework to build a unified science of management based on evolutionary stages: TOC, common sense and connectedness. Originality/value This research reinforces the argument that contemporary management practices need philosophical thinking. The authors argue that re-evaluating the foundations of management thought enriches the decision-making process in organizations and the understanding of contemporary theories in management and organizational studies.

Unraveling social undermining at the workplace: A systematic review of past achievements and future promises

AbstractIn the contemporary landscape of organizational dynamics, it is imperative to understand the nuance of social undermining behaviors in the workplace for effective strategy and decision‐making. In this regard, this study reviews, identifies, and critically evaluates the social undermining literature and offers new avenues for future research. The systematic literature review methodology has been used to select and critically review 65 studies on this topic. The analysis and findings of this review are presented in three sections, as follows, (i) research profiling—to highlight the current status of research on social undermining in management literature, (ii) literature synthesis—to highlight key theories and conceptions of social undermining as well as discuss the antecedents and outcomes of social undermining, and (iii) critical analysis—to highlight knowledge gaps in existing research and set future agenda. This review is the first comprehensive review on social undermining at the workplace and serves as a knowledge base by presenting a comprehensive literature review as well as extending further development of knowledge on this topic. A key contribution of our review is the proposal of a comprehensive framework of literature synthesis to provide a bird's eye view on this scholarly domain. Our study contributes to organizational behavior and strategic management discourse by offering crucial insights on human dynamics that shape organizational strategy, and change.

Performance management in the prosocial market economy: a new paradigm for economic performance and sustainability

Purpose The purpose of this multi-voiced paper is to propose a prosocial paradigm for the field of performance management and management control systems. This new paradigm suggests cultivating prosocial behaviour and prosocial groups in organizations to simultaneously achieve the objectives of economic performance and sustainability. Design/methodology/approach The authors share a common concern about the future of humanity and nature. They challenge the influential assumption of economic man from neoclassical economic theory and build on evolutionary science and the core design principles of prosocial groups to develop a prosocial paradigm. Findings Findings are based on the premise of the prosocial paradigm that self-interested behaviour may outperform prosocial behaviour within a group but that prosocial groups outperform groups dominated by self-interest. The authors explore various dimensions of performance management from the prosocial perspective in the private and public sectors. Research limitations/implications The authors call for theoretical, conceptual and empirical research that explores the prosocial paradigm. They invite any approach, including positivist, interpretive and critical research, as well as those using qualitative, quantitative and interventionist methods. Practical implications This paper offers implications from the prosocial paradigm for practitioners, particularly for executives and managers, policymakers and educators. Originality/value Adoption of the prosocial paradigm in research and practice shapes what the authors call the prosocial market economy. This is an aspired cultural evolution that functions with market competition yet systematically strengthens prosociality as a cultural norm in organizations, markets and society at large.

Leader prohibitive voice behavior and its effects on followers through leader identification and political skill

Prohibitive voice behavior plays a crucial role in organizational effectiveness by signaling previously undetected issues. However, individuals paradoxically perceive this behavior as difficult due to its emphasis on identifying harmful factors, which may lead to misinterpretation and other undesirable social consequences. Based on social learning theory, this study aims to identify how the leader’s prohibitive voice behavior affects the follower’s prohibitive voice behavior. We employed a quantitative research design, collecting and analyzing questionnaires from 317 leader-follower dyads in 59 Chinese companies. To test our hypotheses, we used mediation and moderation analyses, hierarchical regression analysis, and the PROCESS macro. The results partially supported the research hypothesis, indicating that leader prohibitive voice behavior positively influenced follower prohibitive voice behavior. Additionally, leader identification mediated this relationship, whereas follower political skill moderated the mediated relationship. Notably, the mediation’s direction contradicted our hypothesis; the mediated effect through leader identification was pronounced when follower political skill was at lower levels. This study proposes that the leader’s role as a role model is crucial in motivating followers’ prohibitive voice behavior. It highlights the significance of considering followers’ political skills when they emulate their leader’s behavior. From both theoretical and practical perspectives, we discussed these findings and highlighted their implications for organizational behavior and leadership development.

What AI Knows: Shaping Work and Pushing Ideas on Changing Organizations

The rise of generative AI presents both opportunities and challenges for organizations as they navigate unprecedented societal, political, and technological transformations. AI's growing influence brings fundamental questions about work, expertise, decision-making, and organizational behavior. This Special Forum on “What AI Knows: Shaping Work and Pushing Ideas on Changing Organizations”, explores the transformative influence of AI on the organization of change and organizations that change. Through a collection of thought-provoking contributions, it explores how organizations can navigate these challenges, balancing the risks and opportunities presented by AI. Ultimately, the forum aims to push the boundaries of understanding how AI will shape the future of work, organizational change, and leadership practices, and urges ongoing inquiry into AI's future impact on organizations, pushing boundaries for innovation and strategic thinking.

Structural Organization and Thermal Behavior of Compounds Rb3(SbF3)(Zr2F11)·0.5H2O and Rb3(SbF3)(Zr2F11)

Structural Organization and Thermal Behavior of Compounds Rb3(SbF3)(Zr2F11)·0.5H2O and Rb3(SbF3)(Zr2F11)

Fragrance Your Organization and Work Life with Spiritual Flavor

Human behaviors have historically been thought to be the main drivers of organizational development. The focus of the day is on WPS, who exhibit charismatic traits, in order to improve organizational behaviors. The study's focus was on workplace spirituality (WPS), its relationship to organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), and the moderating role that organizational culture (OCl) plays. The method for gathering data was stratified random sampling. Four hundred and fifty-seven replies to an approved questionnaire that was sent to five hundred (500) teaching faculty members at various universities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, were obtained. AMOS Package-21 and SPSS have been used to find analytical results. The tool's validity and dependability were guaranteed. Every model fit index value was verified. The model's path coefficient has been illustrated and discussed, both with and without moderating and interaction variables. It was discovered that organizational culture plays a moderating effect in OCB and has a direct impact on WPS. The study's role in literature and industries defines its theoretical and practical implications. At the conclusion of this investigation, there are limitations and recommendations based on the findings.

The Art of Soft Systems Inquiry: Retracing the Footsteps of Churchman and Checkland

AbstractIn this paper I reflect upon soft-systems inquiry. To do this I revisit Churchman’s discourse on the philosophical ideas underpinning inquiring systems and then discuss the practical application of soft inquiry pioneered by Checkland. This body of work suggested ontological models of organisational behavior were inappropriate and only by adopting an epistemological perspective would provide the basis for understanding complex systems that characterise human society. These ideas motivated a new way of addressing complexity. This work created a difficulty for action research since to be faithful to this discovery meant that any method of inquiry should be one that could cope with such complexity. One outcome was Soft Systems Methodology (SSM). Paradoxically the success of SSM has restrained further discussion of these ideas. The purpose of this paper is to revisit the ideas of Churchman and Checkland as a means of returning to first principles. In this paper I reassess their ideas and those of Husserl and Gadamer and suggest there is more to be gained from this rich seam of systems thinking.