Double-edged Effect Research Articles

The double-edged sword effect of workplace loneliness on innovative behavior: a perspective grounded in theory on contingencies of self-worth

PurposeThe purpose of the study was to investigate both the positive and negative effects of workplace loneliness on innovative behavior. By applying the unified theory on contingencies of self-worth, the study aimed to integrate these effects into a single framework, thereby confirming the presence of the double-edged sword effect of workplace loneliness on innovative behavior.Design/methodology/approachA survey was conducted among enterprises across China, involving 246 employees. Hierarchical regression analysis was utilized to test the moderating hypotheses. Additionally, the mediating effects and the moderated mediation effects were further explored using the bootstrapping method.FindingsThe results indicated that workplace loneliness positively influenced innovative behavior through the desire to prove ability, with the promotion regulatory focus enhancing this relationship. Conversely, workplace loneliness negatively influenced innovative behavior through self-handicapping, with the prevention regulatory focus intensifying this relationship.Practical implicationsThe findings revealed that workplace loneliness exerts a double-edged effect on innovative behavior. Lonely employees can enhance their sense of self-worth by engaging in domain switching, thereby alleviating feelings of loneliness.Originality/valueThe research confirmed a novel perspective: workplace loneliness can promote innovative behavior by influencing employees’ desire to prove ability. It also revealed the double-edged sword effect of workplace loneliness on innovative behavior. Based on these findings, employees experiencing loneliness can enhance their self-worth and alleviate feelings of loneliness through domain switching.

The double-edged sword effect of conscientiousness on the work engagement of medical staff in Chinese public hospitals

The double-edged sword effect of conscientiousness on the work engagement of medical staff in Chinese public hospitals

The double-edged sword effects of leader perfectionism on employees' job performance: the moderating role of self-efficacy

The pursuit of perfection has become a common job requirement for modern organizations against the backdrop of increasingly fierce market competition. Drawing upon appraisal theory of emotion, we develop and test a model delineating the paradoxical role that leader perfectionism plays in predicting employee's job performance. Specifically, we propose that leader perfectionism improves job performance through increased harmonious work passion and simultaneously hinders it through enhanced performance pressure. We further propose self-efficacy as boundary condition, such that the positive path through harmonious work passion is stronger and the negative path through performance pressure is weaker for individuals with higher (vs. lower) levels of self-efficacy. Finding from a three-wave and multisource field study provides support for our hypothesized predictions. Finally, we discuss theoretical and practical implications of this study.

Always good for innovation? Investigating when and why high-performance work systems promote versus inhibit employees’ innovative behavior

PurposeThis study employs job demands-resources (JD-R) model and self-determination theory (SDT) to examine the double-edged effect of perceived high-performance work systems (HPWS) on employees’ innovative behavior via harmonious passion and obsessive passion. Additionally, the study investigates the cross-level moderating effect of innovative climate on the relationship between perceived HPWS and innovative behavior through the two types of passion.Design/methodology/approachTime-lagged data were collected at three points (Time 1, 2 and 3) to mitigate common method variance. Data were collected from Pakistan with 451 respondents from 90 firms.FindingsFindings reveal that perceived HPWS positively affect employees’ innovative behavior via harmonious passion and negatively influence employees’ innovative behavior via obsessive passion. Moreover, cross-level innovative climate strengthens both the positive and negative impact of perceived HPWS on employees’ innovative behavior.Originality/valueThis study proposes and tests the double-edged effects of perceived HPWS on employees’ innovative behavior, challenging the previous consensus that perceived HPWS is always beneficial for innovative behavior. Besides, we identify organizational innovative climate as a critical condition that amplifies the dual effects of perceived HPWS on employees’ innovative behavior via passion.

The Regulation of ROS and Phytohormones in Balancing Crop Yield and Salt Tolerance.

Salinity affects crop growth and productivity, and this stress can be increased along with drought or high temperature stresses and poor irrigation management. Cultivation of salt-tolerant crops plays a critical role in enhancing crop yield under salt stress. In the past few decades, the mechanisms of plant adaptation to salt stress have been described, especially relying on ionic homeostasis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging, and phytohormone signaling. The studies of these molecular mechanisms have provided a basis for breeding new salt-tolerant crop germplasm and have facilitated the entry into the era of molecular breeding of salt-tolerant crops. In this review, we outline the recent progress in the molecular regulations underlying crop salt tolerance, focusing on the double-edged sword effect of ROS, the regulatory role of phytohormones, and the trade-off effects of ROS and phytohormones between crop yield and salt tolerance. A future challenge is to identify superior alleles of key salt-tolerant genes that will accelerate the breeding of high-yield and salt-tolerant varieties.

Beneficial or troublesome? Revealing the double-edged effects of tourism live streaming affordances on viewers’ engagement

ABSTRACT Tourism live streaming (TLS) empowers streamers to act with destinations, viewers, and products, namely TLS affordance. Underpinning the technology affordance theory, this study unravels the impact of the TLS affordances on TLS engagement of viewers by conducting an online survey. The results show that (1) TLS affordances have double-edged effects on destination brand engagement and viewer engagement; (2) product involvement moderates the Inverted U-shaped (U-shaped) effects of product visibility (guidance shopping) on memorable experiences (consumer skepticism). This study provides theoretical and practical implications for destination managers, live streamers, and product manufacturers in optimizing the efficiency of TLS affordances.

Double-edged effects and regulation mechanism of hydroxylamine in novel nitrogen removal processes: A comprehensive review

Double-edged effects and regulation mechanism of hydroxylamine in novel nitrogen removal processes: A comprehensive review

The double-edged sword effects of self-objectification on app workers’ proactive service behavior in the gig economy

The double-edged sword effects of self-objectification on app workers’ proactive service behavior in the gig economy

The double-edged sword effect of artificial intelligence awareness among hotel employees

PurposeWith its continuous development and application in the hotel industry, artificial intelligence (AI) is gradually replacing many jobs traditionally performed by humans. This research aims to understand how this threat and opportunity of substitution affects hotel employees’ behavioral decision-making.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a structural equation model, ordinary least squares and bootstrapping method to analyze the data collected with a field study and a scenario experiment from star-hotels in Shanghai, Paris and Seoul.FindingsThe results discovered that employees’ AI awareness has a positive relationship with their work engagement and AI boycott through two paths. The promoting path involves recovery level, while the hindering path includes job insecurity. In addition, the estimates showed that AI awareness has a great indirect effect on work engagement or AI boycott when innovativeness as a job requirement is high.Practical implicationsThe findings offer insights to help hotels optimize the relationship between AI and hotel human workers while providing valuable implications for addressing behavioral dilemmas faced by hotel employees in the era of AI.Originality/valueBy integrating the behavioral decision-making literature with the conservation of resources theory, the study focuses on the dual mechanisms – challenging and hindering – through which AI awareness influences hotel employees’ coping strategies.

The double-edged sword effect of artificial intelligence services on consumer moral behavior

The double-edged sword effect of artificial intelligence services on consumer moral behavior

How frontline employees navigate the double-edged effects of customer knowledge

Knowledgeable customers can be both assets and liabilities to sales organizations. However, understanding how frontline employees (FLEs) can influence customers’ firm-specific knowledge and navigate its consequences remains ambiguous. Leveraging relational theories within a high-involvement business-to-consumer sales context, this study examines (1) the FLE-contingent drivers that shape the development of customer knowledge of the firm, and (2) the FLE-contingent impact of such knowledge. Findings show that customer knowledge of the firm enhances customer revenue but impairs FLE-owned loyalty. To buffer the negative knowledge-loyalty effect, FLEs need to show high level of competence. This study also theorizes two factors that influence the level of customer knowledge of the firm: customer multi-sourcing, which is believed to cause a reduction in customer knowledge, and FLE cross-selling behaviors, which is believed to drive an increase in customer knowledge. Results reveal that FLE competence presents a mixed set of moderating influences on the extent to which customers invest in firm-specific knowledge. Taken together, findings provide actionable insights into how FLEs navigate knowledgeable customers to drive customer revenue and FLE-owned loyalty.

A Mixed Blessing? Explaining the Double-Edged Effects of Leader Leniency on Employee Task Performance

A Mixed Blessing? Explaining the Double-Edged Effects of Leader Leniency on Employee Task Performance

“Enabling” or “Suppressing”? Examining the double-edged sword effects of flexible working time on organizational citizenship behaviors

“Enabling” or “Suppressing”? Examining the double-edged sword effects of flexible working time on organizational citizenship behaviors

The Influence of Educational Diversity on Shareholder Value Creation in South African Corporate Boards

This study investigates the influence of board education diversity on shareholder value creation of South African non-financial companies listed on the JSE for the 10 years from 2013 until 2022. In this study, a quantitative quasi-experimental design was used. Data were collected from 2013 to 2022 from 101 non-financial companies listed on the JSE. The final sample consisted of 1010 company-year observations. The study measured board education level diversity using the proportion of board members with master’s degrees, the proportion of board members with PhD and the Blau index for board education level diversity. On the other hand, the proxies of shareholder value creation included the standardised market value added, market-to-book ratio and Tobin’s Q. A fixed effects panel data regression model was employed to estimate the influence of board members’ education diversity measures on shareholder value creation measures. Based on linear models, the proportion of board members with master’s degrees and the proportion of board members with PhDs negatively influence all shareholder value creation measures. In contrast, BI_BED positively impacts all shareholder value creation measures. Concerning curvilinear quadratic models, all board members’ education diversity measures positively and negatively impact all shareholder value creation measures, highlighting an inverted U-shaped effect. This study advances the understanding of the double-edged sword effect of educational diversity on shareholder value creation in South African corporate boards.

High-temperature flexural strength of (TiZrNbTaCr)C high-entropy carbide ceramics: The double-edged effects of Cr carbide

High-temperature flexural strength of (TiZrNbTaCr)C high-entropy carbide ceramics: The double-edged effects of Cr carbide

Grandparenting: Impact on Physical Activity, Dietary Habits, and Quality of Life.

Background: Informal childcare supply may have a double-edged effect on grandparents' health and quality of life, as different aspects of it may exceed or subceed the capacity of the older persons, in various ways. This study aimed to assess the effect of grandparenting on physical activity, nutrition, and quality of life of older people. Methods: The study involved 152 grandparents ≥65 years old (69.2 ± 4.5 years). Data were collected by a self-reported questionnaire consisting of four sections: (a) sociodemographic profile, (b) physical activity assessment (IPAQ), (c) compliance with the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet score), and (d) quality of life assessment (WHOQOL-BREF). Results: Significant correlations were found concerning the care of grandchildren with physical activity, eating habits, and quality of life of older adults. The most notable results of regression analysis, regarding grandparenting effect, were the number of grandchildren being taken care of, which had a statistically significant negative effect on dietary habits, physical activity and quality of life, and being the only caregivers, which was positively associated with dietary habits, but negatively with the two other outcomes (all p < .01). Conclusion: The results showed that different aspects of informal childcare had statistically significant effects on dietary habits, physical activity, and overall quality of life in older people.

A double-edged sword effect of silver nanoparticles on angiogenesis in 4T1 breast cancer-bearing mice.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are increasingly known to have anticancer effects, but few studies have examined their adverse effects, so the underlying mechanisms are not yet fully understood. The current study investigated the critical influence of AgNPs on angiogenesis in 4T1 breast cancer-bearing mice. The sub-lethal dose of AgNPs (0.25mg/kg) was carried out. Female BALB/c mice (N = 35) were divided into 7 groups; normal control, cancer control, AgNPs control (one dose of (0.25mg/kg) AgNPs), single dose AgNPs before cancer, single dose AgNPs after cancer, 5 doses AgNPs after cancer, and doxorubicin. 4T1 breast cancer cell induction was performed subcutaneously on the left flank. Intraperitoneal (IP) administration of AgNPs and doxorubicin was carried out for all studied groups. Weight gain was normal in all study groups except the doxorubicin-treated group. Administering AgNPs before cancer induction promotes tumorigenesis, raises MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity, and increases CD31 and Ki67 expression. The cancer control group experienced the same outcomes. On the other hand, depending on the administered doses, the injection of AgNPs after tumor induction resulted in a notable decrease in tumor volume.In the doxorubicin-treated group, similar results were observed, while a dose of AgNPs‌ before cancer induction lead to increasing tumor volume compared to the cancer control group. The differences of biochemical markers including LDH, ALP, AST, ALT, BUN, and Cr between different groups were not significant. Significant differences were seen among all studied groups except doxorubicin and single dose AgNPs before cancer groups for serum TAC levels. It appears that AgNPs are considered a double-edged sword in the fight against cancer. AgNPs not only have anti-cancer effects on tumor size and angiogenesis, but they also might have cancer-stimulating roles. To confirm this conclusion, more detailed investigations are needed.

Whistleblowing intensity and distributor compliance in marketing channel networks

PurposeThis paper aims to examine how channel whistleblowing intensity affects a distributor’s compliance to the manufacturer’s request and how that impact is influenced by institutional environments.Design/methodology/approachBased on paired survey data, which was collected from an automobile manufacturer in China and its 211 distributors, combined with secondary data, this study used hierarchical regression analyses to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe study finds that channel whistleblowing intensity has an inverted U-shaped effect on distributor compliance. In addition, this curvilinear effect is stronger in regions with more effective legal systems and higher social trust, but the authors do not find perceived vertical control moderating the effect of whistleblowing intensity on distributor compliance.Research limitations/implicationsFirst, this study enriches the marketing literature by highlighting the significance of whistleblowing and especially its downside in marketing channel management. Second, moving beyond prior marketing studies’ focus on bilateral controls, it recognizes channel whistleblowing as a peer-enforced control mechanism. Third, it identifies environmental factors as shift parameters that alter the impact of channel whistleblowing, attesting to the importance of “discriminating alignment.”Practical implicationsThe findings caution channel managers against the double-edged effects of whistleblowing and inform the conditions that amplify this impact.Originality/valueThis work highlights the bright and dark sides of channel whistleblowing and uncovers situations in which it works or fails to promote distributor compliance.

Centralization or decentralization? Power allocation in team innovation management.

Power disparity, as an important form of internal team hierarchy, presents a "double-edged sword effect". To reconcile the inconsistent effects and systematically explore the different mechanisms of power disparity, this study constructs a comprehensive theoretical model based on power functionalism and power conflict theory, with team coordination and team conflict as dual mediators, and power legitimacy as moderator. By collecting valid questionnaires from 76 teams across 27 different types of companies in various regions, statistical analysis and hypothesis testing were conducted on the data. The results conclude that power disparity positively influences team innovation performance through the team coordination path and negatively affects it through the team conflict path. However, under the moderating effect of power legitimacy, the negative effect of the team conflict path is suppressed, and the positive effect of the team coordination path is strengthened, thus ensuring that power disparity has a positive effect on team innovation performance. This study provides a useful reference for designing the power hierarchy within enterprises, and offers profound insights into effective organizational structure and decision-making processes.

A double-edged sword: empowering leadership to employees’ work-life interface

Given the strongly held consensus that empowering leadership is beneficial, leadership scholars have overstated its benefits and overlooked its costs. In response to increasing calls for investigation of empowering leadership’s double-edged effects, we uncover the enabling and burdening effects of empowering leadership on employees’ work-life interface by positioning job demands and work passion as important underlying mechanisms. Based on the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, we contend that via serial mediating roles of learning demands and harmonious passion, empowering leadership may positively relate to employee work enhancement of personal life. Empowering leadership can also predict employee work interference with personal life via serial mediating roles of outcome responsibility and obsessive passion. Four-wave data based on the Indian managerial employees (n = 251) supported our serial mediation hypotheses. Our study provides researchers and practitioners with new insights into the mechanisms explaining the double-edged effects of empowering leadership on employees’ work-life interface.