Employee Beliefs Research Articles

Considering the Dark Side of Work: Bullshit Job Perceptions, Deviant Work Behavior, and the Moderating Role of Work Ethic

AbstractThis contribution aims to expand the study of experiences at work by (a) analyzing a theoretical perspective concerning experiences at work which emphasizes both positive aspects as well as negative aspects, (b) exploring the relation of both negative (Bullshit job perceptions; BJP) and positive aspects (Meaningful Work perceptions; MWP) experienced at work to negative work-related behavior (Counterproductive Work Behavior [CWB] and Cyberloafing), (c) investigating the (moderating) role of work ethic, and (d) examining the robustness of these relations when considering additional contextual factors (organizational work values and tightness–looseness reflecting social norms). Three studies were conducted, including two samples of German employees (N = 247 and N = 240), and another one of employees in the USA (N = 253). Our findings reveal that negative experiences at work (BJP) are the main predictor of problematic workplace behavior (CWB and Cyberloafing). Furthermore, their relation was contingent on individuals’ endorsement of work ethic. BJP and CWB (or Cyberloafing) were more closely associated for individuals strongly endorsing work ethic. In contrast, the relation of positive experiences (MWP) to problematic behavior at work was not significantly qualified by work ethic. The observed relations were robust when additional contextual factors were controlled for. The results emphasize the importance and complexity of work experiences including and differentiating positive and negative aspects. They also highlight the significance of work ethic and related beliefs of employees in shaping problematic behavior in work settings.

The mediating role of green perceived organizational support in the relationship between green transformational leadership and green self-efficacy

Purpose This study aims to reveal whether green perceived organizational support has a mediating role in the relationship between managers’ green transformational leadership and the green self-efficacy beliefs of employees. Design/methodology/approach The textile industry is a sector with fast and cheap production and is the second most damaging sector to the environment due to excessive consumption and rapidly changing fashion trends. Hence, textile industry employees were selected as the research object. The data were collected by survey method from 274 people working in businesses operating in the textile sector in Türkiye. The collected data were analyzed in the SmartPLS 4 analysis program. Findings The analysis found that managers’ green transformational leadership increases employees’ green self-efficacy beliefs. Likewise, it was determined that managers’ green transformational leadership increases employees’ green perceived organizational support. The analysis also indicated that employees’ green perceived organizational support increases employees’ green self-efficacy beliefs. Finally, as a result of the analysis, it was concluded that green perceived organizational support is a complementary partial mediator variable in the relationship between managers’ green transformational leadership and employees’ green self-efficacy beliefs. Originality/value The available literature has overlooked the mediating role of green perceived organizational support in the relationship between managers’ green transformational leadership and the green self-efficacy beliefs of employees. This work makes new contributions to the literature and practice by revealing the significance of managers’ green transformational leadership and green perceived organizational support in increasing employees’ green self-efficacy beliefs.

Beliefs of Employees in A Greek Banking Institution About the Role of Leadership and The Possibility of Transforming the Bank into A Learning Organization

Lifelong education in the workplace and the training of human resources are a primary objective for enterprises in the era of the knowledge society and lifelong learning in order to ensure their sustainability, growth and increased profitability. The alignment of the goals and actions implemented, the shared vision and the organizational culture that develops in an organization, together with the exercise of effective and innovative leadership by its senior managers, can contribute to its efforts to evolve and ultimately become a learning organization. This paper presents an analysis of a Greek bank's efforts to transform into a learning organization, focusing on employees' perceptions of this possibility and the role of leadership in the process. A total of 153 questionnaires were collected, with employees responding to closed-ended questions and statements. The research analyses the key principles for learning organizations and the role of transformational leadership using a descriptive and dynamic statistical approach. The findings and conclusions contribute to the understanding of transformational leadership practices.

Examine the impact of mental planning on building mental health and cognitive beliefs of bank employees

Description of the topic: Paying attention to human resources along with the use of new methods, reconstruction of past structures and optimal use of potential and actual facilities is one of the factors for the success of organizational goals, and the success of the organization depends on the establishment of an efficient system based on goals and the existence of the desired human force. And it is appropriate. Undoubtedly, an organization is successful in performing its duties and achieving its goals. which, in addition to establishing an efficient and targeted system, has the best and most skilled employees. Among the effective things for having an efficient system among bank employees is to investigate the effect of mental schema in creating mental health and cognitive beliefs. Purpose: The purpose of this article is to investigate the impact of mental schemas with mental health and cognitive beliefs. Research method: The method of studying the article was a descriptive survey method, which is used as a method to discover and identify the characteristics and distribution of these characteristics, as well as how the variables interact in a society. Results: The results of this article show that metacognition has a positive and significant correlation with mental schema and mental health, meaning that bank employees who use metacognitive skills have better mental schema and mental health. have Also, mental health has a positive correlation with mental schema. In this way, the higher the mental health of bank employees, the higher their mental schema.

Employee beliefs about the consequences of a union default: Implications for support and intention to remain in union membership

Union decline and the ‘representation gap’ are two commonly recognised and interrelated phenomena. Numerous proposals have been made to solve this double-sided problem. One of the most radical is to conceive of a union default, where the default position is union membership. This article seeks to understand how employee beliefs about the consequences of union membership, both positive and negative, would influence whether (i) workers would support or oppose a union default, and (ii) workers would maintain membership once defaulted into it given the availability of an opt-out. The findings show that workers’ beliefs about the consequences of a union default have a major impact on whether they support or oppose a default and would stay in membership or opt out. The article draws out the implications for public policy makers seeking to introduce a union default.

Analysing the Factors Determining the Acceptance of Blockchain Technology within the Mauritian Tourism Industry - Use of an Extended UTAUT Model

The aim of this study will be on the investigation of the behavioural intention to accept Blockchain Technology within the tourism industry in the Mauritian context. Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) has been employed for investigation and analysis.The research found that the most important predictors to affect the behavioural intention towards Blockchain Technology acceptance was that of Trust Transparency and Hedonic Motivation. In the same line, Performance Expectancy, Social Influence and Effort Expectancy, Security, Facilitating Conditions and Cost of Innovations had positive significance with the behavioural intention. Organisational Size was used as a moderator and was found that indirect specific effects were significant with Facilitating Conditions and Hedonic Motivation on the Behavioural Intention towards Blockchain Technology. Organisational culture has been investigated to be key emerging conditions since the concept of resistance to change, as emanated from findings, is ingrained in the culture of organisation. Attitudes and beliefs of employees may align with resistance, thus influencing how they perceive and respond to change initiatives. The study is one of the first study that has investigated the adoption of blockchain within the tourism industry in Mauritius thus contributing to new findings to the existing literature.

So lucky to be paid on time! Downward social comparison and gratitude in crisis economy psychological contracts

In this article the authors investigate how high unemployment and sustained economic crisis influence employee beliefs regarding their employers’ psychological contract (PC) obligations. Based on 32 semi-structured interviews with Greek white-collar employees, the authors compare PC changes among workers with pre-crisis work experience and others whose entire work lives coincide with the crisis. The majority of participants perceive their employer to exploit the crisis, demanding more of workers while offering them less. Those participants who remained with their pre-crisis employer held more positive perceptions. At the same time, social comparison and sense of gratitude influence how individuals interpret their employee–employer obligations. These factors buffer how individuals interpret their employer’s PC fulfillment in the crisis economy.

Knowledge, perceptions, beliefs, and opinions of the employees about GBV: a national online study in South Africa

BackgroundGBV has been global public health, family, and social problem for several decades as it is expensive for society and the economy. The study was conducted to determine the possible differences in knowledge, perceptions, beliefs, and opinions about GBV, as a whole, across gender and employment sectors in South Africa.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study using mixed-method design where we used an online survey with two open-ended questions. Perception about GBV Prevention among Employees (GBVPREV) questionnaire consisting of six Sect. (43 questions) was developed and tested. Cronbach’s alpha, Exploratory factor analysis (EFA), including Kaiser-Meyer Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy (KMO) and Bartlett’s test of Sphericity, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey HSD were used. Content analysis was used for analysing qualitative information from two open-ended questions.ResultsAmong the 2 270 employees, more than half (68.1%) were females. Males were 677 (29.8%), and members of the LGBTQIAP + community were 32 (1.4%). There were statistically significant differences among males, females, and LGBTQIAP + on employee knowledge of adult experiences, employee knowledge of violence against children, employee perceptions, employee beliefs, and employee opinions and recommendations. The employees believe that all sectors of society should collaborate in addressing GBV in South Africa. They felt that victims should be encouraged to come forward, that society should be less judgemental, that stigma should be addressed and that there should be more empathy for victims.ConclusionMost of the respondents, who were female and had tertiary education, were employed in the private sector, and were very aware of the prevalence of GBV in South Africa, agreed that support for both victims and perpetrators must be provided in private sector organizations. Even though it has been acknowledged for decades that gender inequality and GBV are reciprocal drivers, the persistence of both human rights violations will continue if all stakeholders do not collaborate.

Research on Strategies to Strengthen the Education of Ideal and Belief for Young Employees in Enterprises

In the new era, the proportion of young employees in enterprises is increasing year by year, and young employees are also the reserve and main force for development. Therefore, education on the ideals and beliefs of young employees is particularly important. This article comprehensively discusses the connotation of ideal and belief education for young employees, reveals the problems in ideal and belief education for young employees in the new era, and finally proposes the "three in one" ideal and belief education strategy, aiming to strengthen the ideal and belief education for young employees in contemporary enterprises and assist in high-quality development of enterprises.

Corporate social responsibility and employee outcomes: considering employee perspectives on the role of business

PurposeThis study aims to investigate how employee perspectives on the role of business, specifically capitalist beliefs, affect the corporate social responsibility (CSR)–reputation–employee behavior relationship.Design/methodology/approachA conceptual model was developed, and to test the model empirically, survey data were collected over two phases from 192 working professionals. Data were analyzed in SAS using Hayes’s PROCESS approach.FindingsResults of this study reveal that the positive employee outcomes (i.e. affective commitment and reduced turnover intentions), resulting from CSR, through perceived employer reputation (i.e. an employee’s perception of how others view their firm), are diminished when employees have strong capitalist beliefs.Research limitations/implicationsBuilding on the signaling and person–organization fit literatures, this study highlights the theoretical and managerial importance of recognizing employees’ ideological differences as well as the value of considering employee perceptions of reputation. Although many stakeholders value social responsibility, not all do, and a firm’s intended outcomes will vary depending on employees’ beliefs.Originality/valueThis study demonstrates that CSR not only affects institutional-level corporate reputation, as previously studied, but also affects employees’ behaviors through “perceived employer reputation”, or employee beliefs about how other stakeholders perceive the firm. Moreover, this study highlights the importance of understanding employee differences, including ideological differences, prior to engaging in certain types of CSR.

Examining the Connection between Glass Ceiling Beliefs and Job Performance of Female Employees in Directorates of Education, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Cultural barriers make it harder for women to rise in an organizational context in Pakistan, but the sociological and cultural infrastructure of industrialized nations provides more power for women to hold high positions. The purpose of the current research is to look at the influence of glass ceiling beliefs (Denial, Resilience, Resignation, and Acceptance) on the job performance of female employees in Khyber-education Pakhtunkhwa's department in Peshawar. Through a convenient sample approach, an adapted questionnaire was sent to 275 female employees at the directorate of education offices through email and personal contacts; the acquired data was analyzed using SPSS and AMOS software. The study's findings indicated that the first and second hypotheses, according to which denial, resilience, and work performance are positively and substantially related, are accepted. However, the resignation and acceptance were found to be negligible, indicating a negative relationship between these variables and female employee work performance, leading to the rejection of the study's third and fourth hypotheses.

The impact of self-efficacy beliefs of employees on contextual issues of online learning: with reference to the banking sector in Sri Lanka

PurposeThe paper aims to clarify the relationship between perceived contextual issues and the self-efficacy beliefs of the employees with e-learning engagement for their competency development. It proposes a model for the banks to utilize their e-learning interventions more effectively by managing the identified contextual issues. Simultaneously, this study aims to expand the domain of self-efficacy beliefs and apply its principles to dilute the impact of the negative contextual issues which were not addressed through similar research.Design/methodology/approachThe paper focuses on an exploratory study using a deductive approach grounded on self-efficacy – one of the main dimensions of Bandura's social cognitive theory. It adopted a mixed methodology, and primary data were collected through an online survey (792 responses analyzed through Statistical Package Social Science [SPSS]) and semi-structured interviews (20 respondents analyzed through thematic analysis). The population comprises employees of private commercial banks who have recently introduced e-learning.FindingsThe paper provides empirical insights into the contextual issues influencing e-learning and how self-efficacy beliefs can be utilized to enhance the effective engagement of employees. Contextual issues related to technological, organizational, personal and time-intensive factors influence e-learning engagement. The strengthening of self-efficacy beliefs (learners' enthusiasm and gaining) can be utilized to manage personal and time-intensive factors. However, technological and organizational factors cannot be managed through a similar approach as they did not report a significant relationship with self-efficacy.Originality/valueThis paper fulfills an identified need to study how e-learning can be utilized as an effective competency development tool in the banking sector.

A matter of hope: Perceived support, hope, affective commitment, and citizenship behavior in organizations

Encouraging organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) is an ongoing challenge, particularly in today's workplace. This study explores employees' hope as an avenue to understanding their OCB. Specifically, we predicted and found a serial multiple mediation model indicating that perceived organizational support is positively related to employee beliefs regarding the feasibility of achieving personal goals (the pathway component of hope) that are subsequently associated with employees' motivation and determination to implement strategies required to achieve them (the agency component of hope). Next, the agency component associates with employees' affective commitment to the organization, which in turn predicts their OCB. Notably, the relations between perceived organizational support and OCB become insignificant when the mediators are entered into the model. The theoretical and practical implications of these relationships are discussed by addressing the importance of OCB in the modern workplace and pointing out directions for future research.

Corporate Purpose in Public and Private Firms

Analyzing data from approximately 1.5 million employees across 1,108 established public and private U.S. companies, we find that the strength of employee beliefs related to purpose is weaker in public companies. Among public companies, those beliefs are stronger for firms with more committed owners. These patterns are most pronounced within the salaried middle and hourly ranks rather than senior executives. Differences across firms can be attributed, in part, to differences in leadership and incentive characteristics. Our findings are consistent with higher owner commitment and the corresponding policies that arise alongside this higher commitment, enabling a stronger sense of purpose inside organizations.This paper was accepted by David Simchi-Levi, organizations.Funding: C. Gartenberg recognizes financial support from the Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania. G. Serafeim recognizes financial support from the Division of Research and Faculty Development of the Harvard Business School.Supplemental Material: The data files and online appendix are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.4618 .

The impact of benevolent human resource management attributions on employees’ general work stress, with the mediating influence of gratitude

Workplace stress can cause serious physical and mental illness and result in billions of dollars in lost productivity every year. Researchers have called for the development of frameworks through which Human Resource Management (HRM) practices can reduce employee stress. Building on HRM attribution theory, this study builds a framework based on benevolent HRM attributions. Benevolent HRM attributions are employee beliefs that their management has enacted HRM practices to support their performance ( performance HRM attributions) and improve their well-being ( well-being HRM attributions). This study examined if both benevolent HRM attributions engender employee gratitude, which in turn may reduce their general job stress levels. Respondents of the study were chosen from the telecom sector of Pakistan as they operate in a high stress inducing environment. The theoretically based causal associations were examined by employing the structural equation modeling (SEM) method. The results confirmed the hypotheses and also showed that both benevolent HRM attributions reduce employees’ job stress with the mediating influence of gratitude. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed as well.

Hybrid Work from Home Clinical Academic Environment: A One-Year Follow-Up Survey of Attitudes and Beliefs of Members of a Department of Palliative Care, Rehabilitation, and Integrative Medicine.

Context: Palliative, Rehabilitation, and Integrative Medicine (PRIM) department members anonymously reported a positive experience with work from home (WFH) two months after its rapid pandemic transition in March 2020. Data are limited on the stability of such preferences and experiences over time. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to survey the attitudes and beliefs of PRIM employees toward remote work 16 months after the start of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic since vaccines and to determine changes in perceptions of WFH. Methods: All 138 PRIM employees were invited to participate in an anonymous survey from mid-July to mid-August 2021. The 30-question survey included demographics, perceptions toward WFH, and the pandemic. Results: One hundred fifteen (83%) employees completed the survey: 29 (74%) research, 62 (83%) clinicians, and 24 (100%) administrative personnel. Most were female (76%), 30-59 years old (88%), PRIM employees before May 2020 (89%), shared office space (52%), and had received either first or second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine (88%). Overall experience (86%) and emotional response (74%) with WFH were positive and not significantly different from 2020 (p = 0.128 and 0.782, respectively). Positive experience was associated with having adequate equipment (p = 0.002), perception of productivity (p = 0.002), financial advantage (p = 0.002), and time demands caring for dependents (p = 0.038). Clinicians reported less positive response (78%, p = 0.002) and less productivity (49%, p = 0.002) with WFH and higher level of stress (54%, p = 0.026) since COVID-19. Employees continued to support WFH permanently (79%) for two or more days/week (82%). There was continued increased emotional exhaustion (71%) similar to 2020 (p = 0.868), and being asked to work partially or completely from home permanently was favored by 64% versus 97% and 96% of clinicians, research, and administrative, respectively (p = 0.002). Conclusions: Support for WFH was sustained a year later and after three pandemic waves. These findings serve as a model for future rapid work transitions and can help elucidate factors associated with stress and emotional exhaustion in a new post-COVID-19 work environment.

I didn't promise, I said inshallah1: Saudi Arabian employees' perceptions of the importance of implicit promises within the psychological contract

AbstractThe psychological contract was both conceptualised and has been investigated primarily in Western contexts. While research has demonstrated its utility for exploring the nature of the individual employment relationship in other cultures, the fundamental tenets of the psychological contract have never been challenged. In particular, there is an absence of empirical research on how the notion of implicit promises might be viewed in Eastern contexts, in spite of promises constituting a significant plank of employee interpretation of the psychological contract. Using two case studies in Saudi Arabia, this research investigates how different sources of information influence the construction of implicit promises in a culturally unique employment context. We propose a theoretical model that outlines key factors that shape employee beliefs of implicit promises in order to guide future research in the field of psychological contracts.

Self-Efficacy Beliefs of Employees with Mental Disorders or Musculoskeletal Diseases after Sickness-Related Absence: Validation of the German Version of the Return-to-Work Self-Efficacy Scale.

Return-to-work self-efficacy (RTW-SE) is an important predictor of the duration until employees return to work after a sickness-related absence. The aim of the present validation study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the German RTW-SE scale. Data were obtained from three independent samples of employees who were in outpatient care due to mental disorders or musculoskeletal diseases (n1 = 301, n2 = 103, n3 = 104). Confirmatory factor analyses showed an inadequate fit for a one-factor solution and an acceptable fit for a two-factor model that distinguished by item-wording direction. To test whether the two factors represent substantively different dimensions of the construct or rather a statistical item-wording effect, two subscales were formed based on item-wording direction. As the subscales were not differentially associated with external measures, the one-factor solution may be considered appropriate. The scale showed good to excellent internal consistency values over time and across samples, had low retest reliability indices, and indicated construct validity based on moderate to high associations with cognitive and disease-related variables. The results further demonstrated the scale’s sensitivity to change. The RTW-SE baseline score predicted physical performance and pain-related psychological impairment after orthopedic rehabilitation. In multiple regression analysis, RTW-SE remained a significant predictor of pain-related psychological impairment but not physical performance, partially demonstrating the predictive validity of the scale. The German version of the RTW-SE scale demonstrated satisfactory results regarding its validity and reliability.

Religious beliefs and work conscience of Muslim nurses in Iraq during the COVID-19 pandemic

Religious beliefs are defined as thinking, feeling and behaving in accordance with the beliefs and teachings of a religious system. In other words, religious beliefs are indicative of the role of religion in the individual and social life of people, as well as adherence to values and beliefs in daily life, performing religious practices and rituals and participating in activities of religious organisations. Religious beliefs are a set of dos and don’ts, and values are considered one of the most important psychological supports that can provide meaning in all moments of life and save a person from meaninglessness by providing explanatory support in specific situations. In addition, work conscience is defined as a feeling of inner commitment to comply with agreed-upon requirements for work. In other words, work conscience means heartfelt satisfaction and practical commitment to the tasks that a person is supposed to perform properly, in a way that there will be no negligence in performing the duty even if no supervisor oversees the activity. Given the significant role of nurses in hospitals, especially during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the religious beliefs of healthcare employees have become more important. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the effect of religious beliefs on the work conscience of 1800 Muslim nurses in Iraq during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. Standard questionnaires were applied to assess the respondents’ religious beliefs and work conscience. In addition, data analyses (Cronbach’s alpha, Pearson’s correlation, etc.) were performed in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). According to the results, religious beliefs have a positive effect on nurses’ work conscience (p = 0.822).Contribution: The findings of this study showed that the employees of an organisation, especially nurses and healthcare staff, can rely on their religious beliefs and benefit from their advantages in order to strengthen their work conscience during a hard time such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Environmental Prioritization: Employee Beliefs about Environmental Concerns and Actions

Environmental Prioritization: Employee Beliefs about Environmental Concerns and Actions