Employees In China Research Articles

How do servant leadership and self-esteem at work shape family performance in China? A resource gain development perspective

PurposeDrawing on the resource gain development (RGD) perspective, this study is aimed to examine how servant leadership as an environmental resource and general self-esteem as a personal resource influence employees' family performance through work-to-family facilitation (WFF) and explore the moderating effects of gender and Chinese traditionality on the relationship between servant leadership and WFF.Design/methodology/approachTwo-wave data were collected from 369 employees in China. The structural equation model and path analysis were used to analyze the data.FindingsThe results confirm that WFF mediates the effects of servant leadership and employees' general self-esteem on employees' family performance. Gender and Chinese traditionality moderate the relationship between servant leadership and WFF.Originality/valueThis study contributes to existing research by revealing how specific environmental resources (servant leadership) and personal resources (general self-esteem) impact employee family performance through WFF; it also identifies gender and Chinese traditionality as demand characteristics which moderate the effect of environmental resources on WFF.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Earplugs in Preventing Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in an Auto Parts Factory in China.

A survey was administered to 385 noise-exposed workers from an auto parts factory and 1268 non-noise-exposed health department employees in China. Individual 8 h A-weighted equivalent sound levels (LAeq,8h), earplug personal attenuation ratings (PARs), and pure-tone audiometric tests were performed. The average LAeq,8h of noise-exposed workers was 87 dB (A) with a mean PAR of 7 dB. The prevalence of high-frequency hearing loss was 65% for noise-exposed workers and 33% for the non-noise-exposed employees. The use of earplugs had no observable effect on the prevalence of high-frequency hearing loss of the study participants (OR 0.964, 95% CI 0.925–1.005, p = 0.085). No significant relationship between the effectiveness offered by earplug use and high-frequency hearing thresholds at 3, 4, and 6 kHz was found (t = −1.54, p = 0.125). The mandatory requirement of earplug use without individualized training on how to wear HPDs correctly had no detectable effect on the prevention of hearing loss at the auto parts factory. The hearing conservation program at the surveyed factory was not effective. Periodic hearing tests, earplug fit testing, expanding the offer of different types of hearing protection, and employee education about the importance of protecting their hearing were recommended to the occupational health and safety program.

Psychological Contracts and Employee Innovative Behaviours: A Moderated Mediation Effect Model

According to Bakker and Demerouti’s work demand resource theory, abundant work resources can stimulate an individual’s initiative to the maximum extent and finally achieve ideal work results. However, few scholars have discussed if psychological states could affect work resources. We believe that relationship embeddedness is an important work resource in the context of Chinese human relationship culture. A low degree of embeddedness among employees would affect employees’ recognition of their organizations and reduce their motivation for voluntary innovative behaviours. This study was to provide empirical evidence on the relationship between psychological contracts and employee innovative behaviours as well as the mediating role and moderating role of relational embeddedness and organizational tenure. A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was adopted. Primary data were collected by a structured questionnaire targeting the employees in China. To test the hypotheses, data collected from 402 enterprise employees were used for a regression analysis in AMOS (version 22). We found that there is a significant positive correlation between psychological contract and employee innovation behaviour, while embedding strength and embedding quality mediated the influence of psychological contracts on employee innovative behaviours. Organizational tenure moderated the strength of the relationship between psychological contracts and employee innovative behaviours via embedding strength and embedding quality.

중국 호텔종업원의 경력정체가 조직몰입과 이직의도에 미치는 영향에 관한 연구

The purpose of this study is to provide theoretical and practical strategic human resource guidelines to the hotel industry in China. To satisfy the purpose of this study, the effects of career plateau on organizational commitment and turnover intention were investigated. A total of 336 questionnaires of hotel employees in China were analyzed by using frequency, factor, and regression statistical analyses. The results revealed the negative effects of carrier plateau on organizational commitment, the positive effects of carrier plateau on turnover intention, and the negative effects of organizational commitment on turnover intention. Finally, based on the results some practical human resource strategies that may help meet the needs of personal occupation, enhance the sense of belonging to organizations, and reduce turnover intention were suggested.

The Association Between Fear of Coronavirus Disease 2019, Mental Health, and Turnover Intention Among Quarantine Hotel Employees in China.

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, quarantine hotel employees face a higher risk of infection while they host quarantine guests from overseas. This is the first research to empirically investigate the psychological effects of operating a quarantine hotel on its employees. The empirical results indicate that heightened fear of COVID-19 leads to adverse mental health issues for quarantine hotel employees and confirm that depression, anxiety, and stress have a significant influence on turnover intention. These findings contribute to the extant knowledge base by uncovering the role of mental health in employee turnover intention. Based on the results, implications are presented for practitioners.

The Effects of Psychological Capital and Internal Social Capital on Frontline Hotel Employees’ Adaptive Performance

This study examines the relationship between psychological capital, social capital, and adaptive performance in China’s lodging industry. Recent research has revealed that the production attributes of internal social capital can explain adaptive performance, and that psychological capital affects the relationship attributes of social capital. This raises the question of whether social capital might mediate between psychological capital and adaptive performance. Therefore, this study examined data from a sample of 304 hotel employees in China, using internal social capital as a mediating variable. The results confirmed that psychological capital has a significant positive impact on adaptive performance. Social capital also plays a mediating role partially between psychological capital and adaptive performance. The findings of this study contribute to the theoretical framework of psychological capital and adaptive performance and provide a new approach to human resource management in the lodging industry and other dynamically competitive service industries.

Energy and macronutrient intakes of employees at different levels of work intensity in China from 2010 to 2012

To analyze the intake of energy and macronutrients of employees at different levels of work intensity in China. Based on the data of National Nutrition and Health Survey in 2010-2012, this paper analyzed the energy and macro nutrients intakes of employees at three levels of working strength. The energy intake of employees in China was 1952. 7 kcal/d, the intakes of protein, fat and carbohydrate were 62. 7 g/d, 76. 6 g/d and 254. 0 g/d, respectively, the energy supply ratios were 13. 1%, 34. 9% and 52. 4%, respectively. From food sources of energy, the percentage of total energy provided by cereals and animal foods was 47. 7% and 18. 2%, respectively. The percentage of protein from cereal, legumes and Animal food was 39. 8%, 6. 7% and 37. 5%, respectively. The percentage of fat from animal food was 34. 8%. From the age and work intensity groups, the energy intake was lower in the low age group and the light work intensity of employees. There was the lowest intake of protein and fats in high age groups with heavy work intensity. Energy levels form protein and fat were highest in the light intensity group. Energy supply from cereal food was the highest in the group with heavy work intensity and energy supply from animal food was the highest in the group with low age group and light work intensity. The intake of high quality protein and animal food fat decreased with the increase of age and work intensity. The energy intake of employees in China is lower than the recommended energy intake for Chinese residents, and fat provides a higher proportion of energy. Employees with high age and heavy work intensity have insufficient protein intake, and the unreasonable dietary structure was particularly prominent with them, and their nutritional status needs to be paid more attention.

How Environmental Knowledge Management Promotes Employee Green Behavior: An Empirical Study.

As environmental protection has gradually become the focus of enterprises’ development, employee green behavior becomes an important and key antecedent to study this issue, but there have been less studies conducted with knowledge management. As a result, drawing on the theory of planned behavior and the organizational support theory, this study investigates how environmental knowledge practices (environmental knowledge sharing and environmental knowledge application) affect employee green behavior by using a questionnaire survey administered to 266 employees in China to reveal their complex relationship mechanism. The results show that environmental knowledge application and environmental knowledge sharing have a positive effect on employee green behavior; environmental behavioral intention mediates the relationship between environmental knowledge application and employee green behavior, and between environmental knowledge sharing and employee green behavior; green perceived organizational support positively moderates the relationship between environmental behavioral intention and employee green behavior. The findings shed new light on the development of employee green behavior literature and provide practical reference for strategies related to environmental protection for managers.

How and when does multitasking affect customer orientation of hotel employees?

This research aims to investigate how and when multitasking affects customer orientation of hotel employees by examining the mediating role of work engagement and moderating roles of polychronicity and employee voice. The survey was conducted on 536 hotel employees in China and SPSS macro PROCESS was employed to analyze the data. The results indicate that work engagement fully mediates the association between multitasking and customer orientation; polychronicity boosts and employee voice buffers the mediating process. While prior studies have overwhelmingly reported the detrimental effect of multitasking on task performance, this study empirically reveals the motivational merit of multitasking to contextual performance and demonstrates how and when this favorable impact is stronger and weaker. The findings provide both theoretical and practical implications.

Why do employees engage in counterproductive work behaviours? Cultural values and white-collar employees in China

This study examines the role of cultural values in influencing counterproductive work behaviours (CWBs). In particular, it focuses on the cultural values of power distance, long-term orientation and collectivism (both horizontal and vertical collectivism) as well as the Confucian values of guanxi and harmony. In line with recent approaches in moral psychology and sociology, we consider how Confucian values become moral triggers or inhibitors for employees to engage in CWB. In addition, we consider the moderating effects of guanxi and harmony on the relationships between the cultural values of power distance, long-term orientation, collectivism and CWB. The results from a survey of 489 white-collar employees in China confirmed the importance of cultural values in influencing CWB. Specifically, our findings indicate that guanxi moderates the relationship between cultural values and CWB and acts as a moral trigger for an employee to engage in CWB. With the exception of horizontal collectivism, we also found that harmony moderates the relationship between cultural values and CWB. Specifically, harmony acts as a moral inhibitor for an employee to engage in CWB. Lastly, we discuss the implications of the findings for theory and practice in the context of managing an increasingly global workplace and business environment.

Abusive Supervision, Affective Commitment, Customer Orientation, and Proactive Customer Service Performance: Evidence From Hotel Employees in China.

Abusive supervision is quite common in the service industry. Employees’ proactive customer service performance is essential for the long-term development of service enterprises. This study enriches the antecedents of proactive customer service performance from a new theoretical perspective by incorporating the analysis of abusive supervision into the theoretical framework and fills the research gap between customer orientation and proactive customer service performance. Based on Affective Events Theory and Social Cognitive Theory, this study established the structure equation model between abusive supervision and proactive customer service performance mediated by affective commitment and customer orientation. Utilizing structural equation modeling, a negative association between abusive supervision and proactive customer service performance was found, and affective commitment and customer orientation act as the mediators between abusive supervision and proactive customer service performance. In addition, the implications for future study were also discussed.

The Content of the Threat Matters: the Differential Effects of Quantitative and Qualitative Job Insecurity on Different Types of Employee Motivation

Given the conceptual differences between different types of job insecurity, it is important to distinguish qualitative job insecurity from quantitative job insecurity when examining their motivational consequences. Building on the approach and avoidance framework, we expect that quantitative job insecurity influences avoid-performance goal orientation (avoidance form of motivation) via psychological safety, whereas qualitative job insecurity influences learning goal orientation (approach form of motivation) via psychological meaningfulness. We also examine the moderating role of organizational justice in such effects. Using two-wave data collected from 281 employees in China, we found that quantitative job insecurity had a positive indirect effect on employee avoid-performance goal orientation via decreased psychological safety, whereas qualitative job insecurity had a negative indirect effect on employee learning goal orientation via decreased psychological meaningfulness. In addition, organizational justice buffered the direct effect of quantitative job insecurity on employee psychological safety and the subsequent indirect effect on employee avoid-performance goal orientation. However, organizational justice did not moderate the influence of qualitative job insecurity on employee outcomes. Our findings provide new insights into the motivational implications of job insecurity.

Creative leadership, innovation climate and innovation behaviour: the moderating role of knowledge sharing in management

PurposeInnovation, in most enterprises, originates from employees. In this study, how organizational climate, creative leadership ability and emotional reaction to imposed change impact on innovative behaviour of employees vis-à-vis knowledge sharing within the workplace is explored.Design/methodology/approachAdopting a social cognitive perspective, a model is constructed to explain factors influencing the innovation behaviour of employees along two key aspects, that is, organizational climate (innovation vs risk-taking climate) and creative leadership ability (leadership skills, vision incentive) vis-à-vis other moderating factors. A survey questionnaire, administered to a total of 311 manufacturing employees in China, was used to verify the proposed research model via Smart PLS.FindingsResults unveil several key factors impacting positively on creative leadership in organizations. Specifically, creative leadership ability, emotional reaction to imposed change, innovation climate and knowledge sharing are found to impact positively on innovation behaviour while supportive versus risk-taking climate as well as emotional reaction are found to impact positively on innovation climate. Additionally, knowledge sharing is found to regulate the relationship between innovation climate and innovation behaviour.Research limitations/implicationsWhile offering insights into the antecedent factors of innovation behaviour, the study extends research on the intermediary role of innovation climate and employees' innovation behaviour. Additionally, it improves one's understanding on the moderating role between knowledge sharing and innovation behaviour.Practical implicationsThe study findings will assist enterprises in diagnosing the implementation environment of innovation strategy, thereby providing a reference for training enterprise leadership while improving the employees' understanding of innovation and reform in the workplace.Originality/valueThe study contributes both theoretical and managerial thinking on the extent in which organizational climate and creative leadership ability may and/or should be evolved appropriately to support, encourage and nurture employees' innovation behaviour in the workplace.

Knowledge-sharing mechanisms: human resource practices and trust

PurposeThis study sought to examine the detailed mechanism of employee perceptions of commitment-based human resource practices (CBHRPs) to employee knowledge-sharing behavior (i.e. knowledge collection and knowledge contribution) by unveiling the “black box” of trust in the workplace.Design/methodology/approachBased on data from 383 employees in China's Top Innovators in 2016, path analysis was used to test six hypotheses.FindingsEmployee perceptions of CBHRPs, namely, selection, incentives and training and development, were positively related to employees' trust in coworkers, supervisors and the organization, which in turn was positively related to employees' knowledge collection and contribution behavior. Trust in the workplace fully mediated the relationship between employee perceptions of CBHRPs and employee knowledge sharing. Among CBHRPs, training and development practices had the strongest effects on employees' knowledge-sharing behavior. Among trust, trust in coworkers was found to be the closest related to knowledge-sharing behavior. Knowledge contribution was more related to CBHRPs through trust than knowledge collection was.Practical implicationsOrganizations can employ CBHRPs to enhance trust in the workplace and encourage employees to contribute toward and collect knowledge. Organizations need to pay more attention to employees' long-term investment, such as employee training and development. Organizations can perform human resource practices consistently and ensure that all employees are aware of practices in use to enhance employees' understanding of these practices.Originality/valueThis study provides a detailed understanding of the relationship between human resource management and knowledge sharing. It also presents new empirical evidence in the research fields of human resource management and knowledge management, with implications for the development of employees' knowledge-sharing behavior.

The accelerating effect of intrinsic motivation and trust toward supervisor on helping behavior based on the curvilinear model among hotel frontline employees in China

This study investigated the effect of intrinsic motivation on hotel employees' helping behavior and the moderating effect of leaders' trustworthiness on this relationship. Drawing on both self-determination and conservation of resources theories, this study is one of the first to propose a potential nonlinear relationship between intrinsic motivation and helping behavior. The survey data were gathered from 185 employee–supervisor dyads working for 27 hotels in China. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed a curvilinear relationship between intrinsic motivation and helping behavior, such that the facilitative effect of intrinsic motivation on helping behavior became incremental when intrinsic motivation was at a higher level than at a lower one. Furthermore, leaders' trustworthiness was found to moderate the curvilinear relationship between intrinsic motivation and helping behavior, such that the pronounced side of the curvilinear relationship was weakened under lower leaders' trustworthiness. These results imply that hospitality firm managers need to invest in enhancing employees’ intrinsic motivation, develop the trustworthiness of supervisor—thereby improving leader–employee relationships—and promote openness, truthfulness, and the use of sound principles to guide behavior within these relationships.

What matters for employees’ daily interpersonal behaviors?

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the impact of service employees’ agreeableness personality and daily self-esteem on their daily interpersonal behaviors in terms of interpersonal harmony and counterproductive work behavior toward other individuals (CWB-I). Furthermore, this study examines whether the impact of daily self-esteem on daily interpersonal behaviors is moderated by the quality of service employees’ relationship with their manager and leader–member exchange (LMX).Design/methodology/approachUsing a sample of 111 restaurant employees in China who took daily surveys with 1,412 ratings for 10 consecutive days, a longitudinal analysis was conducted to test the research hypotheses using hierarchical linear modeling.FindingsThe results show that agreeableness personality predicted daily interpersonal harmony but had no significant effect on daily CWB-I. It was also found that daily self-esteem predicted both daily interpersonal harmony and daily CWB-I, and LMX moderated the effect of daily self-esteem on daily interpersonal behaviors.Practical implicationsGiven the fluctuation of employees’ interpersonal behaviors, organizations should guide the variability of interpersonal behaviors in the positive direction. To promote daily interpersonal harmony and reduce daily CWB-I, managers could focus on recruiting employees with agreeableness, offering daily self-esteem training and enhancing the quality of LMX.Originality/valueThis research is unique in its objectives to examine what influences service employees’ interpersonal behaviors on a daily basis and its methods to implement a longitudinal approach unlike previous studies that often relied on cross-sectional designs to enhance the ecological validity of the findings.

Women's Work-Life Balance in Hospitality: Examining Its Impact on Organizational Commitment.

Women account for a large proportion of the hotel industry. Work-life conflict has become one of the main obstacles to the organizational commitment of women. Thus, this study investigates the relationship for women between work-life balance, as an independent variable, and organizational commitment, as a dependent variable. Specifically, we examine women's work-life balance in the hospitality industry and compare women's organizational commitment under different levels of work-life balance. Then, we assess whether women's work-life balance and organizational commitment are associated with their sociodemographic characteristics (i.e., age, education, working years, and position level). Data were collected from 525 women employees in China. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to identify the relationship between work-life balance and organizational commitment. The results showed that work-life balance had a significant effect on organizational commitment. There was also a significant relationship between women's sociodemographic characteristics, work-life balance, and organizational commitment.

Can Corporate Social Responsibility Promote Employees' Taking Charge? The Mediating Role of Thriving at Work and the Moderating Role of Task Significance.

There is growing evidence to suggest that employees’ perceptions of their employer’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) positively influences their attitude and behavior. An increasing number of scholars have called for further explorations of the microfoundations of CSR. To that end, this study takes the conservation of resources perspective to examine relationships and the perception of CSR by employees, considering areas such as thriving at work, task significance, and employees taking charge. By analyzing 444 questionnaires completed by employees in China and using the conditional process analysis to test a hypothesis, results showed that the association between employees’ CSR perception and taking charge is significantly and positively correlated, with thriving at work mediating the connection. We also found that task significance negatively moderates the mediating effect between CSR and taking charge, such that the lower the level of task significance of a job, the more positive the effect of CSR on taking charge via thriving at work. These findings have theoretical implications for micro-level CSR research and managerial implications for entrepreneurs.

Future Work Self and Employee Creativity: The Mediating Role of Informal Field-Based Learning for High Innovation Performance

In today’s highly uncertain environment, the value of creativity and innovation are increasingly critical. How individuals could improve their creativity and innovation performance has become the focus of attention. Future work self as an intrinsic motivation factor plays an important role in creativity and innovation. Based on the self-consistency theory, this study integrated proactive personality and informal field-based learning (IFBL) to explore the relationship between future work self and employee creativity to increase innovation performance. It used data from 201 R&D department employees in China’s high-tech companies. The results show that future work self has a positive effect on employee creativity and that IFBL mediates the relationship between future work self and employee creativity. This process is then positively moderated by a proactive personality. This study’s results help clarify the formation mechanism of creativity from the perspective of intrinsic motivation and indicate that future work self can drive individuals’ creativity and innovation efforts, especially under the consistency of self-concept, motivation and personality. This research also emphasizes the importance of IFBL in improving individual creativity and further organizational innovation performance. Implications for theory and management to help improve creativity and innovation performance are then discussed in detail.

How Do Human Resource Management Practices Matter in Young Employees’ Intention to Stay in Chinese State-owned Enterprises?

Improving young employees’ intention to stay through appropriate human resource management (HRM) practices has always been a concern for enterprises. Based on literature review, the previous research results showed that the relationship between HRM practices and employees’ intention to stay was not always consistent. Therefore, this study aims to examine the relationship between HRM practices and young employees’ intention to stay. A quantitative research study was conducted via survey among young employees below 35 years in 11 state-owned enterprises in Tongling City, Anhui Province, China. Purposive sampling method was used in this study and a total of 127 questionnaires were collected and used for data analysis. The structured equation modeling-partial least squares (SEM-PLS) method is used to examine the research framework. The research findings confirm that HRM practices including recruitment and selection, performance appraisal, and compensation have significant positive influences on young employees’ intention to stay; however, training and development cannot significantly influence young employees’ intention to stay. Hence, the relationship between HRM practices and intention to stay to ensure the achievement of organizational goals by retaining more young employees in China’s state-owned enterprises is intertwined.