Employees In China Research Articles

The double‐edged sword effect of high‐performance work systems: investigating when and why high‐performance work systems promote versus inhibit employee organizational citizenship behaviors

Drawing from self‐regulation theory and self‐identity orientation theory, this study examines the effects of experiencing different high‐performance work systems (HPWS) on the organisational citizenship behaviours of employees. Using a sample of 271 employees in China, we found that firstly, emotional exhaustion mediated the relationship between performance‐oriented/maintenance‐oriented human resource (HR) systems and helping/voice. Secondly, both relational identity and collective identity moderated the relationship between performance‐oriented HR systems and emotional exhaustion. Thirdly, both relational identity and collective identity moderated the indirect effect of performance‐oriented HR systems on helping through emotional exhaustion. Fourthly, both relational identity and collective identity moderated the indirect effect of performance‐oriented HR systems on voice through emotional exhaustion. Fifthly, individual identity moderated the relationship between emotional exhaustion and helping/voice. Finally, individual identity moderated the indirect effect of performance‐oriented HR systems on helping/voice through emotional exhaustion, as well as the indirect effect of maintenance‐oriented HR systems on helping/voice through emotional exhaustion. Our findings provide a balanced view of the effects of HPWS on employees’ outcomes and reveal the underlying mechanisms driving these relationships.

How can leaders help? A mediated moderation influence of leader consideration and structure initiation on employee learning from work failures

PurposeEncountering work failures is not uncommon for employees. Employee learning from work failures is critical to knowledge management and employee development. This study aims to examine leaders’ role in facilitating employee learning from work failures.Design/methodology/approachA two-wave survey featuring full-time employees in China was conducted to test the hypotheses. Linear regression analyses were adopted.FindingsLeader consideration and leader structure initiation are positively related to employee learning from work failures. Leader structure initiation strengthens the positive relationship between leader consideration and employee learning from work failures. Employee intrinsic motivation mediates the interactive effect of leader consideration and leader structure initiation on employee learning from work failures, such that leader structure initiation strengthens the positive relationship between leader consideration and employee learning from work failures through employee intrinsic motivation.Originality/valueDespite the importance of employee learning from work failures, little is known about leaders’ role in facilitating such behavior. Whereas leader consideration and structure initiation are distinct and sometimes even competing, this study suggests that they complement each other to exert positive influences on employee learning from work failures. In addition, this study identifies an underlying influence mechanism.

The Impact of Transformational Leadership on Affective Organizational Commitment and Job Performance: The Mediating Role of Employee Engagement.

This study investigated the impact of transformational leadership on affective organizational commitment and job performance with the mediating role of employee engagement. This study gathered data from 845 hotel employees in China and the structural equation modeling technique was used to verify the results. The findings indicated that transformational leadership has a positive effect on affective organizational commitment and job performance. Meanwhile, results showed that employee engagement partially mediates in the relationship between transformational leadership, affective organizational commitment, and job performance. This study contributes to the research on transformational leadership in the Chinese hospitality sector and analyzes its effects on work performance metrics. Furthermore, theoretical and practical implications were also discussed in this article.

Socially Responsible human resource management and employees' turnover intention: the effect of psychological contract violation and moral identity

AbstractThis study explores the impact of socially responsible human resource management (SR-HRM) on the turnover intention by exploring the effects of psychological contract violation (PCV) and moral identity. Using a sample of 284 employees in China, we found that PCV mediated the negative relationship between SR-HRM and turnover intention. Moral identity moderated the direct effect of PCV on turnover intention as well as the indirect effect of SR-HRM on turnover intention via PCV, such that both the direct and indirect effects were stronger for employees with a low level of moral identity compared to those with the high level of moral identity. Findings from this study provide a greater understanding of the internal mechanisms and boundary conditions of SR-HRM that affect turnover intentions. Study findings also provide guidance to organizations seeking to reduce employee turnover.

Decent Work and Turnover Intention Among New Generation Employees: The Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction and the Moderating Role of Job Autonomy

New generation employees have become a major force in the workplace, and their high turnover rate is a major issue in academia and business. Drawing from the psychology of working theory and the job characteristics model, this study aims to explore the influence of decent work on new generation employees’ turnover intention and the roles of job satisfaction and job autonomy in this relationship. After collecting a sample of 391 new generation employees in China through online questionnaires, we utilized SPSS 21.0 and AMOS 21.0 to analyze the data. The results show that decent work has a negative impact on turnover intention and job satisfaction plays a mediating role in the relationship between decent work and turnover intention. Moreover, job autonomy is found to positively moderate the relationship between decent work and job satisfaction, and also moderate the indirect effect of job satisfaction on the relationship between decent work and turnover intention. Finally, the theoretical and practical implications are discussed, and limitations and future directions are highlighted.

Legal framework for the protection of foreign employees in China

PurposeThis study aims to examine the adequate application of rights and protections granted to employees under labor laws and regulations to foreign employees working in China.Design/methodology/approachThe authors analyzed applicable laws, regulations and related literature on the employment of foreigners in China and employed quantitative and qualitative methods to scrutinize the features of labor disputes involving foreign employees, to assess claims of inconsistencies. A group of judges and labor arbitrators were also interviewed.FindingsThe inconsistencies between Chinese immigration and labor laws, and between applicable laws and court enforcement, result in a considerable gap in employment protection for foreign employees. They have grown over the last two decades, in a changing legal environment of labor protection and labor market for foreigners.Research limitations/implicationsThis study focused on documented foreign employees' labor litigations from 2017 to 2020 in people's courts in China's five most economically developed regions. Future studies could cover a wider geographic territory and labor disputes of undocumented foreign employees to provide an even more comprehensive picture of the challenges and potential solutions.Practical implicationsThe inconsistency between immigration and labor law regarding employment protection for documented foreign employees requires legal clarification and regulation to ensure equal employment protection of both Chinese and foreign employees.Originality/valueThere are limited studies using empirical data from different regions in China to document and understand the gap between the statutory labor protections and the labor protection granted to foreign employees in law as well as in court practice.

Experiencing tensions, regulatory focus and employee creativity: the moderating role of hierarchical level

PurposeThis study aims to explore how employees respond to tensions in groups and whether experiencing tensions could spur on their creativity (including radical and incremental creativity). Through integrating the literature on tension and regulatory focus theory, this study develops a model depicting the process from experiencing tensions to creativity via regulatory foci. This study further investigates the moderating effect of employees’ hierarchical level on these processes.Design/methodology/approachA two-wave survey was conducted with a sample of 375 employees in China. MPLUS was used to examine the moderated mediation model.FindingsThe results show that experiencing tensions can simultaneously activate employees’ prevention focus and promotion focus, both of which in turn influence radical and incremental creativity. Specifically, prevention focus mediates the negative relationship between experiencing tensions and the two aforementioned types of creativity, and promotion focus mediates the positive relationship between experiencing tensions and radical creativity. Employees’ hierarchical level significantly buffers the link between experiencing tensions and prevention focus.Practical implicationsOrganizations should optimize their work design to simplify the role demand of employees in the early stages of their careers. Top-tier employees should be encouraged and empowered to think and act with a paradoxical approach, which can drive them to generate more creative outcomes. Besides, when aiming to discover radical ideas, managers should emphatically cultivate employees’ promotion focus.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature on tension through revealing and testing the dual paths resulted by employees’ experiencing tensions. It also advances current research by contrasting the effects of experiencing tensions on different types of creativity.

Exploring Green Creativity: The Effects of Green Transformational Leadership, Green Innovation Climate, and Green Autonomy.

None of the studies published in the extant literature has discussed the role of green innovation climate and green autonomy concerning green creativity and this study aims to offer these two novel constructs. By introducing the componential theory of creativity, this study explores green transformational leadership (GTL), green innovation climate, and green autonomy as antecedents of green creativity. The authors employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze survey-based data collected from automotive firms in China. Data were collected from employee-supervisor working in the automotive industry located in Liaoning province, China. The findings reveal that GTL directly and indirectly via green innovation climate partially mediates the green creativity of employees in China. Moreover, green autonomy moderates the relationship between green innovation climate and green creativity. This pivotal contribution suggests that automotive business enterprises should develop GTL to nurture a green innovation climate and offer green autonomy for the green creativity of employees. The above antecedents of green creativity may enable business firms to gain a competitive advantage by innovating green products and practices.

Correlation between Frequency of Eating Out of Home and Dietary Intake, Sleep, and Physical Activity: A Survey of Young CDC Employees in China.

Objectives: We aimed to investigate the correlation between the frequency of eating out of home and dietary intake, sleep, and physical activity among young employees from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in China. Methods: Using the cluster sampling method, 6099 employees aged 40 years or below from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from 32 provinces in China were interviewed using an online questionnaire survey. The frequency of eating out of home, dietary intake, sleep, and physical activity of all participants was described, and correlation analysis was used to study the relationships between eating out of home frequency and related indicators. Results: A total of 5353 valid questionnaires were collected with the recovery rate of 87.77%. The results show that 85.8% of participants eat out of home one to five times per week, 10.1% eat out of home more than six times, and 4.1% never eat out. Correlation analysis showed that eating out of home is negatively correlated with a daily vegetable and fruit intake. The lower the intake of vegetables and fruits, the more obvious this tendency. Eating out of home is positively correlated with a daily intake of meat as well as a weekly intake of aquatic products. The higher the intake of meat and aquatic products, the more obvious this tendency. There was a negative correlation between eating out of home and sleep duration and physical activity. The lower the duration of sleep and physical activity, the more obvious this tendency. Conclusions: Based on existing survey data, young employees from the CDC eat out of home regularly, which may affect dietary intake, sleep, and physical activity. Targeted health education programs are urgently needed to assist in the promotion of a healthy lifestyle and reduce the potential risk of chronic disease.

리더 에너지가 부하의 절차공정성 인식에 미치는 영향

This study investigates a mediating model in which leader’s energy affects the procedural justice perception of subordinate through subordinate’s energy. The dual path of social contagion and leader role enactment posits that the leader’s energy positively affects subordinate’s energy. In turn, the subordinate’s energy improved by the leader’s energy is expected to positively affect procedural justice through two pathways. First, based on the broaden and build theory, the energy enables an extended interpretation of the organizational situation. According to the control theory approach, an extended interpretation of the situation will lead to increase procedural justice perception. Second, drawing on the interaction ritual theory, employee with high energy tend to experience positive social interactions with other members. According to the socio-emotional approach, individual with high energy experiences favorable social interaction with others, which enhances procedural justice perception. This study analyzes the data of 275 employees in China. Results reveal that leader’s energy positively affects subordinate’s energy. Also subordinate’s energy positively affects procedural justice perception. Finally, this study determines a significant mediating effect of the leader’s energy on the perception of procedural justice mediated by the subordinate’s energy. The results make a theoretical contribution to the organizational justice literature by explaining the formation of the perception from the lens of the accumulation and utilization of employee’s energy as a psychological resource. Moreover, the current study contributesto leadership research in that it explains the influence of leader energy. In practice, the results provide implications by examining the comprehensive influence of leader energy and suggesting a way to utilize it for leadership or organizational development.

Is Job Insecurity Harmful to All Types of Proactivity? The Moderating Role of Future Work Self Salience and Socioeconomic Status.

How and when do uncertain factors affect employees’ different types of proactive behavior? Building on the strength model of self-control, the present study examines the different effects of job insecurity on individual-oriented and organizational-oriented proactive behaviors, and the moderating role of future work self salience (FWSS) and socioeconomic status (SES). Two-wave data collected from 227 employees in China were used to test our hypotheses. The results indicate that job insecurity is negatively associated with all the proactive behaviors. Moreover, the FWSS positively moderates the above relationship, and the moderating role on individual-oriented proactive behavior is stronger than organizational-oriented proactive behavior. The SES negatively moderates the relationship between job insecurity and the two types of proactive behaviors. In addition, the FWSS and SES have a three-way interactive effect on the relationship between job insecurity and individual task proactive behavior. The practical implications of these results are discussed.

How Role Overload Affects Physical and Psychological Health of Low-ranking Government Employees at Different Ages: The Mediating Role of Burnout

BackgroundThe public now imposes higher demands on the government than in the past, which has created the role overload faced by low-ranking government employees in China. This research investigates the relationship between role overload and health among low-ranking government employees and explores the mediating effects of burnout. MethodsIt draws on a survey of 2064 low-ranking government employees by probability proportionate to size sampling in China's Shandong Province. Structural equation modeling (SEM) methods are used to analyze the data. ResultsBoth role overload and burnout were found to have negative effects on low-ranking government employees' health; however, the associations varied among the three age groups (less than 36, between 36 and 45, and over 45). Those over 45 reported the highest level of both physical and psychological health, while the youngest age group (less than 36) reported the lowest level of health. Role overload has a direct influence on health among government employees over 45 but not among those below 45. Burnout's mediating effects between role overload and health are significant among all age groups, but most significant among the youngest civil servants below 36. ConclusionsThe findings evidenced that both role overload and burnout affect low-ranking government employees' self-reported physical and psychological health. In addition, the effect of age differences in coping with role stressors and burnout should be considered.

Compliance with COVID-19-preventive behaviours among employees returning to work in the post-epidemic period

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of behaviours such as social distancing in controlling pandemics. Currently, the epidemic is under control in China and production has resumed in various industries. This study investigates the behavioural compliance and related factors for COVID-19 prevention among employees returning to the workplace and provide strategic recommendations for improving individual-level preventive behaviour to prevent a new outbreak.MethodsA cross-sectional study design was used. Data were gathered from returning employees in China using an online questionnaire survey, from March to May, 2020. The questionnaire covered participants’ COVID-19-related knowledge, compliance with recommended preventive behaviours, and levels of depression and anxiety. Univariate and multi-factor methods were used to analyse the data and identify factors influencing behaviour compliance.ResultsOf the 1300 participants completing the full survey, more than half were male (71.92%) and 61% were aged between 31 and 50 years. Six hundred and ninety-eight (53.7%) participants showed high compliance, while 602 (46.3%) showed low compliance. In models adjusted for demographic and socio-economic factors, high education level (odds ratio [OR] = 0.23, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.07–0.70), office staff (OR = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.33–0.78), higher knowledge of COVID-19 (OR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.67–0.81), and quarantining (OR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.57–0.96) predicted better compliance with preventive behaviours (P < 0.05), while high anxiety levels (OR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.10–2.18) predicted lower compliance with preventive behaviours (P < 0.05).ConclusionFor employees returning to work during the post-COVID-19-epidemic period, compliance with recommended preventive behaviours requires improvement. Consequently, comprehensive intervention measures, including the provision of health education and psychological counselling, as well as the continuance of a strict isolation policy, could enhance such compliance.

LMX and employee turnover intention: A social identity approach.

This study explored how leader-member exchange (LMX) affects employee turnover intention through the mediation of relational and organizational identification, and through the moderating role of leader competence in the relationship between LMX and relational identification. Study 1 explores the indirect effect of LMX on employee turnover intention through relational and organizational identification by analyzing data collected from 210 employees in China at two points in time. Study 2 explores the moderating role of leader competence in the relationship between LMX and relational identification by analyzing data collected from 872 employees in China. The results show that LMX affected employee turnover intention through the serial mediation of relational and organizational identification, and that leader competence moderated the relationship between LMX and relational identification. Our findings provide implications for research on employee turnover intention and identification. Limitations and future research directions are also discussed.

Pleasant music and voice behavior in the workplace: The mediating role of psychological safety

Although the importance of music for individuals has long been recognized, the effect of music on employee behavior in the workplace has not yet been fully realized. We developed a theoretical model emphasizing the mediating role of psychological safety in the relationship between pleasant music and voice behavior. A survey was conducted with 241 hotel employees in China. Structural equation modeling analysis results show that pleasant music was positively related to psychological safety, which was positively related to voice behavior. Further, psychological safety fully mediated the relationship between pleasant music and voice behavior. We discuss the implications of our findings to understand the mechanisms through which pleasant music boosts employees' voice behavior, and suggest future research directions.

Can I Get Back Later or Turn It Off? Day-Level Effect of Remote Communication Autonomy on Sustainable Proactivity

Overwhelming remote communication episodes have become critical daily work demands for employees. On the basis of affective event theory, this study explores the effect of daily remote communication autonomy on positive affect and proactive work behaviors. We conducted a multilevel path analysis using a general survey, followed by experience sampling methodology, with a sample of 80 employees in China who completed surveys thrice daily over a two-week period. The results showed that daily remote communication autonomy increased positive affective reactions, which, in turn, enhanced proactive work behaviors on the same workday. Furthermore, positive day-level relationships leading to employee proactivity were only significant when the employees’ person-level general techno-workload was not high. The findings provide a new perspective for managing employees working under continuous techno-workload and demands for remote interactions.

Measuring creativity: role of service quality management, knowledge sharing and social interaction

In contrast to the enormous literature on the relationships between creativity and personal values, relatively few studies have addressed the question of the creativity–service quality link. The purpose of this study is to examine the antecedent factors of the motivation and cooperation climate of service quality and to consider the consequences of service quality on banking service employees’ creativity. Data were collected from 502 bank employees in China. The results of structural equation modelling (SEM) found multiple mediation roles in a cooperative climate and service quality management that characterise the relationship between employees’ motivation and creativity. In addition, the moderate roles of social interaction and knowledge sharing are also discovered. Several alternative models of the first and second factors of motivation and service quality management were examined to determine the robustness of the original proposed models.

Pension Security Level of Urban Employees in China Based on CHIPs

In 2019, the Chinese government has put forward comprehensive plan for reducing social insurance premium rate, which will affect the measurement of the pension security level. In order to evaluate the pension level, this paper uses CHIPs data from 1988 to 2018 to calculate “empirical” pension replacement rate by “empirical” method based on different wage calibers. The result shows that the pension replacement rate and income replacement rate of urban employees have gradually declined in the past 30 years. The pension level of nonprivate employees is lower than that of insured employees, and that of insured employees is lower than that of full‐scale employees. The pension level of male, high‐income groups, the older generation, organs, and institutions is much higher than that of female, low‐income groups, the younger generation, and enterprises relatively. Compared with other countries, the pension replacement rate of urban employees in China is not low, but the income replacement rate is relatively low. This paper makes an in‐depth analysis of the actual pension level under the new policy. As a result, it is necessary to vigorously develop multilevel and multipillar pension system such as enterprise annuity, occupational annuity, and commercial pension insurance, so as to improve the pension level of urban employees.

The Effect of Supportive Organizational Climate on Employee Turnover Intention: A Cross-Level Analysis

Employee turnover affects the stable development of enterprise. It is not only an urgent problem that leaders need to think about, but also a research topic that management scholars and economists focus on. Turnover intention can well predict the turnover behavior of employee. Therefore, this paper investigates 50 enterprises and 305 employees in China and uses a cross-level regression model to test the mechanism between supportive organizational climate and employee turnover intention based on the organizational support theory. The results show that the supportive organizational climate can significantly reduce employee turnover intention, and job embedding plays a cross-level partial mediating role, and high commitment work system plays a cross-level moderating role between them. The research suggests that in the Chinese context, managers should not only devote themselves to creating a fine organizational climate for employee, but also actively implement high commitment work system to meet the spiritual needs and material needs of employee, thus reducing their turnover intention and promoting the long-term and stable development of the enterprise.

Job Demands and Resources and Employee Well-Being in the Chinese Nonprofit Sector.

Although the nonprofit sector in China has grown substantially in past decades, its future is threatened by high turnover and burnout. It is thus necessary to investigate the factors that contribute to employee well-being (EWB) among nonprofit employees in China. This study used 233 foundation employees in China to examine the effects of job demands and resources (JD-R) on EWB. Estimates produced by regression analyses indicated that job resources (JR) have a strong effect on EWB (Beta = 0.53), as well as on the three EWB subscales (workplace, psychological, and life well-being). While job demands (JD) had no effects on overall well-being, they were negatively associated with workplace well-being (WWB) (Beta = −0.12). Robustness tests were conducted to further examine how JD and JR dimensions affect EWB and its subscales. Based on the findings, we underscore the importance of JR for EWB among foundation employees in China as well as that of implementing interventions that may alleviate the cost of emotional workload as a JD.