Managerial Behavior Research Articles

Behaving with style: investigating the influence of decision-making styles on the innovative work behavior of managers

PurposeThis paper explores the relationship between managers’ decision-making style (DMS) and innovative work behavior (IWB). Our study addresses a notable gap in existing research, as the relationship between DMS and IWB has been unexplored.Design/methodology/approachWe rely on data from a sample of managers from diverse companies in Kosovo to test our hypotheses. We use structural equation modeling for data analysis, and as a complementary test, we perform a necessary condition analysis.FindingsManagers who adopt rational and intuitive decision-making styles tend to demonstrate higher IWB, whereas those who favor dependent, avoiding or spontaneous decision-making styles behave less innovatively. Rational style is a necessary but not sufficient condition for IWB of managers.Practical implicationsThe innovative work behavior of managers is significantly influenced by their decision-making style. Based on this relationship, our research can contribute to decision-making training, personnel selection and development, career planning and organizational innovation initiatives.Originality/valueOur study is the first to investigate the relationship between decision-making styles and innovative work behavior with a sample of managers. Furthermore, it is the first study to investigate the stylistic determinants of the innovative work behavior of managers in a non-Western context.

Culturally Tailored Lifestyle Modification Strategies for Hypertension Management: A Narrative Review.

Hypertension (HTN) is a significant global health challenge affecting billions of individuals worldwide. The prevalence of HTN varies considerably across the globe due to diverse factors, such as lifestyle influenced by culture, genetics, health care access, and socioeconomic conditions. Lifestyle modification has a substantial impact on blood pressure management; however, some cultural practices and behaviors affect recommended lifestyle modification strategies for HTN management. The purpose of this review was to explore lifestyle modification strategies for HTN management from a cultural perspective. Lifestyle modification, including physical activity, stress reduction, changes in dietary patterns (adopting a low-sodium diet and intake of fruit and vegetables), and weight management, provide an effective non-pharmacologic intervention for the management of hypertension. Individual's cultural practices have the potential to determine their diet, physical activity levels, knowledge, and perception about HTN, adherence to treatment and medications, and the use of local herbal preparations for HTN management. Culture focuses on individuals' belief, practices and how these beliefs and practices influence their lifestyle behaviors for HTN management. It is important to consider patients' cultural beliefs before recommending lifestyle behaviors for HTN management.

Incretin-Based Therapies and Lifestyle Interventions: The Evolving Role of Registered Dietitian Nutritionists in Obesity Care

The emergence of incretin-based therapies, specifically glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), as a new class of obesity medications, is dramatically changing obesity care. Use of these medications, known categorically as anti-obesity medications, as part of comprehensive obesity management is associated with significantly greater weight loss and health benefits than found with earlier generation obesity medications. The outcomes reported from medication trials were often achieved in conjunction with lifestyle counseling sessions by a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) or other qualified health care professional. Research demonstrates that evidence-based obesity care should incorporate lifestyle interventions. Counseling by a RDN, paired with incretin-based therapies, can play a critical role in supporting adherence to the medication regimen, preventing and managing side effects, adequate nutrient intake, and establishment of lifestyle behaviors for long-term weight and health management. To date, minimal research has been reported on the impact of incretin-based therapies on food and nutrient intake. Until that research is conducted, RDNs and other health professionals can apply knowledge and experience from clients who have undergone other intensive treatments. This article provides considerations for lifestyle interventions, with a focus on medical nutrition therapy (MNT) provided by RDNs, for adults prescribed incretin-based therapies. RDNs have the education and training to provide MNT for people with overweight or obesity, as well as lifestyle counseling on physical activity, stress management, sleep hygiene, goal setting, and other behaviors associated with positive health outcomes. RDNs have a critical role in the integration of incretin-based therapies into obesity management.

Realization of environmentally friendly behaviours in sports from the point of view of managers and organizers

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to realize environmentally friendly behaviors in sports from the point of view of managers and organizers of sports events. Methodology: In order to collect data, a 4-part researcher-made questionnaire including 40 questions was used. The face and content validity was confirmed by a survey of related faculty members, and its reliability was reported using Cronbach's alpha of 0.83. The statistical sample of the research consists of managers and organizers of sports events in ten provinces of the country. After distributing the questionnaires, finally 254 questionnaires were returned. Results: Data analysis was done using Amos and SPSS-19 software. Pearson's correlation coefficient and path analysis were used to test hypotheses, and bootstrap method was used to test indirect relationships (mediation). The proposed model was also tested to investigate the relationships between the factors. The results showed that the three factors of environmental awareness, perception of environmental effects, and the intention to support green sports events affect the actual environmental friendly behavior. Also, the results showed that the variable that intends to support green sports events plays a role as a mediating variable and the extent of the impact of environmental awareness and perception on the actual environmentally friendly behavior is caused by the intention to support green sports events. Conclusions: Based on the proposed research model, the environmentally friendly behaviors of sports event organizers and managers and their intention to protect green sports events are largely influenced by their knowledge and understanding of environmental issues. It seems that understanding the basic factors affecting people's actual and supportive behaviors towards green sports is necessary to promote environmental behavior.

The social ledger: qualitatively decoding interaction-driven investment decisions among Indian investors and fund managers

Purpose This study aims to investigate the antecedents of social interaction among Indian retail investors and fund managers to understand how these factors influence investment decisions. By identifying and examining these antecedents, the study aims to shed light on the social dynamics that shape investment behavior in the Indian financial market. Design/methodology/approach The researchers have mainly adopted an interpretive strategy for the present study. Qualitative data elicited through semistructured interviews with six retail investors and two fund managers were subjected to qualitative thematic analysis. Findings Our research found several factors that make Indian retail investors and fund managers connect and make financial decisions. Peers can improve a person’s investing performance through social facilitation, and discussing investment suggestions and lessons learned can affect a group’s investment behavior. Social norms also influenced investors’ financial decisions, demonstrating compliance. Investor closeness increased information sharing. Finally, the fear of missing out (FOMO), a psychological phenomenon where people fear missing out on rewarding experiences, encouraged social engagement as investors sought appealing prospects. Research limitations/implications The researchers interviewed eight carefully selected interviewees across the divide between retail investors and fund managers. Adopting other grouping criteria, conducting a focus group discussion with more respondents or adopting a mixed-methods approach may increase our understanding of the investment decision behaviors of Indian retail investors and fund managers. Practical implications The findings have far-reaching consequences, from deepening our knowledge of investors’ motivations and actions to directing individual savers, informing the development of financial literacy initiatives, influencing fund management practices and inspiring additional research in this study area. Originality/value This research, including retail investors and fund managers, significantly contributes to the literature on investment decisions and behavioral finance, particularly in the context of Indian investors and managers. This study’s unique perspective and comprehensive approach make it a valuable addition to the field, sparking interest and further exploration among academics, practitioners and investors alike.

Institutional blockholder monitoring and stock price crash risk

We examine whether institutional investors can reduce the risk of stock price crashes caused by managers’ intentional withholding of bad news. Specifically, we focus on the effect of institutional blockholder monitoring on stock price crash risk. The empirical results show negative relationships between institutional blockholdings and various crash risk variables, which suggests that institutional blockholder monitoring of nontransparent managerial behaviors can decrease crash risk. Furthermore, we find that the influence of monitors is more pronounced in firms with high information asymmetry, thereby corroborating the institutional blockholder monitoring role. This study validates the monitoring role of dedicated institutional investors in agency-motivated managerial behaviors.

A graphite thermal Tesla valve driven by hydrodynamic phonon transport.

The Tesla valve benefits the rectification of fluid flow in microfluidic systems1-6 and inspires researchers to design modern solid-state electronic and thermal rectifiers referring to fluid-rectification mechanisms in a liquid-state context. In contrast to the rectification of fluids in microfluidic channels, the rectification of thermal phonons in micro-solid channels presents increased complexity owing to the lack of momentum-conserving collisions between phonons and the infrequent occurrence of liquid-like phonon flows. Recently, investigations and revelations of phonon hydrodynamics in graphitic materials7-10 have opened up new avenues for achieving thermal rectification. Here we demonstrate a phonon hydrodynamics approach to realize the rectification of heat conduction in isotopically enriched graphite crystals. We design a micrometre-scale Tesla valve within 90-nm-thick graphite and experimentally observe a discernible 15.2% difference in thermal conductivity between opposite directions at 45 K. This work marks an important step towards using collective phonon behaviour for thermal management in microscale and nanoscale electronic devices, paving the way for thermal rectification in solids.

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance and abnormal positive tone

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance and tone management in the annual report. This is based on the notion that managers, driven by personal interests, may use their ESG accomplishments by using an abnormal positive tone to enhance their reputation or career prospects. Design/methodology/approach Using panel data from Chinese listed companies from 2010 to 2022, this study first investigates the relationship between ESG performance and abnormal tone management. The study then uncovers this relationship is mediated through the mechanisms of equity-based incentive and analyst coverage. The conclusions of this paper hold even after a series of robustness tests, such as propensity score matching, Heckman two-stage method and two-stage least squares with instrumental variables. Findings This study finds a positive correlation between ESG performance and the presence of abnormal positive tone in annual reports. Furthermore, the mechanistic analysis reveals that managers in companies with strong ESG performance are motivated to use an overly positive tone, largely due to their vested interests in equity-based compensation. Moreover, in an effort to alleviate the pressure stemming from heightened financial analyst coverage and enhance the impression conveyed through analysts' reports, managers with superior ESG performance also tend to inflate the tone within their annual reports. Practical implications This study provides significant insights into the ongoing dialogue surrounding ESG-related equity incentives, which incentivize managerial manipulation of stock prices through the use of abnormal positive tone. The findings call upon investors to exercise greater vigilance in examining narrative information in annual reports, as abnormally positive tones may not always faithfully represent performance but rather reflect managerial self-interest. Social implications There is an emphasis on the importance of robust oversight mechanisms within corporate governance bodies to curb the manipulation of tone for managers’ personal gain. Originality/value This study enhances the theoretical foundation of ESG studies, offering a holistic perspective on the intricate interplay among ESG performance, managerial behavior and financial markets, with potential implications for researchers, investors and regulators.

Weight-control compensatory behaviors patterns and correlates: a scoping review.

Weight-control compensatory behaviors appear to be a commonly utilized strategy for health management. Individuals engaging in such behaviors believe that the negative consequences from unhealthy behaviors will be neutralized by the positive consequences of healthy behaviors. Existing research has not reached a consensus on whether such behaviors are beneficial to health. This review aims to (1) summarize the patterns of weight-control compensatory health behaviors in different populations, (2) highlight correlates, predictors, and consequences of compensatory health behaviors, and (3) identify gaps for future research. This review identified existing literature using online databases, CINAHL and PubMed. Primary research articles published after 2000 with non-clinical participants of 12 years or older who engaged in compensatory behaviors for weight control purposes were selected. Descriptive statistics were extracted from 35 studies. Different patterns for weight-control compensatory behaviors emerged between the female and male sexes. Meanwhile, no clear association of such behaviors was found across weight status. Studies reviewed also highlighted three main areas of compensatory behaviors for weight management, namely dietary behaviors, physical activity, and alcohol consumption. Weight-control compensatory behaviors had significant negative correlations with mental health indicators, such as psychosocial functioning, emotional differentiation ability, and body esteem. Weight-control compensatory behaviors may be a widely used weight management strategy and can be presented in diverse ways. Although believed to be promoting health, such behaviors appear to be associated with poor psychological well-being. This emerging topic warrants more in-depth investigation to establish the direction of causation. Future research may investigate the relationship between weight-control compensatory behaviors and various aspects of health over longer time periods, examine the engagement of multiple weight-control compensatory behaviors, and focus on high-risk populations.

Opportunity or opportunism? Blockchain technology adoption and corporate default risk

Blockchain technology plays a significant role in new technology infrastructure and has a significant influence on artificial intelligence, big data, and 5 G, and its application has been extended to the Internet of Things, digital asset transactions, digital finance, and so on. In financial systems, it could improve the efficiency of data processing, reduce errors, and detect fraud. However, blockchain adoption could increase the stock price and induce manipulation opportunisms. Managers could also use this advantage to mask their performance and increase corporate default risk. Using the data of Chinese listed companies from 2001 to 2021, we investigate whether blockchain technology adoption could increase or decrease corporate default risk. Using the expected default risk model to estimate the risk, the results show that the default risk increases once the firm adopts blockchain technology, which indicates managerial opportunism behavior. The effect works in firms with CEO duality and higher power consolidation. And similar results are also shown in the dual-duty companies. The results are also robust in instrumental variable tests, difference-in-difference tests (DIDs), firm-fixed effect, placebo tests, and other robustness tests.

Does ligation risk matter for the choice between bank debt and public debt?

We examine the impact of liberal judge ideology, as an exogenous proxy for litigation risk, on firms' choice of debt structure. In line with the substitution of governance mechanisms hypothesis, we find that U.S. firms headquartered in circuits dominated by liberal judges rely less on bank debt financing. We also show that the substitution away from bank borrowing arising from liberal judge ideology leads to a greater reliance on other financing alternatives, such as public debt and equity financing. Additional analyses indicate that the effect of liberal judge ideology is amplified for firms operating in competitive markets, firms facing tighter financial constraints, and firms with more growth opportunities. The governance substitution effect is however less pronounced for firms with higher institutional ownership. Overall, our findings suggest that, by exacerbating litigation risk, liberal judge ideology induces firms to trade-off creditor governance stemming from bank debt with governance by litigation, thus decreasing their reliance on bank debt in favor of alternative financing sources with less strict constraints and lower monitoring of managerial behavior.

The association between public managers' type of education and prioritizing core service provision and communication

AbstractAn important question in public management is whether public organizations should prefer or avoid specialist managers (i.e., managers whose professional backgrounds match the work they oversee). Research has shown that specialist managers are associated with better field‐specific performance in public organizations, and theory suggests that they lead differently than nonspecialist managers. However, there is no empirical evidence to support this latter claim. To remedy this, we investigate whether specialist managers prioritize core service provision more and communicate better than nonspecialist managers. Through multilevel regressions of employee reports of leaders' behaviors in the contexts of schools, eldercare, daycare, and employment, we find that specialist managers prioritize core service provision more in all contexts but schools and communicate better in eldercare and employment but not elsewhere. These findings are consistent with the theoretical expectations and thus emphasize the importance of educational background in shaping managerial behavior.

Spirit at work: a panacea for ethical problems caused by marketing managers’ love of money

PurposeLimited research has investigated how spirit at work, functioning as a “good barrel,” fosters ethical decision-making (EDM) even in the presence of unethical managerial behavior (“bad apples”). Therefore, this study aims to investigate the spirit at work, a situational variable, as a moderating variable in the relationship between the love of money (LoM), an individual-level factor, and EDM.Design/methodology/approachA time-lagged survey of the members of the Marketing Association of Pakistan was conducted. The data were analyzed using partial least square structural equation modeling.FindingsAdding to much of the existing research, which finds that LoM can influence ethical intention directly, this research finds that LoM influences ethical intention only through ethical judgment. Moreover, the spirit at work tempers the negative relationship between LoM and ethical judgment, thereby mitigating LoM’s detrimental effects not only on ethical judgment but also its downstream effects on ethical intention.Practical implicationsOrganizations, by planting the seeds of spirit at work, can institutionalize good barrels, which can alleviate the negative effects of the marketing managers’ LoM, the root cause of unethical behavior. This way, this study establishes a business case for spirit at work.Originality/valueThe novelty of this study is the development and investigation of a holistic conceptual framework for EDM of marketing professionals that incorporates LoM as an antecedent, ethical judgment as an underlying mechanism, ethical intention as an outcome variable and spirit at work as a boundary condition.

Mutual Fund Shareholder Letters: Flows, Performance, and Managerial Behavior

Mutual Fund Shareholder Letters: Flows, Performance, and Managerial Behavior

Do managers have more incentives to hoard bad news during panic? A study of terrorist attacks and stock price crash risk

We identify a robust and significant relationship, both statistically and economically, between the rise in a firm's stock price crash risk and the occurrence of terrorist attacks in the vicinity of the firm's headquarters. The empirical findings support the idea that terrorist attacks often trigger increased performance pressures and elevated investor sensitivities, thereby initiating the information manipulation activities of firm managers. Additionally, we examine the heterogeneous effects of corporate governance quality and firm transparency, indicating that firms with superior corporate governance and transparency are less vulnerable to the impact of terrorist attacks. We offer insights into the economic consequences of managerial behavior responses because of the traumatic shock of terrorist attacks.

The limitations and risks of land use change tools in decision-making: Lessons from Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere, Scotland

Land use change is needed to mitigate climate change and biodiversity loss and is increasingly incentivised through natural capital approaches that reward delivery of ecosystem services including carbon sequestration and biodiversity. A proliferation of land use change decision-support tools are developed –often by private companies– to support land use change decision-making and measure success of government policy and private investment targets. However, understanding of land manager uptake of these tools is often limited, and the limitations and risks of tools used to support land use change decision-making is understudied. We explore these knowledge gaps in a UNESCO Biosphere in Galloway and Southern Ayrshire, Scotland through nineteen interviews with a wide range of land managers. We found that the promotion of tools as a mechanism to deliver rapid land use change is unlikely to be successful for three reasons: 1) the dominant focus on instrumental values, neglecting land managers’ broader values; 2) the technocratic tools-based approach to decision-making is at odds with land manager behaviour; and 3) the importance of peer-led networks is neglected. Framing the promotion of tools as another form of environmental rescaling, we argue that they are a red herring in addressing issues of land use change. The emphasis should instead be on appropriately supporting and resourcing local peer-led networks to enable and incentivise land-use change. These findings have global relevance given increasing promotion of these approaches within international policy and country-level policy in many countries worldwide.

Managerial Blurring of Employee Goals

Many researchers and practitioners believe that the lack of specificity of employee goals is detrimental to the effectiveness of performance management in firms. Using an inductive grounded theory approach, this study identifies two managerial factors that could impact negatively goal specificity in real-life corporate environments. First, ‘goal blurring’ is a counterintuitive purposeful managerial behavior that results in blurred employee goals being set during annual reviews. Second, ‘specifying capability’ incorporates factors that can result in a lower level of specificity of employee goals with no purposeful intent. The findings reveal two main reasons managers set less specific goals: (1) limited capability and (2) choice to purposefully blur employee goals to maintain flexibility in evaluating their subordinates. While non-purposeful blurring occurs because of circumstances that make setting specific goals difficult and limit the capabilities of managers to do so, purposeful blurring of goals occurs with the main aim of maintaining flexibility in evaluating employees. As a result, blurred goals are set for employees despite managers’ awareness of the benefits of setting specific goals, which is supported by extensive research and management practice. Our work reveals the purposeful managerial blurring of employee goals, a phenomenon that has a significant impact on firm performance, though it has not been previously identified as such, or explained.

The Impact of Policies Regulating the Development of Private Equity on the Growth of Investment Firms

In the current economic environment, there are many kinds of private investment. The importance of how to ensure that investment companies operate rationally and invest successfully, regulate investment behavior and private equity fund managers of investment companies is becoming more and more apparent. Stable and reasonable regulatory policies are conducive to the promotion of improved profitability of investment companies and the long-term stable development of the capital market, among which the promulgation of the Regulations on Supervision and Administration of Private Investment Funds (the "Regulations") has had a profound impact on the growth of investment companies. This paper focuses on the positive and negative impacts of the Regulations on the growth of companies, and selects representative companies in the capital market services for comparative analysis. The results of the study show that the promulgation of the Regulations further regulates the development of the private equity fund industry, making investors more cautious in their decision-making, and thus promotes the development of the growth of private equity fund investment companies.

Developing and testing a theoretical model of food donation behavior

The global challenges of food insecurity, coupled with the large scale of food waste generated by the restaurant industry, necessitate collaborative efforts from both individuals and businesses. Drawing upon the behavioral reasoning theory, this study develops a model investigating the influence of both “reasons for” (“altruism”, “social norms”, “egoism”, and “tax incentives”) and “reasons against” (“financial burdens”, “inconvenience”, “insufficient information”, and “liability concerns”) on the food donation behavior of restaurant managers. The model is tested on a sample of 300 restaurant managers in South Korea using structural equation modeling. The findings suggest that “altruism” and “social norms” exhibit a positive influence on both attitudes and intentions toward food donation, while “inconvenience” has a negative impact on both. Moreover, “tax incentives” and “insufficient information” emerge as significant predictors of intentions to donate food. In addition, “trust in food banks” significantly mitigates the negative impact of “reasons against” on food donation intentions, although its effect on attitudes is not significant. These findings provide novel implications to advance the existing knowledge and develop more effective strategies for promoting restaurant food donation practices.

Probing the CSR-pro-environmental behavior linkage: Insights into green reputation and chief sustainability officer influence

This study aims to examine the impacts of internal and external corporate social responsibility (CSR) on managers’ pro-environmental behaviors with the mediating role of green reputation and moderating of chief sustainability officer (CSO). We acquired information from 609 managers working in various Chinese manufacturing firms using a standardized survey tool. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was performed to analyze data. Our major findings are as follows. First, both internal and external CSR influence the pro-environmental behaviors of managers through the mediation role of corporate green reputation. Second, the CSO significantly moderates the relationship between CSR actions and corporate green reputation. Our study contributes to the body of current knowledge by giving empirical evidence for the theoretical framework linking CSR, reputation, and pro-environmental behavior. The findings from this study offer managerial insights for businesses that deliberately want to promote environmentally friendly activities.