Multilevel Conceptual Model Research Articles

Building a knowledge sharing climate amid shadows of sabotage: a microfoundational perspective into job satisfaction and knowledge sabotage

PurposeDrawing on the microfoundations theory and rational choice sociology, this study aims to investigate knowledge-sharing microfoundations through knowledge sabotage behaviours in the workplace. As such, it aims to shed light on the adverse impact of knowledge sabotage on a knowledge-sharing climate.Design/methodology/approachAs a quantitative deductive study, it is based on information collected from 329 employees of European companies by self-administered online surveys. Data validity and reliability has been assessed through a confirmatory factor analysis, and data analysis was carried out by using a covariance-based structural equation modelling technique.FindingsThe findings from the empirical investigation supported the baseline hypotheses of the multilevel conceptual model, which is the positive relationship between organizational trust and environmental knowledge sharing. Then, recurring to a microfoundational exploration, this study supports the mediating indirect effect of job satisfaction and knowledge sabotage in affecting knowledge sharing as a social outcome.Research limitations/implicationsThis study concurs to broaden knowledge-sharing awareness among scholars and practitioners, by focusing on knowledge sabotage as its most pernicious counterproductive behaviour. Furthermore, this research provides valuable guidance for the future development of research based on multilevel investigations.Originality/valueThis study builds on the need to explore the numerous factors that affect knowledge sharing in economic organizations, specifically focusing on knowledge sabotage. Adapting Coleman’s bathtub, the authors advance the first multilevel conceptual model used to unveil the knowledge-sharing microfoundations from the perspective of a counterproductive knowledge behaviour.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on employee motivation and organisational resilience and the role of strategic HRM: renewal of a resource-based conceptual model

Purpose It has been a tremendous challenge for organisations to navigate and survive the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper proposes a novel multi-level conceptual model, based on the resource-based view (RBV), to address the pandemic crisis and highlight the importance of strategic human resource management (SHRM) in promoting employee motivation and organisational resilience. The paper aims to provide insights and practical guidance for organisations to leverage their internal resources and capabilities to thrive in the post-pandemic landscape. Design/methodology/approach This paper conducted a comprehensive literature review of the existing research on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, SHRM, RBV, job satisfaction, turnover intentions and organisational resilience, covering the main contributors to this research stream and their findings. Findings The conceptual model presented in this paper offers five testable propositions to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on employee motivation and organisational resilience and how organisations can navigate challenging times through SHRM, which enables RBV. It highlights the foundational role of RBV and identifies the resources employed by SHRM as intervening constructs that significantly enhance employee outcomes, including motivation, job satisfaction, turnover intention and organisational resilience. Practical implications The proposed model counsels that organisations need to look beyond the straightforward application of SHRM and should enable the RBV climate to protect and uphold employee motivation and organisational resilience. Finally, measurement and analysis implications are presented for future research opportunities and managerial interventions to mitigate the impact of difficult times such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Originality/value Currently, there is a lack of research regarding the conceptualisation of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on employee and organisational resilience. Therefore, the proposed model discusses the significance of the alignment of SHRM and RBV as a moderator of the relationships between the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, employee motivation and organisational resilience.

The paradox of paradoxical leadership: A multi-level conceptualization

Organizational systems are drenched in tensions and paradoxes. For a leader, addressing and engaging those tensions in constructive ways may unlock greater benefits for the followers, teams and the organization at large. A leader with a paradox mindset successfully deals with contradictory yet interdependent demands with their paradoxical thinking. While embracing these tensions leverages performance and innovation, experiencing these tensions may also lead to frustration and defensiveness, resulting in negative consequences. Considering the burgeoning importance of paradoxical leader behavior in paradox management and leadership literature, we conduct a systematic review of paradox theory of leadership. Based on the review we propose a multi-level conceptual model stating the dual effect of being a paradoxical leader. To do so, we unveil the individual and contextual factors influencing paradoxical leader behavior on the individual followers, teams and the organization. We present future research avenues and discuss theoretical and practical implications.

Job flourishing research: A systematic literature review

Research on job flourishing is still in its infancy, relies on a plethora of different theories, and shows inconsistent results, but has already shown numerous beneficial effects on various organizational outcomes. In this state-of-the-art review, we identify the theoretical frameworks used to examine (the dynamics of) job flourishing, including its predictors and outcomes, and offer an integrated approach that is, thus far, missing. We selected and analyzed 40 empirical studies and derived from them a comprehensive multilevel conceptual model with matching propositions. This review extends our current knowledge of organizational psychology literature by suggesting how to combine the evidence obtained so far on how job flourishing arises and unfolds in organizational work contexts and its effects (e.g., on job performance, turnover intention, etc.). Rooted therein, we provide both directions for impactful future research and recommendations for managers on how to foster this desirable mental-health state at work.

Modelling the barriers of rice supply chain in India using the fuzzy logic approach

PurposeRice is an important grain in Indian scenarios, and the purpose of the research work is to identify the attributes which can be the possible barriers in the traditional rice supply chain network.Design/methodology/approachA multilevel conceptual model is developed based on the literature review, and a field study is conducted by administering a questionnaire from the experts. Fuzzy logic methodology and a ranking score method is applied to identify the rice supply chain performance and the barriers of the traditional rice supply chain network.FindingsThe rice supply chain performance index for the traditional rice supply chain network is obtained, and the performance of the existing rice supply chain is found to be “fair”. The “information flow” is the attribute that can be a critical weak attribute in the traditional rice supply chain network. A proposed model of the blockchain technology-enabled rice supply chain network is developed as a solution for the “information flow” barrier.Research limitations/implicationsThe present research work is focussed on the generalized rice supply chain model of the Indian scenario, and more detailed studies can be carried out based on the regional issues.Originality/valueThe rice supply chain plays an important role in Indian economic development, and hence the current research paper focusses on identifying the barriers and the performance of the existing rice supply chain network.

Multi-level conceptual model of efficiency control in supply chain management

Modern tendencies of rapid economic growth, demand-driven market, highly uncertain economic environment with various disruption sources simultaneously with targets for sustainable development explains the increased interest to advanced solutions in supply chain management. The research paper presents a multi-level efficiency control model presenting analytical sequences and integral method of factor analysis for logistics performance indicators planning, controlling and analyzing. The numerical example has demonstrated that the proposed approach works for real economic processes and provides agile options of efficiency control. The designed approach assumes customization for a particular company’ requirements and provides at least 59 options of analytical models sets. This allows claiming the new approach toward decision support enhancement in supply chains.

Toward an overarching multi-level conceptualization of emergent leadership: Perspectives from social identity, and implicit leadership theories

Organizational leadership research has typically focused on hierarchal top-down leadership where the leader has legitimate authority over organizational tasks and roles. However, rather recently, research has emphasized the emergence of leaders within teams and groups, which is referred to as emergent or horizontal leadership. Due to its infancy, the concept has limited theoretical development and coherence. To further extend our understanding of the topic, we draw on social identity, and implicit leadership theories and offer a multi-level conceptualization of emergent leadership. We first compare emergent leadership to various leadership concepts and through a detailed review, identify mechanisms through which emergent leadership can be identified. Following that, we design an organizing framework based on existing research and then offer propositions presenting a multi-level conceptual model highlighting how different factors at different levels relate to informal leader emergence. We hope that by reforming the research of leadership emergence with a multi-level approach, we renovate the idea considering contextual factors and process mechanisms.

Institutional isomorphism and sustainable HRM adoption: a conceptual framework

PurposeThere is a major lacuna in sustainable human resource management (HRM) research regarding the theoretical context of its adoption or implementation. Consequently, the purpose of this study is to examine the relative influence and interactive effects of different levels of institutional isomorphisms on sustainable HRM adoption.Design/methodology/approachThis study applies the conceptual method and anchors the discussions on the institutional theory and the extant literature on the antecedents of sustainable HRM implementation.FindingsInternal and external institutional isomorphisms will have complementary (synergies) or substitution (trade-offs) effects on sustainable HRM adoption. Furthermore, external institutional isomorphic pressures related to societal values and culture and stakeholders’ sustainability demands are likely to have greater influence on sustainable HRM implementation relative to the internal institutional isomorphic pressures related to managerial sustainability values and attitudes; sustainability-related HRM competencies; resource availability; and perceived sustainability benefits.Originality/valueThis study proposes a novel multi-level conceptual model on the implementation context of sustainable HRM for testing empirically. Furthermore, this study generates insight on how different levels of institutional isomorphic pressures relatively and interactively (synergies versus trade-offs) affect sustainable HRM adoption. This is significant because there is a view that HRM as a discipline is theoretically weak. Although the field has advanced theoretically, one of the areas that need more theorisation is the context of HRM. Hence, this study advances the theoretical context of sustainable HRM implementation through the perspectives of the institutional theory.

Corruption as a perverse Innovation: The dark side of digitalization and corruption in international business

Digitalization has had pervasive effects on corruption, introducing new opportunities and challenges to minimize the use of corruptive behaviours. This study investigates the dark side effects of digitalization, documenting its facilitation of corruption across countries as a form of perverse innovation. Building upon the theory of moral intensity and the extant literature on innovation, modularity, and complexity and considering the international business context, we develop a multilevel conceptual model with testable future research propositions. The core of our model is that each act has a component of moral intensity that determines the likelihood of individual MNE agents engaging in corrupt business behaviour. Furthermore, the complexity and modularity of products and services, coupled with a highly complicated international business environment, can facilitate the ease with which individual actors can engage in corrupt business practices. Finally, we provide recommendations for both theory and practice.

Small Businesses and Entrepreneurship in Times of Crises: The Renaissance of Entrepreneur-Focused Micro Perspectives

Prior research examining the consequences of crises for small businesses and entrepreneurial ventures has typically applied a macro-perspective, focussing on the impact of crises on business organisations and the strategies they adopt in times of crisis. In this editorial, we review the articles that form part of our special issue on ‘Small Businesses and Entrepreneurship in Times of Crises’, after introducing an entrepreneur-focused multi-level conceptual model. Highlighting the importance of integrating both micro- and macro-perspectives, the model facilitates our understanding as to how entrepreneurs and the organisations they run respond to unexpected crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. We conclude with implications for future research.

Sickness Presenteeism in the Aftermath of COVID-19: Is Presenteeism Remote-Work Behavior the New (Ab)normal?

Due to the confinement imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic situation, companies adopted remote work more than ever. The rapid rise of remote work also affected local life and many employers introduced or extended their telework activities because of the associated advantages. However, despite the evident positive benefits, some employees were pressured to work remotely while ill. This evidence brought new challenges to the presenteeism literature. This article investigates how individual, economic/societal, and organizational/sectorial/supervisory-related variables can moderate the role of a contagious disease, such as the COVID-19, in explaining presenteeism behavior. Moreover, the current research presents a multi-level conceptual model (i.e., organizational, individual, supervisory factors) to describe how a new construct of remote-work presenteeism behavior mediates the relationship between different post pandemic health conditions (e.g., allergies, back pain, depression, anxiety) and future cumulative negative consequences. The authors suggested that the widespread pervasive adoption of remote work because of COVID-19 has important implications for the presenteeism literature and opens avenues for further research.

Cooking autonomy: a multilevel conceptual model on healthy home cooking.

The empowerment of home cooking has been recently approached in the literature as pertaining to cooking skills and the capacity to overcome social, physical, and economic obstacles. However, thus far no studies have related the State's role in this important health-promoting home practice, namely healthy cooking. We aim to elaborate on the concept and develop a multilevel conceptual model of cooking autonomy (CMCA) in order to relate the State's role in healthy home cooking. This is a theoretical-conceptual study consisting of three phases: conceptual elaboration, expert panel consultation, and content validity of the CMCA developed in this study. A comprehensive literature review worked as the theoretical and conceptual basis, featuring Amartya Sen's human capability approach. A total of 28 experts issued their opinions in listening workshops and interviews. Cooking autonomy was defined as the capacity to think, to decide, and to act to prepare meals from scratch, influenced by interpersonal relations, environment, cultural values, access to opportunities, and guarantee of rights. The CMCA has six levels, differing according to the degree of participation of an individual. We also present two charts with examples of the agent's practices and actions that can be developed by the State in the public policy sphere. As a pioneering model in the international literature, the CMCA provides the conceptual basis for the development of studies and interventions on cooking autonomy, focusing not only on individual skills, but also on the role of public policies for healthy home cooking.

Untangling the role of CEOs' political ideology in the provision and inclusiveness of work–family policies: a multi-level conceptual model

PurposeAcknowledging the importance of work–family practices that extend beyond what is legally mandated and that cover the needs of a diverse workforce, this paper offers a conceptual model that explores the factors that can influence the provision and inclusiveness of work–family policies in organizations.Design/methodology/approachThe conceptual model is based on a thorough literature review of relevant articles in the fields of management and political science.FindingsIn line with the upper echelons perspective, chief executive officers’ (CEOs') political ideology is a multidimensional concept, comprising two main dimensions (financial and social) that can influence the provision and inclusiveness of work–family practices. Moreover, the proposed conceptual model considers other important factors, such as the centrality of the CEO's political ideology, as potential moderating factors, as well as the conditional role of institutional pressures. Finally, the proposed model takes into account the important role of line managers/supervisors in the implementation of work–family policies and shows the importance of the provision and inclusiveness of work–family practices for critical organizational outcomes (organizational attraction and turnover).Originality/valueThe proposed conceptual model offers a more in-depth understanding of the factors that influence the provision and inclusiveness of work–family policies.

Status conflict in family firms: a multilevel conceptual model

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to integrate status conflict, as a relatively recent and unexplored phenomenon, to the family business literature.Design/methodology/approachThe authors follow multilevel theory building to develop a multilevel conceptual model of status conflict in family firms (FFs).FindingsThe authors identify the main antecedents, processes and consequences of status conflict at three levels of analysis (individual, family and firm) unique to FFs. Seventeen theoretical propositions at three levels of analysis are presented.Originality/valueThe authors address the need for multilevel research for organisations and multilevel status research, contribute to the under-researched theory of conflicts in FFs and show that the conflict literature, which has predominantly focussed on the individual- and group-level factors, can borrow from the family business literature, which has primarily been oriented to the group- and firm-level factors.

Evaluation of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) guideline implementation in the Veterans Affairs Medical Centers using the consolidated framework for implementation research

BackgroundInfections caused by carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) and carbapenemase-producing (CP) CRE are difficult to treat, resulting in high mortality in healthcare settings every year. The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) disseminated guidelines in 2015 and an updated directive in 2017 for control of CRE focused on laboratory testing, prevention, and management. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) framework was used to analyze qualitative interview data to identify contextual factors and best practices influencing implementation of the 2015 guidelines/2017 directive in VA Medical Centers (VAMCs). The overall goals were to determine CFIR constructs to target to improve CRE guideline/directive implementation and understand how CFIR, as a multi-level conceptual model, can be used to inform guideline implementation.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted at 29 VAMCs with staff involved in implementing CRE guidelines at their facility. Survey and VHA administrative data were used to identify geographically representative large and small VAMCs with varying levels of CRE incidence. Interviews addressed perceptions of guideline dissemination, laboratory testing, staff attitudes and training, patient education, and technology support. Participant responses were coded using a consensus-based mixed deductive-inductive approach guided by CFIR. A quantitative analysis comparing qualitative CFIR constructs and emergent codes to sites actively screening for CRE (vs. non-screening) and any (vs. no) CRE-positive cultures was conducted using Fisher’s exact test.ResultsForty-three semi-structured interviews were conducted between October 2017 and August 2018 with laboratory staff (47%), Multi-Drug-Resistant Organism Program Coordinators (MPCs, 35%), infection preventionists (12%), and physicians (6%). Participants requested more standardized tools to promote effective communication (e.g., electronic screening). Participants also indicated that CRE-specific educational materials were needed for staff, patient, and family members. Quantitative analysis identified CRE screening or presence of CRE as being significantly associated with the following qualitative CFIR constructs: leadership engagement, relative priority, available resources, team communication, and access to knowledge and information.ConclusionsEffective CRE identification, prevention, and treatment require ongoing collaboration between clinical, microbiology, infection prevention, antimicrobial stewardship, and infectious diseases specialists. Our results emphasize the importance of leadership’s role in promoting positive facility culture, including access to resources, improving communication, and facilitating successful implementation of the CRE guidelines.

The impact of authentic leadership on individual and team creativity: a multilevel perspective

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to develop and test a multilevel conceptual model which explains how authentic leadership (AL), through an innovative team atmosphere and promotion of self-efficacy, influences creativity. The study delineates two pathways from AL to creativity. The first pathway is an indirect effect through an innovative atmosphere at the team level and self-efficacy at the individual level, while the second pathway focuses on the moderating effect of AL between self-efficacy and individual creativity.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 58 team leaders and 283 employees in a creative industry park in the Yangtze River Delta region from China. Path analysis was conducted to test the proposed hypotheses using the statistical package M-plus (v. 7).FindingsThe results reveal that AL is an important antecedent of creativity. Furthermore, an innovation-based atmosphere at the team level mediates the theorized relationship between AL and individual creativity. However, creative self-efficacy at the individual level does not mediate this relationship. Finally, the study found that AL moderates the relationship between creative self-efficacy and individual creativity.Originality/valueThe implications of this study highlight important considerations for enterprises in creative industry parks within and beyond China. This study provides industry leaders with a clearer and more insightful and coherent means of understanding the mediating mechanism between AL and creativity, and the moderating effects of AL between individual self-efficacy and creativity through a new linkage model.

Leveraging Human Resource Development Practice to Enhance Organizational Creativity: A Multilevel Conceptual Model

Developing creativity is a critical challenge for the survival and success of businesses. Using Amabile’s dynamic componential theory of creativity as a framework, we examined the underexplored potential of HRD practice to develop and foster creativity at the individual, group, and organizational levels. We bring together dispersed attempts in HRD literature to hypothesize the role of individual HRD activities under a conceptual model and indicate how the different activities influence specific component/s of organizational creativity identified in the theory. The model demonstrates the potential of HRD practice to exert a multilevel influence on organizational creativity and provides a theoretical grounding for the potential of HRD to develop creativity and augment the strategic capabilities of organizations. This article also contributes to organizational creativity literature by outlining specific relationships between key HRD practices and components of organizational creativity and to an underexplored area of creativity, namely developing the creative abilities of individuals and teams within organizational contexts.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the role of responsible leadership in health care: thinking beyond employee well-being and organisational sustainability.

The unprecedented crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic has posed an enormous challenge ever for health-care organisations to find strategies to deal with their survival. The health-care employees are the frontline soldiers to fight against COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, there is a lack of research regarding the conceptualisation of COVID-19 and its impact on health-care employees' well-being and their organisational sustainability. Extending the role of responsible leadership (RL), the purpose of this paper is to develop a multi-level conceptual model to overcome the crisis of COVID-19 pandemic and promote employee (e.g. workers, nurses and professionals) well-being and organisational sustainability. With a comprehensive literature review, this paper presents five testable propositions and highlights the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on employee well-being and organisational sustainability. The proposed model counsels that organisations need to go beyond the simple application of strategic climate and should enable RL to protect and maintain employee well-being and organisational sustainability. The proposed conceptual model is a step forward to not only explore future empirical research but also it will help the health-care policymakers to take responsible initiatives to increase employee well-being and uphold organisational sustainability. There is a lack of research regarding the conceptualisation of the COVID 19 pandemic and its impact on health-care employees' well-being and organisational sustainability. The proposed conceptual model opens and guides a novel research avenue for the alignment of strategic management (as a moderator) and RL on the relationships among the COVID-19 pandemic, employee well-being and organisational sustainability.

Conceptual Model with Built-in Process Mining

Process mining involves discovering, monitoring, and improving real processes by extracting knowledge from event logs in information systems. Process mining has become an important topic in recent years, as evidenced by a growing number of case studies and commercial tools. Current studies in this area assume that event records are created separately from a conceptual model (CM). Techniques are then used to discover missing processes and conformance with the CM, as well as for checks and enhancements. By contrast, in this paper we focus on modeling events as part of a tight multilevel CM that includes a static description, dynamics, events-log scheme, and monitoring and control system. If there is an out-of-model event log, it is treated as a requirement needed to build or enrich the CM. The motivation for such a unified system is our thesis that process mining is an essential component of a CM with built-in mining capabilities to perform self-process mining and attain completeness. Accordingly, our proposed conceptual model facilitates collecting data generated about itself. The resultant framework emphasizes an integrated representation of systems to include process-mining functionalities. Case studies that start with event logs are recast to evolve around a model-first approach that is not limited to the initial event log. The result presents a framework that achieves the aims of process mining in a more comprehensive way

Sustainable organizational learning and corporate entrepreneurship: a conceptual model of sustainability practices in organizations

PurposeThe main purpose of this paper is to construct a conceptual model that addresses one of the most urgent matters for contemporary organizations, which is how organizations are to learn and integrate sustainability in its’ working processes. The guiding research question reverberates around how organizational learning (OL) and corporate entrepreneurship (CE) can promote and facilitate sustainability practices in organizations.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses knowledge from OL and CE theories representing tools to think with for an exploration of how to actualize sustainability practices in organizations.FindingsThis paper construes and presents a four-phase multilevel conceptual model for the analysis and creation of sustainability practices using insights from OL and CE. OL contributes with vital parts for creating sustainability practices in organizations delineated by continuous feedback and feedforward loops on individual, group, organizational and societal levels. CE prompts essential process and concrete working elements accentuating the importance of acquiring sustainability in all phases of the change process.Research limitations/implicationsThe outlined conceptual model is general and need to address the deeper complexities and context dependencies of sustainable practice in organizations in a more elaborate form. Thus, the proposed model calls for empirical scrutiny and further theoretical development.Originality/valueDerived from two interrelated fields of research, this paper contributes with a novel model addressing how sustainability practices can be conceptualized and facilitated in organizations. By using OL theory in combination with CE studies, the proposed model seeks to capture key elements to guide new understandings of and transitions to sustainable practices in organizations.