Organizational Sciences Research Articles

The different ways of being true to self at work: A review of divergence among authenticity constructs

As the number of publications demonstrating the benefits and risks of being authentic at work grows, so does the variety of interpretations of what it means to be authentic—and with it increasing inconsistencies and contradictions in conceptualizations of authenticity and its outcomes. We propose that the reasons for these inconsistencies stem from differing underlying assumptions on what authenticity is and thus what it means to be “true to self”. To better understand these differences, we conducted a systematic review of authenticity constructs in organization science, concentrating on the divergence among definitions and underlying theoretical assumptions of authenticity constructs. We identified two dimensions underlying authenticity constructs’ assumptions. First, constructs differed in whether the self was oriented more toward independence (emphasis on the self as distinct from others) or toward interdependence (self as relationally oriented). Second, constructs ranged in their perspectives on the self as fixed (self as stable) to more malleable (self as changing). In this review, we delineate the different ways of “staying true to one’s self” at work and show the inherent complexities in the process of being authentic in the workplace, explaining how these differences may lead to seemingly contradictory work-related outcomes of authenticity.

Workplace mental health promotion in a large state organization: Perceived needs, expected effects, neglected side effects

Background Work ability and mental health in the workplace is increasingly promoted in terms of workplace health management. In order to select suitable interventions at work in a concrete context, employees and managers of a large state organization (science and development sector) were asked about perceived needs, desired effects and possible side effects of health promotion interventions. Methods 13 semi-structured interviews with managers and three focus group interviews with employees (N = 20) were conducted in autumn 2020 by a behavior therapist in training. The evaluation was carried out by a qualitative content analysis of the interview transcripts according to a deductive procedure and was checked by two independent raters. Results Most frequently, need was expressed for individual case counselling by a health expert due to the diversity of work-related problems. Managers would like to see more health-related leadership training, and a review of the various communication channels of their organization. Expected positive effects are increased self-efficacy, higher person-job-fits and reduced absenteeism. Side effects were mentioned, such as confusion of health management activities with therapy, or sensitization effects when speaking too much about mental health in mentally healthy teams. Lack of competence with the topic of mental health was mentioned as a reason for non-participation in mental health promotion activities. Conclusions The role of managers in relation to mental health needs to be more defined. Side effects related to mental health activities should be considered in evaluations. Selection of health interventions should depend on the concrete needs of the organization.

Understanding the Relationships Between Divorce and Work: A Conceptual Framework and Research Agenda

Despite the personal, financial, and social implications of divorce for employees, research on the intersection of divorce and work has been mainly conducted across disparate literatures, with limited attention paid within the organizational sciences. In this review, we bring together research on employee divorce across multiple disciplines, including sociology, public health, legal studies, economics, family studies, and psychology. We identify three major areas of prior research that can be applied to our understanding of divorce within organizational contexts: interrole interdependencies, economic dependency, and social dynamics. We also highlight overarching themes that emerge from prior research on divorce and work. Building on our review, we then provide recommendations about how to theoretically and empirically advance research on divorce and work. Finally, we discuss the practical implications of our review.

Robert K. Merton and Innovation-Related Topics: Three Theoretical Ideas

As in other disciplines, such as organization science, sociology, and economics, there are good reasons for scholars in innovation and entrepreneurship research to revisit the classics within and outside their own research fields. Robert K. Merton (1910–2003) is not usually explicitly connected to innovation research, but to fields such as the sociology of science and knowledge. However, his scholarly productions include texts relevant to innovation and entrepreneurship. In 1935, he published on invention and innovation in American industry, and in 1938, he put forward the idea of innovation as deviant behavior or nonconformist adaptive behavior (Merton 1938a). In 1945, he began writing about the concept of serendipity, which he later discussed several times. This paper discusses how theoretical insights from Merton may inspire entrepreneurship, creativity, and innovation research. The discussion is framed around Merton’s innovation-related ideas and their relevance today, based on 20–25 Merton publications from 1934 to 2004 drawn from his larger scholarly production. The paper extracts three main examples of Merton’s theoretical ideas and insights. The first is his interest in simultaneous independent discoveries (Merton 1961a; 1961b), which has later been seen as a zeitgeist perspective on (scientific) creativity. The second is his view of innovation as deviant behavior and an adaptive response (Merton 1938), which is relevant to, among others, discussion of the dark side of innovation. The third is his interest in the idea of serendipity in scientific discovery (Merton 1945; 1948a), which is relevant today in relation to entrepreneurial opportunity and accidental innovation.

Unveiling the intellectual nexus between Peirce’s synechism and Goldratt’s theory of constraints: insights for management and organization studies

Purpose Charles Sanders Peirce (1839–1914), recognized as the father of philosophical pragmatism, has been described as a philosopher’s philosopher. Eliyahu Moshe Goldratt (1947–2011), considered the father of the management philosophy theory of constraints (TOC), has been described as being, first and foremost, a philosopher. The TOC body of knowledge is mainly preserved as concrete methodologies used in the management discipline. By examining the foundational elements of synechism and the TOC, the purpose of this study is to investigate the intellectual connections between the arguments and legacies of Goldratt and Peirce. Although this connection is worthy of much further investigation, the research emphasizes the possible implications from a management philosophy perspective. Design/methodology/approach Based on a “review with an attitude,” the authors first examined the foundations of Goldratt’s TOC through the lens of Peirce’s synechism. Next, the authors then examined how the study of Peirce combined with a selection of contemporary research in the management and organizational studies domain could point out a direction toward completing Goldratt’s unfinished intellectual work to establish a unified science management while addressing some of the current gaps in the TOC body of knowledge. Findings Major findings show that synechism’s growth may extend TOC knowledge, improving managerial practice in organizations. Findings on the convergent ideas of both also reveal that Goldratt valued all synechism categories, emphasizing the importance of not overlooking Firstness. Furthermore, the study analyzes the abductive inference demonstrated in the two use cases, introducing an additional metaphor to the management of organizational systems inspired by Peirce’s philosophical concepts. The research concludes that incorporating TOC and synechism principles can enhance management and organizational practices and enrich management philosophy and theories. Research limitations/implications This pioneering research opens promising opportunities to draw parallels between Peirce and Goldratt. Interdisciplinary collaboration will enhance the rigor and validity of integrating synechism and TOC. Experts in organizational behavior, systems theory and complexity science can provide valuable insights into this debate, while practitioners and consultants could help identify barriers and opportunities for integrating synechistic principles. Practical implications The study proposes a novel abductive approach using Peirce’s cable metaphor as an initial framework to build a unified science of management based on evolutionary stages: TOC, common sense and connectedness. Originality/value This research reinforces the argument that contemporary management practices need philosophical thinking. The authors argue that re-evaluating the foundations of management thought enriches the decision-making process in organizations and the understanding of contemporary theories in management and organizational studies.

Taking It Easy: Off-the-Shelf Versus Fine-Tuned Supervised Modeling of Performance Appraisal Text

When assessing text, supervised natural language processing (NLP) models have traditionally been used to measure targeted constructs in the organizational sciences. However, these models require significant resources to develop. Emerging “off-the-shelf” large language models (LLM) offer a way to evaluate organizational constructs without building customized models. However, it is unclear whether off-the-shelf LLMs accurately score organizational constructs and what evidence is necessary to infer validity. In this study, we compared the validity of supervised NLP models to off-the-shelf LLM models (ChatGPT-3.5 and ChatGPT-4). Across six organizational datasets and thousands of comments, we found that supervised NLP produced scores were more reliable than human coders. However, and even though not specifically developed for this purpose, we found that off-the-shelf LLMs produce similar psychometric properties as supervised models, though with slightly less favorable psychometric properties. We connect these findings to broader validation considerations and present a decision chart to guide researchers and practitioners on how they can use off-the-shelf LLM models to score targeted constructs, including guidance on how psychometric evidence can be “transported” to new contexts.

From thriving to task focus: the role of needs-supplies fit and task complexity

Can thriving at work be a self-sustaining phenomenon? In our study we incorporated the person-environment fit perspective into socially embedded model of thriving by Spreitzer’s et al. (Organization Science, 16(5), 537–549, 2005) to explore how and when thriving affects individuals’ task focus, an agentic behavior often considered an antecedent of thriving. We proposed that individuals who thrive at work tend to perceive that the rewards supplied by the job meet their needs of growth and development, which leads to more focus on their tasks. We also proposed that task complexity interacts with thriving to influence the mechanism of needs-supplies (N-S) fit. Based on two-wave data from 170 product engineers, the results of our study showed that thriving indirectly affects task focus through perceived N-S fit. When faced with high-complexity tasks, high-thriving employees generated higher N-S fit perceptions. When thriving was low, N-S fit was highest in in the low-complexity task context, suggesting that matching thriving to task complexity could be an important strategy by which managers might maintain higher levels of task focus, which we speculate could in turn promote thriving. Our study advances research on thriving, fit perceptions and work behavior by revealing these relationships.

Psychologists aspiring to leadership positions in public sector health care.

Psychologists are well-positioned to take on leadership roles in health care systems as a result of the broad-based skills included in doctoral level, professional training programs. These include knowledge of evidence-based practice, extensive training in applied research and clinical practice, emphasis on critical thinking in scientific methods and hypothesis testing, teaching, supervision, team consultation, and continuous learning (APA Presidential Task Force on Evidence-Based Practice, 2006; Korman, 1974; McFall, 2007). Formal opportunities to learn how to apply these skills in leadership and organizational management roles are, however, limited during graduate training. There have been recent efforts within the American Psychological Association to foster interest and readiness for leadership roles among psychologists. These efforts have included a leadership development fellowship, on-demand webinars, and online learning for continuing education (American Psychological Association, 2023). The content of these training opportunities is typically general in nature so that it can be applied to all types of organizational settings. Psychologists interested in leadership positions within public sector health care organizations are likely to benefit from information that aligns more specifically with the mission and organizational structures of such systems. This article presents a conceptual framework to prepare psychologists aspiring to leadership positions in public sector health care. Leadership theories and models from organizational management science are outlined which capture the context and organizational goals of such programs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Modelling the enablers of organizational resilience: a modified total interpretive structural modeling (m-TISM) approach

PurposeGiven the rising complexities around organizational resilience, this study identifies and explains the critical enablers of developing organizational resilience (OR). It offers logical reasoning into the interactions and interdependencies among the identified elements with the help of a hierarchical model of the antecedents of OR.Design/methodology/approachThis paper deployed a mixed methodology research design. Firstly, critical enablers of OR are identified from the literature review. Second, contextual relationships and interactions between the enablers are examined using modified total interpretive structural modeling to derive a hierarchical model among the antecedents that characterize OR. Lastly, a survey study including industry experts is used to statistically verify the model links.FindingsDeveloping resilience lies at the intersection of organization science and strategic management, involving the interaction of factors within an organization’s strategic behaviors, organizational practices, and people processes. The study identifies twelve antecedents of OR. The resultant interpretive hierarchical model helped decipher internal relationships among the antecedents. The proposed model helps determine how organizations move through different phases (before, during, and after) of turbulences and how organizational resilience helps overcome negative spirals.Originality/valueThis research is original and refreshing in its attempt to necessitate resilience as a processual characteristic needed to survive, thrive, and transform amidst business tensions. The hierarchical model of antecedents garners a better understanding of how their interactions and interdependencies help organizations enhance their capacity to adapt and build resilience in organizational systems and processes. It answers questions of “what,” “how,” and “why” relevant to theory building in OR.

Metaphors of communication professionals in higher education: between the trivial and significant

This study explores the evolving, however also “messy”, role of communication professionals in higher education institutions (HEIs), who are involved in organizational science communication. Despite substantial growth and professionalization within HEIs' communication departments, limited research delves into these professionals' own perspectives and their self-understanding. Our investigation employs a metaphors-in-use perspective, through 26 interviews in ten Scandinavian HEIs. The paper contributes to the research on organizational science communication by unraveling the metaphors used by communication professionals: the salesman, the marketplace-facilitator, the police, the missionary, the storyteller, and the overhead-cost, gaining an understanding of how communication professionals perceive their own role.

The other side of the coin: An integrative review connecting pay and health.

The organizational sciences have long been interested in the effects of various compensation strategies, and on enhancing employee health. Research examining the connection between pay and health, however, remains a relative rarity. The work that has been done is scattered across disparate disciplines and lacks a unified framework for systematically exploring the effects of pay on health. We argue that greater insecurity at work, as well as rising discontent over wages and work conditions, necessitates a richer understanding of the ways in which organizational pay affects employee psychological, physiological, and behavioral health. We first conduct a comprehensive review of existing research across a broad range of disciplines, taking note of the different ways that pay is conceptualized and the impact it has on employee health. We identify critical knowledge gaps in why and when pay is related to health, noting several disciplinary trends. Drawing on prominent theories of occupational health, we then build a theoretical framework that illustrates three mechanisms underlying the effect of pay on health. We further advance prior work by integrating allostatic load theory to explain how pay gets "under the skin" to affect health, while also identifying relevant moderators and boundary conditions. Taken together, our review integrates findings from a variety of disciplines and facilitates knowledge building across these fields to generate a more comprehensive understanding of the connection between pay and health. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Sarung dan Celana Panjang di Komunitas Nahdlatul Ulama: Perspektif Theory of Planned Behavior

Communication is an important aspect in every organization. Both between leaders and subordinates and vice versa, as well as from fellow members of the organization. The relationship between communication and organizational science is seen in how each individual influences the achievement of organizational goals. Nahdlatul Ulama as the largest community organization in Indonesia, requires good organizational communication in disseminating information to all levels of the organization. The aim of this research is to explain and analyze the statement by Gus Yahya as General Chair of PBNU regarding sarongs and trousers towards Syuriyah and Tanfidziyah ranks, which has an impact on the understanding of NU administrators in interpreting this statement. The research method used is descriptive qualitative, with analysis using the Theory of Planned Behavior approach, proposed by Icek Ajzen. The data collection techniques used in this research were interviews, observation, documentation and questionnaires. The results of this research, namely that the NU management interpreted Gus Yahya's statement as a distinction between Syuriyah and Tanfidziyah administrators, where Syuriyah is the highest leader of NU and Tanfidziyah is the executive of the organization.

Multivocal responses to conservation in Maluku province, Indonesia: Biocultural diversity, protest and management in a zone of ecological transition

The Moluccan islands of eastern Indonesia (Maluku) were amongst the last frontiers to be opened‐up for large‐scale resource extraction and economic development in modern times. The interventions of organized conservation science and local conservation activity are also recent. Yet the area has a complex economic history and historical ecology linked to the spice trade, which itself prompted early scholarly interest in its natural history. Conservation practice since 1980 is shown to be deeply embedded in local political events and cultural contexts, exhibiting a diversity of institutional forms and a 'cacophony' of community voices. We conclude that conservation research and interventions need to pay more attention to historical ecologies, biocultural linkages and distinctively local patterns of conservation activity.

Cultivating wiser service systems through communication

PurposeOur purpose is to offer the service research field a framework for cultivating wiser service systems via wise communication–which we define as “interactional activity that reflects and reifies the integrative, practical, and relational nature of organizations.”Design/methodology/approachWe draw on the Communicative Constitution of Organizations (CCO) theory to integrate insights and findings from three primary research fields – service, communication, and organizational science – to develop a framework for cultivating wiser service systems through wise communication.FindingsOur framework identifies three major components of wise communication: integrative, practical, and relational. These components require that wise communication be “holistic,” “dynamic,” and “constitutive” (the integrative component); “active,” “contextual,” and “pragmatic” (the practical component); and “compassionate,” “open-minded,” and “humble” (the relational component). We use illustrative examples from healthcare to show how these nine characteristics enable wise communication practices that facilitate wiser service systems.Practical implicationsOur framework provides helpful ways to organize and inspire insights into cultivating wiser systems. This framework identifies the theoretical components of wise communication and specific communicative actions that system members can implement to shape wiser service systems.Social implicationsWiser service systems are necessary to tackle humanity's complex social, economic, and environmental challenges.Originality/valueWe propose a novel framework for cultivating wiser systems centered on wise communication. This framework contributes new insights into theory and practice. The application of CCO theory to service systems is unique. Our article is also an early example of adding normative context to the CCO literature. While wisdom literature primarily focuses on aspects of individual wisdom, we broaden the wisdom literature to service systems.

ESPRIT adventure: Assessing hybrid fuzzy-crisp rule-based AI method effectiveness in teaching key performance indicators

Key performance indicators (KPIs) are a fundamental tool for understanding the outcomes of business policies. Teaching these indicators is conventionally accomplished through verbal lecturing using mathematical equations, accompanied by presentation graphics and tabular information representing the company's operational, financial, and strategic achievements. The conventional teaching method enables the student to understand what a KPI means and how it is calculated, however, it does not enable the student to understand easily how to interpret it. Here, a hybrid fuzzy-crisp rule-based AI system is presented and its effectiveness when applied with a group of management and organization students at the University of Belgrade, Faculty of Organizational Sciences, during the 2022/2023 academic year is evaluated. The potential of this tool is reflected in its ability to simulate adaptive and realistic business economic situations, its high interactivity and user-friendly interface, and intuitive graphical and tabular results that are easy to interpret enhanced with natural-language-inference-explanations. Univariate analysis along with some complementary statistical tests was used to examine students' satisfaction with the system and to distinguish between students who used the system, and students who attended conventional classes, both in terms of acquiring knowledge and retaining knowledge. In general, the results showed high students' satisfaction with the system. The scores obtained by the former group on the objective knowledge assessment test were on average significantly higher compared to those of the latter, proving the positive effect of the hybrid fuzzy-crisp rule-based AI teaching approach.

Security, Privacy, and Surveillance in Cyberspace: Organizational Science Concerns and Contributions

Security, Privacy, and Surveillance in Cyberspace: Organizational Science Concerns and Contributions

The chains of the past: A life course perspective on childhood adversity and organizational attitudes and behaviors.

Childhood adversity stains the past of millions of working adults worldwide. The impact on health and well-being is substantial-a now-acknowledged public health crisis. Yet, research in the organizational sciences has failed to recognize the burden that individuals with this difficult history carry with them into the workforce. By synthesizing an interdisciplinary body of scholarship into a cohesive theoretical framework, we provide a foundation for emerging work in occupational health psychology. Empirically, across two single-level multiwave studies, we demonstrate the importance of adversity in one's childhood and its impact on the workplace specifically showing that child adversity, directly and indirectly, impacts worker attitudes and discretionary behaviors. Further, providing one of the few examinations of stress proliferation theory in the workplace, we demonstrate adulthood adversity as an essential mediating mechanism that leads to these work outcomes. From an applied perspective, our results highlight a need to focus on the healing and recovery of adult survivors as they work toward breaking the chains of the past in their lives and at work. In presenting this life course perspective on organizational attitudes and behaviors, our work offers a unique and vital contribution to occupational health theory, practice, and research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Advancing Organizational Science With Computational Process Theories

Organizational scholars commonly refer to organizations as complex systems unfolding as a function of work processes. Consequently, the direct study of work processes necessitates our attention. However, organizational scholars tend not to study work processes directly. Instead, organizational scholars commonly develop theories about relationships among psychological construct phenomena that indirectly reference people’s affective, behavioral, cognitive, and/or social processes as underlying explanations. Specifically, construct-oriented theories summarize processes in operation across actors, time, and contexts, and thus, provide limited insights into how focal phenomena manifest directly as a function of process operations. Construct theories remain one-step removed from articulating sequences of actions and two-steps removed from describing generative mechanisms responsible for observed actions. By “missing the action,” construct theories offer incomplete explanatory accounts and imprecise interventions. We assert that researchers in organizational science can make progress towards addressing these concerns by directing greater attention to developing computational process theories. We begin by presenting a framework for differentiating theories based on their focus (constructs versus processes) and modality (narrative versus computational). We use the framework to contrast narrative construct theories to computational process theories. We then describe key design principles for developing computational process theories and explain those principles using a leadership example. We use simulated data, from the computational process model we develop, to explicitly demonstrate the differences between construct and process thinking. We then discuss how computational process theories advance theory development. We conclude with a discussion of the long-term benefits of computational process theories for organizational science.

Revising sense of community to understand typical and extremist virtual communities

Virtual communities are online groups organized around a shared interest within which members exchange information and socio-emotional support. Some virtual communities are positive (e.g., cancer support groups) or at least neutral (e.g., cooking groups). Others, like extremist virtual communities, focus on spreading misinformation and supporting violence. Theory and research have not adequately addressed the creation, maintenance, and face-to-face consequences of pro-social, neutral, or extremist virtual communities. One reason is because the research relies on a definition and model of sense of community for which empirical validation is deficient. Following examples in the organizational sciences and social psychology, I revise the sense of community construct to focus on its core meaning: literally, a person’s perception that a group is a community. Then using entitativity and social identity theories, I develop a new model of sense of community and propose theoretical boundaries (e.g., membership, identity, and self-categorization) to explain why prosocial and extremist virtual communities differ. I end with the challenges facing a research program studying extremist virtual communities.

How a project design becomes a macro-actor: laboratory simulations in trials of strength between competing bridge designs, project budgets and sustainability

PurposeThis paper shows how Bruno Latour’s novel work and methodological approach can enrich management and organization studies, accounting and science and technology studies on what it takes to redesign sustainable societal infrastructures. Latour’s notions of trials of strength, macro-actor and design as redesign are used in a case study to describe and analyse how the laboratory becomes decisive in negotiating the bridge design and project budget to the benefit of a more sustainable transport infrastructure.Design/methodology/approachLatour’s notion of the detective-author is used to research and write a longitudinal qualitative case study that reconstructs the project processes and chain of related events by following the actors/actants.FindingsThe case analysis shows how a project design becomes an emerging powerful macro-actor through the mobilization of laboratory simulations and calculations. The role of the project budget changes; from a strong supporting role as input to a decision option in favour of a cheaper stayed bridge to a weak role as an output from a process of redesign supporting a much larger, costlier and more sustainable suspension bridge.Originality/valueWe use Latour’s methodological approach to engage primarily in detailed process descriptions to go beyond the often-pointless call for further theory development and to rather account for what is at work in specific situations. Latour’s notions of redesign as an outcome from trials of strength, we consider a useful approach to further our understanding since it also takes account of the distributed knowledge production that is integral to the actors’ cognitions and recognitions. Relatedly, the specific Latourian notion of redesign opens up new avenues for researching the more or less powerful role accounting devices such as a project budget can play in valuing, supporting and/or undermining the design of sustainable societal infrastructures.