Organizational Embodiment Research Articles

Fostering security-related citizenship through the employee-supervisor relationship: An examination of supervisor security embodiment

Organizational information security performance is increasingly dependent on employees’ security-related citizenship behaviors that stretch beyond the scope of formal organizational prescription and control. Unfortunately, cultivating enactment of these valued behaviors has proven challenging for many companies. The literature has recognized workplace relationships as important determinants of behavioral security outcomes and extra-role security behaviors (ERBs) in particular. Taken further, an employee's relationship with the immediate supervisor is recognized as one of the most influential relational factors shaping a variety of workplace behaviors, including those related to security. Consistent with these notions, scholars have called for making the employee-supervisor relationship a more central component of behavioral security research and practice. Currently however, beyond recognition of this relationship's importance, the knowledge base is unclear about how it shapes ERB enactment. Because employees view supervisors as both organizational agents and as individuals in their own rights, this relationship has the potential to drive productive or counterproductive security behaviors, depending on how aligned the supervisor's security values are with those of the organization. Yet, the security literature has given surprisingly little consideration to the notion that employees can differ in the extent to which they perceive supervisors as embodying organizational information security values. Responding to this gap, the current study examines how employee-supervisor relations and perceived security-related value alignment between supervisors and the broader organization shape employees’ commitment to organizational information security and ultimately, ERB enactment. Grounded in the social identity theory of leadership (SITL), a research model is developed that positions high-quality employee-supervisor exchange as a direct antecedent of affective commitment to organizational information security, which then serves as a central intrinsic motivational mechanism driving ERB enactment. Further, rooted in SITL's principles on leader prototypicality and supervisor organizational embodiment, employee-perceived value alignment between the immediate supervisor and the organization as a whole—referred to here as supervisor security embodiment (SSE)—is introduced as a critical boundary condition influencing the extent to which employee-supervisor relations drive commitment. Results from model testing empirically demonstrate the value of SSE in explicating how this important relationship shapes workplace ERB enactment, through its influence on affective commitment to organizational information security performance.

How supervisor and coworker ostracism influence employee outcomes: the role of organizational dehumanization and organizational embodiment

PurposeThis research aims to investigate the mediating role of organizational dehumanization in the relationships between supervisor/coworker ostracism and employee outcomes (i.e., increased physical strains, decreased work engagement, increased turnover intentions). Moreover, this research explores the moderating role of supervisor’s organizational embodiment and coworkers’ organizational embodiment in these indirect relationships.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional study (N = 625) surveying employees from various organizations while using online questionnaires was conducted.FindingsResults highlighted that, when considered together, both supervisor ostracism and coworker ostracism are positively related to organizational dehumanization, which, in turn, detrimentally influences employees’ well-being (increased physical strains), attitudes (decreased work engagement) and behaviors (increased turnover intentions). Results further indicated that the indirect effects of supervisor ostracism on outcomes via organizational dehumanization were stronger when the supervisor was perceived as highly representative of the organization. However, the interactive effect between coworker ostracism and coworkers’ organizational embodiment on organizational dehumanization was not significant.Originality/valueThis research adds to theory by highlighting how and when supervisor and coworker ostracism relate to undesirable consequences for both employees and organizations. On top of simultaneously considering two sources of workplace ostracism (supervisor/coworkers), this research adds to extant literature by examining one underlying mechanism (i.e., organizational dehumanization) explaining their deleterious influence on outcomes. It further examines the circumstances (i.e., high organizational embodiment) in which victims of supervisor/coworker ostracism particularly rely on this experience to form organizational dehumanization perceptions.

A Conservative (R)Evolution? Constitutional–Political Crises, Trumpism, and Long-standing Trends of Conservative Transformations in the United States and Beyond

Starting from the most current developments in the legal and political processing of Donald J. Trump’s (post)presidency, this contribution highlights the persisting challenges to the constitutional, social, and political stability of democracy in the United States (U.S.). In particular, it outlines several dimensions of an enabling environment in which Trump(ism) could thrive. A key feature of this is the thorough and ever-growing asymmetry that has come to characterize the partisan political context in the United States and that directs our attention to the conservative side of the political spectrum: the Republican Party as its major organizational embodiment, as well as broader trends of conservative (trans)formation, including those related to the electorate, policies, institutions, civil society, and the media. Thus, this contribution underlines the importance of the multiple and often longer-term influences, conflicts, institutions, and conditions conducive to current developments, including, in particular, the range of actors that have been relevant in shaping them. Asymmetric polarization, economic inequality, and nationalist and anti-government (authoritarian–populist) tendencies and movements are among the factors that together pose the most serious threat to liberal democracy in the United States—and in “the West” more broadly. The introduction illustrates the importance of studying and reflecting upon the implications of the above trends, actors, and conditions for Germany and other European states, for transatlantic cooperation, and even for the global multilateral system as a whole. It concludes with an overview of the research articles in the special issue, outlining their individual as well as overlapping analytical interests and contributions.

Impact of e-leadership on organizational innovation performance: Role of employee followership

To investigate the influence of E-Leadership on organizational innovation performance (OIP), data from previous studies were analyzed, and a theoretical model containing E-Leadership, employee innovation behavior (EIB), followership, and OIP was constructed using the theoretical frameworks of the Supervisor's Organizational Embodiment (SOE) theory, social learning theory, and "social man" hypothesis. Subsequently, to investigate the interrelationships of E-Leadership, followership, and OIP, 372 questionnaire responses were collected from workers at representative Chinese foreign export enterprises, and data were analyzed using a manager–employee-matched design. Data analysis showed that: (1) The six dimensions of E-Leadership have a positive impact on OIP, (2) EIB mediates the effect of the six E-Leadership dimensions on OIP, and (3) The effects of E-Communication, E-Change, and E-Tech on EIB are negatively moderated by followership. Therefore, the findings suggest that organizations can improve innovation performance by improving managers' E-Leadership. At the same time, they should effectively influence employees' followership to prevent reductions in innovation behavior due to over-compliance with managers. This study not only provides a reference for enterprises to improve their OIP but also promotes theoretical research on E-Leadership.

Imagined publics – On the structural transformation of higher education and science. A post-Habermas perspective

Referring to Habermas’ groundbreaking book ‘The structural transformation of the public sphere’, the article discusses contemporary transformations of higher education and science. In order to do so, in a first step a post-Habermas perspective will be developed, which implies two changes to the theoretical foundations guiding Habermas’ analysis: On the one hand, we are in the midst of a social transformation that has led to a pluralization of the understandings of the public – that is, publics. The representation of society in society no longer finds a homogeneous form; it takes place only within the framework of different partial publics. These publics gain importance for different types of organizations (companies, public administrations, NGOs, etc.). This is where the second change to Habermas’ concept comes in because, on the other hand, from the perspective taken in this paper, such publics are constructs of the organizations themselves, that is, imagined publics. The fruitfulness of such a post-Habermas perspective on the public sphere will be illustrated by focusing on higher education and science. Universities as the organizational embodiment of higher education and science, not only represent a discursive space in the public sphere, but they are also increasingly transformed into strategically acting organizations that imagine and actively shape the publics that are relevant to them. Four examples will be used to present empirical observations that emerge from the theoretical perspective proposed here. These examples, however, require more in-depth investigations and only serve as illustrations for a new research agenda on ‘imagined publics’. In the end of this contribution, it is asked how far-reaching the discussed change processes towards universities as strategic organizations are, and what consequences result concerning a discursive and communicative understanding of universities.

Leader group prototypicality and supervisor's organizational embodiment: A response to critique

In a recent study, van Knippenberg and Lee concluded that supervisor's organizational embodiment (SOE) is another name for leader group prototypicality (LGP) and that given LGP's primacy in time and research presence, the field should forego the SOE label and refer to the construct as LGP. In a commentary on that study, Gonzales-Morales, Stinglhamber, Neves, and Becker criticized our conclusions. In this essay, we respond to their criticism. We agree that more evidence allows for stronger conclusions (one of their points of critique). Most of their critique, however, is grounded in misrepresentation of the social identity theory of leadership, the research concerning the theory, and the publication history of LGP and SOE. We conclude that the van Knippenberg and Lee conclusions stand as strong as before.

Comment on van Knippenberg and Lee (2023): SOE is walking the talk of the organization

In issue 1 of 2023 of this journal, van Knippenberg and Lee argued that leader group prototypicality (LGP) and supervisor's organizational embodiment (SOE) are redundant constructs. With this commentary, we provide a historical timeline about the conceptualization of SOE within organizational support theory to explain the lack of construct redundancy at the theoretical level. We offer the metaphor of SOE as the supervisor “ walking the talk of the organization.” In contrast, LGP is a construct developed using Social Identity Theory that refers to the leader “ walking like other organizational members walk.” We offer alternative explanations to the redundancy arguments and evidence presented by van Knippenberg and Lee. We suggest that given the untested construct validity and reliability of both SOE and LGP operationalizations, using a single sample of cross-sectional self-report data is an incomplete methodological approach to provide empirical evidence and make theoretical-level decisions about construct redundancy. We conclude by providing some preliminary ideas that may help address the construct operationalization confusion in future research.

Agreeable Supervisors Promoting the Organization – Implications for Employee Commitment and Retention

Abstract. Through two studies, we examine the importance of supervisor promotion of the organization (SPO) for employee commitment and retention. Study 1 ( N = 910) found SPO to be distinguishable from supervisor’s organizational embodiment, perceived supervisor support, perceived organizational support, and supervisor vision and to interact with perceived supervisor agreeableness to predict employee affective commitment. Using time-lagged data, Study 2 ( N = 272) found SPO to be indirectly related to turnover via employee affective commitment and this relation to be stronger at high perceived supervisor agreeableness. These findings indicate that SPO can help reduce employee turnover but that organizations would be well advised to encourage supervisors to act agreeably with subordinates or hire and promote supervisors who do so.

Supervisor's organizational embodiment is leader group prototypicality: Addressing construct redundancy through replication

The core concept in the social identity theory of leadership is leader group prototypicality (LGP), the perception that the leader is representative of a shared group (team, organization) identity. The theory was proposed in the 1990s and inspired a body of research that established the theory as well-supported. We argue that the 2010 construct of supervisor's organizational embodiment (SOE) captures the same construct as LGP. The use of different labels for the same construct is an impediment to the development of broad-ranging theory. It is therefore important to empirically establish whether SOE can indeed be seen as another name for LGP. We address this issue through replication tests, establishing that core LGP findings and core SOE findings replicate with both LGP and SOE measurement, as well as by showing that LGP and SOE items represent the same underlying factor. We discuss how recognizing that SOE is another name for LGP allows for the integration of two separate streams of research. We also propose referring to the construct of interest exclusively as LGP and forgoing the SOE label that was proposed after LGP was already established in the literature.

Leadership Styles and Innovative Work Behaviour: Mediated Moderation of Organizational Embodiment and Engagement

Leadership Styles and Innovative Work Behaviour: Mediated Moderation of Organizational Embodiment and Engagement

From Subordinate Moqi to Work Engagement: The Role of Leader–Member Exchange in the Sustainability Context

In search of sustainable strategies to improve employees’ work engagement without harming their long-term performance in the VUCA era, this study examines the impact path of subordinate moqi on employees’ work engagement based on leader–member exchange theory and organizational support theory. A total of 322 R&D staff from high-tech enterprises in Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, and other cities participated in the study. The data analysis reveals that the leader–member exchange partially mediates between subordinate moqi and work engagement. Moreover, both supervisor’s organizational embodiment and perceived organizational support can positively moderate the impact of subordinate moqi on leader–member exchange. The empirical results enrich the intermediary mechanism between subordinate moqi and work engagement. Employees with subordinate moqi have better chances of meeting their supervisors’ implicit expectations, leading to a higher relationship quality with followers and increasing enthusiasm for work. The current study clarifies the theoretical and practical significance of subordinate moqi in establishing high-quality work relationships and sustainable development of organizations’ human resources.

Polychronicity, job performance, and work engagement: The mediating role of supervisor’s organizational embodiment and moderation of psychological ownership

Polychronicity, job performance, and work engagement: The mediating role of supervisor’s organizational embodiment and moderation of psychological ownership

High performance work systems and perceived organizational support: The contribution of human resource department's organizational embodiment

AbstractIntegrating the literatures on strategic human resource management and organizational support theory, we examine the cross‐level relationship between high performance work systems (HPWS) at the team‐level and individual perceptions of organizational support (i.e., POS). In addition, we introduce a critical boundary condition, the HR department's organizational embodiment (HROE), which involves the extent to which employees identify the HR department with the organization. We propose that the cross‐level HPWS–POS relationship is moderated by HROE, such that the linkage between HPWS and POS is stronger when HROE is high. With a sample of 103 teams and 399 employees in South Korea, we find that HPWS utilization increases POS and that this relationship is stronger when HROE is high. We also find that HR department status and the favorable attitude of the HR head are antecedents to HROE. These findings suggest that HROE is a critical boundary condition for the relationship between HPWS and POS with subsequent effects on organizational commitment and job satisfaction.

Linking Leader-Member Exchange Ambivalence and Presenteeism: A Moderated Mediation Model

Presenteeism, referring to attending work while ill, has become a prevalent phenomenon in recent years. Although previous research has identified a range of predictors of presenteeism, it remains less known about its potential social antecedent. Drawing on self-consistency theory, this study examined the mediating role of organization-based self-esteem between leader-member exchange ambivalence and presenteeism as well as the moderating role of supervisor’s organizational embodiment. To test the proposed model, we collected data in a sample of 370 employees across three waves in time. The results supported the indirect effect of leader-member change ambivalence on presenteeism via organization-based self-esteem and this indirect effect was only significant when supervisor’s organizational embodiment was high. We discussed the theoretical and practical implications as well as future research directions. We hope our findings can stimulate more future research on the social perspective of presenteeism.

What are the odds of burnt‐out risk and leaving the job? Turnover intent consequences of worker burnout using a two sample New Zealand study

AbstractJob burnout is a pressing issue for organizations, and this study explores the new Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT), which provides a robust calculation of burnt‐out risk. Next, the odds of high turnover intentions from burnt‐out risk are calculated using two samples: (1) N = 709 employees and (2) N = 313 managers. Analysis shows the odds of burnt‐out risk are higher for managers (17%) than employees (8%). High burnt‐out risk in employees shows a 47% likelihood of high turnover intent versus 13% for employees with nonburnt‐out risk. High burnt‐out risk in managers shows a 51% likelihood of high turnover intent versus 12% for managers with nonburnt‐out risk. Furthermore, moderating effects of supervisor organizational embodiment were found to interact with burnt‐out risk for employees only, showing the highest turnover intent when embodiment is high, reflecting the potential backlash against the organization.

Supervisory Justice and Organization Target Behavior

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of supervisory justice on organizational citizenship behavior towards the organization(OCBO) and counterproductive work behavior towards the organization (CWBO), and their psychological mechanism based on the concept of identification and multifoci justice. Specifically, we assumed that supervisory justice has a significant relationship with OCBO and CWBO, and also that this relationship is mediated by supervisory identification and organizational identification. Finally, we expected that supervisor’s organizational embodiment moderates the indirect effect of supervisory justice through organizational identification. The results showed supervisory justice has a significant positive relationship with OCBO and no significant relationship with CWBO. Also, when supervisory identification mediates the relationship of supervisory justice with OCBO and CWBO, supervisory justice has a significant indirect positive relationship with OCBO but no significant relationship with CWBO. On the other hand, when organizational identification mediates, supervisory justice has a significant indirect positive relationship with OCBO and a significant indirect negative relationship with CWBO. Finally, the supervisor’s organizational embodiment moderates the relationship of supervisory justice with OCBO and CWBO, based on the mediation of organizational identification. Specifically, the mediation effect for OCBO was strengthened positively, and the meditation effect for CWBO was strengthened negatively. The results of this study showed a differential effect according to the object in which identification is formed in the process of transferring supervisory justice to behavior toward the organization. Based on these results, we presented the implication and limitations of this study.

A trickle-down model of organizational embodiment and the impact of supervisor neuroticism

AbstractThe majority of supervisor organizational embodiment (SOE) research has focused on its role as an important boundary condition in the context of leadership and management studies. In a multi-source field study, we seek to extend this research stream by examining an antecedent and outcome of SOE. Specifically, we leverage social cognitive theory to develop and test a trickle-down model of organizational embodiment across three organizational levels (i.e., upper-level managers, middle-level supervisors, and lower-level employees). Subsequently, we propose and demonstrate that manager organizational embodiment (MOE) trickles down and positively impacts SOE. In turn, SOE trickles down and positively impacts employee organizational embodiment. Furthermore, supervisor neuroticism strengthens the relationship between MOE and SOE when supervisor neuroticism is relatively high compared to relatively low. The findings provide evidence for a trickle-down model of organizational embodiment. Theoretical contributions, practical implications, and future research are discussed.

Source-Target Misalignment in Employees’ Destructive Voice Responses to Perceived Organizational and Supervisor Unfairness

Working people differentiate between their relationships with their organizations and their relationships with their supervisors. To better understand how these simultaneous relationships influence each other, we examined the effects of organizational unfairness on subordinates’ supervisor-directed destructive voice behaviors, as well as the effects of supervisor unfairness on subordinates’ organization-directed destructive voice behaviors. We examined supervisor organizational embodiment as a boundary condition and perceived obstruction as a mediating mechanism within these relationships. We tested the hypothesized model with an online survey study and an experimental vignette study. Study 1 indicated that organizational unfairness was positively and indirectly related to supervisor-directed destructive voice through perceived supervisor obstruction when supervisor organizational embodiment was higher rather than lower. Study 2 indicated that supervisor unfairness was positively and indirectly related to organization-directed destructive voice through perceived organizational obstruction when supervisor organizational embodiment was higher rather than lower. Although study results differed in the observed significance of organization-to-supervisor and supervisor-to-organization effects, together they demonstrate the importance of controlling for source-target aligned relationships when examining source-target misaligned effects, and extend source-target misalignment research by examining the effect of supervisor organizational embodiment as a moderator of misaligned supervisor- and organization-directed workplace unfairness perceptions and destructive voice behaviors.

Why and when does inclusive leadership evoke employee negative feedback-seeking behavior?

Why and when do employees respond to inclusive leadership by actively seeking negative feedback from their leaders? Beyond the perspectives proposed in previous studies, we offer a new angle based on a social identity perspective and propose that inclusive leadership increases employees' negative feedback-seeking behavior (NFSB) by facilitating employees' organizational identification. We also theorize that employees' supervisor organizational embodiment (SOE) influences the extent to which employees identify with the organization, which in turn triggers their NFSB. The results from a three-wave survey study conducted in China showed that inclusive leadership fostered employees' organizational identification, thereby facilitating employees' NFSB, and that the effect of inclusive leadership was stronger when employees’ SOE was higher. Our findings provide implications in theory and practice.

Influence of Environmentally Specific Transformational Leadership on Employees’ Green Innovation Behavior—A Moderated Mediation Model

Ecological environment issues put forward higher requirements for enterprises to undertake environmental responsibility. Therefore, how to encourage employees’ green innovation behavior (EGIB) is of great significance for enterprises to practice green development. Based on the social exchange theory, this study constructs a moderating mediation model to explain the influence of environmentally specific transformational leadership (ESTL) on EGIB, in which green organization identity (GOI) and environmental commitment (EC) are used as mediators and the supervisor’s organizational embodiment (SOE) is used as a moderator. Data collected from 297 employees of the manufacturing industry in China are used for empirical analysis. Results show that (a) ESTL positively affects EGIB, (b) both GOI and EC mediate the positive relationship between ESTL and EGIB, (c) the path of GOI—EC mediates the positive relationship between ESTL and EGIB, and (d) SOE positively moderates the indirect effect of ESTL on EGIB through GOI and EC, and SOE moderates the indirect effect of ESTL on EGIB through the path of GOI—EC. Theoretical contributions, practical implications, and future research are also discussed.