Positive Employee Outcomes Research Articles

Trust in leader and positive employee outcomes: To transform or to serve in cross-cultural leadership

Considering the potential impacts of context-specific value systems in individuals’ perceptions of phenomena, this study seeks to investigate whether and how cultural differences could influence the effectiveness of leadership styles in establishing trust and positive employee outcomes (PEOs) as well as the relationships between such outcomes based on the GLOBE project. The sample consisted of 1647 valid responses from 128 independent hotels’ employees in four countries from two GLOBE clusters (Anglo and South Asia). Multilevel structural equation modelling has been used for the analysis. Significant but different relationships were found between Servant Leadership and Transformational Leadership with Trust, and PEOs in the two clusters, which could be potentially attributed to societal and contextual factors as a deeper layer mechanism. Our findings have significant implications for both academics and hotel managers in terms of the critical role of alignment between context-specific contingencies and the selected leadership style in establishing trust and PEOs.

Role of workforce analytics in fulfillment experience of employees through work volition

Purpose Labor process theory explains that employers prefer technology and systems over employees for efficiency gains. However, the mechanisms explaining the influence of technology and systems on different work-related employee outcomes are still a question mark. The purpose of this study is to test a mediation mechanism explaining how workforce analytics influence the work fulfillment experience of employees through work volition. Design/methodology/approach This study collected dyadic data from 55 HR managers and 350 employees serving in 55 different subsidiaries of Multinational Corporations in Pakistan. Findings The statistical results demonstrate that workforce analytics negatively affect fulfillment at work. However, work volition may reduce the negative relationship between workforce analytics and fulfillment at work. This study also found a significant but negative relationship between work volition and fulfillment at work. Originality/value This study found that integrating the use of workforce analytics with the work volition of employees is critical for positive employee outcomes.

Seeing the Forest for the Trees: The role of Growth-Oriented Leadership in Shaping Public Servants’ Work Experiences in the Post-NPM Environment

In recent years, growth-oriented leadership (GOL) has come to the fore as a salient predictor of positive employee outcomes in public sector contexts. This empirical paper examines the role of GOL in shaping perceptions of quantitative demands as a product of an evolved New Public Management (NPM) context and the subsequent impact on stress and well-being for 419 local government employees working in Western Australia. While latent in previous GOL-oriented studies, this paper is the first to explore the intersection of GOL and quantitative demands, noting that the former has an established positive effect on employee wellbeing, and the opposite case for the latter. Drawing on the challenge-hindrance framework, this article argues that GOL helps to shape employees’ primary appraisals of demands as challenges, rather than hindrances, in the post-NPM environment. The results indicate strong, direct negative relationships linking GOL with quantitative demands and stress, and a strong positive relationship between GOL and well-being. This study establishes GOL as a relevant capability for public leaders in supporting employees to deal effectively with public service demands and subsequently grow. Understanding how leadership capability, and particularly GOL, can shape the employee experience is important in ensuring the effective delivery of public services.

Motivating Filipino Generation Z employees at work: enablers and outcomes

PurposeThis research focused on exploring factors that engender the work motivation of Gen Z employees and determined whether these factors affected their job satisfaction, engagement and affective commitment to their organizations.Design/methodology/approachThe study employed a sequential mixed-methods approach, starting with 40 qualitative interviews to determine the work motivation factors of Gen Z employees. Findings of the qualitative study were then validated through an online survey that gathered data from 132 Gen Z employees. The quantitative study tested a model that relates factors that contribute to the motivation of Gen Z and positive employee outcomes – affective commitment, job satisfaction and work engagement.FindingsSeveral factors were found as contributors to the work motivation of Gen Z employees: learning and development, family, impact on others and society, passion and enjoyment, financial security, ability to provide for oneself, personal achievement and self-rewards. The result of the structural equation modeling showed that the presence of motivating factors at work is a significant predictor of the outcome variables. Moreover, affective commitment was also found to partially mediate the relationship between the motivating factors and outcome variables – job satisfaction and work engagement.Originality/valueThis study addresses the dearth of empirical studies on factors that motivate Gen Z employees (the youngest employee cohort that recently joined the workforce) and how these contribute to positive work outcomes. Findings may help organizations curate their human resources management programs to attract, engage and motivate their Gen Z employees.

Fostering Employee Support for Corporate Social Advocacy (CSA) Through Dialogic Internal Communication and Transformational Leadership

ABSTRACT This study advocates an integrative, inside-out approach to Corporate Social Advocacy (CSA), emphasizing the development of robust internal support among employees. It identifies dialogic internal communication (focusing on mutuality and openness) and transformational leadership as key factors, examining their effects on enhancing employees’ advocacy intentions, supportive communication intentions toward the company (positive megaphoning), and trust. These factors were hypothesized to influence employee-related outcomes both directly and indirectly through employee-organization identification. A nationwide online survey with full-time employees was conducted. The findings indicate that dialogic internal communication strengthens employees’ organizational identification, advocacy intentions, positive megaphoning, and trust in the organization. Additionally, transformational leadership positively impacts organizational identification, positive megaphoning, and trust. A significant mediating role of enhanced employee-organization identification was observed. Dialogic communication demonstrated a more substantial impact than transformational leadership in fostering positive employee outcomes. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.

How does green human resource management foster employees’ environmental commitment: A sequential mediation analysis

Drawing on the social identity theory, this study aims to examine the impact of organizational pride and organizational identification as sequential mediators in the association between green HRM and employee environmental commitment. The study extended prior research by incorporating the sequential mediators of organizational pride and organizational identification. The researchers gathered data from 267 employees of telecommunications companies in Pakistan. They used Smart PLS software version 3.0 to carry out partial least squares structural equation modeling to verify the hypotheses. The results indicate that green HRM leads to organizational pride, which, in turn, leads to increased organizational identification and, consequently, enhances environmental commitment. The findings hold significant value to practitioners and HR managers striving to develop HR practices that support sustainability, contribute to a culture of environmental responsibility, and lead to positive green outcomes for employees.

Mediating roles of meaning in life and psychological flexibility in the relationships between occupational stress and job satisfaction, job performance, and psychological distress in teachers.

Employees may experience stress in the workplace for various reasons. Psychological strengths may help them to cope with emerging challenges and foster mental health and work productivity. This study examined the mediating roles of meaning in life and psychological flexibility in the relationships between perceived occupational stress and job satisfaction, job performance and psychological distress. This cross-section study included 554 teachers (56.0% males; Mage = 36.99 ± 7.88 years) at all school levels in Türkiye. The research data was collected through a convenience sampling method using an online survey. Participants completed self-report measures of meaning in life, psychological flexibility, perceived occupational stress, job satisfaction, job performance, and psychological distress. Pearson product-moment correlation and parallel mediation model using PROCESS macro (Model 4) were utilized to analyze the data. The results showed that perceived occupational stress had a significant effect on meaning in life, psychological flexibility, job satisfaction, job performance, and psychological distress. Also, meaning in life and psychological flexibility had significant effects on job satisfaction, job performance, and psychological distress. Furthermore, meaning in life and psychological flexibility partially mediated the relationships between occupational stress and job satisfaction, job performance, and psychological distress. These findings highlight the significance of considering meaning in life and psychological flexibility as crucial factors in mitigating the impact of occupational stress on employee mental health and work productivity. By focusing on enhancing employees' sense of meaning and their ability to adapt flexibly to workplace challenges, organizations can potentially create a better environment that fosters positive outcomes for both employees and the organization. However, the impact of occupational stress on job performance, job satisfaction and psychological distress may change over time. To address this concern, future research should test the model through a longitudinal study design.

Beyond the Social Mission: How Social Responsibility in Nonprofit Organizations May Stimulate Positive Employee Outcomes

Beyond the Social Mission: How Social Responsibility in Nonprofit Organizations May Stimulate Positive Employee Outcomes

Is humility in leadership a promoter of employee voice? A moderated mediation model

PurposeIn this study, we provide a better understanding of the role of leader humility in employee voice by examining simultaneously the mediating role of intention to share knowledge and the moderating role of organizational tenure. Design/methodologyWe developed and tested a mediated moderation model. The study hypotheses were tested with partial least squares structural equation modeling techniques. FindingsResults from 309 medical representatives supported the study hypotheses, indicating that leader humility is related to employee voice via intention to share knowledge, and this relationship is stronger for shorter-tenured employees than for longer-tenured ones. The study also provides implications for both theory and practice. Practical implicationsThe study provides empirical evidence in support of the positive effect of leader humility on employee voice. Therefore, we suggest that executive administration should pay particular attention to promoting humility in leadership to appropriately manage extra-role behavior such as employee voice. OriginalityRecently, leader humility has attracted scholarly attention in organization studies. It is considered a key antecedent of employees’ extra-role behavior and a contextual factor that is associated with many positive employee and organizational outcomes.

Examining the moderating role of data literacy in the relationship between human resource analytics and employee innovative behavior

The practical application of business data analytics in human resource (HR) management activities is still limited and underutilized. The primary reason for this is the requirement for more analytical skills, which can be acquired through data literacy. These skills are necessary to ensure obtaining the potential benefits of human resource analytics linked to desired positive employee outcomes, such as fostering innovative behavior. To address this issue, this quantitative study has been conducted to delve into the prospective moderating role of data literacy in the interaction between human resource analytics and employees’ innovative behavior. The core objective of this study is to examine whether human resource professionals’ data literacy level significantly impacts the correlation between human resource analytics and the inclination of employees towards innovative behavior. A sample of 250 HR specialists from large companies in Jordan has been used to address this inquiry. A correlational-predictive design has been used in this study. Regression analysis using the SPSS macro-PROCESS software has been utilized to address the study hypotheses. The study reveals a positive connection between HR analytics and employees’ innovative behavior. Moreover, it uncovers a noteworthy moderating influence of data literacy on this association. These findings suggest that heightened data analysis proficiency among HR professionals amplifies the potential benefits derived from analytics, thereby enhancing employees’ innovative capabilities. As a result, the research suggests that companies upgrade their technical infrastructure for HR functions and concurrently utilize data analytics for informed HR decisions. Further, these insights do serve as necessary inputs in understanding HR analytics and their implications for prudent business strategy. In view of this dynamic nature of HR analytics, the contributions made by the study are immensely valuable; hence, further exploration is needed to fill in gaps within existing knowledge.

Pay discrimination litigation: Lessons learned

Orientation: We investigated the reasons for success or failure of pay discrimination claims in South Africa.Research purpose: To learn from reasons for judgements in equal pay litigation to clarify pertinent legal concepts and principles related to equal pay, towards improved pay practices.Motivation of the study: To clarify the concepts of justifiable and unfair pay discrimination. To make recommendations preventing unnecessary breakdown of the employer-employee relationship, curtailing unproductive pay discrimination legal action.Research approach/design and method: Content analysis was used to categorise the reasons for the success or failure of 22 pay discrimination litigation cases brought before the CCMA, Labour Courts, and the Labour Appeal Court (1999–2020). Cases were examined prior to and after amendments Section 6(4), of the Employment Equity Amendment Act 47 of 2013.Main findings: Contrary to the expectation of more positive outcomes for employees after changes to the EEA came into effect, 21 out of 22 cases were unsuccessful. Legal reasons are detailed in the findings. Claimants were from the lower income bands. Case arguments often misguided. Union representation seems ineffectual.Practical/managerial implications: There is a lack of understanding of the requirements to argue unfair pay discrimination before a court. Organisations should mediate in cases where employees claim unfair discrimination, to prevent the irretrievable breakdown or the employer–employee relationship resulting in litigation. Organisations should refrain form intentional or unintentional unfair discrimination.Contribution/value-add: This study demonstrates that employees and their representatives lack knowledge of pay discrimination legislation. We provide explanation of pertinent concepts and principles when judging the merits of a pay discrimination case.

The effect of spiritual leadership on proactive customer service performance: The roles of psychological empowerment and power distance

Scholars have consistently demonstrated that spiritual leadership yields positive outcomes for employees. However, it is not clear how spiritual leadership influences proactive customer service performance. The purpose of this research is to develop a model, grounded in social cognitive theory, to identify why and when spiritual leadership promotes proactive customer service performance. Specifically, the focus is on how spiritual leadership through employee psychological empowerment facilitates proactive customer service performance under the condition of power distance. The empirical analysis, conducted through regression analysis using the PROCESS macro, is based on questionnaire data from 263 leaders and employees in the hospitality industry. Findings reveal that spiritual leadership has a positive effect on boosting employees’ psychological empowerment, subsequently nurturing their engagement in proactive customer service performance. Moreover, it is found that within an environment of low power distance, the favorable impact of spiritual leadership on proactive customer service performance is amplified, as employees are more inclined to challenge authority and norms and engage in proactively solving problems related to customer service. Key implications suggest scholars and managers ways to enhance proactive customer service performance.

How Does Workplace Gossip Benefit Gossip Actors? The Impact of Workplace Gossip on Power and Voluntary Turnover

Although workplace gossip is ubiquitous, more scholarship is needed to determine how employees may use gossip to attain valuable social resources at work—namely, their experience of power. Drawing from the gossip literature and research on power in the workplace, we identify proximal (i.e., increased power accrual) and distal (i.e., diminished voluntary turnover) positive outcomes for employees enacting negative and positive gossip about the organization at work. Using a sample of 338 nurses, we found that positive workplace gossip about the organization increases expert power. Our analysis further revealed that positive workplace gossip about the organization had a negative indirect effect on the voluntary turnover of gossip actors via their expert power. Our findings contribute to the organizational literature on the benefits of gossip to actors and serve to further enrich the emerging literature which has considered the relationship between power and turnover. An important implication of our research is that organizations need to recognize the dynamics of organization-directed gossip and its potential to serve as a source of social power for employees and a retention driver for those who accrue power in expertise.

Relationships of HRM Functions, Chinese Culture and Employee Outcomes in Privately-owned SMEs in China

Purpose: This research investigates the role of selected human resource management (HRM) functions and the influence of Chinese culture on employee outcomes in privately-owned small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in China.
 Design/Methodology/Approach: The study utilized a descriptive quantitative approach, in which a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire has been used during data collection. The research employs a regression model to analyze the relationship between selected HRM functions and employee outcomes using a sample of 308 respondents. The collected data were then analyzed using SPSS and the regression model to test the hypotheses.
 Findings: The results indicate that HRM functions, such as recruitment, performance management, reward management, learning and development, and HR planning, significantly contribute to positive employee outcomes. Interestingly, the study finds that Chinese culture moderates the connection between HRM functions and employee outcomes, thus emphasizing the importance of cultural factors in HRM strategies.
 Implications/Originality/Value: This study has added value to management literature and offers few practical managerial implications. It also provides valuable insights for SMEs in China, highlighting the necessity for culturally tailored HRM functions to achieve better employee outcomes.

Unravelling the interplay of authentic leadership, emotional intelligence, cultural intelligence and psychological well-being

Orientation: Organisations are met with many challenges specifically effective leadership of employees. The role of authentic leadership (AL) in the relationship between emotional intelligence (EQ), cultural intelligence (CQ), and psychological well-being (PWB) can add valuable insights to organisations.Research purpose: The study’s focus was to understand the relationships between EQ, AL, CQ, and PWB. Furthermore, it sought to explore the mediating effect AL has in the proposed model.Motivation for the study: Developing well-rounded leaders and managers to adopt an AL style, can increase positive outcomes for employees and organisations.Research approach/design and method: A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was used to collect the data from a sample of 279 managers in South African organisations. The study employed structural equation modelling (SEM) to analyse the data and test hypotheses.Main findings: The study’s findings indicated that the proposed model fit well and showed positive connections between AL, EQ, CQ, and PWB. Additionally, the research revealed that AL played a mediating role in the relationships between EQ, CQ, and PWB.Practical/managerial implications: The findings showed that employing an AL style in the workplace can be strengthened by the development of EQ, CQ, and PWB practices and interventions.Contribution/value-add: This study contributes to the deeper understanding of the integrative connections between AL, EQ, CQ, and PWB for managers.

Corporate social responsibility and employee outcomes: considering employee perspectives on the role of business

PurposeThis study aims to investigate how employee perspectives on the role of business, specifically capitalist beliefs, affect the corporate social responsibility (CSR)–reputation–employee behavior relationship.Design/methodology/approachA conceptual model was developed, and to test the model empirically, survey data were collected over two phases from 192 working professionals. Data were analyzed in SAS using Hayes’s PROCESS approach.FindingsResults of this study reveal that the positive employee outcomes (i.e. affective commitment and reduced turnover intentions), resulting from CSR, through perceived employer reputation (i.e. an employee’s perception of how others view their firm), are diminished when employees have strong capitalist beliefs.Research limitations/implicationsBuilding on the signaling and person–organization fit literatures, this study highlights the theoretical and managerial importance of recognizing employees’ ideological differences as well as the value of considering employee perceptions of reputation. Although many stakeholders value social responsibility, not all do, and a firm’s intended outcomes will vary depending on employees’ beliefs.Originality/valueThis study demonstrates that CSR not only affects institutional-level corporate reputation, as previously studied, but also affects employees’ behaviors through “perceived employer reputation”, or employee beliefs about how other stakeholders perceive the firm. Moreover, this study highlights the importance of understanding employee differences, including ideological differences, prior to engaging in certain types of CSR.

What makes you proactive can burn you out: The downside of proactive skill building motivated by financial precarity and fear.

Proactivity at work is generally assumed to be preceded by positive motivational states with positive outcomes for employees. However, recent perspectives suggest downsides to proactive behavior, including that it can be driven by negative emotions or experienced as depleting for employees. Bringing these previously disconnected ideas together, we utilize cognitive-motivational-relational and self-determination theories to holistically examine the negative antecedents of proactivity and its outcomes. We argue that employees, particularly those with high impression management motives, experience burnout when financial precarity and fear drive them to proactively learn new skills. We test and show support for these hypotheses in a four-wave study of 1,315 university employees during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, an external event that threatened employees' financial security. Theoretically, our findings broaden our understanding of the antecedents and consequences of proactivity, while expanding the role of fear at work beyond "flight" responses to include motivating protective effort. Practically, our findings help to understand both how employees proactively develop their skills in light of financial precarity and how these proactive efforts are experienced as depleting. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Creating meaningful work for employees: The role of inclusive leadership

AbstractMeaningfulness is a fundamental psychological need and can result in numerous positive outcomes for employees and organizations. However, little is known about how inclusive leadership can promote employees' sense of meaningful work. Drawing upon self‐determination theory, we posit that inclusive leadership enhances meaningful work through creating psychological safety and fostering learning from errors. Inclusive leadership improves work meaningfulness as it contributes to better job attributes. Study hypotheses were tested using a multiple‐study research design, including a two‐wave field study of 317 full‐time employees (Study 1) and a randomized experimental vignette methodology with 440 participants (Study 2). Findings from both studies support the hypothesized mediation model and suggest that inclusive leaders enhance employees' meaningful work mediated through psychological safety and learning from errors.

Exploratory Study Work Place Ostracism and Counter Productive Work Behavior among Nurses a. A Qualitative Exploratory Study

Background: Human capital is the vital resource of any organization. The perceived inclusion of employees within the organization leads to positive employee outcomes such as psychological health, job satisfaction, commitment, and productivity. Whereas, on the other hand employee’s exclusion or ignorance at workplace, gives rise to negative employee outcomes in the form of counter productive work behavior. In the last decade, the concept of workplace mistreatment became the center of attention in health care research in general and specifically in Pakistan. Objectives: The aims and objective of current study was to explore the perception of nurses regarding workplace ostracism and counterproductive work behaviors at tertiary health care sector. Study Design: A qualitative descriptive design was used for this study. Methodology: A qualitative approach was adopted, and 12 semi-structured interviews from the staff nurses from tertiary health care hospital were conducted. The transcribed interviews were coded, and an inductive thematic analysis was used to generate themes and sub-themes. Place and Duration: Present study was conducted in Allied Hospital, Faisalabad from March 2022 to June 2022. Results: The study findings depicted six behaviors, i.e. biased treatment, exclusion from formal and informal interactions, interpersonal alienation, delayed sharing or hiding of knowledge, lack of work-related, social and emotional support constituted the acts of workplace ostracism in hospital setting. The psychological well-being of nurses suffered in terms of negative emotions, reduced job, career and life satisfaction in their work and family life. There is more negative outcome of workplace ostracism as compare to positive one. This negative outcome regards as counterproductive work behavior and in depth, exploration reveals its meaning, causes and consequences on both individual and organizations. Practical Implications: This exploratory study focuses on workplace ostracism and counterproductive work behavior among nurses in a tertiary healthcare setting. The study highlights the negative impact of workplace ostracism on the psychological well-being and work-related outcomes of nurses, and emphasizes the need for creating inclusive work environments that promote positive employee outcomes. Conclusion: This study found six exclusionary behaviors, i.e. biased treatment, exclusion from formal and informal interaction, interpersonal alienation, delayed sharing or hiding of knowledge, lack of work related, social and emotional support that constituted the acts of ostracism in health sector. In addition, this study also explores the causes of ostracism as jealousy, envy, ethnic, political and union discrimination. Besides, it was found that workplace ostracism. Keywords: Workplace ostracism, Counterproductive work behavior, Nurses, Psychological well-being, qualitative, Contextual factors.

Does Healthy Living Matter to Work Outcomes? Effects of Exercise and Health Conscious Identity on Employee Job Performance and Life Satisfaction

Organizational behavior and human resource management scholarship and practice is interested in positive employee outcomes. Even though research has examined a host of work factors ranging from personality and emotions to leadership and culture, it is not clear how factors outside of work such as lifestyle influence employee performance and satisfaction. We develop theory on health conscious identity as it affect important work outcomes. We draw on emerging societal trends to outline how exercise affect employee job performance and life satisfaction. We also contend that health conscious identity has positive effect on employee job performance and life satisfaction. Our study integrates facets such as media influence, pandemic effect, and recommendations from health authorities with conventional issues of employee attitude, behavior, and well-being. Data from 280 employees and 58 supervisors supported the hypothesized relationships. We discuss implications on organizational practices in the emerging work order and suggest future research directions.