Top Management Research Articles

Professional burnout among expert physicians, patient-focused care, and trust in top management: Moving forward.

Professional burnout in physicians is perceived as an inevitable occupational hazard inhibiting patient-focused care, the preferred approach of care, which enhances satisfaction of physicians with their work and improves clinical outcomes. Burnout jeopardizes the physical, mental, and emotional health of physicians, inhibiting high-quality care. Most individual-driven interventions and job-level interventions to reduce burnout proved inefficient or reduced burnout for only a short term. The potential of organizational processes to reduce burnout was acknowledged but is yet to be empirically tested. Drawing on social exchange theory, this study investigates the role of an organizational phenomenon, organizational trust among physicians in top management, on burnout. Data were collected across specialties in 10 out of 20 Israeli public general hospitals. The sample comprised 798 senior expert physicians. Measures were all previously published. Structural equation modeling was performed. Response rates ranged from 17% to 77% across the 10 hospitals. Mean burnout was 4.7 (SD = 0.68), mean patient-focused care was 3.9 (SD = 0.79), and mean organizational trust was 3.7 (SD = 0.84). Mean burnout for women was 5.6 and for physicians from internal medicine was 5.5. The structural equation modeling supported the proposed study model, which explained 45% of burnout. Organizational trust reduced burnout by 14%. Efforts to reduce burnout should integrate effective individual-level and job-level interventions with building trust among physicians in top management through implementing the paramount professional value of patient-focused care. Perceiving management, among physicians, as facilitating the value of patient-focused care led to organizational trust in top management, which was negatively associated with burnout.

Social Media Managers’ Performance: The Impact of the Work Environment

The continuous growth of social media is causing significant modifications in the business strategies developed by organizations. Using a structural equation modeling approach, this research analyzes how the work environment affects the social media managers thriving at work and task performance. The proposed model is tested using a sample of 190 social media managers and 190 supervisors from 190 companies in the tourism sector. The results highlight the importance of proper design and implementation of social media marketing planning and top management support to enhance both thriving at work and the performance of social media managers. This research contributes to the literature on social media by examining how and when the work environment influences the attitudes and performance of social media managers, whose role is crucial in organizational performance. Simultaneously, it expands the literature on thriving, as knowledge about the impact of contextual factors on thriving is still limited. The results also demonstrate that managers can compensate for the lack of certain contextual or personal resources with other resources, providing insights into when the work environment is more beneficial in shaping positive attitudes and behaviors in employees.

Leveraging supply chain collaboration with digital technologies for supply chain performance: an empirical investigation of Indian meat industries

SummaryThe meat industry plays a vital role in India's economy, contributing significantly to employment and GDP. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in digitalising the meat supply chain in India to address these challenges and enhance efficiency, transparency, and traceability. Digitalisation enables real‐time monitoring of environmental conditions, such as humidity and temperature, during storage and transportation, ensuring optimal preservation of meat products. Government initiatives, such as the Digital India programme and the Atma‐Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, provide support and incentives to foster digitalisation in the meat industry and other sectors. This study analysed the implementation of digital technologies and supply chain performance as the involvement of top management commitment is crucial while carrying out this task. It supports that the implementation of digital technologies would lead to an increase in supply chain collaboration and it further would lead to an increase in supply chain performance. This study will help robust and more unified supply chain by connecting the stakeholders digitally as well as by applying digital technologies for smooth industry operations.

Corporate social responsibility and the executive-employee pay disparity

We examine the impact of employee-related Corporate Social Responsibility (ER-CSR) on pay disparity between top management and the average worker. Firms with higher ER-CSR ratings have a lower pay disparity and the effect is greatest when executives are paid the most. ER-CSR is associated with a lower ratio of top management's cash and long-term incentive compensation, relative to the average employee's pay. We find that the negative relation is driven by socially responsible firms paying their average employees more. Finally, we document that CSR activities related to employee relations and diversity are those leading to a significant pay disparity reduction.

The Influence of Work Experience and Audit Expertise on Audit Quality in the Public Sector: The Moderating Effect of Professional Qualification

Purpose: This study analyses the degree to which audit experience and expertise affect audit quality through the moderating effect of Professional Qualification. 
 Design/Methodology/Approach: The study used a survey research design from a sample of about 400 audit staff of the Ghana Audit Service. 
 A conceptual framework was developed by adopting the framework for Audit Quality (2014) instituted by the International Auditing and Assurance Board (IAASB) and tested using PLS-SEM method of analysis.
 Findings: The study found that in the Public Sector, both audit expertise and experience influence audit quality.
 Furthermore, it was also established that professional qualification did not moderate the relationships between work experience, audit expertise and audit quality. 
 Professional qualification in audit quality was also found to be significant in the study.
 Implications/Research Limitation: The results of the study extend and add to the growing empirical research studies on audit expertise, work experience, and audit quality, as well as in the area of public sector auditing. However, the study was limited to only public sector auditors working with Ghana's Supreme Audit Institution (SAI), the Audit Service.
 Practical Implication: The study results have the prospect of encouraging top management to intensify the need to consciously institute and implement strategies that incorporate people with the requisite audit expertise and experience into the public sector to maximise and enhance audit quality.
 Originality/Value: This study is the first from a public sector perspective that directly examines how audit quality is influenced by audit expertise and experience and how professional qualification moderates this effect.
 Nonetheless, this research is distinct from other empirical studies on the basis of the method used and the context of the study.

Linking top management’s HR focus to innovation: the role of ownership structures and high-performance work systems

Unraveling the intricate ties between top management, human resource management, and firm innovation is crucial in today’s dynamic business landscape. The role of firm ownership is particularly vital in understanding these processes, especially within the context of increasingly diverse ownership structures. This study leverages the signaling theory and the upper echelon theory to investigate the direct and indirect impacts of top management (TM)’s strategic human resource focus (SHF) on firm innovation and improvement (FII). We investigate the moderating effect of firm ownership structures (state-owned enterprises and privately-owned enterprises) and the mediating effect of a high-performance work system (HPWS) in these processes. Findings reveal that TM’s SHF has both a positive direct effect and a positive indirect effect on FII through the implementation of HPWS. The study affirms the moderating influence of firm ownership on the relationship between TM’s SHF and HPWS, as well as on the mediating effect of HPWS in the relationship between TM’s SHF and FII. Our analysis also uncovers distinct patterns in how firm ownership moderates the direct and indirect effects of TM’s SHF on FII. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

MSMEs' innovation: a barrier approach

PurposeThis article presents a comprehensive analysis of innovation in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in India, focusing on the barriers and facilitators within their internal and external ecosystems.Design/methodology/approachA self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 1430 MSMEs across India, employing Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to analyze the relationships between internal and external factors and innovation adaptation.FindingsThe findings indicate that factors such as top management and organization structure, communication, technological capability and adaptation and organizational culture have a positive impact on innovation adaptation within the internal environment. Conversely, employee and market orientation, as well as financial factors, have a negative influence. Regarding the external environment, industry and competitive analysis, internationalization and partner alliances were found to positively affect innovation adaptation, whereas the country's infrastructure and policies had a negative impact.Originality/valueThe study emphasizes that MSMEs have the potential to leverage their internal and external environments to foster innovation within their organizations.

Analysing the interplay of isomorphic pressures, perceived benefits and top management support on social responsibility performance of Belt and Road megaprojects

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the factors influencing the social responsibility performance of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) megaprojects. Specifically, it examines the role of isomorphic pressures and the joint influence of perceived benefits and top management support on megaproject social responsibility performance (MSRP).Design/methodology/approachDrawing from institutional theory, social exchange theory, and top management literature, this study established a conceptual model featuring eleven hypotheses. Subsequently, a questionnaire survey was administered to collect data from 238 actively engaged participants in BRI megaprojects. Structural Equation Modelling was utilised to analyse the data.FindingsThe empirical findings indicate that mimetic and coercive pressures positively influence MSRP. Perceived benefits and top management support significantly enhance MSRP. Moreover, perceived benefits and top management support partially mediate the effects of coercive and mimetic pressures. However, when it comes to normative pressures, their impact on MSRP is solely channelled through the support of top management.Originality/valueThis study is one of the early endeavours to explore the factors influencing the social responsibility performance of BRI megaprojects. It sheds light on the interplay between external pressures and internal factors in shaping social responsibility efforts in these projects. These findings are of particular significance for BRI actors and stakeholders, offering guidance for enhancing social responsibility strategies within the context of BRI megaprojects.

Reflections on statistical leadership: Summary of a panel discussion at the WSC 20231

What qualities are needed by statisticians to achieve top leadership positions in academia, business, industry and government? Five leaders from statistical societies, national and international statistical offices, and academia share their experiences. They respond to five specific questions. Firstly, is leadership just needed by top management or do all statisticians have a role? If so, what is it? Secondly, do statisticians naturally make good leaders? What new skills do they need to acquire? What skills advantages do they have? Thirdly, the panel consider the question: did you work for people who were not good leaders? How did they fall short? What good role models did panellists have? And then, is it harder for women, and for other under-represented groups? And finally they were asked: what message do you have for young statisticians aspiring to leadership roles?

Work-Life Balance – Its Impact on Job Satisfaction among the Healthcare Workers in Senapati District, Manipur

Healthcare workers play an essential role in our day-to-day lives. Their ability to stay focused on the job, stay satisfied with their job, and maintain a healthy balance between their professional work and personal lives are prudence for them to discharge their duty effectively and efficiently. As a cross-sectional study and quantitative investigation, this study focuses on the healthcare workers’ work-life balance and its impact on job satisfaction. Using random sampling, a questionnaire survey was conducted, which was analysed through IBM SPSS Statistics 21. To achieve the goals of the study, statistical tools like Cronbach’s Alpha, independent-sample t-test, exploratory factor analysis, and Pearson correlation coefficient are employed. The study found that 5 per cent of healthcare workers have no balance between work and personal life, while 72.3 per cent are moderately balanced and 22.7 per cent are highly balanced. The study also found that female and unmarried healthcare workers have significantly higher work-life balance than male and married workers, respectively. Work-life balance and job satisfaction were found to have a moderately positive relationship, suggesting a significant linear relationship between the two variables. Thus, top management and employers in the healthcare industry must improve the policies and initiatives relating to work-life balance to keep the employees satisfied. Further, such policies and initiatives should be framed strategically to maintain equality for all employees, mainly male and female and married and unmarried workers.

Exploring the performance of casual workers of banks in Sokoto-Nigeria

Despite the unpleasant conditions, such as lower and insufficient wages, higher working hours, longer length of service, total absence of casual workers union, indirect employment aided by the bank’s top directors, etc., casual workers are highly committed in performing their roles and achieving their organizational goals. Neoliberal theory and Equity theory were used for guidance in this study. The study employed qualitative analysis style; Total of ten banks were selected as a sample of the study involving sixty participants who were all casual workers; twenty-four female and the remaining thirty-six were male, have been selected using purposeful sampling. Content analysis was used as the method of data analysis. The study shows some of the functions performed by the casual workers of Nigerian banks include quick client service, amenability to work, client care services, opening of accounts, marketing, and timely task completion. Others include furnishing prompt client service, being prepared to work, and finishing assignments on schedule., thus, the study concludes that despite the outstanding performance of casual workers in achieving their organizational pretensions, they’re largely exploited. The recommendation of the study is that employment should be grounded on fair stipend, safety at work and protection for casual workers, in short, work should encompass fairness, equivalency, and freedom of association. Also, Payment of the benefit accumulated by the casual workers should be linked directly between casual workers and their associations.

MANAJEMEN PEGAWAI PEMERINTAH DENGAN PERJANJIAN KERJA (PPPK): SEBUAH ALTERNATIF KEPEGAWAIAN BARU SELAIN PNS

Pegawai Pemerintah dengan Perjanjian Kerja (PPPK) are one type of staffing in government agencies. PPPK is based on specific competencies and skills, so a PPPK is an employee ready to work immediately. PPPK is managed by Government Regulation No. 49 of 2018 concerning PPPK Management. Since its issuance in 2018, Government Regulation No. 49 of 2018 concerning PPPK Management has yet to be fully implemented. This is because several derivative regulations from Government Regulation No. 49 of 2018 concerning PPPK Management still need to be made available. In addition, the PPPK recruitment process is still based on transferring contract workers to become PPPK. This study aims to describe PPPK management based on the perspective of the laws governing it and its implementation and the differences and similarities with the management of Civil Servants. The methodology used is descriptive qualitative with literature studies on laws and regulations, publication of journals or books with the theme of Human Resource Management (MSDM) and Government Employees with Employment Agreements (PPPK). Based on an analysis of several documents, the derivative policy of Government Regulation No. 49 of 2018 concerning PPPK Management has yet to be fully available. One of them is related to the termination of the employment agreement. In addition, the implementation of PPPK recruitment is still very much focused on transferring contract workers to PPPK. Thus, not all of the technical regulations related to PPPK can be implemented ideally. One of them is related to the need for competency development

Work and Employment Practices in an Intriguing Sub-Saharan Context: Unpacking Salient Endogenous Traits

Although cultural beliefs and practices have been shown as essential drivers of organizational employment policies and practices, the role of endogenous traits in managing employees in organizations in Africa has received less attention in research. We address this gap by employing an exploratory qualitative study approach to ascertain how Sub-Saharan African cultural norms and values shape the design and implementation of human resource management (HRM) in local and foreign-owned organizations in Cameroon. Data were drawn from key stakeholders, including human resource (HR) managers, trade union officials, staff representatives, and top management performing HR and strategy duties. The evidence delineates four major endogenous (socioculturally anchored) organizational HRM phenomena and their relevance for the organizations, employees, and the local community. This paper argues that the observed endogenous work and employment practices serve as the “glue” between organizational stakeholders, beget immense reverence, enhance employees’ experience and well-being, and are appropriate caryatids of modern organizational HRM in Africa.

The Role of the Human Resource Management from a Different Perspective: A Narrative Analysis

The Human Resource Management plays a vital role in an academic institution particularly ensuring the welfare of its employees. However, in a dynamic work environment and a fast-changing landscape of labor, industry and education, there are challenges that need to be discovered to provide a remedy that will serve as a catalyst of change for the improvement of its function and effectiveness. These will transcend barriers of ambiguity and complexity and initiate value and principles augmenting to the gap between the top management and employees. The researchers aimed to answer the following: Functions of the Human Resource Department, challenges, coping and its quality assurance mechanisms. To explore the experiences and insights of instituting quality assurance mechanisms of the HRDO directors, a narrative analysis was used. Results have revealed that the Human Resource is a complex work environment, and a genuine commitment is necessary, challenges are emanating from both internal and external factors, and one should adapt to provide a continuing and nurturing commitment that will ensure the well-being of employees. Recommendations focuses on fostering interpersonal relationships, providing regular faculty and staff development opportunities, ensuring accountability and responsibility and a sense of security.

Organizations' readiness for insider attacks: A process‐oriented approach

AbstractContextOrganizations constantly strive to protect their assets from outsider attacks by implementing various security controls, such as data encryption algorithms, intrusion detection software, firewalls, and antivirus programs. Unfortunately, attackers strike not only from outside the organization but also from within. Such internal attacks are called insider attacks or threats, and the people responsible for them are insider attackers or insider threat agents. Insider attacks pose more significant risks and can result in greater organizational losses than outsider attacks. Thus, every organization should be vigilant regarding such attackers to protect its valuable resources from harm. Finding solutions to protect organizations from such attacks is critical. Despite the importance of this topic, little research has been conducted on providing solutions to mitigate insider attacks.ObjectiveThis study aims to develop an organizational readiness model to assess an organization's readiness for insider attacks.MethodWe conducted a multivocal literature review to identify practices that can be used to assess organizations' readiness against insider attacks. These practices were grouped into different knowledge areas of insider attacks for organizations. The insider attack readiness model was developed using identified best practices and knowledge areas: compliance, top management, human resources, and technical.ResultsThis model was evaluated at two levels—academic and real‐world environments. The evaluation results show that the proposed model can identify organizations' readiness against insider attacks.ConclusionThe proposed model can guide organizations through a secure environment against insider attacks.

Does lean inventory management alleviate financing constraints?

PurposeThis study explores the intricate relationship between inventory leanness, financial constraints and digital transformation in listed Chinese manufacturing firms.Design/methodology/approachUsing a large panel data collected from 2,563 Chinese listed manufacturing enterprises over the period from 2012 to 2021, this research employs the instrumental variable method combined with two-stage least squares estimators to explore the U- shaped relationship between inventory leanness and financial constraints. Furthermore, the moderating role of digital transformation is demonstrated.FindingsContrary to traditional assumptions, our research uncovers a U-shaped relationship between inventory leanness and financial constraints, indicating that excessive inventory reduction can exacerbate financial constraints. Digital transformation plays a significant moderating role, particularly in highly digitalized environments.Practical implicationsOur findings have practical significance for top managers and policymakers. We advocate for a balanced approach to lean inventory management to mitigating financial constraints. The study emphasizes the pivotal role of digital transformation in alleviating the impact of inventory leanness on financial constraints, highlighting the need for digital transformation strategies.Originality/valueThis research provides a comprehensive analysis of inventory leanness, financial constraints and digital transformation dynamics. It challenges conventional thinking by revealing the nonlinear nature of the inventory leanness–financial constraints relationship. The concept of moderation highlights the moderating effect of digital transformation. This study offers practical guidance for practitioners and policymakers.

Green strategic leadership capability: Construct development and measurement validation

Green strategic leadership capability (GSLC) has emerged as a major study topic in strategic management in light of urgent global crises such as climate change. There is, however, a paucity of theoretically conceptualised and empirically validated measurement models evaluating the various leadership capabilities of top managers. GSLC implies that top managers endorse green management practices in organisational operations to minimise their environmental impact. Our research conceptualises GSLC from a natural-resource-based view by considering top managers’ capabilities to develop GSLC measurement models. We used a multi-study, multi-method approach to develop GSLC multidimensional scales using field interviews, thematic analysis and bulk surveys. GSLC is operationalised as a hierarchical and multidimensional scale consisting of three core dimensions, namely green foresight capability, green adaptive capability and green absorptive capability, along with nine subdimensions – resulting in 31 measurement items. The developed and validated scales may be applied to extend the theory and practice of green management, while offering a valuable source for organisations to assess their GSLC and identify and prioritise areas for green growth.

Are Top Management Teams Compensated as Teams? A Structural Modeling Approach

I develop two empirical models to quantify agency friction caused by moral hazard in top management teams. They capture shareholders’ distinct perspectives on compensating top managers: the Individual Model, in which managers in a firm unilaterally shirk, and the Team Model, in which managers choose effort jointly. The Team Model rationalizes observed compensation better than the Individual Model, underlining the importance of managerial coordination and team-based incentives. This paper also offers novel estimates of agency friction in a team production setting. Risk premium explains a large portion of the pay differential across and within firms. Firm value would have dropped between 4% and 15% if managers shirked. Additional counterfactual estimation suggests that shareholders could reduce the total compensation by up to $17 million if they were to switch from the individual perspective to the team perspective. This paper was accepted by Shivaram Rajgopal, accounting. Funding: This work was supported by the Professional Staff Congress and the City University of New York (PSC-CUNY) [Grant 67780-00 45]. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2024.4982 .

Analysis of The Influence of Enterprise Resources Planning Adoption and Information Technology Applications on Quality of Accounting Report

This study aims to ascertain how user skills, information technology utilization, and enterprise resource planning (ERP) adoption affect accounting report quality. Causal study methodology is employed in this work. The method for gathering data was a questionnaire. The study's respondents are employees who have used accounting information systems. Convenience sampling, or non-probability sampling, was used to choose the sample for this study. Multiple linear regressions are employed in this study. According to the research findings, the use of enterprise resource planning, information technology, and user knowledge together had a favorable and significant effect on the quality of accounting information. The quality of accounting information can be enhanced by ERP adoption when backed by top management commitment and support, ease of system integration, system capacity to meet needs, vendor training, and solutions that satisfy needs. The quality of accounting information is positively impacted by IT, which is supported by a solid infrastructure, including functionally matched computers, computer networks, internet access, effective accounting procedures, software-assisted data processing, information system output, and infrastructure upkeep. Furthermore, the quality of accounting information can be enhanced by solid user knowledge, reinforced by education, training, and user experience. When managing accounting information systems, businesses must consider these criteria to guarantee that the data generated is reliable, accurate, timely, comprehensive, and verifiable. Thus, companies can make better decisions based on accurate and relevant information.

Green intellectual capital and environmental performance: identifying the pivotal role of green ambidexterity innovation and top management environmental awareness

PurposeThis research focuses on analyzing the impact of Green Intellectual Capital (GIC) on the Environmental Performance (EP) of Spanish wineries, as well as the mediating effect of Green Ambidexterity Innovation (GAI) on the main relationship posed (GIC–EP), and the moderating effect of Top Management Environmental Awareness (TMEA) on the GAI–EP link. In addition, age, size and size and membership in a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) to increase the accuracy of the cause–effect relationships examined.Design/methodology/approachThe study proposes a conceptual model based on previous studies, which is tested using structural equations (PLS-SEM) with data collected from 196 Spanish wineries between September 2022 and January 2023.FindingsThe results of the research reveal the existence of a positive and significant relationship between the development of GIC and EP of Spanish wineries, as well as the partial mediation of GAI in this link and the positive moderation of TMEA in the GAI–EP relationship.Originality/valueThe originality of the study is explained by several factors. First, the study pioneered the exploration of TMEA as a moderator of the relationship between GAI and EP, allowing such analysis to improve understanding of the dynamic interaction between innovation and environmental management. Second, to the best of the authors' knowledge, there are no preceding studies that have previously proposed the theoretical model presented in this research, thus providing new scientific knowledge on the intellectual capital field. Third, the contextualization of the study in the wine sector, traditionally perceived as little knowledge-intensive, contributes significantly to the existing body of scientific knowledge on the environmental management of wineries, given that it allows the identification of the catalysing variables of EP in the Spanish wine context.