Effects of management communication, opportunity for learning, and work schedule flexibility on organizational commitment

The Use of Flexible Work Arrangements: Examining Experiences of Perceived Backlash Through the Lens of Diversity

As more businesses have newly adopted or expanded flexible work arrangements (FWA) due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the current study aimed to investigate whether flexibility backlash (e.g., workers’ negative perceptions of promotion opportunities and work-to-life conflict) occurs in response to the use of FWA. Moreover, we tested if perceptions of flexibility backlash vary across subgroups of employees (i.e., as a function of gender, family responsibilities, and race), as well as their intersection. Using a lagged dataset of N = 414 currently employed U.S. workers collected at three-time points during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, we found that FWA use was not significantly associated with the subsequent perception of career opportunities, and no group differences were found in this relationship. Similarly, no main effect of FWA use on work-to-life conflict was found. However, among workers with more family care responsibilities, greater FWA usage was associated with more work-to-life conflict. Further, intersectionality analyses revealed men with greater family responsibilities and men who are racial minorities perceived more work-to-life conflict as they used more FWA than their counterparts. We discuss these findings through the lens of diversity in light of the ongoing need to reduce the backlash associated with the use of FWA.

Does organizational readiness matter in lean thinking practices? An agency perspective

Purpose

Extant research documents the importance of lean thinking for organizations, however, as prior research has largely focused on hard lean practices, but little is known about the effects or the significance of soft lean practices. This research attempts to address this issue by examining how soft lean practices enhance organizational lean readiness, and in turn increase the success of lean implementation.

Design/methodology/approach

This research adopts a single case study design in a small-medium enterprise livestock feed manufacturing organization, and investigates the period from late 2011 through the end of 2019 covering two attempts at lean implementation – an initial failed attempt followed by a successful introduction of lean within the case organization. The research analyzes interviews with 29 managers and employees from all organizational levels and departments within the case organization. Secondary data including organizational documents and performance measures and metrics were also incorporated into the research design.

Findings

Drawing on agency theory, the authors advance a principal-agent interaction perspective to conceptualize organizational lean readiness – specifically, the authors consider the “state or condition” of four agency factors (goal conflict, information asymmetry, risk aversion and length of relationship), and explore if these four agency factors can be utilized as proxies for organizational readiness for lean implementation. The authors identify the formation of a shared vision and identity within the organization as an effective mechanism through which soft lean practices enhance organizational lean readiness. Finally, the analysis offers an understanding of how the long-term success of lean implementation is improved by the introduction of soft lean practices as a prerequisite to create organizational readiness for the implementation of hard lean practices.

Originality/value

The study is unique in the sense that it empirically links agency theory and the role of soft lean practices in developing organizational lean readiness in a small-medium enterprise context by defining the ideal state of four agency factors as proxies for organizational readiness.

Role of organizational commitment in career growth and turnover intention in public sector of Oman

INTRODUCTION

Creating a proper career program is the best way to enhance employees' organizational commitment; it motivates and retains them. This research aims to measure career growth's influence on turnover intention, mediated by employees' commitment through self-reported employees' perceptions. This study identifies the key dimensions of organizational commitment (affective, continuance and normative commitment) that mediate the relationship between career growth and employee turnover intention exploring the indirect effects between career growth and turnover intention. The relationship is examined among the public sector employees in the Sultanate of Oman, a sector currently facing high turnover rates and losing key skilled talent pool.

METHODOLOGY

Data collection was executed through an adopted questionnaire distributed among 500 employees of 38 government units within the Sultanate of Oman. A total of 351 questionnaires were returned, and after the initial screening process, 329 were found to be valid for further analysis. CFA analysis was conducted to identify the factors falling under the three primary constructs of the study. Assessment of the models was explained through Goodness-of-fit Indices. Structural equation modeling, which is most recommended to study the effect of latent variables, was performed using AMOS to evaluate the mediating role of organizational commitment between career growth and employee turnover intention.

FINDINGS

The results indicated that the potential for career growth is an essential motivating element for public sector employees in the Sultanate of Oman to encourage retention and reduce intention to leave. The findings also confirm that effective and continuous commitment significantly mediates the relationship between career growth and employees' turnover intention.

CONTRIBUTION AND ORIGINALITY VALUE

The results generated could help both researchers and those involved in public sector policy-making to understand how employee turnover intention is influenced by career growth and organizational commitment in the public sector in the Sultanate of Oman.

Examining Job Attribute Preferences Across Three Generational Cohorts

This study examines whether job attribute preferences differ across three generational cohorts (i.e., cohorts of undergraduate students from 1995, 2004, and 2013). In 2013, we surveyed undergraduate students from several U.S. universities. We also obtained archival results from surveys administered to undergraduate students in 1995 and 2004. We found that salary/benefits, career advancement, and flexible work policies become more important across all three generational cohorts, whereas gender/racial equality increased in importance only from 2004 to 2013. Leadership showed no net gain from the 1995 to 2013 cohorts. Although most job attributes increased in importance, they largely have the same relative importance. Therefore, organizations should pause before making wholesale changes to workplace incentives and practices to cater to the new generation. To our knowledge, this is the first study to include U.S. millennial college students in the comparison of job attribute preferences across generations.

Exploring the role of shift work in the self-reported health and wellbeing of long-term and assisted-living professional caregivers in Alberta, Canada

BACKGROUND

Numerous studies have found negative outcomes between shift work and physical, emotional, and mental health. Many professional caregivers are required to work shifts outside of the typical 9 am to 5 pm workday. Here, we explore whether shift work affects the health and wellbeing of long-term care (LTC) and assisted-living (AL) professional caregivers.

METHOD

The Caring for Professional Caregivers research study was conducted across 39 LTC and AL facilities in Alberta, Canada. Of the 1385 questionnaires distributed, 933 surveys (67.4%) were returned completed. After identifying 49 questions that significantly explained variances in the reported health status of caregivers, we examined whether there was a relationship between these questions and reported health status of caregivers working night shifts.

RESULTS

We found significant differences between responses from those working different shifts across six of seven domains, including physical health, health conditions, mental/emotional health, quality of life, and health behaviors. In particular, we found that night shift caregivers were more likely to report incidents of poor heath (i.e., they lacked energy, had regular presences of neck and back pain, regular or infrequent incidents of fatigue or low energy, had difficulty falling asleep, and that they never do exercise) and less likely to report incidents of good health (i.e., did not expect their health to improve, were not satisfied with their health, do not have high self-esteem/were happy, were unhappy with their physical appearance, and do not get a good night's sleep), compared to caregivers working other shifts.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study shows that professional caregivers working the night shift experience poor health status, providing further evidence that night shift workers' health is at risk. In particular, caregivers reported negative evaluations of their physical, mental/emotional health, lower ratings of their quality of life, and negative responses to questions concerning whether they engage in healthy behaviors. Our findings can support healthcare stakeholders outline future policies that ensure caregivers are adequately supported so that they provide quality care.

Italian Teachers' Well-Being Within the High School Context: Evidence From a Large Scale Survey

This paper aims to investigate the relationship between Italian teachers' well-being, socio-demographic characteristics and professional background. Using data from the 2015 wave of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) we considered information collected by the questionnaire completed by a total of 6,491 teachers in the sampled schools. Moving from existing literature on teachers' well-being, we investigate several aspects related to the teachers' working environment, career motivation and investment, and job satisfaction. We assess the variability in the observed outcomes attributable to school factors and heterogeneity between disciplines. Measurement models are combined in a multilevel setting in order to define teachers' well-being on a broad perspective while accounting for the multiple sources of heterogeneity due to several factors (e.g., discipline, teacher professional background, and individual differences) occurring at different levels of the data structure. In general, results show that the teachers' positive perception of the working environment in terms of availability of adequate human and physical resources, and professional development opportunities, provide a substantial state of well-being at work, and are related to teachers' job satisfaction. Moreover, results highlight the key role of transformational leadership in defining a teacher's well-being. Findings and implications are discussed.

Contextual Factors and Organizational Commitment: Examining the Mediating Role of Thriving at Work

Thriving at work refers to a psychological experience of learning (cognitive dimension) and vitality (affective dimension) to the workplace. Based on the Social Exchange Theory and the Socially Embedded Model of thriving, the purpose of this research is to observe whether contextual variables such as fairness perception, trust, and managerial coaching are related to affective organizational commitment and to examine if thriving at work plays a mediating role in these proposed relationships. Data was collected in two waves over a one-month time period from 936 employees of diverse public and private sectors. Strong empirical evidence was found for all direct and indirect hypothesized relationships through Smart PLS 3.0 (SmartPLS GmbH, Bönningstedt, Germany, 2015). The implications of the findings are also discussed.

The Relationship Between Organizational Climate, Organizational Commitment and Job Burnout: Case Study Among Employees of the University of Medical Sciences

Background and Objective:

Organizational climate and organizational commitment have a tangible effect on organizational performance. This study aims to investigate organizational climate in a university of medical sciences along with organizational commitment and job burnout in the university staff.

Methods:

This cross-sectional study is carried outviadescriptive-analytical method on 250 employees of Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Iran in 2016. Data collection tools include standard questionnaires of organizational climate, organizational commitment, and Maslach burnout inventory. Data analysis was carried out with SPSS software version 21 and Man-Whitney statistical tests, Kruskal-Wallis analysis, ANOVA, Chi-2, and Spearman’s correlation tests.

Results:

Average age of the participants was 34.52 ± 7.70 including 55.6% men and 44.4% women. In the present study, organizational climate of employees was medium and high, and also, mean score of the organizational commitment of subjects was 66.11 ± 16.35. The highest amount of employees job burnout was related to low level (66%). Organizational climate among the employees lead to higher organizational commitment (r=0.472, P<0.001), and greater organizational climate and commitment contributes significantly towards a decrease in job burnout (r=-0.227, P<0.001; r=-0.335, P<0.001).

Conclusion:

If the managers of these deputies pay more attention to the importance of the services of the health staff and manpower employed in this organization, they can improve the organizational commitment of healthcare workers and prevent their burnout, in order to maximize the quality of service delivery.

Perceived Location Autonomy and Work Environment Choice: The Mediating Influence of Intrinsic Motivation

Building on the main tenets of labor process theory, this study introduces perceived location autonomy (PLA)—the autonomy to generate, evaluate, and choose where to perform one’s work tasks—and tests the relationships between PLA and worker productivity and well-being. Using a sample of academic knowledge workers ( n = 319), our results suggest that workers experiencing higher PLA choose work environments to enhance both their productivity and their well-being through increased intrinsic motivation. Consistent with labor process theory, PLA acts as a form of empowerment that aligns knowledge worker and organizational goals to realize productivity gains while simultaneously allowing workers to enhance well-being. Together, these results suggest that managers may wish to consider integrating PLA into job and organizational design, as an alternative to control, as an effective strategy for boosting knowledge worker productivity and well-being.

Linking knowledge sharing, competency development, and affective commitment: evidence from Indian Gen Y employees

Purpose

The present study aims to explore knowledge sharing to evoke affective commitment of Gen Y employees through competency development.

Design/methodology/approach

The research uses cross-sectional survey to collect primary data. A questionnaire is developed based on extensive review of literature. A sample was obtained from Gen Y employees (born between 1980 and 2000) working in software organizations in India. In total, 582 completely filled, usable questionnaires were obtained.

Findings

Results indicate that knowledge sharing has a positive effect on competency development of Gen Y employees, which in turn, positively predicts affective commitment. Furthermore, this would result in the enhancement of employee competencies and eventually, the generation of affective commitment.

Research limitations/implications

This study was limited to the software development professionals working in Indian organizations Therefore, researchers should test the research model further in other industries preferably in a different country.

Practical implications

The more knowledge assets are shared in the organization, the higher the enhancement of employee competencies will become. To evoke emotional attachment of Gen Y employees, an organization must implement learning and development interventions

Originality/value

This study contributes to knowledge management literature, particularly knowledge sharing by exploring its possible linkage with employee attitudinal outcomes through empirical data. This also happens to be an empirical study to investigate Gen Y employees’ commitment in Indian context.

A Cross-Domain Exploration of Performance Benefits and Costs of Idiosyncratic Deals

Drawing on justice theory and the side-bet theory of commitment, we explored the nuanced relationship between idiosyncratic deals and outcomes. We developed a model that posits affective commitment as a mediator between idiosyncratic deals and positive work outcomes, whereas continuance commitment mediates the relationship between idiosyncratic deals and negative nonwork domain outcomes. Furthermore, we hypothesized moderated mediation in that the employee’s assessment of organizational justice will moderate the relationship between idiosyncratic deals and continuance commitment, which in turn influences the nonwork domain outcomes. Data collected from 182 employee–manager dyads indicated support for our conceptual model. The implications of these findings are discussed in terms of how to manage both the benefits and the costs of idiosyncratic deals.

Organizational learning in context of part-time employment

Purpose

Combining trends in employment flexibility, organizational learning, need for improved leadership and entrepreneurship is important in managing today’s organizations. This study aims to explore these relationships within a single media firm in one of the Baltic States.

Design/methodology/approach

The subject for this exploratory case study is a small Estonian media company having a total of 43 members/employees. Data for the study were collected using two questionnaires (organizational leadership capability and dimensions of learning organizations) and by in-depth interviews. Assessment and analysis of the data included: measurement of organizational leadership (OL) and learning organization; measurement of entrepreneurial behavior; and analysis of the results gained from studying the issues pertaining to OL, learning organization and entrepreneurial behavior.

Findings

The results of this study reveal that part-time versus full-time employees have more positive attitudes toward the organization’s decentralized leadership and of six of seven learning characteristics. It appears that the entrepreneurial orientation of the part-time employees (PTEs) helps explain the differences observed.

Practical implications

The implications for practice based on this study is that firms should consider their PTEs as a valuable asset not only because of the flexibility they offer to the workforce but also because of the special skills and outlooks they bring to the organization.

Originality/value

This paper explores the relationships among organizational learning, OL and entrepreneurship in context of part-time employment.

Organizational and career-oriented commitment and employee development behaviors

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to contrast the foundations of (affective) organizational and career-oriented commitment. Using social exchange theory as a background, organizational commitment is proposed as a mediator between perceived organizational support (POS) and competence development activities and feedback-seeking behavior. Career-oriented commitment, defined as a self-interested orientation toward one’s career, is proposed to mediate a positive relationship between proactive personality and competence development but a negative relationship between proactive personality and feedback-seeking.

Design/methodology/approach

– Data were collected from 126 employees using one-year time-lagged study in which POS and proactive personality were measured at Time 1, commitment variables at Time 2, and competence development and feedback-seeking at Time 3.

Findings

– Organizational commitment mediated a positive relationship between POS and competence development but not feedback-seeking. Career-oriented commitment mediated a negative relationship between proactive personality and feedback-seeking but did not mediate the relationship to competence development. Proactive personality exerted direct and positive effects on competence development and feedback-seeking, but had a negative effect on feedback-seeking through career-oriented commitment.

Practical implications

– An implication of these findings is that organizations need to reduce the detrimental effects that the proactivity trait exerts on feedback-seeking through career-oriented commitment. One way to do this is to increase the fit between organizational career opportunities and the career expectations of employees with high career-oriented commitment.

Originality/value

– This study indicates that social exchange and self-interest motives act as distinct drivers of organizational and career-oriented commitment, respectively, and that these motives have implications for how individuals learn and socialize in the workplace.

Exploring the antecedents and consequences of mentoring relationship effectiveness in the healthcare environment

The study focused on mentoring relationship effectiveness (RE) from the perspective of protégé in the healthcare environment. The purpose tried to examine the effects of interpersonal attraction, self-efficacy and transformational leadership (TL) on RE respectively, to test mentoring function as a mediator, and to verify the effect of RE on protégé work outcomes. Self-administered questionnaires were employed and 306 questionnaires from hospital nurses were collected in total. Structural equation model was used to test the research model. The results indicated that interpersonal attraction and TL do have positive effects on RE while self-efficacy was not; RE also showed a significant effect on job satisfaction and organizational commitment, which verified that the formal mentoring among nurses was good for improving relationship quality and relationship learning between mentors and protégés. Accordingly, to strengthen the antecedent variables would be helpful for mentoring RE, and also the protégé's work outcomes.

Exploring the antecedents and consequences of mentoring relationship effectiveness in the healthcare environment

The study focused on mentoring relationship effectiveness (RE) from the perspective of protégé in the healthcare environment. The purpose tried to examine the effects of interpersonal attraction, self-efficacy and transformational leadership (TL) on RE respectively, to test mentoring function as a mediator, and to verify the effect of RE on protégé work outcomes. Self-administered questionnaires were employed and 306 questionnaires from hospital nurses were collected in total. Structural equation model was used to test the research model. The results indicated that interpersonal attraction and TL do have positive effects on RE while self-efficacy was not; RE also showed a significant effect on job satisfaction and organizational commitment, which verified that the formal mentoring among nurses was good for improving relationship quality and relationship learning between mentors and protégés. Accordingly, to strengthen the antecedent variables would be helpful for mentoring RE, and also the protégé's work outcomes.

Cross-Cultural Validation of the Career Growth Scale for Korean Employees

The purpose of this study is to examine the factorial validity of the Career Growth Scale (CGS), which was originally developed by Weng and Hu. Using a sample of 230 South Korean employees, we confirmed that Weng’s four-factor model was appropriate for assessing career growth. When comparing Korean with Chinese employees, Korean employees had relatively higher scores on two CGS subscales, Career Goal Progress and Promotion Speed. Results indicated that the CGS was a valid instrument to measure career growth in Korean employees, suggesting the possibility that the CGS could be used regardless of cultural background. Implications for future research, practice, and limitations are discussed.

ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT AND LONELINESS AND LIFE SATISFACTION LEVELS OF SCHOOL PRINCIPALS

The aim of this study was to investigate the organizational commitment of school principals in relation to loneliness and life satisfaction levels. The sample of the study consisted of 548 school principals chosen using a random clustering method from primary schools in Central Anatolia, Turkey. The results of the study showed that there was a positive correlation between the loneliness levels of school principals and the compliance levels of organizational commitment, and a negative correlation between loneliness and the internalization and identification levels of organizational commitment. There was also a negative correlation between life satisfaction levels of school principals and the compliance level of organizational commitment. A positive correlation was found between life satisfaction and the internalization and identification levels of organizational commitment. In addition, loneliness and life satisfaction levels of school principals accounted significantly for their organizational commitment. A possible explanation for this is that psychological support is given to those school managers whose loneliness levels are high and whose life satisfaction levels are low.