Research on the Influencing Mechanism of Paradoxical Leadership on Unethical Pro-Supervisor Behavior

Paradoxical leadership is a leadership style that combines both employees’ individual needs and organizational requirements. The existing literature shows that paradoxical leadership has a positive influence on variables at the individual level, team level and organizational level. It is necessary to further explore the negative impact of paradoxical leadership on the individual level (such as employees’ unethical pro-supervisor behavior), the path of influence and situational conditions. Based on social exchange theory, this paper studied the influence of paradoxical leadership on employees’ unethical pro-supervisor behavior, and clarified the mediating role of supervisor–subordinate Guanxi and the moderating effect of follower mindfulness. We conducted an empirical analysis on the data of 356 employees collected in two phases, and found that paradoxical leadership exerts a significant positive effect on unethical pro-supervisor behavior; supervisor–subordinate Guanxi has a partial mediating effect on the relationship between paradoxical leadership and unethical pro-supervisor behavior; and follower mindfulness moderates the influence of paradoxical leadership on supervisor–subordinate Guanxi, and moderates the intermediation of supervisor–subordinate Guanxi on the main effect. This paper enriches the existing research on the mechanism of influence of paradoxical leadership and deepens our understanding of boundary conditions in relation to the role of paradoxical leadership.

Accounting for information: Information and knowledge in the annual reports of FTSE 100 companies

The purpose of this study was to assess the ways in which a sample group of companies discuss information and knowledge. Quantitative and qualitative content analyses were used to survey the way that companies present and value information and knowledge, based on the annual reports of the FTSE 100. A novel content analysis approach is used, based on a set of categories proposed by Oppenheim, Stenson and Wilson. Many of the companies analysed made explicit the importance of information and knowledge, through either discussion in the text of the annual report or through an attempt to assign a monetary value to information assets. Where the importance of information and knowledge was not made explicit, the study revealed links between successful performance and effective use of information assets. Different categories of information assets were identified within the annual reports. Information and knowledge are demonstrably important to FTSE 100 companies, although the specific term ‘knowledge’ does not appear to have a special significance in the companies’ lexicon; certain sectors mention information and knowledge more than others.

Information asymmetry and product valuation: an exploratory study

This paper reports on the impact of information asymmetry on product valuation. One group of subjects was provided with symmetric information, while a different group was given asymmetric information; the subjects were then asked to value an information technology product. The study found that there was a significant difference in the valuations of the two groups. The group with the symmetric information valued the product highly and in close proximity to the real worth of the product, while the group with asymmetric information undervalued the product. The current study offers a new perspective for information science and an interesting avenue for future research, which, if pursued, can enrich our understanding of human information interaction and valuation processes.

Valuing and representing information: the paradox of undervaluing information and overvaluing information producers

Information's increasing importance in contemporary societies raises questions concerning laymen's valuation of information and of professionals producing information. The main hypotheses were: (a) potential sellers will underestimate information's value compared to that of material goods; (b) when potential buyers' involvement is high (that is high investment and high risk), sellers will demand even lower prices for information; (c) some important current functions and meanings of information are not assimilated in social representations of information; (d) by contrast, participants must overvalue the remuneration of professionals producing pure information (invention) compared to those who apply this information to produce material goods. An experimental study confirmed hypotheses (a) and (b). A second study to investigate the structure of information's social representations showed that the representation's central core is mainly composed of categories referring to traditional media, functions and technologies; contemporary functions and technologies are less frequent or absent. A third experimental study confirmed hypothesis (d).