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This study aims to understand the impact of negative supervisor gossip on job performance among South Indian hotel employees. The focus is not just on the direct influence, but also on the mediating role of feedback-seeking behaviour (FSB) and the moderating effects of the agreeableness trait.

Through purposive sampling, data was garnered from South Indian hotel employees. Comprehensive analyses were performed using partial least squares structural equation modelling.

The analysis shows that FSB plays a mediating role in the positive relationship between negative supervisor gossip and job performance. In addition, the influence of gossip on FSB and subsequent job performance was more pronounced for employees with high agreeableness.

This research underscores the complex interplay between negative supervisor gossip and job performance, revealing that such gossip can catalyze FSB process in employees. It suggests that under certain conditions, negative gossip can be transformed into a constructive force that enhances job performance, challenging traditional perceptions of gossip in the workplace.

The findings underscore the importance of understanding the effects of workplace dynamics, like supervisor gossip, on employee behaviour and performance. Recognizing the influence of individual personality traits, such as agreeableness, can guide management strategies for fostering a productive work environment.

This research sheds light on the intricate interplay between negative supervisor gossip, FSB and agreeableness, offering a novel perspective on their combined impact on job performance. It not only enriches the existing literature on workplace communication but also broadens the understanding of the role of personality traits in shaping employee responses and outcomes.

This study examines the functions of informal communication in organizations. Informal communication can be characterized as any interaction within an organization in which two or more individuals assume personal roles rather than their professional roles and in which employees do not intend to solve work-related problems. Despite its central role in organizations, a comprehensive understanding of the specific functions of informal communication within workplace dynamics is lacking.

We reviewed existing literature to identify the functions of informal communication and then surveyed employees (N = 1,380). We asked them to indicate their agreement with statements measuring the functions of informal communication that we derived from the literature.

Using exploratory factor analysis, we identified four core functions: stress management and recreation, nurturing private relationships, fostering a sense of belonging and connectedness and facilitating information exchange and coordination. We then examined how these core functions related to job-related and sociodemographic characteristics. Our findings underscore the importance of informal communication in organizations, particularly in facilitating the development and maintenance of social relationships as well as information exchange and coordination, both of which play critical roles in organizational success.

This study is among the first to systematize the functions of informal communication in organizations and to empirically extract core functions that can be used for further research. It is also highly relevant to practitioners of organizational management and organizational communication.

The purpose of this systematic literature review (SLR) is to examine the theoretical landscape of knowledge hiding (KH) research, identifies prevailing theories, the different ways KH is understood within these theories and the underlying assumptions that shape these views. Based on this, ideas for further research are derived to advance the theoretical basis of KH studies.

Using a theory-based SLR, the authors analysed 170 scientific papers from Scopus and Web of Science. This involved thematic analysis to categorise theories frequently applied in KH research and a detailed examination to link core assumptions to these theoretical perspectives.

The analysis revealed a reliance on 86 distinct theories, with a notable emphasis on social exchange theory and conservation of resources theory. KH is predominantly conceptualised as a negative, objective, reactive and relational behaviour rooted in social reciprocity and resource conservation. The review uncovers the multifaceted nature of KH, challenging the field to incorporate broader theoretical views that encompass positive aspects, subjective experiences, strategic intentions and non-relational determinants of KH.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to systematically map and analyse the theoretical underpinnings of KH research. It offers a unique contribution by categorising the diverse theories applied in KH studies and explicitly linking these theories to their inherent assumptions about KH. This approach provides a comprehensive overview that not only identifies gaps in the current research landscape but also proposes alternative theoretical perspectives for exploring KH, thereby setting a new direction for future studies in this field.

Organizations are affected top-down by the overarching societies and bottom-up by foundational face-to-face encounters: societies provide norms, values, laws, institutions, beliefs, markets, political structures, and knowledge bases. What happens within organizations is done by people interacting with other people, arguing, discussing, convincing each other when preparing and making decisions. Organizations operate within social environments that leave their – however indirect – imprint on what is going on within organizations. This article argues that organizational sociology can benefit from an integrated theoretical framework that accounts for the embeddedness of organizations within the micro- and macro-levels of social order. The argument is developed in two main points: First, this article introduces the multilevel framework provided by Niklas Luhmann’s systems theory to demonstrate how organizations are shaped by the functionally differentiated macro-structure of society. Organizations follow and reproduce the operational logics of societal domains such as the political system, the economy, science, law, religion, etc. Second, this paper demonstrates how organizations are shaped by micro-level dynamics of face-to-face interactions. Face-to-face encounters form a social reality of its own kind that restricts and resists the formalization of organizational processes. Here, this article draws on Erving Goffman’s and Randall Collins’ work on interaction rituals, emotions, and solidarity, which is inspired by Durkheimian micro-sociology. At the end, this article brings together all the elements into one general account of organizations within the context of their macro- and micro-structural social environments. This account can yield a deeper and more sociological understanding of organizational behavior.

New generations actively seek employment in organizations that resonate with their values, mission and sense of purpose. However, perceptions of organizational politics (POP) associated with unethical practices detrimentally affects meaningful work experiences and employee retention. Ethical leadership emerges as a critical factor in mitigating these negative effects. This study aims to propose a comprehensive model that examines the impact of ethical leadership on two crucial work outcomes: meaningful work and turnover intention. The mediating role of POP is explored, shedding light on the intricate dynamics within organizational contexts.

To test the model, the authors use a sample of 261 respondents who completed an online questionnaire shared on social networks. Partial least squares is used for data analysis.

Results evidence that ethical leadership reduces employees’ POP, increases meaningful work and reduces turnover intention. One dimension of POP – communication – mediates the relationship between ethical leadership and work outcomes. Furthermore, meaningful work mediates the relationship between ethical leadership and turnover intention.

The study offers practical suggestions for managers to mitigate the negative impact of POP on meaningful work and employee retention.

This study adds to previous research by analyzing the separate and combined effects of ethical leadership on five dimensions of POP – communication, resources, decisions, reputation and relationships. Furthermore, this study adds empirical evidence on how POP influence meaningful work and employee retention.

This study draws on the trait activation theory to investigate the relationship between Machiavellianism and relational energy, considering the mediating role of facades of conformity and the moderating role of leader–member exchange ambivalence.

We collected survey data from 275 employees in central China at three time points. We conducted confirmatory factor analysis and bootstrapping to test the hypotheses using Mplus7.0 and the PROCESS macro.

We found that facades of conformity mediated the relationship between Machiavellianism and relational energy. Moreover, the indirect effect of Machiavellianism on relational energy via facades of conformity was more significant when leader–member exchange ambivalence is higher.

This study provides empirical evidence of how and when Machiavellians acquire relational energy from leaders.

Goffman’s (1961) work on total institutions has been relatively neglected in the fields of organizational research. This paper compares the conceptions of obedience to authority in two different types of voluntary total institutions and how such conceptions affect interaction contrary to the aims of the organizations. Consequently, by addressing how conceptions of authority and constructions of the obedient self shape conditions for underlife, the analysis provides knowledge about the variety of ways in which total institutional authority works and contributes to the understanding of the mechanisms of organizational underlife.

Wasta, the prevailing form of informal networks in the Arab region, exerts a significant controversial influence on organisations in this region. Despite the pervasive negative perceptions and alleged detrimental effects of Wasta, it remains a frequently employed practice. This research aims to comprehensively explore the influence of Wasta on organisational justice across organisations in the Arab world, with Jordanian organisations taken as an illustrative case.

Employing a qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 employees from various industries in Jordan.

The study reveals that Wasta significantly affects distributive, procedural and interactional justice within organisations, eliciting feelings of unfairness and hopelessness among employees.

This study recommends that HR departments focus on implementing ethical policies and standards to enhance transparency in organisational decision-making processes. By understanding and addressing the implications of Wasta, organisations can foster a more just and equitable workplace environment.

This study advances our understanding of informal network theories in the Arab world by highlighting the interconnectedness between Wasta and organisational justice, and its profound impact on the work environment and employees. This study also explains how Wasta directly influences decision-making processes, at high managerial levels.

This study explores the impact of difficult coworkers on employees' turnover intention. Additionally, this study investigates the roles of employees' attitude toward difficult coworkers, perceived organizational support and affective commitment in the relationship between difficult coworkers and turnover intention.

Based on the stimulus-organism-response theory, a theoretical model was established that linked difficult coworkers to employees' attitude toward the, then to turnover intention directly and indirectly through perceived organizational support and affective commitment. The model was validated using responses from 343 Chinese employees in Macao's banking industry.

Results of the partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) showed that difficult coworkers significantly influenced employees' attitude toward them. Employees' attitude toward difficult coworkers had a small and significant effect on turnover intention while perceived organizational support and affective commitment mediated the relationship between attitude toward difficult coworkers and turnover intention.

The study is the first empirical study to employ the stimulus-organism-response theory to characterize the impact of difficult coworkers on turnover intention. Fortunately, perceived organizational support and affective commitment were able to lessen the impact of difficult coworkers on turnover intention.

This paper aims to investigate the impact of relationship quality among team members in the project team on knowledge transfer effectiveness and analyze the role of organizational structure in the influencing process.

The hypotheses are verified by the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis using Smart PLS 3 software with the data collected from 236 questionnaire samples in Chinese construction industry.

The results indicate that relationship quality has a direct impact on knowledge transfer in project teams and centralization has a negative impact on relationship quality. Moreover, relationship quality plays a mediating role between centralization and knowledge transfer effectiveness and formalization plays a negative moderating role in the effect of relationship quality on knowledge transfer effectiveness.

This paper studies intra-project knowledge transfer from the perspective of relationship quality of project teams and explores the antecedent and moderating role of organizational structure in the influence of relationship quality on knowledge transfer.