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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 30 May 2024

Rahel Aschwanden, Claude Messner, Bettina Höchli and Geraldine Holenweger

Cyberattacks have become a major threat to small and medium-sized enterprises. Their prevention efforts often prioritize technical solutions over human factors, despite humans…

Abstract

Purpose

Cyberattacks have become a major threat to small and medium-sized enterprises. Their prevention efforts often prioritize technical solutions over human factors, despite humans posing the greatest risk. This article highlights the importance of developing tailored behavioral interventions. Through qualitative interviews, we identified three persona types with different psychological biases that increase the risk of cyberattacks. These psychological biases are a basis for creating behavioral interventions to strengthen the human factor and, thus, prevent cyberattacks.

Design/methodology/approach

We conducted structured, in-depth interviews with 44 employees, decision makers and IT service providers from small and medium-sized Swiss enterprises to understand insecure cyber behavior.

Findings

A thematic analysis revealed that, while knowledge about cyber risks is available, no one assumes responsibility for employees’ and decision makers’ behavior. The interview results suggest three personas for employees and decision makers: experts, deportees and repressors. We have derived corresponding biases from these three persona types that help explain the interviewees’ insecure cyber behavior.

Research limitations/implications

This study provides evidence that employees differ in their cognitive biases. This implies that tailored interventions are more effective than one-size-fits7-all interventions. It is inherent in the idea of tailored interventions that they depend on multiple factors, such as cultural, organizational or individual factors. However, even if the segments change somewhat, it is still very likely that there are subgroups of employees that differ in terms of their misleading cognitive biases and risk behavior.

Practical implications

This article discusses behavior directed recommendations for tailored interventions in small and medium-sized enterprises to minimize cyber risks.

Originality/value

The contribution of this study is that it is the first to use personas and cognitive biases to understand insecure cyber behavior, and to explain why small and medium-sized enterprises do not implement behavior-based cybersecurity best practices. The personas and biases provide starting points for future research and interventions in practice.

Details

Organizational Cybersecurity Journal: Practice, Process and People, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2635-0270

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 15 May 2024

Courage Simon Kofi Dogbe, Kennedy Kofi Ablornyi, Wisdom Wise Kwabla Pomegbe and Evans Duah

This study aims to examine how ethical leadership enhances the relationship between employee ethical behaviour and the job performance of employees in state-owned enterprises…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine how ethical leadership enhances the relationship between employee ethical behaviour and the job performance of employees in state-owned enterprises (SOEs).

Design/methodology/approach

This study was a survey, with data collected using a structured questionnaire. The study focused on employees from SOEs in Ghana. The sample covers 238 employees drawn from 10 SOEs. Data was analyzed using structural equation modelling.

Findings

The study concludes that employee ethical behaviour positively influenced the job performance of employees of SOEs in Ghana. The effect of ethical leadership on employee job performance was positively significant. Finally, ethical leadership positively moderated the effect of employee ethical behaviour on the job performance of employees of SOEs.

Research limitations/implications

Future research should look at identifying the specific behaviours of ethical employees that influence improved job performance. Also, future research could conduct a comparative study of private-owned enterprises and SOEs.

Practical implications

Attention should also be paid to ethical leadership, as it strongly enhanced both employee job performance and the quality of employee ethical behaviour required for increased job performance of employees.

Originality/value

Extant studies have paid limited attention to understanding how the interaction between employee ethical behaviour and ethical leadership will enhance employee job performance.

Details

Social Responsibility Journal, vol. 20 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1747-1117

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 7 June 2024

Aleksandra Rudawska

Based on social exchange theory and social identification theory, I investigated how employee organizational identification affects the effectiveness of commitment-based human…

Abstract

Purpose

Based on social exchange theory and social identification theory, I investigated how employee organizational identification affects the effectiveness of commitment-based human resource (HR) practices. I focused on employee attitudes (job satisfaction) and behaviors (proactive knowledge seeking) as HR practices’ outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a structural equation modeling analytical approach, I tested the hypotheses with data from a web-based cross-sectional survey of 208 specialists and engineers of manufacturing subsidiaries in Poland.

Findings

Results showed that the positive relationship between commitment-based-HR practices and job satisfaction is weakened for employees strongly identified with the organization. Simultaneously, the connection between seeking knowledge and job satisfaction is stronger and more important for people who identify moderately to strongly.

Research limitations/implications

The study limitations regard mainly its cross-sectional design and single cultural and industrial context.

Practical implications

From the managerial perspective, the study suggests that to enhance proactive employee behavior, companies need to increase employee organizational identification and ensure that employees have a positive perception of the implemented HR practices.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the ongoing discussion on whether individual contingencies affect the effectiveness of commitment-based HR practices in the form of individual attitudinal and behavioral outcomes. The findings revealed that the contingent effect of organizational identification depends on the type of individual outcomes, suggesting that the strength of organizational identification affects how employees decide to reciprocate the organization’s attention and investment.

Details

Central European Management Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2658-0845

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 10 April 2024

Mohammad Olfat

The primary objective of this investigation was to explore how employees’ utilization of social media for work-related purposes impacts their service innovation behavior, both…

1486

Abstract

Purpose

The primary objective of this investigation was to explore how employees’ utilization of social media for work-related purposes impacts their service innovation behavior, both directly and through the intermediary mechanisms of knowledge management and employees’ risk-taking.

Design/methodology/approach

In developing its conceptual framework, this study has drawn upon the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) theory. To test its hypotheses, this study has surveyed 241 financial analysts from ten Iranian financial companies and has employed variance-based structural equation modeling (specifically, PLS-SEM) with the assistance of “WarpPLS 8.0 software.”

Findings

The findings revealed that employees’ work-related use of social media positively influences their service innovation behavior using knowledge management, encompassing knowledge sharing and acquisition capability as well as employee risk-taking. However, this influence is not directly significant.

Originality/value

To the best of our knowledge, this study marks the first instance in which the effect of work-related use of social media on employee service innovation behavior directly and through the mediating roles of knowledge management and risk-taking has been investigated through the lens of the SOR paradigm, especially in the financial sector.

Details

Digital Transformation and Society, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2755-0761

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 9 October 2023

Leonard Emmanuel Mensah, Shalini Shukla and Hera Fatima Iqbal

This paper aims to investigate the relationship between green human resource management (GHRM) practices and employee innovative work behaviour in the hospital. Although previous…

3420

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the relationship between green human resource management (GHRM) practices and employee innovative work behaviour in the hospital. Although previous studies have examined the association between GHRM and various organisational outcomes, its nexus with employee innovative work behaviour has been largely unexplored.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a quantitative approach and tested hypotheses. The research design adopted both an explanatory and descriptive approach since there were limited past data or studies to reference. The study population was human resource and administrative managers at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital who have implemented GHRM practices. The sample size consisted of 264 respondents, selected using simple random sampling. Data were collected through structured questionnaires.

Findings

The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation and regression analysis. The results revealed that green training, green hiring and green compensation were significant predictors of innovative work behaviour among employees.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the understanding of the impact of GHRM practices on employee innovative work behaviour in the healthcare sector. The study recommends that organisations should view their training investments as financial investments and focus on hiring individuals with strong environmental sensibilities. Additionally, effective reward criteria should be developed to promote GHRM practices.

Details

IIMBG Journal of Sustainable Business and Innovation, vol. 1 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2976-8500

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 5 May 2021

Jernej Buzeti

The purpose of this study is to find the connection between leader behaviour and employee sickness absence in public administration.

4863

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to find the connection between leader behaviour and employee sickness absence in public administration.

Design/methodology/approach

The research data was collected with the help of an online questionnaire. The SPSS statistical programme and structural equation modelling in AMOS were used to analyse the data.

Findings

The research was conducted in public administration institutions, and 3,220 employees from public administration were included in the research sample. The author found a negative one-way relationship between certain types of behaviour and sickness absence. The author defines leader behaviour as a multidimensional construct in which each dimension represents a separate cluster of leader behavioural characteristics. Leaders’ “progressiveness” is the most important dimension, and a one-point increase in “progressiveness” (five-point scale) leads to a reduction of 2.8 days in sickness absence for one employee.

Research limitations/implications

The author focused only on one segment of factors (the behaviour of leaders) that affects sickness absence. To explain the maximum possible measure of the variability in sickness absence, it would be best to include several different influencing factors.

Practical implications

The study represents a structured model of the link between sickness absence and leader behaviour. With the model, it is possible to determine which behavioural forms of leaders influence sickness absence, where leader behaviour is treated as a complex whole, and not as an individual behavioural characteristic.

Originality/value

The study addresses calls for research on the relationship between leader behaviour and employee sickness absence within countries.

Details

International Journal of Organizational Analysis, vol. 30 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1934-8835

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 4 March 2022

Jamila Alieva and Daryl John Powell

The purpose of this study is to investigate the perceived effects between soft management practices, employee behaviours and the implementation of digital technologies in…

11172

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the perceived effects between soft management practices, employee behaviours and the implementation of digital technologies in manufacturing plants, as well as how these relate to the emergence of digital waste.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses case-based research. Data was collected in two large manufacturing companies based in Norway and Sweden through semi-structured interviews with two management representatives and four shop-floor employees. The data was used to evaluate 29 variables describing lean- and total quality management (TQM)-associated employee behaviours and soft management practices, in light of digital transformation.

Findings

The results suggest that several variables were positively influenced by the digital transformation process. These were top management leadership, middle management involvement, employee education, corporate social responsibility focus, innovation, knowledge sharing, work-family balance, psychological capital, job satisfaction and career commitment. Training employees, creativity, discretionary effort, turnover intention and proactivity appear to be negatively influenced by digital transformation The findings also indicate that several soft management practices and employee behaviours were not only influenced by manufacturing digitalization but also themselves influenced the process. The potential for digital waste creation was also detected in several variables, including reward and recognition and training employees.

Practical implications

Managers, practitioners and academics may learn about the importance of certain managerial practices and employees’ behavioural needs during the digital transformation process. The findings may help in prioritizing TQM and soft lean management practices and certain employee behaviours during the digital transformation and in creating awareness of digital waste.

Originality/value

This study builds on several existing studies discussing the impact of digital transformation on soft management practices and employee behaviours. It provides insights from a lean and TQM angle and offers a means of prioritizing certain practices and behaviours during a digital transformation. This study also highlights the significance of digital waste.

Details

International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, vol. 14 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-4166

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 2 August 2021

Botong Xue, Feng Xu, Xin Luo and Merrill Warkentin

A growing number of studies have investigated the effect of ethical leadership on behavioral outcome of employees. However, considering the important role of ethics in IS…

2982

Abstract

Purpose

A growing number of studies have investigated the effect of ethical leadership on behavioral outcome of employees. However, considering the important role of ethics in IS security, the security literature lacks a theoretical and empirical investigation of the relationship between ethical leadership and employees' security behavior, such as information security policy (ISP) violation. Drawing on social learning and social exchange theories, this paper empirically tests the impact of ethical leadership on employees' ISP violation intention through both information security climate (i.e. from a moral manager's perspective) and affective commitment (i.e. from a moral person's perspective).

Design/methodology/approach

The research was developed based on social learning theory and social exchange theory. To measure the variables in the model, the authors used and adapted measurement items from previous studies. The authors conducted a scenario-based survey with 339 valid responses to test and validate the research model.

Findings

Results indicated that information security climate fully mediates the relationship between ethical leadership and ISP violation intention. The authors also found that information security climate enhances the negative effect of affective commitment on ISP violation intention.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the literature of information security by introducing the role of ethical leadership and integrating two theories into our research model. This study also calls attention to how information security climate and affective commitment mediate the relationship between ethical leadership and employees' ISP violation intention. The theory-driven study provides important pragmatic guidance for enhancing the understanding of the importance of ethical leadership in information systems security research.

Details

Organizational Cybersecurity Journal: Practice, Process and People, vol. 1 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2635-0270

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 24 December 2020

Dariusz Turek

The purpose of this study was to describe and explain the relationship between job burnout (JB), organisational citizenship behaviours (OCBs) and counterproductive workplace…

4599

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to describe and explain the relationship between job burnout (JB), organisational citizenship behaviours (OCBs) and counterproductive workplace behaviours (CWBs). The job demands-resources theory was applied to test the moderating role of perceived organisational support (POS) in the relationship shared by JB, OCBs and CWBs.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was conducted anonymously on a group of 253 telephone customer support services employees from companies operating in Poland. Moderation analyses for statistical verification were conducted with macro PROCESS version 3.3.

Findings

The research confirmed a significant statistical relationship between JB and all the studied variables: POS, OCBs and CWBs. It may be concluded that JB increases the probability of CWBs and decreases employee readiness for OCBs. When employees experienced POS, a reduction in tendency for counterproductive behaviours was observed, while citizenship behaviours remained unchanged. Thus, it might be concluded that POS levels off the intensity of the influence of JB on employees’ organisational behaviours.

Practical implications

Individuals who lack enough social resources to perform their job tasks limit their citizenship activity in the workplace within their behavioural strategy (helping, initiative, etc.). In order to protect their resources, they may also display strategies that are destructive for their organisational environment, e.g. incivility or production deviance. In the situations when the organisation and superiors provide employees with support and demonstrate concern for providing comfortable working conditions, such persons, even in the case of perceived emotional exhaustion, maintain a high level of job activity.

Originality/value

The combination of variables presented in the research model explains the significance of the chosen determinants of behaviours that are key from the perspective of the organisation’s effectiveness and market competitiveness. This research extends knowledge pertaining to the relationship between JB and organisational behaviours.

Details

Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, vol. 8 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2051-6614

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 19 October 2020

Hannah Vivian Osei, Felicity Asiedu-Appiah and Perpetual Akosuah Anyimaduah Amoah

A major paradigm shift focusing on the dark side of leadership has generated lots of concern for organizations as leadership has cascading effects on employeesbehaviour. This…

2797

Abstract

Purpose

A major paradigm shift focusing on the dark side of leadership has generated lots of concern for organizations as leadership has cascading effects on employeesbehaviour. This study aims to understand negative behaviours in the organization as a system of interrelated interaction initiated from the top which trickles down to employees.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on the theories of social exchange and norms of reciprocity, social learning and displaced aggression, this study models how and when abusive supervision relates to employees’ task performance. The model is empirically tested and extended to cover mediation and moderation processes. Drawing data from 218 bank supervisors and employees, this study uses the structural equation modelling to analyse a trickle-down model of abusive supervision.

Findings

Results from multi-waved, multi-sourced data indicated a mediating effect on the abusive supervision–performance relationships and provided support for employees’ guilt proneness and emotional dissonance as moderators. Overall, the results provided support for a moderated mediation relationship in the trickle-down model.

Originality/value

This study provides new knowledge into the potential boundary conditions of employees’ guilt proneness and emotional dissonance in affecting the relationship between abusive supervision, counterproductive work behaviour and task performance.

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