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1 – 10 of over 1000
Article
Publication date: 7 April 2023

Domenique Jones and Heejin Lim

Addressing stigmatized identity threat cues customers experience, this study aimed to uncover the effects of frontline employees' ethnic and body-size diversity which lead to…

Abstract

Purpose

Addressing stigmatized identity threat cues customers experience, this study aimed to uncover the effects of frontline employees' ethnic and body-size diversity which lead to customer self-objectification and negative store attitude.

Design/methodology/approach

The researchers conducted two studies: Study 1 utilized a one-way ANOVA and a PROCESS mediation model to test the effect of Western beauty-ideal stereotypes on stigmatized identity threat and self-objectification. Study 2 utilized a 2 × 2 experimental design to examine the effects of body-size diversity and ethnic diversity on perceived warmth of sales associates and store attitude.

Findings

Results demonstrate that retail store environments which present Western beauty-ideal stereotypes among sales associates cultivate higher levels of stigmatized identity threat cues with their customers, which leads to self-objectification. Also, our findings demonstrated that a lack of ethnic and body-size diversity (i.e. thin and White) among sales associates decreased the perceived sales associate warmth and in turn lowered store attitude.

Research limitations/implications

Participants of the first study were limited by the White participants. The implications highlight the integral need for retailers to hire sales associates who fall outside the parameters of typical Western beauty standards because today's customers desire inclusive brands who do not discriminate based on ethnicity, body size and other characteristics.

Originality/value

This research utilized social identity theory to uncover the effect of retail sales associate stereotype on customer perception of employees, which has not to our knowledge been previously studied.

Details

Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal, vol. 27 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1361-2026

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 May 2022

Calvin W.H. Cheong

The purpose of this study is to investigate the gender and ethnic diversity–performance relationship in Malaysia from two angles: (1) the impact of political regimes; and (2) a…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the gender and ethnic diversity–performance relationship in Malaysia from two angles: (1) the impact of political regimes; and (2) a possible nonlinear relationship – at the boardroom and employee level.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a sample of firms listed in Bursa Malaysia during a sample period that spans two political regimes. Two-stage least squares controlling for firm-specific effects, corporate governance and lagged variables to account for endogeneity issues is used to test the relationship.

Findings

Findings show that the political alignment of the ruling government affects the significance of the gender/ethnic diversity–performance relationship. The relationship between board gender/ethnic diversity and firm performance is curvilinear while the relationship between employee gender/ethnic diversity is linear and positive.

Research limitations/implications

First, promoting gender/ethnic diversity not only requires strong policy but also political will to lead by example. Political regimes that provide lip-service without effective implementation threaten to derail any efforts in furthering the diversity agenda. Second, the presumption of a linear diversity–performance relationship is fallacious. Further studies, especially in pluralistic societies, must not discount the subtleties of intergroup conflicts. Third, in light of allegations of prejudicial hiring policies, Malaysian firms should embrace diversity, not only in the boardroom, but also among its workforce as employee diversity improves firm performance.

Originality/value

Prior studies on gender/ethnic diversity in Malaysia have returned mixed results but thus far, there has been no satisfactory explanation for this phenomenon. This study attributes it to lack of political will and cultural subgroup conflicts – two pertinent issues that were never considered in the literature. Prior studies have also exclusively focused on boardroom diversity. This study goes further by examining employee diversity – particularly important since most empowerment and diversity initiatives are targeted at lower level employees. This study is also the first to provide an objective benchmark for gender diversity (30–35% female directors) and ethnic diversity (less than 40% from one ethnicity) to achieve optimal performance.

Details

Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Administration, vol. 15 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-4323

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 April 2022

Diego Matricano

Diversity in entrepreneurship has become a noteworthy topic of research since consistent differences – and few similarities, if any – exist among entrepreneurial profiles. The…

Abstract

Purpose

Diversity in entrepreneurship has become a noteworthy topic of research since consistent differences – and few similarities, if any – exist among entrepreneurial profiles. The present paper aims to compare different entrepreneurial profiles managing innovation processes in new technology-based firms (NTBFs). In particular, attention is focussed on young entrepreneurs who are in a critical phase of their lifelong learning, the school-to-work transition.

Design/methodology/approach

Statistical elaborations are based on data retrieved from Italian Ministry of Economic Development in January 2021 and carried out through stochastic frontier analyses. Respectively, 1,699 young entrepreneurs, 1,079 female entrepreneurs, 205 ethnic entrepreneurs and 8,224 stereotyped entrepreneurs are considered.

Findings

Factors affecting the performance of innovation processes managed in NTBFs are the same for stereotyped and female entrepreneurs, but they consistently differ for young and ethnic entrepreneurs. Achieved results are not in the position to offer a complete analysis of the phenomenon but – hopefully – can corroborate a very interesting and up-to-date research path that merits further development. In particular, young entrepreneurs disclose an unexpected skills mismatch that should be investigated in-depth.

Originality/value

Most contributions offer a narrow view of entrepreneurial profiles since they focus on one profile per time. The present paper, instead, considers four entrepreneurial profiles and compares them. Moreover, young entrepreneurs reveal an unexpected skills mismatch that underlines the relevance of specific activities of on-the-job training and apprenticeships in order to try to overcome it and improve the results achievable by young entrepreneurs.

Article
Publication date: 9 January 2024

Chrystalla Vassou, Antonis L. Theocharous and Anastasios Zopiatis

The importance of inclusive leadership has been recognized by scholars and practitioners alike. However, the ways in which inclusive leadership can be achieved and implemented in…

Abstract

Purpose

The importance of inclusive leadership has been recognized by scholars and practitioners alike. However, the ways in which inclusive leadership can be achieved and implemented in hospitality seem to be unclear. In order to answer how inclusive leadership can be put into practice in hospitality, this paper explores (1) employees' and managers' perceptions of inclusion and (2) diversity practices in hotel organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

By espousing a qualitative methodology, semi-structured interviews with management representatives, as well as local and foreign employees of 4- and 5-star hotel organizations, were utilized in order to identify what inclusive leadership looks like in theory and in practice. Data were analyzed via thematic analysis and the utilization of the NVivo software.

Findings

Findings suggest that an inclusive leader should be caring and respectful, pursue fair treatment, support employee development, express employee appreciation and recognize their role in social inclusion more widely.

Originality/value

This original work reduces the research-practice gap in the field of diversity management by providing succinct recommendations to hospitality managers in the form of an adaptable best practice framework. The diagrammatic framework includes the values related to inclusive leadership as they emerged, as well as the practices through which each theme could be enacted.

Details

EuroMed Journal of Business, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1450-2194

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 September 2023

Mohamed Osman Shereif Mahdi Abaker, Lindsey Kemp, Boo Yun Cho and Louise Patterson

The purpose of this article was to investigate the employee perceptions of diversity management and employee performance. To achieve this, employee respondents’ perceptions and…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this article was to investigate the employee perceptions of diversity management and employee performance. To achieve this, employee respondents’ perceptions and perspectives have been tested, and findings are discussed.

Design/methodology/approach

To address this study's purpose, survey data were collected from 250 employees of two organizations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Data were analyzed by age, gender and nationality for two variables: diversity management and employee performance.

Findings

Results showed that respondents perceived an improvement in employee performance when diversity was managed for employees of different age groups, females/males working together and a workplace composed of employees from various nationalities.

Research limitations/implications

The implication of this limited study is that further studies on the perception of diversity management for employee performance in the Middle East region needs to be conducted. The social implication is that organizational leaders can initiate diversity management to improve employee performance. The research is limited by the geographical context and access to the collection of data during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Social implications

The implication of this limited study is that further studies on the perception of diversity management for employee performance in the Middle East region needs to be conducted. The social implication is that organizational leaders can initiate diversity management to improve employee performance.

Originality/value

The contribution to academic knowledge from this research is two-fold: findings from a novel study conducted in the Middle East evidenced diversity management improved perceptions of employee performance. The value of the study for praxis is to incorporate employees' belief in diversity management for its potential to improve employee performance.

Details

Employee Relations: The International Journal, vol. 45 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0142-5455

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 June 2023

Ibrahim Cifci and Gurel Cetin

The immature research endeavor on refugee entrepreneurship has not adequately covered the success factors of refugees. The current work aims to address this gap through the theory…

Abstract

Purpose

The immature research endeavor on refugee entrepreneurship has not adequately covered the success factors of refugees. The current work aims to address this gap through the theory of planned behavior and the theory of procedural utility to identify the success factors of refugee entrepreneurs in the tourism and hospitality industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The current work is based on a qualitative approach drawing on data from 24 semistructured interviews with refugee entrepreneurs in Istanbul-Türkiye.

Findings

The thematic analysis of the data set revolved around three interrelated themes: personal, organizational and environmental factors, which offer a better understanding of the elements defining successful refugee entrepreneurs.

Practical implications

The paper also offers various practical implications and policy recommendations for the economic integration of refugee entrepreneurs in the public and private sectors.

Originality/value

The results enhance the understanding of successful refugee entrepreneurship in their new hosting environment, contributing to the existing research agenda by identifying the key themes of refugee entrepreneurs’ success factors.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 36 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 March 2024

Cynthia Lum, Christopher S. Koper, Michael Goodier, William Johnson and James Krause

We present the results of one of the only in-depth studies of a police agency’s internal and external response to the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 (COVID-19). This study…

Abstract

Purpose

We present the results of one of the only in-depth studies of a police agency’s internal and external response to the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 (COVID-19). This study emphasizes the importance of law enforcement agencies conducting comprehensive case studies and after-action assessments to prepare, prevent and respond to prolonged public health crises and showcases the profound (and lingering) effects of COVID-19 on police organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

This multi-method case study combines document analysis, a workforce survey, a community survey, interviews and analysis of administrative data to detail and assess the agency’s internal and operational responses to the pandemic and the reactions of employees and community members to those responses.

Findings

Despite agency strategies to mitigate the pandemic’s effects, employees cited very high stress levels one year after the pandemic and a third of sworn officers considered leaving the policing profession altogether during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Several policies intended by the agency to protect employee health and maintain staffing needs kept workforce levels steady but may have increased feelings of organizational injustice in both sworn and non-sworn individuals, with variation across racial and gender groups. A jurisdiction-wide community survey indicated general support for the police department’s responses but a preference for in-person rather than telephone-based responses to service calls. Officers, however, preferred continuing remote responses even after the pandemic subsided.

Originality/value

To the best of our knowledge, this is one of the only in-depth case studies that examine a police agency’s internal and external responses to COVID-19 and the sworn, non-sworn and community reactions to those responses.

Details

Policing: An International Journal, vol. 47 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 March 2024

Martin David Owens and Elizabeth Johnson

The paper aims to understand how state and non-state domestic terrorism impacts MNEs in foreign markets. Despite the burgeoning literature on terrorism within international…

Abstract

Purpose

The paper aims to understand how state and non-state domestic terrorism impacts MNEs in foreign markets. Despite the burgeoning literature on terrorism within international business (IB), most research has focused on international terrorism, or terrorism generally. Consequently, there has been limited research examining how domestic or local based terrorism impacts foreign firms.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a conceptual paper.

Findings

Domestic terrorism is the most common form of terrorism in the world today and involves the state and non-state actors. Non-state domestic terrorism can be low intensity or high intensity. High intensity non-state-domestic terrorism typically involves regular and protracted political violence, along with inter-communal violence. This can expose MNEs to considerable operational, governance and legitimacy pressures.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the gap in IB terrorism research with regards domestic or local based terrorism. Drawing on IB theory and critical terrorism research, the paper addresses the nature and impact of domestic terrorism within IB. The authors’ paper shows the operational, governance and legitimacy pressures of both state and non-state domestic terrorism for MNEs in host markets. While most IB scholars consider the threat of non-state terrorism for international firms, this study shows how domestic state terrorism benefits and constrains foreign firms.

Details

Critical Perspectives on International Business, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1742-2043

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 January 2023

Lydia Olakumbi Oluyadi and Wenjin Dai

This paper explores the workplace experiences of aesthetic labour among racially diverse frontline women workers in a fashion retail store.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper explores the workplace experiences of aesthetic labour among racially diverse frontline women workers in a fashion retail store.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative study is based on an ethnographic study, drawing on findings from participant observation and interviews with frontline workers at a fashion retail store in the UK.

Findings

This paper explores how the embodiments of aesthetic labour are perpetually produced and commodified through the discipline of management in a fashion retail store. It challenges the notion of phenotypical Whiteness as the beauty standard within fashion retail and demonstrates how embodiments differ according to race. While White women are continuously scrutinised by their appearance, the aesthetic demands for women of colour tend to focus on speech and racialised bodies to provide “authentically” exotic experiences for customers. Additionally, this study highlights how the mobilisation of aesthetic labour can create work humiliation and work alienation.

Research limitations/implications

Despite this study being based on an ethnographic study at one British fashion retailer, this paper seeks to give voices to an underrepresented group by exploring the lived experiences of racially diverse women workers.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the intersection between aesthetic labour and race from an embodiment perspective, exploring the workplace experiences of racially diverse women workers in fashion retail and how their various forms of embodiment are racialised and commodified.

Details

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, vol. 42 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-7149

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 February 2023

Gizem Arat, Suna Eryigit-Madzwamuse and Angie Hart

In this study, the authors investigated ways to cultivate resilience through a social justice lens among ethnic minorities against COVID-19 in Hong Kong.

Abstract

Purpose

In this study, the authors investigated ways to cultivate resilience through a social justice lens among ethnic minorities against COVID-19 in Hong Kong.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative (case study) methodology was adopted to interview 15 social service providers from diverse ethnic backgrounds serving disadvantaged ethnic minority groups (South and Southeast Asian groups from low-income households, foreign domestic workers and asylum seekers/refugees).

Findings

Two major protective factors were identified, contributing to the development of resilience among diverse ethnic groups: (1) individual-based resilience (including being optimistic) and (2) socio-environmental factors (including ongoing support from strong family, peer and religious settings' support, consulates' support, on-going material and nonmaterial donations, support of young volunteers and importance of online connection and communication) using the integration of resilience and social justice frameworks.

Originality/value

This study showed that the protective factors were found to dynamically interact with each other and the environment. The present study recommends additional culturally sensitive service and policy implications for preventing the long-term impact of mass crises among Hong Kong's marginalized minorities.

Details

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, vol. 42 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-7149

Keywords

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