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This study aims to examine the moderating role of formalization in the relationship between human resources (HR) practices and work engagement (WE) in aviation industry employees. The research revealed the moderator role of formalization, which is still one of the most critical components for aviation industry workers.

In the study, the authors used the survey method. In this explanatory and cross-sectional study, the authors examined a data set collected from aviation industry employees (n = 226) in Turkey using the partial least squares (PLS) method and tried to moderate the formalization. The authors analyzed the moderator role of formalization in the relationship between HR practices and WE with SmartPLS 3.0 and HAYES Process Macro.

The results of the study explain the effect of HR practices on WE in the context of social exchange theory through formalization. Findings show that formalization is an essential factor in HR practices’ resulting in higher WE.

The study is cross-sectional. Research participants participated in the study voluntarily. This situation, in turn, may lead to a social desirability bias in participants' self-reported responses. To avoid this, the authors have prepared a standardized measurement tool. Again, since the authors do not request the names and institutions of the participants, confidentiality and anonymity are provided.

Research findings offer implications for companies and employees in developing economies, especially in the aviation sector. It refers to the necessity for companies aiming for a sustainable strategic position in the competitive aviation sector to attach importance to HR practices that will enable them to see their employees as a competitive advantage. In addition, the results emphasize the need for aviation industry companies to adopt an approach that considers both practices that can increase WE and formalization procedures that can affect employee behavior.

This research provides a comprehensive understanding to examine the interrelationships between HR, formalization and WE in the context of the mechanism of social change in the context of aviation industry workers. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no other researcher has holistically addressed these links in general, particularly in a developing country. The findings significantly enrich the literature on HR practices and WE, particularly in the context of a developing country.

The formalisation – switch from the informal to the formal sector – of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) has serious ramifications on the Egyptian economy. This study investigates the effect of the factors perceived by Egyptian informal entrepreneurs to encourage/deter formalisation on those entrepreneurs' intentions of formalising their MSMEs. Social media (SM) usage is a novel factor whose impact on the intention of formalisation is also examined.

The conceptual framework of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) is used, and a logistic regression model is utilised. Relevant data were collected from self-assessment questionnaires of a sample of Egyptian informal female and young male entrepreneurs, who constitute the majority of informal entrepreneurs in Egypt.

Results reveal that for female entrepreneurs, only the support of the government and other institutions positively affects their intention of formalisation, whilst direct costs and lack of family support affect their intention negatively. For young male entrepreneurs, the number of employees and prospects of contract enforcement positively affect their intention of formalisation, whilst being involved in a trading activity affects it negatively. For both groups, higher levels of education and SM usage adversely affect their intention of formalisation. These varying results have a crucial policy implication: the one-size-fits-all public policies intended to stimulate formalisation might not work, and thus, more tailored policies are required.

Worldwide, research on the impact of SM on the formalisation of MSMEs is scant, if existent. In Egypt, research on MSMEs is limited, those focusing on the impact of SM on Egyptian MSMEs are even scarcer and those targeting SM's effect on their formalisation are absent.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the issue of “formalization” in business networks as an instrument of industrial policy. Formalization in business networks is not a debated topic but it can affect organizational and inter-organizational dynamics considerably. The aim of the paper is to understand if the introduction of a normative tool that enhances formalized networks can be effective to promote network aggregations among SMEs. Second, the aim is to understand if this formalization supports good-working networks, i.e., capable to introduce new products or to enter new markets/customers.

The paper refers to a review of the literature and mainly to an empirical research on formalized network contracts (NCs) that have been conducted in the latest two years. This research has used both secondary data, collected accessing to databases and reports given by institutions and the government, and primary data, collected in specific direct interviews. These interviews have been concerned both institutions such as Chamber of Commerce, Confindustria and the Ministry of Economic Development and the Small Business Association, and 15 cases of NCs in Italy.

The formalization has consequences both internally and externally to the NC. Internally it can act as an element to reduce ambiguity and building elements of “fragile trust,” in the absence of basic elements of “resilient trust” and in the presence of changes in the competitive environment. Externally, the formalization through the NC allows the policy maker to identify more clearly companies’ aggregations in order to let them being destination of specific industrial policies. However even if the formalization has in some cases enhanced new networks’ creation, in many cases formalization has generated positive results when companies had already experienced networking outside the frame of the NC.

Further research on formalization in networks should be developed following the “history” of formalized networks over time in order to understand how much formalization should be used as a long-term tool for industrial policy.

The paper can be useful both for companies that want to sign a NC and for the institutions developing industrial policies devoted to support companies’ aggregations in the form of NC.

The paper presents a new legal tool – the “NC” – introduced in 2009 by the Italian Government to enhance firms’ aggregation; second, the paper debates the topic of formalization in networks that is not much debated in literature; and finally, the paper also adopts an industrial economic approach and is among the few attempts to integrate industrial policies and industrial marketing and purchasing thinking.

To investigate the relationship between two structural dimensions (formalization and decentralization) and two quality dimensions (design and conformance).

A total sample of 758 staff members and patients in five hospitals completed a questionnaire composed of four scales designed to measure the main variables in our study. Correlation and regression analysis were used to measure and confirm the study's hypotheses.

It was found that higher levels of decentralization are related to higher levels of design quality while higher levels of formalization are related to higher levels of conformance quality.

The results suggest that hospital managers need to skillfully handle the structural conflict between decentralization and formalization, and use both dimensions simultaneously to improve hospital performance and patients' service quality.

Previous studies are advanced by clarifying the impact of structural variables on total quality. A positive relationship between decentralization and design quality; and between formalization and conformance quality is empirically confirmed. The study points out the necessity of simultaneously achieving high levels of both formalization and decentralization in order to improve hospital performance in general and both components of total quality in particular.

Until recently, scholars have begun to examine the contextual antecedents of employees thriving at work. A recent study has shown that one aspect of organizational structure/context (i.e. formalization) can be an important antecedent of employee thriving at work. However, scholars have urged doing research examining how different aspects of organizational structure can combinedly influence employee work outcomes such as thriving at work. Given that, the present paper proposes a theoretical model to unravel the mechanisms of how two aspects of organizational structure (i.e. formalization and centralization) may operate as the antecedents of employees thriving at work. In particular, the author draws on the Conservation of Resources Theory (COR) to hypothesize that employees' work engagement mediates the relationship between their perception of formalization and thriving at work. The author further hypothesizes that the indirect relationship between formalization and employee thriving at work is moderated by employees' perception of centralization, such that the relationship is stronger in the presence of a lower level of centralization than higher.

The author gathered data by employing a time-lagged survey design involving 136 full-time employees from different organizations.

Results show that employee work engagement mediates the relationship between formalization and employee thriving at work. Further, the indirect relationship between formalization and employee thriving at work is stronger when the level of centralization is relatively low.

Formalization is able to enact employees' thriving at work, particularly when organization implements relatively less centralized structure.

This study first introduces work engagement as a mediator in the formalization–employee thriving at work relationship and centralization as a moderator along this mediating process.

To date, it remains unclear whether the experiences of large corporations with regard to knowledge transfer and process formalization can be successfully replicated in small companies. In this paper, the authors seek to contribute to the specialized literature on internal knowledge transfer processes and their degree of formalization in the context of small-sized innovative firms.

The authors adopt a multiple case study approach to perform an in-depth comparative analysis of processes deployed to transfer knowledge internally and their degree of formalization, relying on rich narratives shared by informants during the data gathering stage. This sample is composed of five small innovators operating in the software industry in Quebec and Ontario.

The authors identify seven knowledge transfer processes in our sample, namely communities of practice, within project teams, across project teams, non-project related meetings, in-house exchanges with clients, technological devices, and playful activities. Uncovering a high cross-case variation in terms of process formalization, the findings imply that the degree of formalization of intra-firm knowledge transfer processes has no direct bearing on the innovative success of small software companies.

The study sheds new light on the topic of heterogeneity of small organizations from the perspective of knowledge transfer endeavors and provides empirical evidence in support of equifinality for a subset of small-sized innovators from the software sector.

The purpose of this paper is to assess cost of land title formalisation in Ghana from the standpoint of individual land/property owners with the view to suggesting a cost-effective means for title formalisation in the country.

The paper adopts a quantitative research approach with mainly questionnaire instruments to obtain data from real estate valuers, land agents and lawyers in Accra, Ghana's capital city.

Consistent with the literature, the paper found that title formalisation cost is high with extensive time lag. A substantial portion of the cost emanates from commuting cost for follow-ups to expedite action on title formalisation activities, cost of time lag and unofficial and professional fees for facilitation of title formalisation activities.

For land title formalisation to contribute to socio-economic development of Ghana and other developing countries, there is a need for effective and efficient land title formalisation regime to reduce excessive time lag and monetary cost for title formalisation.

Few studies have examined the extent of title formalisation cost in sub-Saharan Africa. Most of these studies tend to overlook several indirect costs and give misleading cost reportage or focus on social cost. The study analyses land title formalisation cost from individual land/property owners’ standpoint. The paper incorporates indirect costs and gives an idea as to the cost trend. Being first of its kind, the study presents a new dimension to the assessment of land title formalisation cost in Ghana for policy formulation and practice.

This study aims to examine the influence of employee performance appraisal (PA) formalization on changes to one component of the employee–leadership social exchange relationship within the context of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Specifically, it builds upon extant research on human resource management within SMEs, performance appraisals and social exchange theory to consider the role of performance appraisal formalization in effecting change in the level of trust employees have in their leaders.

To test study hypotheses, this study analyzes responses to two survey waves completed by employees of a US-based SME operating within the commercial construction industry. This SME formalized the PA process in between the administration of the first and second surveys. Study data were analyzed using hierarchical ordinary least squares regression.

The results of this study suggest that the formalization of PA has a positive effect on change in trust in leadership (TIL). Study results also suggest that employee perceptions of PA utility, procedural justice and satisfaction with the PA process are positively related to changes in TIL. This study also found that the effects of employee perceptions of PA utility and procedural justice on changes in TIL are mediated by employee satisfaction with the PA process.

As a consequence of study design, the results found in this study may be limited with respect to their external validity. Researchers and practitioners are encouraged to use caution before generalizing study findings to other contexts.

This study suggests that PA formalization represents a means of increasing employee trust. Moreover, study results suggest that SME leaders hoping to increase employee TIL should be thoughtful about how they implement the PA process, paying particular attention to the usefulness of the feedback they provide and ensuring that the process of PA is viewed as being fair by employees. In doing so, SME leaders will enhance their employees’ satisfaction with the PA process, thereby increasing the trust they place in SME leadership.

This study extends research by considering the consequences of PA formalization with respect to changes in SME employee TIL. In doing so, this study heeds calls for additional research on the consequences of PA within SMEs, as well as sheds light on how PA formalization shapes the relationship between SME employees and leaders.

This study aims to synthesize qualitative research in the accounting and management literature that builds on the concept of enabling formalization. The framework for the meta-synthesis integrates formal management control system (MCS) design applying the package typology and two modes of MCS use, namely, diagnostic and interactive.

The meta-synthesis is based on 34 case studies gathered by a systematic literature search. Qualitative research mining software (Leximancer) was used to facilitate an initial analysis, upon which an in-depth manual analysis was conducted.

The findings indicate that the generic features of enabling formalization – specifically, flexibility and repair – help employees better deal with inevitable contingencies in their daily work through continuous self-improvement. In many circumstances, there is a need to change common organizational practices, which sometimes requires realignment to direct employee behavior toward goal congruence. The (temporary) coercion of employees does not seem to cause dysfunctional behavior or resistance as long as the broader MCS package follows the design features of enabling formalization – specifically, transparency. The interactive use of personnel/cultural controls appears to play a crucial role within the whole MCS package in balancing tensions between coercion and enabling formalization.

This study adds to the understanding of formal MCS design characteristics perceived by managers and employees as enabling. Furthermore, it shows how managers of these organizations use formal MCS under enabling formalization.

The purpose of this paper is to identify and explain how different kinds of knowledge-intensive business service processes (KIBS processes) can be formalised without excessively limiting employees’ agency, and thus flexibility in value creation. Previous research acknowledges the need to balance flexibility and formalisation but does not investigate how employees achieve this balance in various types of KIBS processes.

This paper employs a qualitative multiple-case study approach to compare employees’ agency in six successful formalisation projects targeting different types of KIBS processes in three firms. Through a systematic mapping of employees’ agency across the cases, this study reveals alternative patterns of formalisation that enable agency.

The findings reveal notable differences in employees’ agency in the studied cases. When KIBS processes were scale intensive and/or the culture-favoured conformity, formalisation projects were centrally organised, and employees obeyed codified process templates, even though some agency remained. When KIBS processes were smaller scale and/or the culture-favoured freedom, employees conducted formalisation projects autonomously and retained higher levels of agency in formalised KIBS processes.

Firms and business units providing KIBS should choose their formalisation approaches locally based on the scalability of the KIBS process, their employees’ skill levels, knowledge bases and culture. Choosing the right approach enables flexibility while striving for efficient processes.

Previous studies suggest that formalisation benefits only some KIBS, but this comparative approach shows that a variety of KIBS processes benefit from formalisation if the formalisation approach is tailored to the context. Alternative patterns of formalisation are revealed to guide further empirical research on the topic.