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Article
Publication date: 23 October 2007

N.A. Hira

1403

Abstract

Details

Human Resource Management International Digest, vol. 15 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0967-0734

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 August 2016

Sidharth Muralidharan and Fei Xue

Millennials, an understudied segment of the sustainable market, are enthusiastic about adopting greener lifestyles but fail to translate pro-environmental attitudes to actual…

2920

Abstract

Purpose

Millennials, an understudied segment of the sustainable market, are enthusiastic about adopting greener lifestyles but fail to translate pro-environmental attitudes to actual behavior, thus understanding factors that motivate their actual purchase of green products is imperative. Using the consumer socialization framework, the researchers studied the impacts of social structural variables (i.e. age, gender, education and family structure), socialization agents (i.e. family, peers and mass media) and environmental concern on the buying behaviors of millennials from two of the world’s most populous nations: India and China.

Design/methodology/approach

Using online panels (Amazon M-Turk and sojump.com), online surveys were administered to an online sample of millennials aged 18-24 years from India (n = 253) and China (n = 255).

Findings

Hierarchical regressions showed that peer communication predominantly influenced green buying behavior of millennials from India, while family communication was most important to Chinese millennials. Environmental concern, an attitudinal outcome, directly impacted behavior and also mediated the relationship between significant socialization agents and buying behavior in both countries.

Practical implications

Considering the importance given to peers (India) and family (China), green marketers have to use specialized strategies when marketing their products to millennials in India and China. Instead of focusing on mass media campaigns, the study highlights the importance of “personal” social networks to curb the environmental issues plaguing their respective countries.

Originality/value

The current study extends the literature on millennials’ green consumer behavior by exploring millennials in India and China. The consumer socialization framework has not been applied to countries like India and China, and to understand green consumerism, the role played by influential agents such as family and peers in these collectivistic cultures and their potential to change green attitudes and behavior warrants further exploration. The possibility of mediating effects has been represented by weak correlations between socio-demographic and psychological factors. Using the consumer socialization framework, the current study explores environmental concern (EC) as a mediator in the model.

Details

Young Consumers, vol. 17 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1747-3616

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Article
Publication date: 30 August 2011

Camille Kapoor and Nicole Solomon

The modern workplace now consists of four different generations for the first time in history. Each generation, Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y, has…

21585

Abstract

Purpose

The modern workplace now consists of four different generations for the first time in history. Each generation, Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y, has been heavily influenced by the events of their time; this creates a new challenge for employers. Companies must make workplace adjustments in order to create a productive environment for all employees, regardless of their generation. This paper aims to address these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The findings of researchers interested in generational differences, workplace communication, management, diversity in the workplace, and many other topics were studied in the production of this piece.

Findings

This research shows that employers must identify the separate characteristics of each generation present in their workplace. Further, employers must foster a work environment that aids productivity for every generation; they must give their employees the information and skills needed to understand the generational characteristics of their co‐workers to create understanding among employees. Other steps that managers can take include mentor programs, generational diversity training, and enhanced communication methods designed to cater to each generation's preferences.

Originality/value

This literature review takes into account the findings of researchers who have studied the characteristics of each generation and the application of these characteristics in the workplace. The problem of a generationally diverse workplace is present in most companies today.

Details

Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, vol. 3 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1755-4217

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Article
Publication date: 30 August 2011

Dwane H. Dean

Although customers may interact with visibly tattooed employees, there has been very little research investigating customer perceptions of visibly tattooed workers. This paper…

2374

Abstract

Purpose

Although customers may interact with visibly tattooed employees, there has been very little research investigating customer perceptions of visibly tattooed workers. This paper aims to fill some of the gaps.

Design/methodology/approach

The independent variables of employee appearance (tattooed versus non‐tattooed) and service outcome (below, equal to, or above expectations) were presented in textual scenario to a convenience sample of university students aged 18‐24. Subjects responded to questions regarding the appropriateness of employee appearance, confidence in the ability of the service provider, satisfaction with the service, and likeliness to recommend the service provider.

Findings

The youthful sample considered visible tattoos on a tax service provider to be very inappropriate, and they held significantly less confidence in the ability of the tattooed versus non‐tattooed employee. Satisfaction with the service (across three levels of outcome) was significantly lower in the tattooed employee scenario (as compared to the non‐tattooed employee), and subjects were significantly less likely to recommend the tattooed service provider, even when service outcome was favorable.

Research limitations/implications

The effect of visible tattoos was only investigated for one service occupation; other types of services may be more (or less) affected.

Originality/value

Human resource managers have generally been unwilling to hire visibly tattooed job applicants, though empirical evidence to support this posture has been lacking. The present study, using a sample expected to be accepting of tattoos, provides evidence that visible tattoos are unfavorably perceived and have negative consequences for the business, at least for the service business tested in the scenario.

Article
Publication date: 3 June 2014

Upasna A. Agarwal

– This paper concurrently examines the antecedents, moderator as well as mediator of innovative work behavior (IWB).

3535

Abstract

Purpose

This paper concurrently examines the antecedents, moderator as well as mediator of innovative work behavior (IWB).

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reports a quantitative study of 510 managers from two service organizations based in western India. The focus of the paper is to examine the predictive ability of leader–member exchange (LMX), perceived organizational support (POS) and engagement on employees' IWB. Role of LMX as moderating variable (in POS–IWB relationship) and work engagement as the underlying mechanism explaining the relationship between predicting variables (LMX and POS) and IWB is tested.

Findings

Results suggest that LMX, POS and work engagement positively relate to innovative employee behavior; LMX moderates the relationship between POS and innovative employee behavior. Additionally, work engagement mediates the relationship of LMX and POS with IWB.

Research limitations/implications

Although this study is cross-sectional in nature, its findings have implications for contemporary leadership and organizational psychology research.

Originality/value

This study significantly contributes to four different bodies of knowledge–work engagement, LMX, POS and IWB. The study also contributes in terms of its context. With increasing multinational opening their business in India, an understanding of employee motivation has become an important concern. This research is one of the rare attempts to examine engagement levels of Indian managerial employees.

Details

Team Performance Management, vol. 20 no. 3/4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1352-7592

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 May 2011

Melissa Grafton

In today's current economic environment the barriers to growth are even more apparent than normal and there is little appetite for risk taking and minimal room for mistake making

3226

Abstract

Purpose

In today's current economic environment the barriers to growth are even more apparent than normal and there is little appetite for risk taking and minimal room for mistake making. This paper aims to assess how entrepreneurs can successfully recognize and respond to opportunities quickly and effectively.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected through a survey of entrepreneurs entitled: “What makes entrepreneurs tick?”.

Findings

The paper finds that successful entrepreneurs conduct frequent and thorough risk assessments of ideas and opportunities and take appropriate action accordingly. They minimize the risks within their control, and understand the probability and impact of the risks they cannot control.

Practical implications

While running a growing, successful entrepreneurial business looks like a talent you either do or do not have, the reality is there are some core aptitudes which are quite definable and which can be instilled in an organization.

Social implications

Entrepreneurship and growth today also means being able to tap into the next generation, their mind set, energy and drive to achieve. Companies that want to be entrepreneurial need to know how to encourage, reward and motivate this generation.

Originality/value

The paper provides useful insights into entrepreneurs' motivations and ideas for developing a business strategy. It also highlights what core skills should be adopted in order to remain competitive.

Details

Strategic Direction, vol. 27 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0258-0543

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 May 2010

Dwane H. Dean

It is proposed that visible tattoos on service personnel may be used as a clue by consumers in predicting service process and outcome. This paper aims to explore this general…

7074

Abstract

Purpose

It is proposed that visible tattoos on service personnel may be used as a clue by consumers in predicting service process and outcome. This paper aims to explore this general hypothesis by investigating consumer perceptions of tattooed service employees and whether they vary by type of service rendered, the age of the perceiver, and whether the perceiver has a tattoo or not.

Design/methodology/approach

A quota sample of age‐grouped subjects reported their perceptions of the appropriateness of visible tattoos on service personnel in nine different occupations as well as their inferences about tattooed people on five personal traits.

Findings

Overall, visible tattoos on white‐collar workers were deemed inappropriate while similar tattoos on blue‐collar workers were viewed as appropriate. Respondents (both young and old and tattooed versus non‐tattooed) believed financial services workers should not have visible tattoos. Older subjects held a more unfavorable view of tattooed people, in general, than younger subjects, believing tattooed people are less intelligent and less honest than non‐tattooed people.

Research limitations/implications

The respondents did not evaluate actual tattoos, just the location of the tattoo on the arms, hands, or neck. Also, subjects evaluated hypothetical employees. Prior acquaintance with the employee might alter the perception of the tattoo.

Originality/value

This is apparently the first study to investigate consumer perceptions of visibly tattooed service personnel. Written explanations given by subjects for their responses suggest that judgment of the appropriateness of the tattoo is driven by expectations. That is, whether the presence of the tattoo is congruent with the mental image of people in that occupation in the mind of the perceiver. Interestingly, judgment of appropriateness was not affected by whether the perceiver had a tattoo or not, suggesting that perceived similarity of the object to the perceiver had little influence on evaluation.

Details

Managing Service Quality: An International Journal, vol. 20 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0960-4529

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 November 2008

Keith Macky, Dianne Gardner and Stewart Forsyth

This introduction seeks to provide a brief background to the notion that there are generational differences at work and to introduce the papers included in this special issue of…

25495

Abstract

Purpose

This introduction seeks to provide a brief background to the notion that there are generational differences at work and to introduce the papers included in this special issue of the Journal of Managerial Psychology.

Design/methodology/approach

The current context concerning generational differences at work is briefly outlined followed by a description of the core theory underpinning the notion of generational cohorts. Criticisms of this theoretical premise are provided before a brief outline is given to each article in the special issue.

Findings

There is evidence for changes in personality profiles across generations, and for differences in attitudes towards work and careers. However, effect sizes tend not to be large, and some findings are inconsistent with popular stereotypes regarding generational differences. Little support was found for differences in work values or motivation.

Practical implications

Contrary to popular hype concerning generational differences at work, managerial time may be better spent considering employee needs relating to age (maturity), life‐cycle and career stage differences than developing generationally specific management policies and practices. Significant methodological problems remain in generational research.

Originality/value

The papers facilitate a critical understanding of the challenges facing generational research and its limitations, and provide a litmus test against which popular stereotypes can be compared.

Details

Journal of Managerial Psychology, vol. 23 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0268-3946

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 June 2020

Satyajit Ghosh, Krishna Siddharth Rajasekeran, Billton Joseph Vitus, Sai Aswin Srikanth, Suhaas Mohandas, Ashwin Ganesh Monikantan and Shiv Kulin Contractor

This study investigates the aerodynamics of the airflow over low-rise houses subjected to turbulent cyclonic winds along the South-eastern peninsular India, routinely afflicted by…

Abstract

Purpose

This study investigates the aerodynamics of the airflow over low-rise houses subjected to turbulent cyclonic winds along the South-eastern peninsular India, routinely afflicted by tropical cyclones. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how the power of modern computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and its engineering application accentuate decision-making at the planning stage of house designing in vulnerable areas.

Design/methodology/approach

The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model was used for first simulating the landfall of cyclone Hudhud, a real storm, and its effect in extant and new house designs. Results from the WRF model were utilized to configure further CFD simulations of airflow around house designs. The analyses yielded deep insights, often non-intuitive, into airflow patterns around these houses with disparate roof forms indicating new possibilities in redesigning houses along Indian coastal areas.

Findings

This study shows that storm-induced high TKE values warranted a fuller CFD-based study. The second major finding showed that for a 90° angle of attack, arguably the most destructive attack angle, a pitched roof (with a pitch angle of 10°) worked best – this is about half the recommended angle sourced from earlier empirical estimates dating back to the British Raj period. There is a thin layer of padded air cushion shielding the roof's vulnerable surface from the storm's most energetic parts.

Originality/value

The originality of this research lies in its discourse to systematically resolve the TKE distribution of a cyclone impacting a standalone house. In particular, the study presents a lucid demonstration of all the probable scenarios connecting cyclonic stresses with a roof response, inferred from a careful combination of results garnered from cyclonic storm modelling coupled with CFD analysis. Additionally, the paper also shows a graphic visual representation of the forces induced on different roof designs, presented as a checklist for the first time. This should serve as a ready reckoner for civic authorities involved in disaster management over cyclone-ravaged areas.

Details

Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, vol. 10 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-6099

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 April 2021

Chunhui Huo, Javaria Hameed, Muhammad Waqas Sadiq, Gadah Albasher and Wedad Alqahtani

This paper aims to provide a valid insight into consumers' minds while considering word of mouth (WOM), brand image and uniqueness as independent variables while considering the…

1596

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to provide a valid insight into consumers' minds while considering word of mouth (WOM), brand image and uniqueness as independent variables while considering the tourism industry as the primary stakeholder.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopts qualitative research methods and data collected from 1,033 respondents using convenience sampling methodology. The data are collected from different tourists spots in China and Pakistan. The PROCESS macro was utilized in this study using SPSS version 25.0 to inspect the impacts by using Model 4 and the conditional effects indirectly by utilizing Model 14.

Findings

Customer's intimacy, search for novel and unexplored destinations highlight WOM interactions and perceived service value. Service value, interactional justice and professional attitude of hotel management mediated all the given relationships significantly. The brand image does not mediate any significant associations. Perceived service value and brand image predict customer's loyalty, and WOM is the direct measure of their intentions, and these variables are market trend indicators. A tourist's response toward different destinations is described in this study with comparative analysis of Chinese and Pakistani tourists. The study results showed a significantly positive relationship between hotel management professional behavior, customer's loyalty, customer's intimacy and WOM.

Research limitations/implications

The recruited population might not be represented as the broader and larger visitor population, resulting in restricting establishing tactics. Moreover, this study's results provide significant insight into a tourism industry, hence providing a chance to manage customer loyalty better.

Social, managerial and theoretical implications

This study contributes significantly to the body of knowledge and provides remarkable insight from the managerial perspective. Interactional justice results in significant value for hotel management directors and top management, front desk staff and operatives and front level employees and managers. Consumer sensitivity of fairness in interpersonal dealings calls for behavioral changes in frontline employees, especially those directly dealing with hotel visitors. Hotel staff and management should formulate a system to deal with the demands and needs of visitors. It should describe the rights and obligations of visitors and ensure that each customer is treated equally and with respect. Customers should be motivated to read the survey questionnaires kept in their rooms and offer their views on the services provided. This strategy might increase the customers' sense of empowerment and leading to notions of fairness in individual encounters.

Originality/value

This study provides an insight into the customer's minds while considering essential variables that include WOM, brand image, perceived service value and uniqueness.

Details

Business Process Management Journal, vol. 27 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-7154

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