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Article
Publication date: 7 June 2019

Pablo Zoghbi-Manrique-de-Lara and Pablo Ruiz-Palomino

This paper aims to test whether servant leaders lead followers to socially interact more frequently, closely and personally with peers, and if this social interaction links…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to test whether servant leaders lead followers to socially interact more frequently, closely and personally with peers, and if this social interaction links servant leaders with employees’ personal social capital, both in terms of bonding (networks linking employees of a similar kind) and bridging (networks linking agents of different kinds).

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 403 employees from 59 large Spanish hotels. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The results reveal that servant leadership has a positive effect on bonding and bridging, which is mediated by employees’ social interactions with peers inside and outside their groups, respectively.

Research limitations/implications

The findings suggest that hotel managers should adopt servant leadership to facilitate social interactions at work, thus allowing employees to individually gain personal assets that improve the hotel’s social capital resources.

Originality/value

This is the first study to analyze whether servant leadership shapes personal social capital in business settings. Moreover, it is the first to show the mechanisms (social interactions with peers inside and outside their groups) through which managerial servant leadership encourages this valuable personal asset in hotels.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 31 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 June 2023

Pablo Ruiz-Palomino, Jorge Linuesa-Langreo, Rosa María Rincón-Ornelas and M. Pilar Martinez-Ruiz

The purpose of this article is to explore the mediating role of both ethical climate and frontline employees' ethical intent on the relationship between store managers' ethical…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to explore the mediating role of both ethical climate and frontline employees' ethical intent on the relationship between store managers' ethical leadership and frontline employees’ customer orientation (FECO).

Design/methodology/approach

Original data on small and medium-sized enterprises in the Mexican retail industry were used. A survey provided a sample of 332 frontline employees. To test the hypotheses, the authors conducted a partial least squares (PLS) analysis.

Findings

The results show the positive effect of ethical leadership is mainly direct. This can primarily be explained through the mechanisms of social exchange theory. Additionally, the results show that ethical climate and ethical intent act as essential partial mediators.

Originality/value

Although managers' ethical leadership typically exercises a direct and positive influence on employees' work performance, the path linking the ethical leadership of the upper echelons to this outcome has not been frequently studied, especially in terms of its impact on meeting customers' needs (i.e. frontline employees' customer orientation, or FECO). This study expands on existing knowledge by considering that a true FECO is necessarily linked to being “oriented to others”, which is fostered by the perception that moral values (i.e. honesty) are embedded in an organization's culture.

Propósito

El propósito de este artículo es explorar el papel mediador del clima ético y la intención ética de los empleados de primera línea en la relación entre el liderazgo ético de los directores de tienda y la orientación al cliente de los empleados de primera línea (FECO).

Diseño/metodología/enfoque

Los autores utilizaron datos originales de pequeñas y medianas empresas ubicadas en la industria minorista mexicana. Una encuesta proporcionó una muestra de 332 empleados de primera línea. Para comprobar las hipótesis, los autores realizaron un análisis por mínimos cuadrados parciales (PLS).

Resultados

Los resultados muestran cómo el efecto positivo del liderazgo ético es principalmente directo. Esto puede ser explicado fundamentalmente a través de los mecanismos de la teoría del intercambio social. Adicionalmente, los resultados mostraron que el clima ético y la intención ética actúan como mediadores parciales esenciales.

Originalidad/valor

Aunque el liderazgo ético de los directivos suele ejercer una influencia directa y positiva en el rendimiento laboral de los empleados, no se ha estudiado con frecuencia la vía que relaciona el liderazgo ético de los mandos superiores con este resultado, especialmente en lo que se refiere a su impacto en la satisfacción de las necesidades de los clientes (es decir, la orientación al cliente de los empleados de primera línea, o FECO). Este estudio amplía los conocimientos actuales al considerar que un verdadero FECO está necesariamente vinculado a estar “orientado a los demás”, lo que se ve favorecido por la percepción de que los valores morales (es decir, la honestidad) están arraigados en la cultura de la organización.

Article
Publication date: 30 September 2022

Opeyemi Afolabi Femi-Oladunni, María Pilar Martínez-Ruiz, Pablo Ruiz-Palomino and Ana Isabel Muro-Rodríguez

Given food industry manufacturers and retailers' growing economic interest in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), this research aims to contribute to the understanding of consumer food…

Abstract

Purpose

Given food industry manufacturers and retailers' growing economic interest in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), this research aims to contribute to the understanding of consumer food decisions in this specific geographical area. Thus, the intention is to analyze whether there are significant differences in the appreciation of food values according to certain key demographics of consumers (related to the individual and the context) in one of the largest SSA economies: Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

The review of the relevant literature enabled us to propose a series of hypotheses regarding potential significant differences in the appreciation of a series of food values (in particular, price, safety, environmental impact, nutrition and weight and measures) according to variables related to the individual and the economic and social context. In order to test the hypotheses, a structured questionnaire was personally administered to 500 Lagos residents between June and July 2020. The questionnaire contained, as well as diverse questions related to the appreciation of food values selected for this study, a group of questions about the consumers' sociodemographic characteristics – at both the individual and context level. The database was analyzed using descriptive statistics and Kruskal–Wallis tests.

Findings

The results show that nutrition and weight and measurement values are the most and least appreciated food values, respectively. However, these values differ across segments determined by the chosen sociodemographic variables.

Research limitations/implications

The results of this study are preliminary and not a complete representation of the Lagos State population, and, consequently, of the Nigerian population. Additional studies in the same and other countries in SSA are needed to confirm the authors’ findings. The results, however, provide an insight into what the most likely outcomes are. A field survey was used as respondents tend not to answer online surveys spontaneously.

Practical implications

Food manufacturers and retailers should encourage consumer-operator feedback mechanisms to improve product characteristics and development. The variations found across each segment can be capitalized upon for advertising and branding food products.

Originality/value

Having selected a country in SSA for the study is an important contribution, given that few studies have focused on this geographical area.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 125 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 February 2019

Pablo Ruiz-Palomino, Felipe Hernández-Perlines, Pedro Jiménez-Estévez and Santiago Gutiérrez-Broncano

Drawing on the theories of servant leadership and upper echelons, this paper aims to highlight the mechanisms through which CEO servant leadership enhances firm innovativeness in…

1874

Abstract

Purpose

Drawing on the theories of servant leadership and upper echelons, this paper aims to highlight the mechanisms through which CEO servant leadership enhances firm innovativeness in hotels. This study aims to test a multiple mediation model by considering the mediating role of encouragement of participation (EoPART) – a high-performance human resources (HR) practice – and employees’ voice (EVOICE) in sequence.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from HR managers of 34 hotels in the hospitality industry in Spain, which represents an important international tourist destination. Two methods of rigorous data analysis were used (partial least squares [PLS], structural equation modeling and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis [fs/QCA]), which enabled robust findings to be produced with minimal sample size requirements.

Findings

CEO servant leadership had a positive indirect effect on firm innovativeness in hotels, via the sequential application of EoPART and EVOICE.

Research limitations/implications

The findings provide new HR-related insights regarding the encouragement of firm innovativeness in hotels: CEOs can boost innovativeness in their hotels through the development of EoPART systems, which in turn favor EVOICE.

Originality/value

This is one of the first studies to analyze whether CEO servant leadership has an impact on innovativeness in hotels. Moreover, this study is the first to show the internal mechanisms (EoPART, EVOICE) through which CEO servant leadership encourages hotel innovativeness.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 31 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 April 2020

Dioni Elche, Pablo Ruiz-Palomino and Jorge Linuesa-Langreo

This paper aims to process underlying the relationship between supervisor servant leadership and employee organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) in hotels. Specifically, it…

5947

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to process underlying the relationship between supervisor servant leadership and employee organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) in hotels. Specifically, it analyzes the mediating role of empathy – individual level – and service climate – group level – in the relationship between supervisor servant leadership and employee OCB.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirical analysis uses original data on hotels located in historic cities in Spain. A survey provided a sample of 343 work-group-level (supervisors) and 835 individual-level (employee) from a sample of 171 hotels.

Findings

The most interesting finding is the indirect effect of supervisor servant leadership on employee OCB through the mediating role of both employee empathy – individual level – and group service climate – group level.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that hotel supervisors should adopt servant leadership to enhance OCB in their workgroups. This paper also provides insights into other ways to increase employee OCB, namely, through human resources initiatives that enhance employee empathy and shape a service climate within groups.

Originality/value

This paper is one of the few that analyzes the relationships between supervisor servant leadership, employee empathy, group service climate and employee OCB in a unifying cross-level model. It is also the first to analyze employee empathy as a positive outcome of supervisor servant leadership, as well as a mechanism to explain the relationship between servant leadership and employee OCB. Finally, it is one of the few studies that analyzes all these relationships in conjunction within the hospitality industry.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 32 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 April 2023

Virginia Barba-Sánchez, Yolanda Salinero, Pedro Jiménez Estévez and Pablo Ruiz-Palomino

The high and persistent unemployment rates of people with intellectual disabilities (PwID) reveal the wide gap that still remains to be bridged. Entrepreneurship combinedly with a…

Abstract

Purpose

The high and persistent unemployment rates of people with intellectual disabilities (PwID) reveal the wide gap that still remains to be bridged. Entrepreneurship combinedly with a high enterprising tendency could improve PwID's life satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed-method approach was used, based on questionnaires and structured face-to-face interviews on 37 PwID who had recently become entrepreneurs. Data were firstly quantitatively analyzed using partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), and qualitative data were used to enable robust findings.

Findings

The entrepreneurial tendency of PwID who had recently become entrepreneurs was found to be a positive to their life quality (LQ), job satisfaction and life satisfaction.

Research limitations/implications

This study revealed that entrepreneurship among PwID who had high enterprising tendency enhances their LQ, job satisfaction and life satisfaction. However, further research could evaluate whether becoming an entrepreneur is in itself enough to change PwID's life to better, such that a comparison could be done between PwID who become entrepreneurs and PwID who have a salaried job.

Practical implications

New aspects in the design of public social policies to improve PwID's life satisfaction are suggested. These include the facilitation of both entrepreneurship and enterprising tendency for PwID to enhance their life satisfaction.

Originality/value

There are very few occasions in which PwID set up businesses. This is one of the first studies to analyze the benefit of entrepreneurship and enterprising tendency on the LQ, the satisfaction at work and the life satisfaction of PwID.

Details

Management Decision, vol. 62 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0025-1747

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 February 2012

Ricardo Martínez‐Cañas, Francisco J. Sáez‐Martínez and Pablo Ruiz‐Palomino

This paper aims to empirically examine the mediating role of knowledge acquisition between social capital and innovation for firms located in science and technology parks (STPs).

2624

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to empirically examine the mediating role of knowledge acquisition between social capital and innovation for firms located in science and technology parks (STPs).

Design/methodology/approach

Partial least squares offers the primary statistic technique for assessing survey data collected from 214 Spanish tenants.

Findings

Knowledge acquisition fully mediates the relationship between social capital and firm innovation. Moreover, social capital at the firm level has a significant influence on both knowledge acquisition and innovation.

Research limitations/implications

Further research should include more independent variables to understand the complex phenomenon of firm innovation.

Practical implications

Tenant firms in STPs must develop strategic management tactics for their interfirm relations to acquire and exploit key resources such as knowledge. For specialized firms, close social interactions in specific contexts can enhance both knowledge acquisition and innovation to compensate for their resource constraints.

Originality/value

By demonstrating the impact of social capital on knowledge acquisition and innovation in the specific context of STPs, whose artificial environment encourages and promotes close social interactions among tenants, this article overcomes previous and contradictory findings regarding the relationship between social capital and innovation. A key element is the contingent and mediating role of knowledge acquisition. Finally, this study considers social capital at the firm level as a multidimensional, second‐order latent construct that includes structural, relational and cognitive aspects simultaneously.

Details

Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. 16 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1367-3270

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 April 2014

María Pilar Martínez-Ruiz, Pablo Ruiz-Palomino, Ricardo Martinez-Canas and Juan José Blázquez-Resino

This study aims to determine which factors underlie the store attributes that contribute to a particular food store image. Furthermore, heightened recent attention to private…

3149

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to determine which factors underlie the store attributes that contribute to a particular food store image. Furthermore, heightened recent attention to private labels in the food retailing industry creates the need to assess whether the factors vary, depending on customers' brand proneness and their impact on key marketing performance variables (satisfaction, attitudinal loyalty, behavioural loyalty).

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed analysis features 211 questionnaires out of a sample of 391 consumers surveys gathered in four different store formats; 137 of which were completed by consumers who admitting being private label prone, and 74 pertaining to consumers who considered themselves national brand prone. The underlying food store factors were identified using factorial analysis of principal components, and their influence on consumers' satisfaction and loyalty was evaluated with linear parametric regression models.

Findings

Store attributes related to providing sufficiently convenient purchasing experiences and a special atmosphere are most important for private label brand-prone consumers and enhance their satisfaction, attitudinal loyalty and behavioural loyalty. For national brand-prone consumers, attributes related to quality are more important for enhancing marketing performance variables.

Research limitations/implications

The results enable a clear identification of food store factors that vary with the consumer segment being considered (private label prone consumers vs. national brand prone), as well as their differential impacts on key marketing performance variables.

Practical implications

To appeal to private label-prone consumers, food retailers should put particular emphasis on the attributes of the store itself, especially those that enhance convenience and the pleasantness of the store atmosphere. To attract national brand-prone consumers, they primarily need to highlight aspects related to quality.

Originality/value

This research emphasises the importance of building competitive strategies in food retailing based on: an increased knowledge about the attributes and factors that food consumers value more highly; and brand type preferences.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 116 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 October 2014

Verica M. Babić, Slađjana D. Savović and Violeta M. Domanović

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationships between transformational leadership and post-acquisition performance, introducing into the analysis the mediating effect…

2545

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationships between transformational leadership and post-acquisition performance, introducing into the analysis the mediating effect of employee attitudes toward changes, in the specific context of a transitional economy.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were collected from 208 employees (including 91 managers) from ten acquired companies in Serbia. Using exploratory factor analysis, two dimensions of transformational leadership were identified in the context of a transitional economy: the first one refers to inspiring and stimulating the employees, and the second dimension refers to responding to employee problems. Multiple regression analysis was used to test the research hypotheses.

Findings

The results of the analysis indicate that inspiring and stimulating employees has an indirect impact on post-acquisition performance through the mediating effect of employee attitudes toward changes, whereas responding to employee problems has both direct and indirect impacts on post-acquisition performance.

Practical implications

The results of study may be significant for managers involved in the processes of mergers and acquisitions and may aid them in obtaining adequate levels of employee commitment and trust, which are needed to achieve challenging goals and to improve post-acquisition performance.

Originality/value

The research of the mediating effect of employee attitudes on post-acquisition performance contributes to a better understanding of the relationships between transformational leadership and post-acquisition performance. Research in transitional economies related to subject matter is limited, while in Serbia in particular, there is no prior empirical work on the impact of transformational leadership on post-acquisition performance.

Details

Journal of Organizational Change Management, vol. 27 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0953-4814

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 December 2019

Rafael Morales-Sánchez and Susana Pasamar

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between the ability, motivation and opportunity model, and organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB) as a result…

2090

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between the ability, motivation and opportunity model, and organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB) as a result variable, using the perceived organisational support (POS) as a moderator of this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

The hypotheses developed here are tested using data from a sample of Spanish firms belonging to two industries: finance and hotels. These sectors were selected due to the serious impact the recent financial crisis had on them, and because they may benefit from extra-role behaviours.

Findings

The results reveal that ability and motivation significantly influence the level of OCB. POS also has a notable direct effect on OCB, as well as moderating in the relationship between opportunity and OCB.

Originality/value

The study’s findings have some important lessons for practitioners and researchers with an interest in OCB, showing how to improve these extra-role behaviours, which can be so necessary in this post-crisis context.

Details

Employee Relations: The International Journal, vol. 42 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0142-5455

Keywords

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