Search results

A government’s green initiatives are meant to prevent or reduce harm to society. Such initiatives can elicit positive emotions that may lead to generating a supportive public response to the government. The purpose of this paper is to understand the consumers’ emotional response to government’s actions toward making the society sustainable.

The scenario-based experimental design is used in this study where one between-subjects manipulation is created for the government’s green actions, and one between-subjects control condition is created. A total of 140 respondents were assigned to experimental and 121 respondents were assigned to control groups using judgmental sampling. Partial least squares based structural equation modeling and confirmatory factor analysis was used for the testing of both structural and measurement model.

Positive emotions (i.e. gratitude, pride and happiness) that are evoked by the manipulated scenario are found to have a direct impact on the consumers’ outcome behavior (i.e. positive word of mouth, identification with the government, interest in green initiatives of the government and interest in the government’s actions to grow the nation).

The research contributes to the literature on the social sustainability by examining the impact of emotional responses to the government’s green initiatives. This study shows that positive emotions can be evoked in the context of environmental quality by sending the right message to the consumers (i.e. the general public in this case).

The purpose of this paper is to show whether positive or negative framing of preparation messages leads to higher intentions to prepare for earthquakes, and whether the more important component of the message is the framing of the preparation action or the framing of the outcome of not preparing.

Four message conditions were created by crossing the framing of preparation actions (taking or not taking action) and the framing of outcomes (experiencing harm and avoiding harm in an earthquake). They were presented to citizens (n=240) in Wellington, New Zealand, who judged the general importance of preparation and specific preparation steps.

The study finds that intentions to undertake both general and specific preparation were higher with negatively framed outcomes than positive outcomes. With specific actions, negative outcomes led to higher intentions to prepare when the action frame was positive (i.e. being well prepared).

This research shows that negative framing should apply to outcome preparation and not to the action of preparing

These findings clarify that negative framing of outcomes is likely to increase preventive actions in relation to natural hazards.

This is the first study to show the affects of message framing on preparing for disasters.

Positive action is a difficult and often misunderstood concept which covers a wide range of individual measures to improve the position of disadvantaged groups. Seeks to clarify the concept, outline its development and put forward a number of practical strategies for those working in the equal opportunities field. Its principal focus is the European Community, with particular attention given to the UK.

The European university context reveals a high degree of gender inequality. In Italy, the overall female employment rate is significantly lower than in the rest of Europe; nevertheless, gender equality in universities is consistent with the European average. In 2006, the Italian Government required public organisations (thus state universities) to formulate positive action plans (PAPs) and disclose the positive actions planned for the following three years to promote gender equality. However, the law does not provide any guideline for the contents of the PAPs. The purpose of this paper is to analyse gender equality disclosure in PAPs to investigate whether and how Italian State Universities (ISUs) are taking a role in promoting gender equality.

The paper uses content analysis to investigate contents of gender disclosure in 28 PAPs. The authors developed a coding instrument based on the Guidelines for Gender Equality Programmes in Science.

The paper found that most PAPs are focused on creating a favourable environment for women inside the organisation, while little attention has been paid to creating gender awareness in research and teaching activities, as well as in supporting women’s leadership. The paper concludes that ISUs are failing as key players in the cultural change of the society toward gender equality.

First, the paper contributes to the accounting literature by providing an analysis of accounting for gender by universities. Second, it adds to the debate on positive actions for gender equality in the university sector.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the claim that the tie-break criterion introduced under the Equality Act 2010 is not really positive action as is claimed by its government sponsors. It evaluates this claim by locating the tie-break into equal opportunities theory, taking into account merit considerations, and reviews its potential implications.

A conceptual discussion of the tie-break.

The paper concludes that the tie-break is not positive action, nor is it positive discrimination. It employs the framework established by Forbes (1991) and attempts to locate it in theoretical discussions of the need to refine merit to take identity characteristics into account. While it could serve to make a more sophisticated approach to merit possible it fails to achieve its implicit potential in this regard.

The paper is conceptual and will benefit from empirical support in the future.

Practically, the tie-break promises to add some greater clarity to the muddled understanding of equal opportunities and diversity that underpins much policy and legislation. As a result it will arguably prove hard to implement and will carry other associated problems.

Socially, the tie-break, mis-represented as it currently is, promises to create greater uncertainty around the nature and purposes of equality of opportunity. Consequently, it could exacerbate tensions and hostilities and promote significant resistance to “equality” measures.

This paper is an original conceptual piece that will shine a light on an important legal innovation. The tie-break is not what it is described to be and carries both potential and threat for advocates of equality of opportunity. In pursuing socially significant outcomes of this type, conceptual accuracy and transparency are vital, and this paper contributes to this endeavour.

The purpose of this paper is to provide empirical patterns regarding trans people’s self-esteem-oriented evaluations during observations of positive workplace actions. The case of a 2015 UK workplace guide is utilized to fulfil the aims. The guide provides suggestions to employers for recruiting and retaining trans people.

A new questionnaire is created which forms a 20-item scale capturing a variety of self-evaluations. Trans people provided their responses in a 2018–2019 survey and the study’s patterns were captured.

The outcomes suggest that trans people’s self-esteem and self-respect are enhanced by policy makers’ positive actions to promote inclusivity in the workplace. In addition, due to these actions trans people feel more accepted, valued and trusted by the government. The authors suggest that a lack of positive workplace actions may be detrimental to trans people’s self-esteem. However, if a workplace policy is perceived to be a recognition of trans people’s worth this may be internalized, resulting in positive self-evaluations. The authors suggest that the 2015 workplace guide aims to ensure that trans people’s self-expressions are not constrained in ways that could cause them self-esteem difficulties.

The study also finds that firms which have implemented the workplace guide have informed human resources strategies, affected corporate profiles and staff organizational behaviours, created a more inclusive workplace culture, and addressed LGBT business and trans staff members’ needs. The authors suggest that when employers utilize policy makers’ positive workplace policies they may be able to realize positive organizational outcomes in their firms.

The World Health Organization perceives self-esteem as a public matter and this study suggests that inclusive workplace strategies can positively affect the psychological states of a highly marginalized population group.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge this is the first attempt to quantify how a workplace guide impacts on self-esteem-oriented evaluations among trans people. Each one of the 20 items in the scale brings new insights into the subject matter.

The occupational stress and well-being literature often focuses on specific causes of stress as health risk factors to be managed, on attributes of work environments that are stressful and/or risky, or on prevention and intervention strategies for managing these causes of stress as well as individual stress responses at work (Quick & Tetrick, 2003). The occupational stress literature has not focused on how executives and organizations can cause positive stress for people at work. In this chapter, we explore a principle-based framework for executive action to create positive, constructive stress for people at work.

The first major section of the chapter discusses seven contextual factors within which the principle-based framework is nested. The second major section of the chapter develops nine principles for executive action. The third and concluding section of the chapter turns the focus to a set of guidelines for executive action in managing their personal experience of stress.

The purpose of this paper, intended primarily for practitioners, is to demonstrate how features of psychological capital (PsyCap) may be combined with manager efforts to collaborate with an employee on an action learning project. In reciprocal action learning, manager and employee create a partnership to learn, achieve work-focused goals and advance their relationship. Initiatives aimed at positively stimulating employee assets and psychological or behavioral attributes can overlay the action learning process.

A narrative synthesis was used to examine three sources of empirical research from organizational psychology and human resource management: reciprocity, action learning and PsyCap. Information was integrated to create a guide, a model for managers for use in considering options about how to structure employee and self-learning, as well as options for use in stimulating employee assets and PsyCap.

The approach presented may serve as a practical guide for manager consideration. Research identifies several types of behaviors and activities intended to positively stimulate and reinforce the learning of both participants. The literature on PsyCap offers many initiatives for a manager to consider in assisting an employee to develop talent and positive attitudes. Such efforts have to be carefully tailored to the individual employee, the tasks at hand and the manager’s own learning needs.

The value of action learning is supported by a relatively large research base. The significance of PsyCap also has substantial support. Innovatively, this paper offers guidance to a manager in consideration of combining the attributes of both concepts to maximize positive effects on learning, personal growth, skill development and work achievement.

The goal of the leadership development process is to enable the individual to learn how to become a self-leader and for any organization to develop leaders. Self-leadership represents an individual's ability to exercise control (self-efficacy) over his or her choice of situations in which to participate in and to provide intrinsic rewards that are usually associated with achieving goals. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

This study presents and describes a conceptual model that will help us to understand the critical dimensions (e.g. self-esteem) associated with self-leadership and the interrelatedness of these dimensions.

The conceptual model that the author describes in this paper provides a comprehensive overview of self-leadership that extends Neck and Manz's (2010) conceptual model. It does so by identifying all the critical super ordinate mediators referred to by Deci et al. (1981) as internal states (referred to in this study as “dimensions”). These “dimensions” are then organized into his or her own singular system which leads to specific types of behavior. Through elucidating the important mediators and learning about and understanding how behavior, an individual's internal processes and external forces influence each other (in what Manz, 1986; Bandura, 1978 refer to as reciprocal determinism), we can begin to understand how to design more effective leadership development programs. Additionally, by studying these mediators any organization can develop clearly defined profiles of potential leaders; in turn, this will help an organization screen candidates more effectively to fill leadership jobs.

This concept piece offers a comprehensive model of the self-leadership process that includes all the important issues and the relationship among the important issues.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the antecedents of word-of-mouth (WOM) in long-term service settings. Specifically, the authors examine the moderating role of action inertia in the relationships between satisfaction and repatronage intention, satisfaction and WOM, and repatronage intention and WOM.

The proposed model was empirically tested using survey data from 1,385 telecommunications service subscribers. The data were analyzed using partial least squares path modeling.

Results suggest that a positive link between repatronage intention and WOM, hereto a neglected relationship in the marketing literature, in contrast to previous literature, the behaviors of long-term customers are not predictable, and action inertia strengthens satisfaction – WOM and repatronage intention – WOM links and weakens satisfaction – repatronage intention link.

This study examines customers of a utilitarian service. To further determine the potential of the model, it is desirable to explore the validity of the model in other service settings, particularly those with high hedonic values.

The study provides valuable insights into repatronage intention – WOM link, with particular emphasis on the measurement and analysis of action inertia. This is important in understanding and evaluating inertia influences and identification of the drivers of WOM. These insights can be used by managers to better allocate their resources when investing in customer loyalty-building exercises and in generating WOM.

This paper contributes to the literature in three main ways. First, it examines the nuances of customer loyalty in continuous service contexts. Second, the study empirically tests the role of repatronage intention as an antecedent of WOM. Third, the study introduces and tests the moderating role of action inertia on positive WOM.