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1 – 10 of over 6000Organization theory seeks to explain how people coordinate their behaviors to achieve common objectives, but it has offered little insight into how organizations emerge from such…
Abstract
Purpose
Organization theory seeks to explain how people coordinate their behaviors to achieve common objectives, but it has offered little insight into how organizations emerge from such coordination. Fully understanding entities requires knowing their origins. The purpose of this paper is to draw attention to and to suggest an approach for fortifying a foundational weakness in organization theory: pre-organization theory.
Design/methodology/approach
To develop pre-organization theory, this paper employs an evolutionary approach that integrates three theories. This paper first employs memetics to articulate a unit of selection, the i-memeplex, and next introduces inducement-contribution theory to tailor the i-memeplex to pre-organization, yielding a founder’s mental map for exchanges of inducements and contributions. It then applies generalized Darwinism to complete its evolutionary theory of pre-organization.
Findings
Memetics, inducement-contribution theory, and generalized Darwinism can be integrated to create a promising theoretical solution, but further investigation is needed to assess the empirical and practical value of pre-organization theory.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to organization theory by (1) explicating a foundational weakness in organization theory – its lack of pre-organization theory – and (2) integrating a novel set of theories to develop an evolutionary theory of pre-organization.
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Jeffrey Muldoon, Anthony M. Gould and Jean-Etienne Joullié
The purpose of this article is twofold. Its first objective is to bring to the fore the unexplored and neglected origins of social exchange theory (SET) to critique this body of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this article is twofold. Its first objective is to bring to the fore the unexplored and neglected origins of social exchange theory (SET) to critique this body of conjecture. This unearthing is illustrated through focusing on the way the theory was developed and how this development was mischaracterised in literature. Its second objective is to invoke the methodological assemblage of ANTi-History and the “close reading” notion using multiple archival sources to demonstrate their usefulness within the critical qualitative method debate.
Design/methodology/approach
The historic character of management and organization studies is exemplified through utilizing a combination of textual sources to examine how SET emerged from within the human relations school of thought throughout much of the twentieth century. Specifically, an array of sources (including archival data) is deployed and closely examined to trace how SET formed and became prevalent in organizational studies over the last decades.
Findings
SET is not only indebted to the human relations movement in general and to Elton Mayo’s work in particular (as is well-known), but also to logical positivism and behavioralist-school psychology. As such, Homans’ work marked the beginning of a new era in organizational behavior research.
Originality/value
The article highlights the role of historical analyses in interpreting mainstream constructs in organizational behavior. In doing so, it reveals how critical qualitative research leads to understanding some shortcomings of a theory and indicates potential remedies.
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Rahul Bodhi, Shakti Chaturvedi and Sonal Purohit
Employee green behavior (EGB) is a type of pro-environment behavior at the workplace strategized by organizations to attain sustainable development goals. While organizations have…
Abstract
Purpose
Employee green behavior (EGB) is a type of pro-environment behavior at the workplace strategized by organizations to attain sustainable development goals. While organizations have prioritized eco-friendly practices to attain sustainability objectives, EGB has emerged as an essential area of research. Considering the need for sustained employee green behavior, it is important to understand what stimulates such behaviors in an organization. Therefore, we propose a theoretical model grounded in social exchange theory to assess the effect of organizational commitment on employee green behavior, work-related use of social media, social well-being and psychological well-being.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire-based survey approach was used to collect data from 203 employees of Indian manufacturing and service industries. Partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis was applied to examine the proposed hypothesis.
Findings
The results revealed positive and significant effects of organizational commitment on psychological well-being, social well-being, work-related social media use and employee green behavior. Further, psychological well-being mediates the association between work-related social media use and employee green behavior.
Originality/value
This is one of the first studies to examine the effect of organizational commitment on employee green behavior to the best of our knowledge. Additionally, the findings empirically establish organizational commitment, work-related social media use and psychological well-being as antecedents to employee green behavior, thus offering novel insights and theoretically contributing to the employee green behavior, well-being and organizational literature.
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Farooq Ahmed, M. Muzamil Naqshbandi, Mehwish Waheed and Noor ul Ain
Grounded in the Social Exchange theory, this study focuses on the perception of digital leadership and innovative work behaviors. It also examines the complex effects of…
Abstract
Purpose
Grounded in the Social Exchange theory, this study focuses on the perception of digital leadership and innovative work behaviors. It also examines the complex effects of leader-member exchange, learning orientation, and innovation capabilities.
Design/methodology/approach
We undertake a quantitative approach using a two-wave longitudinal field survey of 440 employees and managers from various backgrounds working in the automobile industry in France.
Findings
The findings based on Structural Equation Modeling reveal that the perception of digital leadership leads to innovative work behavior while leader-member exchange moderates between the perception of digital leadership and learning orientation. The findings also support the mediating roles of learning orientation and innovation capabilities.
Originality/value
The study contributes important policy suggestions, raises queries for additional investigation, and suggests theoretical and practical implications for leadership and organizational environmental factors to foster innovative work behaviors in organizations.
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Shafaq Aftab, Irfan Saleem and Nur Naha Abu Mansor
Drawing upon social exchange theory, this study investigates how witnessed incivility is related to psychological distress for employees. In addition, scholars dug deep into the…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing upon social exchange theory, this study investigates how witnessed incivility is related to psychological distress for employees. In addition, scholars dug deep into the potential moderating effect of self-esteem that links witnessed incivility, employee silence and psychological distress.
Design/methodology/approach
In data were obtained from 292 bankers at family-owned banks. In this work, data analysis was performed using Smart-PLS covariance-based SEM version 4.
Findings
The study results indicate that employee silence mediates witnessed incivility and psychological distress. Findings also suggest that high self-esteem can mitigate the harmful effects of witnessed incivility, indirectly causing silence and psychological distress among employees.
Practical implications
Family-owned bank management should encourage employees to speak up, demonstrate self-esteem and share their concerns. Thus, reducing witnessed incivility increases well-being, stress, and mental health in Pakistani family-owned enterprises which operate in diverse industries.
Originality/value
In the context of family-owned banks, our study adds context and theory to the existing body of knowledge by illuminating the underlying process that relates incivility with psychological distress By exploring the use of social exchange theory.
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Abdüssamet Polater, Işık Özge Yumurtacı Hüseyinoğlu, Russel PJ Kingshott and Daniel Schepis
This study aims to examine the role relational dynamics, grounded in the theories of social exchange and social capital, play within the context of geographic indication (GI) food…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the role relational dynamics, grounded in the theories of social exchange and social capital, play within the context of geographic indication (GI) food supply chain network (FSCN) performance.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 30 qualitative interviews were undertaken with key informant stakeholders across a variety of organizations within Turkish GI FSCNs. An open, axial and selective grounded theory coding process was used for the analysis, teasing out critical themes that underpinned the conceptual framework.
Findings
The findings identify the formal and informal mechanisms which govern GI FSCNs. These two forms of governance mechanisms influence network performance, which was found to comprise logistics, production, business and socio-economic performance dimensions. Transparency, GI traceability, trust and psychological contract violations were found to mediate the link between governance and network performance outcomes.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to explore GI FSCNs from the perspective of relationship marketing and through the lens of social exchange and social capital theory. Accordingly, both academics and practitioners can benefit from the study, as it unveils relevant relational factors underpinning such networks.
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Torill Olsen, Yosuke Tsuji and Shintaro Sato
This study examines the relationships among residents' event impact perceptions, attitude towards events, attitude towards sponsors and sponsor-related behavioural intentions…
Abstract
Purpose
This study examines the relationships among residents' event impact perceptions, attitude towards events, attitude towards sponsors and sponsor-related behavioural intentions (i.e. purchase intention and word-of-mouth).
Design/methodology/approach
Focusing on the Naha Marathon in Okinawa, Japan, as a research context, data were collected from residents of Okinawa who were familiar with the Naha Marathon and its sponsors (N = 322). Structural equation modelling was employed to test the hypotheses, developed based on theories of social exchange, image transfer and planned behaviour.
Findings
The findings revealed that residents’ perceptions of social event impacts, rather than economic and environmental impacts, were associated with attitudes towards the event. Such an effect was indirectly associated with purchase intentions and word-of-mouth intentions via attitude towards the sponsors.
Originality/value
The current research contributes to the literature on sport sponsorship, especially in participation-based sports, by exploring how event sponsors can enjoy fruitful returns on investment. The findings can extend our understanding by highlighting the importance of positive community engagement for sponsors. Sponsors who aim to enhance consumer behaviour should prioritize strategies aligning with the positive social impacts of events.
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Resource mobilization has come to dominate contemporary discourse on the making and survival of social enterprises (SEs). Emphasizing the socially constructed nature of…
Abstract
Purpose
Resource mobilization has come to dominate contemporary discourse on the making and survival of social enterprises (SEs). Emphasizing the socially constructed nature of idiosyncratic firm resource environments, this study integrates bricolage and social exchange theory to explore the means at hand and the kinds of practices SEs in China employ to mobilize resources to address persistent social problems.
Design/methodology/approach
Adopting a qualitative multiple case design, the research contribution is developed in the context of four SEs based in two cities in China selected through a two-stage process. The main data for the inquiry come from 21 face-to-face, semi-structured interviews conducted with key informants in 2018 and 2019. The authors supplemented this with secondary data about each SE curated from social media platforms and publicly available documentary sources, including press statements, reports and popular press video interviews.
Findings
The research findings suggest that SEs in China tend to follow a two-step resource mobilization process: fraternize and exchange. Leveraging the means at hand – “social practice know-how” and the practice of “proactiveness,” SEs strategically engage with actors in their environment (fraternize) to understand and explore the possible sources of the resources they require. Nevertheless, fraternization alone is not sufficient; SEs must demonstrate exchange values (social, economic, functional and regulatory) to convince resource owners to either directly release resources (funds, the right of use of empty spaces, technologies, time and efforts) or offer them indirect support (certification, government procurement). The process of fraternizing within the contingencies of organizing, intertwined with social exchange practices, constitutes the success of resource mobilization. The combination and reconfiguration of the expanded repertoire of mobilized resources provide opportunities for the SEs to make do and, in return, help them maintain their status as valued SEs in China.
Originality/value
This study extends the understanding of bricolage through a social exchange lens to unpack the process through which SEs in China mobilize appropriate resources for their businesses. Emphasizing the importance of the social dimension of bricolage in resource mobilization, a two-step model, comprising fraternization exhibited in the form of social practice know-how and proactiveness and social exchange, is presented as an essential mechanism in SEs’ resource mobilization in China.
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Shan Jiang, Daqian Shi and Yihang Cheng
The model of pay-for-knowledge incentivizes individuals with financial rewards for sharing their expertise, facilitating a transactional exchange between knowledge providers…
Abstract
Purpose
The model of pay-for-knowledge incentivizes individuals with financial rewards for sharing their expertise, facilitating a transactional exchange between knowledge providers (sellers) and seekers (buyers). While this model is effective in promoting paid contributions, its influence on free knowledge exchanges remains ambiguous, creating uncertainty about its overall impact on platform knowledge ecosystems. This study aims to explore the mechanim of how knowledge payment influences free knowledge contribution. Based on relational signaling theory, this study posits that a buyer’s payment for knowledge acts as a positive relational signal in the buyer–seller relationship and examines how the signaling effect varies across different social contexts through attribution theory.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper empirically tests the hypotheses by analyzing a data set comprising 630 instances from 359 unique knowledge sellers on Zhihu, a prominent knowledge-sharing platform in China. This paper use zero-inflated negative binomial models to conduct this analysis.
Findings
The findings reveal that when buyers pay for knowledge, this action positively influences sellers to contribute knowledge for free. However, the strength of this influence is moderated by the platform’s social functions: appreciation feedback tends to weaken this effect, while social network ties enhance it.
Originality/value
Prior research has predominantly focused on the financial incentives of pay-for-knowledge and its spillover effects on unpaid users’ activities. This study shifts the focus to the social dimensions of pay-for-knowledge, arguing that buyer-initiated knowledge payments signal buyers’ commitment to foster reciprocal relationships with sellers. It expands the literature on the relationship between knowledge payment and contribution, moving beyond financial incentives to include social factors, thus enriching our understanding of the interplay between paid and free knowledge activities. Additionally, the empirical evidence supports the efficacy of pay-for-knowledge in promoting both free and paid contributions within knowledge-sharing platforms.
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Xi Luo, Jun-Hwa Cheah, Xin-Jean Lim, T. Ramayah and Yogesh K. Dwivedi
The increasing popularity of live-streaming commerce has provided a new opportunity for e-retailers to boost sales. This study integrated signaling theory and social exchange…
Abstract
Purpose
The increasing popularity of live-streaming commerce has provided a new opportunity for e-retailers to boost sales. This study integrated signaling theory and social exchange theory to investigate how streamer- and product-centered signals influence customers’ likelihood of making an impulsive purchase in the live-streaming commerce context.
Design/methodology/approach
An online survey was designed and distributed to the target respondents in China using purposive sampling. A total of 735 valid responses were analyzed with partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).
Findings
Both streamer-centered signals, i.e. streamer credibility and streamer interaction quality, were discovered to significantly influence product-centered signal, i.e. product information quality. Additionally, streamer interaction quality was found to have a significant impact on streamer credibility. Furthermore, it was observed that customer engagement played a significant mediating role in the relationship between product information quality and impulsive buying tendency. Moreover, the paths between product information quality and customer engagement, as well as the connection between engagement and impulsive buying tendency, were found to be moderated by guanxi orientation.
Originality/value
Despite the prevalence of impulsive purchases in live-streaming commerce, few studies have empirically investigated the impact of streamer and product signals on influencing customers’ impulsive purchase decisions. Consequently, to the best of our knowledge, this study distinguishes itself by offering empirical insights into how streamers use reciprocating relationship mechanisms to communicate signals that facilitate impulsive purchase decisions.
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