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1 – 10 of over 8000Fitim Deari, Agim Kukeli, Nicoleta Barbuta-Misu and Florina Oana Virlanuta
The paper aims to investigate the dynamic relationship between working capital management and firm profitability for a sample of firms from eight European Union (EU) countries for…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to investigate the dynamic relationship between working capital management and firm profitability for a sample of firms from eight European Union (EU) countries for the period 2006–2015.
Design/methodology/approach
The panel regression model is used in the study. Firm profitability is measured using the return on assets (ROA) ratio, whilst cash conversation cycle, financial leverage, size, tangibility and cash flow ratio are used as independent variables. The novelty of this study is the use of cash flow ratio to develop the analysis firms by dividing them as healthy and nonhealthy.
Findings
The paper reveals that working capital management affects firm profitability, and a positive relationship exists between them. The paper shows differences of working capital management and firm profitability across countries. The striking result of this study is that an inverted U-shape relationship exists between working capital management and firm profitability. Whereas the findings suggest that firms should be as close as possible to the optimal length of cash cycle to increase profitability, and managers should give a priority to working capital optimization.
Originality/value
The authors consider results of this study relevant to both researchers and business policymakers in the field of working capital management policies.
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Weijie Zhou, Tao Wang, Jianhua Zhu, Yuan Tao and Qingzhi Liu
This paper aims to investigate how perceived working conditions affect employee performance, including safety compliance and task performance, through employee well-being (i.e…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate how perceived working conditions affect employee performance, including safety compliance and task performance, through employee well-being (i.e. job satisfaction) in the context of the coal mining sector in China.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper uses the job demands-resources model to test the relationships between working conditions, including job demands (work pressure as a challenge demand and perceived risks and hazards in the workplace and ineffectiveness of the safety system as hindrance demands), job resources (interpersonal harmony), job satisfaction and performance. This study adopts a two-wave design with a three-month lag to reduce possible common method bias.
Findings
Employees who experienced high level of challenge demands, e.g. time pressure workload, reported higher levels of task performance, and this positive relationship seemed to be robust. There is a direct effect of perceived ineffectiveness of the safety system on task performance, while the relationship between perceived risks and hazards and task performance was fully mediated by job satisfaction. Challenge demands, i.e. work pressure, did not impact much on employees’ well-being, and thus job satisfaction did not mediate the relationship between work pressure and performance. Perceived ineffectiveness of the safety system was negatively associated with safety compliance. This result is not surprising since a lack of effective safety system reflects management’s ignorance of workplace safety, which demotivates employees to enact safe behaviors. In contrast, the presence and implementation of an effective safety system would be interpreted by employees as management exhibiting a high level of commitment. Work pressure was positively not negatively related to safety compliance. One possible explanation for this finding is that the effects of work pressure on safety compliance behaviors might be dependent on contextual factors such as safety climate. Interpersonal harmony moderated the relationships between work pressure and employee performance (both safety compliance and task performance) and the relationship between perceived risks and hazards and task performance, but the role of interpersonal harmony appeared more complex. There was no significant correlation between challenging job demands and individual employee performance when there were higher levels of interpersonal harmony. The relationship between perceived risks and hazards, a hindrance job demand and task performance became positive as interpersonal harmony increased but negative as interpersonal harmony decreased.
Originality/value
This paper provides a robust integrative theoretical framework that better explains the various types of job demands and job resources in the working environment of coal mining sector in China and their relationships to employee performance. The findings also offer valuable guidance for managers trying to identify effective ways to enhance employee performance and safety in the workplace.
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Kedarnath Thakur, Talina Mishra, Lalatendu Kesari Jena and Suchitra Pal
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of blended working (BW) on individual payoffs like psychological ownership (PO), affective organizational commitment (AOC…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of blended working (BW) on individual payoffs like psychological ownership (PO), affective organizational commitment (AOC) and digital stress (DS). Additionally, the study also examines the moderating role of organizational optimism (OO) on the relationships stated to determine the boundary condition of the relationship between BW and the individual payoffs.
Design/methodology/approach
A longitudinal field survey based on executives employed in the Indian service industries (comprised of state-owned banks, three healthcare and four MNCs) was conducted. Levels of BW, AOC, PO, DS and OO were measured through a validated scale, and the relationships' significance was explored.
Findings
The result indicated that BW positively influences AOC and DS, while OO influences PO positively and DS negatively. OO also moderates the influence of BW on PO and DS.
Originality/value
This research extends its contribution to the extant literature by (1) exploring the unique context of research in work conditions (BW) across India, (2) examining macro level factor (OO) in the linkage between BW and psychosocial factors, (3) investigating the moderating effect of OO and (4) considering a relatively large sample for empirical analysis in several waves to study BW and its individual pay-offs.
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Peixu He, Hanhui Zhou, Qiongyao Zhou, Cuiling Jiang and Amitabh Anand
Employees may adopt deceptive knowledge hiding (DKH) due to nonworking time information and communication technology (ICT) demands. Drawing from the conservation of resources…
Abstract
Purpose
Employees may adopt deceptive knowledge hiding (DKH) due to nonworking time information and communication technology (ICT) demands. Drawing from the conservation of resources (COR) theory, this study aims to develop and test a model of deceptive knowledge hiding (DKH) due to nonworking time information and communication technology (ICT) demands.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 300 service employees have joined the three-wave surveys. Path analysis and bootstrapping methods were used to test the theoretical model.
Findings
Results suggest that knowledge requests during nonworking time could deplete employees’ resources and increase their tendency to engage in DKH, whereas work recovery and emotional exhaustion mediate this relationship. In addition, employees’ work–family segmentation preferences (WFSP) were found to moderate the direct effects of nonworking time ICT demands on employees’ work recovery and emotional exhaustion and the indirect effects of knowledge requests after working hours on DKH through employees’ work recovery and emotional exhaustion.
Originality/value
First, the findings of this study shed light on the relationship between knowledge requests during employees’ nonworking time and knowledge hiding, suggesting that knowledge hiding could occur beyond working hours. Second, drawing on COR theory, this study explored two joint processes of resource replenishment failure and depletion and how nonworking time ICT demands trigger knowledge hiding. Third, the interaction effect of individuals’ WFSP and nonworking time factors on knowledge hiding deepens the understanding of when nonworking time ICT demands may induce knowledge hiding through various processes.
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Timothy Bartram, Jillian Cavanagh, Beni Halvorsen, Patricia Pariona-Cabrera, Jessica Borg, Matthew Walker and Narges Kia
Aged-care work has become an extreme form of work. Anti-violence HRM, comprising practices to combat workplace violence, is important in an industry with widespread violence. In…
Abstract
Purpose
Aged-care work has become an extreme form of work. Anti-violence HRM, comprising practices to combat workplace violence, is important in an industry with widespread violence. In this paper, we employ social exchange theory to better understand the effect of anti-violence HRM and trust in the manager on perceived nurse and PCA cynicism working in Australian aged care facilities and their subsequent intention to leave.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used a mixed method with two stages. Stage 1 comprised semi-structured interviews with 10 managers and 50 nurses and PCAs working in Australian aged care facilities. Stage 2 comprised a survey of nurses and PCAs with a total of 254 completed responses in Time 1 (first wave) and 225 completed responses in Time 2 (second wave).
Findings
We tested three hypotheses and reported that interestingly anti-violence HRM was positively associated with organisational cynicism. Organisational cynicism mediated the relationship between anti-violence HRM and intention to leave. Worker trust in the manager moderated the relationship between anti-violence HRM practices and organisational cynicism, such that high levels of trust in the manager increased the effect of anti-violence HRM practices to reduce organisational cynicism and subsequently reduce intention to leave.
Originality/value
We find evidence that in aged care, workers' trust in their managers is critical for effectual anti-violence HRM. We argue that implementation of HRM practices may be more complex in extreme work settings. It is crucial to study HRM in situ and understand the root of social exchange(s) as a foundation for HRM to influence employee attitudes and behaviour.
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Linda Johanna Jansson and Hilpi Kangas
This study aims to widen the understanding of how remote work shapes the feedback environment by examining the perceptions of leaders and subordinates of daily, dyadic feedback…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to widen the understanding of how remote work shapes the feedback environment by examining the perceptions of leaders and subordinates of daily, dyadic feedback interactions. The emphasis is on understanding how reciprocity within leader-member exchange (LMX) relationships manifests and how it influences the feedback dynamics.
Design/methodology/approach
Template analysis of a qualitative data set consisting of 81 semi-structured interviews with leaders (n = 29) and remote working subordinates (n = 52) was performed.
Findings
Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of the feedback environment and the leader-member exchange, the findings demonstrate the imbalance between the efforts of leaders and subordinates in building and maintaining a favourable feedback environment in the remote work context. The results of this study highlight the importance of the dyadic nature of feedback interactions, calling for a more proactive role from subordinates.
Practical implications
Given the estimation that the COVID-19 pandemic has permanently changed the way organizations work, leaders, subordinates and HR practitioners will benefit from advancing their understanding of the characteristics of dyadic, daily feedback interaction in remote work.
Originality/value
Qualitative research on feedback and leader-member exchange interactions in remote work that combines the perceptions of leaders and subordinates is sparse.
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Feng Wang, Zihui Zhang and Wendian Shi
Work and leisure, as important activity domains, play important roles in the lives of individuals. However, most previous studies focused on only the interference and negative…
Abstract
Purpose
Work and leisure, as important activity domains, play important roles in the lives of individuals. However, most previous studies focused on only the interference and negative effects of work on leisure, with little focus on the facilitation of work and the positive effects of work on leisure. In view of the shortcomings of previous studies, this study focuses on the facilitation effect of work on leisure and its impact on individual psychology. This study aims to explore the relationship between work–leisure facilitation (WLF) and turnover intention and the role of positive emotions and perceived supervisor support in this relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, the method of multipoint data collection was adopted to measure the subjects; 180 employees were sampled for 5 consecutive working days, and a multilevel structural equation model was established for analysis.
Findings
The results show that WLF is negatively related to turnover intention, and positive emotions play a mediating role in this relationship. Perceived supervisor support significantly positively moderates not only the relationship between WLF and positive emotions but also the indirect effect of WLF on turnover intention through positive emotions.
Originality/value
Based on affective events theory, this study explored the relationship between WLF and turnover intention and its mechanism by using the daily diary sampling method for the first time, to the best of the authors’ knowledge. The results not only deepen the understanding of affective events theory but also provide management suggestions for reducing employees’ turnover intentions.
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The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between job crafting and work engagement and the potential mediating effect of organizational happiness on this…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between job crafting and work engagement and the potential mediating effect of organizational happiness on this relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
A sample of 256 full-time employees from various industries such as automobiles, retail, real estate, petrochemicals, investment, industrial and education, working at top 50 Forbes Middle East companies in UAE, were surveyed to gather data on job crafting, organizational happiness and work engagement. The study used an empirical research design, with data collected through surveys.
Findings
The results of this study, obtained through a two-step structural equation modelling approach, indicate that job crafting has a positive and direct influence on both organizational happiness and work engagement. The findings also suggest that the relationship between job crafting and work engagement is partially mediated by organizational happiness.
Practical implications
The findings emphasize the need for human resources (HR) professionals to develop programmes and training workshops focused on cultivating these concepts, particularly as remote and blended working arrangements become more prevalent. In addition, the study highlights the global impact of employee disengagement on financial losses and stresses the importance of revising HR policies in the UAE to mitigate potential risks. Lastly, the study suggests that enhancing happiness and reducing disengagement can be achieved through training managers and employees in task structuring techniques, emphasizing the teachability of job crafting skills through interventions that align tasks with employees’ interests.
Originality/value
To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first study to theoretically explore and empirically test a proposed model on the relationships between job crafting, organizational happiness and work engagement in the context of the UAE.
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Karthik Padamata and Rama Devi Vangapandu
By following the “employee-centric” approach, this study aims at identifying the impact of high-performance work systems (HPWS) on specific employee attitudinal outcomes such as…
Abstract
Purpose
By following the “employee-centric” approach, this study aims at identifying the impact of high-performance work systems (HPWS) on specific employee attitudinal outcomes such as work engagement, job satisfaction and affective commitment in the Indian healthcare industry.
Design/methodology/approach
The target population for this study includes the nurses working in large private multi-specialty tertiary care hospitals in India. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) techniques are used on a sample of 152 nurses working in two large specialty hospitals.
Findings
In the Indian healthcare industry context, the nurse's perception of HPWS has shown a significant positive effect on their attitudinal variables such as work engagement, job satisfaction and affective commitment. When checked for mediation of work engagement and job satisfaction variables in HPWS – affective commitment relationship, nurse's job satisfaction partially mediated the relationship, but nurse's work engagement has shown no mediation effect.
Originality/value
This is one of the pioneering studies conducted in the Indian healthcare industry context, especially on the nurse's sample in identifying the impact of high-performance work systems on their attitudinal outcomes. Underscoring the paucity of HPWS research in the Indian healthcare industry, this study's findings will be an addition to the HPWS literature and also to the nursing research in the Indian healthcare settings.
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Giorgio Giacomelli, Nora Annesi and Marta Barbieri
The study aims to examine the relationship between telework conditions and employees' job satisfaction (JS) within knowledge-intensive public organizations (KIPOs). Additionally…
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to examine the relationship between telework conditions and employees' job satisfaction (JS) within knowledge-intensive public organizations (KIPOs). Additionally, it aims to unfold the mediating role played by both organizational and job characteristics, namely supervisory support (SS) and job autonomy (JA).
Design/methodology/approach
The analysis adopts a simultaneous qualitative-quantitative design, starting with a preliminary inductive analysis of qualitative data, followed by a deductive quantitative analysis using structural equation modeling (SEM). The data were retrieved from a survey completed by some 700 employees of a regional environmental protection agency in Italy.
Findings
Findings show that the positive association between conditions for telework (CT) and JS is partially mediated by both SS and JA. Moreover, the results of the study suggest a sequential nature of such mediational patterns.
Originality/value
This research provides an empirical contribution to a relatively under-investigated area: the role of job characteristics in explaining the nexus between telework and JS. Furthermore, the study takes place within the context of a KIPO, adding particular significance to the emerging insights due to the distinct nature of the work conducted in such settings.
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