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21 – 30 of 168Christine Mathies, Tung Moi Chiew and Michael Kleinaltenkamp
While researchers in other disciplines seek to determine the impact that humour has in personal interactions, studies of humour in service delivery are lacking. The purpose of…
Abstract
Purpose
While researchers in other disciplines seek to determine the impact that humour has in personal interactions, studies of humour in service delivery are lacking. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether it is beneficial to deliberately use humour in service encounters.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper provides a comprehensive review of humour research in multiple disciplines to assess the applicability of their key findings to the service domain. By establishing the antecedents, types, and consequences of humour, the authors build a framework and propositions to help service researchers uncover the potential of injecting humour into service interactions.
Findings
The authors find that using humour in service encounters is an ingenious affiliative behaviour which strengthens rapport between service employees and their customers. Humour also permits frontline service employees to better cope with the emotional challenges of their work, thus promising to reduce emotional labour and increase well-being. The effectiveness of service recovery efforts may also grow if employees use humour successfully to soften unpleasant emotional reactions and accept responsibility.
Originality/value
The authors explore cross-disciplinary humour research to apply the findings to the use of humour in service encounters. The authors also attempt to identify situations in which humour usage is most promising or beneficial, as well as its main beneficiaries.
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Anissa Negra and Mohamed Nabil Mzoughi
Online purchases might be delayed. In some cases, this postponement could be a privileged, an adequate, or an efficient strategy. Online consumer procrastination is the voluntary…
Abstract
Purpose
Online purchases might be delayed. In some cases, this postponement could be a privileged, an adequate, or an efficient strategy. Online consumer procrastination is the voluntary and rational delay of a planned online purchase. The purpose of this research is to develop a measure of this behavior.
Design/methodology/approach
The Churchill's paradigm adapted by Roehrich was adopted. A total of 77 items were generated from 27 interviews. This set of items was reduced to 23 after dropping out redundant or not representative items. In a pilot study, factor analysis on the 23‐item scale yielded a two‐factor structure scale of five items with a reliability ranging from 0.715 to 0.809. The Online Consumer Procrastination Scale (OCPS) was statistically confirmed and validated, in a subsequent investigation.
Findings
Findings revealed a reliable and valid five‐item scale. Its dimensions are online deal‐proneness and online rationality.
Research limitations/implications
This research allows a better conceptualization of the online consumer procrastination. Future research should assess the OCPS validity across different product categories.
Practical implications
OCPS will make easier the recognition of e‐shoppers who delay the achievement of online purchase intentions.
Originality/value
OCPS is the first scale measuring the reasonable delay in an online purchase context.
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Michel Rod and Nicholas J. Ashill
This study aims to expand on previous research on the antecedents and outcomes of burnout, and to examine the role of job resourcefulness as a situational personality trait with…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to expand on previous research on the antecedents and outcomes of burnout, and to examine the role of job resourcefulness as a situational personality trait with the capacity to ameliorate burnout. Using data from Call Center frontline employees (FLEs) in a New Zealand banking context, the paper seeks to investigate the direct influence of job resourcefulness in a model examining the antecedents and outcomes of burnout.
Design/methodology/approach
Call Center FLEs completed a self‐administered questionnaire on job demands, job resources, burnout symptoms, job resourcefulness and service recovery performance. Data obtained from the FLEs were analyzed using the SEM‐based Partial Least Squares (PLS) methodology.
Findings
Eight of the 14 advanced hypotheses were supported and the results suggest that job resourcefulness plays a significant role in burnout and in influencing Call Center FLE service recovery performance.
Research limitations/implications
Limitations of the study include the generalizability of the findings since the study was conducted within one organizational context and one country. Suggestions for future research include an examination of job resourcefulness as a moderator in the JD‐R model of burnout and other personality traits specific to frontline employee jobs such as Customer Orientation.
Practical implications
The research advances understanding of burnout, personality traits and FLE service recovery performance in a Call Center context and the findings indicate that managers can take actions on a number of fronts to assist in reducing burnout symptoms and progress toward the achievement of Call Center service recovery excellence.
Originality/value
Previously, no attention has been given to understanding the antecedents of service recovery performance mediated by the symptoms of burnout in a Call Center context. In addition, there has been no attempt to examine the role of situational personality traits and their effect in burnout. By expanding existing burnout research, the study investigates a partial mediated model of burnout and its influence on Call Center FLE service recovery performance.
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Ahmadreza Karimi Mazidi, Fariborz Rahimnia, Saeed Mortazavi and Mohammad Lagzian
This study aims to investigate the possible negativity of job embeddedness in developing countries. Operationally, the study aimed to configure the relationship between job…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the possible negativity of job embeddedness in developing countries. Operationally, the study aimed to configure the relationship between job embeddedness and cyberloafing with respect to both contextual (job satisfaction) and individual (internet addiction) factors.
Design/methodology/approach
Incorporating the conservation of resources theory and reactance theory into the theory of job embeddedness, the present study adopted a resource-based approach to job embeddedness to examine its main and moderated effects on cyberloafing in a three-way interaction model. With the focus on public organizations, 500 administrative employees from an Iranian university were surveyed using self-reporting measures, and the collected data were analyzed using partial least squares–structural equation modeling and hierarchical moderated multiple regression.
Findings
As predicted, job embeddedness was positively associated with cyberloafing; however, in contrast with predictions, job satisfaction had no inverse impact on the job embeddedness–cyberloafing relationship, and its role was limited to neutralizing the increasing effect of internet addiction.
Practical implications
Consideration should be given to how job embeddedness interacts with contextual and individual moderators to affect cyberloafing. In particular, this study implicated some practical procedures to provide employees with on- and off-the-job resources and avoid fighting over the organization's resources. Additionally, this study provides insights into embeddedness-satisfaction interplay to provide employees with propitious work conditions in line with organizational productivity.
Originality/value
There is little research on the association between job embeddedness and counterproductive work behaviors, and the findings are inconsistent. A review of the literature revealed no study addressing cyberloafing implications of job embeddedness. This study expands the literature by theoretically and empirically correlating job embeddedness and cyberloafing in a non-western developing country. Accordingly, the significance of this study is its capability in mitigating cyberloafing behaviors by promoting the adverse job embeddedness.
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Eugene Y.J. Tee, TamilSelvan Ramis, Elaine F. Fernandez and Neil Paulsen
This study examines how perceptions of injustice, anger, and group identification motivate follower intentions to engage in collective action against leaders. The study revolved…
Abstract
This study examines how perceptions of injustice, anger, and group identification motivate follower intentions to engage in collective action against leaders. The study revolved around the Malaysian prime minister’s actions and responses toward allegations of misuse of public funds. Responses from 112 Malaysians via a cross-sectional survey revealed that follower perceptions of leader injustice are significantly related to anger toward the leader, which in turn is related to intentions to engage in collective action. The relationship between perceptions of distributive injustice and anger is moderated by group identification, while group efficacy moderates the relationship between anger and collective action intentions.
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Sohni Siddiqui, Anjum Bano Kazmi and Zahid Ahmed
Aggression is an undesirable behavior that assaults traditions norms, morals and standards of ethics practiced in society. To address the scarceness of identification tools and…
Abstract
Purpose
Aggression is an undesirable behavior that assaults traditions norms, morals and standards of ethics practiced in society. To address the scarceness of identification tools and for evidence-based interventions in Pakistan, the purpose of this study is to determine the extent to which aggression is prevalent in Pakistan’s people by newly developed self-reported questionnaires in the Urdu language designed after reviewing the cultural and social perspectives of the society.
Design/methodology/approach
The research design was based on principles of scale development followed by exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. A subject matter expert panel technique was adopted where educationists from diversified backgrounds helped to generate items and to establish content validity.
Findings
The three-factor construct has been supported by factor analysis. These analyzes identified aggression measures in terms of direct aggression, displaced aggression and indirect aggression. The model has established inner consistency, reliability and validity. Furthermore, the impact of age and gender on different forms of aggression was explored and discussed.
Originality/value
Aggression is a distinctive trait of many psychiatric disturbances. To undertake the dearth of identification tools and for evidence-based interventions in Pakistan, it was necessary to develop a tool for identification to address aggression issues among common people. This research is devised to develop a self-reported questionnaire in the Urdu language keeping cultural and social perspectives of society.
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Sevil Sönmez and Asli D.A. Tasci
Despite ample attention to perceived risk and its consequences on tourist behavior, characteristics of travelers who are anti-gun or pro-gun have received little attention in…
Abstract
Purpose
Despite ample attention to perceived risk and its consequences on tourist behavior, characteristics of travelers who are anti-gun or pro-gun have received little attention in tourism literature. This study aims to investigate anti-gun and pro-gun attitudes and their correlates for Florida, a state with relatively relaxed gun laws as well as significant tourism activity.
Design/methodology/approach
Qualtrics survey design tools were used to design a structured questionnaire, which was then administered to a random sample of registered survey takers on MTurk. A total of 1,692 cases were analyzed with SPSS Version 24.0.
Findings
Results revealed that gender, education level, ethnicity, visitor experience, and personality traits of emotion-based decision-making and risk-seeking influence travelers’ tendency for anti-gun or pro-gun attitudes toward Florida as a destination. In turn, these attitudes were found to be related to perception of risks in Florida, its perceived safety and desirability as a travel destination and visitor satisfaction and likelihood of repeat visitation.
Originality/value
Leniency in gun laws has been a concern for the safety in the USA for local residents and tourists alike; however, there is a lack of attention on the characteristics of anti-gun and pro-gun individuals and their likely behavior related to a tourist destination with relaxed gun laws. Thus, the current study investigated who are likely to be anti-gun or pro-gun and what are their likely behaviors towards such a destination, Florida in the USA. The current study initiates this dialogue to explore uncharted territory in tourism research.
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Brittany K. Mercado, Casey Giordano and Stephan Dilchert
Cyberloafing, using technology to idle instead of work, is a particularly concerning issue for many organizations due to its perceived widespread impact on productivity. The…
Abstract
Purpose
Cyberloafing, using technology to idle instead of work, is a particularly concerning issue for many organizations due to its perceived widespread impact on productivity. The purpose of this paper is to meta-analytically examine the growing literature on this construct in order to gain insights into its nomological network and guide future research.
Design/methodology/approach
After a systematic literature search, the authors conducted psychometric meta-analyses to estimate the relationships of 39 different correlates with cyberloafing. The meta-analytic database was comprised of 54 independent samples contributing 609 effect sizes.
Findings
Results indicate that boredom, engagement, and self-control exhibit strong relationships with cyberloafing, but employees’ attitudes surrounding and opportunities to engage in cyberloafing also proved powerful predictors. Contrary to common stereotypes, age and other demographic variables exhibited negligible effects. Employment variables (e.g. tenure, organization level, and income) were also negligibly related to cyberloafing. Emotional stability, conscientiousness, and agreeableness exhibited modest negative relationships with cyberloafing, whereas self-control demonstrated a strong negative relationship. Although cyberloafing strongly correlated with overall counterproductive work behaviors, the findings suggest it is unrelated to other components of job performance.
Research limitations/implications
Because the cyberloafing literature is in its early stages, the present study drew on a limited number of samples for several of the relationships analyzed. Rather than providing conclusive evidence of the nomological network of cyberloafing, these analyses reinforce the need for empirical investigation into several important relationships.
Originality/value
As the first quantitative review of the emerging cyberloafing literature, this study synthesizes related studies from disparate disciplines, examines the nomological network of cyberloafing, and highlights future directions for research into this phenomenon.
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Alessandra Girlando, Simon Grima, Engin Boztepe, Sharon Seychell, Ramona Rupeika-Apoga and Inna Romanova
Purpose: Risk is a multifaceted concept, and its identification requires complex approaches that are often misunderstood. The consequence is that decisions are based on limited…
Abstract
Purpose: Risk is a multifaceted concept, and its identification requires complex approaches that are often misunderstood. The consequence is that decisions are based on limited perception rather than the full value and meaning of what risk is, as a result, the way it is being tackled is incorrect. The individuals are often limited in their perceptions and ideas and do not embrace the full multifaceted nature of risk. Regulators and individuals want to follow norms and checklists or overuse models, simulations, and templates, thereby reducing responsibility for decision-making. At the same time, the wider use of technology and rules reduces the critical thinking of individuals. We advance the automation process by building robots that follow protocols and forget about the part of risk assessment that cannot be programed. Therefore, with this study, the objective of this study was to discover how people define risk, the influencing factors of risk perception and how they behave toward this perception. The authors also determine how the perception differed with age, gender, marital status, education level and region. The novelty of the research is related to individual risk perception during COVID-19, as this is a new and unknown phenomenon. Methodology: The research is based on the analysis of the self-administered purposely designed questionnaires we distributed across different social media platforms between February and June 2020 in Europe and in some cases was carried out as a interview over communication platforms such as “Skype,” “Zoom” and “Microsoft Teams.” The questionnaire was divided into four parts: Section 1 was designed to collect demographic information from the participants; Section 2 included risk definition statements obtained from literature and a preliminary discussion with peers; Section 3 included risk behavior statements; and Section 4 included statements on risk perception experiences. A five-point Likert Scale was provided, and participants were required to answer along a scale of “1” for “Strongly Agree” to “5” for “Strongly Disagree.” Participants also had the option to elaborate further and provide additional comments in an open-ended box provided at the end of the section. 466 valid responses were received. Thematic analysis was carried out to analyze the interviews and the open-ended questions, while the questionnaire responses were analyzed using various quantitative methods on IBM SPSS (version 23). Findings: The results of the analysis indicate that individuals evaluate the risk before making a decision and view risk as both a loss and opportunity. The study identifies nine factors influencing risk perception. Nevertheless, it must be emphasized that we can continue to develop models and rules, but as long as the risk is not understood, we will never achieve anything.
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Howard E. Aldrich and Phillip H. Kim
Using a life course perspective, we develop a theoretical model of how parents can influence their children's propensity to enter self-employment. We draw on the sociological…
Abstract
Using a life course perspective, we develop a theoretical model of how parents can influence their children's propensity to enter self-employment. We draw on the sociological, economic, psychological, and behavioral genetics literatures to develop a model in which parental influence occurs in different ways, depending on someone's stage in their life course. We review and summarize existing findings for parental influences on entrepreneurial entry using a three-part life course framework: childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. We also analyze new data from the Panel Study of Entrepreneurial Dynamics on the extent to which children were involved in their parents’ businesses. From our review, we propose strong effects from genetic inheritances and parenting practice (during childhood); moderate effects from reinforcement of work values and vocational interests (during adolescence); and little influence from financial support but stronger effects from other tangible means of support (during adulthood).