Unlocking the black box: line managers and HRM performance in a call centre context

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to show the way to unlock the black box of HRM and performance linkages by exploring one of the key variables that mediates the link, namely whether line managers can stimulate improvements in firm performance by eliciting appropriate employee outcomes in a call centre context. Design/methodology/approach – The research draws on Purcell's "People-Performance Model" as a sensitising framework to inform an in-depth case study of a call centre. This provides a mechanism to unlock the HRM-Performance black box by focusing on the ability, motivation and opportunities for line managers to perform and any subsequent impact on employee outcomes. Data were collected over multiple site visits by means of multi-level interviews and a survey of telesales representatives (TSRs). Findings – Research findings indicate that one large client exerted significant control over the HRM policies developed within the call centre. Evidence suggests, however, that line managers'interventions ameliorated some of the negative aspects of work tasks and the HRM imposed by this dependency relationship. Research limitations/implications – This research is an exploratory attempt to better understand HRM-Performance linkages in one specific context. Results are not generalisable across contexts or even within call centres, which can vary extensively. Nonetheless, the research suggests that exploring line management behaviour is a promising avenue for more extensive research. Originality/value – This paper considers HRM-Performance linkages in a service context. Results indicate that both external relations and line managers are critical mediating variables conditioning HRM-Performance linkages, thereby lending support to the notion that hard and soft HRM practices are not necessarily irreconcilable

Responses to co-workers receiving recognition at work

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of co-workers receiving recognition on two types of responses, namely emotions (positive and negative) and behavioral intentions (interpersonal counterproductive behavior and interpersonal citizenship behavior). Design/methodology/approach - This study is an experimental scenario study with a 2 x 2 between-subjects design with 246 employees from a local health care organization. Findings - The findings reveal that the relation between the recognition of others and positive or negative emotions was moderated by the quality of the relationship between both actors. Further, as hypothesized, the relation between the recognition of others and interpersonal counterproductive behavior was moderated by relationship quality. Contrary to the authors' expectations, relationship quality did not moderate the relation between employee recognition and interpersonal citizenship behavior. Practical implications - This study provides useful suggestions for managers to diminish undesired (i.e. negative emotions and interpersonal counterproductive behavior) and enhance desired emotions and behaviors (i.e. positive emotions and interpersonal citizenship behavior). Originality/value - This study is the first to show that employee recognition may have negative effects on the emotions of others and interpersonal behavior (i.e. interpersonal counterproductive behavior)

Respect in Organizations: Feeling Valued as “We” and “Me”

Research suggests that organizational members highly prize respect but rarely report adequately receiving it. However, there is a lack of theory in organizational behavior regarding what respect actually is and why members prize it. We argue that there are two distinct types of respect: generalized respect is the sense that “we” are all valued in this organization, and particularized respect is the sense that the organization values “me” for particular attributes, behaviors, and achievements. We build a theoretical model of respect, positing antecedents of generalized respect from the sender’s perspective (prestige of social category, climate for generalized respect) and proposed criteria for the evaluation of particularized respect (role, organizational member, and character prototypicality), which is then enacted by the sender and perceived by the receiver. We also articulate how these two types of respect fulfill the receiver’s needs for belonging and status, which facilitates the self-related outcomes of organization-based self-esteem, organizational and role identification, and psychological safety. Finally, we consider generalized and personalized respect jointly and present four combinations of the two types of respect. We argue that the discrepancy between organizational members’ desired and received respect is partially attributable to the challenge of simultaneously enacting or receiving respect for both the “we” and the “me.

Leader humility and knowledge sharing intentions: A serial mediation model

Purpose: This paper examines the influence of leader humility on knowledge sharing intention. Drawing on social exchange theory (SET), we test the direct and indirect mechanisms to explain the influence leader humility has on knowledge sharing intention. Design/Methodology/Approach: A two-wave, time-lagged field study was conducted. We surveyed 252 professional employees from Australia. Findings: Results show a significant direct, positive association between leader humility and knowledge sharing intention. While leader humility had a direct, positive association with affective trust in supervisor and work engagement, it did not directly impact on organizational citizenship behaviors directed toward the individual (OCB-I). There were three SET-related, serial mediators in the relationship between leader humility and knowledge sharing intention. These were affective trust, work engagement, and OCB-I. Research Limitations/Implications: Future studies should collect multi-source data such as peers’ or supervisors’ ratings of the focal respondents’ work engagement, OCB-I, and knowledge sharing behaviors to augment single-source data. Future studies could adopt an affect theory of social exchange to further explore the relationships tested in this study. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the affect SET and knowledge management literature on how leadership behaviors impact the intention to share knowledge. Our study highlights the preference of the willingness to share knowledge with their co-workers is mediated by affective trust in their immediate supervisors, work engagement, and OCB-I that are equally important as treating their subordinates with humility

ANTECEDENTS OF CITIZENSHIP BEHAVIORS IN OPEN PROFESSIONAL VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES

As with organizational development, citizenship behavior should be central to the development and success of open professional virtual communities (OPVC). An increasing literature emphasizes on predicting knowledge contribution behaviors in virtual communities from the extrinsic and intrinsic motivation or benefit perspectives. In line with the consumer behavior literature that distinguishes between hedonic and utilitarian shopping values, we classify these motivations or benefits of knowledge sharing into either hedonic or utilitarian. We propose and test a theoretical model in which hedonic value and utilitarian value are operationalized as formative second-order constructs and examine their effects on members’ satisfaction with sharing knowledge and citizenship behaviors in an open professional virtual community. Data collected from 428 members of one OPVC provide support for the proposed model. The results help understanding how utilitarian value and hedonic value differ in their relationships with satisfaction and VCCB of knowledge contributors. Implications for theory and practice and limitations are discussed

HR practice, organisational commitment & citizenship behaviour in Taiwan

Purpose (mandatory) The study examines the relationships between HR practice (four aspects), organisational commitment and citizenship behaviour at primary schools in Taiwan. The four HR aspects include: (1) recruitment and placement (RP), (2) teaching, education and career development (TEC), (3) support, communication and retention (SCR), and (4) performance and appraisal (PA). Design/methodology/approach (mandatory) With the assistance from the school HR managers and using an anti-common method variance strategy, research data from 568 incumbent teachers in Taiwan are collected, analysed and evaluated. Findings (mandatory) Different from prior studies, highlighting the merits of HR practice, the study discovers that HR practice may not necessarily contribute to citizenship behaviour. Teachers with positive perceptions of RP and TEC are more likely to demonstrate citizenship behaviour, whereas teachers with positive perceptions of SCR and PA are not. In addition, the study finds three moderators: affective organisational commitment (AOC), rank of positions, and campus size. The analysis shows that teachers with more AOC, higher positions and from smaller campus are more likely to demonstrate OCB. Originality/value (mandatory) The study provides a closer look at the HR-OCB relationship in Taiwan. It reveals that a positive perception of HR practice may not necessarily contribute to OCB occurrence. In addition, the results indicate that teachers have different views about varying HR aspects. Specifically, aspects of recruitment and placement and teaching, education and career development receive relatively higher levels of positive perception, whereas aspects of SCR and PA receive relatively lower levels of positive perception. Questions arise as to whether HR practice may lead to more OCB at primary schools. If this statement is true, school managers shall think further of how to promote OCB using other policies, rather than relying on the HR practice investigated here

Exploring the Antecedents of Organizational Citizenship Behavior in Knowledge-based Virtual Communities

This study aims to examine what kinds of behaviors constitute virtual community citizenship behaviors (VCCB) and what factors influence community members\u27 willingness to engage in VCCB. In this paper, I propose a theoretical framework consisting of the main antecedents of VCCB (affective commitment, structural embeddedness and membership tenure) and a multi-dimensional VCCB construct (altruism, civic virtue, consciousness, courtesy and loyalty). Additionally, I develop a measure for assessing VCCB. Data are collected from an online discussion forum (The Grad Cafe) to address the research questions of this study. Results indicate that only affective commitment is found to be significantly predictive of the virtual community citizenship behaviors. Finally, implications and recommendations for practitioners in terms of improving the effective functioning of virtual community through the lens of VCCB are described

Exploring Dimensions of Teachers’ OCB from Stakeholder’s Perspective: A Study in India

Parents are real beneficiaries of school services. Their involvement in school based activities has changed the role breadth of teachers. Schools can handle this parental involvement through the extra-role behaviors of teachers. These beyond the job behaviors or organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB) of teachers are crucial for the schools. Despite the prescribed roles and duties, the schools cannot predict and infer through formally stated in-role job description, the entire range of extra-role behavior exhibited by teachers during and after school. In this study, teacher’s role breadth is examined under the broad spectrum of Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) which resulted into a conceptual model on the determinants of teacher’s OCB. A qualitative evaluation (grounded theory) of 40 interviews has been conducted with all the stakeholders of school in India viz., principals, fellow-teachers, students, and parents. The most striking finding is that teachers are displaying prosocial behavior. Teacher’s OCB is found to have three determinants—OCB-Individual, OCB-Organization and OCB-Prosocial. Involvement of parents in school are redesigning and affecting the actions of teacher. Further, the implications and directions for future research have also been discussed

The effect of piety on organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) from Islamic perspective: a study of professionals in Southeast Asia

Although Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) has received much attention from contemporary researchers, very little research has been done from religious perspectives. This research attempts to enrich the understanding of OCB from Islamic Management perspective, particularly the application of Piety (Taqwa). The exploratory study consists of six intensive interviews, three academics and three practitioners, who were selected from two South-East Asian countries; Malaysia and Indonesia. The respondents represent prestigious academic institutions and top private organizations. The findings from the interviews led to the following propositions that; (1) there is a nexus between OCB and Taqwa; (2) Taqwa and other Islamic principles may serve as antecedents or enabling factors to OCB; and (3) Taqwa should be operationalized for contemporary business research