The quagmire of philosophical standpoints (paradigms) in management research

In conducting management research, the researcher’s stance of ontology and epistemology in the contribution of knowledge is paramount. The acknowledgement of such stance is imperative as it may have inherent effects from how a research is conducted to how findings are reported and evaluated. This exploratory study attempts to provide a brief discussion of the philosophical standpoints (paradigms) characterized in management research. The discussion covered the two extremes; from the early modernism (positivism school of thought) to the other extreme of social constructionism. Other schools of varying standpoints of ontology and epistemology occur between these extremes. For individual schools of thought (paradigms), the ontological status of social reality, the ontological status of human behavior and the epistemological status, has been discussed

The impact of spirituality and social responsibility on organizational citizenship behaviour from the Islamic perspective: empirical investigation of Malaysian businesses

The phenomenon of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) emanating from the Western value system has received enormous attention from researchers, however, the model of organizational citizenship behavior from other cross cultural or religious perspectives such as the Islamic perspective, has not been much explored. This empirical study attempts to enrich the understanding of OCB from Islamic management perspective. In view of this, Western OCB framework was studied and further enriched in light of the Islamic heritage (Qur’an and Sunnah, i.e. that Prophetic tradition of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him) and established the need for Taqwa serving as antecedent of citizenship behaviors from the Islamic perspective. The survey data used for this empirical research was drawn from 405 Muslim employees in business organizations in Malaysia. Principal component analysis (i.e. PCA using SPSS version 18.0) and confirmatory factor analysis (i.e. CFA using AMOS version 18.0) of the constructs; Islamic spirituality (IS), Islamic social responsibility (ISR) and Organizational citizenship behaviour from Islamic perspective (OCBIP), were conducted. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), good fit indices led to two major findings, thus, ISR influences employees’ OCBIP performance; IS does not. Several implications from the study were 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

Investigating the dimensionality of organisational citizenship behaviour from islamic perspective (ocbip): empirical analysis of business organisations in southeast Asia

Although Organisational Citizenship Behaviour (OCB) emanating from the Western value system has received enormous attention by researchers, OCB from the Islamic perspective (OCBIP) has not been much explored. This empirical study attempts to enrich the understanding of the OCB phenomenon from Islamic management perspective. A survey of 405 Muslim employees in business organisations in Malaysia was drawn for the study. The construct validity of OCBIP via Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) led to the major finding; the OCBIP measurement model in the business organisational context is explained by four components; Altruism, Civic virtue, Advocating high moral standards and Removal of harm

The measurement model of social responsibility construct from an Islamic perspective: empirical analysis of Malaysian business organizations

The present study investigates the measurement model of the Islamic social responsibility (ISR) construct in business organizations in the Malaysian context. The study aims to contribute new knowledge to the existing literature of Social responsibility (SR) in general, and ISR in particular. Using disproportionate stratified random sampling, the survey data used for this empirical research was drawn from 405 Muslim employees in business organizations in Malaysia. After yielding an instrument to measure ISR, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) using SPSS version 18.0, and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) using AMOS version 18.0 were conducted. Good fit indices from CFA revealed that, the ISR measurement model in the Malaysian business organizational context is explained by five components; Integrity, Emotional Control, Fulfillment of Covenant, Justice and Truthfulness. Theoretical and practical implications from the study were further discussed. Human Resource Development professionals, organizational managers and government authorities may use the findings of this study to justify their efforts in designing appropriate learning and performance improvement interventions so that ISR of employees can be monitored and further enhanced

The role of employee commitment on organizational performance and the intention to stay

The study attempted to examine critically the influence of employee commitment on organizational performance and intention to stay at Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), Kumasi – Ghana. A quantitative research methodology was employed in this study where two hundred and eleven (211) respondents were selected for the study using random sampling. The population consists of civil servants and other categories of work at Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly in Ghana. The questionnaires were distributed to respondents for data collection. Data were analyzed using SPSS. The study found that affective commitment and normative commitment significantly influence organizational performance. The study further found that affective commitment and normative commitment and continuance commitment significantly employees’ intention to stay. In practice, the management of KMA needs to take effective initiatives to increase employee commitment to the organization. Management can provide employees with training, and career development programs and increase their compensational packages. This will influence employees to remain loyal to the organization. This will also reduce employee turnover and intentions to stay in the organization. Also, the study recommends that the Management of KMA and other institutions alike should create value for the work activities and duties carried out by each employee in the organization. Creating value by recognizing individual efforts and rewarding positive behaviors will cause the employees to remain members of the organization because of the perception that they cannot secure better job opportunities elsewhere

Investigating The Dimensionality Of Organisational Citizenship Behaviour From Islamic Perspective (Ocbip): Empirical Analysis Of Business Organisations In Southeast Asia

Although Organisational Citizenship Behaviour (OCB) emanating from the Western value system has received enormous attention by researchers, OCB from the Islamic perspective (OCBIP) has not been much explored. This empirical study attempts to enrich the understanding of the OCB phenomenon from Islamic management perspective. A survey of 405 Muslim employees in business organisations in Malaysia was drawn for the study. The construct validity of OCBIP via Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) led to the major finding; the OCBIP measurement model in the business organisational context is explained by four components; Altruism, Civic virtue, Advocating high moral standards and Removal of har

Testing the validity of academic staff performance predictors and their effects on workforce performance

This study investigated the validity of quality culture (QC) and excellent work culture (EWC) constructs, and their effects on academic staff performance (ASP) mediated by EWC in selected West Malaysian higher education institutions (HEIs). The study included 1,068 faculty members from eight HEIs. The findings showed that QC construct is represented by nine separate elements, whereas two factors index both ASP and EWC. Moreover, the findings established evidence of construct reliability and validity in relation to the elements comprised the three constructs. The findings indicated that quality culture and excellent work culture have direct impact on ASP. The findings also showed that excellent work culture exhibits indirect causal effect on academic staff performance. This empirical study analyzed the mediating effect of EWC on ASP, which has not been extensively examined in the context of Malaysian HEIs

Factors influencing computer ethics at the workplace: a study of professionals in South-East Asia

The present research is aimed at understanding employees’ perception towards computer use ethic at the workplace. In view of this, the research investigates the extent to which personal characteristics such as gender, religious belief and an employee’s position in the organizational hierarchy can influence his/her attitude towards computer use ethic. The data used for this qualitative research was drawn from in-depth and intensive semi-structured interviews of six prominent professionals; four from the private sector and two from the public sector. Out of the six professionals, there were three males and three females. The study made some interesting revelations; that computer use ethic is one of the greatest concerns for employers which needs to be tactfully addressed through values based orientation rather than compliance or legal based orientation; and as compared to gender and organizational position, religious belief has the greatest impact in guiding and influencing employees towards ethical computer use at the workplace

Ontology and epistemology in management research: An islamic perspective.

From the Western value system, two kinds of ontological and epistemological standpoints are characterized in Management and Social Sciences research; realist ontology and subjectivist ontology or objectivist epistemology and subjectivist epistemology. The kind of ontology and epistemology a researcher commits to has inherent effects towards the researcher’s way of contributing new knowledge. This short communication attempts to contribute new knowledge to the literature of philosophical standpoints in management research by discussing the ontological and epistemological stances with respect to Islam. It was shown that the Islamic viewpoint of ontology and epistemology is in the middle side between realist - subjectivist ontology and between objectivist – subjectivist epistemology. This stance of Islam on ontology and epistemology as elaborated in the Qur’an and the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) increases the resilience with which knowledge is contributed in a holistic manner regardless of social, cultural or political backgrounds