Employer-employee congruence in environmental values: an exploration of effects on job satisfaction and creativity

This study examines how the match (vs. mismatch) between personal and firm-level values regarding environmental responsibility affects employee job satisfaction and creativity and contributes to three literature streams [i.e., social corporate responsibility, creativity, and person-environment (P-E) fit]. Building on the P-E fit literature, we propose and test environmental orientation fit versus nonfit effects on creativity, identifying job satisfaction as a mediating mechanism and regulatory pressure as a moderator. An empirical investigation indicates that the various environmental orientation fit conditions affect job satisfaction and creativity differently. More specifically, environmental orientation fit produces greater job satisfaction and creativity when the employee and organization both demonstrate high concern for the environment (i.e., a high-high environmental orientation fit condition) than when both display congruent low concern for the environmental (i.e., a low-low environmental orientation fit condition). Furthermore, for employees working in organizations that fit their personal environmental orientation, strong regulatory pressure to comply with environmental standards diminishes the positive fit effect on job satisfaction and creativity, while regulatory pressure does not affect the job satisfaction and creativity of employees whose personal environmental orientation is incongruent with that of the organization

Goal pursuit is more than planning: the moderating role of regulatory fit

Research indicates that planning helps consumers in their goal pursuit, but little is known about how and when such beneficial effects change with regulatory fit â fit between consumersâ regulatory orientation and goal pursuit means. Results of three studies show that 1) the benefits of forming implementation intentions, or planning details such as when, where, how, and how long to perform goal-directed actions and attain consumer goals are stronger in regulatory nonfit situations (study 1), and 2) implementation intentions can be viewed as goal pursuit means and be part of the regulatory fit formulation to show the âÂÂvalue from fitâ effect on instrumental behavior and goal attainment (studies 2 and 3). Specifically, study 1 showed that consumers in regulatory nonfit situations are more likely to perform instrumental behavior and have higher goal attainment by forming implementation intentions than consumers in regulatory fit situations. This research also provides empirical evidence of the notion of âÂÂvalue from fitâ to the regulatory fit literature, that is, the mediating role of motivation intensity in the regulatory fit-instrumental behavior and regulatory fit-goal attainment linkages in studies 2 and 3

Consumers as value creators: Exploring value self-creation in social marketing

Value creation is an important part of social marketing, which attempts to create value for target audiences to induce behaviour change (Kotler & Lee, 2011). Social marketing is often concerned with voluntary behaviour change, and as such, requires a level of active consumer participation within the value creation process. The voluntary nature of many social marketing activities suggests that the experiential value of these behaviours is proactive. Holbrook (1994) distinguishes between passive and active value in commercial marketing, whereby passive value is experienced by consumers reactively in response to the consumption of an object or service, and active value is participative, which requires collaboration between the consumer and organisation. This reflects a value co-creation context as presented by Vargo and Lusch (2004) and Grönroos (2011)

How does value evolve over time? A netnographic study of health behaviour maintenance in social marketing

The long-term continuation of physical and mental health behaviours (e.g. exercise, nutrition, and mindfulness) is a central goal in social marketing. However, it is common for individuals to perceive more costs than benefits to maintaining health behaviours (Lee & Kotler, 2016). This often results in behavioural relapses or abandonment (Prochaska & DiClemente, 1983). The creation of value for social marketing target audiences has been demonstrated to lead to positive outcomes such as satisfaction, and intentions to continue with the desired behaviour (Zainuddin et al., 2013). While there is an expanding body of value research in social marketing (e.g. Chell & Mortimer, 2014; Mulcahy et al., 2015; Zainuddin et al., 2013), much of this research has focussed on understanding value at a single time point, using cross-sectional research approaches. Value is a dynamic construct, influenced by temporal circumstances (Sánchez-Fernández & Iniesta-Bonillo, 2007), and would therefore benefit from longitudinal approaches. Previous studies have argued consumers\u27 perceptions of value change at different stages of consumption processes (e.g. Russell-Bennett et al., 2009; Woodruff & Flint, 2001), yet there remains a lack of longitudinal empirical evidence for how value experiences evolve during the maintenance of health behaviours in social marketing. This represents a gap in knowledge as behaviour maintenance is a long-term, ongoing process (Prochaska & DiClemente, 1983). This gap leads to the research question for this study: RQ: How do value experiences evolve during health behaviour maintenance

Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density

Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data

The relationship between human capital, value creation and employee reward

Purpose This paper examines the relationship between human capital (HC) and value creation and employee reward. HC is an important component of intellectual capital (IC). There is growing interest in how IC can be used to create organizational value. This paper addresses the need for critical analysis of IC practices in action. Based on data gathered from three annual surveys at Australia\u27s second largest public sector organization, the paper introduces psychological contract as new HC factors, and develops a method to measure HC in terms of value creation (work activity) and employee reward (pay). The findings have practical implications for managers in using the paper\u27s HC measurement to achieve strategic alignment of the workforce. Design/methodology/approach The research was based on data gathered from three annual surveys (2009-2011) of staff at Australia\u27s second largest public sector organization. A total of 248 questionnaires were completed. Three independent variables conceptualised Human Capital: (1) employee capability (HC1), (2) employee satisfaction (HC2), and (3) employee commitment (HC3). Two dependent variables were tested: (1) work activity and (2) pay. The data collected in this study was analyzed through the use of bivariate correlation and linear regression using SPSS software. Findings The paper\u27s major finding is that HC1 (employee capability) and HC2 (employee satisfaction), had a direct positive relationship with the importance of work activity. The paper\u27s second finding was that only HC1 has a direct positive relationship with the pay. However, HC3 (employee commitment) had a direct negative relationship with the importance of work activity. Further, HC2 and HC3 had no relationship with pay. The research project organization achieved strategic alignment with employees\u27 capability and motivation; as well as employee capability and pay. However, inequities emerge in terms of employee commitment and value creation (work activity) and in the psychological contract factors and pay. Research limitations/implications While the research findings are limited by them being based on a single research project organization (RPO), this is offset to some degree by the longitudinal nature of the study and the size of the RPO. It also presents opportunities for further research, particularly in terms of further testing of the new conceptualization of HC in other organizations and industry settings, and investigation of the failed hypotheses: (a) PC and pay, and (b) employee commitment and work activity. Practical implications While strong PC employees are being asked to do important work, they are not always being paid at the rate of colleagues doing similar work. This will create perceptions of distributive justice, which will make those with strong PC unhappy, thereby decreasing their PC, disrupting the SA of the value creation, and lead to employee turnover. Managers can address this problem by using the HC method outlined in this paper to introduce methods such as merit increases and variable pay. While this is problematic for public sector organizations often constrained by having to fit salary awards, innovative organizations are increasingly considering more flexible pay systems. Originality/value The paper introduces a new conceptualization of HC, and two proxies for organizational performance: pay and work activity. The paper addresses calls for IC in practice research to make the field more relevant for practitioners. The HC model introduced will allow managers to act on IC measurement by linking HC value with adequate pay, increasing motivation, commitment, and productivity, leading to increased innovation and reduced employee turnover

It\u27s the thoughts that count: substitution for goal striving actions

Planning is widely regarded as a critical tool for helping consumers successfully achieve their personal finance goals. Although planning has been identified as an effective self-regulatory tool, our research demonstrates that planning is not universally beneficial. Across two studies, our results demonstrate that planning delays initiation of goal pursuit behaviors for prevention-focused consumers who have adopted avoidance goals, since they perceive the act of planning to represent legitimate goal progress. In other words, making plans regarding when, where, and how to achieve a personal finance goal under prevention fit leads consumers to perceive themselves as having started to make progress towards their goal, although they only expended cognitive goal-directed effort. In turn, this perception leads to a delay in behaviors aimed at debt reduction. This finding carries important implications for marketing practice and theory

Money buys financial security and psychological need satisfaction: testing need theory in affluence

The most prominent theory to explain the curvilinear relationship between income and subjective well-being (SWB) is need theory, which proposes that increased income and wealth can lead to increased well-being in poverty because money is used to satisfy basic physiological needs. The present study tests the tenets of need theory by proposing that money can buy happiness beyond poverty if the money satisfies higher-order needs. Findings indicate that in older adults (n = 1,284), as economic standing rises, so do individual perceptions of financial security (a safety need), which in turn increases overall life satisfaction. Further, a path model tested the degree to which financial security and psychological need satisfaction mediated the path from economic standing to life satisfaction and demonstrated the complete mediation through higher-order needs—there was a 66% reduction in the direct link through financial security and a 34% reduction through psychological need satisfaction. Discussion focuses on how these mediation and path models extend need theory

Do you feel financially secured? The investigation of economic indicators of financial well-being

The economy has been in downward movement in the past few years in the United States as well as different parts of the world. Consumers\u27 financial situations have been found to influence their purchase behaviors. While some personal finance experts blame consumers\u27 (lack of) spending plans for their financial situations, others suggest that consumers\u27 perception of their financial standing influences their purchase plans. Using a nationwide large scale survey study, we examined the value of applying economic indicators as proxy measure of financial well-being. Instead of income or debts, wealth was found to be the most important economic indicator of financial well-being

Managing sub-branding affect transfer: the role of consideration set size and brand loyalty

Although the essential role of affect transfer has been evidenced in the brand extension literature, scant research has focused on affect transfer when a firm attempts to add sub-brands into its brand portfolio. We conducted a series of four experiments to demonstrate that affect associated with a family brand does in fact transfer to its sub-brand, and the effect is more pronounced for a sub-brand that is closer to (vs distant from) its family brand. Further, the transfer of affect is contingent upon consideration set size and brand loyalty. While affect transfer is observed when consideration set is small, this effect dissipates when consideration set expands; such moderation effect further interacts with consumers\u27 loyalty to a family brand and a competing brand. Our findings caution brand managers to take into account consumers\u27 consideration set size and brand loyalty when managing their brand portfolios