Authoritarian leadership and cyberloafing: A moderated mediation model of emotional exhaustion and power distance orientation

Drawing upon the conservation of resource theory (COR), this study proposes a moderated mediation model of authoritarian leadership on subordinates’ cyberloafing. Paired samples of 360 employees working in 103 teams from Chinese companies were collected at 2 points in time. The results show that authoritarian leadership positively affects subordinates’ cyberloafing and this relationship is mediated by emotional exhaustion. Furthermore, power distance orientation negatively moderates the relationship between authoritarian leadership and emotional exhaustion and also negatively moderates the indirect effect of authoritarian leadership on subordinates’ cyberloafing through subordinates’ emotional exhaustion. Our findings expand and enrich the literature on authoritarian leadership and cyberloafing and have significant practical implications for managing employees in this digital era

Humor at work that works: A multi-level examination of when and why leader humor promotes employee creativity

Although the role of leadership in fostering employee creativity has been extensively studied, it is still unclear whether and how leader humor affects employee creativity. Drawing upon cultural representation theory (CRT), we examined creative self-efficacy as a mediator and traditionality as a situational factor in the relationship between leader humor and employee creativity by analyzing a sample of 306 employees and 88 leaders (paired data) collected through survey questionnaire from firms based in Hubei Province, China, covering the industries of automobile, IT, and medicine. Following the multi-level examination, leader humor was positively related to employee creativity, and creative self-efficacy was found to mediate the impact of leader humor on employee creativity. Furthermore, traditionality moderated the effect of leader humor on creative self-efficacy, as well as the indirect effect of leader humor on employee creativity through creative self-efficacy. This study provides a social psychological explanation for the association between humor and employee creativity, deepens the current understanding of the influence process of leader humor. Finally, the theoretical and practical implications of the study are discussed at the end alongside limitations and recommendations for future research

Bad apples spoiling the metaphor? How and why self-serving leaders stir up counterproductive behaviors at work

Self-serving leaders satisfy their self-interests at the cost of both employees and organizations, leading to declining organizational competitive advantage and performance. Drawing upon the affective events theory (AET), we constructed and examined a theoretical model of self-serving leadership influencing counterproductive work behavior (CWB), where traditionality plays a significant moderating role through the lens of anger as a mediator. Data were collected in three waves using a survey questionnaire distributed in three industries located in the Southwest district of China. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted on a sample of 316 employees to test the hypothesized research model. The results showed that self-serving leadership triggers employee anger, which in turn causes CWB. Furthermore, traditionality plays a significant moderating role, in which employees with higher levels of traditionality feel less anger and show less CWB. Overall, research findings have clarified how and why self-serving leadership affects employees’ emotions (such as anger) and behavior (such as CWB), bringing new insights into the self-serving leadership and employee behavior literature. Research implications on the management of self-serving leadership, limitations, and future recommendations of research are also discussed

Predicting Damping of Semi-Rigid Glued T-Beams

A theoretical model for predicting damping in composite wood T-beam is provided. The formulation is based on energy dissipation due to relative slip at the interface of the flange and joist. A loss factor parameter as obtained from stress-strain relationship of elastomeric adhesive has been introduced into the formulation. Damping computed from experimental tests is found to about 5% to 8% compared to theoretical values of 4.5% to 6.5%

Mass transfer efficiency of a tall and low plate free area liquid pulsed sieve-plate extraction column

Acknowledgements The authors would like to acknowledge Chakwal group of industries for funding the project. Ms. Madiha, Ms. Zona, Mr. Sohaib, Mr. Abdullah, Mr. Mudassar, and Mr. Salahuddin also deserve our acknowledgements for their assistance in different ways.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Charge-noise-free Lateral Quantum Dot Devices with Undoped Si/SiGe Wafer

We develop quantum dots in a single layered MOS structure using an undoped Si/SiGe wafer. By applying a positive bias on the surface gates, electrons are accumulated in the Si channel. Clear Coulomb diamond and double dot charge stability diagrams are measured. The temporal fluctuation of the current is traced, to which we apply the Fourier transform analysis. The power spectrum of the noise signal is inversely proportional to the frequency, and is different from the inversely quadratic behavior known for quantum dots made in doped wafers. Our results indicate that the source of charge noise for the doped wafers is related to the 2DEG dopant.Comment: Proceedings of the 12th Asia Pacific Physics Conferenc

Essential micro-foundations for contemporary business operations: top management tangible competencies, relationship-based business networks and environmental sustainability

Although various studies have emphasized linkages between firm competencies, networks and sustainability at organizational level, the links between top management tangible competencies (e.g., contemporary relevant quantitative-focused education such as big data analytics and data-driven applications linked with the internet of things, relevant experience and analytical business applications), relationship-based business networks (RBNs) and environmental sustainability have not been well established at micro-level, and there is a literature gap in terms of investigating these relationships. This study examines these links based on the unique data collected from 175 top management representatives (chief executive officers and managing directors) working in food import and export firms headquartered in the UK and New Zealand. Our results from structural equation modelling indicate that top management tangible competencies (TMTCs) are the key determinants for building RBNs, mediating the correlation between TMTCs and environmental sustainability. Directly, the competencies also play a vital role towards environmental practices. The findings further depict that relationship-oriented firms perform better compared to those which focus less on such networks. Consequently, our findings provide a deeper understanding of the micro-foundations of environmental sustainability based on TMTCs rooted in the resource-based view and RBNs entrenched in the social network theory. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our findings, and we provide suggestions for future research

Process optimization and mechanistic studies of lead (II): Aspergillus caespitosus interaction for industrial effluent treatment

The lead (II) accumulation potential of various biosorbent had been widely studied in the last few years, but an outstanding Pb(II) accumulating biomass still seems crucial for bringing the process to a successful application stage. This investigation describes the use of non-living biomass of Aspergillus caespitosus for removal of Pb from Pb(NO3)2 solution in a batch system under different experimental conditions. The highest Pb(II) sorption (351.7 ± 5.7 mg/g biomass) was observed at 600 µg/ml initial Pb concentration. Biosorption data were well defined by pseudo-second order, saturation mixed order and Langmuir isotherm models. The thermodynamic parameters: G (303 K), H and S were determined to be 4.64 kJ/mol, 75.4 kJ/mol and 26.2 J/mol-K respectively. The Pb uptake from binary solution was inhibited in the order of copper > nickel > zinc > manganese. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) characterization of Pb biosorption revealed the involvement of –SO3 and –CN groups along with other groups. The biosorbed Pb was stripped out (85.5%) using 0.01 M HCl and about 12% loss in Pb(II) sorption capacity was observed after five sorption-desorption cycles. High Pb (II) uptake (351.7 ± 5.7 mg/g biomass) by A. caespitosus proved it to be an outstanding biomaterial until now reported in literature for accumulating from solutions.Key words: Aspergillus caespitosus, Pb, Langmuir isotherm, pseudo-second-order kinetic model, FTIR, SEM, EDAX

Impacts of Six Bt Rice Lines on Nontarget Rice Feeding Thrips Under Laboratory and Field Conditions

Nontarget impacts of six transgenic Bt rice lines (expressing the Cry1Ab or Cry1Ab/Cry1Ac protein) on the thrips, Stenchaetothrips biformis (Bagnall), attacking the rice seedling and tillering stages, were evaluated under laboratory and field conditions. Laboratory results showed relatively longer larval, pupal development and preoviposition durations of S. biformis. Although it had a shorter oviposition period, female adult longevity and less total laid eggs were found when fed on some tested Bt rice in comparison to non-Bt controls. S. biformis population dynamics in Bt and non-Bt plots were monitored using the plastic bag and beat plate methods. In the field, the temporal patterns of S. biformis population changes were similar between tested Bt rice lines and their respective control; however, the total number of S. biformis individuals collected from the Bt plots were significantly less or the same, varying from variety to variety, compared with those from the non-Bt plots. ELISA results showed that the Bt insecticidal protein could be transferred from Bt rice to the thrips, and the concentrations of the protein in rice leaves and thrips were not significantly correlated with some important biological parameters of the thrip. In addition, the potential effects of Bt rice on the abundance of S. biformis candidate predators are also discussed. In conclusion, our results show that the six Bt rice lines assessed may be less preferable host plants to S. biformis at the individual and population levels in comparison to the non-Bt rice plant