Abstract

This dataset delves into the intricate dynamics linking organizational commitment (OC) and job performance (JP) within the realm of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs). Centering on the water supply industry, it seeks to unravel the nuances of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) in an economy oriented by socialist values. The compilation of this dataset represents a balanced integration of qualitative and quantitative methodologies, incorporating insights from expert interviews alongside data gathered from employee surveys. It encompasses 336 valid responses, which have been meticulously analyzed through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). This approach facilitates a deeper understanding of the interconnections between OC, OCB, and EP. The dataset is instrumental in highlighting the pivotal role of professional integrity and voluntary dedication within SOEs, underscoring their critical function in representing state interests and effectively serving the public.

Background

The dataset presents an in-depth exploration of the raw data related to the intricate relationship between organizational commitment (OC) and job performance (JP) in State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), with a specific focus on the water supply sector. This sector is highlighted for its pivotal role in public service and the socialist market economy. The data provides insights into how various forms of organizational commitment—emotional, continuous, and normative—affect employee behavior and performance in SOEs. A key aspect of the dataset is its analysis of Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) and its impact on employee engagement and contributions beyond formal job requirements, underscoring its importance in public sector service delivery. The dataset is unique in its use of hybrid methods combining both qualitative and quantitative data, offering a comprehensive view of the factors influencing SOE employee commitment, civic behaviors, and their subsequent effects on organizational performance, which are essential for informed policymaking, effective management, and enhancing the efficiency of the public sector.

Experimental Design, Materials and Methods

This research adopted a mixed-methods approach to gain a comprehensive understanding of organizational commitment within the water supply industry by seamlessly integrating qualitative and quantitative methodologies. First, a comprehensive review of relevant literature guided the development of key constructs, and questions were crafted to capture these, ensuring clarity and relevance. The questionnaire underwent a rigorous validation process, including expert reviews and pilot testing with a group representative of the study population, leading to refinements based on the feedback received. In the initial qualitative phase of data collection, a series of in-depth one-on-one discussions with a select group of five experts, including two seasoned professionals from the water supply sector and three scientists, were conducted. These discussions were essential for clarifying and refining the constructs related to OC, OCB, JP. The selection of these experts was strategically done, adhering to the principle of information saturation, where the number of interviews was determined based on the emergence of no new information. The insights obtained from these interactions were pivotal in tailoring the measurement scales to suit the specific context of the Vietnamese water supply industry, particularly focusing on Ho Chi Minh City. This process involved a meticulous adaptation and translation of existing scales from prior studies, ensuring the precision and comprehensibility of the questionnaires. These refined scales subsequently formed the basis of a preliminary questionnaire, which was further evaluated and improved through a focused group discussion with seven key personnel from the Saigon Water Corporation. This phase was crucial in providing a thorough understanding of the context and played an instrumental role in the validation and refinement of the quantitative survey instruments. Through these qualitative interactions, the questionnaire items were meticulously modified and clarified to enhance their relevance and comprehension in the specific context of the water supply industry. After the qualitative phase, data collection was conducted via in-person interviews, email, and an online questionnaire. The questionnaire, which included a declaration on data ethics and confidentiality, had two primary sections. The first part gathered gender, marital status, age, education, and position. The key research variables in the second segment were assessed using a 7-point Likert scale with 30 items Table 8 provides details on the sample characteristics, including frequency and percentage tests.

Abstract

The primary purpose of this article is to determine the relationship between employer brand attractiveness, which is considered to be critical in achieving sustainable human resource management and organizational commitment, and to reveal the moderating role of perceived organizational support in this relationship. The research was conducted on the employees of 5-star hotels in Manavgat, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Turkey. Data were collected between June and October 2023. The hypothetical model was developed based on the results obtained and was tested using the AMOS program (IBM SPSS AMOS 22). Accordingly, the Process macro (model 1) was found to be the most appropriate model for determining moderating effects. The results of this study revealed a positive relationship between the economic, social, development, and application dimensions of employer brand attractiveness and organizational commitment. On the other hand, it was concluded that interest value did not have a statistically significant effect on organizational commitment. Moreover, it was also determined in the results of this study that perceived organizational support has a moderating role in the relationship between employer brand attractiveness dimensions and organizational commitment. It is believed that the research findings concerning the relationships between the variables and the moderating effect of perceived organizational support will contribute to filling a gap in the relevant literature. In light of the findings, a number of theoretical and practical implications have been presented for tourism and hospitality organizations and academicians on sustainable human resource management.

Introduction

The gradual deterioration of the natural environment caused by human activity has led to the necessity of proposing the concept of sustainable development. Consequently, the safeguarding of the natural environment and resources for the benefit of future generations has become a global obligation [1]. In addition, contemporary businesses are developing novel management strategies in response to the global imperative [2]. The concept of sustainable development is not limited to economic considerations but encompasses social and ecological aspects as well [3]. The application of the concept of sustainable development at the business level necessitates an understanding of the social and ecological contributions of business processes while seeking to meet the expectations of all stakeholders. This encompasses the financial expectations of owners and shareholders and the security and stability needs of employees and other groups that interact with the business [4]. The most crucial aspect of sustainable enterprise development is the identification of the optimal human resources [5]. It can be observed that the enhancement of the social and environmental efficacy of enterprises is contingent upon the role of the human factor. The implementation of environmentally oriented policies and procedures can be effectively carried out by individuals who possess a positive attitude towards the environment, possess the requisite competencies and knowledge to understand and address ecological issues, and are aware of the potential consequences of their actions on the environment. In this context, there are a number of advantages to be gained by businesses that adopt sustainable human resources practices in their personnel selection procedures [6].

Conclusions

In the tourism sector, which is a labor-intensive sector, it is quite important to create brand attractiveness and the desire of employees to continue working in the organization. An employee who is loyal to the company he/she serves will significantly lower the employee turnover rate. In the present study, considering these aspects, the relationship between employer brand attractiveness, continuance commitment, and perceived organizational support has been determined. The effects of economic value, social value, development value, interest value, and application value, which are the sub-dimensions of employer brand attractiveness, on continuance commitment were analyzed. The concept of organizational support suggests that when employees feel supported by the organization, their behaviors tend to benefit the company. Employer Branding is an important tool within the talent management process. In this context, this study has investigated the potential moderating role of perceived organizational support in the relationship between the sub-dimensions of employer brand attractiveness and continuance commitment. A model has been developed and evaluated based on these obtained data.

After examining the effect of employer brand attractiveness sub-dimensions on organizational commitment, it was found that the sub-dimensions of employer brand attractiveness, including economic value, social value, developmental value, and application value, affect organizational commitment. It is well known that employer brand value affects the variables of job satisfaction, organizational loyalty, behavioral intention, branding in tourism, and affective organization commitment, and this study has confirmed its effect on continuance commitment. An important finding of this study is that the benefit value does not influence continuance commitment.

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of organizational commitment and job engagement on service quality, while integrating the influences of organizational climate and emotional labor. Utilizing data from 427 participants, acquired via structured questionnaires, the research employed the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) for analysis. The findings reveal that heightened job engagement and organizational commitment significantly enhance service quality, primarily through reinforcing employees’ trust in their organization. A favorable organizational climate is instrumental in strengthening employees’ affiliation with their organization, consequently leading to superior service provision. Furthermore, the capability to effectively regulate emotions emerges as a critical factor in both job engagement and the quality of service. The study advocates for augmenting job engagement and organizational commitment, cultivating a supportive workplace atmosphere, and equipping employees with resources for efficient emotional management. These strategies are proposed to substantially improve service quality. The insights derived from this research provide essential directives for managers striving to achieve service excellence.

Introduction

Over the years, scholars have thoroughly examined the complex interplay between organizational commitment, climate, and job involvement in determining job performance. Studies by Refs. [1,2] underscored the fundamental role organizational commitment plays in influencing both an individual’s performance and the broader success of an organization. However, the challenge of fostering and maintaining this commitment persists, leading organizations to continually seek effective strategies to ensure a dedicated workforce [3]. Particularly in the business industry, where employees are pivotal for gaining a competitive edge, it’s recognized that employee commitment can be enhanced through a combination of a strong service ethos, managerial support, and a positive organizational environment [[4], [5], [6], [7], [8]].

One dimension that’s essential is job involvement, characterized by the depth of emotional connection an employee feels towards their workplace. Such involvement is crucial for strengthening organizational commitment and subsequently influencing performance outcomes [9]. To optimize these outcomes, it is vital for organizations to focus on talent development and create a supportive organizational environment [10]. In business industry, engaging in emotional labor — the effort to manage one’s emotions to produce a desired emotional response in customers — is believed to boost job satisfaction and improve the overall customer experience [11].

However, a glaring gap in scholarly work is the investigation of how emotional labor interacts with job involvement, service quality, and organizational commitment. While Wang [12] began to explore how organizational commitment influences service quality, our research takes a broader approach. We aim to understand the intricate relationships among organizational commitment, job involvement, emotional labor, organizational climate, and performance or service quality outcomes. What sets our study apart is its focus on the previously unexplored impact of emotional labor on job involvement, service quality, and the dynamics of organizational commitment.

Results

4.1. Statistical analysis of basic information
Participants were enlisted from March through April 2019. Out of the 450 questionnaires disseminated, 427 were returned completed and valid, yielding a response rate of 94.88 %. Gender-based statistical analysis revealed that the total effective sample size of the questionnaire was 427, comprising 206 males and 221 females. Age-related statistics indicate that 135 respondents fell within the 30–39 year age group, accounting for 31.6 % of the total sample size, while 110 respondents were above 50 years of age. With respect to academic qualifications, 143 respondents (33.5 %) possessed 2-year college degrees, while 199 respondents held Bachelor’s degrees. Out of all the occupational responses, 95 individuals or 22.3 % work in the service industry, while the hotel industry employs 83 individuals. The postal and warehousing industry comes in third with 50 individuals. Please see Table 1.

Abstract

Sustainability issues have long been a critical notion in business, while successful green human resource management (GHRM) has the potential to help organizations perform better in terms of environmental sustainability. The current paper evaluates the mechanism through which green human resource management affects green organizational commitment, green innovation practices and low-carbon behaviour among 610 employees in South Africa. The study further evaluates the mediation connection among the variables and the moderating influence of green transformational leadership through social cognitive theory. The stratified sampling approach was applied in selecting the respondents, and the structural equation model was applied to test the hypotheses. The empirical outcome of this research is as follows: (1) GHRM has a positive and substantial effect on green organizational commitment, green innovation practices and low-carbon behaviour. (2) The findings also revealed that green organizational commitment and green innovation practices affect low-carbon behaviour among staff. (3) The results suggest that green organizational commitment and green innovation practices have a substantial mediation influence on the connection between green human resource management and low-carbon behaviour. (4) Last, green transformational leadership discovered a positive moderating effect on the link between green human resource management and low-carbon behaviour. The paper makes several practical recommendations for strengthening low-carbon behaviour. Therefore, human resource management managers should outline measures that can be used to empower and engage employees in environmental issues and provide them with autonomy to address these challenges.

Introduction

Governments are pressured globally to accelerate carbon cuts and align national climate action plans with the Paris Agreement (Cai et al., 2022a; Sampene et al., 2021; Wiredu et al., 2023). Steg et al. (2017) believe these programs and interventions will achieve their target when focused on people’s behavioural concepts. Similarly, Wang et al. (2021) proposed that addressing environmental challenges requires behavioural and cognitive changes from all societal sectors and levels. Hence, it is prudent to examine employees’ low-carbon behaviour (LCB) and how it contributes to environmental performance (EP) among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Republic of South Africa. South Africa is the world’s 14th largest emitter of greenhouse gases (Adebayo and Odugbesan, 2021; Shikwambana et al., 2021). Therefore, South Africa plans to reduce its unemployment rate through SMEs and the manufacturing sector; however, van Staden (2022) believes this may put pressure on the energy sector, contributing significantly to the country’s higher levels of environmental pollution. This is because the country’s CO2 emissions are principally high due to a heavy dependence on non-renewable energy sources from SMEs.

Hence, it is imperative to advance research on pollution from SMEs in this era, where there is a growing debate for SMEs to go into “green initiatives.” As Meissner (2022) revealed, green innovation practices (GIPs) and green organizational commitment (GOC) have several implications, such as reducing production costs and improving firms’ EP. In addition, GIP helps firms reduce waste generation, reduce harmful emissions, and preserve natural resources. Firms’ involvement in GIP also helps attract customers who support environmental management initiatives (Bass, 2020; Meissner, 2022). Therefore, this study identified various drivers to improve LCB among SMEs in light of this discussion. LCB has been described as human activities geared toward protecting the environment. LCB is also known in some studies as “environmentally friendly behaviour”, “green environmental behaviour”, and “pro-environmental behaviour” (Foster et al., 2022; Yuan and Li, 2023). As a result of the upsurge in climate issues caused by human behaviour, one subject matter that has attracted interest in environmental sustainability research is LCB (Ansari et al., 2021). To understand the concept of employee LCB, the researcher envisioned social cognitive theory (SCT). SCT emphasizes that individual behaviour influences the environment. This relation is reciprocal determinism; thus, people’s behaviour is defined as the interplay of environmental factors, behavioural concepts, and cognitive factors. As a result, this article extends SCT and evaluates the effect of employees’ LCB.

Conclusions and research implications

6.1. Conclusions
International organizations such as the United Nations and the recent Glasgow Agreement are championing the need for carbon emissions and preserving the environment for future generations. This call has necessitated the importance of this study, which focuses on low-carbon behaviour among employees of SMEs from an emerging country (South Africa). The research hypothesis was evaluated through the SEM-PLS methodology and the IPMA (importance-performance map analysis) analysis approach. The analysis from this research revealed that (1) GHRM has a positive and substantial effect on GIP, GOC, and LCB. (2) The findings also revealed that GOC and GIP positively influence LCB among staff. (3) The results suggest that GIP and GOC have a substantial mediation influence on the connection between GHRM and LCB. (3) Last, GTFL revealed a positive iterative effect on the link between GHRM and LCB. The following is an explanation of the theoretical and practical contributions based on the empirical results of the current analysis.

6.2. Theoretical implications
An integral theoretical contribution of this study is that while some evidence has been provided on the influence of GHRM on LCB (Shoaib et al., 2021), little environmental research has examined the intermediary effect of GOC and GIP on these concepts. More specifically, the evidence outlined in this paper demonstrated that GOC and GIP mediate the connection between GHRM and LCB. This research outcome indicates these variables’ significance in developing green innovation actions. In other words, the commitment levels and innovation practices exhibited by staff members can be influenced by GHRM policies, eventually affecting staff LCB. Furthermore, the study provided empirical evidence indicating that SMEs should invest in GIP and improve their staff’s GOC, as it has been established to be an effective tool for improving EP. Thus, GIP and GOC are future initiatives that bring about dynamic changes in institutions, technologies, and commercial strategies and help improve environmental sustainability. In addition, incorporating GTFL as a moderator provides a novel perspective on leadership’s role in promoting GHRM and LCB. Thus, the research proved that GTFL inspires workers to achieve better results. The research has revealed how vital GTFL is in improving the connection between GHRM-LCB. Therefore, managers must practice the GTFL approach to help foster the improvement of both ecological behaviour and firms’ EP.

Despite various challenges in the platinum mining industry, management has to pursue stringent performance outcomes on an ongoing basis. The achievement thereof requires a motivated, involved and dedicated workforce. This can only be achieved when mineworkers are engaged in their jobs and committed to their organisation. Past research shows that formal and informal job resources can influence employees’ levels of work engagement, as well as their organisational commitment. The purpose of this research was to explore whether mineworkers’ perceptions of their organisation’s job resources have an influence on their work engagement and organisational commitment. The findings show that both organisational respect and employee care have a statistically significant positive influence on work engagement and organisational commitment. However, employee care had a stronger influence on both work engagement and organisational commitment than organisational respect. To increase the work engagement and affective organisational commitment of mineworkers, it is proposed that mining companies invest in workplace practices that enhance employees’ emotional attachment to the organisation.

Introduction

South Africa is the world’s largest producer of platinum (Cairncross and Kisting, 2016), and the country contains 87% of the world’s platinum group metals (Chaskalson, 2016). Hence, it accounts for a large proportion of national foreign exchange earnings, is a major source of employment, and impacts on the socio-economic mobility of South African communities (Federation for a Sustainable Environment, 2018). According to Björnsson (2018), 41% of the 490 000 people who were employed in the South African mining sector in 2015 were employed in the platinum mining industry. Many of these employees are migrants who leave their families behind in rural areas or in neighbouring states (Federation for a Sustainable Environment, 2018). Many demands are associated with the mining work environment, such as mine closure threats, strikes, adverse working conditions, health and safety risks, excessive production targets, and cultural diversity (Abrahamsson et al., 2014; Masia and Pienaar, 2011; Moraka and Jansen van Rensburg, 2015; Neingo and Tholana, 2016). The North West platinum corridor (Rustenburg, Marikana, Brits), often referred to as the Platinum Belt (Rajak, 2016), is known as the site of the Marakana Massacre. In 2012, 34 mineworkers were shot dead by the South African Police Service during a protest fuelled by poor working and living conditions, as well as a drive to increase wages (Bezuidenhout and Buhlungu, 2015; Capps, 2015). The Marikana Massacre brought to light fatal contradictions in the post-apartheid platinum mining sector.

1- INTRODUCTION

2- METHOD

3- RESULTS

REFERENCES

Abstract

Unethical pro‐organizational behaviors (UPB) are actions that break rules or estab‐ lished standards, but are undertaken for the purposes of helping the organization or coworkers. Although research has already examined the role of work ethic and or‐ ganizational commitment in shaping employee behaviors, little is known about the reason for and antecedents of employees undertaking UPB. In a sample of 425 work‐ ing adults from multiple industries, we tested whether work ethic and organizational commitment dimensions predict the readiness to undertake UPB. The time‐lagged study showed that the work ethics dimension “hard work,” and normative and affec‐ tive organizational commitment, are positive predictors of UPB. The ethics dimen‐ sions “morality/ethics,” “delay of gratification,” “centrality of work” and “anti‐leisure attitudes” are negative predictors of UPB.

INTRODUCTION

A growing number of studies show increasing scholarly interest in the concept of unethical pro‐organizational behavior (UPB) (Tsiavia, 2016), since the first publication of the original article by Umphress, Bingham, and Mitchell (2010). Because it is common and costly for organizations, the subject is of interest to practitioners and schol‐ ars alike (Matherne, III & Litchfield, 2012). To date, there is empiri‐ cal evidence that confirms relations between UPB and identification with the leader or organization (Effelsberg, Solga, & Gurt, 2014; Kong, 2016). Yet, there is a gap between work ethic (Weber, 1958) and organizational commitment (Meyer & Allen, 1991) and the study of UPB. The present research fills this gap and provides new evi‐ dence on the antecedents of UPBs. Recently, much attention has been paid to unethical behaviors that are not addressed to harm an organization or coworkers, but to benefit them. Thus, an interesting question is why workers who are good, loyal, and strongly identified with the organization, decide to break the rules and moral standards? Therefore, the present study investigated relations between work ethic dimensions and organiza‐ tional commitment, and employee willingness to undertake unethi‐ cal behaviors. Specifically, we ask two research questions. First, do the dimensions of work ethic and organizational commitment predict individual’s willingness to engage in UPB? And if so, to what extent is each dimension a predictor. Second, is work ethic or commitment a stronger predictor of UPB?

1- Introduction

2- Theoretical framework and literature review

3- Methodology

4- Data analysis and results

5- Discussion and conclusion

References

Abstract

The roles and commitment of employees within global strategic partnerships are imperative to their success. Whilst previous studies have addressed certain individual-level microfoundations and social change in an interpretivist manner, this study first proposes a theoretical framework consists of individual-level microfoundations, social change and affective organizational commitment—interlinked with social identity theory. We then validate the 16-item scale for individual-level microfoundations and the 24-item scale for social change based on data collected from global strategic partnerships. For testing of our conceptualization, path modeling finally confirms significant relationships between the constructs. Our findings further present the partial mediating role of social change between individual-level microfoundations and affective organizational commitment. Therefore, the study provides a new pathway in advancing our understanding of global strategic partnerships. It also validates two new constructs directly relevant to managing global strategic partnerships. We discuss theoretical and practical implications of these linkages and contributions, and conclude by providing suggestions for future research.

Introduction

Global strategic partnerships strengthen relationships among business partners, facilitating better products and services across multiple territories through inter-firm collaboration. The rise of such partnerships has demonstrated a multitude of benefits that can accrue from such collaborations. Some partnerships have specifically focused on generating mutual growths in innovation, through for instance sharing research and development platforms, such as in the strategic partnership between Brazil and the European Union (Saraiva, 2017) or between the Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences (MMIHS) in Nepal with Bournemouth and Liverpool John Moores Universities (Van Teijlingen et al., 2018). The strategic partnership between Indian IT vendors and Western clients has benefitted from expansions in interorganizational and boundary spanning activities (Søderberg and Romani, 2017). Market and product share expansion remains a popular mutual benefit, evident in the strategic partnership between Huawei and the Synnex Group (Haveman and Vochteloo, 2016) and subsequently between Huawei with Intel (Huawei, 2014). Fu et al. (2018) also note the benefits in improving learning and knowledge acquisition, again between Huawei but with ZTE. Liang (2016) reports on the strategic partnership between Fox and Apple, and through integrating production networks, how both firms benefited from enhanced value chain processes. Multi-stakeholder strategic partnerships can also generate mutual gains such as in AEG’s partnership with the National Basketball Association in China to foster trust with the local government in Shangai and other local partners (Yao and Schwarz, 2017). Given the variety of mutual benefits possible, Bamford et al. (2003) concluded strategic partnerships can fuel the success of a wide range of organizations—global strategic partnerships thus play a vital role in the modern era of inter-firm collaborations.

1- Introduction

2- Method

3- Results

4- Discussion

5- Limitations

6- Conclusions

References

Abstract 

Objective: Nurse shortage is a critical problem for global healthcare services. It impacts the quality of clinical care. Work engagement is the core competence of hospitals, which indicates employee’s positive attitude toward organization and work. This study aimed to explore the relationships among calling, organizational commitment, and work engagement.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was designed, and 320 nurses from tertiary hospitals in China completed the questionnaires that included demographic information, calling scale, employee engagement scale, and organizational commitment scale. Pearson correlation was performed to test the correlations among calling, organizational commitment, and work engagement. Stepwise regression analyses were performed to explore the mediating role of organizational commitment. The bootstrap method was employed to confirm the mediating effect.
Results: Nurses’ work engagement score was at the medium degree, whereas calling and organizational commitment were in the medium to high level. The results revealed that calling, organizational commitment, work engagement, and each dimension were positively correlated with one another (r ¼ 0.145e0.922, P < 0.01). The organizational commitment plays a partially mediating effect between calling and work engagement (b ¼ 0.603 to 0.333, P < 0.01).
Conclusions: The mediation effect of organizational commitment was verified, which provided a comprehensive understanding of how calling impacted work engagement. Moreover, administrators should not only promote interventions to increase work engagement but also pay attention to calling and organizational commitment so as to improve their work engagement. Taken together, increased level of work engagement is required in the current nursing field.

Introduction

Nurse shortages have become a global critical problem for healthcare services. According to the US Department of Labor’s data, the demand for registered nurses in the United States will increase from 2.95 million in 2016 to 3.39 million in 2026 (a 15% increase) [1]. In China, the number of registered nurses per 1,000 population is 2.73, which is far below than that of developed countries [2]. The lack of nursing staff has a serious impact on the quality of clinical care. In addition, China faces the challenges of population aging and “two-child” policy, which overload nurses with work, leading to their reduced work engagement [3]. Work engagement is described as a positive, fulfilling, work-related state of mind that is characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption [4]. It is the core competence of hospitals. In professional nursing practice, a low level of work engagement could enhance adverse events and improve nurses’ turnover intention [5]. In light of this situation, factors affecting work engagement among nurses should be explored.

Introduction

In the modern business environment, resources and competencies are key factors that enable organizations to survive, innovate and grow (Subramaniam and Youndt, 2005). According to the knowledge-based theory, knowledge is one such crucial resource that organizations must possess and develop (Nonaka, 1994). Various researchers argue that knowledge resources can become a primary source of sustainable competitive advantage (Zheng et al., 2010; Kapoor and Adner, 2012; Swart et al., 2014). Matusik and Hill (1998, p. 683) also assert that “firms increasingly rely on building and creating knowledge as a necessary condition to survive.” The intellectual capital–based view (Reed et al., 2006) further posits that an organization’s innovative capabilities depend on the competencies and knowledge its members possess (Subramaniam and Youndt, 2005), as well as that organization’s ability to deploy and use them effectively (Martín-de Castro, 2015). By developing capabilities to create, share and utilize knowledge, organizations gain a better position from which to innovate, grow and build sustainable competitive advantages (Chen and Huang, 2009). The core competence theory argues that another key condition for an organization to build a sustainable competitive advantage is to duplicate its core competence across a wide range of markets. However, such duplication is possible only if knowledge can be shared among employees, as well as across the organization’s work units (Prahalad and Hamel, 1990). Defined as a process through which information, opinions, ideas, theories and principles are exchanged or disseminated among people or groups in an organization (Appleyard, 1996; Argote and Ingram, 2000), knowledge sharing has become crucial for organizational survival, growth and prosperity (Desouza, 2003; Swart et al., 2014). According to Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995), it also may be a prerequisite for converting general ideas and concepts into specific products. Furthermore, knowledge sharing contributes to the development of various organizational capabilities, such as creativity and innovation, which in turn are vital to organizational effectiveness (Kogut and Zander, 1996). Ryu et al. (2005) identify knowledge sharing as one of the most critical steps in the organizational leaning process that enables individual members to learn from others. King et al.’s (2002) survey of 2,073 knowledge management practitioners and executives reports that the challenge of “how to motivate individuals to contribute their knowledge to a knowledge management system” was considered one of the most critical issues in knowledge management research. Despite its key role in building a competitive advantage (Rhodes et al., 2008), knowledge sharing, thus, remains perhaps the most difficult aspect of knowledge management (Bakker et al., 2006), confirming the importance of academic research into its dynamics in organizations. Understanding how knowledge is created, manifested and shared in the workplace remains important for the success of organizations ( Jang et al., 2002; Michailova and Husted, 2003; Galunic et al., 2014). For researchers, such as Alavi and Leidner (2001), Argote and Ingram (2000) and Pentland (1995), organizational effectiveness is strongly associated with the extent to which knowledge is shared among organizational members.

1- Introduction

2- The importance of corporate values for MNCs

3- Theory

4- Hypotheses development

5- Method

6- Discussion and conclusion

References

Abstract

We argue that a perceived misalignment between a multinational corporation’s espoused values and how those values are lived in the subsidiary has detrimental effects on group outcomes, specifically groups’ affective organizational commitment. Using data from 1760 work groups in the foreign subsidiaries of a large European MNC, we find support to our hypotheses and show that when there is a misalignment between a particular espoused value and the lived value, and the value at stake is central to the value system of the country in which the subsidiary is located, the detrimental effect on the group’s outcomes is more pronounced.

Introduction

Given the geographic spread of multinational corporations (MNCs) and the diversity of their employees, shared values serve as a common thread in guiding and achieving integration across foreign subsidiaries (Grøgaard & Colman, 2016). MNC headquarters (HQ) rely heavily on corporate values to establish and maintain behavioral norms, achieve global integration across subsidiaries, and facilitate knowledge sharing and creation (Chen, Paik, & Park, 2010; Harzing, 2001; Zander, Jonsen, & Mockaitis, 2016). As companies become increasingly globalized, shared values act as the “glue that holds an organization together as it grows, decentralizes, diversifies and expands” (van Rekom, van Riel, & Wierenga, 2006, p. 175). To act like a common glue requires the company’s core values to be “lived” throughout the MNC (Michailova & Minbaeva, 2012; Zander et al., 2016). The difference between espoused and lived values is critical in this context. Espoused values are “the articulated, publicly announced principles and values that … [an organization] claims to be trying to achieve” (Schein, 1992, p. 9). These values emerge from the underlying principles to which (most) members of the organization are expected to subscribe (Grøgaard & Colman, 2016). Although these values may predict what people say, they may differ widely from what people actually do (Argyris & Schon, 1996). On the other hand, lived values involve a theory-in-use that explains actual behavior (Argyris & Schon, 1996; Argyris, 1999; Kabanoff & Daly, 2002). Organizational values become “lived” only if they are internalized by individuals. Alignment between espoused and lived values is advantageous (Zander et al., 2016) but can be difficult to achieve, especially in MNCs organized as transnational, differentiated networks or as heterarchies (Bartlett & Ghoshal, 1989; Hedlund & Rolander, 1990; Nohria & Ghoshal, 1997). In such global networks of geographically dispersed subsidiaries, there are often notable differences between the values embraced by the HQ (espoused values)—manifested in mission statements, codes of conduct, corporate communications, and so on—and how they are practiced within the subsidiaries (lived values) (O’Reilly, 1989). These differences may result in value incongruence (Schein, 1992), and complicate shared interpretation and understanding of the MNC’s underlying value system (Kwantes, Arbour, & Boglarsky, 2007). In turn, this can violate the established psychological contract and “create cynical and dispirited employees … and undermine managerial credibility” (Lencioni, 2002, p. 5) to the extent that the commitment of foreign subsidiary employees and work groups is affected negatively (Howell, Kirk-Brown, & Cooper, 2012; Ortega-Parra & Sastre-Castillo, 2013; Simons, 2002).

This study analyzed the impact of learning organization and commitment on the performance of research and development organizations in Thailand. The research used a structural equation model based on an extensive review of relevant literature. The population and samples were drawn from full-time researchers in two science and technology organizations under the Thai Ministry of Science and Technology. A questionnaire survey was used to collect empirical data. The model fit was analyzed using the confirmatory factor analysis technique. The results showed that learning organization had a direct effect on organizational commitment and performance. However, commitment had no direct effect on organizational performance. Based on these results; scientific, and technology and development policy and planning should consider applying learning organization in research organizations. © 2018 Kasetsart University. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/ 4.0/).

Introduction

Economic development and competitiveness in countries around the world are increasing. To secure comparative advantages, such as, technological competitiveness based on changing consumption, and integration into single markets, companies make decisions, operate their businesses, and create or invent new products and manufacturing processes based on scientific and technological research. They do this in response to the demands of consumers in order to maintain their business over the long term (Sudharatna & Hongladarom, 2006). Many countries focus on research and development, especially prosperous and stable countries. The highest percentage of GDP allocated to research and development (34.90%) was reported in North America followed by countries in Asia, Europe, and Africa (32.20%, 27.40%, and 0.90% respectively) according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2011). Thailand has a relatively low percentage (0.21e0.26%) of GDP spent on research and development (National Research Council of Thailand, 2012). One of the missions of the Ministry of Science and Technology of Thailand (MOST) is to propose scientific, technological, and innovative strategies and planning as well as social contribution that will increase productivity and the quality of life for Thai people. However, the government requires more advanced research and development processes in order to improve society and the country within its tight budget. Therefore, the establishment of learning organization is crucial as this approach allows organizations to develop in a systematic manner, strengthen workflow, and to be better equipped to cope with changes in the business environment such as market competition, innovation and changes in technology, and the needs and requirements of stakeholders. This research used a structural equation model to study the impacts of learning organization and commitment on performance in two research and development organizations under MOST (the Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research and the National Science and Technology Development Agency).

INTRODUCTION

Research from the past several decades suggests that employees’ organizational commitment should be a central concern for public managers because it can be an effective tool for improving public employees’ work attitudes, job satisfaction and retention (Porter, Crampon, and Smith 1976; Meyer et al. 2002; Park and Rainey 2007). Moreover the literature suggests that managers’ organizational commitment can spill over to their employees’ organizational commitment, because organizationally committed managers provide a supportive work environment (Meyer et al. 2002; Eisenberger et al. 1986; Buchanan 1974) and signal how critical values can be translated into acceptable behavior (Paarlberg and Lavigna 2010). However, we are yet to understand if and how public managers can influence employees’ organizational commitment through their own commitment (Meyer et al. 2002; Solinger, van Olffen, and Roe 2008). Organizational commitment describes an individual’s sense of belonging to an organization, somanagers’ organizational commitment is not necessarily observable for employees. We argue that managers’ organizational commitment is indeed valuable in order to ensure the employees’ commitment to the organization’s goals and values, but that this relationship is dependent on how transformational leadership is enacted. Several studies have underlined how transformational leadership matters for employees’ organizational commitment (Walumbwa et al. 2005; Bass and Riggio 2006) not least in a public context (Trottier, Van Wart, and Wang 2008), and we extend and nuance this knowledge by arguing that transformational leadership can also decide how managers’ commitment convey commitment to employees. Hereby this study meets calls for “theory-based” models of organizational commitment that will advance our knowledge on mediating mechanisms and offer public managers more usable insights on how to use the commitment literature (Mathieu and Zajac 1990; Meyer et al. 2002) Our theoretical expectation is that transformational leadership accentuates a manager’s organizational commitment only when a manager deliberately exerts transformational leadership and this is perceived by the employees. We know from the self-other agreement of leadership literature that managers and employees often differ in their perceptions of leadership, and that agreement between managers and employees on leadership is important for how effective a leader is (Atwater and Yammarino 1992, 1997; Fleenor et al. 2010). On this background we propose a theoretical model that distinguishes “transformational managers”, who perform transformational leadership intentionally and are perceived as such by their employees, from three other types of leaders, who are not perceived as transformational leaders or unrealistic about their transformational leadership (“reticent managers”, “detached managers”, and “overrating managers”). In accordance with the self-other agreement literature (Yammarino & Atwater, 1997), we only expect a positive relationship between manager and employees’ organizational commitment when managers are seen as transformational leaders and are selfaware about how transformational they are (“transformational managers”). If these criteria are not met, we expect that managers’ organizational commitment will at best be unrelated and most likely negatively related with employees’ organizational commitment, because these managers either lack self-awareness and interpersonal orientation or are not clarifying organizational goals.