Moderating effects of presenteeism on the stress-happiness relationship of hotel employees: A note

This research note investigates the moderating effects of presenteeism on the stress-happiness relationship of 358 hotel employees in Sabah, Malaysia. The results support the moderating role of presenteeism in the relationship between stress and happiness. More specifically, the findings identify the presence of a non-monotonic relationship between perceived stress and happiness over the range of the degree of presenteeism. Contributions and limitations of the study are identified and discussed.     

Diversification and cash dynamics

Why do diversified firms hold significantly less cash than focused firms? We study this question using a dynamic model of corporate investment, saving, and diversification decisions. We find that investment dynamics are more important in explaining the cash differences than financing frictions. More efficient internal capital markets increase cash differences and are especially valuable when a firm diversifies or refocuses. Contrary to static models, more diverse conglomerates have lower cash differences. Endogenous selection (diversifying firms are larger and have better growth opportunities) accounts for 68% of the cash difference, and the diversification event itself reduces cash holdings by 32%.     

Adding Value to Applied Policy Models： The Case of the WTO and OECD Support Classification Systems

Both the OECD and the WTO have accumulated systematic data on the magnitude of support going to farmers as a result of farm policies. The datasets are collected for different purposes, but both give a detailed picture of the evolution of these policies. This paper extends recent work on the compatibility or otherwise of the two attempts at policy monitoring by considering the categorization of individual policy instruments in Norway, Switzerland, the US, and the EU. The results show how the OECD dataset, particularly with respect to the link between direct payments and production requirements, complements that of the WTO. Many payments classified in the WTO Green Box require production, raising the possibility that they may distort production and trade. Though the issue of correct notifications to the WTO is the province of lawyers, the implications for modeling and policy analysis are of interest to economists, and the broader question of improving the consistency of the two datasets is of importance in the quest for transparency in the interpretation of changes in farm policies.     

The effect of human resource practices on perceived organizational support in the People’s Republic of China

Using a sample of workers and managers employed by a hotel located in Southeastern People’s Republic of China, we investigated the relationship between various human resource management practices and the perceived organizational support (POS) experienced by the employees. We then investigated the effects of POS on employee satisfaction. Our data suggest that hiring practices, training, and compensation practices predict POS. These results are consistent with previous research. We also found that POS influences worker satisfaction and acts as a mediator between select HR practices and satisfaction. This study contributes to the literature by replicating Western-based findings with a Chinese sample and illustrating that the attitudes of Chinese employees can be influenced through the use of HR practices.     

嬗变的传统:赣南闽西重修族谱的过程考察

当代赣南闽西地区的修谱活动,既很大程度地继承了传统,也在传统的基础上发生了一定的嬗变,体现了一些符合时代特点的新特征。一方面,修谱活动的组织过程保持了诸多传统的特色,如谱局的成立、调草、发谱仪式等。另一方面,当代宗族也注重吸收现代社会的组织理念和新鲜经验,比如成立更趋民主和平等色彩的现代组织机构理事会;经费筹集上更多地是采用灵活多样的市场化手段,如成立董事会、实施灵活的套餐计划鼓励捐赠等。这表明,宗族不是一个静态的组织,并不封闭、保守,而是具有较强的学习能力与开放性。     

Et tu,Brute? How unfair!

Marketing literature has consistently suggested that retailers should invest in building trust, as customers’ trust in the retailer results in a number of benefits for the retailer. The objective of this article is to understand the impact of buyers’ prior trust in retailers on their price unfairness perceptions. To investigate this, we conduct three experiments; the findings of the first experiment suggest that buyers’ prior trust in retailer has a dual impact (forgiveness and betrayal) on their perception of price unfairness. Trust helps to reduce price unfairness perceptions when the magnitude of the price increase is small, but accentuates this when the price increase is large. Moreover, forgiveness acts as a mediator between price increase and perceived price unfairness. This mediation effect of forgiveness depends upon a shopper's prior trust in the store. The second experiment replicates these findings in a real life experimental setting and thus establishes the robustness of the findings in real life contexts. The third experiment extends the boundaries of this research by demonstrating that the effect of trust on price unfairness perception depends on the nature of comparisons, i.e., whether the price comparison is made with one's own past price or with a price paid by someone else.     

Toward an Understanding of Strategic Inter-Organizational Relationships in Franchise Channels

Abstract

Information technology, globalization and the emergence of boundary-less communication networks are creating strategic networks of inter-organizational relationships. As inter-organizational relationships continue to evolve, there is a growing mandate for high levels of interdependency. Franchises are contractual vertical marketing systems and, by definition, represent highly interdependent linkages between franchisors, third-party providers, franchisees and customers. Organizational learning is posited as a strategic linkage in franchise systems.     

示范性双语案例式互动教学模式研究——以《组织行为学》为例的理论框架与验证设计

双语教学是我国高等教育与国际接轨的必然趋势,也是当前高等教学改革的热点和重点之一。目前,我国有许多高校已开展全英语教学实践,进行了有益的探索,在取得一定经验的同时,也存在各种问题。本研究按照知识体系特点,根据Michael H.Long等西方学者的互动假说,对本科《组织行为学》示范性双语案例式互动教学模式,在理论设计、教学实践以及效果测试等方面进行了探讨和研究,并提出相关建议。     

Psychological antecedents and risk on attitudes toward e-customization

Consumers can experience relatively low prices with the dramatic diffusion of online shopping even with customized products, which are commonly more expensive than regular products, due to unique functions of customized product order processes in online environments. This paper investigates how two psychological antecedents, (1) need for uniqueness and (2) status aspiration, can influence consumers' attitude with regard to forming procedures toward e-customized products and how perceived risk, another psychological factor, on purchasing e-customized products plays a role of moderating factor. A self-administered online survey of 321 Japanese consumers is conducted to examine a proposed conceptual model with Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The analysis using results indicates that the need for uniqueness directly impacts on attitude toward e-customized products while it mediates the effect of status aspiration. A multi-group analysis to test a moderating effect of the perceived risk on purchasing e-customized products highlights the significant effects of psychological factors. The result also provides potential guidelines to e-tailors on possibility of segmenting markets as well as promoting their customized products using these psychological criteria of their target consumers.     

Rethinking managership,leadership, followership,and partnership

Organizations underperform, or fail, when members avoid partnering with managers—whether through subtle resistance, disagreement, protest, or walkout—to achieve common purpose. Managers should boost partnering not by affecting a pretense of leadership but through a nuanced balance of managerial authority and understanding of members’ points of view. The objective of this article is to sharpen attention on the concept of partnership with organization members and how it relates to some of the important previous literature. We also argue that some of the previous scholarly work contributes to misconceptions related to these concepts. Our work is forward-looking in that it is motivated by the dangerous societal and cultural differences evident in the world, differences that surround management’s decisions and that may induce an overuse of authority to quash disquiet. Using our experiences in both industry and academia, we argue that the crucial link between managers and members is leadership—not leadership thought of as directional and inspirational, but leadership as building a relationship toward common purpose through partnership. “Lead” and “leader” are sorely misused terms, and worse, substituting “leader” for “manager” is just plain wrong. We believe that managers become leaders only when followers agree to follow, not when the managers simply step forward energetically with direction. Managers are cheated by mistaken definitions. Reviewing past perspectives about what makes good leaders and managers, we rethink ways to enhance organizational harmony through a clearer understanding of managership, leadership, followership, and partnership. Only by thinking and acting as partners in common purpose can managers and members form the core of success in organizational endeavors.