Managing millennials: Embracing generational differences

The topic of the Millennial Generation in the workplace drives much business conversation, as members of this generation form a growing percentage of the employee base. Both popular media and scholarly literature have painted the population of younger workers in an uncharitable light. The goals of this article are to contextualize the results of a large, empirical study in a more favorable manner and to suggest that embracing generational differences provides an opportunity as well as a challenge. This article examines traits of the different generations, in addition to the relationship between organizational commitment and workplace culture. We present findings that show millennials (also known as Generation Y, or Gen Y) as the only generational group that does not conceptually link organizational commitment with workplace culture. This group also thinks of work differently than members of the other generations, yet these differences can be understood through a managerial lens focusing on qualities such as duty, drive, and reward. We argue that by changing performance evaluation metrics to encompass a greater variety of measures, managers can provide a more detailed picture of the employee's work, and thus impact the worker's sense of duty. Additionally, by providing a more transparent workplace, employers can increase the employee's drive and clearly demonstrate the reward that workers will receive. Finally, changes that help newer employees adjust to the workplace can also allow the organization to operate more efficiently, benefiting employees of all generations.     

Exploring how and when ethical conflict impairs employee organizational commitment: A stress perspective investigation

Previous studies demonstrate the detrimental effect of ethical conflict (i.e., incompatibility between ethical values of employees and organizations) on employee organizational commitment. However, few studies have assessed the underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions that may contribute to a deeper understanding of how and when the detrimental effect manifests. Drawing on the transactional model of stress and literature on the moral self, our study examines the psychological strain as a key intermediate mechanism that channels the negative relationship between the ethical conflict and organizational commitment. Furthermore, we posit that employees with different levels of moral identity and moral efficacy may suffer differently from ethical conflict. We tested our research model with two-wave lagged data obtained from 265 healthcare employees and found that the indirect, negative effect of ethical conflict on organizational commitment via psychological strain is strongest among employees with high moral identity and low moral efficacy. Interestingly, results show that employees with low moral identity and high moral efficacy do not suffer from ethical conflict. These findings suggest that ethical conflict is differentially harmful to employees and that a more nuanced understanding of its contingent effects is needed.     

Three country study: impact of support on employee attitudes

This study examined the mediating effects of perceived organizational support and affective commitment in the relationships among perceived supervisor support, organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) (individual and organizational), and turnover intentions. The proposed relationships were tested by conducting the same study involving restaurant employees in three different countries – India, USA, and South Korea. The mediating effects of perceived organizational support and affective commitment between perceived supervisor support and turnover intentions were found to be consistent across the three countries. However, the relationships among OCBs differed. While affective commitment was significantly related to both OCBs in the South Korean sample, affective commitment was significantly related only to OCBs towards organization in the US sample, and neither relationship was found to be significant in the Indian sample. This study helps to explain how contextual factors influence responses to each study variable and the proposed relationships.     

Factors influencing employee perceptions of customer service climate

This study examines the relationships between certain organizational variables and employees' perceptions of the customer service climate in their organization. In addition, the role of organizational commitment in this process is examined. Results indicate that rewarding employees for service excellence, allowing their voice to be heard by upper management, providing employees with the information and technology needed to do their jobs, providing adequate training to customer contact employees, allowing employees enough time to get their tasks done, and providing a work environment conducive to getting work done are all positively associated with employee perceptions of customer service climate. Based on mediated regression and a LISREL analysis, these relationships are all found to be partially mediated by organizational commitment. These results are consistent with previous customer service research, which has found organizational support and rewards to be positively related to customer service. We extend this literature by showing that organizational commitment may be a key variable linking organizational support and rewards to customer service. Implications of these findings are discussed and suggestions for further research are offered.Lincoln National Corporation     

Ethical Pressure, Organizational-Professional Conflict, and Related Work Outcomes among Management Accountants

This study examines the effects of ethical pressure on management accountants' perceptions of organizational-professional conflict, and related work outcomes. It was hypothesized that organizational pressure to engage in unethical behavior would increase perceived organizational-professional conflict, and that this perceived conflict would reduce organizational commitment and job satisfaction, and increase the likelihood of employee turnover. A survey was mailed to a random sample of Certified Management Accountants to assess perceptions of the relevant variables. The results of a structural equations model indicated that, as hypothesized, ethical pressure was associated with higher levels of perceived organizational-professional conflict. Also as hypothesized, higher levels of conflict were associated with lower levels of organizational commitment and job satisfaction. Finally, lower levels of commitment and satisfaction were associated with higher turnover intentions.     

Gender differences in the work commitment of Chinese workers: An investigation of two alternative explanations

This study explores the differences in work commitment between Chinese male and female employees. We develop a model that specifies the major antecedents of job and organizational commitment in the Chinese workplace. We then examine whether the gender differences can be attributed to factors related to gender role ideology or unfavorable work conditions encountered by women. Several hypotheses are formulated and tested with a data set collected from 582 employees in Beijing. The findings reveal that employee work commitment is related to organizational support, job characteristics, and perceptions of gender discrimination. Further, it is found that the level of job commitment of women is lower than that of men, whereas the level of organizational commitment is the same for both sexes. The lower level of job commitment of women is due largely to their stronger perception of gender discrimination, receiving less challenging job assignments, and engaging in a low level of leader–member exchange. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.     

Antecedents of Organizational Commitment in a Chinese Construction Company

This study examines the impact of various ethical climate types and job satisfaction on organizational commitment of 144 employees working at a Chinese private construction company. Both caring and independence climate types had a significant positive impact on organizational commitment. Instrumental climate had a significant negative impact on organizational commitment. Other climate types (professional, rules, and efficiency) had no significant impact on organizational commitment. Overall job satisfaction had a significant positive impact on organizational commitment. Overclaiming was significantly correlated with organizational commitment, caring climate, rules climate, and job satisfaction.     

Organizational Ethical Standards and Organizational Commitment

Organizations interested in employee ethics compliance face the problem of conflict between employee and organizational ethical standards. Socializing new employees is one way of assuring compliance. Important for longer term employees as well as new ones, however, is making those standards visible and then operable in the daily life of an organization. This study, conducted in one large organization, found that, depending on organizational level, awareness of an organization's ethical standards is predicted by managerial adherence to and organizational compliance with those standards and/or discussions with peers. Regardless of level, organizational commitment was predicted most strongly by managerial adherence to organizational standards. These findings have theoretical implications for the fields of business ethics, organizational identity and organizational socialization and practical implications for the implementation of ethics policies.     

Learning Atmosphere and Ethical Behavior,Does It Make Sense?

In the wake of corporate ethical scandals that have harmed millions of employees and investors, there has been an increase in the number of works written in the last decade, which aim to answer one apparently simple question: what causes unethical behavior, and what can we do, if anything, to prevent similar transgressions in the future? The extensive research around this question is the best proof of its real complexity as the challenge of disentangling the background of ethical behavior has obvious academic and practical interest. This study aims to take a further step toward that goal. Much research has noted the impact of multiple aspects of organizational contexts on individuals’ ethical behavior. However, studies that analyze the impact of organizational learning capability (OLC) on employees’ ethical behavior are few and far between. This was the first aim of this study. The second centered on gaining a deeper understanding of the relationship between OLC and ethical behavior by analyzing the mediating role of employability and organizational commitment. We tested our hypotheses through a structural equation methodology applied to a sample of 641 workers from 166 Spanish consultancy firms and found a positive, direct relationship between OLC and employability, OLC and organizational commitment, employability and organizational commitment, and organizational commitment and ethical behavior.     

Do employees value strategic CSR? A tale of affective organizational commitment and its underlying mechanisms

Virtually all studies that focus on the relationship between CSR perceptions and employees’ organizational commitment have not taken into consideration the fit between social and environmental activities and a firm’s business‐unit strategy. This is essential to inquire because scholars have argued that when companies ingrain CSR activities into their strategy‐making process (i.e., in their vision, mission, and overall business model), this might send a more compelling message that resonates closer to workers’ personal standards, and actually enhance employee‐level outcomes. Nevertheless, there is no certainty “if” and “how” these evaluations could affect employees’ organizational commitment. To address this issue, we use cue consistency theory and social identity theory as overarching frameworks to develop a model where we conceptually link perceptions of strategy‐CSR fit with a particular type of organizational commitment: affective. In addition, we posit and test three mediators to understand the underlying psychological mechanisms of this relationship: perceived external prestige, organizational identification, and work meaningfulness. Through structural equation modeling, and using a heterogeneous final sample of 579 employees, we find compelling evidence to support the fact that strategy‐CSR fit enhances employees’ affective organizational commitment through the proposed mediators. Academic contributions and practical implications are then discussed.     

Turnover intentions and organizational citizenship behaviours in Korean firms: the interactional effects of organizational and occupational commitment

This study investigated the effects of the organizational commitment and occupational commitment of employees in Korean firms on their turnover intentions and organizational citizenship behaviours. In addition, using the interactional effect analysis, this study examined the interactional effects of the two types of commitment on turnover intentions and organizational citizenship behaviours. A total of 209 employees in nine different firms participated in this study. The results revealed that organizational commitment had a negative effect on turnover intentions, while occupational commitment had a positive effect. In addition, organizational commitment had a positive effect on organizational citizenship behaviours, whereas occupational commitment did not have any noticeable effect thereupon. Both organizational commitment and occupational commitment showed certain overall interactional effects regarding organizational citizenship behaviours as well as turnover intentions.     

The Virtuous Influence of Ethical Leadership Behavior: Evidence from the Field

This study examines a moderated/mediated model of ethical leadership on follower job satisfaction and affective organizational commitment. We proposed that managers have the potential to be agents of virtue or vice within organizations. Specifically, through ethical leadership behavior we argued that managers can virtuously influence perceptions of ethical climate, which in turn will positively impact organizational members’ flourishing as measured by job satisfaction and affective commitment to the organization. We also hypothesized that perceptions of interactional justice would moderate the ethical leadership-to-climate relationship. Our results indicate that ethical leadership has both a direct and indirect influence on follower job satisfaction and affective commitment. The indirect effect of ethical leadership involves shaping perceptions of ethical climate, which in turn, engender greater job satisfaction and affective organizational commitment. Furthermore, when interactional justice is perceived to be high, this strengthens the ethical leadership-to-climate relationship.     

From organizational values to mobilization of human resources

This study examines the relationship of perceived organizational values to employee mobilization behaviours as mediated by perceived organizational support (POS) and affective organizational commitment. Firstly, a scale comprising three types of perceived organizational values (interpersonal values, formal values, and individual well‐being‐centered values) was developed and validated using a sample of 580 employees. Secondly, the relationships among variables were examined using structural equations modeling on an independent sample of 260 employees. POS mediated the relationship between employees' perceptions that their organization values the individual well‐being of its members and their affective organizational commitment, which in turn mediated the relationship between POS and individual mobilization behaviours. The contributions of these findings to advancing scholarship and practice are discussed. Copyright © 2010 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

How organizational identification among retail employees is affected by advertising

This paper investigates whether the organizational identification among retailer employees can be influenced by advertising aimed at consumers. The results of an experimental study of employees at a large grocery retailer show a positive impact of advertising exposure on organizational identification. Employee perceptions of advertising effectiveness (and not their feelings of pride with regards to the advertising) are found to explain this effect. The results suggest that advertising can serve an important human resource role tool by helping retailers build organizational identification amongst its employees. Further managerial implications are discussed in the paper.     

The Impact of Ethical Behavior and Facets of Job Satisfaction on Organizational Commitment of Chinese Employees

This study examines factors impacting organizational commitment of 214 employees working at a Chinese state-owned steel company. Ethical behavior of peers and ethical behavior of successful managers had a significant impact on organizational commitment. The four facets of job satisfaction (pay, coworker, supervision, and work itself) had a significant impact on organizational commitment. Respondent’s age also significantly impacted organizational commitment. Perceptions of ethical behavior of successful managers, satisfaction with work, and gender were significantly correlated with social desirability bias.     

组织政治知觉影响离职倾向的多重中介效应比较分析

采用问卷调查法,以珠三角地区光电制造企业中452名知识型员工为研究对象,探讨了组织政治知觉影响离职倾向的内在心理机制。结构方程建模分析结果表明:组织政治知觉能通过工作满意度、情感承诺和工作倦怠的并行多重中介作用对离职倾向产生影响,在个别中介效应大小方面,工作倦怠最大,工作满意度次之,情感承诺最小。     

A conceptual model of the impact of advertising on service employees

Although the importance of the service employee in providing satisfying service encounters has frequently been noted, the effects of organizational marketing actions on employees has been virtually ignored. The purpose of this article is to examine the impact of advertising on service employees. Ads can have positive impacts on employee organizational commitment by depicting roles which will encourage congruent expectations among the organization, the employee, and the customer; by clarifying workers' roles in the organization; by communicating the degree to which the organization values employees; and by being accurate in their messages about services, organizational policies, and treatment of employees. This employee organizational commitment is critical to the provision of quality service to consumers.     

Relationship between employees’ beliefs regarding training benefits and employees’ organizational commitment in a petroleum company in the State of Qatar

The study examined the relationship between the beliefs of senior staff Qatari national employees regarding training benefits as measured by the benefits of employee training, and employees’ organizational commitment as measured by the three‐component model of organizational commitment. This relationship was assessed through a quantitative associational research design. From the study site, Qatar Petroleum, a total of 283 responses were analysed using stepwise regression analysis. The findings suggest that there is a positive relationship between employees’ beliefs regarding training benefits and employees’ organizational commitment.     

The Impact of Caring Climate,Job Satisfaction,and Organizational Commitment on Job Performance of Employees in a China’s Insurance Company

This research uses structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the direct and indirect relationships among caring climate, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and job performance of 476 employees working in a Chinese insurance company. The SEM result showed that caring climate had a significant direct impact on job satisfaction, organizational command, and job performance. Caring climate also had a significant indirect impact on organizational commitment through the mediating role of job satisfaction, and on job performance through the mediating role of job satisfaction and organizational commitment. In addition, job satisfaction had significant direct impact on organizational commitment, through which it also had a significant indirect impact on job performance. Finally, organizational commitment had a significant direct impact on job performance.     

Women's experiences of work and family conflict in a Chinese airline

Established literature on work–family conflict concentrates on the experiences of women and organizational equalities policies in Western contexts. This article examines the experiences of women working in a Chinese airline. Drawing on questionnaires and interviews with female employees and managers, we explore work–family conflict and gendered organizational perceptions of women's needs. Our findings suggest that work rather than family-related factors are the most influential causes of conflict for Chinese women in our case study. Cultural and social factors that shape familial relationships prove important in explaining these differences, but we also highlight the significant role played by gendered organizational culture.