The relationship of leader psychological capital and follower psychological capital,job engagement and job performance: a multilevel mediating perspective

Building on the body of positive organizational behavior research, this study examines the relationships between leader psychological capital, follower psychological capital, job engagement and job performance (task performance and contextual performance). Data were collected in three phases from multiple sources involving 60 leaders and 319 followers from a large telecom company in Taiwan. Hierarchical linear modeling results revealed that leaders' psychological capital was positively related to their job engagement through the mediation of followers' psychological capital. Furthermore, the results indicated that job engagement mediates the relationship between followers' psychological capital and their job performance (task performance and contextual performance). We discuss the implications and limitations of these findings and directions for future research.     

Hard,soft or ambidextrous? Which influence style promotes managers’ task performance and the role of political skill

Abstract

Ambidexterity at the manager level focuses on the crucial, but underexplored, role of managers’ knowledge, skills, and behaviors to address competing demands and promote organizational ambidexterity. As such, to successfully complete their assigned duties, managers need to employ the appropriate interpersonal style and calibrate their behavior to different contextual demands. This study highlights the role of the individual in the ambidexterity process by introducing the concept of influence tactic ambidexterity, to denote the frequent use of both hard and soft influence and investigating its role on task performance. Drawing on the literature on ambidexterity and HRM, we analyze data from a sample of 172 middle managers and their corresponding 68 supervisors working for multinational organizations, and provide evidence that influence tactic ambidexterity relates to higher levels and less variation in managers’ task performance compared to the sole use of either hard or soft tactics. Our findings also show that political skill positively moderates the relationship between influence tactic ambidexterity and a manager’s task performance. Therefore, this study suggests that influence tactic ambidexterity and political skill can be considered valuable HR assets for managers.     

What a Diverse Top Management Team Means: Testing an Integrated Model

Prior research has produced inconsistent results on the relationship between top management team (TMT) diversity and firm performance. Drawing on the information–social categorization framework, this study is designed to investigate both the mechanism and the contextual factors underlying the relationship between TMT cognitive diversity and firm performance by examining them in a unified model so as to better understand how a diverse TMT works. Based on a multi‐sourced survey of top managers from 118 Chinese firms, this study finds that team interdependence and team cohesion moderate in the linkage between TMT cognitive diversity and elaboration of task‐related information. In addition, TMT's elaboration of task‐related information mediates the interactive effects of TMT cognitive diversity and team interdependence on firm performance as well as the interactive effects of TMT cognitive diversity and team cohesion on firm performance.     

Managing the Intangible Aspects of a Project: The Affect of Vision,Artifacts, and Leader Values on Project Spirit and Success in Technology‐Driven Projects

Successful projects are often characterized by a unique spirit. Phase one results, based on 193 employees partaking in 60 projects across organizations, support a model positing that leader building activities affect employees' emotions, attitudes, and behavioral norms that are focused on expected project outcomes, termed project spirit. Spirit affects employees' contextual performance behavior, which in turn affects success as proposed. Phase two cases, designed to ground these results in technology‐driven project contexts, highlight the value of managing the project's intangible aspects captured by spirit. Quantitative and qualitative findings imply that leaders can be coached to execute behaviors that generate a project's spirit, which boosts contextual performance behavior and increases project success.     

The influence of cultural context on the relationship between gender diversity and team performance: a meta-analysis

The impact of gender diversity on team performance has become a central topic in the field of human resource management for researchers and practitioners alike. Extant research provides conflicting evidence on the relationship between gender diversity and team performance. To resolve these contradictory findings, we meta-analyze the relationship between gender diversity and two performance outcomes, namely task performance and contextual performance. Grounded in categorization-elaboration model, we simultaneously consider the positive and negative aspects of gender diversity. We further examine the effect of cultural context as a moderator on the relationship between gender diversity and team performance. Based on 71 independent samples from 68 studies published between 1996 and 2013, we find a significant negative relationship ( ? 0.10) between gender diversity and contextual performance. Additionally, we find that the cultural dimensions gender egalitarianism and collectivism have significant moderating influences on the relationship between gender diversity and task performance.     

How does a boundaryless mindset enhance expatriate job performance? The mediating role of proactive resource acquisition tactics and the moderating role of behavioural cultural intelligence

Abstract

Drawing on self-determination theory, this study explores how a boundaryless mindset influences expatriate job performance, while incorporating the mediating role of proactive resource acquisition tactics and the moderating role of behavioural cultural intelligence. Analyses of three waves of data totalling 389 expatriate–supervisor dyads collected from 10 large Chinese multinational corporations indicated that a boundaryless mindset has a positive influence on expatriate task and contextual performance through the mediating role of proactive resource acquisition tactics. Furthermore, behavioural cultural intelligence enhanced the effects of proactive resource acquisition tactics on task performance and contextual performance. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

The effect of R&D novelty and openness decision on firms' catch-up performance: Empirical evidence from China

This paper explores the strategic dimensions of R&D decisions toward novelty and openness in explaining the performance of latecomer firms in a developing economy. A structural equation model of R&D decision-making is formulated using survey data from 279 Chinese firms. The dimension of R&D novelty is defined as the degree of technological newness found in firms' R&D projects, while R&D openness describes the degree to which technologies are acquired from external sources. Our results indicate that firms' R&D decisions regarding novelty and openness are associated with demand opportunities, market competition, technological capability, and external networks. Greater R&D novelty contributes positively to innovative output but does not affect sales growth. Greater R&D openness contributes positively to sales growth but negatively to innovative output.     

Relationships of Task Performance and Contextual Performance with Turnover,Job Satisfaction,and Affective Commitment

The effects of task performance and contextual performance on turnover, job satisfaction, and affective organizational commitment were examined for two samples of Air Force mechanics. Supervisor ratings of task performance and contextual performance were obtained in 1992 (N=419) for one sample and in 1993 for the second sample (N=991). In both samples, task performance and contextual performance predicted turnover and job satisfaction in 1996. Task performance predicted reenlistment eligibility and promotion eligibility in the 1992 sample, but only reenlistment eligibility in the 1993 sample. Contextual performance only predicted promotion eligibility in the 1992 sample, but predicted both outcomes in the 1993 sample. Results support the distinction between task performance and contextual performance.     

电力企业部门主管绩效考评探讨

目前大多数电力企业对部门主管的考评存在制度不规范、指标设计不合理、考评方法原始、对考评结果疏于管理等问题。本文简述了电力企业部门主管绩效考评的意义,提出电力企业部门主管绩效考评设计应遵循的基本公开性、重视反馈性、可行性和实用性、重视时效性、定期化与制度化、立体化等原则。指出考评指标设计应注意选用的指标要简单、明确,指标设计要坚持定量指标与定性指标、个体指标与中层指标相结合的原则,要将任务绩效、管理绩效和关联绩效等指标相结合等问题。     

Shedding new light on the relationship between contextual ambidexterity and firm performance: An investigation of internal contingencies

This research investigates four key factors that influence the relationship between contextual ambidexterity and firm performance: two knowledge exchange elements (i.e., informational justice and task conflict) and two aspects of the internal competitive environment (i.e., resource competition and reward interdependence). These components define a firm's ability to convert its ambidextrous posture into enhanced performance. A sample of Canadian-based firms shows that the contextual ambidexterity–firm performance relationship is amplified at higher levels of informational justice and reward interdependence but suppressed at higher levels of task conflict and resource competition. The authors discuss the study's implications as well as future research directions.     

The mediating effects of cognition-based trust and affect-based trust in transformational leadership's dual processes: evidence from China

In this study, we proposed and tested a dual process model in which cognition-based trust and affect-based trust mediate the relationships between transformational leadership and followers' task performance and job satisfaction. Data were collected from 175 sales and service employees and their supervisors in two private companies located in Southeast China. The results show that cognition-based trust mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and followers' task performance, while affect-based trust mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and followers' job satisfaction. Implications for the theory and practice of leadership are then discussed.     

人-组织匹配与员工个体绩效关系的实证研究

以澳门安保行业为样本,实证检验了人-组织匹配与员工个体绩效之间的关系,研究结果表明：人-组织匹配对员工个体绩效具有显著的正向影响,价值观匹配、需求-供给匹配和要求能力匹配对关联绩效具有显著的正向影响,要求-能力匹配对任务绩效有显著影响;人-组织匹配及其各个维度均对组织承诺及其各个维度具有显著的正向影响;组织承诺在人-组织匹配与员工个体绩效之间起到部分中介作用;组织承诺对员工个体绩效具有显著的正向影响,情感承诺对关联绩效和任务绩效均有显著的正向影响;心理资本越高,组织承诺对员工个体绩效的影响越小,反之,影响越大。     

Narcissism and Empowerment: How Narcissism Influences the Trickle-Down Effects of Organizational Empowerment Climate on Performance

The present study proposes a trickle-down model of employee empowerment in which empowerment climate at the organization level is positively related to the empowering leadership of team leaders and ultimately to individual task performance. Importantly, we hypothesize that team leaders’ and members’ narcissism can respectively inhibit and enable the cross-level empowerment process by affecting the intended distribution of decision-making authority and resources between team leaders and members. The analysis of data from 834 team members of 189 teams in 46 organizations reveals that organizational empowerment climate is positively related to team leaders’ empowering leadership when they are less narcissistic. Empowering leadership is positively related to individual task performance when team members are highly narcissistic. Finally, we observe that the combination of less narcissistic leaders and more narcissistic members is a condition under which the indirect effect of organizational empowerment climate on individual task performance through empowering leadership is positive.     

Environmental performance,sustainability, governance and financial performance: Evidence from heavily polluting industries in China

This study seeks to contribute to the existing business strategy and the environment literature by examining the effect of governance structures on Chinese firms' environmental performance, and consequently ascertain the extent to which the financial performance–environmental performance nexus is moderated by governance mechanisms. Using a sample of Chinese companies from heavily polluting industries over a 5-year period, our baseline findings suggest that, on average, board size and governing board meetings are positively associated with Chinese firms' environmental performance, whilst board independence and gender diversity have positive, but insignificant association with firms' environmental performance. Our evidence suggests further that the examined internal governance mechanisms have a mixed moderating effect on the link between financial performance and environmental performance. Our findings have important implications for company executives, environmental activists, policy-makers, and regulators. Our results support insights drawn from agency, resource dependence, stakeholder, and legitimacy theories.     

How to respond to competitors' green success for improving performance: The moderating role of organizational ambidexterity

With increasing environmental competitions between companies, there is a pressing need to explore how the environmental pressures from rivals influence focal firms' actions and the subsequent performance consequences. On the basis of social contagion theory and upper echelons theory, we examine whether firms respond to competitors' green success through green supplier integration, which further improves firm performance, and the moderating effect of organizational ambidexterity. The research explores hypothesized relationships adopting hierarchical regression analysis and bootstrapping method by collecting survey data from 206 Chinese manufacturers. Our findings suggest that competitors' green success positively influences green supplier integration. Green supplier integration mediates the impacts of competitors' green success on financial and environmental performance. In addition, the combined dimension of organizational ambidexterity plays a positive moderating role in the impacts of green supplier integration on financial and environmental performance. This study expands previous literature and managers' practices on green supply chain management.     

Performance appraisal politics from appraisee perspective: a study of antecedents in the Indian context

Appraisee's perception of appraisal politics (APAP) is conceptualized to be formed by three perceptual dimensions. First is appraiser's manipulation of ratings to achieve their self-serving ends such as own reputation, maintaining good relationships, building in-groups, and handling dependency threats from appraisees. Second dimension constitutes fellow appraisees' upward influence behaviors to get higher ratings and rewards. Third dimension relates to the outcome of appraisal, i.e. pay and promotion decisions that can be discriminatory when performance is ignored. Such actions are detrimental for good performers and performance culture. Drawing from the organizational justice theories, it is proposed that APAP can be mitigated by those appraisal-related structural (e.g. criteria), process (e.g. voice) and contextual antecedents (e.g. relation with appraiser) that enhance appraisee's perceived control, understanding, and prediction of appraisal decision and process. These hypotheses were tested in the Indian family-owned organizations. The data were collected using survey questionnaire method from six organizations. Multivariate and structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses revealed that overall APAP had significant negative correlation with downward communication, and appraiser–appraisee relations. Importantly, these are appraiser-centric or appraiser-driven variables, thus implying appraiser's criticality in influencing perceptions. Post hoc SEM analysis revealed that communication processes (such as feedback) mediated effect of structural variables (such as criteria relevance), implying criticality of procedures over structural variables. The significance of communication processes implemented by appraiser implies that understanding cultural context is important when studying perceptual reactions such as APAP. Interestingly, post hoc analysis revealed that downward communication mediated the effect of voice on APAP, a result that may be idiosyncratic to the Indian cultural context. Specifically, higher appraiser–appraisee power distance in the Indian context may influence the perceived relevance and utility of processes such as voice (e.g. appeal), which may put appraisee in a slightly adversarial situation with appraiser. Further, higher paternalistic orientation may make processes like downward communication more desired by appraisee because these processes project superior as a guide and a coach, who is keen to handhold and support their subordinates. The implications of these results for practitioners are discussed.     

Making the right friends: A social network perspective on newcomer socialization in teams

Despite the prevalence of work teams in organizations, how newcomers become integrated into teams remains an understudied area. Drawing on research related to indirect social resources, in this paper we employ a social network perspective to examine how close teammates' friendship centrality can facilitate newcomers' adjustment by fostering the newcomers' own social capital in teams and promoting their subsequent task performance. Furthermore, our model incorporates institutionalized socialization tactics and political skill as two contingencies that can further strengthen the positive effects of indirect social resources on newcomers' adjustment. In a time-lagged study using multiple sources of data, we found good support for our hypotheses. Specifically, close teammates' friendship centrality was positively related to newcomers' task performance through the mediating effect of newcomers' own friendship centrality in teams. The two moderators further strengthened this indirect effect. Overall, this study highlights the importance of “making the right friends” to facilitate newcomer adjustment into teams.     

The missing links: cultural,software, task and personal influences on computer self-efficacy

Culture exerts a fundamental effect on employees and their use of technologies. We examine the influence of culture (and other factors) on computer self-efficacy (CSE). CSE, or employees' judgments about their capabilities to use a specific software system, is important given its relationship with work performance. By drawing a sample from two different countries, we show that culture affects CSE indirectly through employees' preferences for individualism and task interdependence. Furthermore, individualism, task interdependence and software personal innovativeness relate positively, whereas task ambiguity and software complexity associate negatively with CSE. Finally, we discuss several implications for human resource management.     

Impact of employees' character strengths of wisdom on stress and creative performance

Both conventional understanding and positive psychology recognise an important link between people's character strengths and how they perform their jobs. However, no research to date has focused on the relationship of employees' wisdom strengths, potential mediating effects and creative task performance. Utilising a large heterogeneous sample (N = 974) of working adults, this study found that participants' levels of the character strengths of wisdom were positively related to their performance on a creative task and negatively related to their reported level of stress. In addition, stress was found to be negatively related to creative task performance, with reported stress partly mediating the relationship between participants' wisdom and their performance on the creative task. Implications for incorporating character strengths in the development of HRM theory and practice conclude the article.     

Linking transformational leadership and core self-evaluation to job performance: The mediating role of felt accountability

This study examined the mediating effects of felt accountability (FA) on the effect of both transformational leadership and core self-evaluation (CSE) on task performance (TP) and contextual performance (CP). Structural equation modeling and Analysis of Moment Structures were used to analyze data collected from questionnaires distributed to 302 supervisor–employee dyads. The concept of FA is based on a social contingency model of accountability, which is distinct from feelings of responsibility or obligation in organizational research. Our hypotheses for the mediating role of FA were supported by the data, except that the mediating effect of FA on the relationship between CSE and CP was not supported. We discuss the implications of these results for research and practice in organizations.