Estimating the incidence of wrongdoing and whistle-blowing: Results of a study using randomized response technique

Student cheating and reporting of that cheating represents one form of organizational wrong-doing and subsequent whistle-blowing, in the context of an academic organization. Previous research has been hampered by a lack of information concerning the validity of survey responses estimating the incidence of organizational wrongdoing and whistle-blowing. An innovative method, the Randomized Response Technique (RRT), was used here to assess the validity of reported incidences of wrongdoing and whistle-blowing. Surprisingly, our findings show that estimates of these incidences did not vary significantly when RRT questionnaire results were compared to those obtained from standard surveys. In fact, a large number of business undergraduates admitted cheating while only a small percentage reported peers' cheating when they observed it. These results should be sobering for managers and their implications are considered in some detail.Brian K. Burton is a doctoral student in strategic management as well as managing editor ofBusiness Horizons, the interdisciplinary business journal published by Indiana University. His research interests include business ethics, stakeholder analysis, corporate political activity, and nontraditional approaches to management.Janet P. Near is Professor and Chairperson, Management Dept., and Adjunct Professor, Sociology Dept., Indiana University. Her research interests include: (a) whistle-blowing in organizations and (b) the relationship between work and non-work domains of life, focusing especially on the correlation between job satisfaction and life satisfaction. She has published several articles on these topics and, with Marcia Miceli, a book on whistle-blowing.     

Employers’ strategies in relation to their demand for labour: a sociological contribution

This article, in exploring the processes by which employers’ generalised demand for labour is translated into actual recruitment, highlights the role of management decision-making in this important, but relatively neglected area.     

The channels manager: Now,soon or never?

This paper examines the adoption and viability of the channels manager concept in large manufacturing organizations. Results of a survey indicate that only 14 percent of respondents have a channels manager position within their companies. However, these respondents from companies with a channels manager position strongly support the establishment of the position within their own company and within other large companies. Among all respondents, executives tend to reject the need for a channels manager position within their own organizations, and estimate that the likelihood of implementation of the position within their company is low. The major impediment to implementation is concern about proliferation of organizational positions and cost of implementation. The study indicates that the channels manager position is still more a concept than a reality. However, favorable views of those respondents representing firms with a channels manager position suggest the concept does have potential value in certain types of companies.     

Experience as a moderator of involvement and satisfaction on brand loyalty in a business-to-business setting 02-314R

This paper examines the relative influence of two key antecedents of brand loyalty—satisfaction and involvement and the moderating role of experience, using a sample of business buyers. The central argument of this paper is that the strength of the effect of these variables on attitudinal brand loyalty will vary with the level of customer experience with purchasing the service. Building on previous research which examined low-risk, customer product settings [Kim, J., Lim, J.S., & Bhargava, M. (1998). The role of affect in attitude formation: A classical conditioning approach. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 26 (2): pp. 143-152; Shiv, B., & Fedorikhin, A. (1999). Heart and mind in conflict: The interplay of affect and cognition in consumer decision-making. Journal of Consumer Research 26: 278], this study shows that for a high-risk setting, involvement with the service category will be more dominant in its influence on brand loyalty than satisfaction with the preferred brand. Furthermore, it was found that experience moderated the influence of involvement and satisfaction on attitudinal brand loyalty for a high-risk business-to-business service. This study provides new insights into the theory and practice of buyer behavior and business-to-business brands.     

Nurse-supported breastfeeding promotion: a framework for economic evaluation

Increasingly, economic evaluation results are considered by policymakers, although few nurse-led interventions have undergone such an evaluation. Nurse-supported breastfeeding promotion is used as an exemplar to illustrate economic evaluation. Past work is critiqued and lessons learned are described.     

Infrastructure assets disclosure in Australian public sector annual reports

Recent Australian public sector reforms have raised concerns about the disclosure of infrastructure asset information as a basis for improved accountability. This paper examines whether specific infrastructure asset information identified in relevant literature is disclosed in practice. A cross-sectional, content analysis of 1999 annual report disclosures made by 73 Australian public sector entities operating in economic infrastructure industries revealed a low level of, and considerable diversity in, disclosures, particularly relating to the physical condition of infrastructure assets, their maintenance and performance measurement. Such disclosure was found to be driven by government reporting guidelines rather than the use of corporate form.     

The Costs of Exhibiting Organizational Citizenship Behavior

Organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) has been associated with positive organizational outcomes and with higher managerial ratings of employee performance. However, concerns have been raised about the possible personal costs of performing such activities. This paper examines the relationship between OCB and emotional exhaustion and work‐family conflict and explores the moderating role of job performance in shaping those relationships. In a time‐lagged field study of customer‐contact center employees the research found that one particular dimension of OCB—conscientiousness—was associated with higher emotional exhaustion and with work‐family conflict. The study also revealed that conscientious employees who performed their in‐role job responsibilities at a high level experienced greater emotional exhaustion and work‐family conflict than conscientious employees who performed their in‐role job responsibilities at a low level. Our findings suggest that organizational pressures to increase the level at which both discretionary and formal role obligations are performed can carry negative consequences for employees. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.