A model depicting the relations among perceived stressors,role conflict and organizational commitment: A comparative analysis of Hong Kong and the United States

As managers and employees from different cultures begin to encounter one another in the workplace, the need arises to understand how organizational variables relate differentially based on one's culture. This study attempts to provide a preliminary examination of the relationship between stressors, sources of conflict and job commitment across two differing cultures, specifically the United States and Hong Kong. Although more similarities than differences between the two cultures were found, this study provides at least preliminary evidence that members of different cultures may perceive some stressors differently and exhibit different relationships between stressors and work attitudes.     

The 2012 Olympic Ambassadors and sustainable tourism legacy

This paper examines the capacity of the London (2012) Olympic Ambassador volunteer programmes to create a sustainable tourism legacy. It contributes to the literature on event legacies, particularly the role of volunteers promoting tourism in their home destination. Using an exploratory inductive approach, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted, in 2012 and 2013, with managers of all 11 Ambassador volunteer programmes associated with London and the 10 other regional venues that hosted London Olympic and Paralympic Games events. These show that volunteer Ambassadors enhanced tourist experiences during the Games through the Ambassadors’ pride in their home city, enthusiasm and local knowledge. However, although the Ambassador programmes had aspirations to create a sustainable legacy, in the form of a pool of experienced volunteers to support future events and further tourist visits, this was severely constrained by cuts in local government budgets. The Government Olympic Executive provided a coordinating role leading up to the Games, but neither they nor the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games provided practical assistance for legacy development. This was a missed opportunity to channel the enthusiasm of mega-event volunteers into further volunteering to promote tourism.     

The impact of managerial values on decision-making behaviour: A comparison of the United States and Hong Kong

This study addresses cross-national value differences and how values held by managers influence their decision-making behaviour. A two-by-two research design was used to examine values held by practising managers and future business leaders in the United States and Hong Kong. Machiavellianism, locus of control, intolerance of ambiguity, and dogmatism were the measures used to assess these values. Social desirability scores were used as covariants to help control for cultural differences. The findings indicate that differences exist to affect decision-making behaviour. Consequently, managers in both environments must make adaptations to accommodate the values of those involved in transnational businesses.The authors thank Michael H Bond for his many helpful comments. Also, we thank Priscilla Elass for her assistance with data collection.     

How Can We Better Understand Current and Future Workforce Values in the Global Business Environment?

Our study tested the predictive power of socioeconomic development theory and age differences theory to explain work values across cultures and across age groups. We compared the values orientations of future managers, business students under the age of 25, with those of current managers and professionals, who we split into three decade groups (30 to 39, 40 to 49, and 50 to 59). Our respondents (n = 1,518) come from six diverse societies: Brazil, Germany, Indonesia, Russia, the United States, and Vietnam. Our findings indicate that both theories contribute to our understanding of work values and behaviors. One implication is that while socioeconomic development theory makes an important contribution, it is clearly not sufficient by itself to explain work values/behavior differences in the global context. The study findings and the discussion of them will hopefully provide multinational managers with a clearer assessment of current and future workforce values/behavior. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Business values dimensions: A cross-culturally developed measure of workforce values

Using a stratified random sample drawn from 11,709 business professionals’ survey responses across 26 societies, we investigated and failed to find support for the construct validity of the Schwartz Values Survey’s (SVS) a priori 10-factor circumplex model of human values, originally developed from student and teacher responses. Subsequent exploratory factor analysis estimated an initial five-factor solution, the Business Value Dimensions (BVD) model. In turn, CFA supported the cross-cultural validity of this alternative configuration of values for business professionals. Internal consistency reliabilities for these five values factors are reported for the 26 societies plus an additional 25 societies that did not meet sample size criteria to be included in the analyses. As a result, findings are provided for a total of 51 societies (14,724 business professionals). We present the five-factor BVD model for use in future international research with business professional populations.     

Perceptions of the ethicality of favors at work in Asia: An 11-society assessment

We explore macro-level factors that shape perceptions of the ethicality of favors in Asian workplaces using the subordinate influence ethics (SIE) measure. We also expand and use the crossvergence model to examine the cross-level relationship between socio-cultural (i.e., traditional/secular; survival/self-expression; in-group favoritism) and business ideology influences (i.e., human development level, control of corruption) on perceptions of favor-seeking at work. This study examines the perceptions of a total of 4,325 managers and professionals in a diverse set of 11 Asian societies: China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Our investigation focuses on both the “softer” (image management) and “harder” (self-serving) sides of subordinate influence attempts to seek favors, as well as the degree of ethical differentiation across these societies. Key results based on hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) suggest that both the World Value Survey’s socio-cultural values as well as in-group favoritism contribute to our understanding of influence behaviors in Asia. Likewise, level of human development and control of corruption also appear to be promising predictors of influence ethics. In sum, our results suggest that widening the scope of the crossvergence conceptualization of socio-cultural and business ideology influences engender a better understanding of differences in attitudes toward subordinate use of favoritism across Asian societies.     

Quality Output,Workplace Environment,and Employee Retention: The Positive Influence of Emotionally Intelligent Supply Chain Managers

Industry advancements are accelerating at phenomenal rates and changing the management of logistics and supply chain operations. Employers must develop supervision with advanced skills to manage and retain the most effective employees making up the new workforce of highly skilled and technologically advanced personnel. Emotional intelligence is a managerial competence leveraged by leaders to connect with subordinates on a psychologically emotional level. Our research evaluates and applies emotional intelligence within the context of managing logistics and supply chain employees. Recognizing that employees are critical to production and service delivery, logistics and supply chain managers must be able to cognitively analyze situations and connect with employees in a positive manner even during challenging times. We find that managers possessing higher levels of emotional intelligence are better equipped to help their employees manage emotions, build more positive working conditions for subordinates, increase retention of employees, and achieve more positive service outcomes for external customers.     

Managerial values in the greater Middle East: Similarities and differences across seven countries

Our study of the cultural values of managers in the Greater Middle East uses a unique sample of 989 respondents across seven countries (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Pakistan, Turkey, and the UAE). The primary focus of our paper is the assessment of the differences and similarities in collectivism, individualism, and universalism values within the region. While acknowledging that the empirical research foundation for the Middle East is minimal, we develop directional hypotheses based upon the historic socio-cultural influences and contemporary economic and political factors that may influence business ideology. In sum, our findings show significant between-country differences for all three of these values dimensions. We conclude with a discussion of these differences and why they may have occurred. We also provide suggestions for new avenues of research that our findings indicate are relevant.     

Understanding gay consumers’ clothing involvement and fashion consciousness

This study’s primary objective was to provide a better understanding of gay consumers’ clothing involvement and fashion consciousness. Personal in‐depth interviews were conducted with 13 gay professionals in Canada. One hundred and forty‐five usable survey questionnaires were also collected from gay consumers. The Fashion Involvement Index Scale (FII scale) was adapted for this study. Interview participants indicated that, in general, gay men tend to be more fashion conscious than heterosexual men. Survey results also indicated two dimensions, fashion interest and fashion awareness that were found to be stronger for this group of gay consumers than for heterosexual men. The FII value for the survey participants also resulted in a sum score mean value of 11.2, a medium level of fashion involvement that is a slightly higher level than has been found for heterosexual consumers. Interestingly, this study does not provide strong evidence of gay consumers’ involvement in cutting‐edge fashion trends.