Trust and technology in modern inter-organisational relationships: a study in the petrochemical industry

 This research provided fresh insights into the role of trust and technology in modern inter-organisational relationships (IORs). The study highlighted the importance and contribution of various aspects of IORs in the petrochemical industry; however, it emphasised the role of trust and technology as pivotal to business success. The study was undertaken in Iran, where the petrochemical industry faces a great many sociopolitical and economic challenges, where the situation is volatile, and where the lack of trust and shortage of suitable technology to support global trade, accentuate the intricate web of dependencies between those aspects influencing the development and maintenance of business-to-business (B2B) relationships.

The impact of employee perceptions of organizational corporate social responsibility practices on job performance and organizational citizenship behavior: evidence from the Chinese private sector

This paper examines the impact of employee perceptions of organizational corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices on their job performance and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Hierarchical regression analysis on two-wave data from 184 supervisor/subordinate dyads from three organizations located in Zhejiang Province, South-East China, revealed that employee perceptions of CSR toward social and non-social stakeholders strongly influenced their OCB. However, employee perceptions of CSR toward employees, customers and government influenced neither their job performance nor OCB.

Organizational climate change and its influence on employee engagement

 This study provides insight into how organizational climate can change and influence employee engagement using a structural, longitudinal, case study design. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected in two companies in the Philippines undergoing substantial change. An existing validated model of work practices and outcomes was used as a framework in collecting and analyzing the data. Results showed that both companies significantly changed aspects of their organizations associated with the quality of technology and facilities. However, only Company B showed significant changes in aspects associated with the involvement, development, and recognition of staff. With regard to the outcome of employee engagement, results showed that Company A did not report a significant change in employee engagement while Company B did report a significant change. Coding of qualitative comments supported the quantitative results. The findings support the argument that if organizations wish to improve employee engagement, a core requirement for organizational development is to improve the extent to which employees are involved, developed, and recognized within their organization.

Security and trust in opportunistic networks - a survey

Opportunistic networks or OppNets refer to a number of wireless nodes opportunistically communicating with each other in a form of “Store–Carry–Forward”. This occurs when they come into contact with each other without proper network infrastructure. OppNets use wireless technologies, such as IEEE 802.11, WiMAX, Bluetooth, and other short-range radio communication. In OppNets, there is no end-to-end connection between the source and the destination nodes, and the nodes usually have high mobility, low density, limited power, short radio range, and often subject to different kinds of attacks by malicious nodes. Due to these characteristics and features, OppNets are subject to serious security challenges. OppNets strongly depend on human interaction; therefore, the success of securing such networks is based on trust between people. This survey includes the security approaches in OppNets and techniques used to increase their security levels.

Trust in management: the role of employee voice arrangements and perceived managerial opposition to unions

This study examines the relationship between employee voice arrangements and employees’ trust in management using data from the 2007 Australian Worker Representation and Participation Survey of 1,022 employees. Drawing on social exchange theory and employee relations literature, we test hypotheses concerning the relationships between direct and union voice arrangements, perceived managerial opposition to unions and employees’ trust in management. Consistent with our predictions, after controlling for a range of personal, job and workplace characteristics, regression analyses indicated that direct voice arrangements were positively related to employees’ trust in management. Union voice arrangements and perceived managerial opposition to unions were negatively related to trust in management. The article concludes by highlighting the study’s implications for management practice and avenues for further research.

Mentoring functions and turnover intention: the mediating role of perceived organizational support

Despite an increasing number of studies investigating the effects of mentoring on employee work outcomes, limited attention has been placed on the relationship between mentoring functions and turnover intentions. In this study, we examined the relationship between mentoring functions and turnover intentions, and the mediating role of perceived organizational support (POS) on this relationship. Using data collected from 176 employees in three Chinese banks, we found that POS partially mediated the relationship between mentoring functions and employees' turnover intentions.

How servant leadership influences organizational citizenship behavior: the roles of LMX, empowerment, and proactive personality

© 2015 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht While the link between servant leadership and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) has been established, the individual-level mechanisms underlying this relationship and its boundary conditions remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigate the salience of the mediating mechanisms of leader–member exchange (LMX) and psychological empowerment in explaining the process by which servant leaders elicit discretionary OCB among followers. We also examine the role of followers’ proactive personality in moderating the indirect effects of servant leadership on OCB through LMX and psychological empowerment. Analysis of survey data collected from 446 supervisor–subordinate dyads in a large Chinese state-owned enterprise suggests that while servant leadership is positively related to subordinate OCB through LMX, psychological empowerment does not explain any additional variance in OCB above that accounted for by LMX. Moderated mediation tests confirm the moderating effect of proactive personality through LMX. By providing a nuanced understanding of how and when servant leadership leads followers to go above and beyond their job role, our study assists organizations in deciding how to develop and utilize servant leaders in their organizations.

Examining the cognitive and affective trust-based mechanisms underlying the relationship between ethical leadership and organisational citizenship: A case of the head leading the heart?

In this paper, we investigate the trust-based mechanisms underlying the relationship between ethical leadership and followers' organisational citizenship behaviours (OCBs). Based on three-wave survey data obtained from 184 employees and their supervisors, we find that ethical leadership leads to higher levels of both affective and cognitive trust. In addition, we find support for a three-path mediational model, where cognitive trust and affective trust, in turn, mediate the relationship between ethical leadership and follower OCBs. That is to say, we found that ethical leadership leads to the development of cognitive trust, which subsequently influences the development of affective trust. Affective trust, in turn, induces followers to exhibit OCBs as a means of reciprocating the leader's favourable behaviour. Our findings suggest that both affective and cognitive trust plays an important role in the social exchange processes that underlie the relationship between ethical leadership and the discretionary behaviour of followers. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

The impact of perceived corporate social responsibility on organizational commitment and the moderating role of collectivism and masculinity: evidence from China

This study examines the relationship between employee perceptions of corporate social responsibility practices and their organizational commitment. Hierarchical regression analysis was utilized to analyze survey data on 280 employees from five export-oriented manufacturing firms in China. Employee perceptions of corporate social responsibility practices towards internal stakeholders were found to relate positively to their organizational commitment. In contrast, employee perceptions of corporate social responsibility practices to external stakeholders had a nonsignificant or marginally significant impact on organizational commitment. In addition, the collectivism and masculinity orientations of employees were found to moderate this relationship. These findings provide an insight into how corporate social responsibility practices may be utilized to motivate diverse groups of employees within China-based organizations. © 2013 Taylor & Francis.

What factors influence the organizational commitment of public sector employees in China? The role of extrinsic, intrinsic and social rewards

This study investigates the relationship between extrinsic, intrinsic and social rewards, and the organizational commitment of 239 Chinese public sector employees. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that although variables included to measure extrinsic and social rewards were strongly related to organizational commitment, variables included to measure intrinsic rewards had limited influence. These findings suggest that the antecedents of organizational commitment in the Chinese public sector are significantly different from those in the Chinese private sector and public sector organizations in the West. © 2013 © 2013 Taylor & Francis.

The relationship between ethical leadership and unethical pro-organizational behavior: linear or curvilinear effects?

In this study, we examine the nature of the relationship between ethical leadership and unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB), defined as unethical behavior conducted by employees with the aim of benefiting their organization, and whether the strength of the relationship differs between subordinates experiencing high and low identification with supervisor. Based on three-wave survey data obtained from 239 public sector employees in China, we find that ethical leadership has an inverted u-shaped (curvilinear) relationship with UPB. As the level of ethical leadership increases from low to moderate, UPB increases; as the level of ethical leadership increases from moderate to high, UPB decreases. Further, we find that the strength of this inverted u-curve relationship differs between subordinates with high and low identification with supervisor. That is to say, the inverted u-shaped relationship between ethical leadership and UPB was stronger when subordinates experienced high levels of identification with supervisor. The theoretical and managerial implications of our findings for understanding how to manage UPB in an organizational context are discussed. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

Entrepreneurs, organizational members, political participation and preferential treatment: Evidence from China

Drawing on survey data from 150 small and medium-sized Chinese enterprises, this article examines whether the political participation of entrepreneurs and other members of the firm improves the chances of obtaining preferential treatment from government authorities. Entrepreneurs that