Department of Organizational Behaviour, Human Resources Management and Management
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Item Too much of two good things: the curvilinear effects of self-efficacy and market validation in new ventures(2024) Chen, Xi; Zhang, Stephen X.Interacting with customers to validate new product offerings is a crucial step in entrepreneurship, yet it requires resources that are limited in new ventures. The issue of when and how entrepreneurs allocate limited resources to acquire market information is new for marketing research, which has mainly focused on the impacts of market information acquisition. This paper investigates how entrepreneurs’ self-efficacy influences resource allocation to acquire market information and how resources allocated to market information acquisition influence new venture performance. Building on social cognitive theory and perceptual control theory, we propose that entrepreneurs with moderate marketing self-efficacy spend the most resources on market information acquisition. Since acquiring market information consumes resources, we hypothesize that a moderate level of market information acquisition is optimal for new venture performance. Regression analyses of a multi-informant three-wave survey with 210 new ventures from Canada, Chile, and China supported our hypotheses. The findings hold important implications for self-efficacy theories, information acquisition research, and lean startup.Item Revisiting the relationship between justice and extra-role behavior: the role of state ownership(2018) Chen, XiState ownership is an important phenomenon in the world economy, especially in transition economies. Previous research has focused on how state ownership influences organizational performance, but few studies have been conducted on how state ownership influences employees. I propose that different ownership structures trigger different relational models among employees who pay attention to organizational justice consistent with their model to guide their extra-role behavior. Specifically, state-owned organizations reinforce employees’ relational concern and direct employees’ attention to procedural justice, whereas privatized organizations highlight employees’ instrumental concern and direct their attention to distributive justice. I leverage a sample of organizations in China to explore how different ownership structures activate different relational models among employees and alter the relationship between organizational justice and employees’ extra-role behaviors. I find that state ownership attenuates and even reverses the positive relationship between distributive justice and extra-role behaviors. Conversely, state ownership exaggerates the positive relationship between a critical procedural justice dimension (participation in decision making) and employee extra-role behaviors. Implications for the micro-foundations of corporate governance and institutional change, organizational justice literature, and cross-cultural research are developed. This study also generates new insights for transition economies such as China.Item Belief in a COVID-19 conspiracy theory as a predictor of mental health and well-being of health care workers in Ecuador: cross-sectional survey study(2020) Chen, Xi; Zhang, Stephen X.; Jahanshahi, Asghar Afshar; Alvarez-Risco, Aldo; Dai, Huiyang; Li, Jizhen; Ibarra, Verónica GarcíaObjective: Our aim was to provide the first evidence that belief in conspiracy theories regarding the COVID-19 pandemic is a predictor of the mental health and well-being of health care workers. Methods: We conducted a survey of 252 health care workers in Ecuador from April 10 to May 2, 2020. We analyzed the data regarding distress and anxiety caseness with logistic regression and the data regarding life and job satisfaction with linear regression.Item The state-owned enterprise as an identity: the influence of institutional logics on guanxi behavior(2020) Chen, XiPrevious research has debated whether guanxi persists or declines with the development of formal institutions. This study addresses this debate by investigating how the development of formal institutions in China's state-owned organizations influences employees’ guanxi behavior. Building on institutional logics theory, I propose that guanxi behavior is a reaction to the socialist institutions adopted by state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and is associated with the collective identity of SOEs. Thus, employees’ identification with SOEs is the mechanism that influences their guanxi behavior. A survey of 721 employees from 12 organizations compared guanxi behavior across three types of organizations with different degrees of state ownership: SOEs, public firms, and joint ventures. The results showed that the employees of joint ventures identify less with SOEs and engage in less guanxi behaviors than do SOE employees. The employees of public firms still identify with SOEs, and their guanxi behavior did not differ from that of SOE employees. Identification with SOEs mediated the effect of organizational type on guanxi behavior, whereas formalization did not. Therefore, the development of formal institutions does not necessarily decrease guanxi behavior, and its effect depends on whether the collective identity underlying guanxi is changed. This study has important implications for guanxi research, institutional logics theory, and transition economies.Item Cognitive abilities predict safety performance: a study examining high-speed railway dispatchers(2021) Lei, Shi; Guo, Zizheng; Tan, Xi; Chen, Xi; Li, Chengen; Zou, Jiaming; Cao, Shi; Feng, GuoCognitive abilities are good predictors of safety performance in many occupations. However, this correlation has not been studied from the perspective of high-speed railway (HSR) dispatchers who play a vital role in ensuring the safety and punctuality of HSR transportation system. Therefore, studying factors affecting HSR dispatchers’ safety performance is not only of great importance in filling the theoretical gap, but also conducive to the selection and training of dispatchers, contributing to the reduction of human errors and the prevention of railway accidents. In this study, a total of 118 HSR dispatchers from a branch of China Railway were recruited to complete the tests that examined their cognitive abilities related to the dispatching job, including logical reasoning, visual multiobject tracking, working memory, task switching, and cognitive flexibility. Safety performance, including both the safety evaluation score obtained from the dispatchers’ monthly safety performance record of the Railway Bureau and the emergency disposal performance indicated by train delay time, was evaluated with a dispatch simulator. The results suggested that better abilities in visual multiobject tracking, working memory, task switching, and cognitive flexibility were correlated with higher safety evaluation score (reflecting daily safety performance) and shorter train delay time (reflecting safety and efficiency in emergency disposal). No significant correlation was found in logical reasoning. These findings support the recommendation that cognitive abilities investigated as predictors of safety performance could be useful for the selection and training of HSR dispatchers.Item Mental health symptoms and coping strategies among Ukrainians under the Russia-Ukraine War in March 2022(2023) Xu, Wen; Pavlova, Iuliia; Chen, Xi; Petrytsa, Petro; Graf-Vlachy, Lorenz; Zhang, Stephen X.Objectives: To provide the prevalence rates of symptoms of psychological distress, anxiety, depression, and insomnia; and to link them with Ukrainians’ productive coping strategies during the war. Design, setting, and participants: Online survey conducted in Ukraine during the initial period of the Russian invasion (March 19–31, 2022), using a quota sampling method, of 1,400 Ukrainians aged 18 years or older, with a total of 801 valid responses for a response rate of 57.2%.Item Research recast(ed): S3E12 - The power of in service-learning for students, faculty and local community members(2024) Leschyshyn, Brooklyn; Smadis, Natalie; Chika-James, TheresaIn this episode, we interview Dr. Theresa Chika-James, who shares her research and involvement in service-learning. Dr. Chika-James defines what service learning is and the benefits it offers to the community. We explore how involving community partners and business practitioners in academic programs can lead to positive outcomes for both students and businesses. Additionally, we discuss the advantages and challenges of service-learning. For more information see citation below: Chika-James, T. A., Salem, T., & Oyet, M. C. (2022). Our Gains, Pains and Hopes: Community Partners’ Perspectives of Service-Learning in an Undergraduate Business Education. SAGE Open, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211069390Item Research recast(ed): S1E7 - A conversation with Dr. Eloisa Perez(2021) Ekelund, Brittany; Cave, Dylan; Perez-de-Toledo, EloisaToday we learn a little about cryptocurrency, a lot about financial literacy, and we talk about how you can, and should, start saving now. Joining us in the studio today we have Dr. Eloisa Perez, an associate professor in the Department of Accounting and Finance at MacEwan University, who received her Ph.D. in entrepreneurship from the Autonomous University of Barcelona. Her most recent research involves the creation of online courses, modules and resources aimed at improving the financial literacy of young adults.Item Mathematic achievement of Canadian private school students(2014) Cadigan, Françoise; Wei, Yichun; Clifton, Rodney A.Very little Canadian research has examined the academic achievement of private school students. 2003 data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) were used to examine the achievement of private school students, which is similar to a recent study examining Canadian public school children's academic achievement (Wei, Clifton, & Roberts, 2011). The current study found that private school students outperformed their public school peers. In addition, the students' morale, motivation, interest in mathematics, expected education, the effort invested in doing well on the PISA test, and socioeconomic status were significantly and positively related to their academic performance. Surprisingly, the cost of their tuition fees, reported hours spent on math homework, sense of belonging, and higher ratio of instructional time on mathematics were significantly, but negatively, related to the students' math performance.Item Prevalence and predictors of disability management programs(2023) Annett, MichaelDisability management programs are shown to speed the rate of employee returns to work, decrease recidivism, reduce the administrative costs of employee absences, and increase compliance with legislative requirements. However, formal programs are not universal - they are present in a minority of organizations. This article examines the relationship between a formal diversity management program and both organizational characteristics, and business conditions, to explain the operating contexts in which diversity management programs emerge. To answer the research questions, data from Statistica Canada's Workplace Employee Survey was analyzed. Findings include evidence of positive relationships for union density, operating excellence business strategy, and high involvement work practices. Negative relationships were identified for manufacturing firms, and external growth business strategy. This study provides grounding for further research on several topics, including Union-Management Collaboration, Industry Interconnectedness, and Legislation and Public Policy.Item The westernization of the East: an opportunity for development or a fallacy?(2022) Bocatto, Evandro; Perez-de-Toledo, EloisaThe paper re-conceptualizes the terms West and East, arguing that West is related to development whereas East is in development. From the westernization metaphor, the article asks: Does the East intend to become the West? Content analyses and comparison of cases allow for the interpretation of countries’ intentions regarding economic, political, social, and environmental orientations of governments, institutions, and businesses. The paper concludes that the East is unlikely to find the ‘right’ model of growth by replicating the West because the Western model has mistakenly assumed unlimited resources for growth, among other reasons. To benchmark Western development is a fallacy to the East. Tradeoffs occur as the East chooses the Western economic model as its benchmark. The paper discusses the role of social and technological innovations in business and society as possible, albeit limited, solutions.Item Students’ RateMyProfessors.com evaluations as antecedents of faculty-to-faculty incivility: a theoretical examination(2022) Oyet, Mercy C.; Chika-James, TheresaFaculty-to-faculty incivility is a common occurrence in academia and presents deleterious outcomes for those targeted by such behaviours (Clark, 2013; Keashly, 2021; Keashly & Neuman, 2010; McClendon et al., 2019; Peters & King, 2017; Twale & DeLuca, 2008). Workplace incivility is defined as a “low intensity deviant behaviour with ambiguous intent to harm the target in violation of workplace norms for mutual respect. Uncivil behaviours are characteristically rude and discourteous, displaying a lack of regard for others” (Andersson & Pearson, 1999, p. 457). Faculty-to-faculty incivility occurs when faculty members of higher learning institutions perpetrate uncivil behaviours against other faculty members (Clark et al., 2013). Examples of faculty-to faculty incivility behaviours include rude and condescending behaviours, opposing change, threatening comments, physical threats, slurs, personal attacks, not paying attention during meetings, and failing to meet assigned workload (Clark, 2013; McClendon et al., 2019). In a study that examined the prevalence of faculty-to-faculty incivility among nursing faculty, Clark et al. (2013) found that 68% of respondents (n = 588) reported faculty-to-faculty incivility to be a moderate to serious problem. In a more recent study, McClendon et al. (2019) reported that over 58% of respondents surveyed (n = 215) indicated that faculty-to-faculty incivility is a moderate to serious problem in the social work academic discipline.Item The new civic journalism? An examination of Canadian public libraries as community news sources during the 2019 and 2021 federal election(2023) Lillebuen, Steve; Shamchuk, LisaBackground: This article examines to what extent Canadian public libraries participate in civic journalism at a time when news media coverage is declining in many communities. This pilot study was prompted by reports that public libraries in the United States were undertaking civic-minded journalism following the closure of community newspapers. Analysis: A content analysis of 64 Canadian public library websites found nearly a dozen examples of basic news reporting or civic-minded journalism initiatives (basic reporting, n = 8; civic, n = 3) published during the 2019 and 2021 federal election campaigns. This article also articulates and explains the shared goals and philosophy of the civic journalism movement and the mandate of public libraries.Item Rebooting the guidelines for the education of library technicians(2023) Erickson, Norene; Shamchuk, LisaThe Canadian Federation of Library Association’s (CFLA-FCAB) Guidelines for the Education of Library Technicians were last updated in 2011 and in need of a reboot. These guidelines have helped to establish a national standard for the education of library technicians in Canada and provided a framework for the development of skills, knowledge, and abilities of library technicians to provide job-ready, and highly skilled graduates. As much has changed in the library and information landscape in recent years, we instigated a substantial update to the Guidelines in 2021. The update was completed and approved by the CFLA-FCAB in July 2022 and is a guide for library educators, library administrators, supervisors, and practitioners. This paper details the research process undertaken to update the Guidelines that reflect the core competencies of library technicians in Canada.Item Updating the CFLA-FCAB guidelines for the education of library technicians(2023) Erickson, Norene; Shamchuk, LisaCFLA-FCAB has established these guidelines in order to describe library technician programs of high quality that maintain currency and competitiveness amid rapid technological advancements and social changes. The guidelines are intended to serve as a national standard for educational institutions in Canada and for employers to note the competencies of library technician program graduates.Item Early literacy learning for future library paraprofessionals: authentic learning in library education(2022) Mardhani-Bayne, Alvina; Shamchuk, LisaThis article describes the professional learning around early literacy experienced by library paraprofessional students at a post-secondary institution in Canada. Students completed a survey to gauge their conceptions of early literacy at the beginning of a course on library services for children and young adults. These students then experienced hands-on, engaging course elements such as in-class discussions, guest speakers, and authentic assessments. At the conclusion of the course, students were again surveyed and were asked to identify course elements that contributed to their learning. Most students aligned with an emergent literacy approach to early literacy. While a comparison between the two surveys did not reveal a significant difference in terms of students’ conceptions of early literacy, multiple students identified the hands-on elements of the course as beneficial. The researchers conclude that providing authentic professional learning opportunities that include knowledge application reinforces learners’ conceptions about emergent literacy.Item Conceptualizing and operationalizing 'inclusive' talent management: four different approaches(2023) Cadigan, Francoise; Dries, Nicky; Zelderen, Anand vanIn this chapter, we identify four different approaches to inclusive TM - a concept that is increasingly advocated for by both academics and practitioners but has so far lacked clarity and actionability. The four approaches are (1) focusing on potential and strengths rather than talent and gifts, (2) increasing the size of the talent pool, (3) defining a broader range of talent domains, and (4) topgrading the entire organization. We propose that exclusive and inclusive TM (co-)exist on a continuum rather than as dichotomies and develop a decision tree for organizations and researchers to determine which custom approach might best fit their talent philosophy.Item Effectiveness of human resource management practices in developing countries(2021) Thomson, Stanley Bruce; Ouedraogo, Noufou; Horbay, Matthew; Khan, Mohammad Ashiqur RahmanDunning (2006) asserted that international business research focused heavily on the physical assets of organizations and nations, thus neglecting the human environment of organizations and nations. Research has shown “the most important driver for economic advancement is knowledge” and is drawn from the human environment (Zhu et al., 2011, p. 312). The human environment is defined as the “human assets (i.e. creativity leading to innovation; experience, skills and knowledge of employees) and the skills and abilities those assets possess within a given location” (Zhu et al., 2011, p. 312).Thus, how an organization, including government, manages its human resources (HR), drawn from the human environment in which it operates, will significantly impact success or failure (Barney, 2001; Kong & Thomson, 2009).We contend that although there has been a great deal of research on human resource management (HRM) as a competitive advantage for firms, there has been little work done on the analysis of HRM practices in government and its influence on a nation’s competitive advantage. In a qualitative study of a developing nation in the Caribbean we interviewed 12 senior level employees. Our analysis revealed that little attention was paid to HRM, which resulted in the ineffectiveness of the application of government policies. The data revealed that issues started with the recruitment and selection processes. This paper focuses on the recruitment and selection processes utilized by government agencies that cause institutional voids which lead to the failure to utilize public service employees as a source of competitive advantage.Item Contemplating critique: mindfulness attenuates self-esteem and self-regulatory impacts of negative feedback(2022) Kriz, Tiffany; Lyddy, Christopher J.; Good, Darren J.; Stephens, John PaulObjectives: Receiving feedback is vital to learning and job performance, but this can provoke undesirable psychological responses, including loss of self-esteem and self-regulatory depletion. While mindfulness can attenuate responses to selfthreats, it is unknown if this occurs following self-esteem threats, including negative feedback. This experimental study investigates a proposed moderated mediation model of how brief mindfulness meditation may attenuate these psychological responses to negative feedback. Methods: The proposed model was tested through a randomized 2×2 factor experiment with a sample of undergraduate students (N=163). Participants completed a performance task (the Remote Associates Test), followed by an audio guided mindfulness induction (mindfulness meditation v. mind-wandering active control). After receiving randomized performance feedback, either negative or positive feedback, participants reported their state self-esteem and self-regulatory depletion. We modeled feedback as predicting self-regulatory depletion through self-esteem, and brief mindfulness meditation moderating the relationship between feedback and self-esteem, and through this infuencing the indirect relationship of feedback and self-regulatory depletion. Results: Findings provided support for the proposed moderated mediation model. Inducing mindfulness via brief meditation weakened the relationship between negative feedback and decreased self-esteem, thus contributing to lower self-regulatory depletion. Conclusions: The results provide evidence that inducing mindfulness through meditation attenuates psychological responses to negative feedback, including loss of state self-esteem and self-regulatory depletion. This adds to understanding of the intersection of mindfulness practice, the self, and practice in educational and workplace domains.Item Leadership credibility and change success: mediating role of commitment to change(2021) Ouedraogo, Noufou; Zaitouni, Michel; Ouakouak, Mohammed LaidThe purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of leadership credibility on employees' behaviours and attitudes towards organisational change through the lens of employee commitment to change.