Christopher Robert

Empowerment and continuous improvement in the United States, Mexico, Poland, and India : Predicting fit on the basis of the dimensions of power distance and individualism

Although variations in national cultures predominate as explanation for the belief that universal approaches to management do not exist, there have been few reports of systematic studies. Data from employees of a single firm with operations in the United States, Mexico, Poland, and India were used to test the fit of empowerment and continuous improvement practices with national culture. Using the theoretical constructs of individualism-collectivism and power distance, the authors predicted that the practices would be more congruent in some cultures than in others and that value congruence would result in job satisfaction. Using structural equations modeling, the authors found that empowerment was negatively associated with satisfaction in India but positively associated in the other 3 samples. Continuous improvement was positively associated with satisfaction in all samples. Substantive, theoretical, and methodological implications are discussed.

Organizational Individualism and Collectivism: Theoretical Development and an Empirical Test of a Measure

An empirical test of the organizational individualism and collectivism constructs and measures was conducted using survey responses from 916 employees from 46 Turkish organizations. Analyses indicated that fit between individuals’ values and perceptions of the organizational culture predicted job attitudes, and that organizational individualism was related to the use of individualistic human resources practices at the organizational level. The utility of this approach for understanding the relationships between individuals, organizations, and societies is discussed.

Differential effects of empowering leadership on in-role and extra-role employee behaviors: Exploring the role of psychological empowerment and power values

In this research we examined the impact of empowering leadership behaviors (ELBs), psychological empowerment, and individual-level power values on a broad range of employee behaviors. Drawing on self-determination theory (Gagné and Deci, 2005), we hypothesized that ELBs would have direct effects on in-role and affiliative extra-role behaviors, but that the impact of ELBs on challenging extra-role behaviors would be mediated by psychological empowerment. Further, we hypothesized that individual-level power values (Schwartz, 1992) would moderate the mediated effect of ELBs on challenging behaviors. Responses to questionnaires from 541 employees and their supervisors were obtained from 16 hotel properties located in 11 Middle Eastern and Asian countries. Results supported our hypotheses of direct and mediated effects of ELBs on employee behaviors, and supported moderated mediation involving psychological empowerment and power values such that psychological empowerment was more strongly related to challenging behaviors for individuals low in power values.

Empowerment, Organizational Commitment, and Voice Behavior in the Hospitality Industry Evidence from a Multinational Sample

Employee empowerment is widely viewed as a promising approach to improve operating efficiency and customer service. But the most effective way to empower the staff is not always clear to hospitality managers, both in terms of what to do and what to avoid. Using data from 640 frontline service employees and their supervisors working in sixteen different properties of a multinational hotel chain in the Middle East and the Asia Pacific region, this study tested a model of the relationships between empowering leadership, psychological empowerment, organizational commitment, and voice behavior. Results suggest that psychological empowerment mediates the relationship between empowering leadership and both organizational commitment and voice behavior (defined as identifying problems and suggesting improvements). The study also found a particular pitfall for empowerment in high power distance cultures, in that the effects are much weaker for high power distance cultures. As the value of empowering leadership seems clear, multinational companies may wish to select employees and managers who are comfortable with an empowerment strategy, and make clear to all employees—particularly those on the frontline—that the organization will support them as they take more initiative.

The Wheel Model of humor: Humor events and affect in organizations

In this article we develop the Wheel Model of humor, which addresses the theme of this special issue by casting humor events as an important driver of employee happiness and well-being through their influence on positive affect. Drawing on theories of humor and emotion, the Wheel Model suggests that humor-induced positive affect results in transmission of emotion to social groups, which in turn creates a climate that supports humor use and subsequent humor events. This model is depicted in a circular pattern to highlight the cumulative and escalatory process through which individual humor events can impact individuals and groups over repeated cycles of the wheel. We also describe individual and environmental variables that are likely to have an impact on relationships within the Wheel Model. Finally, we discuss specific research contexts to which the Wheel Model can be applied (mentoring, leadership, groups/teams), as well as other future research directions.

The Impact of Leader Humor on Subordinate Job Satisfaction The Crucial Role of Leader–Subordinate Relationship Quality

Conventional wisdom from the popular and scholarly literatures consistently suggests that positive humor by leaders can be beneficial, but that negative humor should be avoided at all costs. To explore the boundaries of that conventional wisdom, we draw on leadership and humor theory to develop and test a conceptual model describing the relationships between leader humor, leader–subordinate relationship quality, the subordinate’s tenure with the leader, and subordinate job satisfaction. Analysis of multilevel data from 241 subordinates nested within 70 leaders in 54 organizations revealed that the relationship between leader humor and job satisfaction was dependent on the quality of the leader–subordinate relationship, and not the positive/negative tone of the leader’s humor. Specifically, both positive and negative (i.e., affiliative and aggressive) leader humor styles were positively associated with job satisfaction when the relationship was positive, but both types were negatively associated with job satisfaction when the relationship was negative. Our results also suggested that the effects of positive humor increased with increasing subordinate tenure. We discuss the practical implications of these findings, including the importance of understanding the relational context of humor.

EMPOWERMENT AND ORGANIZATIONAL CITIZENSHIP: MODERATION BY CULTURE IN A MULTI-NATIONAL SAMPLE.

This paper examines the relationship between empowering leadership, psychological empowerment, organizational commitment, and organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs). A sample of 640 employees ...

OUT OF TOUCH? AN EVALUATION OF THE CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN ACADEMIC AND PRACTITIONER CONCERNS IN IHRM

This study evaluated the practical relevance of the academic literature on international human-resources management (IHRM). To this end, 304 IHRM articles published in nine academic and eight practitioner journals during 1991–2000 were examined. Results suggested that academics and practitioners varied in their focus on HR topics, geographical regions, and cultural vs. institutional variables. In addition, academics were interested in individual level outcomes as opposed to practitioners, who were primarily concerned with organizational performance. Finally, citation patterns revealed little interaction between academics and practitioners, and academics appeared to be unconcerned with discussing the practical implications of their work.

She Can’t Say That … or Can She? Perceptions of Men’s and Women’s Humor Use in the Workplace

Humor is associated with numerous positive outcomes in the workplace (e.g., building cohesiveness, stress reduction), and can be a useful tool for leaders (e.g., softening criticism). Although norm...

Conversational humor and job satisfaction at work: exploring the role of humor production, appreciation, and positive affect

Abstract This study examined whether everyday conversational humor is related to job satisfaction, and if the relationship is mediated by positive affect. We also explored differences between the roles of humor production and humor appreciation, and tested the cyclical nature of the relationship by examining whether job satisfaction stimulates subsequent humor. Data were obtained through an experience sampling study in which participants completed two brief surveys each day for 10 consecutive workdays (Level 1 n=237–279, Level 2 N=35). Results revealed a positive relationship between humor and job satisfaction that was partially mediated by positive affect, and also indicated that job satisfaction on day t predicted humor production the morning of day t + 1. This study contributes to the literature by examining the previously theorized but untested hypothesis that humor’s effects stem from their impact on affect, and also by exploring the distinction between humor production and appreciation.