Joon Hyung Park

Customer-Centric Science: Reporting Significant Research Results With Rigor, Relevance, and Practical Impact in Mind

In response to the ongoing concern regarding a science-practice gap, we propose a customer-centric approach to reporting significant research results that involves a sequence of three interdependent steps. The first step involves setting an alpha level (i.e., a priori Type I error rate) that considers the relative seriousness of falsely rejecting a null hypothesis of no effect or relationship (i.e., Type I error) relative to not detecting an existing effect or relationship (i.e., Type II error) and reporting the actual observed p value (i.e., probability that the data would be obtained if the null hypothesis is true). The second step involves reporting estimates of the size of the effect or relationship, which indicate the extent to which an outcome is explained or predicted. The third step includes reporting results of a qualitative study to gather evidence regarding the practical significance of the effect or relationship. Our proposal to report research results with rigor, relevance, and practical impact involves important changes in how we report research results with the goal to bridge the science-practice gap.

Effects of workplace bullying on work engagement and health: the mediating role of job insecurity

Abstract This study examined the effects of exposure to workplace bullying on work engagement and health problems. It is one of the few studies to treat job insecurity as an explanatory factor of the bullying–outcome relationship. Specifically, we perceive that job insecurity unfolds through an interpersonal process in which negative experiences, such as bullying, make employees feel less valuable in their workplace. By analyzing the data from employees in Korea using the latent factor approach, the tested mediation model explained that exposure to workplace bullying decreased the work engagement of employees and increased their health problems because of their high level of perceived job insecurity. The relationship between bullying and engagement would not be established without the job insecurity variable, thereby suggesting its indirect effect. Given the partial mediating effect of health problems, job insecurity is identified as an additional underlying mechanism that explains why bullying increases health problems. This finding does not contradict the widespread arguments on the health-impairing effect of workplace bullying. This study contributes to the literature and business practices by identifying an important underlying mechanism that helps us understand the association between exposure to workplace bullying and key work outcomes.

Vertical fit of HR practices and organizational culture: a case of a large-sized Korean conglomerate

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the human resources (HR) literature by using exploratory network analysis (ENA), a data-driven technique. This technique was employed to discover how the perceived effectiveness of HR practices interrelate with employee perceptions on organizational cultural factors to enhance organizational commitment. Design/methodology/approach The authors used data from 1,459 employees of a large South Korean conglomerate and studied how individual HR practices could be enhanced by specific organizational cultural factors. The data were analyzed using ENA, which is an inductive approach. Findings The authors found that organizational commitment is associated with the positive perceptions of employees on the effectiveness of HR practices, such as performance appraisal, training and development, and compensation. Results show that when both HR practices and organizational cultural factors are considered, they appear to influence organizational commitment independently. Research limitations/implications Data were collected from a large conglomerate. The authors were limited by the use of the scales developed by a consulting firm. Therefore, readers should be cautious about the generalizability of the findings. Originality/value The application of a data-driven technique (ENA) highlights the potentially fertile methodological grounds for HR research. Literature on strategic HR management may benefit from inductive approaches, wherein data serve as primary foundation for the design and development of new theories.

A perspective-taking model for global assignments

Purpose - – The purpose of this paper is to propose a model that explains how proactive cognitive processes, such as perspective-taking, relates to expatriates’ effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach - – This conceptual paper presents the model that is based on the perspective-taking models developed by Parker Findings - – The authors present a framework that delineates how the perspective-taking process leads to an expatriate’s effectiveness. The authors provide propositions about which factors motivate expatriates to engage in perspective-taking and which factors influence higher accuracy of understanding of the host country nationals’ (HCN) perspective. Practical implications - – Guidance is provided for the training of expatriate to develop perspective-taking. Originality/value - – The paper expands the expatriate research by incorporating the perspective-taking model to identify which factors may motivate expatriates to see the HCN view point. Also, the paper contributes to the literature by identifying how resources such as expatriates’ psychological capital may promote the degree of accuracy or comprehension with respect to the HCN thoughts and feelings.

Job Embeddedness and Subjective Norms in an East Asian (Korean) Context

This study is about the effects of job embeddedness and subjective norms on the intent to quit. The main argument on job embeddedness is that the higher the job embeddedness, the less people think about leaving a job. Many researchers have been interested in the topic, “Job embbeddedness” and have conducted empirical research since 2001. This study replicated the work of Mitchell et al. (2001b) and found that job embeddedness is a meaningful construct in Korea, especially on-the-job embeddedness dimensions. However, it gives some concerns on off-the-job embeddedness construct and we suggest that subjective norms are more meaningful in terms of non-job factors in an East Asian (Korean) context.