Purpose Drawing on the socially embedded model of thriving (SEMT), the present study examines how transformational leadership is associated with employees' thriving at work through agentic work behaviours (task focus and exploration), and investigates whether heedful relating, as a relational resource, strengthens these behavioural pathways. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional survey design was employed using data collected from 310 employees working in manufacturing and service organizations based on India. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test the hypothesized relationships, including mediation and moderated mediation effects. Findings Transformational leadership was positively associated with both employees' task focus and exploration, both of which were positively related to employees' thriving at work. The findings revealed significant indirect effects of transformational leadership on thriving at work through these behavioural pathways, indicating partial mediation. Heedful relating strengthened the relationships between task focus and thriving and between exploration and thriving. Furthermore, the indirect effects of transformational leadership on thriving through task focus and exploration were stronger at higher levels of heedful relating. Practical implications The findings suggest that organizations can enhance employee thriving by developing transformational leadership capabilities, promoting employees' task focus and learning-oriented behaviours, and cultivating relational contexts characterized by attentiveness and coordination among employees. Originality/value The present study extends SEMT by identifying task focus and exploration as behavioural pathways linking transformational leadership to thriving at work and by demonstrating how heedful relating, as a relational resource, conditions the effectiveness of these pathways. The findings contribute to the leadership and thriving literature by providing a more nuanced explanation of how and when transformational leadership influences employee thriving at work.
Purpose Drawing on Social Exchange Theory and the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) model, this study examines how work engagement influences employee well-being in a hybrid IT workplace, with employee voice and innovative work behavior as sequential mediators and co-worker support as a moderator. Design/methodology/approach This quantitative study was conducted among 522 IT professionals employed in a hybrid workplace. Data were collected using standardized self-report questionnaires via purposive sampling. The measurement model was validated using IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) 24.0, and Hayes’ PROCESS macro (Models 6 and 84) was used to test serial and moderated mediation effects. Findings The results indicate that work engagement has a significant positive effect on employee well-being. Employee voice behavior and innovative work behavior significantly mediate this relationship, both independently and sequentially. Additionally, co-worker support was found to strengthen these relationships, with higher levels of support enhancing the indirect and serial effects. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by developing and empirically testing an integrated framework explaining how work engagement translates into employee well-being through proactive behaviors in hybrid work environments. It highlights the importance of co-worker support in strengthening these mechanisms and provides practical insights for organizations seeking to foster employee well-being, voice, and innovation in a digitally mediated workplace.
Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of green human resource management (GHRM) on environmental performance via the mediating role of green knowledge management (GKM). This study also attempts to clarify the potential moderating role of digital culture in fostering the influence of aspects of green knowledge management on environmental performance. Design/methodology/approach The paper applied the quantitative approach and structural equation modeling (SEM) to test proposed mediated-moderated model using data collected from 323 SMEs in Vietnam. Findings The empirical findings revealed the significant mediating role of dimensions of green knowledge management in connecting the effects of GHRM practices on environmental performance. Digital culture is also confirmed as the important moderating in fostering the impacts of aspects of GKM on environmental performance. Research limitations/implications Future study should explore the impact of responsible leadership on environmental performance via the mediating effects of GKM to bring better understanding on the key antecedents and mechanisms to foster environmental performance. Originality/value The paper significantly contributes to increasing understanding and theoretical initiatives on GHRM practices and performance management as it clarifies the key antecedents and theoretical mechanisms to enhance environmental performance of SMEs in the developing and emerging nations.
Purpose This study examines how integrating creating shared value (CSV) principles into sustainability-oriented training may influence human capital, employee satisfaction and perceived corporate performance in Japanese organizations. It aims to suggest how CSV-related training functions as an evidence-based human resource management (HRM) practice that aligns workforce development with strategic sustainability objectives. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional employee survey was conducted in Japanese firms using a two-stage online panel design. Structural equation modeling was employed to test hypothesized relationships among CSV-related training, human capital, perceived CSV performance, employee satisfaction and perceived corporate performance. Findings The results suggest that CSV-related training has a positive association with human capital and employee satisfaction, which in turn are associated with perceived corporate performance. Perceived CSV performance partially mediates these relationships, highlighting the attitudinal and capability-based mechanisms through which CSV-oriented HR practices enhance perceived organizational outcomes. Research limitations/implications This study is limited by its single-country, cross-sectional design and reliance on self-reported data. Future research should adopt longitudinal and multi-source approaches to strengthen causal inference and generalizability. Practical implications CSV-related training may serve as a strategic HRM practice that is associated with enhanced employee satisfaction, human capital development and organizational resilience. Originality/value This study contributes to evidence-based HRM by empirically linking CSV-related training to human capital development, employee satisfaction and perceived performance in a non-Western context.
Purpose Using principles from self-determination theory, the job characteristics model and psychological empowerment theory, we hypothesized that positive meaning would mediate the relationship between the degree of flexibility employees perceive in how operations are performed at work and employees' greater good motivation within the Indian service industry. Design/methodology/approach Adopting a positivist research philosophy, this study employs a cross-sectional survey design. Data were collected from a stratified sample of employees across key Indian service sectors, including IT, healthcare, hospitality and banking. Hypotheses were tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings Employee-reported perceived operational flexibility was associated with positive meaning, and positive meaning was associated with greater good motivation. Once positive meaning was statistically controlled for, the previously significant direct association between perceived operational flexibility and greater good motivation was no longer significant, indicating full mediation. We interpret the strong PM–GGM association conservatively, given the conceptual overlap among the WAMI subdimensions and the cross-sectional design. Originality/value We specify perceived operational flexibility as employee-level work-process flexibility, posit positive meaning as the mechanism through which work-process discretion is associated with prosocial motivation and offer initial support for the argument in the Indian service-sector setting.
Purpose This study reconsiders the assumption that supportive organizational cultures retain broadly consistent attitudinal influence across organizational contexts. Focusing on error management culture (EMC), the study examines whether supportive cultural practices retain attitudinal relevance within a highly regulated environment characterized by strong formalization and compliance requirements. Design/methodology/approach The study draws on survey data collected from 435 employees working in the Turkish pharmaceutical sector. The proposed relationships were examined using partial least squares structural equation modelling with a bootstrapping procedure involving 5,000 resamples. Findings The findings suggest that the attitudinal influence commonly attributed to supportive cultural practices may become attenuated in organizational environments characterized by strong formalization, compliance systems and institutionalized expectations. Consistent with this interpretation, the dimensions of error management culture did not demonstrate significant direct relationships with employee commitment within the examined context. Research limitations/implications Although the findings provide meaningful insight into culture mechanisms under regulatory formalization, they remain bounded by the study's cross-sectional design and industry-specific empirical context. Future research should further examine the contextual conditions under which organizational culture retains or loses attitudinal relevance across varying institutional environments. Practical implications Organizations operating in highly regulated environments should avoid assuming that cultural initiatives alone will necessarily strengthen employee attitudes. Greater alignment between cultural initiatives, formal structures and compliance systems may be required to support employee commitment effectively. Social implications The findings highlight the importance of considering institutional and regulatory conditions when designing organizational practices intended to support employee well-being and organizational commitment. Understanding the contextual limits of cultural mechanisms may contribute to more sustainable and realistic workplace management practices in highly regulated sectors. Originality/value This study contributes to organizational behaviour and human resource research by advancing a context-sensitive perspective on organizational culture effects. Rather than treating supportive cultural mechanisms as uniformly effective across settings, the findings highlight the importance of institutional conditions in shaping the attitudinal relevance of organizational culture.
Purpose This research work aims to investigate the relationship between interpersonal conflict (IPC) and turnover intention (TI) through the mediating role of workplace ostracism (WO). It also examines the role of emotional intelligence (EI) as a moderator on this relationship. In addition, conservation of resource theory (COR) and social exchange theory have been used as a theoretical base for the study. Design/methodology/approach The data were collected from 255 Afghan immigrant employees working in various countries. Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling was used to examine the direct and indirect effects. Findings IPC had a significant effect on TI through WO. The moderated mediation index was not significant. Several conditional indirect relationships were examined in depth. Practical implications This study suggests that managers, policy-makers and entrepreneurs need to organize training programmes and cultural events to support, introduce and implement safe workplace for the migrants. It also helps the supervisors to be empathetic while listening and discussing the problems of employees earnestly. Originality/value This research examines the relationship between IPC, WO, TI and EI. It uniquely investigates moderated effect of EI on the mediation effect of IPC on TI through WO among Afghan immigrant employees.
Purpose This research article investigates the effect of workplace incivility on psychological contract violation and emotion suppression. Furthermore, it investigates how negative workplace gossip affects the association between workplace incivility and emotion suppression. Design/methodology/approach The study utilizes a quantitative approach, employing time-lagged survey data obtained from 233 employees working in the hospitality industry. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is employed to examine the associations among workplace incivility, psychological contract violation, negative workplace gossip, and emotion suppression. Findings The results indicate that workplace incivility strongly forecasts psychological contract violation, subsequently resulting in amplified emotion suppression. Moreover, negative workplace gossip moderates the relationship between workplace incivility and emotion suppression, amplifying the negative effects of incivility on emotion suppression. Practical implications The study highlights the need for organizations to address workplace incivility and negative workplace gossip through clear policies, open communication, and support systems like counseling and mentorship. Such measures can reduce emotional strain, preserve trust, and foster a positive, committed work environment. Originality/value This study expands the application of affective events theory by incorporating the influences of psychological contract violation and negative workplace gossip in the hospitality industry. This research addresses the gap in literature on combined impact of workplace incivility and gossip on emotion suppression, providing novel insights into the mechanisms by which workplace incivility results in adverse emotional consequences.
Purpose - We examine how leaders' workplace interpersonal capitalization affects subordinates' proactive behavior, focusing on subordinates' self-expansion and attribution. Design/methodology/approach - A mixed-methods approach, including an experimental study (n = 200 participants from China) and an online survey (n = 277 participants from the USA), was used. Proposed hypotheses were tested via ANOVA, path analysis, and bootstrapping methods. Findings - Leaders' workplace interpersonal capitalization positively affects subordinates' proactive behavior, mediated by subordinates' self-expansion. Subordinates' attribution of leaders' performance promotion motives moderates the relationship between leaders' workplace interpersonal capitalization and self-expansion and the mediating effect of self-expansion among US participants. Practical implications - Organizations can encourage leaders to share positive work events to boost subordinates' proactive behavior. Managers should encourage self-development and provide supportive leadership to strengthen collaboration. Originality/value - This study is among the first to explore interpersonal capitalization within supervisor-subordinate dyads, introduce self-expansion as a novel mechanism, and identify subordinates' performance promotion attribution as a boundary condition.
Purpose This study investigates how management quality shapes the adoption of sustainability compensation incentives (SCI) in European Union firms. It explores the dual role of governance in promoting sustainability-oriented executive pay in the short term while potentially constraining innovation as governance systems mature. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on panel data from 952 EU-listed firms between 2010 and 2024, the study applies a dynamic random-effects Probit model with control-function and Mundlak corrections. This approach captures both immediate and persistent effects of management quality on SCI adoption while addressing endogeneity, temporal dependence and unobserved heterogeneity. Findings Results reveal a strong positive short-term relationship between management quality and SCI adoption. Firms with robust governance systems are more capable of translating sustainability priorities into measurable executive incentives, enhancing accountability and legitimacy. However, this influence weakens and may reverse over time, suggesting potential governance saturation or institutional rigidity over time. Sectoral analysis shows stronger responsiveness in environmentally intensive industries, while cross-country comparisons reveal higher SCI adoption in nations with more mature ESG regulatory frameworks. Originality/value The study advances corporate governance and sustainability compensation literature by theorizing a Governance Paradox, whereby the same governance capability that accelerates the initial adoption of sustainability-linked incentives subsequently attenuates their further development. Unlike prior work on organizational rigidity, institutional decoupling and diminishing returns, the Governance Paradox specifically captures how formalized management quality can translate into attenuated marginal expansion of SCI over time, even in high-ESG regulatory environments. Methodologically, it offers one of the few empirical applications of a dynamic Probit framework to executive sustainability incentives, providing new insights into how governance mechanisms evolve and shape long-term sustainability alignment.
Purpose This study examines the relationship between cultural values and digital transformation performance (DTP) in Islamic banking while investigates the moderating role of work engagement. Design/methodology/approach Using institutional theory and work engagement theory, survey data were collected from 550 employees across five Islamic banks in Kuwait and analyzed using PLS-SEM. Findings Power distance, uncertainty avoidance, collectivism, and long-term orientation positively influence DTP. Indulgence has a negative effect, while masculinity is insignificant. Work engagement strengthens the effects of uncertainty avoidance and long-term orientation and reduces the negative impact of indulgence, but does not affect power distance, collectivism or masculinity. Practical implications Managers should use clear structures, formal procedures, teamwork, and long-term planning to support DT. Strengthening employee engagement through training, communication and participation is critical for improving adaptability and sustaining transformation. Originality/value This study advances work engagement theory by showing that engagement plays a conditional role, strengthening adaptive and long-term cultural effects while reducing weaker behavioral discipline. It highlights that institutional alignment alone is insufficient without active employee involvement.
Purpose This study examines the impact of telework (TW) and flexible work (FW), two common hybrid arrangements, on job satisfaction (JS) and subsequently job performance (JP) in Nigerian higher education institutions (HEIs), while also exploring perceived organisational support (POS) as a moderator of the hybrid work–JS relationship. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected via a structured questionnaire from 277 staff members at Nigerian universities and analysed using quantitative techniques to test the hypothesised relationships. Findings Results show that FW has a significant positive effect on JS, whereas TW’s effect is negative but non-significant. JS significantly and positively influences JP. POS significantly moderates both hybrid work dimensions, buffering the negative effects of TW and revealing a more nuanced FW interaction. Originality/value This study extends the understanding of hybrid work in an emerging-economy context by distinguishing between TW and FW effects on JS and JP, while underscoring POS’s critical role in successful implementation. Findings offer actionable insights: institutions should formalise flexible scheduling policies and invest in supportive infrastructure to enhance satisfaction and performance in hybrid settings.
Purpose-The study examines whether employee self-expression in Ghana's public health sector is primarily a function of individual personality traits or perceived organisational cultural values. Drawing on trait activation theory and Hofstede's cultural dimensions framework, it investigates the direct effects of the Big Five personality traits on self-expression and the moderating roles of power distance, collectivism and uncertainty avoidance. Design/methodology/approach-A cross-sectional survey was employed, using data from 275 health professionals at three teaching hospitals in Ghana. Personality traits were measured using the Mini-IPIP, cultural values using CVSCALE and self-expression using an adapted authenticity scale. Data were analysed using PLS-SEM to test direct and moderating effects, complemented by NCA to identify necessary conditions for achieving high levels of self-expression. Findings-Openness to experience and extraversion were positively associated with self-expression, whereas conscientiousness was negatively associated with self-expression. Agreeableness and neuroticism were not significant predictors. Contrary to conventional assumptions, power distance, collectivism and uncertainty avoidance had positive direct effects on self-expression, suggesting that expression in hierarchical health facilities may be structured, authorised and procedurally mediated. The cultural values also differentially moderated the personality-self-expression relationships. NCA showed that agreeableness, extraversion, power distance and uncertainty avoidance were the most salient necessary conditions for high self-expression. Originality/value-The study reconceptualises self-expression as a structured, institutionally mediated behaviour rather than purely individual assertiveness. It extends trait activation theory by showing how perceived cultural values may not only suppress but also enable the behavioural expression of personality in hierarchical public-sector organisations.
Purpose Researchers have witnessed an increasing importance of personality in the workplace. Although ample research has been carried out on the various dimensions of personality and how it relates to organisational outcomes. However, a comprehensive understanding of dark aspects of personality and their relationship to organisational results is currently lacking. In this line, based on the conversation of resource theory (COR) and social cognitive theory (SCT), this study examines the behavioural dimension of dark leadership and how it is related to collective narcissism (CN), perceived LMSX imbalance (LMSX), workplace incivility (WI) and depersonalisation (DEP). Moreover, this study also examines the moderating role of perceived organisational support (POS) between CN, despotic leadership perceived LMSX imbalance and WI. Design/methodology/approach Data have been collected from employees working in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in India. Structural equation modelling (SEM) has been applied to data analysis. Findings The results have revealed that despotic leadership is positively connected to WI, CN, perceived LMSX imbalance and Depersonalization. Moreover, CN is positively linked to WI, and further, it is positively related to Depersonalization. The mediating hypotheses revealed that CN is partially mediated between despotic leadership and WI. Moreover, WI mediates between despotic leadership and Depersonalization. POS negatively moderates despotic leadership and WI. Originality/value This study discusses novel implications for theory and managerial practices and contributes to the dark leadership literature by exploring POS as a moderator and the interconnection between despotic leadership, CN, LMSX imbalance and WI.
PurposeThe study aims to explore the mediating effect of decent workplace in the nexus between employee relations and employee engagement.Design/methodology/approachBy administering a structured questionnaire, a total of 334 responses were gathered from an Indian power sector undertaking. The proposed research model was validated applying structural equation modeling (AMOS 20).FindingsResults revealed that a healthy employee relations (ER) climate is predominant in the public power sector. Moreover, the findings suggest that ER and employee engagement (EE) are positively and significantly related. Additionally, decent workplace (DWP) partially mediated the relationship between ER and EE.Practical implicationsThis research may encourage the practitioners to develop innovative strategies to construct a DWP by establishing harmonious ER in the Indian power sector. Such a workplace would generate competent, contented and engaged employees by creating a vibrant organizational culture.Originality/valueThe study validated the hypothesized ER-DWP-EE mediated model built on social exchange theory that signifies the mediating effect of decent workplace between employee relations and employee engagement. Moreover, it offers novel theoretical and empirical insights to the existing literature.
Purpose This study aims to examine how servant leadership enhances work engagement through employee well-being and whether age conditions these relationships. Design/methodology/approach Data are collected from employees in the hospitality industry using validated scales for servant leadership, psychological well-being and work engagement. Partial least squares structural equation modelling is employed to test the measurement and structural models, including mediation and latent interaction terms for age. Bootstrapping is used to assess the significance of direct, indirect and conditional indirect effects. Findings Servant leadership is positively related to employee well-being and work engagement, and employee well-being partially mediates the effect of servant leadership on work engagement. Age does not have significant direct effects on well-being or engagement but significantly moderates the relationships between servant leadership, well-being and engagement. The positive effect of well-being on engagement is stronger for older employees, whereas the direct impact of servant leadership on engagement is stronger for younger employees, yielding a significant age-contingent indirect effect. Research limitations/implications The cross-sectional, single-country design limits causal inference and generalizability. Practical implications Organizations should develop servant leadership capabilities and age-sensitive practices for human resources that foster employee well-being to sustain engagement across a multigenerational workforce. Originality/value The study frames a moderated mediation model of employee well-being as a comprehensive mediator between servant leadership and work engagement, with age as a moderating variable, which provides a potentially original contribution.
Purpose This study examines whether high-potential traits yield equivalent career success returns for men and women. Moving beyond general personality-career success associations, it investigates whether the functional value of high-potential traits is contingent on gender, with implications for evidence-based talent identification and evaluation.Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 630 managerial professionals in India enrolled in executive programs. High-potential traits were assessed using the High Potential Trait Inventory (HPTI), and perceived career success was measured via self-report. Hierarchical regression analyses tested trait effects, and moderation analyses using PROCESS macro for SPSS examined whether gender conditioned the relationships between high-potential traits and perceived success.Findings Competitiveness, Courage, and Conscientiousness positively predicted perceived career success, whereas Adjustment and Curiosity showed negative associations. Gender significantly moderated several trait-success relationships, supporting the asymmetric-thresholds mechanism.Originality/value This study contributes to evidence-based Human Resource Management (HRM) by demonstrating that high-potential trait assessments are not gender-neutral in their outcomes. By showing that the value of key talent indicators depends on the evaluative context, the findings provide actionable insights for designing fairer and more valid talent identification and development systems.
Purpose Although the role of employer branding (EB) in creating positive employee outcomes keeps gaining more and more relevance, limited attention has been given to understanding how it translates into stronger organizational commitment (OC). Addressing this gap, this study examines the mediating role of job satisfaction (JS) of employees in EB and OC relationship. Design/methodology/approach This study adopted cross-sectional research design to collect data from 591 respondents in the Indian banking industry. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze data for testing the proposed relationships. Findings The results revealed that EB is an important contributor to the OC and JS. JS, in turn, is observed to increase OC. In addition, the results confirmed that JS acts as a mediator in the EB and OC relationship. Research limitations/implications This study suggests that organizations must design and execute the EB initiatives in a strategic way that can lead to the creation of higher JS for stronger OC. Through the harmonization of branding activities with the expectations and experiences of employees, organizations would be able to develop a more active and engaged workforce that would eventually lead to long-term organizational effectiveness. Originality/value This study advances the scarce literature on EB, JS and OC in the Indian context. It provides context-specific information by empirically proving the importance of EB and JS in enhancing OC, which has both theoretical and practical value.
Purpose This study examines the impact of green human resource management (GHRM) on employee green behavior (EGB), with thriving at work (TAW) as a mediating mechanism and overall justice (OJ) as a boundary condition. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through a survey of employees working in Chinese manufacturing organizations. Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed relationships using Mplus software. Findings The findings show that GHRM positively influences EGB. TAW mediates the relationship between GHRM and EGB. In addition, OJ strengthens the relationship between TAW and EGB, such that the relationship is stronger when employees perceive higher levels of overall justice. Practical implications The study highlights the importance of implementing GHRM practices to encourage employees’ sustainable workplace behavior. It also shows that organizations can strengthen EGB by fostering employees’ thriving at work and maintaining a fair organizational climate. Originality/value This study extends the green HRM literature by explaining how GHRM promotes EGB through TAW and by showing when this relationship becomes stronger through OJ.
Purpose The study investigated flexible work arrangements and job satisfaction with work-life balance (WLB) as the mediator.Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional survey of 327 employees from the aviation sector and private Universities in South Western Nigeria served as the research design, with a focus on organisations that implement flexible work arrangements. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the research data.Findings Flexible work schedules and flexible annual leave have significant positive relationships with WLB. Besides, there is a significant association between WLB and job satisfaction, and WLB fully mediates the association between flexible work schedules and job satisfaction, partially mediates the relationship between flexible annual leave and job satisfaction, but does not mediate the association between flexible job target and job satisfaction. The study makes theoretical and empirical contributions.Research limitations/implications The first limitation concerns the closed-ended nature of the items in the research instrument. Secondly, the use of cross-sectional data limits the causality of hypothesised relationships. Thirdly, this study elicited data from organisations in Southwestern Nigeria. Future studies should expand the geographical scope to permit a more robust analysis.Practical implications The use of remote maintenance supports in the aviation sector and remote work in the education sector can contribute to equilibrating the work-life disequilibrium of employees and thus enhance their satisfaction.Social implications By increasing the level of productivity, flexible work arrangements will stimulate firm expansion and thus, the need to employ more workers and ultimately reduce the level of unemployment and the attendant social consequences of unemployment.Originality/value The study contributes to empirical literature and to theory. Specifically, it contributes to the social exchange, boundary, conservation of resources and flexible work theories.
