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Article
Publication date: 23 June 2023

Leila Afshari, Muhammad Shakil Ahmad and Talha Mansoor

This paper investigates the relationships between responsible leadership and employees' knowledge sharing behavior and performance in the healthcare sector. The present study…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper investigates the relationships between responsible leadership and employees' knowledge sharing behavior and performance in the healthcare sector. The present study provides deeper insights into those relationships by uncovering the mechanisms through which relational and ethical dimensions of responsible leadership influence knowledge sharing outcomes. Drawing on the social exchange theory, this study examines the mediating role of trust in the leader and leadership support.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 445 healthcare professionals in Pakistan. Structural equation modeling was employed to analyze the data.

Findings

The study findings revealed that responsible leaders enhance knowledge worker performance and knowledge sharing behavior through enhancing trusting relationships with followers and providing support. Furthermore, the authors investigated the moderating role of goal orientation, and the results showed that the effect of responsible leadership on knowledge worker performance was stronger for highly goal-oriented employees.

Practical implications

This research suggests that human resource managers interested in fostering knowledge sharing behaviors, must focus on cultivating responsible leadership behavior within their organizations. Furthermore, this study findings propose that HRM practices should foster employee goal orientation in order to enhance knowledge workers' performance.

Originality/value

This study makes a novel contribution to the literature by shifting the research focus from the traditional view of leadership to a leadership style more responsive to the reciprocity nature of the relationships between employees and leaders. By shifting the focus to a relational-ethical based leadership style, the current study was able to fully uncover the underlying mechanisms linking responsible leadership to knowledge sharing outcomes.

Details

Personnel Review, vol. 53 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0048-3486

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 November 2019

Leila Afshari, Suzanne Young, Paul Gibson and Leila Karimi

The purpose of this paper is to enhance the understanding of how identification process is associated with development of organizational commitment.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to enhance the understanding of how identification process is associated with development of organizational commitment.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed-method approach incorporating surveys and interviews was employed. Data were obtained from a manufacturing organization in Australia. A clustering method was employed to identify commitment profiles. Respondents belonging to the clusters representing commitment profiles associated with desirable organizational outcomes were identified for the qualitative stage of the research.

Findings

The results showed that both organizational identity and professional/occupational identity are positively linked to the development of organizational commitment. An in-depth analysis of the qualitative data demonstrated that engagement of personal/individual level of self in identification process enhances the development of organizational commitment.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that human resource managers can build an effective identification process by strengthening feelings of organizational identity and creating a positive organizational image.

Originality/value

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this study is the first to employ a mixed-method approach to explore the relationship between organizational commitment and identification process. A mixed-method approach, on the one hand, enabled us to build on the existing objectivist commitment literature and explore commitment profiles, and on the other hand, it allowed us to provide a more complete and contextual portrayal of organizational commitment and identification process through qualitative interpretive strategies.

Article
Publication date: 3 January 2022

Leila Afshari, Aamir Hayat, K.K. Ramachandran, Timothy Bartram and Bamini K.P.D. Balakrishnan

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of accelerated job demands on employee outcomes during the COVID-19 crisis. An integrated model was developed to explore…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of accelerated job demands on employee outcomes during the COVID-19 crisis. An integrated model was developed to explore the relationships between different types of job demands (learning, decision-making, work intensification), employee turnover intention (TI) and burnout (BU).

Design/methodology/approach

Data were obtained from professionals whose work conditions were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. An online survey was distributed anonymously. A total of 566 questionnaires were included in the analysis. Structural equation modeling was employed to analyze the data.

Findings

The findings revealed that employees' perception of job demands impacts the significance and direction of the relationships between different forms of job demands and employee outcomes. Furthermore, the findings confirm that mediating role of perceived organizational support alleviates the adverse effects of job demands on employee outcomes. Finally, the present study supported the moderation effect of positive affectivity between work intensification and employee BU.

Practical implications

This study provides employers with insights about supporting employees to cope with increased job demands in conditions where rapid changes are inevitable.

Originality/value

The unique context of research (COVID-19) enabled this study to account for the acceleration of job demands that employees experience in rapidly changing situations. This study employed an instrument that allowed for the assessment of acceleration in job demands. Furthermore, the granular approach of the measurement model extended the perspectives of job demands and work intensification.

Details

Personnel Review, vol. 51 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0048-3486

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 February 2021

Leila Afshari

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships between the idealized influence component of transformational leadership (TL) and employee organizational commitment…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships between the idealized influence component of transformational leadership (TL) and employee organizational commitment in two different cultural contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from the members of two manufacturing organizations, one in Australia and one in Iran. Questionnaires were distributed to all levels of the two organizations. In total, 189 completed questionnaires were returned from the two countries, representing a response rate of 56.7%. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The results demonstrated statistically significant relationships between two forms of idealized influence –attributed and behavior – and the employees' organizational commitment in the Iranian sample. However, in the Australian sample, only idealized influence behavior showed a significant impact on employee commitment. Furthermore, the findings showed that identified motivation mediates the relationship between idealized influence behavior and organizational commitment.

Practical implications

The findings of the current research point to additional ways of increasing identified motivation that, in turn, enhances organizational commitment through leadership practices that are culturally informed. These findings are especially salient in culturally diverse and multinational organizations.

Originality/value

This paper has arrived at a deeper explanation of the processes through which leader behavior can produce employee commitment by clarifying the mediation role of identified motivation between idealized influence behavior and organizational commitment.

Details

Personnel Review, vol. 51 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0048-3486

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 December 2020

Aamir Hayat and Leila Afshari

Drawing from conservation of resources theory, this study explores how perceived organizational support mitigates the adverse consequences of workplace bullying on employee…

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Abstract

Purpose

Drawing from conservation of resources theory, this study explores how perceived organizational support mitigates the adverse consequences of workplace bullying on employee well-being mediated through burnout.

Design/methodology/approach

The data (N = 360) were collected from the hotel sector in Pakistan. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the data.

Findings

The findings demonstrated that workplace bullying not only has a direct negative impact on employee well-being but it also indirectly leads to diminished employee well-being by increasing employee burnout. In addition, the findings confirmed the moderating role of perceived organizational support, revealing that perceived organizational support plays a mitigating role in linking workplace bullying to employee well-being and burnout. Employees who experience workplace bullying may compensate for the depletion of their cognitive resources if they feel supported by their organization.

Practical implications

This study highlights the utility of managing workplace bullying to improve employee well-being and encourages human resource practitioners to develop policies that prevent workplace bullying.

Originality/value

The current research contributes to the validation of theory by examining the impact of workplace bullying on employee well-being in a cultural context with high power distance and subsequently, higher tolerance for workplace bullying. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this research is the first to investigate the moderating role of perceived organizational support on the meditated relationship between workplace bullying and employee well-being in Pakistan. Furthermore, the current study employs the conservation of resources theory to explore how employees obtain external resources such as organizational support to enhance their resource repository in handling workplace bullying.

Details

Personnel Review, vol. 50 no. 7/8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0048-3486

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 June 2019

Ali Hadian Nasab and Leila Afshari

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of authentic leadership (AL) on employee performance (EP) and to examine the mediating role of organizational commitment…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of authentic leadership (AL) on employee performance (EP) and to examine the mediating role of organizational commitment (OC).

Design/methodology/approach

Data were obtained from all employees (216) of tourism agencies in Guilan province (Iran) using a 19-item survey. In total, 173 questionnaires were returned, yielding a response rate of 80 percent. A mediation model was outlined and tested using structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results showed that AL had a significant effect on EP and OC. The findings further demonstrated the significance of the relationship between OC and EP confirming the mediating role of OC.

Practical implications

This study suggests that managers can promote OC and consequently EP by adopting an AL style. In addition, the managerial and theoretical foundations generated by this study can be considered a solution for improving EP.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the EP literature by providing a plausible explanation of the mediating role of OC in connecting AL to EP.

Details

Leadership & Organization Development Journal, vol. 40 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-7739

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 June 2016

Leila Afshari and Paul Gibson

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between transactional leadership and willing organizational commitment in two significantly different organizations (one…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between transactional leadership and willing organizational commitment in two significantly different organizations (one from the healthcare sector and one from manufacturing).

Design/methodology/approach

Partial Least Squares was used to develop a mediation model explaining the underlying mechanism between contingent reward leadership and willing organizational commitment.

Findings

The data indicates that, as expected, the relationship between transactional leadership and willing commitment in the manufacturing organization was mediated by both competence and relatedness; however, in the healthcare organization, to the surprise, this relationship was mediated by competence only.

Practical implications

The authors develop a model that could help organizational managers and consultants improve the productivity and effectiveness of their work by taking the findings into account.

Originality/value

Previous research has focused on the effectiveness of transformational research: this paper is one of the first to explore the relationship between transactional leadership and willing organizational commitment, taking into account the mediation effect of psychological need satisfaction.

Details

Leadership & Organization Development Journal, vol. 37 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-7739

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 February 2020

The goal was to try to find out if workers in Iranian tourist agencies benefited from the authentic leadership (AL) of their bosses

189

Abstract

Purpose

The goal was to try to find out if workers in Iranian tourist agencies benefited from the authentic leadership (AL) of their bosses

Design/methodology/approach

The authors tested out four hypotheses on 216 employees of tourism agencies in the Guilan Province of Iran using a 19-item survey. Out of the 216 questionnaires sent out, they received back 173 valid responses. All four hypotheses were confirmed by the results.

Findings

The data suggested that authentic leadership (AL) has a significant effect on both employee performance (EP) and organizational commitment (OC). The authors said the results suggested that managers could promote OC, and therefore EP, by adopting an AL style.

Originality/value

The authors felt their study contributed to research by demonstrating the mediating role of OC in connecting AL to EP. It was also the first study to explore these relationships in the tourism industry in Iran, a significant part of the country's economy.

Details

Human Resource Management International Digest , vol. 28 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0967-0734

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 February 2016

Hassan Mirzajani, Rosnaini Mahmud, Ahmad Fauzi Mohd Ayub and Su Luan Wong

The purpose of this study is to identify factors that affect teachers’ motivation to use information and communications technology (ICT) in the classroom. The study aims to…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to identify factors that affect teachers’ motivation to use information and communications technology (ICT) in the classroom. The study aims to determine the extent to which selected variables, such as personal experience, school environment and technological factors, influenced teachers’ tendency to accept and utilize ICT in teaching.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used primary data sources from Mazandaran, Iran, that included field notes and semi-structured interviews.

Findings

Results revealed that adequate support from administrators, directives to teachers to use ICT, appropriate ICT skills and knowledge as well as adequate resources were important factors that influenced the utilization of ICT in the classroom. Findings also showed that insufficient technical support discouraged teachers from using ICT in teaching, while increasing adequate equipment and technical support in schools encouraged teachers in this respect.

Research limitations/implications

Because this study was conducted on a small number of participants, its findings may not apply fully to other educational institutions.

Practical implications

The results from this study would be helpful to educational departments and institutions in their formulation of policies to encourage the use of ICT in education. The findings would also give a better insight of what constitutes an environment that is conducive for learning where ICT is integrated into the classroom.

Originality/value

By focusing on teachers’ intention, this study provides important insights into which factors influence teacher attitude to use ICT into classroom. As a result, the finding will help the development of e-learning quality enhancement and assurance strategies.

Details

Quality Assurance in Education, vol. 24 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0968-4883

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 November 2023

Leila Nikravan, Setayesh Zamanpour and Seyyed Mohammad Ali Noori

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of postbiotics and the use of postbiotics to increase the shelf life and…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of postbiotics and the use of postbiotics to increase the shelf life and quality of food.

Design/methodology/approach

In this review paper, all articles from five electronic databases containing Google Scholar, Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus and Science Direct were considered and selected according to the purpose of the study.

Findings

In addition to improving food safety and increasing its shelf life, natural food preservation using biological preservatives also has a positive effect on improving consumer health. As a result, protection using natural antioxidants and antimicrobial agents seems essential. Postbiotics, having favorable characteristics such as nontoxicity, long shelf life and ease of standardization and transportation, are known as suitable antioxidant and antimicrobial, and there is an interest in making antioxidant and antimicrobial active films containing postbiotics to delay spoilage, increase the shelf life of perishable foods without changing their sensory characteristics.

Originality/value

Postbiotic refers to all soluble factors that are either secreted from living probiotic cells or released after cell lysis. These compounds include enzymes, peptides, polysaccharides, organic acids, teichoic acids and cell surface proteins, and their effects have been proven to improve some human and animal diseases. Probiotic bacteria must survive unfavorable conditions such as processing, storage, distribution, preparation and the digestive system to exert their health-giving effects, whereas their metabolites (postbiotics) have overcome these adverse conditions well and may be a good substitute for probiotics.

Details

Nutrition & Food Science , vol. 54 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0034-6659

Keywords

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