Toyotism and Brahminism Mathew, Saji K.; Jones, Robert
Employee relations,
01/2013, Letnik:
35, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to analyse the cross-cultural reasons underlying the extreme industrial unrest experienced during the first seven years of Toyota's operations in India. ...Design/methodology/approach - The paper employs a case study approach using data obtained from 30 personal interviews, field notes, observations, and internet media sources. Findings - The paper reports how Toyotism shares three common features with Brahminism - renunciation, performance, and perfection - and how antipathy towards the manner in which these features were implemented in India caused significant resistance amongst the production workforce. Research limitations/implications - The paper has implications for academics and practitioners in helping to understand how employee relations, unrest and antagonism towards lean manufacturing practices are closely related to cross-cultural issues prevalent in host countries. Originality/value - The concept of Brahmanism in Indian employee relations is under-researched in comparison with other aspects of Indian culture and antipathy towards the concept as a source of resistance to the implementation of lean systems needs to be better understood.
Purpose - Previous crisis communication research has primarily examined the external dimension of crisis communication, i.e. the crisis response strategies applied by organizations to protect and or ...restore their image or reputation among external stakeholders in a crisis situation. The purpose of this paper is to set up an integrative framework for the study of internal crisis communication in private and public organizations.Design methodology approach - The paper takes a theoretical approach reviewing the literature on crisis management and crisis communication and discussing the concept of internal stakeholder and the implications of a staged approach.Findings - An integrative framework for the study of internal crisis communication is developed based on two assumptions: first, that internal crisis communication research must start with a detailed study of the relationship between an organization and its internal stakeholders (in this case: the employees) to clarify to what extent internal crisis communication differs from external crisis communication; and second, that internal crisis communication research can best be systematized applying a staged approach (precrisis stage, crisis event, postcrisis stage) as an heuristic method.Originality value - Apart from a few exceptions, the internal dimension of crises, crisis management, and crisis communication has, by and large, been unexplored.
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to elucidate the relationship between perceived employee influence and organizational commitment by applying a multidimensional approach that includes influence ...perceived to stem from the individual and the team, as well as affective and normative commitment.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 526 out of a population of 732 employees (72 percent reply rate) from four Danish companies in different industries and with different types of teams participated in the questionnaire study.
Findings
Results of bootstrapping mediation analyses reveal that a relationship between perceived influence of the team and affective commitment is fully mediated by perceived individual influence. Results of multiple regression analyses show a positive relationship between team and individual influence, and that normative commitment moderated the relationship negatively. The results are to suggest that influence of the team may stimulate employees’ individual influence, and in turn their affective commitment, if their normative commitment is not very high.
Research limitations/implications
Generalization of the results to cultures, which are dissimilar to the Danish should be cautiously considered and further studies are needed to elucidate causality between the variables.
Originality/value
The identification of normative commitment as a variable that can potentially hinder that employees experience their teams to enhance their individual freedom elucidates the conditions that may be behind different current findings in the literature. The finding that suggests that employees need to perceive that they benefit from their team's influence in order to feel more affective committed to their organization adds to knowledge about team work's possible effects for employee attitudes.
Purpose - In recent years, the literature on person-environment fit as a sought-after outcome has burgeoned whereas misfit has been relatively neglected. Specifically, little research has ...investigated how people develop and maintain perceptions of not fitting in. The aim of this paper is to review past research on misfit, and present new data examining the role of coworker social relations in surfacing or diminishing perceptions of misfit.Design methodology approach - Written data were collected from 167 participants and analyzed using thematic coding. Themes emerging from the data were compared against the model of person-environment misfit.Findings - From the authors' analysis of previous misfit research they identify four dimensions of misfit: sociodemographic, individual differences, structural, and social. The authors' data support and extend these dimensions. Further, the findings suggest that the social context is related to perceptions of misfit.Practical implications - Managers can play a key role in misfit perceptions, both through action and inaction. Managers should note the importance of social relations in perceptions of misfit, and aim to provide supportive and well-structured work contexts.Originality value - This paper makes four key contributions to the person-environment fit literature. One is the categorization of dimensions of misfit, developed from past research. The second is the provision of three conceptual models summarizing different approaches to misfit in relation to fit. Third, the paper provides a novel perspective on misfit by focusing on social norms as the background against which misfit is experienced. Fourth, this research supports and extends on the four component model of misfit developed in the authors' initial review.
Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to take a critical look at anti-bullying initiatives at work. It questions current prescriptive thinking about effective ways of tackling workplace bullying, ...illuminating neglected contextual conditions and organizational constraints that affect attempts to develop and sustain pre-emptive management programmes.Design methodology approach - A qualitative case approach was employed for a comparative analysis of two anti-bullying initiatives: one each in the public and private sectors.Findings - The case results challenge the popular belief that business needs provide an impetus to coherent action against mistreatment at work, revealing the significance of local reactions and the mediating influence of competing subcultures and group identities on the "working out" of formal initiatives.Research limitations implications - This research underlines the importance of extending bullying research to include more in-depth and applied work on the problems of enacting and sustaining anti-bullying initiatives.Practical implications - Effective action against bullying involves more than policy making, rule forming and guideline setting. It is important to cultivate the resilience of those at the sharp end of anti-bullying projects, and engage with managers and employees who experience difficulties or confront unpalatable changes to their work situation as anti-bullying initiatives develop.Originality value - This article casts light on an under-researched area, since available literature concentrates on the underlying causes and consequences of workplace bullying. Prescriptions for tackling the problem tend to be drawn out of causal and impact studies with limited empirical evidence about their viability, or analysis of possible constraints on their implementation.
Purpose - The purpose of this paper is twofold: to evaluate the importance of the factors reported in the literature as enablers of Continuous Improvement (CI) programmes and to determine the ...perception of managers of different companies in the Basque Country and Navarre (Spain) regarding the relevance of these factors to their improvement programmes.Design methodology approach - In total, 15 elements have been considered to be key issues for the sustainability of CI programmes. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 36 companies in order to assess how the companies value the factors and how the factors are applied and measured.Findings - The findings regarding the application and evaluation of such factors have revealed that companies are focused on the agents associated with the achievement of results. Other factors, such as management commitment or the promotion of team working, are highly scored and applied, but few companies evaluate them or take actions to improve their application.Originality value - This paper analyzes the application of some factors considered to be enablers or key factors for the sustainability of continuous improvement systems. Furthermore, it examines the mechanisms or indicators which are used by some companies to measure the application of those factors.
Satyagraha and employee relations Mathew, Saji K.; Jones, Robert
Employee relations,
01/2012, Letnik:
34, Številka:
5
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the role of non‐violent protest (
satyagraha
) in a multinational automobile plant in India that has suffered from considerable employee relations ...problems.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper employs a case study of a Japanese‐owned company using data obtained from 30 personal interviews and from internet media sources.
Findings
It is found that workers initially pursued their protests through
satyagraha
‐style methods before taking on a more violent posture when company management refused to accept any notion of jointly seeking a new harmony. The reasons for these developments are explored.
Practical implications
The paper has implications for the manner in which scholars and practitioners view the respective roles, significance, and management of
satyagraha
and non‐
satyagraha
protest in Indian companies.
Originality/value
The importance of
satyagraha
in Indian employee relations is under‐researched in comparison with other factors, and is especially significant for culturally‐unaware multinational companies in successfully understanding and managing protest in the workplace context.
Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine associations between work-family conflicts, threat appraisals, self-efficacy, and emotional exhaustion. Threat appraisal was hypothesized to mediate ...relations between work-family conflicts (work-to-family and family-to-work) and emotional exhaustion. Self-efficacy was hypothesized to moderate relations between work-family conflicts and threat appraisal, with relations expected to be weaker for individuals high in self-efficacy.Design methodology approach - University employees (n=159; 67 percent female) participated in this non-experimental study. Data were gathered via questionnaire. Two-thirds of participants completed measures of work-family conflicts and threat-appraisal a few weeks prior to completing measures of self-efficacy and emotional exhaustion; remaining participants completed one cross-sectional survey.Findings - Observed relations were consistent with predicted mediation hypotheses. Contrary to predictions, self-efficacy did not moderate relations between work-to-family conflict and threat-appraisal and the relation between family-to-work conflict and threat-appraisal was stronger for those with higher self-efficacy. Self-efficacy was negatively related to emotional exhaustion.Practical implications - Organizations should foster positive work-family climates to help alleviate work-family conflicts. Managers should demonstrate compassion when dealing with employees who have serious family concerns, as even efficacious individuals may find such situations threatening.Originality value - This research integrates stress theories with research on the work-family interface. The relevance of threat appraisal and the role of self-efficacy are highlighted.
