scholarly journals Employee stress and the implication of high-power distance culture: empirical evidence from Nigeria's employment terrain

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 1381-1400
Author(s):  
Emeka Smart Oruh ◽  
Chianu Dibia
Keyword(s):  
High Power ◽  
Power Distance ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Work Environments ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Overload ◽  
Work Related ◽  
High Power Distance ◽  
Employee Stress ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThis paper explores the link between employee stress and the high-power distance (HPD) culture in Nigeria. The study context is the banking and manufacturing sectors in Nigeria, which have a history of exploitation, unconducive work environments to productivity, work-life imbalance, work overload, burnout and employee stress.Design/methodology/approachUsing a qualitative, interpretive methodology, this article adopts a thematic analysis of data drawn from semi-structured interviews with 24 managerial and non-managerial workers to explore the process by which Nigerian manufacturing and banking sectors' work (mal)practices go unchallenged, thereby triggering and exacerbating employees' stress levels.FindingsThe study found that the high power distance culture promotes a servant-master relationship type, making it impossible for employees to challenge employers on issues relating to stressors such as work overload, unconducive work environments, work-life imbalance and burnout, thereby exacerbating their stress levels in a country in which stress has become a way of life.Research limitations/implicationsResearch on the relationship between employee stress and HPD culture is relatively underdeveloped. This article sheds light on issues associated with stressors in Nigeria's human resource management (HRM) and employment relations practices. The link between the inability of employees to challenge these stressors (which are consequences of an HPD culture) and increased employee stress has substantial implications for employment and work-related policies and practices in general. The study is constrained by the limited sample size, which inhibits the generalisation of its findings.Originality/valueThe article adds to the scarcity of studies underscoring the relationship between high-power distance and the inability of employees to challenge work-related stressors as a predictor of employee stress and a mediator between workplace practices and employee stress, particularly in the emerging economies.

Remediation of the challenges of reporting corporate scandals in governance

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sam Kris Hilton ◽  
Helen Arkorful
Keyword(s):  
High Power ◽  
Power Distance ◽  
Code Of Conduct ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Governance System ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Scandals ◽  
High Power Distance

Purpose The barrage of corporate scandals has become pervasive such that it collapsed high-profile organizations worldwide. Prior studies show that reporters of corporate scandals encounter a number of challenges which discourages them from disclosing wrongful acts to appropriate authorities to effect action. Thus, this study aims to examine the remediation of the challenges of reporting corporate scandals in governance. Design/methodology/approach The study used cross-sectional survey design. Primary data was obtained from 400 employees of selected organizations and analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation and regression techniques in Statistical Package of Social Science. Findings The results confirm that reporters of corporate scandals are confronted with challenges such as victimization, fear, suspension/dismissal, sideline and high power distance. However, these challenges can be remediated through award, code of conduct, free expression, participation/consultation and safeguard regulations to encourage and protect reporters of corporate scandals. Practical implications The findings imply that there should be an award scheme for reporters, and this must be made known to all employees. Furthermore, code of conduct for employees should include reporting of scandals together with its associated benefits and sanctions. Also, organizations would have to practice consultative/participatory governance system to minimize the effect of high power distance. Finally, regulations should be enacted and enforced to safeguard reporters of corporate scandals. Originality/value This research consolidated the challenges associated with reporting corporate scandals and provides remedies to curtail such challenges so as to encourage employees to report corporate scandals.

Spear phishing in organisations explained

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 593-613 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan-Willem Bullee ◽  
Lorena Montoya ◽  
Marianne Junger ◽  
Pieter Hartel
Keyword(s):  
High Power ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Power Distance ◽  
Demographic Variables ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Awareness Campaigns ◽  
Personally Identifiable Information ◽  
High Power Distance ◽  
Effect Of Age ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore how the opening phrase of a phishing email influences the action taken by the recipient. Design/methodology/approach Two types of phishing emails were sent to 593 employees, who were asked to provide personally identifiable information (PII). A personalised spear phishing email opening was randomly used in half of the emails. Findings Nineteen per cent of the employees provided their PII in a general phishing email, compared to 29 per cent in the spear phishing condition. Employees having a high power distance cultural background were more likely to provide their PII, compared to those with a low one. There was no effect of age on providing the PII requested when the recipient’s years of service within the organisation is taken into account. Practical implications This research shows that success is higher when the opening sentence of a phishing email is personalised. The resulting model explains victimisation by phishing emails well, and it would allow practitioners to focus awareness campaigns to maximise their effect. Originality/value The innovative aspect relates to explaining spear phishing using four socio-demographic variables.

Linking authoritarian leadership to employee organizational embeddedness, LMX and performance in a high-power distance culture: a mediation-moderated analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 393-411 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Muhammad Siddique ◽  
Hinna Fatima Siddique ◽  
Shama Urooj Siddique
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
High Power ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Power Distance ◽  
Work Outcomes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Authoritarian Leadership ◽  
High Power Distance ◽  
Organizational Embeddedness ◽  
And Performance

PurposeThis study has two primary objectives: (1) to shed light on the mechanism by which authoritarian leadership unfolds its impact on such critical aspects of subordinates' work lives as job satisfaction and in-role performance and (2) to identify the moderating conditions which place limits on the impact of authoritarian leadership on work outcomes.Design/methodology/approachData were collected on 552 supervisor-subordinate dyads from the United Arab Emirates. A series of research hypotheses were tested using a mixed-method statistical approach, including CFA and moderated hierarchical regression analysis.FindingsAs predicted, authoritarian leadership exerts negative impact on subordinates' job satisfaction and performance through poor quality LMX and weak employee organizational embeddedness. Both LMX and employee embeddedness mediated the negative relationship between authoritarian leadership and outcome measures while power distance moderated the relationship of authoritarian leadership with LMX and employee organizational embeddedness. Low power distance orientation was found to exacerbate the negative impact of authoritarian leadership on the quality of both LMX relationships and employee embeddedness.Research limitations/implicationsThe study shares limitations of most studies cast in the survey research design.Practical implicationsThe findings underscore the importance of work environment in nurturing high quality LMX relationships and employee organizational embeddedness to buffer the negative effect of authoritarian leadership on subordinates' job satisfaction and performance. In high power distance cultures where workplace inequality is largely rationalized, subordinates who perceive their leaders as authoritarian tend to show low job satisfaction and poor in-role performance. These findings illustrate the importance of management intervention in the early stage of recruitment and selection to attract managers receptive to egalitarian leadership approaches who can equip subordinates with appropriate resources to enhance their job satisfaction and performance outcomes.Originality/valueThe study offers valuable new insights into the mechanism by which authoritarian leadership influences work outcomes in a high-power distance culture. It represents first systematic effort in the Middle Eastern context to identify the conditions that mediate the linkage between authoritarian leadership and work outcomes. The study adds value to the literature by investigating the moderating role of power distance at the individual level of analysis. It detects significant differences in subordinates' perception of power inequality in the workplace in a culture viewed as a high-power distance culture and illustrates how such differences in turn shape the quality of LMX and employee organizational embeddedness.

Differential moderating effects of collectivistic and power distance orientations on the effectiveness of work motivators

2019 ◽  
Vol 58 (4) ◽  
pp. 644-665
Author(s):  
Jen-Shou Yang
Keyword(s):  
Low Power ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
High Power ◽  
Information Integration ◽  
Power Distance ◽  
Integration Theory ◽  
Moderating Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Power Distance ◽  
Willingness To Cooperate

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the moderating effects of power distance and collectivistic orientations on the effectiveness of intrinsic, extrinsic and reciprocal motivators in promoting employees’ willingness to cooperate for organizational interest. An integrated theoretical framework which incorporated cultural influence on need priority and on legitimacy of social exchange was established to develop the hypotheses. Design/methodology/approach This study used the methodology of information-integration theory to test the research hypotheses. Findings This study found that power distance orientation enhanced the effectiveness of extrinsic motivator but mitigated that of intrinsic motivator, and was irrelevant to that of reciprocal motivator. In contrast, collectivistic orientation mitigated the effectiveness of extrinsic motivator but enhanced that of reciprocal motivator, and was irrelevant to that of intrinsic motivator. Practical implications Managers may use reciprocal motivators for employees with high collectivism in order to increase their willingness to cooperate for the interest of the organization. Meanwhile, extrinsic motivators may be utilized for employees with high power distance but may not be as effective for those with low power distance. However, managers should not expect intrinsic motivators to be as attractive to those with high power distance as to those with low power distance. Originality/value By integrating multiple cultural orientations and multiple work motivators in one study, this research clarified the differential moderating effects of power distance and collectivistic orientations on the effectiveness of intrinsic, extrinsic and reciprocal motivators in promoting employees’ willingness to cooperate. Potential confounding problems in prior studies derived from the correlation between cultural values and coexistence of multiple motivators were discussed.

scholarly journals A study of the relationship between exit, voice, loyalty and neglect and commitment in India

2010 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 349-369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kamel Mellahi ◽  
Pawan S Budhwar ◽  
Baibing Li
Keyword(s):  
High Power ◽  
Power Distance ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Western Countries ◽  
The Past ◽  
High Power Distance ◽  
The Relationship

Drawing on exit, voice, loyalty and neglect (EVLN) literature, this study examines direct and interactive associations between organizational-level commitment and team-level commitment and the use of EVLN by managers in India. The study is based on a survey of 200 managers and supervisors from seven Indian firms. The findings on the use of voice are consistent with the past research in Western countries, but challenge the prevailing assumption about the use of voice in high power distance societies. The results also indicate that team-level commitment moderates the association between organizational-level commitment and the use of EVLN.

scholarly journals Job Satisfaction and Satisfaction with Work-Life Balance across Cultures

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamene Keneni Walga
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Low Power ◽  
High Power ◽  
Organizational Context ◽  
Power Distance ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Work Life Balance ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
High Power Distance

Abstract Objective: To determine the extent of and the relationship between Job Satisfaction (JS) and Work-Life Balance (WLB) across cultures. Methodology: European Social Survey (ESS) data 2012 were used to answer the research questions put forth. To organize and make meaning of the data, both descriptive and inferential statistics have been used. Mean scores and standard deviations of job satisfaction and satisfaction with work-life balance (WLB) were computed for all the 29 countries. Correlation analysis was used to discern and test for the correlations among the variables of interest. Independent samples t-test was used to compare countries with high power distance and those with low power distance on job satisfaction and satisfaction with work-life balance (WLB). Findings: Mean scores of job satisfaction and satisfaction with WLB and correlation coefficients between the two varied across the countries under study as expected. Mean scores of job satisfaction ranged from 6.53 in Ukraine to 8.20 in Denmark. Similarly, mean scores of satisfaction with WLB varied from 6.08 in Russia to 7.65 in Denmark. Pearson’s coefficients of correlation between job satisfaction and satisfaction with WLB varied from .301 in Finland to .667 in Ukraine. Of the six dimensions of culture, only power distance had moderate inverse relationships with both job satisfaction and satisfaction with WLB. Furthermore, as a group, countries with low power distance (PD) had significantly higher job satisfaction than countries with high power distance. Value Added: The study highlighted the relevance and importance of job satisfaction and satisfaction with WLB in organizations. It also showed the universality and culture-specificity of job satisfaction and satisfaction with WLB. Recommendations: Managers need to pay attention to enhancing employees’ job satisfaction and satisfaction with WLB to ensure organizational effectiveness regardless of organizational context. Managers also need to employ culturally appropriate managerial strategies in promoting job satisfaction and satisfaction with LWB.

scholarly journals POWER DISTANCE AS A MODERATOR OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ORGANISATIONAL JUSTICE AND JOB SATISFACTION

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Azman Ismail ◽  
Noor Azmi Mohd Zainol ◽  
Hilmi Azani Husain ◽  
Nurshahira Ibrahim ◽  
Yusof Ismail
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Distributive Justice ◽  
Low Power ◽  
Procedural Justice ◽  
High Power ◽  
Power Distance ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Organisational Justice ◽  
High Power Distance ◽  
The Relationship

Lacking awareness of appropriate type of power to apply might cause top management to implement equitable practices that fail to produce job satisfaction among subordinates. This study attempts to assess the relationship between organisational justice, power distance and job satisfaction among employees of Selangor Office of State secretary, Malaysia. It employed a survey method to gather data from the employees. The SmartPLS is used to evaluate the psychometric properties of the survey data and test the research hypotheses. The results of SmartPLS path model analysis revealed two important findings: First, the interaction between distributive justice and low power distance was significantly correlated with job satisfaction. Second, the interaction between procedural justice and high-power distance was significantly correlated with job satisfaction. This outcome confirms that the relationship between distributive justice and job satisfaction is moderated by low power distance, while the relationship between procedural justice and job satisfaction is moderated by high power distance. Further, significant recommendations from this study can help practitioners to understand diverse perspectives of power distance and draw up cross-cultural management plans to enable their human resource to contribute towards the attainment of the organisation’s vision and missions.  

scholarly journals National culture and the distribution of foreign aid

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 359-368
Author(s):  
Phuong-Tra Vu ◽  
Phung Bao Ngoc Van
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Aid ◽  
National Culture ◽  
High Power ◽  
Power Distance ◽  
Foreign Assistance ◽  
The Other ◽  
High Power Distance ◽  
Individualistic Culture ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
High Uncertainty

This paper investigates the relationship between a country’s national culture and the level of aid it grants to other countries. We rely on Hofstede’s culture framework to quantify national culture and find that national culture and aid are significantly related. Specifically, we show that countries having high power distance, high masculinity and high uncertainty avoidance cultures appear to refrain from engaging in foreign assistance programmes. On the other hand, high individualistic-culture countries tend to provide greater levels of foreign aid. Overall, the results imply that national culture matters in shaping the donation behaviour of aid providers.

Whistleblowing propensity in power distance societies

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 212-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert Puni ◽  
Alex Anlesinya
Keyword(s):  
High Power ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Power Distance ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Scandals ◽  
African Context ◽  
High Power Distance ◽  
Culture Of Silence ◽  
Global War

Purpose This study aims to examine the link between power distance culture and whistleblowing intention or propensity in the African context. Design/methodology/approach The study achieves its aim by reviewing literature on power distance culture and whistleblowing, and it draws on the outcomes of relevant previous studies. It then reflects on some cultural practices in Africa in relation to the topic and uses examples from Ghana to exemplify the discussions. Findings It is considered unacceptable and disrespectful for subordinates to challenge or question their superior’s actions and decisions in high power distance societies. High power distance culture increases the perception of the negative consequences of whistleblowing, as whistle-blowers are regarded as traitors instead of civic heroes. These issues consequently provide major disincentives to subordinates engaging in whistleblowing, leading to low whistleblowing propensity in high power distance societies and implications for the increasing rate of corruption in Africa. Practical/implications The study findings imply that high power distance culture creates a “culture of silence”, which in turn provides fertile grounds for corporate crimes and unethical conducts. Authorities in high power distance societies should therefore institute adequate incentive schemes and shields to encourage and safeguard the safety of whistle-blowers. Originality/value In this era, where corporate scandals have become the order of the day and indeed a global canker, this study brings to the fore the destructive and limiting roles of culture, specifically power distance culture on the global war against unethical corporate practices and scandals.

Role of perceived work–life balance between work overload and career commitment

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 169-183
Author(s):  
Shobitha Poulose ◽  
Manoranjan Dhal
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Career Commitment ◽  
Law Enforcement Officers ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Overload ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe purpose of the study is to examine the mediating effect of perceived work–life balance (WLB) between work overload and career commitment among law enforcement officers in India. The study also explores whether satisfaction with organizational WLB strategies moderates the relationship between work overload and perceived WLB.Design/methodology/approachThis research is based on a sample of 819 law enforcement officers through a structured questionnaire based data collection. The reliability coefficient of the scales varied between 0.86 and 0.94. The study adopted a hierarchical multiple regression analysis to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe result supported the mediating role of perceived WLB in the relationship between work overload and career commitment. It also demonstrated that the impact of work overload on perceived WLB would be diminished among employees having high levels of satisfaction on organizational WLB strategies.Practical implicationsThe research findings have significant policy implications for the organization under study and a reference for many others with deteriorating WLB to amend the existing policy or formulate new measures.Originality/valueThe present study expands the scant literature on the mediating role of perceived WLB between work overload and career commitment. The study also furthers the literature by exploring the moderating roles of WLB strategies between work overload and perceived WLB.

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