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.

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.

Reversing the endowment effect by empowering buyers and sellers

2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (9/10) ◽  
pp. 1827-1844 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugene Chan ◽  
Najam Saqib
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Conditions ◽  
Low Power ◽  
High Power ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Endowment Effect ◽  
Process Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Gift Card ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Potential Moderator

Purpose The endowment effect is well-established in economics, psychology and marketing where sellers place a higher value on a good than buyers. One potential moderator, namely, power is explored. The authors predicted that feeling powerful can reverse the effect, making buyers place a higher value on a good than sellers. Design/methodology/approach The authors manipulated power to assess the effects on the valuation of three different products (keychain, gift card and iPhone case). They also assessed participants’ focus on parting with the good (money), which is a loss, and receiving money (the good), which is a gain, for sellers (buyers). Findings Feelings of power reduced sellers’ prices but they increased buyers’. Crucially, the authors observed the endowment effect, but only under conditions of low power. When participants had high power, the effect reversed, with buyers placing a higher value on the good under transaction than sellers. Process data indicated that powerful buyers and sellers focused on what they gained and less on what they lost, compared to powerless buyers and sellers. Research limitations/implications The authors link the construct of power with the endowment effect, showing that the former can moderate the latter. Certainly, the endowment effect is well-established, but there are moderators and boundary conditions that warrant consideration. Practical implications The results suggest a case where the market may clear, where buyers value a consumer product more than sellers, and thus buyers would likely accept the offer made by sellers. Originality/value The authors are the first to link the power literature with the endowment effect. They also show a possible moderator for the well-established endowment effect.

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.

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.

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.

Homeownership in urban China: an empirical study of borrower characteristics and the Housing Provident Fund program in Kunming

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 318-339
Author(s):  
Weizhuo Wang ◽  
Christopher Gan ◽  
Zhiyou Chang ◽  
David A. Cohen ◽  
Zhaohua Li
Keyword(s):  
Logit Model ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Demographic Variables ◽  
Urban China ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Provident Fund ◽  
Housing Provident Fund

Purpose This paper aims to develop and estimate a logit model of whether homeownership could be promoted by participation in and use of the Housing Provident Fund (HPF) program, with a focus on factors that influence the use of HPF loans. Design/methodology/approach This paper develops and estimates a logit model of whether homeownership could be promoted by participation in and use of the HPF program, with a focus on factors that influence the use of HPF loans. Findings The results show that coefficients of marital status, educational level, age, duration of employment and employer are significantly related to the use of HPF loan for homeownership. Research limitations/implications Because of the chosen research approach, the research results may lack generalizability. Practical implications The research findings provide a better understanding of homeowners’ characteristics. Originality/value To manage the HPF program effectively, it is important for government to have a better understanding of the underlying demand for homeownership, especially with respect to the different demographic variables and accessibility to HPF loans and the HPF.

scholarly journals The magnificent “I” in business education: evidence from Greece

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 250-270
Author(s):  
Loukas N. Anninos ◽  
Alexandra Paraskevi Chytiri ◽  
Leonidas Chytiris
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Business Education ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Statistical Tests ◽  
Demographic Variables ◽  
Public Higher Education ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Traits ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to examine the level of narcissism and its individual traits in students who study business, in the particular context of a regional country such as Greece; and, second, to test how several demographic variables are related to narcissism levels. Design/methodology/approach The study consists of a theoretical part on narcissism in business education and an empirical part that was based on a survey conducted with the use of a questionnaire. The analysis includes hypothesis testing and basic statistical tests. Findings Findings suggest that sex, study levels, years of business experience and (personal/family) income do impact specific narcissistic dimensions, which may be a cause for concern both for employers and higher education providers. Research limitations/implications The study was conducted in a regional country, the participants were students of public higher education institutions only and the questionnaire was self-reported, which could lead to likely social desirability effects. Practical implications The investigation of narcissism in the Greek business education might be of interest to business education providers (for providing curriculum that help future managers/leaders to deploy the positive characteristics of narcissism and avoid or not to develop the negative ones) and to future employers to apply more effective human resource practices, i.e. selection, training, rewarding. Originality/value The study at hand aimed to investigate the presence of narcissism and its individual (narcissistic) behavioral dimensions in students studying business in Greece.

The interplay between social crowding and power on solo diners’ attitudes toward menus with popularity and scarcity cues

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 1227-1246 ◽  
Author(s):  
YooHee Hwang ◽  
Na Su ◽  
Anna Mattila
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Design ◽  
High Power ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Interactive Effect ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consumer Responses ◽  
Restaurant Managers ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Sense Of Power ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the interactive effect of social crowding and solo consumers’ sense of power on attitudes toward the restaurant menu with popularity and scarcity cues. Design/methodology/approach In total, 181 US consumers were recruited. Using a quasi-experimental design, social crowding and promotional cues on a restaurant menu were manipulated and solo consumers’ sense of power was measured. Findings Low-power individuals exhibited more favorable attitudes toward the menu with a popularity cue at a crowded restaurant. High-power individuals’ attitudes toward the menu were equally favorable across the two promotional cues and crowding levels. Practical implications Restaurant managers might want to leverage popularity cues on the menu during peak hours to appeal to solo diners. After diners indicate their dining type (alone vs with others) in kiosks and tablets, restaurants can tailor promotional cues accordingly. Restaurants can also embed more popularity cues in dinner (vs lunch) menus because dinner is more hedonic and social in nature. Originality/value This study contributes to the crowding literature by examining promotional cues on the menu and sense of power as moderators of consumer responses to crowding. This study further adds to the solo consumption literature by extending the notion of power and social crowding to ethnic dining contexts.

What Makes Some Intercultural Negotiations More Difficult Than Others? Power Distance and Culture-Role Combinations

2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 555-574 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meina Liu ◽  
Lin Zhu ◽  
Ioana A. Cionea
Keyword(s):  
Low Power ◽  
High Power ◽  
Information Exchange ◽  
Power Distance ◽  
High Status ◽  
Culturally Different ◽  
Negotiation Processes ◽  
High Power Distance ◽  
Intercultural Negotiation ◽  
Practical Implications

This study examines whether and how intercultural negotiation dyads that vary in culture-role combinations experience different negotiation processes and outcomes. Participants completed an employment contract negotiation with a culturally different counterpart. Results indicated that high-status, high-power distance negotiators paired with low-status, low-power distance negotiators experienced more anger, placed less emphasis on cooperative goals, used less priority information exchange, and, consequently, gained less joint profits than high-status, low-power distance negotiators paired with low-status, high-power distance negotiators. Theoretical and practical implications of the study are discussed.

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.

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