Management Research Review

Mhatre, Snehal G.; Mehta, Nikhil K.

2023 Management Research Review

doi: 10.1108/mrr-11-2021-0800

This study aims to identify the present development of workplace spirituality (WPS) by synthesizing the findings from the WPS literature, identifying gaps and proposing a research agenda.Design/methodology/approachThis study reviews 72 articles on WPS published in scholarly journals to review their findings on how it has developed over time.FindingsThis review reveals a dearth of qualitative studies like the phenomenological approach, ethnographic research, mixed methodology and experimental research. Besides, the findings reveal various dimensions of spirituality in regard to the workplace. The synthesis reveals a paucity of research to examine WPS at the level of mesospiritual. The findings reveal the scope for cross-cultural studies in WPS that could support and advance inclusion and diversity in the organization. Also, there is scope to examine the relationship of WPS with mental and behavioral health, mindset, innovative behavior, sustainable behavior and trust. Further, the findings reveal the scope of studying the darker side of spirituality in the workplace.Research limitations/implicationsThis study offers significant implications to researchers, management and human resource management (HRM) practitioners by providing a holistic understanding of WPS. The literature review findings are limited to the analysis performed on seventy-two papers from Web of Science (WoS) and Google Scholar databases.Practical implicationsThis study provides suggestions and future research directions for researchers, HRM and management practitioners for the inclusion of spirituality. The review findings suggest the implications for management and HRM practitioners by understanding the research done in cognitive science and neuroscience related to spirituality to humanize the workplace. HRM practitioners can draw on the insights offered in this analysis to develop learning and development interventions in support of WPS, e.g. training programs for cultivating mindset through spiritual mentoring.Originality/valueThe study provides WPS development over time. It also provides a comprehensive outlook on WPS that highlights its positive and negative sides. The study contributes to the literature by categorizing the literature and proposing a research agenda to guide future WPS research.

Trang, Tran T.H.; Tho, Nguyen Dinh

2023 Management Research Review

doi: 10.1108/mrr-05-2022-0382

Drawing upon the capability approach, this study aims to investigate the impact of sense of competence on work–life and life–work enhancements. It also examines the mediating roles of mindfulness and flow at work in the above relationships.Design/methodology/approachA sample of 254 medical doctors in various hospitals in Vietnam was surveyed to validate the measures via confirmatory factor analysis and to test the model and hypotheses using structural equation modeling.FindingsThe results demonstrate that mindfulness and flow at work fully mediate the effects of sense of competence on both work–life and life–work enhancements, but sense of competence does not have any direct effect on both.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is among the first to examine the roles of sense of competence, mindfulness and flow at work in work–life and life–work enhancements, adding further insight into the literature on work–life balance. It also offers evidence for the capacity approach in explaining work–life and life–work enhancements in an emerging market, Vietnam.

Ritter, Barbara A.; E. Small, Erika; Everett, Christy

2023 Management Research Review

doi: 10.1108/mrr-11-2021-0838

This study aims to explore followers’ perceptions of leaders as predictors of performance appraisal (PA) participation and subsequent outcomes. Prior research has acknowledged the role of Leader–Member Exchange (LMX) quality in predicting PA participation. This study sought to add to this literature by investigating the effects of LMX dimensions (loyalty, affect, contribution and respect) and the effect of perceived leader prototypicality on PA participation and subsequent outcomes.Design/methodology/approachThe hypothesized model proposed that the LMX dimensions and leader prototypicality would predict PA participation, and the effect of PA participation on job and reward satisfaction would be mediated through PA satisfaction. Structure equation modeling using maximum likelihood estimation was used to test these hypotheses in a sample of 216 employees at a public utility company.FindingsAlthough results indicated partial support for the proposed mediated model, they also indicated more complex relationships. Leader prototypicality was related to PA participation, none of the four LMX dimensions had the predicted positive effect on PA participation, though they were differentially and directly related to PA satisfaction and job satisfaction.Research limitations/implicationsEmployees’ perceptions of leader prototypicality is important in engaging employee participation in the PA process, and more important to participation than was the quality of the LMX relationship. The extent to which employees participate in and subsequently experience higher levels of satisfaction with the PA process may be a reflection of how employees perceive their leader. And participation in and satisfaction with the PA process lead to increased reward and job satisfaction. Future research should incorporate supervisor perspectives of these relationships and use longitudinal design to better infer causality.Practical implicationsEmployee perceptions of leader prototypicality are important for encouraging their participation in the PA process, which has implications for reward and job satisfaction. Therefore, supervisors would benefit from understanding the traits (such as sensitivity, confidence and intelligence) that affect their subordinates’ leadership perceptions, and should be trained on successfully demonstrate those traits. Further, exchange relationships built on loyalty and respect affected PA satisfaction directly, which also positively affected job and reward satisfaction. Thus, supervisors should be trained to build trust- and respect-based relationships with employees.Originality/valueThe results of this study make significant contributions to the understanding of the antecedents of employee participation in and satisfaction with the PA process. The data suggest that the effect of perceived leader prototypicality on job and reward satisfaction is mediated through PA participation. Because implicit leadership theory has not previously been studied in the PA context, this new finding makes an important contribution to the PA literature. Further, by taking a multidimensional approach to LMX, these results indicated that the dimensions of loyalty and respect were related to PA satisfaction directly, but not through PA participation.

Vem, Linus Jonathan; Peter, Julfa Christian; Tali, Danjuma Nimfa; Ochigbo, Abel Daniel; Sambasivan, Murali; Nmadu, Teresa Mwuese

2023 Management Research Review

doi: 10.1108/mrr-07-2022-0518

There has been a growing concern about employee silence (ES) within an organization. ES is associated with low creativity and innovativeness, unethical organizational practices, avoidable errors and safety-related issues. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the mediating role of psychological insecurity (PI) in the relationship between leaders’ bullying behaviour (LBB) on defensive (DES) and acquiescent employee silence (AES).Design/methodology/approachData were collected among police personnel working in Plateau state Nigeria. In all, a total of 350 responses were found useable for further analysis, of the 398 copies of the questionnaire administered. A structural equation modelling technique was used via SMART-PLS version 3.3.3 to test the hypothesized relationship.FindingsThe findings of this study revealed that leaders’ bullying positively and significantly influences both AES and DES, and PI was found to mediate the relationship between LBB and AES and DES.Originality/valueLBB among the police has been under-researched, even when there is clear evidence of its existence. PI explains the mechanism through which LBB influences officers' silence.

Tuli, Nikhita; Shrivastava, Kunal; Khattar, Disha

2023 Management Research Review

doi: 10.1108/mrr-10-2021-0739

This study aims to clarify the ambiguous nature of equity sensitivity and understand the associations between equity perceptions and the personality domain in organizational behaviour.Design/methodology/approachThe study reviews 56 articles that rendered associations between different HEXACO personality domains and equity sensitivity and proposed a possibility of equity sensitivity being a situation-activated trait.FindingsThe domains of Honesty-humility, Conscientiousness and Agreeableness are predominantly associated with equity sensitivity. The domain of Emotionality is also associated but not as significant as the aforementioned domains. Unexpectedly, Extraversion, the domain of social interactions, and Openness to experience showed little to no associations. The transient nature of equity sensitivity has been proposed that postulates that such nature might help predict an individual’s personality characteristics in a given context.Originality/valueThis review is one of the first, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, to describe the associations between equity sensitivity and the HEXACO personality domains. Additionally, the situational nature of equity sensitivity and relationship with the personality traits is proposed.

Badri, Siti Khadijah Zainal; Yung, Carissa Tang Muk; Wan Mohd Yunus, Wan Mohd Azam; Seman, Noor Aslinda Abu

2023 Management Research Review

doi: 10.1108/mrr-04-2021-0275

This paper aims to examine the link between spirituality, work-life integration, work passion and mental health among millennial employees. It also tests the mediating effect of the dualistic model of work passion in the framework.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional quantitative design was adopted using samples of 167 millennial employees from the education and service sectors. Results were analysed using Statistical Package of Social Science, Process macro extension and AMOS modelling software.FindingsThe findings indicated that millennials’ spirituality was positively linked to harmonious passion, while work-life integration was positively linked with obsessive and high mental health symptoms. Mediating effects were also discovered in which harmonious passion fully mediated the positive relationship between spirituality and mental health symptoms. While obsessive passion partially mediated work-life integration and mental health symptoms.Originality/valueThis paper highlights the mediating influence of millennials’ work passion for explaining their mental health symptoms. It also suggests the practicality and essential roles of spirituality and work-life integration in managing the mental health of existing and future millennials in the workforce.