Customer misbehavior and store managers' work-to-family enrichment: The moderated mediation effect of work meaningfulness and organizational affective commitment

Born or not: A moderated mediation model of the relationship between work-family conflict and female employees' wellbeing based on fertility intention during the COVID-19 pandemic

The previous academic research on work-family conflict mainly focused on the relevant elements in the work field. This study concludes that elements of the family domain have a significant impact on the relationship between work-family conflict and employee wellbeing. Female employees' perceptions of wellbeing largely depend on their willingness to have children when they take on family roles. During COVID-19, employees had more time to fulfill both work and family roles in the family sphere due to the epidemic blockade, the contribution of the female employee's significant other (husband) in family matters had a significant impact on Fertility intention. This study using SPSS 24.0 AMOS 20.0 and M plus 7.4 statistical analysis tools to test the proposed hypotheses. In the paired data of 412 working female employees and husbands of Chinese dual-earner families with different occupational backgrounds, hypothesis testing results support that female employees' work → family conflict is negatively related to female employees' fertility intentions, and female employees' fertility intentions are positively related to wellbeing; female employees' family → work conflict is negatively related to female employees' wellbeing; husband's flexible work stress is negatively related to husband's share of housework; husband's share of housework moderated the front, rear and overall mediating effects by the fertility intention. When formulating policies, the managers should consider not only the direct effects of policies, but also the indirect effects that policies may have on other family members of employees. Managers should develop management policies during an epidemic that are more responsive to the actual needs of employees during an epidemic. The management of female employees should give due consideration to the family status of female employees and the enterprises should recognize the importance of childcare for female employees.

The Influence of Emotional Labor of Service Employees on Customer Service Misbehavior and Repurchase Intention: The Role of Face

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the emotional labor of service employees affects customer service misbehavior and repurchase intention and to explore the mechanism and boundary conditions.

Methods

We collected a total of 252 pairs of employee-customer valid matching data and used SPSS 24.0 and Mplus7.0 statistical analysis tools to perform statistical analysis and hypothesis testing.

Results

The results showed that employees' surface acting has a significant positive impact on customer misbehavior and negative impact on repurchase intention via perceived face threat, while deep acting has a significant negative impact on customer misbehavior and positive impact on repurchase intention via perceived face threat. And customer face threat sensitivity not only moderates the relationship between service employee emotional labor and customer perceived face threat but also moderates the indirect effect of surface acting on customer misbehavior and repurchase intention via customer perceived face threat.

Conclusion

Based on face theory, this study explained how and when emotional labor of service employees may affect customer service misbehavior and repurchase intention. These results contribute to the emotional labor and customer service misbehavior literature by introducing perceived face threat as an underlying mechanism and face threat sensitivity as a boundary condition. In addition, this study suggests that service-oriented enterprises should pay attention to the management and guidance of employees' emotional labor and try their best to let employees show deep acting rather than surface acting.

Using resilience and passion to overcome bullying and lack of meaning at work: a pathway to change-oriented citizenship

Purpose

This study adds to human resource management research by addressing relevant questions about how and when employees' suffering from workplace bullying may direct them away from voluntary efforts to improve the organizational status quo. It postulates a mediating role of beliefs about work meaningfulness deprivation, as well as beneficial, moderating roles of two personal resources (resilience and passion for work) in this link.

Design/methodology/approach

The research hypotheses were tested with survey data collected among employees who work in the construction retail sector.

Findings

A critical reason that bullying victims refuse to exhibit change-oriented voluntarism is that they develop beliefs that their organization deprives them of meaningful work, which, as the authors theorize, enables them to protect their self-esteem resources. The extent to which employees can bounce back from challenging situations or feel passionate about work subdues this detrimental effect.

Practical implications

When employees feel upset about being bullied at work, their adverse work conditions may translate into work-related indifference (tarnished change-oriented citizenship), which then compromises employees' and the organization's ability to overcome the difficult situation. Managers should recognize how employees' personal resources can serve as protective shields against this risk.

Originality/value

This study details the detrimental role of demeaning workplace treatment in relation to employees' change-oriented organizational citizenship, as explained by their convictions that their organization operates in ways that make their work unimportant. It is mitigated by energy-enhancing personal resources.

A two-study examination of age discrimination, work meaningfulness, and bridge employment intentions

Purpose

Based on the role theory, this study examines whether workplace age discrimination indirectly relates to older workers' bridge employment intentions through work meaningfulness.

Design/methodology/approach

Study 1 used two-wave time-lagged survey data from one hundred and seventy nurses (≥45 years old) from the Midwestern United States. Study 2 used three-wave time-lagged survey data from one hundred and eighty-six employees from a wide range of occupations in the United States. The online survey contains various self-reports on workplace age discrimination, work meaningfulness, affective commitment, and bridge employment intentions.

Findings

Results in Study 1 found that workplace age discrimination was negatively and indirectly related to older nurses' bridge employment intentions through their experiences of work meaningfulness. Results in Study 2 further confirmed the mediating role of work meaningfulness in the relationship between age discrimination and bridge employment intentions, above and beyond the role of affective commitment.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the research by testing the indirect relationship between workplace age discrimination and older workers' bridge employment intentions through work meaningfulness, further raising our awareness of the importance of social and interpersonal experiences in older workers' preretirement jobs to their late-career development.

Remote working: a double-edged sword for workers' personal and professional well-being

While research suggests that work centrality has a positive effect on work engagement and a negative influence on family satisfaction, these relations may differ as a function of one's work setting (onsite vs. remote working). In the present study, we examined the direct and indirect – through work-family conflict (WFC), family-work conflict (FWC), work-family enrichment (WFE), and family-work enrichment (FWE) – effects of work centrality on work engagement and family satisfaction. We also examined whether these effects of work centrality on work engagement and family satisfaction differed between onsite and remote employees. We used a cross-sectional survey design to test our hypotheses among a total of 432 employees, including 152 always working onsite and 280 working remotely. As expected, our results revealed that work centrality was positively related to work engagement and negatively to family satisfaction. Moreover, the indirect effects (IE) of work centrality on work engagement were significantly mediated by WFE, whereas the IE of work centrality on family satisfaction were significantly mediated by FWC, WFE, and FWE. Finally, the relations between work centrality and the outcomes (work engagement and family satisfaction) were stronger among onsite employees than among remote employees. These results revealed that remote working may act as a double-edged sword by buffering the negative effects of work centrality on family satisfaction but also limiting the positive effects of work centrality on work engagement. Organizations and managers should thus consider addressing employees' work centrality and work type in their efforts to promote employees' professional and personal well-being.

How Gig Worker Responds to Negative Customer Treatment: The Effects of Work Meaningfulness and Traits of Psychological Resilience

The negative interpersonal interaction between customers and platform gig workers has become a problem for platform owners and government. This study investigates the role of negative customer treatment in the context of gig work and its impact on gig workers’ sabotage behavior. A questionnaire survey approach was used in the study, collected three-wave survey data from 258 Chinese gig workers including food-deliver platform workers and app-based ride-hailing drivers. Both effects of the mediation and moderation were tested, all of which find support, using hierarchical multiple regression by SPSS22.0. Results indicate that negative customer treatment can also predict gig workers’ service sabotage through work meaningfulness. Furthermore, positive customer treatment acted as an effective safeguard against the effects of negative customer treatment on employee service sabotage. Trait psychological resilience can also mitigate the effects of a low level of work meaningfulness. The manuscript’s focus provides an interesting angle to the previous research, especially the inclusion of work meaningfulness and trait resilience, on negative customer treatment in the context of gig work. This study contributes to further broaden the perspective of conservation of resource (COR) theory for individual intrinsic motivation analysis. Practical implications for platform management and government governance have also been discussed in this manuscript.

Effects of sexual harassment on work–family enrichment: the roles of organization-based self-esteem and Polychronicity

Drawing on the work–home resources model, this study investigated the relationship between sexual harassment perceived by employees in the workplace and their work–family enrichment. We considered the potential mediating role of employees’ organization-based self-esteem and moderating role of their polychronicity. Using two-wave time-lagged data collected from 362 part-time Master of Business Administration students with full-time jobs in China, we found that perceived sexual harassment at work was negatively related to employees’ work–family enrichment via reduced organization-based self-esteem. Polychronicity alleviated the negative relationship between sexual harassment and organization-based self-esteem, and the mediating effect of sexual harassment on work–family enrichment through decreased organization-based self-esteem. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.

Mediating Effects of Work Eudemonic Well-being for the Association Between Psychosocial Work Environment and Overall Eudemonic Well-being Among Japanese Workers: A Cross-sectional Study

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the mediating effects of eudemonic well-being (EWB) at work for the associations between psychosocial work environment and overall EWB among Japanese workers.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from a 2018 survey. psychosocial work environment measures included: job demands, job control, and supervisor and coworker support. Path analysis using structural equation modeling and mediation analysis were applied to examine the mediating effects of work EWB.

RESULTS

A total of 834 workers were analyzed. Work EWB completely mediated the associations of job control (β = 0.288, P < 0.001) and coworker support with overall EWB (β = 0.178, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The effects of job control and coworker support associated with overall EWB were fully mediated by work EWB.

Is behaving unethically for organizations a mixed blessing? A dual-pathway model for the work-to-family spillover effects of unethical pro-organizational behavior

This research examines the mixed work-to-family spillover effects of unethical pro-organizational behavior. Drawing on conservation of resources theory and the work–home resources model, we develop a dual-pathway model to explain such effects. Based on a three-wave field study involving 214 respondents in China, we find engagement in unethical pro-organizational behavior to be positively associated with employees’ organization-based self-esteem and stress at work, which in turn, leads to work-to-family positive spillover and work-to-family conflict, respectively. We also find that performing tensions moderate the mixed effects of unethical pro-organizational behavior on organization-based self-esteem and work stress and the indirect effects of unethical pro-organizational behavior on work-to-family positive spillover and work-to-family conflict. Our findings have theoretical implications for business ethics scholars and practical implications for managers.

Informal learning, work engagement and their effects on work-family enrichment

Purpose

Drawing from work-family enrichment (WFE) model and path-goal theory of motivation, this paper proposes and tests work engagement (WE) as a mediator between informal learning and WFE.

Design/methodology/approach

Questionnaires measuring informal learning, WE and WFE were filled out by 290 hotel employees in India. The abovementioned linkages were tested via structural equation modeling.

Findings

The findings suggest that hotel employees' informal learning fosters their WE and WFE. The findings also reveal that WE partly mediates the impact of informal learning on WFE.

Originality/value

Most of employees' learning efforts in the workplace emerge from informal learning. However, there is still limited information whether employees' informal learning activates their WE, which is a timely and significant topic. Importantly, there is a paucity of evidence appertaining to the effect of informal learning on WFE, which is underrepresented in the current literature. Evidence about the mechanism linking informal learning to WFE is also sparse.

Relationships Among Leaders' and Followers' Work Engagement and Followers' Subjective Career Success: A Multilevel Approach

Using a sample of 52 work teams (52 work team leaders and their 348 followers) in China, we investigated the influence mechanism of leaders' work engagement on their followers' work engagement and subjective career success. A multilevel structural equation model (MSEM) was applied to analyze the survey data. The results of this study indicated that leaders' work engagement positively influenced their followers' subjective career success, and this relationship was mediated by the followers' work engagement. Implications of these findings, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed in the final section of the paper.

Work–family enrichment: an integrative review

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to provide an integrative review of work–family enrichment literature.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based upon 206 peer-reviewed papers derived from systematic search in the Scopus database. The review ascertains its relevance by analyzing the publication trends, research designs, data analysis techniques, sample characteristics, measures and findings of selected articles.

Findings

The study notes a rising trend of publication activity in the Asian region on this topic. Empirical research using regression is the most popular research design in this field. Most of the research studies have targeted samples based on family type and/or gender. The majority of the studies include directionality to measure work–family enrichment. Notably, work-related antecedents and consequences have received the most attention from the research community. Crossover models have concentrated on spousal dyad samples.

Originality/value

As per the authors' knowledge, the study is a primary attempt to integrate the extant literature on this subject. Additionally, the study presents the gender role ideology as a potential moderator and provides future research directions along with managerial implications.

Beware of side effects on quality! Investigating the implications of home working on work-life balance in educational services

Purpose

Telecommuting from home is back up on the agenda as a result of the unforeseen challenges brought by COVID-19. Working from home permits to avoid disruption in the ordinary functioning of educational institutions triggered by social distancing. However, home-based telecommuting may have some side effects on employees, especially in terms of work-life balance. Soft Total Quality Management (TQM) initiatives are needed to address these side effects. The article intends to shed light on these issues, providing some food for thought to scholars and practitioners.

Design/methodology/approach

Secondary data about the working conditions of 2,046 people employed in the education sector across Europe were investigated. A serial mediation analysis was designed to examine the direct and indirect implications of working from home on work-life balance.

Findings

The study suggests that home-based telecommuting may trigger work-to-life and life-to-work conflicts, due to the blurring of boundaries between work and everyday life. Soft tools, such as organizational meaningfulness (OM) and work-related well-being (WB), mediate the relationship between working from home (HW) and work-life conflicts (WLC), lessening the negative implications of working from home on work-life balance.

Practical implications

The design and the implementation of home-based telecommuting arrangements should include a special concern for soft TQM practices. Among others, OM and WB are likely to minimize the disruption of remote employees' jobs and interpersonal relationships. Failure to do so impairs the ability of home-based employees to make sense out of their working arrangements and to achieve a sustainable work-life balance.

Originality/value

This is one of the first attempts to illuminate the side effects of home-based telecommuting and to investigate the role of soft TQM in addressing these side effects.

The Influence of Mistreatment by Patients on Job Satisfaction and Turnover Intention among Chinese Nurses: A Three-Wave Survey

The affective event of mistreatment in the workplace has been recognized as an important factor influencing employee affect and behavior. However, few studies have logically explained and empirically clarified the link between mistreatment by patients and nurses' job satisfaction and turnover intention. The current study aimed to explore the effects of mistreatment by patients on nurses' job satisfaction and turnover intention through work meaningfulness and emotional dissonance, as well as the moderating role of hostile attribution bias. Using three-wave survey data collect from 657 nurses who worked in three hospitals in China, we found that mistreatment by patients had a negative effect on nurses' job satisfaction through work meaningfulness, mistreatment by patients had a positive effect on nurses' turnover intention through emotional dissonance. Furthermore, nurses' hostile attribution bias acted as an effective moderator on the relationship. These findings help uncover the mechanisms and conditions in which mistreatment by patients influences nurses' job satisfaction and turnover intention.