Business Commons^™

Knowledge Management Paradigms, Philosophical Assumptions: An Outlook On Future Research, Isabel D.W. Rechberg

Publications and Research

This study informs knowledge management (KM) research assessing the philosophical assumptions and paradigms that have formed around the discipline. Reviewing positivism, critical realism, interpretivism or constructivism, and pragmatism the researcher suggests to draw on constructivism to inform KM theory. Moreover it is suggested that a mixed methods approach is the most suitable to engage in research on KM so that a flexibility can be maintained that will allow to detect what KM is and how knowledge can be managed.

The Dark Side Of Charismatic Leadership: A Social Exchange Perspective, Bin Ma

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation focuses on a possible dark side of charismatic leadership and its behavioral consequences from a social exchange perspective. By revealing the positive correlations between charismatic leadership and the Dark Triad personality traits of narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy, this study provides empirical evidence for the possibility of charismatic leaders with negative personality traits generating harm. Based on a sample of 99 leader-follower dyads recruited from a Chinese work organization, the findings suggest that more charismatic leaders are more likely to behave in autocratic ways and the followers of such leaders will more likely enact pro-leader unethical behaviors. These findings …

Internalised Values And Fairness Perception: Ethics In Knowledge Management, Isabel D. W. Rechberg

Publications and Research

This chapter argues for ethical consideration in knowledge management (KM). It explores the effect that internalised values and fairness perception have on individuals’ participation in KM practices. Knowledge is power, and organisations seek to manage knowledge through KM practices. For knowledge to be processed, individual employees—the source of all knowledge—need to be willing to participate in KM practices. As knowledge is power and a key constituent part of knowledge is ethics, individuals’ internalised values and fairness perception affect knowledge-processing. Where an organisation claims ownership over knowledge, an individual may perceive being treated unfairly, which may obstruct knowledge-processing. Through adopting ethical …

Status, Power, And Apologies: How Status And Power Shape The Willingness To Apologize And The Perception Of Victims, Louis Lipani

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Apologies are interpersonal tools that individuals employ to repair damaged relationships. Management scholars have largely ignored the role that power and status play in the apology process. Across three studies I experimentally manipulate power and status and examine the apology process via a workplace scenario. In Study 1 I propose that power and status have different implications with respect to one’s willingness to apologize. I orthogonally manipulate power and status and examine their effect on people’s willingness to apologize. I find that status, but not power, impacts one’s willingness to apologize. In Study 2 I posit and find that apologies …

Symptomatic Leadership In Business Instruction: How To Finally Teach Diversity And Inclusion For Lasting Change, Linda L. Ridley

Publications and Research

Are business faculty complicit in mythologizing business concepts by ignoring historical precedence?

The refusal to examine in totality the history of discrimination and racism allows us to perpetuate a mythology of white supremacy that is enhanced through impotent diversity programs repeated throughout corporate America. This paper examines the importance of demythologizing the business curriculum through symptomatic thinking, which allows faculty and students to untangle the quagmire of diversity and inclusion in corporate America. Students are thereby equipped with tools for behavior transformation in the workplace that uses a symptomatic, rather than symbolic approach, to decision making and problem solving.