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Toward A Model Of Hardiness Development: The Effect Of Hope On Hardiness, Chin Heng Low, Paul Heng Leong Lim, Kevin Koh Dec 2021

Toward A Model Of Hardiness Development: The Effect Of Hope On Hardiness, Chin Heng Low, Paul Heng Leong Lim, Kevin Koh

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Hardiness has been proven to help with the management of psychological stress. It is an important state-like personality dimension that individuals can develop to cope with stressors. However, there is currently insufficient understanding on why hardiness develops in people. Through an exploratory study based on 55 undergraduate university students who worked on an international consulting project in return for grades, this research examines the relationship between individuals’ hardiness components of commitment, control and challenge and hope components of willpower and waypower. It is found that individuals’ hope components may be positively related to specific hardiness components. This bears considerable theoretical …


Going Far Together By Being Here Now: Mindfulness Increases Cooperation In Negotiations, Theodore Charles Masters-Waage, Jared Nai, Jochen Reb, Samantha Sim, Jayanth Narayanan, Noriko Tan Nov 2021

Going Far Together By Being Here Now: Mindfulness Increases Cooperation In Negotiations, Theodore Charles Masters-Waage, Jared Nai, Jochen Reb, Samantha Sim, Jayanth Narayanan, Noriko Tan

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Integrating theorizing across the mindfulness and negotiation literatures, we hypothesize that mindfulness increases cooperation in negotiations. We further propose that processes of self-transcendence, self-regulation, and self-awareness mediate this effect. We test these hypotheses in five studies across different forms of cooperation, in both distributive and integrative negotiation contexts, and for both measured and experimentally induced mindfulness. In Study 1a, individuals higher on measured state mindfulness displayed greater cooperative orientation measured as preference for pareto-optimal agreements. In Study 1b, experimentally induced mindfulness led to greater cooperative orientation measured as the recall of cooperative heuristics. In Study 2, a distributive (fixed-sum) negotiation, …


Unlocking The Creativity Potential Of Dialectical Thinking: Field Investigations Of The Comparative Effects Of Transformational And Transactional Leadership Styles, Roy Y. J. Chua, Jia Hui Lim, Wannwiruch (Fon) Wiruchnipawan Nov 2021

Unlocking The Creativity Potential Of Dialectical Thinking: Field Investigations Of The Comparative Effects Of Transformational And Transactional Leadership Styles, Roy Y. J. Chua, Jia Hui Lim, Wannwiruch (Fon) Wiruchnipawan

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

In a digital economy characterized by high volumes of information and ideas, many of which could be contradictory to one another, employees high in dialectical thinking should be well poised to connect disparate ideas to generate creative solutions for business problems. Yet, it is unclear whether dialectical thinking as a creativity-relevant skill can be realized in naturalistic workplace settings, given past mixed findings and the lack of field studies. We propose that supervisors’ leadership styles are important moderators that can unlock employees’ creativity potential in dialectical thinking. Additionally, we compare the activating effect of transformational leadership and the inhibiting effect …


Smart Manufacturing And Its Implications For Singapore's Smes, Thomas Menkhoff, Surianarayanan Gopalakrishnan Nov 2021

Smart Manufacturing And Its Implications For Singapore's Smes, Thomas Menkhoff, Surianarayanan Gopalakrishnan

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

While Covid-19 and the climate catastrophe continue to make headlines, local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are quietly setting the gears of Smart Manufacturing in motion with a strategic focus on digitising and automating production processes powered by "Industry 4.0" (I4.0) ready business models. A shared view among several interviewees we talked to recently in the context of an ongoing study on the impact of I4.0 on the business models of local manufacturers is that Industrial Internet-of-Things (IIoT), machine learning, visual computing, automation and digital twining are deemed of great importance for the long-term competitiveness of Singapore's manufacturing ecosystem on …


When Your Authority Fluctuates Throughout The Day, Eric M. Anicich, Michael Schaerer, Jake Gale, Trevor A. Foulk Nov 2021

When Your Authority Fluctuates Throughout The Day, Eric M. Anicich, Michael Schaerer, Jake Gale, Trevor A. Foulk

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

For many of us, the power we feel at work — how much, when it occurs, and around whom — can fluctuate. This can result in a surprising increase in stress and a decrease in well-being. To address this, consider these strategies for making power imbalances more manageable. First, be deliberate in scheduling your tasks to cluster activities with similar levels of power together. Second, give your work a routine and consider “theming” together days with similar activities. Third, create a role-transcendent identity in order to embrace your different levels of power. And finally, work to actively manage your well-being.


Carlos Ghosn: The Rise And Fall Of An Automobile Legend, Jochen Reb, Abhijeet K. Vadera, Sin Mei Cheah Nov 2021

Carlos Ghosn: The Rise And Fall Of An Automobile Legend, Jochen Reb, Abhijeet K. Vadera, Sin Mei Cheah

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Was it politics, greed, or hubris that led to Carlos Ghosn's downfall? On December 29, 2019, disgraced auto titan Carlos Ghosn (rhymes with ‘tone’) made an audacious escape from house arrest in Tokyo, where he had been detained on financial impropriety charges. Of all the places imaginable, Ghosn hid in a huge case for musical instruments, which was then loaded onto an aeroplane as cargo. Dubbed as “one of the most brazen and well-orchestrated escape acts in recent history, involving a dizzying array of hotel meet-ups, bullet train travel, fake personas, and the chartering of a private jet”, it was …


Burnout Isn’T Just Exhaustion: Workers Can Also Feel Cynical Or Inadequate, Tina Li Yi Ng, Andree Hartanto Nov 2021

Burnout Isn’T Just Exhaustion: Workers Can Also Feel Cynical Or Inadequate, Tina Li Yi Ng, Andree Hartanto

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Employers, take note: There’s more to burnout which corporate wellness initiatives alone cannot solve, say SMU researchers. The huge wave of resignations spurred by the pandemic has forced companies to confront burnout, implementing “burnout breaks” to curb the loss of productivity that comes with working too much. Though initiatives like “mental health weeks” are widely appreciated, they merely scratch the surface and do not solve the issue. To truly put out the flames of burnout, a precise diagnosis of the problem is critical. This is especially true in Singapore, the world’s most fatigued country where one in two workers feels …


An Initial Examination Of State And Longitudinal Effects Of Loving-Kindness Practice On Affective And Motivational States At Work, Theodore Charles Masters-Waage, Jochen Reb, William Tov Oct 2021

An Initial Examination Of State And Longitudinal Effects Of Loving-Kindness Practice On Affective And Motivational States At Work, Theodore Charles Masters-Waage, Jochen Reb, William Tov

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Objectives: Drawing on practices and concepts from Buddhist ethics, we developed a loving-kindness training. We investigated the state and longitudinal effects of this training on employees’ affective and motivational states at work in two studies. Methods: Study 1 tested this training program in a randomized controlled trial, comparing the effects of loving-kindness practice on employee affect and motivation with an active (mindfulness) and a passive (waitlist) control condition. Analyses focused on both longitudinal effects (increases in affect and motivation over the training period) and state effects (effects of practice on daily affect and motivation). Study 2 conducted a 1-week study …


Too Many Peas In A Pod? How Overlaps In Directors’ Local And Global Status Characteristics Influence Board Turnover In Newly Public Firms, Abhijith G. Acharya, Timothy G. Pollock Oct 2021

Too Many Peas In A Pod? How Overlaps In Directors’ Local And Global Status Characteristics Influence Board Turnover In Newly Public Firms, Abhijith G. Acharya, Timothy G. Pollock

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Drawing on status characteristics theory, we explore how boards’ social structures influence board turnover. We theorize that (1) understanding directors’ relative standing and spheres of influence in the local status hierarchy creates deference structures that reduce conflict and enhance stability, thereby reducing board turnover; and (2) shared performance expectations and attraction based on homophily in the global status hierarchy can also reduce conflict and enhance stability, and thus serve as another means of reducing board turnover. Using data on the five years following the initial public offerings (IPOs) of 218 firms that went public between 2001 and 2005, we find …


What’S The Best Way To Give Ground In A Negotiation?, Kian Siong Tey, Michael Schaerer, Nikhil Madan, Roderick Swaab Oct 2021

What’S The Best Way To Give Ground In A Negotiation?, Kian Siong Tey, Michael Schaerer, Nikhil Madan, Roderick Swaab

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

How much should you change your offer at each round of a negotiation? The stakes can be high: Give away too much and you devalue your offer; give away too little and you risk getting stuck in an impasse. The authors’ recent research shows that a rare approach to concessions — reducing the amount by which you reduce your offer each round — can yield the most value because it sends a clear signal about your final offer.


Close Friendships At Work Are Lifelines That Have Frayed During The Pandemic, Kenneth Tai Oct 2021

Close Friendships At Work Are Lifelines That Have Frayed During The Pandemic, Kenneth Tai

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

We have gone from having lunch with colleagues and meeting after work to eating hurriedly at our desks at home. The change in relationships at work also affects our productivity, argues SMU’s Kenneth Tai.


What Makes Employees Feel Empowered To Speak Up?, Shilpa Madan, Kevin Nanakdewa, Krishna Savani, Hazel Rose Markus Oct 2021

What Makes Employees Feel Empowered To Speak Up?, Shilpa Madan, Kevin Nanakdewa, Krishna Savani, Hazel Rose Markus

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Most managers understand that empowering employees to voice their opinions can help companies innovate and uncover their own shortcomings. However, this understanding does not seem to translate into action. Research shows that over 85% of employees remain silent on crucial matters because they worry about being viewed negatively. How can managers encourage employees to speak their minds at work? The authors’ new research identified a novel method to encourage employees to exercise their voice: creating a company culture that emphasizes the idea of choice. They found that employees were more likely to share their ideas and opinions at a company …


Why The Workplace Chameleon Is A Paradox For Diversity And Inclusion, Singapore Management University Aug 2021

Why The Workplace Chameleon Is A Paradox For Diversity And Inclusion, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

Do employees need to be like chameleons to survive certain corporate cultures, despite the best efforts of diversity and inclusion initiatives?


Actions Define A Character: Assessment Centers As Behavior-Focused Personality Measures, Anna Luca Heimann, Pia V. Ingold, Filip Lievens, Klaus G. Melchers, Gert Keen, Martin Kleinmann Aug 2021

Actions Define A Character: Assessment Centers As Behavior-Focused Personality Measures, Anna Luca Heimann, Pia V. Ingold, Filip Lievens, Klaus G. Melchers, Gert Keen, Martin Kleinmann

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

To expand our knowledge of personality assessment, this study connects research and theory related to two common selection methods: assessment centers (ACs) and personality inventories. We examine the validity of personality-based AC ratings within a multi-method framework. Drawing from the self-other knowledge asymmetry model (Vazire, 2010), we propose that AC ratings are suited to capture personality traits that are observable in social interactions, whereas other methods (i.e., self-ratings) are useful to assess more internal traits. We obtained data from two personality-based ACs, self- and other-rated personality inventories, and supervisor ratings of job performance. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that personality-based AC …


Ambivalent Bosses: An Examination Of Supervisor Expressed Emotional Ambivalence On Subordinate Task Engagement, Jia Hui Lim, Kenneth Tai, Maryam Kouchaki Jul 2021

Ambivalent Bosses: An Examination Of Supervisor Expressed Emotional Ambivalence On Subordinate Task Engagement, Jia Hui Lim, Kenneth Tai, Maryam Kouchaki

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Supervisors often have to manage conflicting and contradictory demands in increasingly dynamic work environments. In the process of doing so, they may express emotional ambivalence observed by subordinates. Drawing on emotions as social information (EASI) theory and research on unpredictability and stress, we examine when and why supervisor expressed emotional ambivalence influence subordinate outcomes. In two studies, we find that supervisor expressed emotional ambivalence is indirectly related to subordinate task engagement via supervisor unpredictability (Studies 1 and 2). In addition, supervisor unpredictability and anticipated stress serially mediate the effect of supervisor expressed emotional ambivalence on task engagement (Studies 3 and …


Competition And Cheating: Investigating The Role Of Moral Awareness, Moral Identity, And Moral Elevation, Abhijeet K. Vadera, Chandra Shekhar Pathki Jul 2021

Competition And Cheating: Investigating The Role Of Moral Awareness, Moral Identity, And Moral Elevation, Abhijeet K. Vadera, Chandra Shekhar Pathki

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Competition can lead individuals to cheat; yet our knowledge of why competition affects cheating and how to mitigate these effects is limited. To address this limitation, we first contrast two theories: arousal theories of competition (via desire to win) and social cognitive theory (via impaired moral awareness). Our results were consistent with social cognitive theory in that competition impairs moral awareness and that this impairment explains why people cheat. We therefore build on social cognitive theory and show that two factors, moral identity and moral elevation, which are likely to make morality salient, moderated the effects of competition on cheating …


Just Because You're Powerless Doesn't Mean They Aren't Out To Get You: Low Power, Paranoia, And Aggression, Michael Schaerer, Trevor Foulk, Christilene Du Plessis, Min Hsuan Tu, Satish Krishnan Jul 2021

Just Because You're Powerless Doesn't Mean They Aren't Out To Get You: Low Power, Paranoia, And Aggression, Michael Schaerer, Trevor Foulk, Christilene Du Plessis, Min Hsuan Tu, Satish Krishnan

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Due to its pervasive negative consequences, failing to understand the origins of paranoia can be costly for organizations. Prior research suggests that powerful employees are particularly likely to experience paranoia as others want to exploit the resources they control, implying that employees low in power should feel less paranoid. In contrast, we build on Conservation of Resources Theory and sociocultural perspectives of power to argue that the inherent vulnerability associated with being low power also evokes paranoia as a protection mechanism. Because paranoia causes employees to form malevolent attributions towards others, we predict that paranoia, in turn, leads to aggressive …


The Impact Of Concession Patterns On Negotiations: When And Why Decreasing Concessions Lead To A Distributive Disadvantage, Kian Siong Tey, Michael Schaerer, Nikhil Madan, Roderick I. Swaab Jul 2021

The Impact Of Concession Patterns On Negotiations: When And Why Decreasing Concessions Lead To A Distributive Disadvantage, Kian Siong Tey, Michael Schaerer, Nikhil Madan, Roderick I. Swaab

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

We propose that making a series of decreasing concessions (e.g., $1,500–1,210–1,180–1,170) signals that negotiators are reaching their limit and that this results in a negotiation disadvantage for offer recipients. Although we find that most negotiators do not use this strategy naturally, seven studies (N = 2,311) demonstrate that decreasing concessions causes recipients to make less ambitious counteroffers (Studies 1–5) and reach worse deals (Study 2) in distributive negotiations. We find that this disadvantage occurs because decreasing concessions shape recipients’ expectations of the subsequent offers that will be made, which results in inflated perceptions of the counterparts’ reservation price relative …


Helping Organisations Excel, One Breath At A Time: A Meditation Toolkit For Business Leaders, Theodore Charles Masters-Waage, Eva K. Peters, Jochen Reb May 2021

Helping Organisations Excel, One Breath At A Time: A Meditation Toolkit For Business Leaders, Theodore Charles Masters-Waage, Eva K. Peters, Jochen Reb

Asian Management Insights

Interest in meditation has risen dramatically in recent years, as these practices move beyond ancient monasteries to take root in big cities as well.


Steward Leadership: A Win-Win-Win Model For The Post-Pandemic Business Landscape, Rajeev Peshawaria, Yancy Toh May 2021

Steward Leadership: A Win-Win-Win Model For The Post-Pandemic Business Landscape, Rajeev Peshawaria, Yancy Toh

Asian Management Insights

Five decades after its publication, Friedman’s doctrine about the purpose of business remains a subject of vigorous debate.


Inspire But Don't Interfere: Managerial Influence As A Double-Edged Sword For Innovation, Fabiola Gerpott, Ronald Bledow, Jana Kuehnel May 2021

Inspire But Don't Interfere: Managerial Influence As A Double-Edged Sword For Innovation, Fabiola Gerpott, Ronald Bledow, Jana Kuehnel

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Managers play a pivotal role in the innovation process; yet, the mechanisms through which managers enhance or undermine innovation are not well understood. Drawing upon self-concordance theory, we argue that managers can augment employees' self-concordance—defined as the congruence of goals and actions with inner values and preferences—through transformational behavior and thereby contribute to innovation. However, transformational behavior is closely coupled to another form of influence, namely, process management, the attempt to directly manage innovation-related activities. This form of managerial influence reduces employees' self-concordance and thereby undermines innovation. We test our conceptual model in a sample of 188 innovation projects using …


Myth Busted: Why Increased Diversity Doesn't Always Improve Performance, Richard Holden Apr 2021

Myth Busted: Why Increased Diversity Doesn't Always Improve Performance, Richard Holden

Perspectives@SMU

Greater diversity doesn't necessarily equal better performance, and organisations still have to be mindful of how diversity is managed in order to improve performance, writes UNSW Business School's Richard Holden


Are Native Plants Green? Assessing Environmental Performances Of Locally-Owned Facilities, Narae Lee, Jiao Luo Apr 2021

Are Native Plants Green? Assessing Environmental Performances Of Locally-Owned Facilities, Narae Lee, Jiao Luo

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

We study the impact of corporate ownership and community conditions on firm environmental pollution. While the existing literature often thinks of environmental pollution as a unitary construct, we emphasize the distinction between toxic emissions, which have immediate but locally bounded impact, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions which have gradual but global impact, producing climate change. Using a facility-level panel of all manufacturing facilities in the US from 2010-2018, and leveraging within-facility changes in ownership status, we show that locally owned firms have lower levels of toxic emissions, but they are also less likely to report GHG emissions, and have higher …


Assessing Personality Dynamics In Personnel Selection, Joanna Sosnowska, Joeri Hofmans, Filip Lievens Apr 2021

Assessing Personality Dynamics In Personnel Selection, Joanna Sosnowska, Joeri Hofmans, Filip Lievens

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Recently, there have been repeated calls in the literature for an integrative approach to personality, in which both between- and within-person fluctuations are simultaneously considered. Although the integrative approach to personality offers a compelling extension of the traditional trait approach, one of the major challenges is its applicability in applied settings. In the present chapter, we address this challenge for the domain of personnel selection, showing that an integrative approach to personality assessment in selection settings is possible through careful consideration of available theories and selection methods. By explaining and delineating how existing concepts can be used and how existing …


Hidden Framings And Hidden Asymmetries In The Measurement Of Personality: A Combined Lens-Model And Frame-Of-Reference Perspective, Julian Schulze, Stephen G. West, Jan-Philipp Freudenstein, Philipp Schaepers, Patrick Mussel, Michael Eid, Stefan Krumm Apr 2021

Hidden Framings And Hidden Asymmetries In The Measurement Of Personality: A Combined Lens-Model And Frame-Of-Reference Perspective, Julian Schulze, Stephen G. West, Jan-Philipp Freudenstein, Philipp Schaepers, Patrick Mussel, Michael Eid, Stefan Krumm

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Objective: The symmetry principle and the frame-of-reference perspective have each made contributions to improving the measurement of personality. Although each perspective is valuable in its own right, we argue that even greater improvement can be achieved through the combination of both. Therefore, the goal of the current article was to show the value of a combined lens-model and frame-of-reference perspective. Method We conducted a literature review to summarize relevant research findings that shed light on the interplay of both perspectives and developed an integrative model. Results: Based on the literature review and on theoretical grounds, we argue that a basic …


A Self-Regulation Model Of Leader Authenticity Based On Mindful Self-Regulated Attention And Political Skill, Erik Dietl, Jochen Reb Apr 2021

A Self-Regulation Model Of Leader Authenticity Based On Mindful Self-Regulated Attention And Political Skill, Erik Dietl, Jochen Reb

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Despite much research on leader authenticity, its antecedents remain poorly understood. We develop a self-regulatory model of leader authenticity. The model explains how both mindful self-regulated attention and political skill, as well as their interaction, are important for leaders to be authentic, and ultimately effective. Mindful self-regulated attention – a core dimension of mindfulness defined as sustained attention centered on the present moment – helps leaders stay connected to their core self amid the busyness of their (work) lives, allowing leaders to feel authentic. And, particularly in combination with political skill – a social effectiveness construct –, it helps leaders …


Introduction To The Special Issue On “Grassroots And Inclusive Innovations: Conceptualizing Synergies And Complementarities”, Wee Liang Tan, Partha Gangopadhyay, Oscar Hauptman Mar 2021

Introduction To The Special Issue On “Grassroots And Inclusive Innovations: Conceptualizing Synergies And Complementarities”, Wee Liang Tan, Partha Gangopadhyay, Oscar Hauptman

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This special issue was initiated in 2016 by the three co-editors with a “Call for Papers” (Gangopadhyay et al., 2016). After significant delays starting with co-editors’ health and other personal issues, and ending with the COVID-19 Pandemic, the task of finalizing the special issue is reaching conclusion and it is time to take stock of the intellectual content. The objective of this introduction is to enable the audience to make easier sense when perusing the papers selected in a broader context, guided by conceptual framing.


Transaction Cost Theory: Past Progress, Current Challenges, And Suggestions For The Future, Ilya Cuypers, Jean-Francois Hennart, Brian S. Silverman, Gokhan Ertug Feb 2021

Transaction Cost Theory: Past Progress, Current Challenges, And Suggestions For The Future, Ilya Cuypers, Jean-Francois Hennart, Brian S. Silverman, Gokhan Ertug

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Transaction cost theory (TCT) has been fruitfully applied to a wide range of organizational phenomena, as reflected in a vast and evolving body of research. However, in part due to the theory’s broad success, important advances in some fields do not diffuse to other fields. In this essay, we lay out a path toward a pluralistic view of TCT that incorporates insights from multiple fields, primarily strategy and international business. In so doing, we critically assess the assumptions, key constructs, and evolving theoretical logic of TCT. We then propose an agenda for future research, highlighting opportunities for scholars to (1) …


Enabling Singapore's Youths To Adapt In An Era Of Climate Change, Thomas Menkhoff, Mark Chong, Benjamin Gan Feb 2021

Enabling Singapore's Youths To Adapt In An Era Of Climate Change, Thomas Menkhoff, Mark Chong, Benjamin Gan

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Nudging them towards more eco-friendly behavioural habits is arguably a feasible approach to build greater climate resilience.


Mind Your Language: The Effects Of Linguistic Ostracism On Interpersonal Work Behaviors, John Fiset, Devasheesh P. Bhave Feb 2021

Mind Your Language: The Effects Of Linguistic Ostracism On Interpersonal Work Behaviors, John Fiset, Devasheesh P. Bhave

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Business and demographic trends are conflating to bring language issues at work to the forefront. Although language has an inherent capacity for creating interpersonal bonds, it can also serve as a means of exclusion. The construct of linguistic ostracism encapsulates this phenomenon. Drawing on ethnolinguistic identity theory, we identify how linguistic ostracism influences two interpersonal work behaviors: interpersonal citizenship and interpersonal deviance. We conduct a set of studies that uses multisource data, data across time, and data from three countries. Our results reveal that linguistic ostracism was associated with the enactment of lower interpersonal citizenship behaviors and higher interpersonal deviance …