Influence of Transformational Leadership on Organizational Citizenship Behavior and Organizational Task Performance Cross Level Analysis on Micro Small and Medium Enterprises in Indonesia: Acces la Success

In industry 4.0, individual behavior in organization is still very much considered as the main determinant of organizational performance. Organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) is one of the unique behavior of individuals affecting the effectivity of the organization. This study focuses on organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) based on the aspects of antecedents and their consequences. This study aims at examining (1) the indirect influence of transformational leadership on individual performance through organizational citizenship behavior motivation (OCBM) and OCB, (2) the direct influence of OCB on individual performance and organizational performance, (3) the direct influence of OCB for individual performance and organizational performance. This study was conducted to 66 heads of small business and 410 employee at small business in West Sumatera and analyzed using cross level methods and hypothesis testing using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM). This study found that 1). OCBM and OCB simultaneously mediate the relation between transformational leadership with individual performance and also have role in elevating the individual performance, 2) individual performance is the mediator between OCBM with organizational performance and it contributes in elevating the organizational performance. The theoretical and practical implications of this study are the tranformational leadership (TL) is able to motivate the members to carry out OCB actively in organizations. Some limitations and future research directions are discussed.

Stakeholders' Involvement, Organizational Learning and Social Innovation: Factors for Strengthening the Resilience of Moroccan Cooperatives in the Post-COVID-19 Era

The Moroccan cooperative sector is increasingly important, not only in the social and economic fabric of Morocco, but also in the sustainable development of the Kingdom. With the advent of COVID, the cooperative sector offers more inclusive and sustainable economic alternatives than ever before. In this context, organizational resilience is essential to preserve the sustainability of cooperatives and anticipate potential crises. This study addresses the following issue: What are the organizational factors necessary to strengthen the organizational resilience of the Moroccan cooperative in the Fez-Meknes region in times of COVID-19 crisis? The purpose of this paper was to test the hypothesized relationships between a set of latent constructs (actor involvement and mobilization, organizational learning in times of a crisis and social innovation) and the organizational resilience of cooperatives in times of a COVID-19 crisis. The methodology adopted is structural equation modeling based on the PLS-SEM method under the "SmartPLS Version 3” used on data collected through a printed questionnaire administered to 160 cooperatives in the Fez-Meknes region. The results show the significant and positive influence between the exogenous constructs on the strengthening of organizational resilience of cooperatives as an endogenous construct. The novelty of the study lies in the identification of the organizational resources needed to strengthen the organizational resilience of cooperatives in the Moroccan context. The results show that organizational resilience depends on three selected organizational factors: stakeholder involvement and mobilization, organizational learning in the times of a crisis and social innovation.

The Model of Organizational Performance Based on Employees' Dynamic Capabilities-Verification During Crisis Caused by Black Swan Event

The article concerns the potential influence of employees' dynamic capabilities on the performance of entire organization, which operates in crisis caused by Black Swan event. It is the expansion of job performance model based on employees' dynamic capabilities, proposing the possibility of translating the positive influence of those capabilities onto entire organization and underlining the importance of employees' dynamic capabilities during crisis within organization. Based on literature analysis, the shape of the amended model is proposed, in which employees' dynamic capabilities influence organizational performance through elements of the original model (person-job fit, work motivation, job satisfaction, work engagement and job performance), and additional ones: person-organization fit, person-supervisor fit. The proposed model is empirically verified based on the sample of 1160 organization operating in Poland, Italy and USA during an active wave of COVID-19 pandemic (which is an example of Black Swan event). The results obtained using path analysis confirmed that employees' dynamic capabilities indeed influence organizational performance of organizations operating in crisis caused by Black Swan event through elements proposed in the model.

Academic Framing of Computational Representations in the Virtual Classroom during Covid-19

Keywords: Agenda;Framing;Social representations;Expectations;Computer Introduction The development of research projects often requires the competition of computers, software and data analysis techniques, but the acceptance, appropriation and intensive use of them presents limitations in terms of utility and risk expectations [1]. Some explanatory models of human capital formation suggest that the formation of talent or intellectual capital in intangible assets of organizations is due to habitus [3]. [...]the predictive models of the social representations of these determinants have not been observed in the explanation of the relations with the intensive use of technologies, devices and electronic networks. [...]the objective of the present work was to establish the academic link relative to the social representations of computer computers, considering the dimensions of the organizational, educational and cognitive models. Methodology A documentary, retrospective and exploratory study was carried out with a selection of sources indexed to international repositories Table 1, considering the indexing period from 2019 to 2021, as well as the search by allusive keywords for negative (stigma, risk, rejection) and positive (utility, acceptance, appropriation) (Table 1) Content analysis and opinion matrices were used, considering the inclusion of findings, ratings and comparisons of coded data such as;-1 for negative dimensions (stigma, risk and rejection) and +1 for positive dimensions (utility, acceptance and appropriation) The qualitative data analysis package was used, considering equation (1) in which the contingency relations and the proportions of probabilities of taking risks in permissible thresholds of human capital formation stand out The contrast of the null hypotheses was made from the estimation of these parameters.

The impact of organizational culture and total quality management on the relationship between green practices and sustainability performance

PurposeThis study aims to examine the direct and indirect effects of organizational culture (OC) and total quality management practices (TQMPs) on the relationship between green practices (GPs) and sustainability performance (SP) by using structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis.Design/methodology/approachThis study proposed a conceptual research model of the relationships and formulated six hypotheses. This study used a structured questionnaire based on previous studies to collect relationship data to test these hypotheses, and 441 full-time managers from various US businesses responded. The complete and valid survey responses were then tested against the hypotheses using IBM SPSS Statistics and SEM-AMOS.FindingsResults supported the relationships proposed in the research model. They indicated that a strong supporting OC and TQMPs might improve positive SP and GPs. Additionally, the more managers are aware of their companies' GPs, the more likely they will feel positive about the organization's SP.Research limitations/implicationsA larger sample size to ensure statistically minimum representation in several major industries would better validate the findings and help identify significant differences in industry-specific OCs, TQMPs, GPs and SPs. Similarly, ensuring a varied geographical representation (both within the USA and internationally) would help determine if the findings vary according to the respondent's location. Furthermore, collecting the data during Year 1 of the COVID-19 pandemic may have skewed the results. Thus, once the working environment has been normalized, the survey should be repeated to determine if the findings are valid post-pandemic.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study provide important strategic guidance for managers who work to balance the implementation of corporate GPs and the triple bottom line dimensions of SP. For practitioners, the results showed that companies could accomplish both profitability and sustainability if they are willing to continuously pay attention to environmental issues and strategically invest in cost-efficient and eco-friendly initiatives.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this research is one of the first to explore how OC and TQMPs, directly and indirectly, affect the relationship between GPs and the triple bottom line dimensions of SP. These results imply that OC and TQMPs have a significant indirect impact on the relationship between GPs and the SP dimensions.

The influence of organizational values on employee attitude and information security behavior: the mediating role of psychological capital

PurposeWith increased remote working, employers are concerned with employees' commitment and compliance with security procedures. Through the lens of psychological capital, this study aims to investigate whether strong organizational values can improve employees' commitment to the organization and security behaviors.Design/methodology/approachUsing Qualtrics platform, the authors conducted an online survey. The survey participants are college-educated, full-time employees. The authors used structural equation modeling to analyze 289 responses.FindingsThe results indicate perceived importance of organizational values is associated with increased organizational commitment and information security behavior. The authors find that psychological capital partially mediates these relations suggesting that employees' psychological capital effectively directs employees toward an affinity for the organization and information security behavior. The results highlight the importance of organizational values for improving security behavior and organizational commitment. Second, the results suggest that psychological capital is an effective mechanism for this influence. Finally, the authors find that individual differences (gender, organizational level and education) are boundary conditions on their findings, providing a nuanced view of their results and offering opportunities for further investigation.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to explore organizational values in relation to information security behaviors. In addition, this study investigates the underlying mechanism of this relationship by showing psychological capital's mediating role in this relationship. Therefore, the authors suggest organizations create a supportive environment that appreciates innovation, quality services, diversity and collaboration. Furthermore, organizations should communicate the importance of these values to their employees to motivate them to have a stronger affective commitment and a more careful set of security behaviors.

Antecedents and consequences of telecommuting on public organizations in Iran: the case of west Azerbaijan province

PurposeTelecommuting can reduce traffic congestion, energy consumption, prevalence and a death toll of COVID-19 among employees due to less transportation and fewer physical contacts among employees, on the one hand, and efficiently develop their use of information and communications technology, on the other hand. In this regard, the present study aims to explore antecedents and consequences of telecommuting in public organizations.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a descriptive survey method to collect data. The statistical population includes all employees of government organizations in West Azerbaijan province in 2020, which according to the collected information, their number is equal to 63,079 employees. Based on Cochran's formula, a sample size of 686 people was obtained;stratified random sampling was used to select sampling. The process of calculating the sample volume was such that after referring to the preliminary sample and processing the collected data, the variance of the given answers was approximately 0.446. After obtaining the variance of the data, assuming a maximum acceptable error of 5% and a significance level of 0.05, the Cochran's formula calculated the sample size to be 686 people. In order to collect and measure data for the study, a standard questionnaire and the collected data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.FindingsFindings indicate that there is no meaningful relationship between the employees' physical job conditions or the quality of their life with telecommuting and that telecommuting does not have a significant effect on their life. However, job burnout, training and telecommuting experience have a significant positive effect on telecommuting, which in turn has a positive and significant effect on job security, job flexibility, organizational performance and overall productivity of employees.Research limitations/implicationsThis research is a cross-sectional study, and its data have been collected in a certain period of time, while longitudinal research can provide a richer result. Future research can benefit from the impact of employee isolation and telecommuter organizational commitment.Originality/valueThis study hopes to contribute to the increase of the scientific knowledge in the telecommuting field and to allow organizations to rethink the telecommuting strategies to optimize resources and costs and to improve the organization's productivity without harming the quality of life and well-being of their workers.

Organizational Culture and Business-IT Alignment in COVID-19: A Swiss Higher Education Case Study

This paper assumes that cultural characteristics of IT are critical for business-IT alignment (BITA), especially in crises such as COVID-19. A case study of a Swiss higher education institution examines this relationship and its contributions in terms of performance. The study develops a strategic alignment and organizational culture research model based on semi-structured interview guidelines by interviewing employees with different job roles and characteristics. It reveals the dominance of corporate infrastructure and process-strategic orientation and the combined influence of clan, hierarchy, and market culture. Results mapping leads to novel propositions for BITA at different management levels.

Determinants of positive mental health during organizational change: role of continuous learning, mindfulness and change-efficacy

PurposeBy integrating job demands-resource (JD-R) theory and organizational change approach, the paper investigates determinants of positive mental health (PMH) of employees experiencing unpredictable organizational change (i.e. transition from physical work to remote work and other associated changes during the Covid-19 pandemic). The paper aims to examine the direct and indirect effects of continuous learning (CL) and mindfulness (MF) on PMH of employees via their perceived change-efficacy (CE).Design/methodology/approachTime-lagged primary data were collected from a cohort of information technology employees experiencing organizational change in the past one year. During the first stage, data was collected on variables, including CF, MF and CE, whereas response on PMH of employees was collected after one month. AMOS-24 has been used to assess the measurement model and perform the analysis.FindingsAt the outset, the study affirms that CL, MF and CE significantly contribute toward PMH of employees. The mediation analysis suggests that CE significantly mediates both relationships (i.e. CL-PMH and MF-PMH).Practical implicationsFirst, CL and MF are key to recovering from a crisis and enhancing PMH of employees. Second, employees' CE is an essential ingredient for organizations to successfully implement organizational changes while amplifying the PMH of employees.Originality/valueThe study is one of its kind which examines the antecedents of employees' mental health during organizational change while examining the mediating role of their CE. The findings contribute substantially to the literature of organizational change and JD-R theory by integrating and extending it to organizational change context.

Surviving adversity: personal and career resilience in the AEC industry during the COVID-19 pandemic

This study aimed to explore the personal and career resilience of project management practitioners working in the Architectural, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industries and their organizational support in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The global pandemic offered a unique opportunity to explore resilience both as a state (using quantitative scales) and as a process (using qualitative responses) in the context of a shared transboundary disturbance in normal routines. A mixed methods approach was used to triangulate quantitative and qualitative data from an online survey which included established scales and open-ended questions. Informed by a total of 121 valid survey responses, hierarchical regression analysis of the scales provided insights into the relationship between career and personal resilience and how personal resilience contributed to greater career resilience and the ability to positively adapt to the pandemic's consequences. The quantitative analysis was complemented by a thematic analysis of the open-ended responses to identify the forms of organizational support that were important for resilience building during the pandemic. Organizational resources, such as training, mentoring, increased communication, and greater management support fostered employee adaptation to the pandemic shock. Evidence-based recommendations are made for AEC organizations to facilitate better workforce preparation for future adversities through providing effective resilience-promoting support mechanisms. The findings add to the body of knowledge by providing a better understanding of the importance of personal and career resilience and the role of organizational support in the process of resilience-building during adversities.

Enablers of work from home culture: an integrated empirical framework

PurposeWith the emergence of COVID-19 and increased infections, organizations urged their employees to work from home. Furthermore, with the on-going pandemic, employees take measures to ensure individual safety and their families. Hence, work from home culture can result in long-term employee satisfaction. However, no study addresses the development of work from the home culture in an integrated framework. Therefore, the current research explores the role of safety during the pandemic, organizational commitment and employee motivation on work from home culture, which may influence employee satisfaction. Furthermore, job demands and home demands were also evaluated for employee satisfaction.Design/methodology/approachThe study used existing scales of the factors to develop the measures and collect perceptual responses from employees working from home, supported with a pre-test. The study executed a survey with effective responses from 132 individuals spread across different sectors to validate the hypotheses. The responses were analysed using partial least squares in ADANCO 2.2.FindingsFindings suggest safety concerns along with organization commitment enhances work from home culture. Such work from home culture enhances employee motivation and employee satisfaction. Furthermore, job demands and home demands also influence employee satisfaction.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors knowledge, the study is the foremost to develop an integrated empirical framework for work from home culture and its antecedents and consequences. The study has several important implications for managers.

The impact of a pandemic on knowledge sharing behavior: a COR perspective: Very Informal Newsletter on Library Automation

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to look at the attitudes of the employees in terms of sharing knowledge during COVID-19 in an online environment and the various difficulties associated and to analyze knowledge sharing (KS) in a virtual office setting, using the conservation of resources theory.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative approach was used by conducting face-to-face interviews online through GoogleMeet, Skype and Zoom. A total of 34 interviews from 14 multinational companies (or their subsidiaries), in a supervisory role, were conducted for the study. A thematic analysis was conducted to analyze the responses.FindingsDuring a crisis, the tendency of employees to share knowledge at the individual, team and organizational level increases and is interlinked. The results of this study suggest that during the initial phases of lockdown, the creativity levels among employees were high;however, as the work from the office got postponed because of extended lockdowns, the creativity level of employees saw a dip. Furthermore, the findings of this study also highlighted that KS in remotely located teams was found to be dependent on the extent to which the team members knew each other, such that known teams were in a better position to share knowledge than a newly formed team with unknown or less known members.Research limitations/implicationsThis study has 34 respondents which is an acceptable number for a qualitative inquiry. However, the number of industries could be increased for generalization purposes. Responses were collected from a group of knowledge workers who were willing to correspond digitally, using social media channels of the authors, such as Linkedin. Responses collected personally could provide different results.Practical implicationsThis study provides insights into visible change in organizational processes. The conceptual model developed in this study has several implications which will help chief knowledge officers to understand why the various individual, team and organizational factors lead to KS, particularly with respect to COVID-19.Originality/valueThis study has explored a contemporary phenomenon – KS during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, in an online environment. This study depicts the extant literature on knowledge management during a pandemic, thus bridging the scholarly gap. This study tried to bring in a broader perspective by selecting respondents across continents, domains and varied age groups. Fourth, most studies analyzing KS/knowledge hiding in the extant literature, especially during the pandemic, have followed a quantitative approach. This study followed a qualitative approach to gain insights into the KS of the firm and the thoughts and practicalities behind it.

Online knowledge sharing and creativity in the context of working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic: Very Informal Newsletter on Library Automation

PurposeThe COVID-19 lockdown has forced many organizations and employees to work from home. In such uncertain and unprecedented context, it is crucial for organizations to stimulate their employees' creativity to adapt to new working environment and thus to sustain and improve organizational performance. This paper aims to examine how to stimulate employees' creativity by focusing on their online knowledge sharing (OKS) behaviors, their use of online platforms and their organizations' innovation climate in a working from home (WFH) context because of the lockdown. For empirical analysis, this research uses data from Vietnam – a developing country in the Southeast Asia.Design/methodology/approachData are collected from employees working in Ho Chi Minh City but WFH during the COVID-19 lockdown. Structural equation models are used for analyzing the data.FindingsOnline platform use and organizational innovation climate are positively associated with creativity directly and indirectly via the mediating roles of internal and external OKS.Research limitations/implicationsThis research provides policymakers, organizational leaders and managers with an important evidence on how to stimulate creativity by emphasizing the roles of knowledge sharing, online platforms and innovation climate. Accordingly, relevant practical implications are also drawn to sustain or improve organizational performance in the context of WFH context because of COVID-19 lockdown. This research also contributes to knowledge management literature by providing an evidence on the relationships between online platform use, organizational innovation climate, OKS and creativity.Originality/valueThis research is among the early attempts that explore the associations between employees' use of online platforms, their organizations' innovation climate, their internal and external OKS behaviors and their creativity in the context of WFH because of a lockdown.

The role of organisational commitment and leader-member exchange in knowledge application during the COVID-19 pandemic: Very Informal Newsletter on Library Automation

PurposeThis study aims to examine the role of organisational commitment (affective, normative, continuance) in influencing employees' knowledge application behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study also probes the moderating role of leader–member exchange (LMX) in the association between organisational commitment and knowledge application.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a sample of 206 employees working in various private sector organisations in Brunei Darussalam. Structural equation modelling using Smart-PLS was used to test the hypothesised relationships.FindingsThe findings show that affective and normative organisational commitment spurred employees' knowledge application behaviour significantly during the COVID-19 crisis. However, the moderating effect of LMX could not be established in this study.Practical implicationsThe findings provide managers with insights into the crucial role organisational commitment can play in encouraging knowledge application in an organisation.Originality/valueStudies exploring the enabling factors of knowledge application are scarce, especially in the context of a global crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This study develops a model and empirically validates the importance of organisational commitment for knowledge application amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. This study also provides insights for managers into how LMX can affect knowledge application outcomes, particularly during uncertain times.

The organizational side of a disruption mitigation process: exploring a case study during the COVID-19 pandemic

This paper deals with the mitigation process of the COVID-19 pandemic. Scholars propose and discuss several mitigation strategies to face the COVID-19 disruptions, mainly focusing on technology and supply chain redesign related aspects. Less attention has been paid to the organizational aspects of the mitigation process. We address this gap through an in-depth analysis of the reactive organizational practices implemented by an Italian company during the COVID-19 pandemic. We further compare these practices with those proposed in the disruption management literature to identify common traits and differences. The results show that the overall management of a pandemic's mitigation process does not significantly differ from that of conventional disruptions, since both contexts require the same basic organizational practices. However, some peculiarities on how these practices should be implemented in a pandemic setting do emerge, such as the implementation of a cyclic rather than linear problem-solving process, the adoption of a learning-by-doing approach, the need of a risk-taker mindset and the importance of creativity and improvisation. Besides complementing the literature, these findings allow to provide indications to managers on how to organize and coordinate the activities during the mitigation process, as well as on what capabilities and competencies should be leveraged to face the pandemic's disruptions.

Postsecondary Competency-Based Education: Analyzing Leadership Perception

Utilizing competency-based education (CBE) initiatives as a practice is gaining traction across higher education settings. With the onset and residual effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, such initiatives are gaining additional encouragement. CBE has produced some positive outcomes in terms of higher education. Researchers indicated that CBE implementation from leadership could create a bettered work environment and connection between faculty, staff, and administration when employed by leaders. Despite the previous research, there remains a gap in understanding how CBE implementation can be helpful in higher education from the administration, students, and faculty perspectives. For this purpose, the study aimed to explore the use of CBE as an initiative within a higher-education two-year institution in the southern region of the United States. The findings of this study were to provide insight into the effectiveness of CBE as a means of meeting the needs of higher education faculty, staff, and administration, which ultimately may also benefit students. The resultant themes identified through the interviews with participants were linked with organizational culture and stakeholders' roles within the higher-education setting. The findings demonstrated positive effects when CBE initiatives are employed in higher-education settings. The results also delineate the importance of using CBE in leadership and connection with staff, faculty, and administrative employees. This study's findings were also found in congruence with previous assessments, detailed in this assessment.

"The old order Changeth!” Building sustainable knowledge management post COVID-19 pandemic: Very Informal Newsletter on Library Automation

PurposeThe global pandemic and the resulting rapid and large-scale digitization changed the way firms recognized and understood knowledge curation and management. The changing nature of work and work systems necessitated changes in knowledge management (KM), some of which are likely to have a long-term impact. Using the lens of technology in practice, the purpose of this study is to examine the impact of technology agency on KM structures and practices that evolved across five knowledge-intensive global organizations. This study then argues that sustainable knowledge management (SKM) systems evolve in specific contexts.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts a qualitative case study design to examine five multinational knowledge-intensive global organizations' KM systems and practices across diverse industry sectors.FindingsBased on the findings, the authors develop SKM systems and practices model relevant to a post-pandemic organizational context. The authors argue that KM digitization and adoption support socialization in knowledge sharing. Further formalization through organizational enabling systems aids the externalization of knowledge sharing. Deliberate practices promoted with leadership support are likely to sustain in the post-COVID era. Further, organizations that evolved ad-hoc or idiosyncratic approaches to managing hybrid working are more likely to revert to legacy KM systems. The authors eventually theorize about the socialization of human-to-human and technology-mediated human interactions and develop the three emerging SKM structures.Originality/valueThis study contributed to practitioners and researchers by developing the various tenets of SKM.

The mobile technological era: insights into the consequences of constant connectivity of personal devices by knowledge workers

PurposeAs employees' adoption of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) has increased, so has research interest into the impact of BYOD on human resources outcomes. The present study aims at understanding the relationship between BYOD and human resources outcomes.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs the inductive data-driven content analysis approach to analyze the data collected through qualitative semi-structured interviews with a sample of 28 knowledge workers from different occupational sectors in Mauritius.FindingsThe results show the double-edged sword brought about by BYOD implementation. This trend is associated with perceived job performance, job satisfaction, organizational commitment and work motivation while also having an effect on work-life conflict and stress.Practical implicationsThis study has implications for organizations that are concerned about formulating guidelines and policies in relation to workers' adoption of BYOD in the workplace. This trend permits employees to continue to communicate and work irrespective of new working conditions and social distancing since the Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way organizations operate around the globe.Originality/valueDriven by the JD-R theory, themes and sub-themes were linked by the emerging relationships to present a conceptual framework to understanding employees' well-being since this is a pertinent research area for scholars and practitioners, as well as a topic of growing prominence for modern organizations.

Forced telecommuting during the COVID-19 lockdown: the impact on corporate culture in Spain and Kazakhstan

PurposeThis paper studied organizational culture in two different countries during the COVID-19 lockdown, a stressful social and labor context that obliged entire working populations to telecommute from home. We considered how people have coped with this new scenario, bearing in mind that one of the most relevant aspects of organizational culture and climate is the face-to-face interactions that take place in offices. With telework, that important physical relationship disappears and, since body language has its own grammar, work-related messages logically become open to misunderstanding between leaders and subordinates, as well as among peers.Design/methodology/approachAn anonymous questionnaire (in Spanish and Russian) was distributed through the LinkedIn social media platform. The study intended to capture responses from white-collar professionals with managerial profiles, including those occupying high and medium-level positions, consultants, section directors, and project managers across different industries in both the countries. We collected 142 responses from Spain and 115 from Kazakhstan, with a total of 257 valid responses. Principal component's analysis (PCA), to obtain factorial axis was applied. We then performed a factor analysis of those principal components using Coheris Analytics SPAD 9.1.FindingsThe first finding herein points to the fact that the same experience had different consequences in these two different places, which can be traced back to national-cultural values. Spain and Kazakhstan share some common values and, at the same time, are culturally opposite. People fear uncertainty and one of the best ways to avoid this feeling is to provide them with technical and emotional support to manage a situation. During the COVID-19 lockdown, professionals from both countries expected their bosses to be assertive, driven, attentive and encouraging. And it seems they got just that. Secondly, a robust structure is mandatory for feeling secure: workers reported devoting more hours to telecommuting at home and even felt that their jobs were invading their personal lives, but they handled it because they knew to whom they should report. Procedures, rules, and methods were clear enough to avoid uncertainty. They even invented new rituals, patterns and practices that helped to reinforce their sense of belonging to the team. On top of this, in their responses, they noted that leaders acted consistently, even admirably, during lockdown and, for this reason, they gained their subordinates' respect.Research limitations/implicationsResponses from female participants more than doubled those from males in this sample. Women are assumed to prefer flexible working conditions so that they can better take care of children and/or elderly or dependent persons, but this could just be a long-standing bias. On the other hand, the incorporation of women into professional life has feminized work environments, translating into more concern for workers' personal circumstances and more awareness of the human relationships therein. Thus, independent of the country studied, gender is another factor to consider for future research.Practical implicationsThis article proposes further exploratory study of how organizational contexts are affected by unexpected, informal and even radical changes, as well as of organizations' ability to manage said changes by looking to their cultural values.Originality/valueFacing a common enemy— the coronavirus— seems to have made workers more positive and less prone to complaining. Workers have been resolute and have tried their best not only in their individual work, but also with their co-workers and teams. The data suggests that, even when analyzing two diverse countries in terms of their cultural historical, and sociological contexts, companies' reactions impacted their employees somewhat similarly and engendered similar responses. At the same time, the reactions of Spanish and Kazakhstani professionals vary on certain aspects, and, surprisingly, converge in terms of avoiding uncertainty, w ich suggests a conservative reaction in both countries. This study concludes that structure (clarity of procedures, norms, patterns) and leaders' recognition of their employees' efforts to overcome uncertainty were of utmost importance.

The effects of organizational learning culture and decentralization upon supply chain collaboration: analysis of covid-19 period

Crises cause delays in supply chain management with resulting changes to organizations' internal structures. The COVID-19 pandemic has deeply affected the global supply chain and, with it, the organizational structure of companies. This research discusses supply chain collaboration (SCC) by considering two important organizational competencies: organizational learning culture (OLC) and decentralization (DC). It investigates the potential impact of these intangible resources upon SCC after the COVID-19 pandemic. The theoretical model was tested by variance-based Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using results of a questionnaire which was completed by 245 respondents. In fact, this study explores which organizational capabilities determine the SCC level specifically within the current COVID-19 pandemic period. We believe that this contribution is significant, as the level of collaboration between companies can change during risk periods. The results show that OLC have significantly positive effects on SCC. Moreover, DC plays a critical role for the relationship between OLC and SCC. In other words, this study reveals the importance of DC to observe the positive effects of OLC on SCC. Unlike previous studies which explored SCC, this research demonstrates the importance of an organization's inherent intangible resources in order to improve relationships with suppliers. The article ends with a discussion of the findings and their implications.