In this article, I intend to underscore the importance of critical thinking in rendering invaluable positive contributions and impact within professional organizations in the developing world. I argue that critical thinking treated as a normative principle and balanced with a pragmatic orientation provides a rational framework for resolving conflicts that oftentimes ensue from the incoherence between Western-based organizational theories and the actual circumstances of a developing country. In order to optimize the benefits of critical thinking, I also argue that it should not be expected only among leaders and managers, but also and more importantly, among organizational members and associates. It is for this reason that I introduce Matthew Lipman’s Community of Inquiry as a model for cultivating critical thinking within professional environments.
Empirical evidence shows that personal values have an influence on empathy in intrapersonal relationships. We examine the relationship between the values of self-enhancement and self-transcendence among members of the majority group (Israeli Jews) and empathy towards in-group and out-group members (Israeli Arabs). Two hundred and ninety-seven Israeli Jewish students took part in the study. While the results show that self-transcendence values have a consistent effect on empathy whether it is towards in-group or out-group members, the hypotheses regarding the impact of self-enhancement values on empathy towards out-group members were partly supported. We discuss the universality of self-transcendence values in their influence on empathy in different contexts and emphasize the complex relationships among in-group members.
Fraud literature suggests that the presence or absence of fraudulent intentions can be assessed by a close scrutiny of human behaviour. This can help identify prospective fraud perpetrators. Given this consideration, the present study qualitatively explores the observations and views of people who have personally investigated or closely observed a fraud/fraudster. Twenty-six interviews help condense a checklist of behavioural red flags of fraud. The themes of strong ambition, social aloofness, extended working hours, dissatisfaction with current job, justifying unethical behaviour, personal problems and living standard disproportionate to current means are central to the articulations of the experiences of the respondents. Findings of the study have been integrated with the theory of the fraud triangle. This research displays the complementarity between a primary data based ex-post analysis of the behaviour of fraud perpetrators and existing literature on the subject. The results are likely to help improve professional standards related to frauds, both from an organizational and regulatory perspective.
This article proposes a conceptual model that explores the effect of abusive supervision on subordinates’ intention to quit the organization. We refer to several justice theories like social exchange theory and met expectations theory to strengthen our assertion that subordinates’ intention to quit the organization is high when they perceive their supervisor’s behaviour to be abusive. This article also strives to identify factors which might act as neutralizer in mitigating the pernicious effect of abusive supervision on subordinates’ decision to quit. These factors are positive affect, perceived co-worker support, emotional intelligence and meaningful work which might act as buffer in reducing the deleterious effect of abusive supervision on subordinates, thereby minimizing their intention to quit the organization. We offer several research propositions which can be empirically tested, and conclude with implications of the study, limitations of the proposed model and research directions for future investigations.
The aim of this study is to analyze if two emergent models of leadership, servant and spiritual are really different or, on the contrary, are similar, with different labels. Both approaches were analyzed from their backgrounds, depictions, definitions, theoretical models proposed and limitations. It is concluded that both models of leadership are about the same models that share a similar root; both of them are oriented towards transcendental values of employees as a core component of leadership and a main factor related to the quality of job performance. Further studies should be done in order to provide new empirical evidence to support whether servant and spiritual leadership can be considered as completely independent models.
This conceptual article aims to shed light on the significance of human spiritual dimension in the process of human resource development (HRD). It suggests spiritual intelligence as the missing link in the process of human development that should be identified and considered as an important factor for developed and morally qualified human resources. Moreover, this article also uncovered the growing interest of spiritual intelligence and its implications for HRD. The interest in spiritual intelligence in the body of knowledge has been established in depth which assures that SI embedded in the fabric of the fields of organizational behaviour and psychology. The article emphasizes the vital influence of SI on bottom line of the organization, whereby, human resources can meaningfully contribute towards organization with improved performance. The conventional strategy of organizations in flourishing their employees is more on enhancement of individual’s knowledge, skills, abilities (Intelligence Quotient) and emotions control (Emotional Quotient). However, despite this immense interest in human capital, organizations tend to fail to have holistic approach of human resource development which eventually affects their performance. Further, the article indicates that without considering spiritual development of employees, the logic (IQ) and emotions (EQ) could not be the only ample source for human beings to perform utmost standard performances. Therefore, based on this, we conclude that the emerging notion of human spiritual quotient and its multi-dimensions must be included in HRD initiatives in order to have holistic mechanism.
This study investigates how values are instilled to children in conflict with the law (CICL) in a Philippines youth facility through the houseparent–resident relationship. Although a wealth of literature has examined the condition of child residents in youth rehabilitation institutions, little is known about the relationship between the child residents and the houseparents assigned to care for them, particularly, how the values the houseparents instil in the children impacts on their rehabilitation. Through an ethnographic study of a child facility and in-depth interviews of the CICL residents and their houseparents, the study presents a rich description of the kind of relationship between these carers and their wards. The totalizing effect of the institution is mitigated by the genial relationship between the houseparents and the child residents. In particular, the Filipino values of personalism as applied by the houseparents in their parenting tasks positively impacts on the child residents they are caring for. The findings gathered from this study will provide critical information on what values the social workers, caregivers, houseparents and other staff of a youth facility should impart to the CICL to help achieve the facility’s rehabilitative goals.
How law perceives the world is often grounded in systems of values and beliefs adopted by the legal practitioners: their interpretive frameworks, prejudices and dispositions, which shape the very ‘paradigms’ upon which they choose to see the ‘facts’ and frame their methods of inquiries. In other words, ‘truth’ in the eyes of the law is but ex post facto (re)construction of ‘reality’ achieved through narratorial articulation of relevant events and chosen facts. Taking off from here, this article sets out to understand: how do we unpack the social ‘constructivism’ of the a priori assumptions that cloak the idea of the ‘vagabond’ in the legal imagination? How does law ‘frame’ the vagabond as a subset within the ‘human’? What conflates this idea with the notion of the ‘abject’? Why at all is vagabondage perceived as a punishable in the eyes of the law? Invoking a few case studies, both from India and beyond, this article points to the arbitrariness in the juridico-political imagination and the ambiguity in the legal articulation of the ‘vagabond’.
Anchored in stakeholder theory, the study aimed at examining the extent of voluntary human capital disclosures in annual reports of top 20 Bangladeshi and Indian listed companies. In addition to qualitative content analysis of the annual reports for the year 2010–2011, this study also conducted a series of in-depth interviews with a range of stakeholders of the companies of both the countries to understand their views on voluntary HC disclosures in corporate annual reports. It was found that the level of voluntary HC disclosures was very low in case of the companies of both the countries. Moreover, it was observed that HC disclosures of companies mostly composed of positive information. From the views of stakeholders, it was evident that stakeholders unanimously recognized the necessity of credible HC disclosures in corporate annual reports. The HC disclosure index framed in this study may be useful in developing a South Asian model of corporate HC disclosures. This study contributes to the existing literature on HC disclosures where there has been a distinct lack of engagement-based research works.