Impact of heterogeneity on software development teams
Changes in Indian workforce and globalisation have resulted in an increase in heterogeneous information technology (IT) teams. Team heterogeneity has been shown to impact various team outcomes. This paper examines the impact of demographic, knowledge and underlying diversity in IT teams on various team outcomes. Data were collected from 62 software development (SD) teams and analysed using multiple regressions. The result suggests that more than other forms of heterogeneity, underlying heterogeneity in SD teams has been consistently a significant predictor of the various team outcomes and thus impacts the team effectiveness. Copyright © 2011 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.
Rationality and the reflective mind: A case for typical performance measure of cognitive ability
Intelligence and cognitive abilities often denoted good thinking. However, critics of intelligence tests have long pointed out that the failures of rational judgments and decision-making imperfectly correlate with intelligence.Reviewing the work of Keith Stanovich and his colleagues, paper highlights the role of individual differences in judgment and decision-making. Paper presents a case for typical performance measure of cognitive ability besides thinking dispositions to explain variations in rational thought. Specifically, we examine and model the relationship between need for cognition (a measure of thinking dispositions), absorptive capacity (typical performance measure of intelligence) and normative decision-making tasks.
Diversity: a matter of reality or perception?
Purpose: While extant literature is replete with studies on actual diversity, research on perceived diversity is scant. The authors examine perceived diversity as an underlying mechanism explaining the effect of actual diversity on affect-related outcome (employee well-being). Design/methodology/approach: In total, 617 full-time employees from large organizations representing varied industries in India have participated in the survey-based study. The authors used PROCESS macro for mediation analysis. Findings: An index estimating actual surface-level diversity was found to correlate significantly with perceived surface-level diversity. Perceived diversity was found to significantly impact employee well-being, thereby, demonstrating its mediating role in the link between actual diversity and well-being. Research limitations/implications: Beyond the underlying processes of diversity, effects such as diversity perceptions, contextual factors conditioning diversity effects need exploration. Practical implications: Investigation of both actual and perceived diversity improves the explanation of diversity effects. Besides compositional mix, managers must tap on employee perceived differences to understand and leverage diversity and its effects. Originality/value: Besides contributing to the emerging interest in empirical examination of perceived diversity on employee outcomes, this study develops an index to estimate actual surface-level diversity.
Diversity in software development teams: The moderating effects of interdependence, team tenure and project type
Organisations are increasingly using work teams to accomplish their goals and are becoming significantly more diverse. This study was an attempt to combine these emerging trends and further investigate team diversity. The study was conducted among 62 software development teams from 21 different IT organisations. The results of the study demonstrated that the relationship between team diversity and work team outcomes is moderated by the levels of interdependence among team members; the team tenure i.e. the time team members spent working together, and the project/task type. Copyright © 2011 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.
When growth is critical: Indian biotechnology start-ups' perspective
The goal of this paper is to understand the salient resource bundles and the environmental factors which impact the growth of biotechnology start-ups in India, by adopting a comparative approach to investigate the differences in resources preferred by research and market-oriented biotechnology start-ups. Both primary and secondary sources of information were used for data gathering and synthesis. The theoretical foundation of this study was built upon resource based view of firm growth. The data was obtained by using questionnaire survey responses from 79 biotechnology start-up firms. Partial Least Squares path modelling approach has been used for data analysis. The results of the study distinguish between the two types of environmental factors (research and policy environment) and four types of resources (strategic, financial, physical and human resources) whose systematic interrelation facilitates the uninterrupted growth of biotechnology start-ups. Research oriented biotechnology start-ups attributed their growth primarily to the resources and strategies which strengthened their research capabilities whereas market oriented biotechnology start-ups had a hybrid focus. They attributed their growth to resources and strategies which helped them in entering into the new markets and gaining competitive advantage, while not ignoring the strength of strong R&D base to gain technological advancement. This paper mainly focuses on the essential growth factors which form the backbone for both research and market oriented biotechnology start-ups' growth. However, they might not be the lone conditions or requirements for sustained competitive advantage. This paper provides a thorough understanding of the growth essentials of research and market oriented biotechnology start-ups. It also highlights the need for the collaboration between private and public sector partnership (PPP model) to ensure sustainability of this growing industry, with a clear focus on advancing technological developments and providing necessary mutual financial support. This paper provides meaningful insights to understand the growth process of biotechnology start-ups. It might also serve as a ready-reckoner for a new biotechnology start-up to monitor these necessary elements for a sustained growth.
The yin and yang of employee voice: an exploratory study
Purpose: This study examines the yin (promotive) and yang (prohibitive) of employee voice based on employee preference for voice channel attributes. Employee inputs may be disregarded, requiring employees to maneuver for unheeded voice and adopt alternate voice tactics. The authors emphasize the ubiquity of lurking employee silence and its affective effects on subsequent cycles of voice or silence. Design/methodology/approach: Qualitative design involving semi-structured interviews of employees from service sector firms in India assisted the inquiry. Findings: Employees prefer voice channel attributes that ensure visibility and data substance for promotive voice and anonymity and confidentiality for prohibitive voice. Voice target switching and message reframing were common employee strategies. Silence on both sharing views/opinions (promotive) and voicing issues/concerns (prohibitive) weakens employee future voice incidents, besides suppressing the affect. Post-silence cognitive reappraisal increases voice incidences. Research limitations/implications: Findings may have limited generalizability given the qualitative design of the study. Moving beyond extant episodic voice research, the authors demonstrate the recurrent nature of employee voice and silence. The study broadens perspectives on how varied voice types necessitate nuanced voice channel attributes. Originality/value: Present work brings together organizational behavior (OB) perspective on discretionary voice through human resource (HR)-based channels, helping bridge the gap between previously disparate stands.
What drives employees to participate in corporate volunteering programs?
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how some of the key aspects of employee motivation and their perception of volunteering programs impact their participation in corporate volunteering. Specifically, this study argues that employee’s self-oriented motives to significantly influence employee participation than other-oriented motives. Similarly, this study also hypothesized that the corporate volunteering program characteristics to significantly relate to employee participation in corporate volunteering. Design/methodology/approach – The data were collected from 461 employee volunteers representing various industries across four different locations in India. A self-reported method was used to collect the data by administering the questionnaires. Findings – The structural equation modeling results indicate that other-oriented motives (altruistic) and characteristics of corporate volunteering programs to significantly predict employee participation in corporate volunteering and self-oriented motives did not show significance in predicting employee participation. Research limitations/implications – Results suggest that employee participation in volunteering is a function of not merely employee motivation but also how the volunteering programs are conceptualized and implemented. Originality/value – This research study moves beyond mere role of employee motives analysis and considered the role of characteristics of corporate volunteering programs to impact employee volunteering behavior. Further, it highlights there is a differential impact of self-and other-oriented motives in predicting employee participation.
Diversity in disability: leaders' accounts on inclusive employment in the Indian context
Purpose: Despite several concerted efforts and directives, Indian organizations have a long road to travel with respect to the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the workforce. Disability taking different forms often impacts organizational decisions on employment and inclusion of persons with disabilities. Acknowledging the role of employers in improving their employment prospects, the purpose of this paper is to examine key factors that direct the decisions regarding targeted recruitment of persons with various types of disabilities. Design/methodology/approach: The exploratory study is based on thematic analysis of senior executives' accounts to examine the factors that direct their decisions pertaining to employment of persons with varied types of disabilities. Findings: Findings highlight organizational determinants that enable/disable employment of persons with varied types of disabilities. The organizational determinants reported are: knowledge about type of disability; work characteristics; accommodations based on type of disability; accessibility of physical infrastructure and external pressures; whereas, persons with orthopedic, vision, hearing and intellectual disabilities are represented in the employee base. Research limitations/implications: The present study contributes to employer perspectives on workplace disability inclusion toward understanding the nuances of organizational dynamics and human perceptions. Future studies could explore perspectives of other key stakeholders and the conditions under which organizational determinants are perceived as enabling or disabling. Originality/value: The present study highlights how disability type influences leaders' views on recruitment of persons with disabilities, in an under-researched study context of Indian organizations.
Unlocking the value of developing leaders: Towards global leadership
Several of the world's top performing organizations have acknowledged the merit in embracing and developing global mind-set to compete successfully in international markets. Towards this end, companies across the globe are not only sweating it out through training their leadership teams and high potential performers but also are committed to achieving multicultural competencies. Focus is not only on developing organizational member's knowledge and skills to plan, operate and deliver results globally but also to prepare them with right orientation to develop global mind-set. In this paper, we set out to explore global leadership development approaches adopted by multinational companies (MNCs) in India. A qualitative study was carried out involving semi-structured interviews with business and HR leaders from MNCs, with an attempt to understand global leadership development from emerging countries perspective. Findings provide perspectives on current leadership development approaches adopted in the firms contacted for the study purpose. How leadership development practices have evolved in these firms, their driving factors and top management's role in implementation success is presented. We also discuss limitations in terms of small sample size, potential bias and subjectivity in content analyses and leader's self reporting and presentation. Paper draws insights from contemporary global leadership approaches and some of the best practices across various companies from different sectors.
Interpersonal antecedents to employee upward voice: mediating role of psychological safety
Purpose: Despite the increasing prominence of employee voice in organizational innovation and productivity, employees continue to struggle to influence matters that affect them at work. The purpose of this paper is to model work group context and manager behavior as the predictors of employee upward voice. Further, a mediating role of employee psychological safety is examined in this link. Design/methodology/approach: With data from 575 employees representing various technology firms in India, the authors test the hypothesized relationships using covariance-based structural equation modeling. Findings: Results indicate coworkers upward voice and manager pro-voice behavior to significantly impact employee upward voice with a mediating impact of psychological safety. This implies that perceived psychological safety plays a significant role in explaining the impact, coworkers and manager behavior would have on regulating employee upward voice. Originality/value: This study contributes to the employee voice literature from an Indian context, where upward communication is culturally discouraged.