management
Mojtaba Sargazi; Masoud Ramrodi
Abstract
AbstractThe purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of organizational transparency on employee’s voice with the mediating role of social responsibility. The research method was descriptive-correlative. The statistical population was all school principals in Zahedan city in the academic ...
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AbstractThe purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of organizational transparency on employee’s voice with the mediating role of social responsibility. The research method was descriptive-correlative. The statistical population was all school principals in Zahedan city in the academic year 2021-2022 (N=380: 191 male, 189 famale). By stratified random sampling (based on sex and education level) 191 school principals (96 male and 95 female) were selected according to Cochran sampling, and studied as the sample through questionnaires of organizational transparency, social responsibility and employee voice. The Pearson correlation coefficient and structural equation modeling were used for data analysis by SPSS21 and Smart PLS software. Based on the results, the direct effect of organizational transparency on employee voice, direct effect of organizational transparency on social responsibility, and direct effect social responsibility on employee voice was positive and significant. Also, the indirect effect of organizational transparency on employee voice mediated by social responsibility was positive and significant. Based of the results managers of educational organizations are advised to by sharing relevant, accurate, complete, valid information in a timely manner, involving employees in decision-making, receiving feedback, holding regular meetings of the teachers' council and being honest in expressing accurate and complete information and avoiding any secrecy, can increase organizational transparency, social responsibility and employee’s voice.Extended abstractIntroductionOne of the important examples of organizational participation is the voice of employees. The voice of employees includes discussing problems with supervisors, providing solutions, suggestions and criticisms to human resources units, expressing ideas for changing a work policy or consulting with unions and organizational experts, which is done with the aim of improving the current situation of the organization and changing unfavorable conditions (Travis, Gomez & Mor Barak, 2011). An ineffective employee voice system reduces the effectiveness of organizational decisions and change processes by limiting employees' comments and preventing them from providing negative feedback (Rees, Alfes & Gatenby, 2013). Therefore, it is necessary to seek to identify the factors affecting the voice of the employees, and in this study, the role of two factors, organizational transparency and social responsibility, has been examined. Although, from a theoretical point of view, there is a connection between organizational transparency and the voice of employees, but few studies have investigated these two variables with the mediation of social responsibility, and there is less empirical evidence in the field of their relationship with each other. The researcher found that such research has not been done in the field of school administration. Therefore, investigating the effect of organizational transparency on the organizational voice of employees through the mediation of social responsibility can lead to the expansion of knowledge in the field of predictive factors of employee voice; and from a practical point of view, it can also provide the possibility of improving the participation of employees in schools. Based on this, the main question of the current research is whether organizational transparency has a positive and significant effect on the voice of employees with the mediating role of social responsibility.Theoretical foundationsIn the first stage, the voice of the employees is an expression of organizational dissatisfaction, the purpose of which is to correct the existing problems in the organization. In the second stage, the participation and cooperation of employees is aimed at confronting the illegal and illegitimate power of managers. The third goal of employee voice is to help managers to make decisions in order to improve the quality of work and productivity in the organization. In the end, the voice of employees is a mutual comment and mutual cooperation in the direction of developing the organization and achieving appropriate results in the long term (Anyango, Ojera & Ochieng, 2015).Organizational transparency, which is the opposite of concealment, emphasizes the openness and accountability of organizations (Wehmeier & Raaz, 2012). Organizational transparency means public access to all information (either positive or negative) that can legally be published in an accurate, timely, balanced and unambiguous manner, in order to achieve the increase of the ability of reasoning, and public understanding, and accountability of organizations to their actions, policies, and approaches. A transparent organization is an organization where people inside and outside can obtain the information they need in order to form their opinions about the actions and processes within the organization (Lindstedt, C., & Naurin, 2010).Social responsibility is an ethical theory in which individuals are accountable for fulfilling their civic duty, and the actions of an individual must benefit the whole of society. In this way, there must be a balance between economic growth and the welfare of society and the environment. If this equilibrium is maintained, then social responsibility is accomplished (Hunton & Norman, 2010).Research MethodologyThe research method was descriptive-correlative. The statistical population was all three levels of school principals in Zahedan city in the academic year 2021-2022 (N=380: 191 male, 189 famale). By stratified random sampling (based on sex and education level) 191 school principals (96 male and 95 female) were selected according to Cochran sampling, and studied as the sample through questionnaires of organizational transparency (Rawlins, 2008), social responsibility (Carroll, 1991), and employee voice (Hames, 2012).The Pearson correlation coefficient and structural equation modeling were used for data analysis by SPSS21 and Smart PLS software.Research FindingsBased on the findings, the correlation coefficient of organizational transparency with social responsibility and employee voice was 0.596 and 0.812, respectively, and the correlation coefficient between social responsibility and employee voice was 0.701, which were all positive and significant (p<0.01). According to the obtained model, the direct effect of organizational transparency on employee voice (t=7.705, β =0.612), the direct effect of organizational transparency on social responsibility (t=6.716, β =0.597), and the direct effect of social accountability on the voice of employees (t=4.547, β=0.336) was positive and significant. Also, to investigate the indirect effect of organizational transparency on the voice of employees with the mediation of social responsibility, Sobel test was used, which according to the value of indicators: a) the value of the path coefficient of the independent variable on the mediator variable a = 0.597, b) the value of the path coefficient of the mediator variable on the dependent variable b=0.336, c) Standard error of path of independent and mediator variable Sa=0.064, d) Standard error of path of dependent and mediator variable Sb=0.053; Z value obtained was equal to 5.24. Since this Z value was greater than the value of 2.58, the indirect effect of organizational transparency on employee voice with the mediation of social responsibility (β=0.200) was also positive and significant at a level less than 0.01. Conclusion and DiscussionOverall, the findings of this study showed that organizational transparency has a positive and significant effect on employee voice both directly and indirectly through social responsibility. The results of studies of Ghanbari et al., (2015), Ghanbari & Moradi (2018), Nichols & Erakovich (2013), Walumbwa et al., (2011), Danaifard & Amirzadeh (2016), Armstrong (2006), Stojanovski et al., (2014), Keykha et al., (2020), Sepahvand & Ghorbani Oranji (2015), Bahmani & Farhanian (2019) supports this finding. According to the results of this research, it is suggested to the administers of the organizations that by sharing relevant, correct, complete and valid information in a timely manner, involving employees in decision-making, receiving feedback, holding regular teacher council meetings and being honest in expressing accurate and complete information and avoiding any kind of concealment, they can increase the organizational transparency of schools, social responsibility and, accordingly, the voice of the employees. Considering the implementation of the research on school principals in Zahedan city, caution should be taken in generalizing the results. Therefore, it is suggested to conduct such research in other educational regions of the country.
Masoud Ramrodi; moslem mihan doust; Mansour Bakht
Abstract
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of job security on organizational maturity through knowledge sharing mediation. The research method was descriptive-correlative. The statistical population of the study was all faculty members of University of Kurdistan in the academic ...
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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of job security on organizational maturity through knowledge sharing mediation. The research method was descriptive-correlative. The statistical population of the study was all faculty members of University of Kurdistan in the academic year of 2020-2021 that 190 faculty members were studied by stratified random sampling through questionnaires of job security (Neysi, 2002), organizational maturity (Spides, 2007) and knowledge sharing (Bohlool, 2013). For data analysis the Pearson correlation coefficient and structural equation modeling were used with SPSS21 and Smart PLS softwares. Results showed that job security has a positive and significant effect on organizational maturity; job security has a positive and significant effect on knowledge sharing; knowledge sharing has a positive and significant effect on organizational maturity; and job security has a positive and significant effect on organizational maturity mediated by knowledge sharing. Therefore, it can be concluded that when faculty members feel a good job security, they share their knowledge with others, which results in the desired organizational maturity of the university.
Extended Abstract
Introduction
Organizational growth in universities and institutions of higher education under the influence of changes and developments, such as the introduction of advanced information and communication technologies in higher education, rapid growth of knowledge and the resulting changes, the need for universities to be accountable to society, financial constraints of higher education systems, public and global Higher education, the competition of higher education institutions, has become particularly important. Senior managers of higher education have found that if universities and institutions of higher education and their faculty members have a good level of growth and development, then we can expect that the other university resources will be used well, and continuous quality improvement in various activities will take place. In fact, addressing the issue of organizational maturity has evolved from a choice to an obligation for universities, because in this way, the professional growth of faculty members happens better and faster, and organizational growth has increasingly become a key mechanism for the improvement and development of the university (Gharouneh, Mirkamali, Bazargan Kharazi, 2014). Therefore, proper management of organizational growth is a vital and mandatory issue for all universities and institutions of higher education, including the University of Kurdistan, and identifying the factors affecting its organizational growth will be very important. According to the mission of Kurdistan University, its faculty members are considered as the expert force and the core of the university in performing professional responsibilities. Considering the competitive environment of domestic universities in attracting students and introducing their capabilities, the relatively new organizational structure of Kurdistan University, and the composition of young people in the organizational structure of that university, it is necessary to study the factors affecting organizational growth. Job security of faculty members of Kurdistan University can be related to the organizational growth of that university, but since this relationship is not completely linear and direct, other factors may play a mediating role in this regard. In this study, the mediating role of knowledge sharing is discussed. Therefore, the main issue of the research is whether job security has a positive and significant effect on the organizational growth of Kurdistan University with the mediating role of knowledge sharing?
Theoretical framework
The term organizational maturity was first used in 1957 by Robert Blake and Jane Mouton in the group's Psychoanalysis Magazine, and today many organizations have used organizational maturity to increase the efficiency, productivity, and health of their organization (Seyedi & Latifi, 2016). Organizational growth is a process in which the performance of employee's organization is improved and is basically based on the process of training and changing the values and attitudes of managers and employees of the organization (Jukić, Pluchinotta, Hržica & Vrbek, 2022). Organizational maturity can be considered at the micro and macro levels: At the micro level, organizational maturity contains information about people and personal interactions within the organization; at the macro level, it focuses on productivity information about strategy development, workforce coordination, and external factors (Karakaya & Yilmaz, 2013). In 2007, Spiders identified the dimensions of organizational maturity, including openness and transparency of the system, trust in others, feedback from within and without, partnership with others, cultivating and adopting, and a low level of organizational structure (Nikpour, 2019).
The issue of job security as one of the necessities of work dates back to the early 19th century, which became binding after the efforts of trade unions and finally with the passage of government laws employing employees with regard to job security and pre-determined criteria regarding the amount of work of individuals. During the 1970s and early 1980s, concerns were raised about the devaluation of labor. In the early 1990s, the trade union applied the idea of employment security in its reports, and finally the Security Flexibility Act was adopted with the aim of providing a higher level of employment security, especially for temporary agency workers. Also, from the beginning of the twentieth century, a new thinking about the nature of work was formed by considering the concept of job security, which was more emphasis on empowering employees in organizations (Keikha, Shahraki & Keykha, 2018). In the new concept of job security, organizations must become dependent on individuals; That is, organizations must provide the necessary conditions for empowering their employees in the professional dimensions, practical courage, experience, job satisfaction, behavioral, communication, thinking and work conscience so that employees can meet the professional and social expectations of the organization and have job stability in this regard (Babaei, Rasuli & Tagizadeh, 2015).
Although knowledge is a key capability and a vital resource, it is not enough to just have knowledge in the organization, but knowledge must be exchangeable. Attempting to share knowledge with others is a voluntary behavior (Hosseini Sarkhosh et al., 2016). Knowledge sharing is a process that involves both bringing and receiving knowledge (Entezari et al., 2016). In early studies, knowledge sharing was seen as a process of knowledge management. The benefits of knowledge sharing are achieved at both individual and organizational levels. At the individual level, knowledge sharing enables employees to improve their skills and experiences by working with others and sharing their knowledge and learning from each other, and to achieve professional growth. At the organizational level, it also has benefits such as creating a competitive advantage, optimal communication with customers, improving the performance of the organization by increasing efficiency, productivity, quality and innovation (Tavakoli et al., 2013).
Methodology
The research method is descriptive-correlative. The statistical population of the study includes all faculty members of Kurdistan University in the academic year 1401-1400 with a volume of 373 people (342 males and 31 females) by random-stratified sampling (by gender), and 190 Scientific faculty members (174 men and 16 women) were selected as the sample, based on Cochran's sampling formula. Three questionnaires of job security (Neysi, 2002), organizational maturity, and knowledge sharing (Bohlool, 2013) were used to collect information. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation) and inferential statistics of structural equation model were used to analyze the data using Smart PLS software.
Discussion and Results
Based on the descriptive findings, the mean and standard deviation of the research variables were as follows: Job security 3.76 ± 0.41, organizational maturity 3.45 ± 0.59 and knowledge sharing 3.89 ± 0.39. In examining the research hypotheses, it was found that: Hypothesis 1: Job security has a positive and significant effect on organizational growth. According to the findings, the value of job security β coefficient on organizational maturity is 0.47. Given that the value of T obtained is 13.57 and is greater than the standard value of 1.96, the research hypothesis is confirmed.
Hypothesis 2: Job security has a positive and significant effect on knowledge sharing. According to the findings, the value of job security β coefficient on knowledge sharing is 0.63.Given that the value of T obtained is 21.02 and is greater than the standard value of 1.96, the research hypothesis is confirmed.
Hypothesis 3: Knowledge sharing has a positive and significant effect on organizational growth. According to the findings, the value of knowledge sharing coefficient β on organizational maturity is 0.41. Given that the value of T obtained is equal to 11.57 and is greater than the standard value of 1.96, the research hypothesis is confirmed.
Hypothesis 4: Job security has a positive and significant effect on organizational growth with the mediating role of knowledge sharing. The Sobel test was used to test the hypothesis. According to the value of the indicators a) the value of the path coefficient of the independent variable on the mediator variable a = 0.63, b) the value of the path coefficient of the mediator variable on the dependent variable b = 0.41, c) the standard error of the path of the independent variable and the mediator Sa = 0.056, D) The standard error of the mediator and dependent variable path is Sb = 0.080, the value of z was equal to 4.66. Since this value of z was greater than the value of 2.58, the indirect effect of job security on organizational maturity mediated by knowledge sharing (β = 0.25) at a level less than 0.01 is significant.
Conclusion
Overall, the findings of this study showed that job security of faculty members, both directly and indirectly and through the mediation of knowledge sharing has a positive and significant effect on organizational growth. Considering the positive effect of job security, it is suggested to the top managers of the university that by delegating authority and maintaining the job independence of faculty members, observing justice and non-discrimination, providing appropriate facilities for preventing occupational accidents, providing appropriate facilities for using insurance, retirement Empowering them through in-service training, using their constructive opinions, suggestions and beliefs in organizational decision-making, and accelerating the process of transforming formal-definitive employment status can enhance faculty members' sense of job security. Also, considering the positive effect of knowledge sharing on organizational growth, the following suggestions are made to university senior managers: Introducing individual and organizational benefits of knowledge sharing, expressing the need to promote the university and not lag behind other universities to faculty members through regular knowledge management meetings and Knowledge sharing, creating an atmosphere of trust in the university for the exchange of knowledge and personal information.
