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This study explores a new theoretical model of employee creativity by investigating the impact of ethical leadership on creativity mediated by creative self-efficacy and psychological safety. Data collected from 200 supervisor-subordinate dyads in Pakistan reveal that ethical leadership is positively related to creativity. Further, psychological safety partially mediates the relationship between ethical leadership and creativity. However, creative self-efficacy is found insignificant in the relationship between ethical leadership and creativity. The study discusses research and practical implications of the proposed new theoretical framework with regard to employee creativity.

Chinese as well as American business colleges are attempting to improve morality of their students due to recent scandals in both countries. This study investigates several beliefs and values, opportunism, and certain demographic variables that might contribute to the academic dishonesty of American and Chinese marketing students. The findings suggest that American marketing students who are young, tolerant, detached, relativistic, less religious, opportunistic, and negative tend to believe that academic dishonesty is more acceptable than do their counterparts exhibiting the opposite characteristics. Chinese marketing students who are male, detached, relativistic, less religious, opportunistic, and behaviorist oriented tend to perceive that academic dishonesty is more acceptable than do their counterparts. The results also reveal that the Chinese marketing students are more tolerant and detached than are the American marketing students, and they are less sensitive to the acceptance of academic dishonesty than are the American students. (Contains 1 figure and 4 tables.)

A survey of 291 marketing and finance students found that those who were idealists, older, economics majors or middle children tended to behave more ethically. Students who were male, tolerant, relativistic, and opportunistic tended to behave less ethically. Opportunity to cheat explained cheating more than other determinants. (SK)

The origins of satisfaction and dissatisfaction between service providers and service recipients were analyzed under a health care channel setting. In terms of private physicians channel, issue-specific satisfaction and dissatisfaction judgements are more complicated than their generalized counterparts due mainly to its traditional image. In contrast, walk-in clinics channel has more complicated generalized satisfaction and dissatisfaction judgements since aside from its nonconventional image, such channel does not promote a close customer-supplier relationship.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to expand previous theories of motivation and religious ethics by examining the moderation effect of Islamic work ethic (IWE) on the relationship between perception of politics (POP) and job satisfaction, and turnover intention and negligent behavior (NB).Design/methodology/approach The sample consisted of 260 workers employed in various sectors in an Asian country. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to test the main effect of the five hypotheses. In addition, moderated models are used to identify factors (IWE) that may change the relationship between independent and dependent variables.Findings Results revealed that POP was negatively related to job satisfaction, and positively related to turnover intention and NB. IWE was positively related to job satisfaction, and negatively related to turnover intention (confirming previous research findings), and NB (a contribution of the current study). Furthermore, when the moderator variable of IWE was introduced to the relationship between POP and job outcomes, the influence and direction of the POP were altered (a major contribution of this study). In other words, the moderator variable strengthened job satisfaction and reduced both turnover intention and NB of organizational workers.Originality/value When the moderator variable of IWE was introduced to the relationship between the POP and job outcomes, the influence and direction of the POP were altered (a major contribution of this study). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to enhance understanding on supply chain partnership strategy-environment context co-alignment and its relationship with performance. Using the environment-strategy-performance view framework and the supporting relational perspective, the study develops a model and hypotheses to understand how supply chain partnership strategy as a response to co-align with operating context elements may impact operational and overall firm performance. Additionally, the study investigates the interrelationships among partnership strategy elements.Design/methodology/approach Data for testing the hypothesized relationships in the conceptual model was collected through a survey of managers in the Hoover’s database of US manufacturing firms. The survey sample included 115 responses from a wide variety of manufacturing forms.Findings Findings support the conventional wisdom relating collaboration to operational and financial performance. While product complexity associates with the “building block” resources, resource complementarity and resource specificity, technological turbulence relates significantly with only resource specificity. Interestingly, competitive intensity associates differentially with the resources – positive with resource specificity and negatively with resource complementarity. The results also reveal mediating influences of resource specificity and collaboration.Research limitations/implications The research findings have to be considered in context. The moderate size, wide industry/firm diversity and robust research design notwithstanding, and the cross-firm nature can potentially obscure causal linkages. Besides, more comprehensive insights could be obtained by modeling the co-alignment of strategy with other factors in the operating context such as industry munificence, and market unpredictability.Practical implications Firms derive operational and financial performance benefits from close collaboration with partners since the operational enhancements from such relationships have customer service implications. Besides, the synergistic interrelationships among strategic partnership resources and their eventual impact on operational and financial performance is highlighted suggesting that firms develop a proper mix of unique and complementing set of resources and leverage them through collaborative behaviors. Importantly, the results provide a framework for managers to understand the criticality of aligning their resources with contextual elements to realize enhanced operational efficiencies, customer service, and financial benefits.Originality/value Much of the evidence on the rent generation capabilities in supply chain partnerships is still anecdotal and extant empirical research lacks adequate explanation. Thus this study offers an initial strategic response framework for an appropriate co-alignment of partnership resources with environmental context factors to realize operational benefits and overall financial performance. The framework answers the critical question: does a supply chain partnership strategy that matches “fit” or co-aligns with its critical operating environment context realize better performance? Additionally, it unravels the interrelationships among strategic partnership resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose — The purpose of this study is to segment the consumer Gulf market based on actionable and strategy yielding marketing variables (i.e. ethical orientations, trust, opportunisms and Machiavellianism). Design/methodology/approach — Consumers from Saudi Arabia, Oman and Kuwait were asked to complete a survey which incorporated scales to measure consumers' ethical beliefs, Machiavellianism, ethical orientation, opportunism, trust, as well as demographic classification questions. Specifically, every attempt was made to have a broad distribution across the demographic categories of gender, age and education. Participation in the study was restricted to citizens of their respective nations. Local "data captains" were selected in each nation and trained in data collection techniques by two of the study's authors. Of the 598 questionnaires distributed, a total of 365 usable surveys were yielding an overall response rate of 61 percent A multistage clustering approach was incorporated in order to identify the unique ethical consumer segments. Findings — The analysis resulted in three distinct segments/clusters: "Principled Purchasers", "Suspicious Shoppers" and "Corrupt Consumers". Members of the Principled Purchasers segment tended to be less Machiavellianistic, less opportunistic, more trusting of others, less relativistic, more idealistic and perceived questionable actions in a negative light Suspicious Shoppers were less trusting, tended to proceed with caution in their dealings, were somewhat opportunistic but placed a high emphasis on ethical behavior. Like the Suspicious Shoppers, the Corrupt Consumers were not trusting individuals. Unlike Suspicious Shoppers, however, Corrupt Consumers were Machiavellianistic, took advantage of opportunities, were not ethically oriented and were more likely to act in an unethical manner. Research limitations/implications — Future studies should attempt to obtain data from a more diverse sample in the Middle East Social desirability bias may have been a factor in response to some of the questions resulting in respondents providing the socially desirable response in order to appear ethical. Future studies should examine the inclusion of measures for controlling such bias. Practical implications — Companies should alter their marketing approach depending upon the segment being targeted. Companies focusing on `Principled Purchasers" should emphasize customer satisfaction and honesty in their transactions. "Suspicious Shoppers" are best appealed to by companies who can create a mutually satisfying relationship in which both parties benefit In conducting business with "Corrupt Consumers", international marketing managers must be aware of situations in which this group might try to exploit or deceive the firm, such as used or altered returns, product theft, illegal consumption or other immoral/illegal activities; all of which are costly to the organization and, ultimately, the general public at large. Originality/value — Despite the socioeconomic similarities among Gulf countries (levels of income, market size, religion, language, etc.), important micro level differences exist and are often overlooked. Ignoring such differences may steer multinational firms towards the adoption of a simple and less expensive standardized marketing strategy across the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Service channels present intricate behavioral settings for understanding the sources of moral dilemmas that may arise between service providers and their customers. Examples of such services are psychiatric treatments, and consulting. The present manuscript empirically evaluates the sources of moral dilemmas in a healthcare channel setting. An Ethical Conflict Questionnaire, a 41-item, self-report attitude measure, was sent to a random national sample of healthcare workers. A factor analysis revealed six unethical practices; using punitive restraint, allowing patients to have sexual relations with others, using cameras, allowing patients to have sexual relations with professionals, manipulating patients, and controlling patients. A multivariate analysis of variance further indicated that age, gender, professional affiliation and specific referral of patients to one's healthcare institution significantly affected various studied practices. Implications for channel marketers are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract Given the ever-increasing globalization of economies, growing numbers of marketing firms are expecting more of their profits to be derived from international sales. Global competition is ferocious; thus, developing long-term partner relationships often becomes a significant competitive advantage. Corporate ethics are of pivotal importance in global business, though globalization also complicates ethical questions, because an individual's culture affects his/her ethical decision making. Failures to account for the effects of differences in consumers' culturally-based ethical values will hinder a marketer's efforts to expand internationally. Compares consumers from Malaysia and the USA in terms of their perceptions of marketing ethics situations, their attitudes toward business and salespeople, and their personal moral philosophies. The survey results reveal some significant differences between the consumers from these two countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Business and especially marketing ethics have come to the forefront in recent years. While consumers have been surveyed regarding their perceptions of ethical business and marketing practices, research has been minimal with regard to their perceptions of ethical consumer practices. In addition, few studies have examined the ethical beliefs of elderly consumers even though they are an important and rapidly growing segment. This research investigates the relationship between Machiavellianism, ethical ideology and ethical beliefs for elderly consumers. The results indicate that elderly consumers, while generally being more ethical than younger consumers, are diverse in their eithical beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes a cross-cultural study that investigated consumer judgements about a variety of consumer situations involving ethical issues such as changing price-tags on merchandise in a store, and also selected personality characteristics related to the individual's general moral philosophy such as the degree of Machiavellianism exhibited. These consumer judgements and personality characteristics were then compared for consumers from the two distinct cultures of Egypt and the U.S. The study's findings indicate that U.S. consumers are different from Egyptian consumers in terms of their ethical beliefs concerning various questionable consumer practices and their preferred ethical ideology, but that they are similar regarding the extent of Machiavellianism they display. These findings are not surprising considering the wide economic and cultural differences existing between these two countries and the cities where the two samples were taken. Economic hardship, strict cultural values and the influence of religion characterize parts of the Middle East, and may make it difficult to assess the validity of the responses from Egyptian consumers.

The article focuses on consumer ethics in cross-cultural settings, and its entrepreneurial implications. The most significant finding of the study for entrepreneurs was the relationship between the moral reasoning development and lawlessness. The current study found that two nationality groups--Northern Irish and Hong Kong, China consumers--differ significantly in terms of their consumer ethics and idealism. However, both groups were similar in terms of relativism, that is, Machiavellianism. In general, it appears that Hong Kong consumers are inclined to view all types of "questionable consumer actions" as less moral than the Northern Irish consumers. It seems that because of the influence of war and terrorism in Ireland, Irish consumers tend to question why they should respect ethical principles when human life seems to have little value. By identifying differences in moral standards across nations and eventually evaluating means of managing them, entrepreneurs can develop a code of conduct. This code could provide them with pragmatic definitions of moral responsibilities and encourage them to include ethical criteria in their decision making.