The factors influencing employees' attitudes in high‐tech environment
| Published date | 24 August 2010 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/02635571011069103 |
| Pages | 1054-1072 |
| Date | 24 August 2010 |
| Author | Tsung‐Hsien Kuo,Li‐An Ho,Ya‐Jung Wu,Chien‐Ting Lin |
| Subject Matter | Economics,Information & knowledge management,Management science & operations |
The factors influencing
employees’ attitudes in high-tech
environment
Tsung-Hsien Kuo
Securities & Futures Institute, Testing Center, Taipei, Taiwan,
Republic of China
Li-An Ho
Department of Educational Technology, Tamkang University, Tamsui, Taiwan,
Republic of China
Ya-Jung Wu
Department of International Business, Kao Yuan University, Lujhu Township,
Taiwan, Republic of China and
Department of Industrial and Information Management,
National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, Republic of China, and
Chien-Ting Lin
School of Continuing Education,
Chinese Culture University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to look at factors which result in improved attitudinal
outcome (AO) through the proposal and empirical validation of a theoretical model. The model
incorporates four major self-perceived dimensions: personality traits (PTs), job characteristics ( JCs),
transformational leadership behaviors (LBs), and AOs.
Design/methodology/approach – This is a quantitative research using a survey questionnaire as
data collecting instrument. Data collected from ten technological companies located in the Neihu
Science Park in Taiwan (n¼221) were analyzed using structural equation modeling.
Findings – Results reveal that both personal traits and JCs have positive yet insignificant effects on
AOs. However, both factors significantly and indirectly influence AOs via transformational LBs.
Originality/value – This proposed model provides an overall framework which indicates how both
intrinsic and extrinsic factors can affect the perception of LBs, which consequently plays a critical role
in influencing employees emotionally. This structure has rarely been explored and the findings are
particularly useful for management in helping to set leadership in a bigger context.
Keywords Employee attitudes,Personality, Transformational leadership, Jobsatisfaction
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
With huge variety of direct and indirect collaborative interactions in every industrial
workplace, firms need employees holding many different positions to cooperate and
collaborate toward common goals. In order to achieve business excellence, many high
technological companies in Taiwan have implemented total quality management,
hoping to improve cross-funct ional collaboration through qu ality work teams
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0263-5577.htm
IMDS
110,7
1054
Received 3 February 2010
Revised 23 March 2010,
7 April 2010
Accepted 7 April 2010
Industrial Management & Data
Systems
Vol. 110 No. 7, 2010
pp. 1054-1072
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0263-5577
DOI 10.1108/02635571011069103
(Chung et al., 2008; Tseng et al., 2007; Hung et al., 2004). From a human resource
management perspective, Deming (1986, 1994) suggests that management should pay
extra attention to issues such as internal systems, changes and innovations, as well as
psychology, in order to better understand individual differences and their effects on
internal systems. Business managers can better face external competitive pressures if
they can improve employee job satisfaction and strengthen employee commitment
(Chang and Lee, 2006; Senik and Verdier, 2008). Therefore, research into the antecedents
of employees’ attitudinal outcomes (AOs) is essential.
Theoretical conceptualizations on the determinants of employees’ AOs can be
divided into situational approaches, and dispositional approaches (Cohrs et al., 2006).
According to situational approaches, employees’ AOs reflect characteristics of the job,
and more favorable job characteristics ( JCs) should lead to higher job satisfaction and
affective commitment (Hackman and Oldham, 1975). Dispositional approaches assume
that employees’ AOs are a function of individual dispositions and some individuals
should have higher AOs than others, irrespective of job conditions ( Judge et al., 2002).
However, according to the social information processing model introduced by Salancik
and Pfeffer (1978), the employees rely on informational cues from their social contex ts
when making assessments about work environments. While the leaders are seen as the
most relevant information cues, and leadership behaviors (LBs) could shape essential
social contexts, it is argued that the style of leadership perceived by employees will
influence their AOs, as well as the influencing process of the effects of dispositional
approaches and situational approaches.
The present study has three research objectives. First, it analyzes the relative
explanatory power of situational (namely JCs) and dispositional approaches (namely
personality traits – PTs), and leadership behavior (especially focus on transformational
leadership) to followers’ AOs (namely job satisfaction, and affective organizational
commitment). Second, it examines how the different PTs impact the perceptions of
transformational leadership. Third, it identifies the relationship between the perceived JCs
and the perceived transformational leadership. Using the sample from professionals
working in Taiwan’s high-tech companies, we hope we can elaborate on theories and
empirical findings regarding factors influencing employees’ AOs in high-tech environment.
2. Literature review
This section constructs the theoretical background upon which the proposed model is
based.
2.1 Transformational leadership
Transformational leadership has been studied widely in the last 20 years and the
positive outcomes of it cannot be denied (Clover, 1990; Marshall et al., 1992; Sparks and
Schenk, 2001). According to Bass (1990), transformational leaders achieve these results
in one or more ways: they may be charismatic to their followers (namely idealized
influence), and thus inspire them (namely inspirational motivation); they may meet the
emotional needs of each employee (namely individualized consideration); and/or they
may intellectually stimulate employees (namely intellectual stimulation). These four
dimensions of transformational leadership can be summarized as follows:
(1) Idealized influence. Provides vision and sense of mission, instills pride, gains
respect and trust.
Employees’
attitudes
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