Organizational cynicism – what every manager needs to know
05 Mar 2018-Development and Learning in Organizations (Emerald Publishing Limited)-Vol. 32, Iss: 2, pp 16-19
TL;DR: The effects of organizational cynicism on employees are strong and rising as discussed by the authors, and the need for paying serious attention to the concept of "organizational cynicism" which is an attitudinal negativity and if left unchecked, can cost the organization dearly.
Abstract: The study aims to address what is organizational cynicism, review past literature to find out what leads to organizational cynicism, its consequences for organizations, and pinpoint practical implications for managers.,This review is prepared by an independent writer who has amalgamated several other voices from different researchers/scholars and finally, adds his own impartial comments and places the articles in context.,The effects of organizational cynicism on employees are strong and rising. The review points to the need for paying serious attention to the concept of “organizational cynicism”, which is an attitudinal negativity and if left unchecked, can cost the organization dearly. However, with interventions in place, perhaps, organizations can control the negative effects of organizational cynicism.,Based on a selective literature review, the article anchors on the change perspective of organizational cynicism and offers a number of learning and development implications for managers.
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TL;DR: In this article, a quantitative, empirical, and transversal research was carried out on a sample of 201 operational staff in the auto-parts maquila export industry located in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico.
6 citations
TL;DR: In this article , a sequential mediation model was proposed to investigate the relationship between emotional exhaustion and the sub-dimensions of organizational cynicism with the sequential mediating of organizational identification and trust in the organization.
Abstract: Although many scholars have investigated the influence of emotional exhaustion on an organization, there has been relatively minimal research regarding emotional exhaustion’s impacts on organizational cynicism as well as the underlying mechanisms of it. Considering the research gaps, we attempt to find underlying mechanisms that drive the relationship between emotional exhaustion and organizational cynicism in the present research. In particular, we propose a sequential mediation model that investigates the relationship between emotional exhaustion and the sub-dimensions of organizational cynicism with the sequential mediating of organizational identification and trust in the organization. In order to empirically test these links, we utilized two waves lagged study design with 465 employees working in different sectors in Turkey. Our results provide empirical support that organizational identification and trust in an organization sequentially mediate the relationship between emotional exhaustion and cognitive cynicism with affective cynicism. However, the indirect effect of emotional exhaustion on behavioral cynicism through sequential mediators was not statistically significant. This study theoretically and empirically contributes to the emotional exhaustion literature by revealing the sequential mechanisms through which employees’ perceptions of emotional exhaustion affect their cynical attitudes in organizations and offers practical implications by stressing the importance of employees’ perceptions of emotional exhaustion. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed, along with limitations and future research directions.
4 citations
TL;DR: In this paper , the authors examined the effect of personality traits on organizational cynicism (OC) and its predictive power on Employee Performance (EP) in Pakistan using a survey questionnaire to collect cross-sectional data from the academic leaders of Pakistan's Higher Education Institutes (HEIs).
Abstract: PurposeThis study examines the effect of personality traits on organizational cynicism (OC). It explores, also, OC's predictive power on Employee Performance (EP) in Pakistan.Design/methodology/approachThis is a quantitative study in which the authors employed a survey questionnaire to collect cross-sectional data from the academic leaders of Pakistan's Higher Education Institutes (HEIs). The authors utilized 325 usable cases to arrive at this study's findings.FindingsThe Structural Equation Model (SEM) analysis shows a positive and significant effect of agreeableness, extraversion, Emotional Stability (ES), conscientiousness and openness to experience on Cognitive Cynicism (CC), Affective Cynicism (AC) and Behavioural Cynicism (BC). Moreover, CC, AC and BC have proven to be negative and insignificant predictors of EP.Practical implicationsThis study's findings offer additional insights to understanding the direct connection between personality traits, OC and EP. Therefore, the findings support the development of effective policies and organizational setups to manage OC through personality traits. The findings assist, also, in understanding OC and its adverse effects on EP. Finally, the findings further add to the depth of the literature through empirical confirmation by academic leaders.Originality/valueThis study's findings offer the original contribution of personality traits, OC and EP among HEIs' academic leaders in a developing country.
2 citations
01 Jan 2020
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors focused on studying cynicism, which is considered a negative employee behavior, in terms of tourism businesses and found that employees exhibit negative attitudes and behaviors such as resentment, anger, and disbelief towards their organizations.
Abstract: Tourism industry consists of businesses that complement each other but show different characteristics. However, no matter how many different characteristics they have, the success of tourism businesses in an intense competitive environment is based on the employees they have. The attitudes and behaviors that employees develop towards their organizations, one of the basic determining factors of service quality, have the power to influence both organizations, customers, and other employees in a wide range. In organizational cynicism, employees exhibit negative attitudes and behaviors such as resentment, anger, and disbelief towards their organizations. In this context, this study focuses on studying cynicism, which is considered a negative employee behavior, in terms of tourism businesses.
1 citations
Cites background from "Organizational cynicism – what ever..."
...The concept of cynicism, as a way of thinking and a way of life emerged for the first time in Ancient Greece in the 4th century BC (Brandes, 1997: 7; Dean, Brandes and Dharwadkar, 1998: 342: Thomas and Gupta, 2018)....
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TL;DR: Based on dynamic capability theory, the authors examined the relationship between dynamic managerial capability and the leader's ability to adapt to organizational changes, and found that the leader plays a crucial role in an organization, particularly during periods of change.
Abstract: The leader plays a crucial role in an organization, particularly during periods of change. Based on dynamic capability theory, this paper examined the relationship between dynamic managerial capabi...
1 citations
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3,041 citations
TL;DR: This paper found that cynicism about organizational change often combines pessimism about the likelihood of successful change with blame of those responsible for change as incompetent, lazy, or both, and that cynicism has negative consequences for the commitment, satisfaction and motivation of employees.
Abstract: Executive Overview Change is all about us, but many of its targets remain cynical about its impact and importance. Cynicism about organizational change often combines pessimism about the likelihood of successful change with blame of those responsible for change as incompetent, lazy, or both. Data from a new empirical study, and from previously published research, suggest numerous factors that contribute to the development of such cynicism. These include a history of change programs that are not consistently successful, a lack of adequate information about change, and a predisposition to cynicism. Results also suggest that cynicism about changes has negative consequences for the commitment, satisfaction and motivation of employees.
658 citations
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TL;DR: In this article, an integrative framework was proposed to investigate the extent to which employees' organizational cynicism is predicted by individual differences (positive and negative affect, trait cynicism) and positive and negative aspects of the work environment.
Abstract: We propose an integrative framework to investigate the extent to which employees' organizational cynicism is predicted by individual differences (positive and negative affect, trait cynicism) and positive (e.g., organizational support) and negative (e.g. psychological contract violation) aspects of the work environment. We also examine the extent to which organizational cynicism predicts employee attitudes and performance. We investigate these relationships based on 9186 individuals across 34 statistically independent samples from 32 primary studies. Using both new meta-analytic effect sizes from the current study and effect sizes from prior meta-analyses, we test whether a negative antecedent, organizational cynicism, has a predictive advantage over a positive one, organizational trust, in predicting employees' attitudes and behaviors. Our study contributes to a better understanding of the nomological network of organizational cynicism and its relationship with organizational trust.
199 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, an integrative framework was proposed to investigate the extent to which employees' organizational cynicism is predicted by individual differences (positive and negative affect, trait cynicism) and positive and negative aspects of the work environment.
185 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a targeted literature review of cynicism was utilized to develop a conceptual overview of cynicism, a discussion of key causes/antecedents of cynicism and common symptoms of cynicism.
Abstract: Purpose
“Unlearning” is discussed as an additional perspective or supplemental strategy for managers/leaders to consider when addressing cynicism in organizations. The article is not intended to be definitive. The aim of this paper is to generate ideas and encourage further exploration amongst practitioners and scholars regarding the feasibility of this perspective. There are a number of plausible explanations for the origin of cynicism, including the notion that cynicism is learned. As anything that is learned can also be unlearned, “unlearning” seemed to be a compelling perspective worthy of further exploration.
Design/methodology/approach
A targeted literature review of cynicism (with a specific focus on some of the more salient and well-respected research) was utilized to develop a conceptual overview of cynicism, a discussion of key causes/antecedents of cynicism, and common symptoms of cynicism. Select literature was also reviewed relative to the concept of “unlearning”. These varied sources were then synthesized into a framework that outlined the premise of “unlearning” applied to cynicism in organizations.
Findings
This article focuses on the attitudinal dimension of cynicism, discussing “unlearning” as a possible method for addressing cynicism that can be used to supplement, but not necessarily replace, other methods that have proven effective.
Originality/value
Cynicism in organizations has received notable research attention. This article contributes to this important topic by exploring “unlearning” as a supplemental approach or perspective for addressing cynicism with the intent of generating ideas and encouraging further exploration of the feasibility of this approach.
11 citations